Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Harry

Louis

Niall

Liam

September 25^th, 2015
(10:32 PM) Friday, Mid-Afternoon

(12:13 PM)
Listen up, pal, if you say one more thing to liam and going to punch your greasy little nose into your skull

(12:15 PM)
Uhhh sorry I’m not sure who this is ???

(12:15 PM)
Ha! Yeah sure, you fucking coward

(12:16 PM)
I’m serious I think you have the wrong number. I don’t know a Liam

(12:17 PM)
I can’t believe you, you utter fucking asshole. You better watch your back these next few days or give up being such a massive prick

September 25^th, 2015
Friday Night

(10:32 PM)
So I’ve just double checked and this is the wrong number

(10:32 PM)
I am very sorry.

(10:33 PM)
I don’t think you are a prick, or an asshole, or a coward

(10:33 PM)
I’m sure you’re lovely.

(10:45 PM)
Yeah that’s alright, mate, I’m just glad I’m not the one those are actually meant for.

(10:45 PM)
I must admit you’re very menacing.

(10:48 PM)
Well thank you, though I’m not usually that, um, hostile… only when I’m defending a friend’s honour.

(10:50 PM)
And noble too. Well, I hope it all works out.

September 26^th, 2015
Saturday Morning

(8:12 AM)
Consider Liam’s honour successfully defended.

(8:13 AM)
Umm that’s… good

(8:13 AM)
I felt like you were invested now. Thought I would update you.

(8:15 AM)
Well, I am very happy for both you and Liam despite the fact that I don’t know either of you and have been woken up at 8 on a saturday.

(8:17 AM)
Don’t you want to hear the story?

(8:17 AM)
It’s very exciting

(8:17 AM)
no

(8:20 AM)
fine.

(8:20 AM)
sleep tight

September 26^th, 2015
Saturday Evening

(5:00 PM)
Well now it’s been bothering me all day.

(5:00 PM)
Are you happy with yourself?

(5:06 PM)
this is ridiculous

(5:16 PM)
now you’re holding out on me

(5:23 PM)
remember how before I said you were noble?

(5:23 PM)
I changed my mind

(5:25 PM)
fine. I don’t care

(5:39 PM)
please tell me the story

(5:40 PM)
look whos come crawling back

(5:41 PM)
after such a rude reaction this morning

(5:41 PM)
You woke me up! I was cranky!

(5:42 PM)
I can’t be held accountable for anything I say before 10 am!

(5:42 PM)
That doesn’t look much like an apology.

(5:43 PM)
I’m sorry.

(5:43 PM)
Thank you.

(5:43 PM)
Prat.

(5:45 PM)
I’m going to ignore that and begin

(5:45 PM)
It was a dark and stormy night in September of 2015…

(5:45 PM)
We were at a party, where there was no illegal activity occurring whatsoever.

(5:46 PM)
haha I don’t believe that at all

(5:46 PM)
You could be a cop.

(5:46 PM)
I’m not

(5:46 PM)
Good to know, now no more interrupting or you won’t hear the rest.

(5:46 PM)
This was the first party I had ever convinced my good friend Liam to attend. He is very studious and because of this, people pick on him a bit. While he is a dweeb, he is also one of my very best friends and a halfway decent roommate.

(5:47 PM)
At this party, many of the guests partook in a rousing game of spin the bottle. I did not, as I am no longer a fifteen year old at his first boy-girl party. Liam, on the other hand most certainly was.

(5:47 PM)
When it came time for Liam’s turn, he was quite a bit flustered. He spun the bottle and it landed on the prettiest, and most coveted girl on the entire campus, the lovely and recently single Sophia Smith.

(5:49 PM)
It seems that when Sophia kissed Liam she felt, what they call, fireworks, and suddenly she began talking to Liam an awful lot, confusing the majority of the school.

(5:50 PM)
Now, confusion is one thing, but there was one person in particular who was not happy at all with Liam’s recent popularity.

(5:51 PM)
Yes, you guessed it. Sophia’s ex-boyfriend Tom was particularly upset by these developments.

(5:51 PM)
Tom is the largest fucking asshole to ever walk this earth and because of his pathetic ego and pint-sized brain, he began to find Liam around campus and threaten him, even going as far as to text him awful things.

(5:52 PM)
Now, when I got wind of these events, I was probably angrier than I had ever been. While Liam begged me to leave it alone, as he didn’t want Sophia finding out, I had to do something.

(5:53 PM)
So, I stole Liam’s phone and programmed what I thought was Tom’s number into my own. While at first I had the wrong number, I quickly and efficiently figured out my mistake and no harm was done.

(5:54 PM)
I confronted Tom and he quite stupidly defended himself saying he would never be jealous of Liam and didn’t want Sophia back anyway. (He said this is much uglier terms and referred to Sophia herself as a ‘fat cow’) Obviously all of this was an absolute lie.

(5:55 PM)
Now I had what I needed to simply approach Sophia at another totally legal social gathering last night and show her the messages I’d received, without humiliating Liam.

(5:56 PM)
Then Sophia reamed Tom out right there in the middle of the party and said that Liam was a better boyfriend than he ever was all the while everyone is watching and Liam is almost passing out because she used the word ‘boyfriend’ and everyone booed tom out of the party it was so sick

(5:56 PM)
The end.

(5:56 PM)
You can comment now.

(5:57 PM)
I’ve got to say, that was worth it.

(5:57 PM)
You had rather good storytelling skills until the end there.

(5:58 PM)
Yeah I ran out of steam a bit.

(6:00 PM)
Either way, I’m glad justice was served

(6:00 PM)
Thank you for the update.

(6:00 PM)
Of course, mate.

September 27^th, 2015
Sunday Evening

(6:01 PM)
So, I was thinking and I’ve decided that you owe me

(6:02 PM)
I owe you? How do you figure that???

(6:03 PM)
Ah, well I just gave you a riveting story and a look into my very own life. I think it’s only fair that you do the same.

(6:04 PM)
Oh no, you wouldn’t want that.

(6:04 PM)
Sorry to say, my life it totally and utterly boring.

(6:04 PM)
Oh come one, what’s the most interesting thing to happen to you today?

(6:06 PM)
Well, there was one thing.

(6:06 PM)
See, there’s this stranger who texts me and he won’t leave me alone…

(6:07 PM)
Glad to hear I was the most important part of your day :)

(6:08 PM)
That’s really not what I meant by that

(6:09 PM)
Ok, so if nothing exciting is happening today, maybe you’re doing something cool tomorrow?

(6:11 PM)
You owe, me I’m not going to back down on this.

(6:12 PM)
Come on, gimme a day in the life or something

(6:12 PM)
fiiiiiiiine

(6:13 PM)
God, you’re annoying

(6:13 PM)
Tomorrow I’m waking up, grabbing a breakfast with some friends, working on our group project, and going to an interview around 5pm.

(6:14 PM)
Oooooooh an interview?

(6:14 PM)
That’s totally exciting, you’ve been holding out on me

(6:14 PM)
Like, for a real life job?

(6:15 PM)
Sort of. It’s a sports photography position…

(6:15 PM)
I take pictures and stuff

(6:15 PM)
That’s really cool!!

(6:16 PM)
I guess so. It’s not like I’ll get it anyway though

(6:16 PM)
Nonsense!

(6:17 PM)
Look, I don’t know your name, but if I did I would say: Hey, (your name goes here), you are the greatest stranger I’ve ever accidentally texted in my whole entire life, and you are going to go out there and kill that interview.

(6:18 PM)
You are a strange person, and I have to go eat dinner, so please refrain from blowing up my phone or my mother will take it from me, thank you very much

(6:18)
Thanks for that, though

(10:00 PM)
Good luck tomorrow.

(10:09 PM)
Thanks

(10:10 PM)
:)

September 30^th, 2015
Wednesday Evening

(6:38 PM)
I got it.

(6:41 PM)
I’m sorry, what have you got??

(6:42 PM)
That job, I got it

(6:42 PM)
They offered it to me this morning

(6:42 PM)
THAT’S GREAT!

(6:43 PM)
I wanted to, um, thank you or whatever

(6:43 PM)
Thank me??! What on earth for?

(6:44 PM)
It was surely your brilliance that got you hired.

(6:47 PM)
I, uh, have a bit of an issue with like, confidence. And so you can imagine I was kind of freaking out about this interview, but while I was there I just kept thinking, like, ‘well that stranger you’ve been texting believes in you’, and it sort of made me realize something, like I’m a person and I’m capable and someone’s got to get the job so why couldn’t it be me?

(6:47 PM)
Sorry if that was weird or something, I tend to ramble sometimes

(6:48 PM)
so yeah thanks

(6:48 PM)
wow

(6:49 PM)
I don’t really know what to say that’s really, like… touching or something aha

(6:50 PM)
I’m sorry I’m embarrassing

(6:51 PM)
No! No don’t like…

(6:51 PM)
Don’t apologize, you aren’t embarrassing

(6:52 PM)
I’m actually really happy to have helped.

(6:52 PM)
 …I am such an inspiration to so many!

(6:53 PM)
Oh don’t let it go to your head now

(6:53 PM)
Only joking

(7:53 PM)
Hey, so like, what’s your name?

(7:53 PM)
I don’t think so…….

(7:54 PM)
Oh come onnnnnn I hate getting messages from just a bunch of numbers

(7:54 PM)
Just first name?

(7:55 PM)
… I dunno

(7:56 PM)
Ughhhhhhh. I can’t keep referring to you as (your name goes here) in all my motivational speeches can I? First letter then?

(7:56 PM)
H

(7:57 PM)
Ok

(7:57 PM)
I’m L then

(7:59 PM)
I put the camera emoji next to your name

(7:59 PM)
I bet you’ve put a huge row of hearts by mine

(8:00 PM)
Oh, close but not quite. You’ve got the toilet emoji

(8:00 PM)
WHAT? I’m offended.

(8:01 PM)
well, I was in the toilet when you first texted me so It just made sense

(8:02 PM)
I guess that’s ok….

(8:03 PM)
SIGH

(8:03 PM)
I guess I will just have to live on for the rest of my days, saddened by the fact that you associate me with a toilet

(8:05 PM)
Now I’ve added the crying one

(8:05 PM)
wat why??!?

(8:06 PM)
Because you’re a huge whiny babe

(8:06 PM)
BABE

(8:06 PM)
Don’t you think that’s taking things a bit quickly, H?

(8:06 PM)
damn!

(8:06 PM)
baby***

(8:07 PM)
ohhhh damn, baby ;)

(8:08 PM)
You’re awful

(8:09 PM)
Are you blushing???

(8:18 PM)
I’ll take that as a yes.

(8:20 PM)
bet ur cute when you blush

(8:25 PM)
aww, come backkkkk

(8:32 PM)
fine, see if I care

September 30^th, 2015
Wednesday Night

(11:36 PM)
goodnight, L

(11:39 PM)
goodnight, babe

(11:40 PM)
fuck you

October 3^rd, 2015
Saturday Morning

(10:02 AM)
Let’s play a game

(10:03 AM)
A name game!

(10:03 AM)
Here are the rules: every day I’ll give you one hint about my first name, and every day you get one guess, and the other way around.

(10:04 AM)
ps look I waited until after 10 for you

(10:07 AM)
ah, he is merciful

(10:07 AM)
I wasn’t sure I’d ever hear from you again… and what is it with you and the name thing?

(10:08 AM)
I don’t give up that easy, H

(10:10 AM)
ok

(10:10 AM)
ok like you’ll play?

(10:11 AM)
Why not?

(10:11 AM)
Living life on the edge today, I see.

(10:12 AM)
Hurry up already with your dumb hint, I have work at 11

(10:15 AM)
Beethoven

(10:16 AM)
That’s your hint?

(10:17 AM)
Is your name Ludwig??

(10:17 AM)
nopeee

(10:18 AM)
thank god

(10:19 AM)
haha. Your turn

(10:24 AM) Bigfoot

(10:25 AM)
what the fuck

(10:27 AM)
You’ve given my literally nothing to go on

(10:28 AM)
:)

(10:30 AM)
Guess I’m taking a wild guess….

(10:31 AM)
Is your name Howard?

(10:32 AM)
nope

(10:32 AM)
Damn.

(10:33 AM)
try again tomorrow, for now I am off to work

October 4^th, 2015
Sunday Afternoon

(3:10 PM)
fashion label

(3:35 PM)
what?

(3:36 PM)
That’s my hint.

(3:37 PM)
Oh LAURENT

(3:37 PM)
Am I right????

(3:38 PM)
ew no

(3:39 PM)
I really thought I had it that time

(3:40 PM)
Lion House

(3:45 PM)
It’s not fair yours are so cryptic!

(3:50 PM)
Lion house, like pride rock, like Lion King, based on Hamlet?

(3:52 PM)
Is your name fucking Hamlet I swear to god

(3:53PM)
Haha, no. Very creative though.

(3:55PM)
thanks

(3:56 PM) alright, breaks almost over

(3:57 PM) Talk to you later or something

(3:58 PM)
Later, Hammy

October 5^th, 2015
Monday Afternoon

(1:08 PM)
Who the fuck are you texting?

(1:08 PM)
You never text in this class

(1:09 PM)
And you keep smiling like an idiot

(1:10 PM)
Remember when I told you about that guy who texted the wrong number?

(1:12 PM)
Shit, you’re still talking to him?

(1:15 PM)
He’s funny

(1:16 PM)
and probably a serial killer… or a catfish

(1:17 PM)
Niall!

(1:17 PM)
What??

(1:18 PM)
What if you’re right?

October 5^th, 2015
Monday Evening

(6:10 PM)
My friend Niall thinks you’re a serial killer

(6:15 PM)
hmm…

(6:16 PM)
and what do you think?

(6:17 PM)
I think you’re funny

(6:21 PM)
I think you’re funny too

(6:23 PM)
Ok

(6:25 PM)
Glad we sorted this out

October 6^th, 2015
Tuesday Morning

(9:27 AM)
Is this weird?

(9:30 AM)
Is what weird?

(9:30 AM)
Us

(9:31 AM)
Our weird text-based friendship thing

(9:32 AM)
Oh

(9:32 AM)
Yes

(9:33 AM)
I knew it

(9:34 AM)
But its’ a good kind of weird… just think of it like we’re modern day pen pals

(9:35 AM)
I guess that’s true

(9:37 AM)
So are we done second guessing this thing now?

(9:39 AM)
Escape.

(9:40 AM)
My name clue is escape

(9:47 AM)
I think I got it this time

(9:47 AM)
I did some research and the first person recorded to have ever escaped a prison was called…

(9:48 AM)
Hugo.

(9:50 AM)
Haha! Not even close, L

(9:50 AM)
What???? Godddddddddddd what is your fucking name???

(9:51 AM)
…and I thought I was giving it away on that one

(9:52 AM)
Baguette, that’s my fucking hint

(9:53 AM)
I know your name

(9:54 AM)
FUCK

(9:55 AM)
No you don’t. You’re bluffing.

(9:57 AM)
Louis, French name, descending from the name ‘Ludwig’ like Beethoven, used by noted fashion brand Louis Vuitton

(10:00 AM)
You’re right

(10:01 AM)
Hi, I’m Louis

(10:01 AM)
Hey, Louis

October 7th, 2015
Tuesday Afternoon

(12:04 PM)
Whenever I pass someone on campus with a camera I wonder if it’s you

(12:04 PM)
Even though, I know logically you might not even be on this campus. You might not even be a student. I still wonder though.

(12:34 PM)
I am a student, just got out of a lecture, matter of fact.

(12:35 PM)
What do you study?

(12:36 PM)
Photography. What about you?

(12:37 PM)
Theatre

(12:40 PM)
Well, there’s no way we are on the same campus then, because we don’t even have a theatre major.

(12:41 PM)
Good to know.

(12:43 PM)
So, you want to act?

(12:44 PM)
That’s the dream. I know it’s like, a long shot or whatever, but like you said about that job you got, someone’s gotta do it

(12:46 PM)
That’s really cool.

(12:47 PM)
I bet you’re great.

(12:48 PM)
Oh, none of that

(12:49 PM)
What happened to all that bravado, Louis? Come off it, I bet you are brilliant.

(12:50 PM)
I hope you’re happy… you’ve got me blushing on the shuttle.

(12:51 PM)
Ah, then I have succeeded.

(12:53 PM)
You are evil.

(12:55 PM)
:)

October 8^th, 2015
Thursday Morning

(10:00 AM)
Good morning!

(10:03 AM)
Is it?

(10:04 AM)
Woah. Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed.

(10:06 AM)
Sorry. It’s just today is my first day of working out in the field. I have to go on an actual shoot.

(10:08 AM)
Hey, you’ve got this.

(10:10 AM)
Except I have no idea what I am doing

(10:11 AM)
That’s bullshit and you know it, H

(10:12 AM)
Oh, that reminds me, I need my hint! It’s killing me that you know my name and I don’t know yours.

(10:13 AM)
Ok, if you don’t get this one I don’t know what to tell you: young adult novel, protagonist

(10:14 AM)
Holden??? Like Holden Caulfield?

(10:15 AM)
No! Louis!!!!

(10:16 AM)
Goddamn I suck at this. Just remember today, however you do, you can’t be worse at photography then I am at guessing your name.

(10:18 AM)
Thanks, Louis

(10:20 AM)
Oh, now you’re just rubbing it in!

October 8^th, 2015
Thursday Evening

(4:45 PM)
Tell me again why I thought getting this job was a good idea?

(4:46 PM)
Sorry, mate, but all you really told me was that you wanted it cause you ‘take pictures and stuff’

(4:48 PM)
I’m just so nervous

(4:49 PM)
I mean I went to the office and they sent me straight out on my first job and like, I’m here at the game and I just have to shoot while they play…

(4:50 PM)
Fuck!

(4:50 PM)
Woah

(4:51 PM)
The team just walked by and, fuck! I should have realized. I’m so stupid

(4:52 PM)
Hey, hey none of this about you being stupid. Now what is going on?

(4:52 PM)
My ex-boyfriend is on the team and I haven’t seen him since he broke up with me.

(4:53 PM)
Well! This is perfect isn’t it? I’m sure you’re dressed your best for the first day, and you can just go out there and show him you are all successful now with your grown up job.

(4:53 PM)
hang on, boyfriend?

(4:53 PM)
yeah…

(4:53 PM)
why?

(4:54 PM)
I’d kind of been getting the feeling you were a bloke…

(4:54 PM)
I am

(4:59 PM)
the game starts in two minutes

(4:59 PM)
I’m gonna go…

October 8th, 2015

Thursday Evening

(5:01 PM)
Liam

(5:01 PM)
Liam he’s gay

(5:03 PM)
Who is?

(5:04 PM)
That boy

(5:04 PM)
The wrong number.

(5:04 PM)
He’s a boy and he’s gay

(5:05 PM)
Ohhhh

(5:05 PM)
Hmm…

(5:06 PM)
That’s very eloquent and helpful

(5:06 PM)
Just kidding Liam, you are no help

(5:07 PM)
and after all I’ve done for you

(5:08 PM)
It’s just very coincidental isn’t it?

(5:08 PM)
What are the chances of your wrong number being another gay teen in our area code?

(5:10 PM)
I know.

(5:12 PM)
Do you believe in fate, Liam?

(5:13 PM)
I don’t know but I do believe that you need to take it just a bit slower, Louis. You don’t even know his name.

(5:14 PM)
I know… I know that, but I still like..?????

(5:14 PM)
I’m so?????

(5:15 PM)
Do you ever just have a feeling about something? Like, you know you’re being crazy, but there’s just this feeling in your gut telling you that whatever it is, it’s important?

(5:16 PM)
I’ve never heard you talk like this, Tommo…

(5:17 PM)
Yeah though… the night of that party. It felt important. Not like all the other ones you tried to drag me to.

(5:18 PM)
See! And look at you now!

(5:19 PM)
Just be careful, Lou. That’s all I’m gonna say

(5:20 PM)
ok, dad

October 8th, 2015
Thursday Evening

(8:00 PM)
Niall

(8:05 PM)
Hey mate! How was your first ever shoot?

(8:06 PM)
It was good. I got invited to an after party with the winning team. I think the captain thinks I’m cute.

(8:07 PM)
That’s what I like to hear!

(8:08 PM)
I can send you the address if you want to come

(8:10 PM)
Absolutely! I’ll be there!

(8:11 PM)
Ok, hey Niall?

(8:13 PM)
Harry?

(8:12 PM)
That boy Louis I was telling you about, he stopped talking to me.

(8:13 PM)
What? Why?? I thought that was going… well?

(8:14 PM)
He found out I’m gay… and he just stopped…

(8:16 PM)
I’ll beat him up! I’ll beat the shit outta him? Where is the fucker ??? What a huge fuckin dick

(8:18 PM)
Thanks, Niall, but that’s not necessary. I just want to get really drunk tonight and hook up with that hot football captain.

(8:20 PM)
That works too, text me the address and time

October 9th, 2015
Friday, Early Morning

(2:38 AM)
you knoew you ate a big jerk if ypu are ust going to stop talking to my just bcause im gay im still Harry the same one you been talking to the last 2 weeks

(2:39 AM)
and it dosnt matter that I thought you were a good person and mayb we were freidns or somttheing I dnt need you and I don’t need nick either I’m at a party with lots of cute footballers and im gonna kiss one wether you like it or not

(2:42 AM)
Fuck, shit H… Harry that’s not… wow I so didn’t mean to come across like that

(2:43 AM)
I don’t know what to say, I feel like a prick mate

(2:44 AM)
I don’t know what to say either I didn’t think ypu would answer this late

(2:45 AM)
I have my phone volume on all night just in case

(2:45 AM)
But that’s beside the point, I am so sorry that’s what it seemed like. I don’t give a shit that you’re gay. Actually no, I do give a shit, but like in a good way. Fuck, I’m bad at this. The thing is I was just like, surprised, because what are the chances that a wrong number could turn out to be another gay boy in the immediate area. I was starting to think I was the only one.

(2:46 AM)
why wouldn’t you jus say that before?

(2:48 AM)
You said you had to go, man, and so I just went about my day… I’m sorry, I’m a total wanker

(2:50 AM)
No

(2:51 AM)
Ypu aren’t

(2:51 AM)
sorry I woke you

(2:52 AM)
sorry I made you think I was a homophobic dick

(2:53 AM)
thats ok get back to sleep

(2:54 AM)
ok, you go find a good drunken hook up alright?

(2:55 AM)
alright!

(2:56 AM)
alright

(2:57 AM)
goodnightttttt

(3:00 AM)
His name is Harry

(3:05 AM)
You woke me up for this???

(3:06 AM)
I told him to hook up with a hot football star.

(3:07 AM)
Well why did you do that?

(3:08 AM)
I’m a twat, Liam

(3:10 AM)
Agreed, now go to fucking sleep.