tbsongs

[tbsongs]

chapter 18 preview

Harry had two playlists set for the party to celebrate the first weekend where all his friends were back in town – the way, he decided, to kick their spring semester off right.

The main playlist was for the kick back, expertly crafted to slowly build with the level of alcohol in body until Party in the USA could come on and everyone would drunkenly sway with red cups in the air and belt it out at the top of their lungs. Songs For The Best Night it was aptly named.

And there was his personal playlist, the one with all his favorite upbeat songs. Harry often didn’t listen to music through a Bluetooth speaker – usually preferring headphones or his record player. But these songs were made for that – as if there were any other way to listen to Crazy In Love. He’d be mixing cake and icing for his cake pops and drop his spatula to hold his fist up in the air and grind his hips in the air to the uh, oh, uh, oh, uh oh – oh na na.

This playlist was made for him to let the music flow, tilt his head back and belt lyrics – to dance like nobody was watching.

And usually there wasn’t.

But Louis, bless his soul, was trying to help Harry set up for his kick back.

Louis stepped back into Harry’s living room from the back porch, finished setting up the cheap metal firepit and all the chairs he could around it. He took off his coat, tossing it over the back of the couch, as the heat from Harry’s place warmed him. He pulled the sleeves of his hoodie over his fingers. “Haz, I’ve finished up in the back,” he called.

But Louis didn’t think that Harry could hear him. Because Lizzo was absolutely blasting over the speaker.

He stepped into the kitchen to find Harry with a pale blue bumblebee apron wrapped around his body, his back towards Louis. He was bare foot with his head tilted back, curls cascading down his back. He punched the air as trumpets pounded and swelled aggressively. The music started to rise with the chorus I’m cryin’ cuz I love you. Harry belted out a rift along with Lizzo, turning his body and finally, he came face to face with Louis.

He stopped in his tracks for a moment, eyes wide and chest huffing. His cheeks were flushed and his hair wild. Lizzo kept singing on behind him, leaving just the two of them paused, frozen.

Harry’s eyes raked up and down Louis’ body and a smile easily fell over their lips.

Harry picked up a frilly white apron, placed it over Louis’ head, and used it to drag Louis closer when the music picked back up again. Louis laughed, loud and with his entire body jostling with it. Harry tied the apron for him quickly then put both of his clutched both of his fists in the air to make a complete show of singing the end of the song.

Louis leaned over, kissed his cheek, when the music slowed down. “How’s your buffalo dip coming?”

Harry gave it one last mix before he nodded. “All done,” he said, taking off his apron. He hung in on the hook near the door. “I’m gonna go get changed. Let people in for me, yeah?”

“’Course, babe.” Louis said, taking the apron off that Harry put on him, silently chuckling at how ridiculous he figured he looked in it. But perhaps, he thought, it wouldn’t look so ridiculous if Harry wore that for him with nothing on underneath.

He’d have to admit that he would like that.

Before he could get too distracted by those thoughts, a quick knock came from the door.

He soothed a hand down his hoodie when he pulled it open, Niall loudly spilling through with two other guys trailing behind him – Aaron and Nick.

“Lou, mate!” Niall called, eagerly. He wrapped an arm loosely around his shoulders and pulled him close, he was deceptively strong. “Good to see you. Your break was good, yeah?” Niall was already walking towards the kitchen – being the first person Harry made friends with at Kentwood, Niall had no issues making himself at home. They used to room together, when Harry stayed on campus. He pulled open the fridge, grabbing a handful of beers.

“Yeah, my break was good, man. Yours?”

“Can’t complain, man. I know you know Aaron,” Niall said, making quick work of popping the tops of the beers. “You met Nick Grimshaw?”

“Can’t say I have,” Louis said extending his hand towards Nick. “I’m Louis, do you work at the station?”

Nick’s eyes looked up, his perfectly quaffed hair bouncing with every movement his head made. “Yeah, I’ve got the morning show.”

“Nick’s a great host, real funny. He gets a lot of guests in for the station.” Aaron reached for the beer extended towards him from Niall, downing a quarter of it. Niall complained angrily behind him that he didn’t cheers first while another knock came from the door.

“I better go get that. Harry should be out soon,” Louis said, shuffling towards the door.

He heard Niall call “Speak of the devil and he shall appear,” behind him and figured Harry was now in the kitchen. Louis pulled open the door, finding Liam and Zayn excitedly talking to two girls. One, Louis recognized as Madison, another radio show host he had met once or twice. Judging by the low position of her hand on the other girl’s hip, he be willing to guess that it was the girlfriend he heard so much about.

Jess, Louis found out, was her name. She introduced herself just as Harry snuck up behind Louis to invite everyone in. Harry pressed his chest to Louis’ back as he opened the door wider to usher everyone in. Harry had a fajita bar set out on the table, strips of chicken, steak, and veggies in separate bowls on warming plates and toppings scattered around.

Everyone built their own plates, squeezing together in Harry’s living room, sitting on the couch, arms of chairs, floor cushions. Everyone chatted happily through the food, jovial laughter spilling through the air.

“H, did you set the firepit out?” Liam asked, finishing the last of his beer and gathering a few plates.

“Lou set it all up. Everyone want to go out there?”

With collective nods of agreement, everyone shrugged back on their heavy coats or bundled up in blankets to go huddle around the firepit on the porch. “I’ll get everyone a fresh round before I head out,” Harry as the party started to spill outside to the sounds of S.O.B by Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats fittingly played over his speaker.

“Baby, what’ll you have?” Harry called to Louis, clapping along to the song.

“Whatever ya pour me, gorgeous.” Louis called, stepping outside with the lighter to shivering voices, urging him to hurry up. “Alright, alright. Calm it you lot,” Harry heard him say as he slid the door closed.

Harry bounced around to the song, mixing a vodka soda for Jess, a couple of rum and cokes for Liam and Zayn. He grabbed a few beers and a bottle before heading out. After he passed the drinks around, he took his saved seat next to Louis, huddling under the blanket he had set over his shoulders.

Louis sniffed the cup before he brought it to his lips. “What is it?”

“Mixed that guava mango juice you like with some fruity vodka.”

“The juice in the glass bottle?”

“The very one,” Harry said with a smile, pressing his cup to Louis’ for a quick cheers.

“I’ve never been to a party before,” Jess spoke to no one in particular, face flush and a soft look on her face. She hiccupped around her cup, nursing her drink slowly.

“Not even in high school, babes?” Niall asked, turning towards her.

“Nah, never. Home schooled. Didn’t even have my first sip of alcohol til Mads gave me some wine.”

Madison shivered beside her, but not from the cold. The alcohol warmed their bodies, made them feel impervious to the cold – young and free from even nature’s elements. “That wasn’t a great night,” she chuckled.

“What were the parties like?” Jess mumbled, casting glances around to the group.

“Lots of kids acting way too mature for their age and too loud music.” Zayn responded.

“And games, like weird sorts of games.” Liam said, rubbing a hand through his hair.

“This is pretty tame, if I’m honest, as far as parties go.” Niall added.

“Hey,” Harry drawled slowly. “I throw a good party.” He spoke defensively.

“Want something to liven it up?” Zayn asked, with a smirk. He reached into his pocket, pulling open a metal case. He popped it open, holding a few rolled joints to the group. He took one out, placing it behind his ear, before passing the case around to the group. “Lou, hand me that lighter, will ya?”

Jess passed the case to Niall without so much as a second glance. “What kind of games?” She asked Liam.

“Like spin the bottle, never have I ever kind of games.”

Niall took a joint, waiting for the lighter to follow the metal case. He passed it to Nick, who let it go straight to Louis. “None for you, Nick?”

“No, if I smoke while I drink, I get really nauseous for some reason.” He said with a shrug. “I always have to stick to one or the other.”

“Ah, that’s fair, mate. Tough luck, though.”

“What’s never have I ever?” Jess asked. The fire picked up as Liam sat another log into the flames. It licked up, casting a glow against his face while he answered her question – like he was telling some scary ghost campfire story.

“You basically go around the circle, say something you haven’t done. If someone in the group has done it, they drink. And you just keep going around.”

“Let’s play! Can we play?” Jess asked excitedly. Louis picked up the metal case as it came to him.

“Share one with me, love? Don’t feel like going in on one by myself.” Louis whispered over to Harry.

“Sure thing.”

“Let’s play, eh lads? Like we are proper teenagers again?” Niall asked the group, not willing to let the excited look fall from Jess’ face. After getting what seemed to be an affirmative answer from the group, although most of them admittedly were paying more attention to lighting their joints, Niall said, “I’ll start.”

Niall mulled it over on his inhale, holding the smoke in his lungs. On his exhale he hummed. “Never have I ever seen a Star Wars movie.”

Everyone took a sip of their drink. “How have you made it twenty years and have never seen a Star Wars movie?” Louis asked. While Liam said he knew what they’d be playing for the next movie night.

Nick was next. “Never have I ever had sex with a girl.”

“Never, mate?” Niall asked, wrapping his lips around his beer and taking a sip. Nick just shrugged. It was Liam’s turn.

“Never have I ever broken up with someone over text.” Liam said. Niall drank. “Niall! What happened?”

Niall started to giggle, taking another drag from the joint. “In my defense, yeah. I didn’t think we were together. We had one date in high school, and she told everyone she was my girlfriend – like everyone. The date didn’t even go well. She only talked about herself and dug her nails into my thigh the whole time.” Niall shrugged through everyone’s apologies.

Harry took his turn after he pulled the smoke into his lungs and exhaled. “Never have I ever had a one night stand.” He raised a nonjudgmental eyebrow and smirked as he watched Louis take a sip.

“Never have I ever gone skinny dipping.” Louis said, laughing. He knew that Harry, the first time he ever got drunk, threw his swim shorts off and jumped in the pool with his friends. He saw the blush creep over his cheeks as he drank.

Zayn held his drink up before he drank. Then it was his turn. “Never have I ever been spanked, sexually.” He threw a pointed look at Liam. Liam blanched at Zayn, scarlet shading his face. Louis heard dark expletives come out of Liam’s mouth as he threw back the rest of his drink.

“You did that on purpose, mate!” Liam said, shoving a hand onto Zayn’s chest. Zayn and Louis both fell over, clutching their stomachs and laughing.

“Wait, wait. Payno. Please tell us what happened?”

“Only if you want to,” Harry clarified.

“Okay, okay. There was this girl I was dating freshman year. She was just really into trying new things. She wanted to try everything,” Liam said, shrugging. When Niall tried to press for more information, like what exactly she wanted to try, Liam dared him to try and find out.

On Madison’s turn, she said, “Never have I ever tried bondage.” Liam drank.

“Never have I ever been a Dominant.” Liam drank.

“A submissive?” Liam drank again.

“Never have I ever had sex outside of a home,” Jess said.

Harry mulled over drinking. Technically, it was just oral sex that time in the studio. Did that count? Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Louis watching him. He raised his cup to his lips; Louis perfectly mimicked his motion. Harry wondered if they were thinking the same thing.

“Let’s head inside,” Nick called, watching the fire die out. “It’s getting fucking cold.”

Harry stood, felt his head sway and giggles start to erupt out of his mouth. When he got his blood flowing, tried to use what fine motor skills he had, his vision felt like he went into the settings on an old DVD and set it to widescreen. He smiled and held onto Louis’ hand. He saw the same thing wash over everyone else’s faces as they stood and walked inside too.

They all sauntered inside to Wannabe by the Spice Girls.

“Oi, let’s play the other game you mentioned, Li. Spin the bottle!” Niall called.

“I’ve actually never played.” Zayn reflected, plopping down on the floor. Liam worked with Harry in the kitchen, making everyone fresh drinks. Really, he just put the most effort into making his own mojito and left everyone else’s drink to Harry. He did help carry them though.