Love Competition (The X Factor Larry Stylinson)

Confessions

Louis sprung up in bed when his alarm went off. He frowned and turned it off, the fear returning to his veins.

He looked over at Harry sleeping peacefully and debated over not waking him up, just letting him sleep, but then immediately shook the thought from his head. That would be cruel. He silently got up, walked over, and tapped him on the cheek.

"Harry. Harry." He whispered. "It's five o'clock."

When he didn't wake up, Louis shrugged and walked back over to his bed, only to be startled by a rustling behind him.

Harry's eyes flicked open and he yawned. "Hi."

Louis spun around to see the younger boy sitting up in bed and rubbing his eyes.

"I thought we agreed on six o'clock?"

Louis gulped and scratched his head. "Oh, did we? I forgot."

Harry smiled. "Are we still doing this?"

"Are you sober?"

Harry slid off of his bed and onto the floor. Louis flicked on a lamp and joined him, holding a pillow in his lap.

"So..." He started.

Harry looked away. "This made a lot more sense last night," he laughed.

"Yeah!" Louis joined. "We don't have to, if that's what you want."

"No, no, we should."

Louis nodded.

Harry nodded and put a serious face back on. "Okay. So." He took a deep breath. Then he glanced at the clock, then at Louis, and then took another deep breath.

Louis kept eye contact with him.

"So I've liked you since we met."

Louis nodded.

Harry stared back at him.

"Oh, my turn? Me too."

Harry grinned and looked away, and Louis did the same.

"God, it's warm in here." Said Louis.

"Yeah. Wanna open a window?"

"No. It's fine."

"Awfully quiet in here, too."

"Do you wanna put on background music?"

"Okay." Harry grabbed his phone off of his bed and opened YouTube. A few seconds later, a familiar tune started filling the room.

"Harry!"

"What?"

"Not my old covers, please."

"Why not? I think they're quite good."

"Harry."

"Woah-ooh-woah-oh, woah-ooh-woah..." He was trying to change the subject and failing miserably, using humour to cope. He still stands by the fact that this was a hilarious move on his part.

Louis glared at him until he turned off his rendition of his favourite song by The Fray. To replace Louis' voice a few seconds later was a fun sounding punk song.

"What's this?"

"It's called 'But It'a Better If You Do'." He turned it to the lowest sound possible (That would still be easily heard, of course) and then focused his attention back on Louis. "Where were we?"

"Um..."

"Look, Louis, we really don't have t-"

Louis fiddled with his thumbs and thought. "You could write out what you're thinking on a piece of paper, if you want."

"That's... yeah. I'd like that."

Harry scrambled up and grabbed himself a pen and a piece of loose leaf. He took the pen, propped the paper up on a random book he had found lying under his bed, and began to write.

Louis stared out the window as he listened to the quick noises of the blue Bic pen forming letters, words, sentences.

"Woah-ooh-woah-oh..."

"Harry, I will smear the ink right now. I swear to god."

Harry clapped a hand over his mouth and kept on writing. Once he was finished, he quickly shoved the piece of paper into the older boy's hands and stood up, making his way towards the door.

Luckily, Louis stopped him. "Stay."

"...Okay."

Harry leaned up against Louis and rested his head against his shoulder as Louis began to take in the letter.

"Dear Louis,

Ever since I saw you at those first auditions, I knew I couldn't let you go. I knew I liked you since day one. I liked you during the cabin. Hell, I tried to move on when you were with Eleanor but I couldn't. I liked you then. And, I like you now. I love you now.

I want you to know that no matter what, I'll always consider you one of my best friends. You're funny, sweet, confident, loud, adorable, and so much more.

And right now you're looking at me while I'm writing this and I'm pretending not to notice but really I'm dying. Thanks a lot. You can pay for my funeral.

But in all seriousness, I really do like you. I'm sure of it. I'm willing to take any risks if it means I can be with you.

I just hope you feel the same.

-Harry

Louis watched as a fat tear fell onto the paper. He wondered if it was his or Harry's. They were both crying at this point.

"I... wow, Hazza."

"I'm sorry."

"No, I..." Louis closed his eyes and took a deep breathe of fresh air that was coming from the wide open window. He looked at the letter and smiled, then wiped at his eyes and looked over at Harry. "Do you want me to write or talk?"

"Whatever you want."

"Talk?"

"I like to listen to your voice, too." Harry put his head down and closed his eyes.

"Okay, so... I liked you at the auditions, at the cabin, at the mall, with Eleanor, after Eleanor, today, tomorrow, next week, and next year. I genuinely want to be with you. I'm scared of what everyone else will say, but not you. I'm not scared when I'm with you."

"I'm not scared of what everyone else will say, but I'm terrified of you."

"Hey, I'm not that scary!" He laughed. "But really. I think... whatever you think we should do is the best option."

"Wait - why do you like me?" Harry put a fist under his chin and winked.

"You little shit," he laughed. "Do you wanna know?"

"Well, I did ask."

"Okay, well, first of all you have the greatest personality ever. You're the kindest person I've ever met, and you're so patient with people who honestly do not deserve patience. And yeah, some of your jokes are pretty funny."

"Awe, stop feeding my ego," said Harry jokingly with a wave of his hand.

"Well, I'm just saying. I can keep talking if you want."

"Keep talking, but change the subject. You're making me blush."

"Okay... but I think this is up to you now. What do we do?"

"...."

"...."

"You ask it."

"Ask what?"

Harry punched him in the arm. "You know..."

"Do you want to be my boyfriend, Harry Edward Styles?"

"...Of course, Lou."