The Fires of Spring (Larry AU)

e l e v e n

"Oi! Niall, I do not have sweaty armpits!" Louis screeches, throwing a French fry across the table, hitting Niall's chest.

"You sure about that, mate?" Niall snickers, picking the fry off of the table and popping it into his mouth.

"Leave Louis alone." Harry says defensively and wraps his arm around Louis' shoulder, bringing him closer.

"Yeah, leave Louis alone." Louis snuggles into Harry's side, and he thinks that maybe Harry's left side was made for me. Or maybe he could carve out a cave and live there for a but, until things get easier.

They're all sitting at a table in the cafeteria, all of Harry's friends and Louis and Niall. Now that Niall and Zayn are more open about their relationship and Liam was mad at Liam, Niall had started to sit with them. Perrie was surprisingly okay with it all, claiming she already knew and was just waiting for Zayn to tell her.

They were in one corner while Liam, Josh, Olly, Danielle, and Eleanor were hidden away in another corner, whispering and adverting their eyes when Louis looked back to spy on them.

"Aw, look how cute!" Cher gushes over her salad as she gazes longingly at Harry and Louis.

Zayn snorts, "Don't encourage them."

Louis looks up to Harry and says, "I love you like I love the sun. I love to look at you but it hurts my eyes."

The whole table erupts into laughter, then Perrie says, "That's all you have? You don't actually use nice analogies?"

Louis shrugs.

I love you in colors, sometimes dark and sometimes light. But I appreciate both sides.

I love you like the sun loves the moon; always trying to catch a glimpse of you.

I love you in glances, not stares. I can't stop looking at you.

I love you like a rocking chair, it gives me something to do but it doesn't get me anywhere. Except it sorta does.

We're the beginning of the end.

Louis suspects he might blow up into an explosion of poetry and nonsense and milky words that probably won't make sense. So, no, Louis thinks, he doesn't use nice analogies. Instead of giving a sold answer, he buries himself deeper into Harry's side, hoping (no, praying) that he doesn't have to talk anymore.

One side of Louis wants to jump on the table and dance and sing about his love for Harry. He wants everyone to know just how much he loves his dumb boyfriend with curly hair.

The other side wants to keep it a secret. He wants Harry to himself, he wants it all in secret.

"How's everything going with Poppy?" Zayn asks, throwing his arm casually over Niall's shoulder, squeezing him a bit closer. Zayn doesn't think anyone noticed; Louis notices. He notices quite a lot.

"Good, good. She really loves hanging with Ed during school hours. Gemma is on her way to a healthy recovery so hopefully Poppy can go back with her soon, before she goes into kindergarten, you know? It'll be much easier." Harry says, everyone nods.

"What about your mum?" Perrie asks. "Like, what is she making of all of this?"

Harry shrugs, his shoulder bumping into Louis' cheek. "Don't know. She's got a new loser boyfriend, and she sold my childhood home to live with him, so. Gemma will probably have to live with me once she's out of rehab. To get back on her feet."

"It's so amazing that you're doing all of this, you know that, right? It's absolutely incredible. I bet Louis' very proud." Cher states, happily chewing her salad.