Archive of Our Own ^beta

So, basically, it goes like this: Harry's sixteen and he auditions for the X-Factor and he gets through, through to bootcamp, and bootcamp, he thinks, is wonderful because he meets a beautiful boy. And in the loo of all places. "Louis," the lad had said, and then he's asking Harry to take a picture with him because he's, "phenomenal and going to make it big," and apparently Louis really hopes Harry'll be his first famous friend.

But, bootcamp is also the place where it crashes down for a moment, because Harry's been cut out from the competition, along with Louis, and he barely catches a glimpse of the chestnut fringe through his tear-blurred eyes before it's gone.  

There's a dull glimmer of hope though, as his name, and the names of four other boys he wasn't bothered enough to listen to, is called. And when he climbs onto the stage, he feels his stomach flutter as he sees Louis standing there, as well as the brash Irish boy  he recalls to be named Niall, the shy boy, Zayn, and the come-back kid, Liam Payne. 

Louis grins at Harry brilliantly when Simon says they're going through as a group and without even thinking Harry's lifting up the other boy and spinning him around and they're laughing - giggling, really - manically. And Harry has to hold himself back from kissing Louis right there when the older boy clings to him and whispers in his ear, "We're winning this okay Harry? Together." And he's nodding, and thinking yeah, he'd like "together" with Louis. 

+ 

There's a brief moment, for Harry at least, when time moves into hyper speed - and suddenly the boy's have been at his family's bungalow for far too long and it's high time they left. But Harry doesn't want them to leave. (Well, he doesn't want Louis to leave, mostly.)

Now, Harry's looking for Louis and he has no idea where he's been for the past hour and -

There's an arm seizing him into the closet he was about to look into because he'd gotten desperate and oh. There are lips against his and Harry's hit by the taste of mint and the scent of vanilla and it's so blatantly Louis that he thinks he might pass out from the acrobatics going on in his stomach. 

Fortunately, it doesn't take too long for Harry to process what's happening and he growls softly and kisses Louis back with equal fervor, twisting his hands into the hair on the back of Louis' neck. Louis grabs Harry's biceps and pushes him against the wall of the tiny space.  

"Fuck," Harry groans as Louis starts kissing his jawline. 

"Yeah, fuck," Louis replies and moves his lips down, down, down and he's nipping at Harry's neck and it's lovely.

"Should've done this sooner," Harry pants, and then switches them around so that he's got Louis pinned against the wall. 

"Been wanting to do this since I met you at boot camp," Louis admits. Harry's hands move down to knead at Louis' arse and he's marking Louis' neck and Louis is moaning unashamedly. 

"Then why haven't we done this yet?" Harry questions, sucking a purple mark at the base of Louis' neck. 

"Been- ah, Harry. Been waiting for the right time I guess," Louis responds shakilly. Harry pulls away from him then, and interlaces their fingers. There are bubbles of electricity where their fingertips meet.

"So. You decided to hide in a closet - don't think the irony escaped me, Lou - for a goddamn hour, waiting for me to snog you?" Harry asks, a bit incredulous.  

Louis just shrugs, though, and Harry laughs. It's sonorous and beautiful and perfect and makes Louis tingle all the way down to his toes. He place a sweet, lingering kiss on Harry's now cherry-red lips and says, "Well, if it counts, I think you were well worth the wait, Styles."