How We Met: A Tinder Story (Larry Stylinson)✅

Branching Out

Harry's POV

"Oh my god Niall, this semester is taking fucking forever. How is it only September still?" I groan. We're sitting in our favorite cafe munching on sandwiches as we discuss the week's happenings.

"Really mate, it feels like it's flying by," Niall replies. "Fuck, I already have exam."

"Do you now?" I ask, taking a bite of my ham and cheese sandwich. "I guess maybe it is going fast... I just miss Louis. It makes it feel longer."

"That could be it. I know you miss him. Sorry I haven't been around much. Between hanging out with Chelsea and going to practice, I've been swamped," Niall says.

That's right. Niall just joined the crew team this semester and has been wildly unavailable lately. His relationship with his girlfriend has also been getting pretty serious, and I'm happy for him, but I would be lying if I said it didn't limit his free time.

"It's okay. I get your busy. I might get a job or something to occupy my time. The newspaper isn't enough," I say with the shrug. "Speaking of, I normally don't talk to anyone on the newspaper but this new guy Zayn just joined. Transfer student. I guess he's eager to make friends. Invited me to get coffee."

"Are you sure that's not a date, Harry?" Niall giggles.

I shake my head, laughing. "No. No, as friends. I'm pretty certain of it."

"Right, well. Let me know how it goes. Potential new friend, sounds cool," Niall replies.

I nod, but bite my lip. Is it weird that maybe I wouldn't mind if Zayn considered it to be a date... that maybe I needed the attention?

Don't get me wrong. I love Louis. Love. Love. Love. Of course, I would never cheat on him. But sometimes, when we're apart I just feel so lonely, and all I want is someone to talk to and give me a little bit of their time to share.

Last year, Louis and I used to snap chat all throughout the day, so I didn't feel quite as lonely. But now, Louis has stopped texting significantly. In fact, he even leaves me on 'read' sometimes.

"Hey," I said to him a few days ago over the phone, addressing the matter. "I don't want to start problems but I feel like we have been talking a lot less than we used to last semester and it's not really working for me. Like we used to snap all the time, and now you don't really respond to my messages."

"Sorry, Haz," Louis replied. "I know I've been bad lately. But you saw my schedule. I'm taking an extra class, and the work at the lab is picking up. We need all our results processed by the end of the month, so we're working double what we used to. I wish I had better excuses, but you get that I'm busy right?"

I pouted my lips, and rolled my eyes, smitten that he can't see me from behind my phone. "Yeah, okay."

"Hazza," Louis breathed. "I know you're mad. I really am sorry. Why don't we talk once a day on Skype. For an hour. Does that work? It'll be easier than me texting you throughout the day."

"Okay," I said. "Yeah that works."

And it does work, for the most part. Louis and I have been doing it for the past week and I've felt a lot better. But I still don't feel entirely better.

"Harry, you're staring into space," Niall says, waving a hand in front of my face.

"Sorry," I say, blinking. "Sorry, I dunno, Niall. It's just that sometimes I feel like I'm living from moment to moment with Louis. Like I'm just living from one visit to the next. And I enjoy myself a ton during each visit, but not at all in between. I'm sort of reliant on him..."