World Tour
Compromise
***Louis Tomlinson***
Thursday, August 2nd, 2012 – North London, England
I woke up at Liam’s the next morning, still worried about him. I wondered how long the drinking had been going on, and how I could’ve been so selfishly wrapped up in my own relationship to pay attention to one of my best friends. I looked over at Liam sleeping on the couch, his face still tear stained, and I felt a pang of guilt for letting him go through this on his own.
Everyone else woke up shortly after, and Harry made breakfast. Liam didn’t even seem hung over, which made me think the drinking really had been going on longer than any of us knew. We ate, and Liam acted fine, but Niall said he’d stay with him that day, so Zayn left and Harry and I headed back to our place.
I had forgotten that we had left everything out on the table from the short dinner with Abby the night before, so Harry and I began cleaning up.
“I know Abby wasn’t here very long but how do you feel about her?” I asked Harry. He looked at me, and I knew his answer before he spoke.
“I don’t like her,” he said softly as he cleared the table.
“Why not?” I asked. “She’s perfectly nice.”
“She’s very nice,” Harry agreed. “But, I don’t know, I get a bad vibe.”
“A bad vibe?” I raised my eyebrows. “That’s what you’re going off of? That’s your reason for not liking her?”
"Can we please not fight?” Harry asked, and we both stopped bustling around to look at each other. I took a deep breath.
“Sorry,” I said. “I just think you need to give her more of a chance.”
“Why?” he asked. “Because you love her?” I could tell by the look on his face that he hadn’t meant to say that, but that he was worried about it. I sighed.
“Is that why you don’t like her?” I asked gently, stepping towards my boyfriend. “You think she’s replacing you?”
“You called her ‘Abs’,” he defended, and I had to admit he looked cute when he was jealous. Of course, he looked cute all the time.
“Harry,” I chuckled and took his hands in mine. “I call you ‘Curly’. Niall is ‘Nialler’, Zayn is ‘Z’, Liam is ‘Li’. Everyone I care about gets a nickname, you know that.”
“So you care about her?”
“As a friend, Love.”
“Then why were you cuddling with her on the couch?” he asked. She must have said something to Harry.
“You knew that was part of the deal,” I reminded him, but my voice was gentle.
“In public, Lou. When there are people and cameras around. But at home by yourselves? I just don’t see the need for it.”
“You’re right,” I said, seeing that he did have a valid point. “I’m sorry, Love,” I told him sincerely. “I just looked at it as a good way to practice getting used to touching her, but, no, you make a really good point. I’m sorry.” I looked deep into his eyes so he knew I meant it. Harry nodded, forgiving me. I wondered if I’d ever be able to get it right with him.
“I tried to like her, Louis, I did,” he told me. “But there’s just something about her…” he trailed off, unable to explain what that something was.
“Okay, look, I’m not going to force you to be friends with her. She’s a big part of my life now –”
“Great,” he cut me off.
“Just, listen,” I said, squeezing his hands firmly. “She’s a big part of my life now, because she has to be. But you? Harry, you’re a huge part of my life by choice, because I want you to be.” Harry half smiled and blinked back tears. I was starting to see how much this whole Abby thing really was getting to him – it wasn’t just an adjustment; he was legitimately bothered by it. “She’s not ever going to replace you, nobody is. Nobody could fill your shoes, Harry, and I wouldn’t want them to, anyway.”
“I’m sorry,” Harry sighed. “I wish this didn’t bother me so much.”
“Thank you for talking to me about it,” I said, looking into his eyes. “I’ll try and balance my time between the two of you better.”
“And I’ll try and get along with her.” We both smiled. We had just avoided a fight by compromising, and I was really excited about that. Maybe I could get it right after all, or at least enough to make it work. Forgetting about the dishes, I kissed Harry, surprising him. He smiled into the kiss, and then led me up to his room.
Thursday, August 2nd, 2012 – North London, England
I woke up at Liam’s the next morning, still worried about him. I wondered how long the drinking had been going on, and how I could’ve been so selfishly wrapped up in my own relationship to pay attention to one of my best friends. I looked over at Liam sleeping on the couch, his face still tear stained, and I felt a pang of guilt for letting him go through this on his own.
Everyone else woke up shortly after, and Harry made breakfast. Liam didn’t even seem hung over, which made me think the drinking really had been going on longer than any of us knew. We ate, and Liam acted fine, but Niall said he’d stay with him that day, so Zayn left and Harry and I headed back to our place.
I had forgotten that we had left everything out on the table from the short dinner with Abby the night before, so Harry and I began cleaning up.
“I know Abby wasn’t here very long but how do you feel about her?” I asked Harry. He looked at me, and I knew his answer before he spoke.
“I don’t like her,” he said softly as he cleared the table.
“Why not?” I asked. “She’s perfectly nice.”
“She’s very nice,” Harry agreed. “But, I don’t know, I get a bad vibe.”
“A bad vibe?” I raised my eyebrows. “That’s what you’re going off of? That’s your reason for not liking her?”
"Can we please not fight?” Harry asked, and we both stopped bustling around to look at each other. I took a deep breath.
“Sorry,” I said. “I just think you need to give her more of a chance.”
“Why?” he asked. “Because you love her?” I could tell by the look on his face that he hadn’t meant to say that, but that he was worried about it. I sighed.
“Is that why you don’t like her?” I asked gently, stepping towards my boyfriend. “You think she’s replacing you?”
“You called her ‘Abs’,” he defended, and I had to admit he looked cute when he was jealous. Of course, he looked cute all the time.
“Harry,” I chuckled and took his hands in mine. “I call you ‘Curly’. Niall is ‘Nialler’, Zayn is ‘Z’, Liam is ‘Li’. Everyone I care about gets a nickname, you know that.”
“So you care about her?”
“As a friend, Love.”
“Then why were you cuddling with her on the couch?” he asked. She must have said something to Harry.
“You knew that was part of the deal,” I reminded him, but my voice was gentle.
“In public, Lou. When there are people and cameras around. But at home by yourselves? I just don’t see the need for it.”
“You’re right,” I said, seeing that he did have a valid point. “I’m sorry, Love,” I told him sincerely. “I just looked at it as a good way to practice getting used to touching her, but, no, you make a really good point. I’m sorry.” I looked deep into his eyes so he knew I meant it. Harry nodded, forgiving me. I wondered if I’d ever be able to get it right with him.
“I tried to like her, Louis, I did,” he told me. “But there’s just something about her…” he trailed off, unable to explain what that something was.
“Okay, look, I’m not going to force you to be friends with her. She’s a big part of my life now –”
“Great,” he cut me off.
“Just, listen,” I said, squeezing his hands firmly. “She’s a big part of my life now, because she has to be. But you? Harry, you’re a huge part of my life by choice, because I want you to be.” Harry half smiled and blinked back tears. I was starting to see how much this whole Abby thing really was getting to him – it wasn’t just an adjustment; he was legitimately bothered by it. “She’s not ever going to replace you, nobody is. Nobody could fill your shoes, Harry, and I wouldn’t want them to, anyway.”
“I’m sorry,” Harry sighed. “I wish this didn’t bother me so much.”
“Thank you for talking to me about it,” I said, looking into his eyes. “I’ll try and balance my time between the two of you better.”
“And I’ll try and get along with her.” We both smiled. We had just avoided a fight by compromising, and I was really excited about that. Maybe I could get it right after all, or at least enough to make it work. Forgetting about the dishes, I kissed Harry, surprising him. He smiled into the kiss, and then led me up to his room.
Notes
Jealous Harry really is kinda sexy...Eeek I'm soo proud of the boys for being mature and not turning this into a fight!! Our little Larry is growing up!
@Sinthiaa
No, it's not hers, it's mine, and I can't get in touch with her or the site admins to get it taken down, grrr haha. Thank you for saying something though :-) *MUAH*
5/6/14