Two Floors Apart (Louis Tomlinson AU)

XII » Graduation

XII.   T W E L V E   //   E P I L O G U E   //   G R A D U A T I O N 

j u n e   2 0 1 4 

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to present to all of you the graduating class of 2014!" 

            The moment the words left the emcee's mouth, Pyper clapped with the rest of the crowd, watching as every student clad in a black gown threw their mortarboards into the air. Before the moment was over Pyper stopped clapping early and lifted her camera to capture the moment of Louis' graduation in several photos. She had no time to review her photos, but she knew of everything she captured—the flying golden tassels, graduates that were smiling, laughing, crying, or doing a mix of all three, then several more of the students simply conversing in the area on campus grounds. 

            Her blue eyes scanned the sea of black robes before resting on the face she recognized and had known the longest. She walked up behind him, the camera poised in front of her face. "Oi, Louis!" 

            The graduate spun his head around to look at Pyper, who captured the moment of his candid smile perfectly. Louis began to laugh. "Pipe, come on! It's all sticky and humid out and I'm starting to get all sweaty, this isn't the time for pictures!" 

            Pyper walked closer to him, almost meeting his height in her four inch heels. "D'you honestly think I care about what you think you look like? My darling Peter Pan is growing up and graduating uni!" 

            "At least give me a chance to take this bloody robe off," he muttered through the smile plastered on his face. Once he took the robe off and returned it to students a year below him so that they could place it on a hanger, he walked back over to Pyper. She rushed over to him as fast as she could in nude heels on grassy ground, wrapping her arms around his neck in a hug. He gave her a tight hug back. When she pulled away, she took that moment to take in how handsome Louis looked in his classic black-and-white suit, everything fitting perfectly. 

            Pyper took a few extra steps back and brought the camera back to her eye. "C'mon, love. One more picture?"

            "I'm pretty sure you mean twenty more," he corrected before smiling widely for the camera, his hands in his trouser pockets. "I'd be willing to take one more picture perfectly, though. As long as you're in it with me." 

            Pyper's eyes widened. "Lou, no," she pleaded, "I don't look ready for the occasion." 

            "You're full of crap, Pipe. Get over here." When she didn't budge, he added, "You look absolutely gorgeous and you're simply denying it yourself." 

            Louis knew he was right, too. Pyper was dressed for the occasion perfectly—along with her heels, she wore a short, strapless dress that was a rich royal blue that made her eyes seem as if they were a lighter colour than they were. Her hair was stylishly curled for the occasion (something Louis had only seen once or twice in all their years of knowing each other) and she had minimal eyeshadow, focusing more on her thin eyeliner and mascara. She was beautiful and had nothing to worry about, yet she still shook her head behind her professional black camera. 

            "I still refuse." 

            Louis let out a dramatic moan, running one of his hands through the quiff in his hair. His eyes caught a familiar caramel head. "Oi, Lydia! Could you come here for a second?"

            The tall girl told Liam where she would be and made her way through the small crowd of graduates between them. "Yeah, Lou?"

            "Would you be every so kind as to take a picture of Pyper and I? The photo op later tonight won't be enough for me." He sent her his famous cheeky smile and she laughed.