Running home, Louis' mind was swirling. Thoughts were going in different directions, making him dizzy almost. He ran trough the dark streets, passing people on their way to parties (it was a Friday after all) and he felt like his feet couldn't move fast enough. Did he tell Harry about the girls, or did he not? What if Harry would freak out? God, Louis was freaking out himself. How the fuck did they know? He hadn't even mentioned the name Harry to them! But... they been at the shop practically every day and could have easily overheard his conversations with Lindsay. He had said his boyfriend's name was Harry, had described him in detail and also referred to himself as the Tommo! God! How stupid was he?!
But most importantly, what the hell happened to Niall?! Harry had sounded worried. Actually truly worried. Louis' heart pounded heavily in his chest, both from the physical work out he'd just done and from actual anxiety that there was actually something wrong with Niall.
Louis finally reached his building, furiously pressing in the code, in his haste frustratingly having to do it over several times. He climbed up the stairs, not having time for the elevator (and he didn't trust it one bit anymore) and then reached his door. He yanked it open, not really sure what to expect.

"Louis!" Harry breathed out in relief, coming from the kitchen, meeting him at the door.

"Harry, what's wrong?"

"I don't know, but I didn't dare leaving him by himself." Louis paled at his words. Peaking over Harry's shoulder he saw Niall, thrashing around stuff in the apartment. Woah. "Can you handle this?" Harry asked him.

Louis gulped. But it was Niall. "Yes."

"Good," Harry sighed out in relief. "'Cause honestly I'm quite scared so I'm going to leave."

"Uh-"

"Have fun with that." Harry pecked him on the cheek and all but ran out of the flat. Louis was left in the hallway, not really sure what to do.

Slowly he approached Niall who was throwing a book against a wall. It smacked loudly. "Niall?" he said hesitantly. He didn't seem to acknowledge him. He picked up one of Louis' notebooks, ripping it apart and throwing the pieces all over the place.

"Niall!"

"WHAT?" He turned and yelled. "What is it?"

"What's wrong?"

"Everything! Everything is fucking wrong!" He picked up an empty coffee cup that was resting on the on the table, ready to smash it against the floor. Louis rushed forward, stopping the throw. He gripped Niall's arm strongly.

"Niall! Calm the fuck down!"

"Fuck you, Louis!" Niall struggled to free himself of Louis arms. "Fuck everybody! Fuck fucking every single person who –"

Louis had never seen his best friend like this. Never had he seen him so angry and violent. The two struggled, Louis trying to stop Niall from destroying more of their stuff and Niall trying to reach nearest thing to smash it.

"Niall! What is this about?"

"It's about everything! Everything sucks!"

"Please just calm down," Louis desperately begged.

Niall threw his hands in the air. "How can I calm down when absolutely everything in my life is wrong?!"

What was he talking about? He looked destroyed, ruined. Louis felt like crying because he had no idea how to do this.

"Please talk to me. Niall, love, calm down and talk to me," he begged.

"It's everything! You were right! She's a mother fucking, untrustworthy, horrible human being!" Oh. Shauna. "If you can even call her that! And it's not just that! It's that I'm fighting with you and I'm lonely and I might fail my classes because I haven't attended at least two thirds and then she's telling me she's fucking someone else with that fucking indifferent face and then apparently I enjoy kissing guys," Niall slowed down. His breathing hitched heartbreakingly, "and I'm fucking lonely! I'm lonely, Louis!" He cried out, looking like he might fall apart any second.

Yeah...that was a lot. Quite the load. Niall was going to burst any second now. Louis knew. So he did the only thing he could. He opened his arms wide and Niall crawled into him. And he cried, he cried and cried. He fisted at Louis shirt desperately, sobbing and crying his guts out. And Louis just held him, hugging him tightly, knowing there wasn't much else he could do right now. He didn't know how long they stood like that. In a way it was nice, just holding on to each other.
But Louis felt ashamed. Niall was Louis' best friend. He hadn't even noticed any difference in him. Niall who clearly had been having a rough fucking time. He'd been a bad friend. Too obsessed with his own shit. He was terrible. It was a real, smack in the face, wake up call. These last two days, he'd realized how much he needed to take responsibility.

Eventually Niall's uncontrolled cries turned into low sniffles and Louis' work shirt turned from pretty okay, to wet and scrunched up.
Louis sat Niall down on the couch and then joined him. They sat next to each other, Niall gripping Louis' hand, both leaning back against the couch with closed eyes. They sat in silence, Louis knowing not to press.

Eventually Niall spoke in a hoarse voice. "It used to be me and you. You and I as the forever bachelors, partying and banging people left to right... We were the ultimate college bros." He said. "But now you're with Harry and you're together and all perfectly coupley. And what if I miss you?" He took a deep breath. "What if I miss partying with you, and getting drunk and having fun? We still do that but that, but Harry is always there. Don't get me wrong, I love Harry, but Nouis time? We need more Nouis time."

Guilt was rushing all over the place. He really had been neglecting Niall, hadn't he?

"And you're always with him. You're all in love and perfect. And what if I want that too? What if I also want to cuddle with someone on the couch and whisper sweet things with?"

"You wanted that with Shauna?" Louis said lowly and frowned, staring at his hands.

"I guess it's just that I thought she liked me like that. I thought we could have that. Thought she liked me, and then that'd be enough because I want what you and Harry have so badly. So it just hurts when she breaks it off and says 'we weren't really anything anyway'".

"She said that?" Louis gasped. Niall nodded, swallowing harshly.

"But like it's not her. It's the situation. I think I had more feelings for the thought of being with her than her, the actual person." Niall sighed, rubbing eyes. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to collect himself a bit.

"You had feelings for a thought?" Louis couldn't help but smile.

Niall snorted, a small stretch in one of the corners of his mouth. "I guess."

"I'm really sorry, Niall. She's a coldhearted bitch, but I'm sorry that I didn't listen to you and I've been a fucking jerk," Louis guiltily said.

"You have," Niall said and Louis smiled and rolled his eyes.

He continued. "And about the sexuality thingies," he said awkwardly. "I hate the thought that I might have pressured you. No one should be pressured with those kind of things."

"You haven't really. I'm just confused..." Niall frowned. "Remember the bounce and shake thing?"

"Yeah?" What had that been about really?

"I was confused because I was, and I still am, jealous of you and Harry. And then I didn't understand it because I like girls and I like boobs and then Harry said he was bi and but didn't really care for boobs and-"

"Niall..." Louis said when his friend was getting all worked up again.

"I'm freaking out, Louis."

Louis turned to him, seriously staring into his eyes. "Niall. I promise you on my life that we'll work this out."

"How?" he whined.

Louis toned down what he was actually thinking. "Shauna. Forget the skank. She's out of our lives." The whore. She was dead. He was going to kill her. "Classes. I will help you with your coursework. God knows I need to study too, and Stan can probably help you with maths. He's a genius." Louis would become a fucking nerd and even buy glasses, get him a freaking grade D.

"That'd be good," Niall nodded if only a bit sadly now.

"And sexuality? We'll take it slow. Experiment. Talk. No pressure from anywhere. You don't even have to do anything about it if you don't want to."

"What if I want to?" Niall said, sheepishly looking up at Louis.

"Well then," Louis said, gesturing with his hand. "Let's do it."

"Huh?" Niall was confused.

"Let's go. Club. Now."

"Oh. Uh. Okay?"

Louis beamed. Yay. He was going to help! Yes. Finally he was being a good friend! "Okay then! Niall, you've got one hour to get ready. Wear something snug that makes your arms and upper body look good, then we're leaving."

"Alright," Niall seemed a little nervous, yet a tiny bit of excitement seemed to shine in his eyes. Yes. Tonight was going to be Nouis night. Niall needed to let off some steam. They were going to get smashed, dance and have fun. Good old Nouis night.

---

They were drunk. Dr-unk. The club was full, the music was loud and the bodies were grinding.

"Go make out wiiiiiith her," Louis pointed at a girl with wavy caramel hair and nice legs. Niall turned on his heels, saying "ay ay captain". It took a minute of grinding then Niall he had his tongue down her throat. After a few minutes he was back, a smile on his face.

"She was niiiice," he grinned.

"Nice legs. Nooow..." Louis searched the place with his eyes. Looking for a certain guy that had been around pretty much all night. There. "Go hit on him. He's gay, I'm sure." The guy wore pretty tight jeans and he'd been drooling over Niall the whole time they' been there. Niall was drunk enough now. He could do it.

Niall's eyes shifted between the guy and Louis, obviously feeling uncertain. "Lewis, I'm not sure..."

"YES. YOU. CAN."

Niall looked ready to chicken out. "Niallser!"

He rolled his eyes. "Fine! But I'll get herpes before I'm out of here."

"Well, I'm not letting you kiss me so I'm fine with it." He waved him away and Niall trailed over to the guy who was looking at him like he was a lollipop to suck. Wow. What an appropriate metaphor. Louis watched the guy trail his fingers along Niall's arm seductively.

Then only a moment later Niall was back. "I'm not ready, I'm not ready, I'm not ready," he chanted, ripping the drink out of Louis' hands and gulping down it all.

Louis rolled his eyes. That's how the night had been and so it continued. Louis directing Niall around, pointing out the gays in the club and giving Niall on some pointers on what to do to make sure the guys noticed him. After a while he dismissed Niall, letting him roam on his own while Louis leaned back against the bar.
Thinking about the next morning Louis groaned. The girls. He hadn't told Harry yet, not even sure he was going to. If he could just convince the mini stalkers, that he was pretty sure they were, to not tell anyone he could make the whole situation go away. No Harry involved which meant no management, which meant no Harvey and that led to a happily ever after. Louis ordered another drink, gulping it down greedily.

---

Louis danced, yelling out occasional "YOU CAN LOOK BUT CAN'T TOUCH" and "I have a boyfriend asshole!" He was getting pretty wasted at the end of the night. Niall was running around, trying out different grinding techniques Louis supposed and he too was smashed.

He brought up his phone.

"Haaaarrolllddd. I misss uuuu. Comes to clubbsiieee. You knowa which, meet you in the bathrrroomm xxxx"

He snickered and put his phone away.

---

Later that night when he was shaking his ass damned well, he felt someone's hands on his hips.

"No! No! Ew. Shoo. Away. Me have boyfriendsle."

He felt the person behind him rest his head on his shoulder. "This is your boyfriend." Louis immediately recognized the deep voice. He spun around and indeed was it Harry.

"Harsold!" He exclaimed happily.

He chuckled and hugged him around his waist. Harold. Boyfriend. Here. Wait. Boyfriend is famous. Shit.
Louis pulled away abruptly and hit him hard in the shoulder.

"Ow! Why!?" Harry whined, clutching where he'd bit punched.

"You knows why!"

"It's dark!" Harry protested.

"Still nots cooliosle."

Harry sighed and grabbed hold of his arm, dragging him through the crowd. He kept his head down just as a precaution until they reached a corner where not many people were. It was darker here and no one would be able to see if they didn't stand close up.

"You're here! Did you come 'cause of my text?" Louis grinned, completely forgetting to be mad at him. His boyfriend was the sweetest thing ever!

"You texted me you were here and you're sexy when you dance so..." Harry explained, sheepishly looking down and then up through his lashes. Oh, swoon. Sex-y.

"Awwwwww!" Louis cooed."Hgggfg" He started choking on his own saliva unattractively. Hopefully Harry didn't notice.

Harry seemed to pretend he didn't although his nose wrinkled in a slightly disgusted manner. "How did it go with Niall? I was afraid you'd get killed. I got hit with a book in the head. Damn that kid can hit a moving target." Harry said. He frowned. "Good aim."

"You got hitsle?" Louis gasped. No, not his baby! He attacked him with kisses, pressing them all over his face affectionately.

"Louis how much have you had?" Harry asked, leaning away from his wet lips and bad breath.

"Much?" He tried to tone it down.

"You're disgusting," Harry said, "but also kind of cute when you're drunk though." Harry wrapped him in hug around his waist.

"I knows." Louis grinned up at him, happy to be in his arms.

Harry chuckled and leaned back against the wall with Louis tightly in front of him. It was nice. "Where's Niall then?"

"Experimenting."

"Experimenting?" Right. Harry didn't know about the maybe being into guys thing.

"He might be starting to like the D."

"Really?" Harry said, visibly surprised. Should Louis not have said that? He wasn't sure.

"You can't tell anyone, but" (maybe he should leave out the part about it being Louis' kiss that turned him into a maybe guy kisser. Yeah, let's leave out that part) "he kissed someone and he liked it. And now he's trying out the playground."

"Wow."

"I also like kissing boys." Louis added, a drunken glint in his eye. Talking about kissing and having Harry this close did stupid (or interesting) things to his dick.

"Do you now?" Harry smirked.

"Mmmhhmm." He leaned up, pressing his lips sloppily against Harry's. He kissed him back, humoring Louis for a few moments, though having a little trouble retaining Louis' hands that roamed over him. Louis wanted to touch. He wanted to kiss. Lick.

"Louis you are so drunk," Harry laughed after breaking their sloppy kiss.

"Can we go home?" Louis said in his ear. "Have seeeexxx." Harry laughed. That had to be a good sign, Louis thought.

"Not when you're this drunk."

Oh, bad sign then. "Whyyy?" he complained whiningly.

"I wouldn't consider myself a gentleman if I slept with you like this."

"I would." Louis smiled. He leaned up, pressing his lips to the skin below Harry's ear. "Fuck me," he whispered. Surely he was seductive enough to win him over. Louis was sexy, wasn't he?

"No."

"But you want to," Louis tried and trailed his hands down to Harry's hips.

Harry squirmed away from him, leaving Louis pouting. "Let's go home and sleep, Lou."

No, he didn't want to sleep. He'd been watching Niall make out with a bunch of girls and a few guys all night and seen people grind on each other. He wanted some action too, dammit. He was horny. Harry made him horny. He was not going to go home if Harry wouldn't promise to sex him up real good.

"No. I want to have sex." He said determinedly. "Sex is nice. I like sex."

"When you're sober we can have sex."

"I'll be sober when we get home."

"We'll sleep when we get home."

"I'm not going home unless sex." Louis crossed his arms stubbornly. He didn't get why Harry was so negative. Sex was fun and Louis was good at it.

"Louis..."

"No."

Harry stared at him with pursed lips. After a few moments he seemed to change his mind. "Fine. If you promise to leave with me, I'll sleep with you."

Louis eyed him suspiciously. "Are you serious?"

Harry sighed. "Yes."

Oh. Okay then. "NIALL!!" Louis turned on his heel, calling for his best friend. "NIALL?" He left Harry by the wall, looking exasperate, and ran to the bar trying to find him. He couldn't see him. "NIALLSER?!" He saw a blonde head by the bar, talking with girl.

"NIALL!" He stormed up to him, just casually falling and hitting the floor with a loud yet graceful "shit!". Without much time for groaning he jumped up, tapping Niall on the shoulder. "Hiiii!"

"LEWIS!" Niall spun around and hugged him tightly. "HAVEN'T SEEN YOU IN YEARS!"

"Niall!" Louis told him excitedly. "I'm getting laid!"

Niall grinned back at him. "Lucky bastard! Oh, and this is Georgia!" He gestured towards the girl. She was blonde, very short and wore a smiley expression, the total opposite of Shauna. Good work, Niall. Louis couldn't do other than congratulate him on the good work.

"Hi," she grinned. "Nice landing."

"Why thank you!" He liked her. What a doll. No, seriously. She was really small.

"LOUIS!" Harry said, coming up behind him, a little out of breath. "Why do you always run? How am I supposed to keep track of you when you're drunk and running around the place? You could've hurt yourself."

"Don't be don't be so dramatic, love."

"Didn't you just fall?" Georgia frowned. Then she looked up and realized who she was facing. "Oh my god!" Georgia squeaked. "You're Harry Styles!"

He gave her a smile. "Hello."

"Oh my gosh. What are you doing here?"

"What do you think?" Louis rolled his eyes.

"Just here with some friends," Harry smiled kindly. Friends, friends, friends. Friends. Louis smiled a bit too widely.

"Niall, you know Harry?" the girl asked.

"We're friends, yeah." He smiled back.

"Well, Harry and I were leaving so..." Louis trailed off. He clung to Harry's shoulder, patting his chest where his butterfly was situated.

"Yeah, sure," she nodded understandingly.

"Want to come back to our place?" Niall asked her eagerly. Louis observed while biting Harry's short sleeve. Aw, Niall. He was all puppy.

"Oh. Uh, actually I've got work early tomorrow morning." She grimaced. "But definitely some other time."

"So you did actually tap in my number? You didn't fake it?" Niall grinned, if only a little sad at her rejection.

"Of course I did!" She smiled. Wow, she smiled a lot. Louis liked that.

"Call me soon then." Niall grinned. Louis patted Harry's hair affectionately.

"It was nice to meet you, Harry and..." She frowned. Louis hadn't told her his name.

"Tomsle."

"It's Louis," Harry said over his head, as he pushed away Louis fingers that were scratching Harry's eyebrow. He was trying to be helpful.

"Oh, Louis then. Well, nice to meet you. Have fun!" She smiled (again) and gave Niall a kiss on the cheek before heading through the crowds.

"She was nice," Harry clapped Niall on the back. Niall grinned.

"Yeah. She really was."

When they got home that night Louis fell asleep muttering about bad boyfriends and liars. Harry kissed