You get me dizzy

Chapter 20

Okay. So. Seeing Harry wasn’t as revolutionizing to his world as Leo had thought it would be, but it also doesn’t mean that he didn’t get a flashback from the time Harry was sucking him off against a frigid table near the camping toilets.

Oh well.

Everyone goes over to greet Levi and congratulate him, so he slips out of the mass of people to get to the kitchen and fix himself another drink. He’s also pretty sure that he just walked past Perrie and Jesy from Little Mix so his head is all over the place.

It’s not like he’s starstruck or that he thinks that the people here are ‘celebrities’ but seeing so many talented people that he admires in one room has never happened to him before. You can't blame him for feeling a little overwhelmed.

Someone is hogging the bar in a crouching position, so Leo fits himself between the wall and the person to get to the Gin. The bottle bumps against the person’s arm.

“s**t, sorry, don’t mind me, I’m just going to make myself a little mix.”

The person finds it hilarious, because they start laughing, so when they stand up, Leo feels embarrassed. Because it’s Jade from Little Mix.

“Oh, sorry-“ Leo says, thinking about how he’s never apologized so much in the span of one minute in his life.

“I’m Jade.” She smiles and Leo shakes her hand, presenting himself.

“What are you drinking?” he asks her, noticing how she waits for him to pour his drink.

“Vodka Cranberry.”

Leo hurries up with his drink and as soon as he’s done, they knock their glasses together. Okay, so he may have exaggerated with the amount of Gin. But oh well, his parents didn’t raise a quitter. Jade laughs at the face he makes when he takes another sip.

“Jade c’mon we need two more people to play beer pong with!” Perrie whines as she materializes in the kitchen.

Leo and Jade exchange looks and he shrugs, before they follow Perrie into the living room. And oh. The fourth person is Harry. Harry, who is currently talking to a guy with a ridiculous quiff.

“We’re ready.” Perrie tells Harry and grabs him by the arm to get his attention.

Harry turns around to smile at her, beer in hand, and then his eyes fall on Leo. Leo c***s his head, throwing him a challenging look. The corners of Harry’s mouth turn upwards, as if he just accepted the unspoken challenge.

“Losers take two Tequila shots each!” Jade announces as soon as they get into formation, and Leo sets his drink down on the table. He’s got this.

Turns out, he does not ‘got this’. At all. Because Perrie is exceptional, and so is Harry for some reason. Ten minutes later, it’s 4-2 for Harry and Perrie.

“Who could’ve seen this coming?” Perrie teases, smiling from ear to ear. Harry smirks in a smug way that Leo hates, so he grips harder into the ball and concentrates, lip poking out on the right side of his mouth. He gets it in, obviously, and celebrates by hugging Jade, who apparently is just as competitive as Leo.

They lose. Leo tries to argue it. Fails.

He knows Harry is looking at him as he shakes hands with Jade, congratulating each other for a good game, so he sets off to find Zayn and Noah to convince them to take one (or ten) shot together.

Noah is in the hallway chatting to Ed and Rita, so Leo taps him on the shoulder and gives him a look. “Shots?”

Ed and Rita are also in, so Leo doesn’t feel the need to find Zayn anymore.

“Where is Zayn though?” he asks Noah when they’re at the bar, getting the salt and lemons ready.

“I haven’t seen him since we surprised Levi.”

They take the shots and Leo immediately grabs a beer from the fridge before he decides that he has to find Zayn. They’re at a party, yes, but it’s a party where Zayn doesn’t know anyone except Noah and Leo, so the fact that he disappeared is new.

He finds him on the balcony with Emma, Shawn and Levi, rolling joints.

Leo is proud.

“How’s my favorite flatmate doing?” Leo laughs and squishes himself on the lounger between Zayn and Emma.

“You’re drunk.”

Leo dramatically gasps. “Excuse me?”

“You smell like a distillery.” Zayn adds and if it wasn’t for the few people in their presence right now, Leo would definitely wrestle him.

“We’ll talk about this at home.” Leo says in a low voice, but Emma hears it anyway and starts laughing.

“What’s there to talk about?” Zayn asks, and okay, now he’s trying to be funny because Levi is here.

Leo lowers his head to Zayn’s ear. “I don’t know, but whatever comes next, I can assure you…it will be payne-ful.”

Zayn’s eyes widen as he shuts his mouth and Leo raises his eyebrows, nodding, as if to say, ‘that’s what I thought’.

“I hate you.”

Then there’s a joint under his nose so Leo takes it from Shawn’s fingers and lights it up.

They’re five minutes into their smoking session when Harry stumbles out on the balcony and gives Levi a huge smile, drink wobbling in his hand.

“I was looking for you.” He tells Levi, not even noticing that everyone’s eyes are on him. “We’re going to sing happy birthday in a few minutes.”

“Joint?” Shawn asks, holding it up for Harry to take.

Harry takes it between his fingers. “It’s not really smart to combine it with alcohol, but sure.”

Leo snorts, which gets Harry’s attention immediately. After two seconds of complete silence, which, in Leo’ head, feel more like two hours, he coughs and looks at Zayn for no reason (maybe to get a little help).

“He’s right.” Is what Zayn says, and honestly, f**k him for being a hypocrite.

But that’s alright, two can play at this game.

“Oh, Levi!” he chirps and Zayn’s nails dig into his thigh so hard he almost screams.

Levi raises his brows expectantly and Leo’ mind blanks.

“Happy birthday.” Is the only thing he can find to say. f**k Zayn, f**k the fact that he decided to drink his bodyweight tonight, f**k this, f**k Harry. Oh, he’d love that.

No.

Nonono.

N. o.

So what if Harry’s right in his level of sight, looking like Leo’ wet dreams with two legs? So what if Leo’ ‘not boyfriend’ James is probably on his way as we speak, happy to see him?? SO WHAT if Leo’ mind sometimes still drifts off to that night of the Harryncident and he gets too hot so he smokes a joint which only makes the situation worse (and he knows it but he loves being mean to himself)??

So f*****g what?

He realizes that everyone is silent now and looking at him with confused expressions.

“What?” he asks and hates himself for looking at Harry as he does so.

Harry snorts. “I think you voiced your thoughts out loud mate.”

Mate.

He refuses to get called “mate” by someone who deep-throated him just a few months ago.

Okay, it’s time to chill.

His drunken mind isn’t really sure whether he’s thinking all these things himself or if Zayn somehow got into his brain and told him to chill.

Noah pops his head out on the balcony/terrace and invites them back inside for the ‘f*****g cake!’. Leo loves him.

“Why can’t Noah be gay?” he asks Zayn as they pile back into the living room, one by one. “Things would be so much easier.”

Zayn taps him on the shoulder and shakes his head, so Leo pokes his side and decides to stand by the wall and observe.

Noah’s got the microphone in hand as he stands on the coffee table.

“Ladies and gentlemen! The f*****g cake is coming!”

Someone dims the lights so everyone is focused on the archway that leads to the kitchen, where Jade and Rita roll out the giant cake, accompanied by small fireworks on the side.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!” Noah starts and the same time with the accompanying song playing on the speakers.

Leo joins in, raising his now empty glass, screaming from the top of his lungs along with everyone else. “HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR LIMA!” he yells, trying to be funny, and apparently it works because some people interrupt their singing to laugh at his joke. “HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOOOOOUUUU!”

The singers in the room try to hold the note as much as possible, before everyone erupts in a clapping-fest and Leo decides to fetch himself another drink.

“Don’t you think it’s enough for today?” Zayn asks him when he sees Leo’ intention.

“Um…no? I haven’t had anything to drink today.”

Zayn rolls his eyes. “I guess if you can be that technical you can carry a couple more mixes.”

“How about birthday shots?” Leo suggests.

“f**k, you’ve got that look.” Zayn groans.

“What look?”

“That look. When you have an idea that will end badly but it’s too much fun to not do it anyway.”

Leo extends his hand for Zayn to take it, and being the bad influence as usual, he manages to convince him.

They stop by Levi to hug and congratulate him, and if Zayn lingers with his ‘bro-hug’ more than the average person, well, no one really cares. Or notices, for that matter.

“Zayn, your pants are wet.” Leo whispers as they cram behind the bar to get themselves some shot glasses.

“f**k right off. You’re no better.”

Leo blinks. “Um…excuse me? What’s that supposed to mean?”

As if he doesn’t know what that’s supposed to mean.

"As if you don’t know what that’s supposed to mean." Zayn laughs.

Leo checks the clock on his phone, and to his shock, there are messages from James.

James: just finished work

James: what's the address?

Leo sends him his location and turns around to look at Zayn.

"James's on his way." He states and waits for Zayn's reaction.

"And what am I supposed to do with this information?"

"I want to leave."

"No you don’t. Do you think James will get out of hand if he drinks or what?"

Leo sighs. No, it’s not that. But how is he supposed to explain to Zayn what he's feeling?? He'll try.

"Okay but don’t judge me." He starts and Zayn snorts, taking a few steps back so they're in the corner of the kitchen, able to have an important conversation without people listening in. "I sort of want him to come but I sort of don’t."

"Please elaborate because you're making no sense."

"Okay. Fine. So, if he comes here, there will definitely be kissing going on and I do want Harry to see us, but I also don’t, because then it would ruin the 0.1 percent chance I still have."

Zayn blinks at him. "You're acting like you're in high school trying to make the prettiest boy in school jealous."

"I said no judging." Leo hisses and lowers his voice when he sees Harry entering the room.

"Shots?" Harry asks, butting into the conversation as he looks down at the shot glasses in Zayn's hands.

"Yeah, right on time." Zayn says and steps aside to get out another glass. "Also, I invited a friend, if that’s okay?"

Harry waves his hand as if to say that it's fine, and watches Leo, who doesn’t really know what to do with himself. He hates being awkward. Mainly because he's not an awkward person. Usually. He used to be, but only in tenth grade when he had impossible crushes.

Fuck. Zayn's right. He is in high school trying to impress the prettiest boy in school.

"To Levi." Zayn says and hands Leo his glass, before the three of them toast and down their shots.

"I think he was looking for you, by the way."

Leo looks at Harry, then at Zayn, who looks confused about what just came out of Harry's mouth. "Wha-for me?"

Harry nods. "Yeah. Asked about you by name. I think he's in the hallway or something."

So here Leo is, watching his best friend disappear, probably going on an impromptu booty call that no one could have seen coming.

There's silence in the kitchen and Leo is so focused on Harry's shoes to notice that he's staring.

"Do I have something on my shoes?" Harry asks, a small smirk playing on his lips.

Leo' eyes snap up to his face. "No. Zoned out for a moment."

Harry opens his mouth to say something, but then Noah comes into the kitchen to announce that there's someone in the lobby asking to be let up. Great. James is here.