Ankles and Awkwardness (Larry Stylinson)

Chapter Five - The Library

It started at the end of the first year when Harry had been cramming all his work in at the last minute, he'd definitely learnt how to manage his time better over university that was for sure. He'd gone into the library on a Tuesday afternoon and come face to face with Ankles and almost pissed himself, he'd got a seat across the room from him, at a place he could keep one eye on him.

He hated himself for being so pathetic, but he'd returned the next Tuesday afternoon and sure enough Ankles had been there. He made a routine of going every Tuesday at half one and soon managed to convince his friends to start coming with him.

He never told them the reason he went, but he was sure they knew. They kept it up through the next year too, and it actually helped them all keep on top of their work because it was a place they would actually be so bored and have to be quiet that work generally got done.

Well, mainly by the others because Harry got distracted often as he looked over at Ankles biting at his pencil in his usual corner. So of course, the routine had stuck and Harry found himself walking into the library with Perrie and walking over to where Niall and Ashton were poking each other with their pens in their usual corner.

"Do you think they'll ever get girlfriends?" Perrie asked and Harry turned his head slightly as he looked at them.

"They're attractive guys, they're just weird as fuck," Harry laughed and Perrie nodded.

"So are we, we'll probably be single forever too." She said and they got closer to where the others were sat, now seemingly having a sword fight with the pens instead.

"Well, at least we'll all still have each other." Perrie said. "We can all share a house forever, at least we won't be lonely."

"Sounds like a plan." Harry laughed. "We can all adopt a child and be that group of friends that raises a baby."

"Poor child," Perrie snorted as they got to the table and Perrie walked around it, Harrys eyes flicked over to the normal corner where Ankles sat and to Harrys disappointment it was vacant and he dropped into the seat between Ashton and Niall. Jade unfortunately had lectures this year and so she wasn't there, she'd gone off muttering about stupid tutors messing with her life.

Harry took out his books and laptop and got his space set up as Perrie also did too, Harry had effectively broken up the pen war by sitting between the two boys and he opened up his most recent page of notes.

They spent about half an hour actually doing work, their laptops clicking away as they typed and pages in books being turned but soon Niall was getting fidgety and was looking around the room with his chin on his hand sighing occasionally.

"If you're bored, you can play games on my laptop." Harry said looking over at him. "But for god sake do not open porn on it again as a joke,"

"That was funny," Niall laughed pulling Harrys laptop over to himself and smiling at the memory. Harry had been working and Niall had leant over him, opened up a porn site and played a clip on full volume so the quiet library was filled with the sounds of moans.

Harry still thought about that sometimes when he lay awake at night, the way everyone had slowly turned to look at their table as he screamed at what was on his screen, and tried and failed to close tabs. He could still remember the look on Ankles face and the loud cackles of his friends. The librarian kept a close eye on them now.

"That was hilarious," Perrie snorted across the table looking up from her book.

"Your face was hilarious and it only got better the more you panicked. My favourite moment was when you threw your laptop across the room and the noises just continued." Ashton laughed which the others joined in. Harry smiled and shook his head. He could take it as a joke now, although the video of the woman still haunted his nightmares sometimes.