NERD- Larry Stylinson

0-0 Chapter Eleven 0-0

It's a few days later, the school team has just won another game and the lads decided to celebrate, inviting the Harry, Leeroy, and Veronica with them.

They sit at a booth in a little diner a few blocks from the school. Harry and Louis sit on one side and Veronica, Niall, and Leeroy sit on the other. Niall has already engaged in an animated conversation with Leeroy and the pros and cons of getting a supreme pizza. Louis on the other hand...

You can't blame him, he still hasn't been able to recuperate since the little episode in the bathroom with Harry. Harry sits next to him, flushed and bright eyed as he laughs at Veronica's story. Louis doesn't understand how he can just sit there like nothing happened, like he didn't almost kiss Louis. He figures he might be reading too much into it, but when Harry gives him his brilliant smile a moment later, he's not so sure.

Louis knows Harry, can read him like a book. He knows he's shy and nervous, yet he has the ability to be so confident in planting the small kiss to the corner of his mouth. Louis can't figure out how the Harry sitting next to him, glasses being pushed up and hair back to its usual styled back manner, is the same Harry from a few days ago. Is it possible he doesn't actually know Harry as well as he thinks he does?

Louis just sort of sits there and stares, trying to figure Harry out. Was it possible Harry was secretly cool and suave and no one knew? Maybe he was actually a player, now that would be a turn of events. But not matter how Louis looked at it; Harry didn't seem that different now than he did then. His smile is sheepish, even if it's genuine and his fingers are still twisting under the table. Louis has a hard time believing that incident actually happened. He supposes he could have dreamt it up, although that crushes his spirits.

"Lou?" Louis blinks, realizing the whole gang is now staring at him.

"Sorry what?" Harry is the first to giggle, then Niall and that has the rest bursting into laughter.

"I asked if you wanted to order pizzas." Louis nods dumbly and the conversation starts up again, Niall now speaking to both Veronica and Leeroy on the wonders of slushies. Louis tries to gaze over at Harry, feeling rather bashful when he gets caught. He can feel his cheeks turning pink and he wonders if it's noticeable. Harry doesn't comment on it, but rather just gives him a wider smile.

"So uh-" Louis coughs, wondering what to say next. "Do- How- um- Yeah?" Harry giggles again, dimples coming out and eyes brighter than before. Harry resembles a baby deer somehow and Louis' not entirely sure where that thought came from, but he couldn't be more endeared. "You have really pretty eyes." Louis murmurs and that gets Harry's attention. Louis hadn't meant to say it out loud, covering his mouth in shock. Harry goes soft, gaze now filled with something else. That gaze has Louis feeling wonderfully happy. Harry reaches out tentatively, hand lightly touching the space next to his eyes.

"I like that when you smile your eyes crinkle. It's cute." Louis replicates that exact expression, making Harry chuckle. "Yeah just like that." Louis can sense something stirring, the rising emotion that he's been feeling since that day he saved Harry. It makes Harry's touch suddenly feel electric, a surge of heat and buzzing flooding his veins. It's as if his eyes have opened up and now Louis understands, he realizes what this feeling is.

He's completely, utterly, and hopelessly in love with the one and only Harry Styles. Louis leans away from Harry's touch in surprise. The conclusion that this has happened in the span of five months is remarkable. Louis just knows, he just knows he's totally smitten by the boy sitting next to him.

He can see Harry watching him quizzically, wondering as to why he moved away from his touch. Louis only lets him think about it for a few more seconds before he reaches out and lightly drapes his hand over Harry's on the table. Nothing is said as they continue to stare at each other, caught up in their own little world.

xxx

"Niall I've had a break through!" He shouts later that night. He's sleeping over at Niall's because they left the diner late. Time goes fast when you're having fun.

"Oh? What is it this time?" Niall asks, not too interested on the matter. Louis loves being dramatic and has breakthroughs almost every week.

"I've come to terms that I'm head over heels in love with a certain Harry Styles." Niall drops his pillow, jaw dropping as well. He swivels from his spot on the bed and just gapes at Louis for a moment.

"You're serious?" He makes sure.

"Completely." Niall cries in glee, jumping off the bed and tackling his best mate to the ground.

"I was right. You fell in love with Harry." He hugs Louis squishing the living daylights out of him. Louis laughs, patting his friend on the back.

"Okay Niall up or else I fear you will leave me indented into the ground." Niall backs away, clapping his hands excitedly.

"You have to tell him. He has to know, Lou. He has to-"

"Woah, woah, woah who said anything about telling him." Louis interrupts. Niall freezes, once again staring Louis down.

"I'm sorry did you just say what I think you said. Are you telling me you've come to realize you're in love with Harry, yet aren't going to do anything about it?" Louis shrugs awkwardly and Niall lunges at him again to shake his shoulder. "Lou, don't be stupid. Tell him. You can't just live with these feeling forever. It's better to say something rather than regret it later." He makes an amazing argument, but can he really fess up to it. Louis is usually good with this sort of thing, well not really since he's never experienced such strong feelings, but he's usually able to do something about it. If he likes someone, he tells them. Even if it's a passing thing, he makes sure that person knows that at some point Louis has thought very greatly of them.

Harry is a whole other situation. Louis has never felt this feeling before, the strong adoration and bubbly sensation rushing through his body. He has this ability to make Louis sad or happy with so much as acknowledging the lad. Harry is truly something special that Louis never wants to let go and he has this terrible feeling that if he tells Harry, he won't be able to keep him anymore.

"But how Niall? How can I tell him without knowing for sure how it's going to turn out?"

"That's the great mystery of life my friend." Yeah well it sucks.