#angsty larry

Good choices:

Sounds Like Heaven by howtogetawaywithlouis:

Summary: Or, a very painful au where singer/actor Harry Styles and songwriter Louis Tomlinson are married and have a daughter, but are not together any more. Except of course, it’s not that simple.

Word count: 30,516

Learning to Breathe by youcomecrash:

Summary: He’s playing football at one of the top universities in England and he should love everything about his life right now, but instead he’s moving backwards. How does your past fit into your present? Louis is still figuring it out.

Hi lovey! Sorry to hear you’ve been friendzoned, I know how frustrating that can be! Hope it all works out for the best, in the meantime enjoy some fics:

Lines in the sand aren’t a permanent thing by Tomlinsontoes:

Summary: Line in the sand—Idiom meaning: You establish a limit beyond which things will be unacceptable.

AU where Louis is a professional surfer and Harry is a professional volleyball player and they both have a competition on the same beach and Louis doesn’t think Volleyball is a real sport until he catches this kid in tiny bright yellow shorts spiking a ball over the net and well, he’d really like to hear those groans off the sand.

Word count: 57,169

Candles On Air by isthatyoularry:

Summary: Harry’s smile is filled with unconditional love — just not the right kind. Louis has told himself for years that it’s okay. Harry loving him the way he can is enough. Each year it gets a little harder to repeat the same mantra.

“It gets better. It will pass. His friendship is enough.”

Harry has taken the liberty of putting on classic Christmas tunes on the speaker in the kitchen, and as their shared flat isn’t the largest Louis can hear Mariah Carey’s crooning from where he’s perched on the small sofa in the living room. Harry is on the floor, humming along. And yes. All Louis wants for Christmas is Harry.

Word count: 29,666

maybe we found love right where we are by sweetkisses:

Summary: Harry and Louis are radio show hosts and Louis is in love with Harry who is straight and has a girlfriend.

Word count: 5,004

Love Is on The Radio by perfectdagger (sincerelyste), star_k:

Summary: “So Louis, who’s the lucky person that will not only get to see Arsenal and Manchester United facing each other, but will also possibly become your girlfriend… or boyfriend? I mean, that’s a good catch, to ask someone out like this on the radio. It will be hard to say no after this.”

“It’s, hm, his name is…” Oh boy, Harry was about to pass out, he couldn’t bear to hear what Louis would say. Susie was looking at him, worried eyes watching him from the till as she noticed that Harry had simply abandoned his cupcake duties. “Harry. Harry Styles.”

To win a pair of tickets to watch Manchester United playing, Louis may have possibly lied to Nick Grimshaw on the BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show, asking Harry, his best friend, to be his boyfriend. Problem is - Harry has always been in love with Louis and so, this Valentine’s he’s gonna see his dreams come true, with a tiny bit of a twist, in order to watch the football team they have loved together since they were kids.

Word count: 35,092

a bird and a gilded heart by harbb:

Summary: There are many reasons why confessing your long-felt love to your best friend is a bad idea. It’s even worse if they’re your roommate.

Word count: 13,002

Don’t Forget To Remember Me by Larriegal:

Summary: Expecting a baby from the love of your life, does not mean that will make him love you back.

Louis learned this the hard way.

Hi lovely! You can check out the angst tag (x), but here’s some more for you:

got the sunshine on my shoulders by hattalove:

Summary: five years ago, harry styles left his tiny home town to make it big as a recording artist. he didn’t have much regard for what he left behind - a life, a family, and a husband, who woke up one morning to find him gone.

now, harry has everything he could possibly want: he’s rich, famous, and adored by everyone he meets, including his boyfriend. but when said boyfriend proposes to him, he’s forced to face the uncomfortable facts of his past - and louis, who’s spent the last five years returning every set of divorce papers harry sent him.

(or, an au based on the movie sweet home alabama.)

Word count: 124,165

the dreams you left behind by xxCat1989xx:

Summary: After Louis returns from a week-long guest spot a US chat show to an empty flat and a ‘Dear John’ letter from Harry, life as he knows it changes completely. Fast-forward two years and Louis has taken to hiding away in a tiny village in the English countryside where he isn’t known as Louis Tomlinson, ex-boybander, and has managed to live a relatively quiet life. That is until Liam, Zayn and Niall come to see him and he remembers everything he has tried to forget.

When he reads of Harry’s Christmas engagement in the papers, he does the only thing he knows to mask his sorrow; drinks so much he ends up in hospital. Cue visiting family and a return to London, where he learns not everything is as it seems, the mistakes of the past can be forgiven and that maybe he might get his happy ending after all.

Word count: 31,446

nobody shines the way you do by wildestdreams:

Summary: Louis pretends to be Harry’s boyfriend to help him win back his douchebag ex-boyfriend, but things don’t go according to plan.

Word count: 115,351

Bigger Than Life by rippedgloves:

Summary: “Boybander Harry Styles spotted leaving West Hollywood joined hand in hand with new beau, Xander Ritz”His heart drops in his chest as he scrolls down, ignoring the short irrelevant article and looking desperately for a picture. Sure enough, there’s pap shots of Harry and Xander, walking hand in hand, looking drunk and cheerful and together.

And that’s—that’s really not what Louis was expecting at all.

Word count: 48,886

i’ll be someone who won’t be forgotten by alaserquest:

Summary: Six years since they’ve last seen one another, Louis bumps (literally) into Harry on the street on his way to work. In the hours following, they relearn one another and their past as they wander the streets and relive a few of their most significant memories together. Topics covered: what it means to grow up, how to be a real functioning adult in the world, how to stop lying, gravity in the context of black holes, and the reimagining of inevitability.

Word count: 27,352

like a timebomb ticking by infinitelymint:

Summary: Louis loses everything. Harry’s still there.

Word count: 31,734

take my hand (and my heart and soul) by bananasandboots:

Summary: Or, the one where Harry hasn’t spoken to his best friend in sixteen months and can’t remember why.

Word count: 45,623

Looking Through You by allwaswell16:

Summary: Just as Louis and Liam were starting out in the music industry, writing and producing for up and coming artists, a fateful meeting with new pop singer Harry Styles changes everything. Four years later, just as Harry is set to embark on his next world tour, a drunken confession causes a rift between once inseparable friends. As Harry tries to make sense of his feelings for Louis, he begins writing his next album to express them as it may be the only way to break through the walls that Louis has built between them.

Hi lovely thank you for being sweet, I just made a similar rec if you scroll down a couple of posts you should be able to find it! But here’s the fic you’re talking about, just because it might just be my favourite fic ever:

got the sunshine on my shoulders by hattalove:

Summary: five years ago, harry styles left his tiny home town to make it big as a recording artist. he didn’t have much regard for what he left behind - a life, a family, and a husband, who woke up one morning to find him gone.

now, harry has everything he could possibly want: he’s rich, famous, and adored by everyone he meets, including his boyfriend. but when said boyfriend proposes to him, he’s forced to face the uncomfortable facts of his past - and louis, who’s spent the last five years returning every set of divorce papers harry sent him.

(or, an au based on the movie sweet home alabama.)

Hi lovely! I think you’re talking about this one:

the pink album by suspendrs:

Summary: They don’t really discuss how hard it is to be in this situation, or to be doing the things they have to do to continue being together. It’s just something they don’t talk about, and that’s alright. Or maybe it isn’t, but they’ll cross that bridge when they get to it.

Or, a love seven years in the making, inspired by Harry’s debut album.

Hello! Enjoy:

Pinkies Never Lie by emma1234:

Summary: “I just think if we’re both into it and neither of us is looking for something serious, why not?” Harry asks, eyes soft and voice sweet. He pauses and gives Louis a moment or two to answer.

There are countless reasons why Louis shouldn’t agree to this, but in the end, none of them really matter. This will end with Louis in pieces, but he’s been in love with Harry for four years. There was only ever one answer.

“Yeah,” Louis answers finally, hoping his voice sounds normal. “Why not?”

AU in which Louis hates his job and loves Harry, Harry just wants a distraction, everyone else wants them to get their shit together, and Louis learns the hard way that new beginnings are only possible when something ends.

Word count: 83,616

Never Be by cherrystreet:

Summary: Monica: You’ve got to see her again.

Ross: And why do you care so much?

Monica: Because! You could get to live out my fantasy!

Ross: You had fantasies about Emily?

Monica: No! Y’know, the fantasy! Meet someone from a strange land, fall madly in love, and spend the rest of your lives together.

The one where Harry Styles moves to Connecticut from England for nine months as a part of a study abroad program, and he just so happens to move in with Louis Tomlinson and family.

Word count: 117,522

Tug-of-War by cherrystreet:

Summary: Louis’ husband dies suddenly and he is left with nothing. Well, not really nothing. He has Harry. And a St. Bernard puppy named Link, whom his late husband left behind for him. Louis takes care of Link and Harry takes care of Louis. Everything is okay until suddenly, it isn’t.

Word count: 63,000

Take me down with you by harrystylesandstuff:

Summary: Louis is fine. He just happens to walk to the suicide bridge of Bristol at least once a week, just happens to be dealing with a lot of anxiety, and just happens to be done with life. But he’s fine.

Everything is just fine until a mysterious guy starts showing up every time he tries to kill himself, and he should be very scared, but he’s somehow very glad to have company. Until he’s not.

AU where Louis tries to kill himself multiple times but he’s not very good at it, Harry keeps showing up out of nowhere, and maybe life isn’t as bad as it looks sometimes.

Word count: 107,872

7 Up by cherrystreet:

Summary: Very loosely based on the British TV show “The Up Series” and somewhat inspired by the song “Something I Need” by Onerepublic, we follow the lives of Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson in an interview setting every seven years. They fall apart and come together, their lives and emotions recorded. Harry calls it a time capsule. Louis calls it a pain in the arse.

Word count: 51,973

We The Fireworks by happilylarreh (AfterJenny):

Summary: It’s the morning after the night before and Louis doesn’t know how on earth he made it home in one piece but he reckons it maybe has something to do with the curly-haired stranger, standing half-naked in his kitchen. The problem is that this mysterious stranger, who has a huge secret and an even huger heart, doesn’t seem to plan on leaving Louis’ life anytime soon and doesn’t seem to be able to get it into his stupidly adorable, curly head that Louis is absolutely, utterly, completely, one hundred percent beyond help. Out of reach. Lost in the night.OrThe AU where Louis needs saving and Harry wants to save him but doesn’t want to admit that maybe he needs saving a little bit too.

Word count: 103,863

Wouldn’t Ever Want Anybody Else by itsmiz:

Summary: Louis and Harry’s relationship has fairly recently turned sexual, and Louis’ bodily insecurities get in the way of something that he really wants. Meanwhile, Zayn and Liam deal with coming out as a couple to the band.

Word count: 40,555

And You’re My Ever After by NiamJenn1994:

Summary: "You’re so cute when you laugh!“ Louis threw his hands up into the air then continued laughing feeling Harry’s shaky head on his shoulder.

"And you’re cute too…if I could and if I wanted to I would marry you.” Harry looked up giving him a lazy smile.

“You’re not husband material.” Louis hiccuped then laughed when Harry pouted.

“And I’m proud of it.” Was all Harry said before drinking his tequila shot.

“You’re the kind of person I’ll never have sex with.” Louis stated looking back at Harry who had a horrified expression on his face.

“I wouldn’t sleep with you either.” He said then burst out laughing.

[Harry and Louis are two strangers visiting Vegas. Harry just wants to have fun and Louis just wants to get over the cheating bastard of his ex fiance. They accidentally get married.]

Word count: 273,932

Liberté by larriebane:

Summary: AU. 1647. “Pretending you don’t have a heart is not the best way to not get it broken. It’s just the easiest.”

Word count: 64,603

What Hell You Put Me Through by getthemsneezesout2

Summary: Louis needs a place to stay.

Harry makes a mistake. A few, actually.

Hello! Try this link (x), but here’s some more for you:

Soft Hands, Fast Feet, Can’t Lose by dolce_piccante:

Summary: American Uni AU. Harry Styles is a frat boy football star from the wealthy Styles Family athletic dynasty. A celebrity among football fans, he knows how to play, he knows how to party, and he knows how to fuck (all of which is well known among his legion of admirers).

Louis Tomlinson is a student and an athlete, but his similarities to Harry end there. Intelligent, focused, independent, and completely uninterested in Harry’s charms, Louis is an anomaly in a world ruled by football.

A bet about the pair, who might be more similar than they originally thought, brings them together. Shakespeare, ballet, Disney, football, library chats, running, accidental spooning, Daredevil and Domino’s Pizza all blend into one big friendship Frappucino, but who will win in the end?

Word count:112,853

don’t make this easy (i want you to mean it) by wildestdreams:

Summary: “Harry’s a player. All he does is chat everyone up. And guys like him are just–so ugh. He’s got that arrogant, self-assured smirk plastered to his face all the time. Always smug and stupid, like he could get anyone he lays his eyes on. All he does is make me mad and laugh all the time like he knows something that I don’t. That is so annoying.”

“But that’s just Harry,” Niall shrugged at Louis. “He doesn’t even try to flirt or anything. He’s just naturally charming, but that doesn’t mean he’s a player nor that he’s trying to get into everyone’s pants. He’s just friendly. And he likes you. He doesn’t usually fall for people, but he fell for you.”

“Oh, should I feel special then?” Louis asked, snorting and rolling his eyes.

or Harry’s a frat boy who is head over heels for Louis and Louis wants nothing to do with him.

Word count: 24,188

After Hours by Velvetoscar:

Summary: Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson are the bane of each other’s existences. Unfortunately, they’re already in love–even if they aren’t completely aware of this minor detail.

Word count: 26,799

Off The Record by Tomlinsontoes:

Summary: Louis is an out of control teen heartthrob, Harry is hired to get him back on track and they both hate each other while they secretly don’t.

“I’m not your personal assistant you know,” Harry says once he gets there and Louis lets him in and he shoves the bag into his hands. “I’m your publicist.”

“I know that,” Louis smiles a devilish grin patting Harry in the middle of his chest as he takes the bag, “but look at you personally assisting me,” he says looking in the bag and pulling out the Cheetos. I also know that my PA turns his phone on silent at night, and clearly, you don’t. Waiting for a booty call or something?” Louis says turning on his heels and scurrying over to his sofa and plopping down. Harry swears he sees a puff of orange dust soar into the air when Louis opens the bag. He’s amazed that couch is as clean as it looks.

Word count: 90,873

i’ll be yours to keep by midnights:

Summary: louis should’ve thought a lot more about who he said his fake boyfriend is, especially since he and his “significant other” kinda hate each other. most of the time.

Word count: 17,549

Love Is A Human Right by Conscious_ramblings:

Summary: The one where Louis has spent years getting over his ex, Harry Styles, and was almost successful. That is until Harry is elected as an MP, and Louis is given the task of getting him to support an Act of Parliament.

Through tears and arguments and a heavy dose of LGBTQ+ politics, their lives finally line up. Will Louis be able to forgive? Will they still want the same thing? It’s difficult to let go of five years of hurt, but even more difficult to be close to the love of your life and let them walk away again.

Word count: 40,933

above your head by deadspy:

Summary: What happens when an unstoppable object meets an immovable force?

[Space AU. Louis is an astronaut. Harry works for Mission Control. They don’t get along.]

Word count: 57,802

The Melody You Never Heard by bananasandboots:

Summary: It’s one last adventure. One last chance to be young and carefree. One final weekend before they take up their internships, their corporate positions, before they enter the real world, fresh out of university. Niall’s his best mate. Liam’s been there for him since they were lost, little freshmen, trying to find their ways through an overwhelming first year. Harry can’t disappoint them, even if it means enduring four days with Louis.

Louis, who he does share a history with, a history he’s never told anyone about, not even Niall, a history he hasn’t brought up in three years because it’s stupid and embarrassing and confusing.

Or, the one where Harry gets roped into a four-day camping trip with the boy who kissed him and never called back.

Word count: 30,013

Cold by RealName:

Summary: Harry Styles hated the minister’s son.

Louis Tomlinson was brash, obnoxious and possessed all the attributes that Harry deemed unlikable in another person. Unfortunately, they attended the same Bible studies class at church and their mothers were best friends, so avoiding the other boy was impossible.

Word count: 87,454

All The Attention, All These Intentions by sweetlullabies:

Summary: Harry could barely breathe at even the possibility of getting to be Louis Tomlinson’s fake boyfriend. Louis was his favorite actor since childhood, when Louis was also a child on the big screen. The guy he had always looked up to. The guy whose poster he used to kiss every night before bed. The guy whose movies Harry would watch all night until his eyes couldn’t possibly stay open anymore. Harry was pretty sure Louis Tomlinson wasn’t even real—he couldn’t be.

or the fake relationship au where Harry is an aspiring musician and also Louis’ biggest fan–until he actually meets him.

Hello! Here’s some of my favs:

Empty Skies by green_feelings:

Summary: For three years, Harry has been running from his past. Now, he is moving to London and pledges to fulfil his only dream – making it big in the music industry. Not everyone has a place, though, and the competition is tough. As is his past catching up on him.

Louis is part of the biggest boy band of the world, and getting there had meant a lot of hard work, as well as sacrificing parts of his heart and soul. He’s still happy. Maybe not as happy as he could be, but who is he to complain?

Featuring Perrie as Harry’s adorable flatmate, Niall as his manager, and Liam and Zayn as Louis’ bandmates.

Word count: 134,048

California Sold by isthatyoularry:

Summary: Notoriously closeted boyband member Harry Styles is famous on a global scale, meanwhile Louis, as his best friend, is back home in Manchester, living the typical life of a 24 year old. When Harry needs Louis with him in LA, a publicity stunt gone wrong changes their friendship forever.A fake-relationship AU between two lifelong best friends.

Word count: 123,536

Counting The Steps Between Us by zarah5:

Summary: AU. So, yeah. That year abroad helped Harry establish that he is in love with his best friend. Now, if Louis would stop treating him like a little brother, that would be awesome. (Additional ingredients: a collapsing tree house, a lot of pining, the other three boys as Louis’ new best mates from university, and a camping trip. Serve hot.)

Word count: 24,526

take my hand (and my heart and soul) by bananasandboots:

Summary: Harry feels nauseous when he opens his mouth. “Hey. Um, hi. It’s me,” he mumbles before realizing with a jolt that Louis might not have his number anymore. “It’s Harry… Styles,” he tacks on, screwing his eyes shut and pinching the bridge of his nose. This was a terrible idea.

There’s silence on the other end for a long time. Harry understands. He shouldn’t have called. He tries not to let the static swallow him whole.

“I – yeah. Hi,” Louis finally answers, slowly, awkwardly. “I um. Sorry. I heard about your accident. You’re alright?”

Or, the one where Harry hasn’t spoken to his best friend in sixteen months and can’t remember why.

Word count: 45,623

Truth Be Told (I Never Was Yours) by JustForTommo:

Summary: Harry watches Louis as he scrunches up his nose and bites the end of a pen in concentration. He’s been working on seating arrangements for the past hour and getting more frustrated by the minute. Louis huffs out a breath and glances down at Harry with a soft smile on his lips before he returns to the task at hand. It’s easy, right then, for Harry to let himself believe that they’re planning a seating chart for their own wedding and bickering over who is going to sit where from a list of their own family members. He can let himself daydream about a white picket fence and a dog that they could have within the next year.

It’s like a cold slap in the face when Harry looks to the top of the page to see “Aiden and Louis Grimshaw” at the head table, and Harry has to mentally remind himself for the thousandth time that Louis is not his. Never was, really. He’s just the wedding planner that’s been in love with Louis since he was sixteen.

(or the one where Louis and Harry have a complicated past, Louis is getting married to someone that’s not Harry, and the universe has decided to have a laugh and make Harry the wedding planner.)

Word count: 76,907

Pretty Boy by iwillpaintasongforlou:

Summary: Harry’s been forced into a high-class prostitution ring because his heroin-addicted mother is too strung out to realize that her boyfriend is pimping out her son. Louis is the crown prince of England and gets into a lot of mischief and thinks it’s normal to pay prostitutes to “get a good night’s sleep.” They probably aren’t meant to see each other beyond that one random night, but then again, they probably aren’t meant to see each other at all.

Word count: 32,653

Core ‘ngrato by Velvetoscar:

Summary: It’s been over a year since Louis broke up with Harry and Harry still believes in forever. And maybe the world does, too.

Word count: 49,626

got the sunshine on my shoulders by hattalove:

Summary: five years ago, harry styles left his tiny home town to make it big as a recording artist. he didn’t have much regard for what he left behind - a life, a family, and a husband, who woke up one morning to find him gone.

now, harry has everything he could possibly want: he’s rich, famous, and adored by everyone he meets, including his boyfriend. but when said boyfriend proposes to him, he’s forced to face the uncomfortable facts of his past - and louis, who’s spent the last five years returning every set of divorce papers harry sent him.

(or, an au based on the movie sweet home alabama.)

Word count: 124,165

Shake Me Down by AGreatPerhaps12:

Summary: Harry’s new to college, fresh out of Catholic school and conversion therapy camp, and Louis runs the campus LGBTQIA organization.

Word count: 208,590 

I Don’t Want To Need You by tothemoonmydear:

Summary: After the car accident that leaves Harry paralyzed from the waist down, the boys of One Direction come together to try and help pick up the pieces. With so much changed, Harry can’t help but question every aspect of his life; including his feelings for his best friend.