Louis
****
Harry is just gazing at us, like he does towards me at the bus stop. The applauding eventually fades away and he stands up, bowing at us with a cheeky smile on his face.
When he looks directly at me realisation crosses his face and he groans.
"I lost the bet."
It's my turn to cheekily grin and I happily nod. He mutters something under his breathe and walks towards the couch, plopping himself down again.
"Everybody was peer pressuring me to sing though Lewis, have sympathy?" I shook my head, my eyes tightly shut.
If I caught sight of his damn green eyes then I knew I would be at his mercy.
I heard him sigh in defeat and lean against the couch. We almost awkwardly-hugged the last time we sat down and I wouldn't mind a redo of that.
"Louis, I'll get some vinyls out and we can eat whatever food we have left and the shit Harry brought?" Niall asked, standing up before he could respond.
"LANGUAGE!" I allowed myself to fall limp and lay against Harry, both parties freezing at the contact but neither of us made any effort to move.
Harry cautiously wrapped his arm around my waist, I was now laying against him by his chest and our breathing patterns were both butchered.
Harry was still tense and I gently moved onto my side and laid my hand in his chest as if I was tired.
I eventually felt drowsiness take over, Harry's breathing falling in sync with mine and I got more comfortable. Niall had returned and said something how "Grown up his little Lou was," and Harry muttered how Lou was his nickname for me, not Niall's.
****
That was the last thing I remember clearly before I was engulfed in a blanket that I think Perrie laid over us, heat wrapping around me. Harry also subconsciously started playing with my hair and I made little groans of pleasure every once in a while.
I must've knocked out after a while, I woke up to the cold of my couch and Harry looming over me. He got down to me and whispered how he needed to start getting home, and I protested how he should stay here.
With me.
He smiled and shook his head. "The couch isn't that comfortable," he confessed and I drowsily giggled and tugged him towards me like I was going to tell him a secret.
"We can sleep in my bed," He flushed bright red and cleared his throat before responding,
"You mean to cuddle?" I nodded and he smiled, still bright red in the face while considering it.
"I don't have anything comfortable to sleep in,"
"Boxers" I yawned out, not exactly helping his already-flushed face.
He just nodded and picked me up, I complained because he was trying to show off how strong he is but I got quiet and just snuggled into his chest.
He was really warm.
We arrived at my room and he laid me down on my bed, I sighed and dug my face into the pillow, smelling myself in it.
"Can you undress yourself?" I frowned and shook my head, my jeans had started to feel weird and stiff and my button-up uncomfortable, but my bed was comfortable and I wasn't planning on leaving it anytime soon.
"Can Niall undress you?" Harry seemed a bit awkward and I frowned again, scrunching my nose.
"Why can't you?"
Jesus I must've had more to drink than I thought.
Harrys shook his head and disappeared, I whined as I lost sight of him and attempted to undress myself so that he'll come back sooner.
I had gotten my shirt off successfully, but I struggled with my jeans. Remind me never to wear skinny jeans again?
"Tommo!" I heard Niall sing as he entered my room, giggling when he saw my state. Harry was lurking behind him, his eyes closed.
"Harry won't look at me, he hates me." My frown was permanently stitched onto my face, everything was going downhill.
"H you get dressed or undressed or whatever, I'll take care of Tommo." Harry nodded and tripped over the doorstep as his eyes were still closed, and by this time I felt near tears.
"He hates me," Niall pushed my jeans down and handed my sweatpants.
"No he doesn't, now go to sleep you drunk fuck." He mumbled, and I didn't need to be asked twice.
****
My bed smells nice, but the scent that filled my room next was that times ten.
"Hazzaaaaaa?" I lifted my head off the pillow and saw Harry picking up my clothes in a pair of Niall's sweatpants with no shirt.
"Your hot."
He whipped around, giving me full display.
"Your drunk,"
"Come to bed, I wanna see your tattoos!"
I was right about him having a tattoo by his stomach, in fact he was littered with tattoos. He rolled his eyes at my childishness and stumbled to bed.
He got in next to me, and me being the octopus I am immediately attached myself to his side. He didn't seem to mind, only grimacing when he smelt the alcohol on my breath.
"I didn't even drink that much, what half a bottle of wine and a beer?" I smiled and his muttered, "lightweight."
I ignored him and his negativity and started dragging my finger across the wings-tattoo that he had on his upper torso.
"So your an angel?" He smiled and moved his body so that I could see his arm.
"By that logic I'm also a naked mermaid."
"Oh shut up."
My legs intertwined with his, I wasn't laying on top of him but a decent portion of my body was in fact "resting" on him.
"I'm not heavy right?" He pecked my nose and shook his head,
I was going to insult him by calling him a bird for pecking my gorgeous nose, but tiredness took over and I fell asleep, my body wrapped up with his.
****
I woke up to the shrill of my alarm clock, a pillow and a note in place of the warm body that hugged me while I slept. The clock read seven am and I sighed, my head pounding as I switched it off.
Hi love,
Sorry to leave you to wake up alone but I set your alarm clock so that you wouldn't have an excuse to stay in bed all day from a hangover. It's a Wednesday in case you forgot, you have work today so get out and do something productive.
I'll see you today :)
H<3
How did he know that I had a job? Maybe I mentioned it to him last night whilst in my drunken haze. I remembered little bits and pieces from last night: Harry holding me, me tracing Harry's tattoos, Harry whispering to me.
The pillow I was holding smelled exactly like him, I held it a bit tighter and sighed. I had considered taking a sick day, but that meant disappointing Harry (even if he wouldn't know) and considering that today is technically my first day at my new job I decided to tear myself out of bed.
The headache hasn't stopped, and when I walked into the kitchen I heard Niall whistling and the crackle of bacon which was strange. Niall usually just shoves a pot of coffee in my hand and trails off to bed, but he seemed energetic today.
"Morning love, I have an aspirin and water for you," he chirpily said, the bacon sizzling in the pan. I eyed him up and down and decided not to comment on his strange mood. It worked out for me?
"New day new job, you excited?" He asked, scooping the bacon and some pre-made pancakes into a plate and handing it to me. I nodded and starting eating.
"I'm quite excited yeah, except this bloody hangover will be the death of me," I said, mouth full of a combination of pancakes and bacon while Niall laughed.
"Harry said he's gonna see me today, which is weird considering that I usually only see him at the bus stop on Tuesdays and Fridays, and today is a Wednesday?"
I struck a piece of bacon with my fork and waggled it around to prove my point.
"It makes no sense, he even mentioned my job and I'm pretty sure I never told him about it?!" Niall smirked but didn't say anything.
"Your hopeless,"
"You love me"
"I really don't."
Niall groaned out loud and snatched my plate away, at least two pieces of bacon and half a pancake still left on it. I frowned and he blew me a kiss.
"Go get ready you slag,"
"I feel offended."
"Oh shut up lad,"
****
My room was a mess to say the least, clothes scattering the floor, books strewn all over and my bed not made up. Even though I woke up at seven I ate breakfast and accidentally slept -again- till 8:20 to Niall shaking me awake.
"They were right about me being a mess," I muttered, picking out another outfit. I was usually a skinny jeans-and-black-shirt type of guy but it's obvious that I had to step up the fashion game if I wanted to look presentable.
The coffee shop was five minutes away on a bus and seeing as I was running late I would have to go for a run, meaning it would take ten -maybe more- minutes.
I was a bit inspired by Harry's outfit from yesterday, so I grabbed a white button-up and black high-waisted pants, tucking the shirt in.
Was it basic? Yes
Was it comfortable? Yes
Besides, I would be wearing a floral apron-type of thing that barista's and waiters always wear, so most of my outfit would be covered up anyway.
I had enough time to run my hand through my hair to tame it, shove my feet in my shoes, kiss a sleeping Niall's cheek goodbye (he as I predicted fell back asleep) and I was running.
Venice is such a beautiful city and whenever I'm taking a stroll or need to go somewhere I always walk, but I silently apologised and ran all the way to the coffee shop, never stopping to check out the view which is a bummer: it's usually the favourite part of my day.
I arrived without breaking a sweat, (that's a complete lie, but I wasn't sweaty or anything, my forehead was just slightly damp) and with five minutes to spare surprisingly.
"Oh hi Louis, your laces are untied, how are you?" Anne greeted me, a smile on her face.
"Oh! Hi Anne, can I go in?"
"Sure love, Liam will provide you with an apron and then we'll open up. Remember my son is coming to deliver flowers, pastries, cakes and different foods? Just pay him the correct amount: he'll tell you how much, and that's it!"
I smiled at nodded before stepping into the coffee shop, the smell of coffee was surprisingly overwhelming.
"Morning Lou!" Jen welcomed me, handing me a floral apron. "Liam has a truckload of paperwork, so I now have the honour of giving the newbie their first apron."
I put it on, it was soft and felt nice on the skin.
"Isn't Anne's son coming in today?"
"Oh H? Yeah he is, you have to deal with him."
I crinkled my nose at the initial.
"H?"
"Yeah, your gonna have to ask him for his name, but that's a little clue."
She winked at me before disappearing into the back, just in time as well since two college students walked up to me and ordered.
****
The first couple hours goes by quicker than you think, with Jen and Eleanor keeping me company and the occasional nice customer it wasn't long before the clock ticked to eleven o'clock and a van pulled up in front of the coffee shop, Twists Coffee
"H always personally delivers, he has plenty enough money to hire somebody to deliver it but he's such a sweetheart." Jen whispered in my ear, resting her elbows on the counter.
The man that stepped out of the van: bunches of proteas, tulips, daisies et cetera in one hand and a massive box containing different pastries and cakes in another was definitely not who I expected it to be.
It was Harry.
On the van I read Styles n Twist Bakery & Florist and it all made sense in my head now. Why Anne's face looked so familiar, how Harry knew that he had a job.
I saw Harry struggling to get inside and I sprang up to open the door for him, our eyes met before we did and I saw him smile.
"Good morning Lou," He had his cheeky smile with him as I raked my eyes up and down. He wore a simple white shirt that contained two buttons at the top with a long brown apron. He wore the same black shoes as yesterday and I saw the string of pearls hanging off neck.
I envied him being confident enough to go out in something that is considered "feminine"
"Good morning Harry," my face was starting to hurt from smiling so much, and Jen just looked at us curiously. Eleanor had peeked in from the back and I saw her face fall a bit, strange?
"How much should I ring you up for?"
"35 euros love,"
I nodded and added in an extra five, as a tip I guess. Jen's jaw almost fell off at the nickname, and I felt a bit warm internally knowing that Harry didn't call everybody "love"
"Why'd you add the five?"
"Do you not know what a tip is?"
"Of course I do, I don't want it. Besides it's not your money, it's m' mums."
He smiled confidently while I narrowed my eyes and reached for my own tip jar and pulled out a five that an old nice lady gave me so that I could: "treat my girlfriend, a lovely lad like you has a girlfriend right?" And I didn't have the heart to tell her I like cock.
Harry frowned.
"Don't worry, you'll find some way to slip that five back to me at some point." I said rolling my eyes and Harry winked at me, not trying to deny it.
"What's my Hazzy-kins doing here?" I heard Anne say as she entered the door. Harry flushed a bright red and turned around, Anne looking at him with a fond expression.
"I see you've met Louis," she noted,
"I tutor Gemma?" It came out more as a questions and Anne looked pleased.
"Well why didn't you mention that dear? And i guess you also know my big lump of a son." She teased, pinching his cheeks while he groaned and buried his face in his hands.
"I went out with him yesterday- I mean as friends, with friends and he's a friend-" I blabbered, making an obvious fool of myself.
Jen was watching this as if it was a soap opera and Anne looked at me strangely.
"I thought you were with Zayn?" She sounded suspicious and Harry glared at me playfully for making this even more complicated.
"We walked home yesterday together- I mean we- ugh" it was my turn to bury my face in my hands and it stayed like that till Harry explained everything to his mum/my boss.
"Ahh, that makes more sense. Now anyway sweet cheeks, you best be going back to the bakery." Harry nodded, sent Jen a wave and looked at me for a moment.
"Uh, you want a muffin?"
He exhaled softly and leaned forward, kissing my cheek.
"Bye Lou,"
And he was gone.
I looked around the room, Anne looked a bit surprised but I guess this wasn't anything new for her, Jen's eyes were as wide as saucers.
"Muffin anybody?
****