For As Long As I Can Remember (It's Been December)

Chapter 2: Part 1

"Seriously," Zayn said as they walked inside the pub, "why did I have to come with you again?"
"Because you like good music." Harry looked around, trying to make out a familiar face. "I'd have taken Babs, but she was busy."
"And you can't go alone because...?"
Harry turned to Zayn, frowning. "I need moral support. A wingman."
Zayn raised a brow. "Do you really expect me to convince someone else that you're a great catch?"
"Just act as though you like me." Harry sat down at a table. "That'd be plenty help."
Not answering, Zayn went to the bar to get them drinks. Harry took the time to have a closer look at the people in the pub. He saw the equipment on the small stage, a waiter clearing the tables of glasses and plates, but Niall was nowhere to be seen.
As was Louis.
Zayn placed a pint in front of him and Harry nodded his thanks, still looking around.
"He's not even here," Zayn said.
Harry shrugged. "He's probably in some backroom, warming up."
"I didn't mean Niall."
"This whole thing was your idea, just to remind you." Harry kept his eyes on the door.
"My idea was you going, not dragging me along." Zayn kicked Harry's shin under the table. "You're not even looking at me."
"What? This is not a date," Harry argued.
Zayn snorted. "If it was, I wouldn't be paying for your drink."
"Excuse you, Zee, but if this were a date---"
"Harry!"
Turning his head around, Harry saw Niall approaching, with Louis right behind him.
"I'm so happy you could make it," Niall said, leaning in to hug Harry. He held his hand out for Zayn after. "And you even brought a friend. Hi, I'm Niall."
"Zayn," he replied, shaking Niall's hand. "Nice to meet you."
Louis followed Niall, holding out his hand for Zayn, too. "Louis."
Louis seemed flustered, Harry thought, keeping his eyes on him as the three men chatted. The realisation hit him that bringing Zayn had probably been a mistake because every single person in this world was flustered when meeting Zayn and fell in love with his handsome face; even if it was just a little.
"That turned out great," Niall said. "Now Louis's got some company. I'm gonna head up on that stage. Have fun, okay?"
Harry watched Niall leave before he focused back on Louis. He was standing next to the table, still looking out of it. Or maybe like he wanted to run away. Harry couldn't tell.
"C'mon, Louis," he said, scooting over on the bench and gesturing to the free spot next to himself. "Sit down."
"I'm gonna--" Louis pointed at the bar. "Just gonna grab a drink first."
Harry kept his gaze on Louis' retreating form, noticing that he had a really nice behind. He wore wide jogging pants, but it did nothing to hide the nice shape of his bum. His t-shirt pooled around his hips, showing off his slim waist. Harry hadn't really paid attention to it last time they'd met, but he had to admit that the realisation only made Louis more attractive to him.
"He's got horrible fashion sense," Zayn commented.
Harry turned to him, blinking. "What?"
"Not a fan of that style." Zayn shrugged. "He looked better in the tailored suit."
"Everyone looks better in a tailored suit." Harry glanced at Louis again, finding him stood at the bar, waiting for his drink. "He can pull off both."
Zayn laughed dryly. "Keep telling yourself that."
When Louis came back, he had already gulped down half of the drink he had just ordered. He sat down next to Harry, placing his glass on the table. "Nice of you to come support Niall."
"Of course," Harry replied. "I had the night off anyway."
Zayn shot him one of the looks, obviously suppressing a snarky comment. Harry had practically begged Magnus to change shifts with him. He hadn't even known if Louis was going to show up, but he'd hoped. Apparently, that had been enough because Louis was here now and Harry got the chance to find out what it was behind that magica pull towards Louis.
If there was more to it.
"I assume Harry brought you along?" Louis asked Zayn. He hadn't even looked at Harry.
"He did," Zayn replied. "Harry says he's got talent."
"He does." Louis smiled. "You won't be disappointed."
Zayn nodded briefly. "Are you doing music, too?"
Laughing, Louis leaned back a little and Harry watched his profile, the crinkles around his eyes. "No, definitely not. I only sing in the shower."
"Fair enough." Zayn crossed his arms on the tabletop. "And what do you do for a living?"
"I'm a lawyer." Louis shrugged. "Not very fancy."
"Well, fancier than what I do, I guess." Zayn looked at Harry when Louis turned his head to the stage. "Why am I doing all the talking?" he mouthed.
Harry couldn't do more than give a helpless shrug.
"You're doing something beside the waiter job at Pierre's?" Louis asked, looking back at Zayn.
Zayn looked genuinely surprised. "You remember me?"
"And I'm sure you remember me." Louis lowered his head bashfully. "Guess you don't have scenes like that every day at a restaurant like that."
"True." Zayn was quiet for a moment. "That bloke acted like a prick."
Louis and Zayn shared a small smile, like an intimate moment between them. Harry was confused by the heavy feeling in his chest; this pull at his heartstrings that suspiciously felt like jealousy.
"You're better off without him," he said quietly, trying to get Louis' attention.
It worked, but the way Louis looked at him when he turned his face to Harry gave away that he had obviously forgotten about Harry's presence altogether. "Um, yeah. I guess."
At that moment, a sound from the small stage made Louis and Zayn turn their heads. Niall came on stage and Harry forced himself to tear his eyes from Louis and focus on him.
Niall introduced himself, made a few jokes and then started to sing. Louis seemed to enjoy it, singing along to most songs, which told Harry that it wasn't the first time he'd come to one of Niall's gigs.
"You go to to all of Niall's gigs?" he asked, leaning close to Louis.
He could feel the hesitation, could sense Louis pulling back slightly, his fingers curling into fists on his thighs. "Yeah, whenever I can."
Harry hummed, bringing his lips closer to Louis' ear to make himself heard. "How did you meet?"
Louis turned his head, facing Harry and suddenly they were really close. Louis kept his eyes on Harry's, and Harry had to force himself to not let his gaze flicker to Louis' lips. He didn't know what it was that made him feel this ridiculous attraction to Louis, this inevitable pull.
"Like this, actually," Louis said, blinking before he shifted a bit to bring more space between them. "I saw him perform in a pub and talked to him afterwards. We just got along really well from the first moment."
"I feel like he gets along with everyone," Harry said.
"He does." Louis smiled into his glass as he took another swig of his pint. "And he's got a talent for picking his friends."
Harry frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"
"Well, he may be getting along with everyone," Louis explained as he glanced at Harry, "but he's not actually friends with a lot of people."
Humming, Harry watched Niall for a moment. "He told me he's stayed with you for a while."
Louis shrugged. "Got a big flat and lots of space to spare. I wouldn't have minded him staying longer."
"Where are you living?" Harry asked, curious to find out more.
"Primrose Hill."
Raising a brow, Harry scooted a little closer again, erasing the space between them. "What kind of lawyer are you?"
"For the rich and famous." Louis smiled a little, his aura much warmer than when he had sat down. "They pay us well for making their problems go away."
Harry had known that Louis' income was probably significant, after all he was part of a society that could afford going to Pierre's for a casual dinner. He just didn't act like it. He was wearing worn out sports clothes for a night out with friends in a shabby pub on the other side of the city, drank cheap beer and had eyed the fish and chips on the menu several times now so that Harry was seconds away from going to the counter to order it for him.
"You don't act like it," Harry said out loud. He gestured around. "You seem to fit here just as well as you did at Pierre's the other night."
"I actually prefer this," Louis replied, taking the menu now to inspect it. "It's how I grew up."
Harry smiled, moving his glass so Louis could inspect the menu. "In Doncaster."
For a moment, Louis' froze. He cleared his throat. "Doncaster, yes."
"Are you guys gonna get food?" Zayn asked, leaning over the table to get their attention.
"I haven't yet decided what to get for Niall," Louis replied. "He's usually hungry when he comes off stage."
"I'll have a cheeseburger," Harry decided. He glanced up at Zayn. "What about you?"
Zayn narrowed his eyes at the menu. "Just chips for me."
"Okay, I'll go order." Louis got up, putting the menu back in the box he'd taken it from.
"I'll come with you." Harry followed him and looked back at Zayn who gave him a thumbs-up.
At the bar, Louis quickly got the bartender's attention, leaning over the counter. He got onto his toes for that, stretching his legs and Harry was momentarily distracted by the view.
"We'll have one fish and chips, extra chips, and two cheeseburgers please," Louis said over the music. "One cheeseburger without onions."
"Which table?" the bartender asked and looked over to Zayn where Louis pointed.
"You don't have to pay ours," Harry protested when Louis took out his debit card.
"It's all right." Louis smiled briefly. "My drinks are on you."
Harry grinned, nodding. He took it as a win that Louis wanted to pay -- it meant that Louis liked him. "Don't you eat onions?" he asked to keep the conversation going.
Louis blinked at him, looking confused for a moment.
"You've ordered that one cheeseburger without onions," Harry added to explain as they slid back into their seats.
"Um," Louis started, obviously flustered. Harry wondered if he'd hit some nerve. He thought it'd been an innocuous question. "I do usually. Not feeling like it tonight."
Harry smiled. "I didn't eat onions until..." He glanced at Zayn and decided not to breach the topic. "Well, I hated raw onions when I was younger."
Louis just nodded, suddenly very interested in his glass.
"Pretty inconvenient for a chef to dislike onions," Zayn commented.
"I really don't know why I disliked them so much." Harry shrugged. "Now, there's rarely anything I don't like."
Louis glanced at him. "That's a lie. Everyone has some kind of food they hate."
"Which kind of food do you hate?" Harry asked.
"I hate baked beans." Louis turned his head to Harry, looking at him as though he was waiting for a reaction. "They're disgusting."
Harry put a hand over his heart. "You've never had a proper full English?"
"I've had," Louis replied. "And I liked it much better without the beans."
"What is wrong with you?" Zayn chimed in. "You're obligated by law to like baked beans as a Brit."
Snorting, Louis shook his head. "They're just being poured out of a can and heated up. There's nothing traditional or---"
"If that's your version of baked beans, no wonder you hate them." Harry put a hand on Louis' arm. "Homemade baked beans, Louis. You're missing out."
"Did you just offer to cook for me?" Louis grinned.
"Breakfast at mine. Sunday morning." Harry turned to Zayn. "What do you think?"
"Don't you have work?" Louis asked.
Harry shook his head. "I start at four on Sunday. So I'm off all morning to convince you of homemade baked beans."
"I'm in," Zayn said. "Not gonna turn down a free meal."
"Niall won't either." Louis glanced over to where Niall had just finished his set.
"So it's set." Inwardly, Harry cheered at how easily he had tricked Louis into meeting him again. It still happened under the disguise of friends meeting up. That was the best way to let things develop naturally between them, after all. Outwardly, Harry played it cool. "How does nine in the morning sound?"
"What's at nine in the morning?" Niall asked as he came over with a pint in his hand, sitting down next to Zayn.
"Sunday," Harry explained. "I'm gonna make breakfast for you guys at mine."
"I've always wanted a friend like that." Niall cheered to Harry. "Someone who knows how to cook and who is kind enough to share his talents."
Harry laughed, knowing how to take that comment. Niall tended to be honest, and Harry appreciated that. "I'm happy to be of use."
"Isn't your flat a bit small to have all of us over for breakfast, though?" Zayn mused.
Harry shrugged. He hadn't thought of that. He could fit three people at his table at most. "I'll think of something."
"We could just meet up at Tommo's," Niall suggested. "His kitchen is huge and he never uses it anyway."
"That's not true." Louis pouted a little.
Niall smirked at him. "Yes, okay. He uses it sometimes to heat up leftovers."
Groaning, Louis leaned back to finish his pint. "You're the worst."
"So," Harry said, watching Louis' adam apple bob as he drank. "Should we meet up at yours then?"
"We can play FIFA, too," Niall answered instead of Louis. "And it's actually just around the corner from Pierre's. So."
"Sounds perfect." Zayn looked at Harry, his thoughts more than clear. For some reason he saw it as some kind of upgrade from Harry's original plan.
"Doesn't it?" Louis set his empty glass down. "Guess we're having breakfast at mine then."
Niall beamed. "It's a date."
"I need another drink." Louis got up, not even looking at them.
"I'll help," Harry murmured and followed Louis again. "Hey, Louis," he said, catching up and gripping Louis' arm to make him stop.
Louis held still, looking at Harry's fingers curled around his biceps. "Yeah?"
"We don't have to do it at your flat." Harry watched Louis' face, trying to find out what it was that upset him so much. "If you don't want us there, we can do it at my place."
For a moment, Louis was quiet, then he shook his head and looked up at Harry. "It's fine. Of course we can do it at my place."
"You sure?" Harry asked, still not convinced.
Louis just nodded, eyes still fixed on Harry's face.
"I'm gonna get drinks." Harry let go of Louis' arm.
Frowning, Louis opened his mouth, but Harry cut him short.
"You payed our food. It's my turn to pay our drinks." Harry smiled as they reached the bar. "You can help me carry them over, though."
"Guess I can do that," Louis agreed.
Harry smiled, feeling a little more assured that he could win Louis over. He was sure his cooking could do the trick. He wasn't a trained chef for nothing, after all.
+++
He had clearly lost his mind.
Louis was on his first cup of coffee on a Sunday morning, half past eight. It was raining outside, typical grey January weather in London. Inside, Louis had put on a fire in the fireplace and taken a hot shower to calm down his nerves.
Now, he stood in front of the portrait of his mother he had hung over the fireplace, a towel loosely draped over his shoulders, his hair still wet and his chest still bare. Louis blew over the steam coming from his coffee mug, staring at her face smiling down on him.
If she knew what kind of cock-up he'd got himself into, she'd probably raise a brow and tell him just how foolish he was. And that he wasn't thinking clearly. That he should use his head and had to stop giving in to childish desires. That he had to stop hoping.
No one had told him, though, so here Louis was. On a Sunday morning, barely a week after Harry had crashed back into his life; about to see Harry again. About to have Harry in his own flat.
He wasn't prepared. No matter how Louis looked at it, he wasn't prepared for any of it. Harry was blissfully oblivious to the whole situation -- of course he was. He was simply his usual wonderful self, trying to win people over with that ridiculous charm of his.
How could anyone in the world expect Louis to be immune to that?
"Tommo, I told ya not tot leave the door unlocked," he heard Niall yell and jumped slightly, almost spilling his coffee.
Rolling his eyes, Louis made his way over to the sitting room, seeing not only Niall, but Harry right behind him. Suddenly, Louis felt exposed, wearing nothing but his boxer shorts.
"You're not even dressed yet," Niall oh-so-helpfully stated.
Louis glanced at Harry, finding him already looking down, cheeks flushed. "You said you'd be here at nine."
"We've said we'll have breakfast at nine." Niall shut the door behind Harry and lifted one of the grocery bags. "Gotta prepare that breakfast before that."
Louis cleared his throat. "You do that. Why don't you show Harry the kitchen and I..." He gestured at his chest.
"Yeah, no one wants to see that." Niall turned, making his way to the kitchen.
Harry didn't turn instantly, instead stared at Louis with that murderer look that Louis knew all too well. It was the kind of look Harry got when he wanted something or when he focused intensely on one single thing. At first, Louis had often confused it for Harry being angry or upset. It hadn't taken long to learn to read Harry, though.
Which only meant that Harry liked what he was seeing right now.
Louis didn't know what to do with that information or how to react. He wanted to close the gap and pull Harry in, seal their lips together and let Harry have what he wanted. Louis rarely ever got what he'd wanted, though.
"I---" Harry pointed to the general direction Niall had disappeared to. "I'm gonna..."
"You do that," Louis agreed, taking a step backwards. "I'm gonna get dressed."
He turned around and fled to his bedroom, not looking back once. He didn't have to to know that Harry was staring after him, probably ogling his arse. He always did. Or, he'd always done.
The lines got a little blurred between past and present for Louis when Harry looked at him like he just had.
When he came back to the kitchen, dressed in jogging bottoms and a soft jumper, Harry and Niall had already started making breakfast.
"Your kitchen is amazing," Harry said as he noticed Louis. "It's like a professional's."
Louis shrugged, watching Harry's hands as he cracked eggs into a bowl. "It came with the flat."
Harry barked out a laugh. "That's why everything is so clean."
"Unused," Niall corrected as he cut tomatoes into halves.
Instead of helping them, Louis decided to sit down at the table and watch. Harry didn't like help in the kitchen, and the way he glanced over at Niall's hands with a frown between his brows told Louis that had definitely not changed. "I'm supporting local businesses by taking up the uncountable offers of take aways in the area."
"That's very noble of you." Harry opened a few cupboards before he found a pot. "We're grateful."
"Not all of us can afford eating at Pierre's every day."
Grinning, Harry took out a glass container from one of the bags they had brought. "It gets pretty boring after a while. Especially if you're the one cooking the dishes."
"So Harry needs a partner who will do the cooking for him." Niall snickered.
Harry frowned a little, snatching the plate with tomatoes from Niall. "Actually, I don't really like sharing the kitchen."
"He hates when other people cook," Louis supplied, watching on fondly.
"Exactly," Harry agreed, adding a pan to the cooker.
Niall looked at Louis, raising a brow. "Did you two plan this?"
When he realised what exactly was going on, Louis felt caught. It was just so easy to forget that this Harry wasn't his Harry. "I just assumed."
"You assumed right." Harry didn't seem to find it odd that Louis had figured him out so quickly. "I hate to watch other people in the kitchen. I also taste everything that's not right with the dishes."
"Do you ever go to a restaurant then?" Niall asked, putting on the kettle.
"Of course." Harry stirred the baked beans in the pot. "That's different. That's trained people cooking for me."
Niall gaped. "So you're saying what Louis and I cook isn't good enough because we're not trained chefs?"
"That's why there are trained chefs." Harry rolled his eyes at Niall. "They're trained, so they cook better than an untrained person."
"That's arrogant of you to assume." Niall crossed his arms as he waited for the water in the kettle to boil. "My grilled chicken is better than any chef's."
Louis snorted. "You don't even season your chicken before you grill it."
"You look like the kind of person who wouldn't season their food," Harry agreed.
"At least," Niall spat out, pointing at Louis, "I can make more than one limpy dish."
"Excuse you." Louis crossed his arms. "It's a family favourite in our household."
"What?" Niall frowned at him. "I thought you've only ever cooked it for your boyfriend?"
"You have a boyfriend?" Harry asked the same moment Louis hissed, "Fuck off, Niall."
For a second, all three of them were quiet, staring at each other.
"I don't," Louis said then, looking down.
"He had one ages ago," Niall supplied instead. He took out three mugs and filled them with hot water. "Only talks about him when he's drunk or high, though."
Harry hummed and Louis didn't dare look up to meet his gaze. "No one really likes talking about their exes, right?"
"Right," Louis agreed. He got up to take one of the mugs filled with tea. He certainly wouldn't breach the topic when Harry was around. "Where's Zayn anyway?"
"He said he'd come straight from his place." Harry stared at Louis for a little too long before he turned back to the pan.
"He should be here any minute," Niall added. 
"I'm gonna go set the table while you finish up here." Louis fled the kitchen, hands tight around his mug.
In the sitting room, he placed his coffee on the mantelpiece, staring into the red flames for a moment. He tried to breathe evenly to compose himself and calm down. There was no way he could freak out now.
Somehow, Louis had to find a way to deal with this situation. He had tried to avoid it, had tried to walk away from it, but Harry was here now. Harry was right here in his flat, unaware of everything that had ever happened between them, and Louis had to learn to act as though they were strangers. Acquaintances, at most.
Fate really was a bitch.
"Do you need any help?"
He turned around, seeing Harry approach him. The last thing Louis needed was being alone with Harry. He didn't think he could do it right now; not when he hadn't had a chance to properly compose himself.
Would he ever be composed around Harry?
"Wow," Harry said when he saw the portrait of Louis' mother above the fireplace. "That's an impressive photograph."
Louis had contemplated taking it down for Harry's visit. Niall would've asked questions, though, and Louis wasn't sure he could come up with any believable explanation for taking it down. His heart beat wildly in his chest while Harry stared at the picture, eyes roaming over the face.
"It looks like a snapshot," Harry murmured, tilting his head. "But it's actually been carefully shot. Waited for."
Louis wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. Harry hadn't lost his photography skills. He'd lost his memory of Jay, though. There was no memory of him sitting in Anne's garden, camera pointed towards their mums, waiting for the perfect moment to captivate on film. Of all the pictures he had taken that day.
Louis nodded stiffly.
"Who is she?" Harry asked, turning his head to Louis.
For a moment, Louis waited, and his heart ached with the expectation of Harry coming to it and telling Louis that he, of course, remembered. That he'd never forget about Jay.
"My mum," Louis replied, hands nervously fidgeting with the sleeves of his jumper. "I don't wanna forget her face."
"A boy who loves his mum. I like that." Harry grinned at him, and Louis' stomach dropped when he realised that Harry had no idea. He had known; of course he had known it. But he hadn't believed it until this moment. "She's beautiful."
Louis angled his chin up, looking at the portrait. "She was."
A piece of wood broke in the fireplace; sparks flew up and vanished like fireflies in a late summer night.
"I'm sorry." Harry's voice was quiet. "I didn't know."
Of course he didn't. That was the whole issue at hand. Louis kept his gaze on his mother's face, and tried to ban the memories from two years ago from his mind. The small church packed with people, his sisters holding each other's hands, and the sea of faces staring at him when Louis had talked. The empty chair next to his.
He had tried to convince Liam, had begged Anne, but all of them had given him the same answer. Harry hadn't known, and he wouldn't have remembered. It hadn't been a good idea. Louis had been convinced that it was the wrong decision; that Harry had belonged there on that chair right next to him. That Harry had deserved a chance to say goodbye, too.
"You couldn't have known," he said quietly, realising that they had been right.
Harry had no idea who Jay was; and he would never get the chance to meet her again. He couldn't mourn a loss when he never knew he'd lost it.
"Can I ask what happened?" Harry's voice was small, tentative.
"An aggressive form of blood cancer." Louis cleared his throat. "She didn't have a chance."
Slowly, Harry's hand came to rest on Louis' arm. "That must have been tough."
"It was." In his chest, Louis' heart beat a little faster at the touch. He'd been starved off it for so long. All he wanted to do was turn to Harry and fall into his arms, let Harry do what he did so well -- comfort. Harry had that special talent of making people feel comforted and safe.
Stepping away, Louis smiled a little. "I don't really like to talk about it."
"I'm sorry," Harry said immediately, hand falling back to his side. "I didn't mean to make you sad."
Louis tried to smile, and shook his head. He wasn't sure what he tried to convey with that, but he was sure that they needed to drop the topic right now. He couldn't put up with this much longer.
Niall saved him from any further embarrassment when he called for Harry from the kitchen. "Harry! You said you'd be back in a minute. What about the beans now?"
Harry hesitated a moment, then he mumbled something Louis couldn't understand and went back to the kitchen. Louis stared after him for a moment, his skin feeling like it had been ripped open and every single nerve had been laid bare.
The doorbell rang and Niall called out, "I'm going!"
Shaking his head, Louis went over a chest of drawers and got out plates. He focused on the task, trying to keep his mind blank. He just had to shut it out. The memories, the pain. That stupid hope.
+++
They had moved over to the living room after breakfast. The kitchen was still a mess and none of them had bothered with cleaning it so far. Niall was spread out on the big rug in front of the sofa, Zayn curled into one of the armchairs and Harry and Louis had ended up on opposite ends of the sofa. A film was playing but no one was really watching. Rain poured down from the a grey sky, making the view from Louis' impressive windows blurry.
Harry cast a glance at him, his gaze coming to rest at the sliver of skin that was visible where Louis' jumper had rode up his stomach. There was another tattoo, but Harry couldn't make out what it was.
Louis' torso was littered in tattoos. Harry had been able to catch a glimpse of them when they had arrived earlier. Across Louis' collarbones, he had the words It Is What It Is inked. Harry wondered what it meant.
What had surprised him most was how attractive he had found the ink on Louis' skin. He had never been turned on by tattoos before, but Louis' had triggered a reaction in Harry.
He himself had a tattoo, as well. Only the memory of getting it was gone, and Harry had never decided to get more after his accident.
"I'm never gonna leave this flat again," Zayn said, hugging a cushion.
Louis laughed. "Now that Niall doesn't need my guest room anymore, it's free for you to stay in."
"I might as well take you you up on that offer."
Harry frowned slightly at the wording. He instinctively traced a finger over his own hipbone where the words Might as well... were tattooed onto his skin. He had no idea why he had put them there.
When he looked up again, he found Louis staring at where Harry had absentmindedly touched his hip. Their gazes hooked together for a moment, before Louis quickly turned away.
"So, which food are you gonna try to convince me of next?" he asked, kicking out his foot to gently nudge Niall's arm.
"If you let yourself be convinced," Niall answered, rolling onto his back. "Did you even give Harry's baked beans a chance?"
"I ate them, didn't I?" Louis looked offended.
Harry snorted. "You sound like it was the biggest hardship."
"Well." A grin spread over Louis' face. "They made my toast soggy."
"Soggy," Niall repeated. "But also tastier."
"Best baked beans I've ever had," Zayn agreed.
"See." Harry directed a pout at Louis. "Those two know how to properly thank me for making them breakfast."
Louis crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Make me eggs on toast for breakfast next time and I'll show you properly ."
Butterflies flared up in Harry's stomach. Was Louis flirting with him? "Properly how ?"
Louis raised a brow as if to mock him, but before he could say anything, Niall cut in.
"Did you just invite Harry to stay the night?"
"Did you just offer Harry sex in exchange for food?" Zayn immediately added.
Louis looked like he had been slapped before his cheeks turned red. "Of course not."
"You totally did," Harry protested.
Getting up from the sofa, Louis looked everywhere but at Harry. "It's almost noon. Didn't you say you gotta leave?"
"Shit." Zayn checked his watch. "We gotta get to the restaurant, Harry."
Harry watched Louis pick up the mugs and heading to the kitchen. "Yeah. I'll just..." He looked at Zayn. "Give me a minute, okay?"
Even though he was rolling his eyes, Zayn apparently couldn't suppress a smile. "Fine."
"Do I have to be worried for Lou?" Niall asked.
Harry shook his head. "I'm just gonna apologise."
Niall gestured for him to go ahead and Harry gave a thumbs-up before he followed Louis into the kitchen.
He found Louis at the sink, hands gripping the edges tightly, his head lowered. He looked small and vulnerable and Harry frowned slightly, wondering what made Louis act like this when flirting had seemed to come so naturally. Maybe it was the thought of flirting with Harry that was so deviant to him.
"Hey," Harry said quietly, coming closer.
Louis turned around, looking a little caught before he put on a smile. It didn't reach his eyes. "Sorry. I'll see you guys out."
Harry shook his head. "I'm sorry if we made you uncomfortable in there."
"It's not---" Louis bit his lip, crossing his arms again. "I wasn't."
"But something's wrong." Harry took another step closer, his gaze holding Louis' firmly.
With a shallow breath, Louis' chest rose slightly as he stared at Harry. Although his lips opened slightly, he didn't reply.
Harry decided to take a risk, and put his hands onto the sink on both sides of Louis' hips, loosely cageing him in. "Just to be clear, Louis," he said, bringing his lips close to Louis' ear. "I wouldn't mind making you breakfast again. Whichever way you like."
For a moment, time stood still. Harry's heart beat wildly in his chest, his whole body tense in anticipation of Louis' reaction. Louis smelled of herb shampoo and washing powder, and his skin looked especially soft where his neck and shoulder met.
It was just a second, just the whisper of a moment when Louis brought up a hand and put it on Harry's chest. Harry was sure that Louis was leaning in, bringing them just that little bit closer. He briefly brushed Harry's abs in the process, fingers resting right between Harry's pecs. He could feel the warmth of Louis' fingers through the thin cotton of his t-shirt.
Then, Louis applied pressure. "Okay, there. Slow down, Speed Racer."
Harry stepped back, taking his hands off the sink. His gaze searched Louis' face, and found him already looking back. His cheeks were red, flushed with what Harry hoped was arousal. "I meant it."
"I know you did," Louis replied. He let his hand linger for another moment, then took it away. "And I mean it when I say you're moving too fast."
That didn't mean Louis wasn't interested. Did it? "Okay. Can I ask Liam for your number?"
"I'd rather you don't do that." Louis shook his head.
Harry felt his heart sink a little. "Niall?"
Louis laughed quietly, stepping around Harry. "And what are you planning to do with it?"
"Text you," Harry replied, following Louis. "Get to know you better. Ask you on a date properly."
"You can try." Louis stopped at the kitchen door, fingers around the handle. "Ask Niall."
Harry couldn't help the grin.
Louis hesitated. He looked at Harry for a second too long for it to mean nothing. Then, he turned and left the kitchen and Harry followed, over the moon that he hadn't read the signs wrong. Louis was interested in him, and that pull towards Louis that Harry had felt from the first moment they had met was mutual.
If all Louis wanted was to move slow, Harry could do that. Moving slow was no problem.
Niall and Zayn were already in their coats and boots when Harry and Louis came to the front door.
"Thanks again for having us over," Zayn said to Louis.
"Anytime." Louis opened the door for them while Harry hurried to put his shoes on. "Stop by for some GTA."
"Will do," Zayn promised.
Niall hugged Louis. "See you Wednesday?"
"Wednesday," Louis agreed.
They went outside and it was only Harry left, standing in the doorway.  "I'll text you."
Louis nodded. "I guess you will."
Harry had no idea what to make of that answer. "Text me back, okay?"
Again, Louis nodded. If Harry didn't know any better, he'd think that Louis looked at him like he didn't want Harry to go.
"Good thing the restaurant is basically around the corner from here," Zayn commented.
"Have fun at work," Louis said, leaning against the door and crossing his arms.
Harry followed Zayn and Niall to the lift. When he looked back, the door to Louis' flat was already shut.
"So." Zayn got into the lift first. "He gave you his number?"
Shrugging, Harry pressed the button for ground floor. "He gave me permission to get his number from Niall."
"I can't believe it." Niall shook his head and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "He's never shown interest in anyone since I've met him. Harry comes along and, bam! Louis gives out his number."
"Well, at least it's mutual." Zayn was the first to leave the lift, too. "I wasn't so sure of it after the other night."
They said goodbye to Niall in front of the building, going in different directions. Zayn didn't talk much on their way, and Harry didn't mind. He thought about Louis, and about Niall's words. Whatever had happened in Louis' past had made him wary around people.
Maybe someone had broken his heart, or maybe he had been the one who had broken some hearts. Maybe, no hearts had been broken, but instead, Louis had had to part from a lover due to some dramatic twist of fate and wasn't yet over it.
Whatever it was, Harry wanted to hope that he stood a chance.
+++
There were noises around him. Harry frowned slightly before he blinked his eyes open. The ceiling was white, and the room was way too dark to be his bedroom. He never closed the curtains when he went sleeping.
"Harry. Baby, Hazza." That was his mother's voice. "Someone?" she said loudly. "He's awake. He opened his eyes."
Confused, Harry tried to move his head, but he couldn't. His neck was in some kind of cast. He frowned again and his heart sank when he realised he was in a hospital. He moved his hand, trying to find something to hold onto. His mother's hand was there in an instant, gripping him tightly.
"Baby," she said, leaning over him. "Are you there?"
Harry opened his mouth, but nothing came out when he tried to speak. His throat hurt. He nodded instead, as well as he could with the thing around his neck.
There were steps and suddenly, there were people in the room, a lot of noises around Harry. And he just wanted to know what the bloody hell was going on.
"Harry," someone said and a strange man came into his vision. "I'm gonna take this off, okay?"
The cast around Harry's neck was removed a moment later and Harry let his head fall to the side. His neck still felt stiff, but a lot better when his head hit a soft pillow. His mother was next to his bed and Gemma stood right behind her. When he let his eyes wander, he found Liam by the door, a young blond woman standing next to him. Everyone else was dressed in scrubs.
"What--?" he couldn't get out more.
"I'm Dr. Bennett, Harry," the man said, drawing Harry's attention back to him. "You had a car accident."
Harry frowned. He couldn't even remember taking his mum's car.
"You suffered severe injuries to your head." The doctor looked at the papers in his hands briefly. "And were in a coma for almost five days."
Looking at his mother, he decided that the man probably wasn't lying. She looked exhausted; hair greasy, skin pale and her eyes had dark circles. She looked older.
A nurse came to Harry's side and put a hand under his head to help him drink some water. Harry gulped it up gratefully, his throat feeling much better afterwards.
"What happened?" he asked when he lay his head back down.
"A crash with a lorry. You turned around the car and got hit by the front of the lorry." The doctor put the papers down, focusing on Harry again. "You broke your right arm and leg."
Harry only then noticed the cast around his arm, frowning down at it.
"Your shoulder was dislodged," the doctor went on. "And your lungs ruptured."
He could breathe. Harry stared at his mother in disbelief. How had that happened to his body and he didn't even feel a thing?
Dr. Bennett cleared his throat. "We had to do some head surgery. You had a severe injury of the skull."
Freeing his left hand from his mother's, Harry lifted it to his head automatically. He gasped when he found gauze meeting bare skin.
"It'll grow back out," Gemma said, tone stricken.
"Harry," the doctor asked calmly. "Do you remember anything. From accident?"
Harry frowned, trying to recall the last memory before waking up right here. "No."
"What is the last thing you remember?"
Concentrating, Harry tried to single out one thing. "I'm not sure."
"Start with the first thing that comes to your mind," Anne encouraged him.
"I made lunch. Fajitas." Harry remembered mixing the ingredients together.
"Do you remember who you've made it for?" the doctor asked.
"Myself." Harry blinked slowly. His eyelids felt so heavy. "In my new flat."
"Something's not right." Harry looked over to Liam. He had come closer, standing at the foot of Harry's bed. A frown was etched between his brows, his forehead wrinkled with worry.
"What new flat, Harry?" Gemma asked. Harry noticed that her hair was much blonder than it had been last week. "You've been living in that flat for about a year now."
Harry frowned at her, shaking his head a little. It still hurt. "No? I've only moved to Manchester a few weeks ago. What are you on about?"
It was quiet for a long moment, and Harry looked from his sister to the doctor.
"What is going on here?"
"Harry, how old are you?" the doctor asked him slowly.
"Eighteen." Turning his gaze to his mother, Harry felt some kind of panic coming up his chest. Something was wrong. Everyone was acting so strangely. "You said it was only five days. What is going on?"
"Harry," Anne said calmly. "You're eighteen and you've just moved to Manchester?"
Harry nodded. "Just came back from a year in France. Gourmet school? Chef's training?"
"Oh shit," Liam said out loud.
"What is going on?" Harry tried to sit up, but his body didn't listen. He gripped his mother's hand more tightly. His body was so tired, but fear was keeping him from giving into it. "What is wrong?"
"Haz," Anne said quietly. She exchanged a quick look with the doctor, and when he nodded, she continued. "You're twenty-one."
Harry's stomach sank to his knees, and his head started to hurt with the force of staying awake. "You said it was five days!"
"Calm down," Dr. Bennett touched his shoulder. "We'll find out what's going on."
"Did he lose his memory?" Gemma asked, sounding scared.
"It may be temporary." The doctor took his papers again, taking out a pen. "We'll have to run tests."
Liam moved, and Harry watched him go back to the door where the young woman was still looking on. They talked quietly, and Harry tried to focus on her face but his vision got blurry. He blinked, just for a second, but when he opened his eyes again, she was gone and Liam was back by his side.
"I'm sorry," Harry said, his eyelids falling closed. "I'm so tired."
"Go back to sleep, baby," Anne told him, rubbing his hand between hers. "It's okay."
"It may be back when he wakes up again," was the last thing Harry heard Dr. Bennett say, then he was taken by sleep.
+++
Liam had won tickets to a football match of some local team. He had taken a picture of Harry in the crowd, a beer in hand, long hair tied back with a scarf. In the picture, Harry looked a little annoyed, but a fond smile was tugging at his lips.
Harry didn't remember that day.
He lay in bed, eyes wandering over the wall of pictures he had hung around it. Each and every one of the pictures showed memories that had vanished from Harry's brain. They were from days of Harry's life that had shaped him, had helped him become the man he was today. Days that were gone, and wouldn't come back.
Harry kept looking at them, trying to find details, hints, anything that would spark a memory. They'd never come back. Instead, he saw the life of a stranger, like foreign dreams of another person, when he looked at those pictures.
Sighing, Harry sat up and got out of bed. He took his mobile from the bedside table and opened up his chat with Liam.
Haven't heard from you in a bit. You good, mate?, he texted.
He contemplated what to send Louis while he put on the kettle to make some tea. Niall had sent Harry the number last night, without any further comment. To Harry's amusement, Niall had saved Louis' number under "Tommo The Tease", and Harry really wondered what that was supposed to mean. 
Tommo The Tease? Sounds like a stripper name.
He settled on keeping it light for the moment. Something about Louis was odd, just so unreadable for Harry. He always looked at Harry when he thought Harry didn't notice; he openly flirted back a few times. There was definitely an interest there. Yet, there was that firm wall Louis had built around himself. Sometimes, Louis forgot about it, but when he remembered it, it was unbreakable.
Harry wondered why he'd built it in the first place. He thought of how vulnerable Louis had looked when he had talked about his mum. Of course, Harry could not have known about it, but bringing himself into a situation like that was just so typically him. Just his luck. He had wanted to get closer to Louis, get to know him a little better, and instead, he had made Louis sad.
He couldn't say that it was going smooth. Not at all. And yet, Harry felt that he needed to try. There was something about Louis that pulled him in, and that told him not to give up.
Did you think I make all that money being a measly lawyer? Louis had texted back when Harry checked his phone again.
Harry grinned, moving his fingers over the the display quickly. Should've known you make money off that body.
Louis was online for a moment. Then, he wasn't. A second later, he came online again and started typing. Stopped typing. Harry frowned slightly, wondering what made Louis hesitate.
It's hard work , he replied eventually, adding an emoji of the dollar sign.
Harry went with the first thing that came to his mind. I can imagine it's very hard.
This time, Louis stayed offline.
Small steps, Harry reminded himself. Louis had asked him to go slow, and Harry could do that. He absolutely could.
+++
"He woke up!"
Louis turned his head when Lottie came into his room. Her cheeks were red from excitement and she was slightly out of breath. "He's awake."
Sitting up, Louis tried to read her expression. "Is he okay?"
Lottie nodded and sat down on his bed. "He's talked."
"Did you tell him I'll come see him?" Louis cursed a little when he tried to move. He wouldn't be able to go anywhere soon with both his legs in casts.
"Well..." She took a deep breath. "He's awake, Lou. He could move whatever wasn't broken in his body. That's a good sign."
So there were bad signs, too. "But?"
Before she could say anything, another group of people piled into his room. Liam was first, followed by Gemma, and then Anne with Dr. Bennett who was Harry's doctor. Louis had talked to him before.
Louis decided to keep his eyes on him.
"It's mainly good news," the doctor said to Anne. "No one could anticipate the damage to his brain."
"What is going on?" Louis asked, eyes glued to the man's face. "Is something wrong?"
"We don't know yet," Dr. Bennett replied.
"Something is wrong," Liam interrupted. "I knew something was wrong the second he grasped the situation and didn't ask about Lou."
Louis' heart beat a little faster. "He didn't ask for me?"
Dr. Bennett lifted a hand to make Liam stop talking. "He hasn't yet."
That was impossible. "But I was right there next to him. There's no way he would just forget that."
"Especially," Liam added, "since he risked his life to protect Lou."
It was quiet for a moment, and Louis could feel his heartbeat in his fingertips. "What do you mean?"
"Liam," Gemma hissed. "Stop it."
"Sorry," Liam murmured. "I'm just--- I didn't---"
"What do you mean?" Louis interrupted him. "What does he mean?" he asked louder, looking at the doctor.
He sighed, stepping a little closer to Louis. "Well, you see, it's a basic human instinct to turn away from danger. Usually, in an accident like the one you had, drivers turn the car right to protect themselves. Harry did the exact opposite by turning left. The only explanation we have is that he instinctively wanted to protect you."
Louis stared at him. His lips felt numb and his stomach was cramping. It felt as though someone was pulling a sling around his throat. It got tighter and tighter with every second ticking by.
"Louis." Lottie gripped his hand. "Don't panic."
"He's like this because he..." Louis' voice broke. "It's my fault?"
"It's not," Dr. Bennett assured him. "It was his action, Louis."
"Then why is he not asking for me?" Louis couldn't make any sense of it. If Harry had been ready to risk his life for Louis, why wasn't he caring now?
"He can't remember." Anne came over and hugged him, pulling his head against her chest. "It may be something temporary. An after effect of his injuries, you know?"
"The accident?" Louis nuzzled against her. "He can't remember the accident?"
"None of it," Anne replied, a hand running through his hair. "He was convinced he was eighteen and had just moved to Manchester."
Louis blinked, trying to understand. That had been just a few weeks before he had met Harry for the first time. "Does that mean..." He tried to form a coherent thought. "He doesn't remember me?"
"It's temporary," Anne said again. Louis saw Dr. Bennett bite his lip and look to the ground. "He'll remember when he's fully recovered."
Something in the doctor's expression told Louis that that may not be as easy. "What if he doesn't?" he asked, voice just above a whisper.
"He will," Anne assured him.
Lottie squeezed his hand. "He will."
Louis closed his eyes and buried his face against Anne's shoulder. But what if he wouldn't? What if Harry's memories never came back?
"There's no way he'd just forget you, Lou," Liam said. "You know that."
Louis had to believe it.
+++
"Louis?"
Lifting his gaze from the photo of himself and Harry, Louis looked up to his office door. Martin stood in the door frame, looking a little worried.
"Martin," Louis greeted guys colleague. "Any problem?"
"Just wanted to know if you wanted to have lunch together?" Martin pointed at the plastic bag in his hand.
Checking his watch, Louis realised that it was already past noon. "I didn't bring any. I'll have to go out and get something."
"Okay." Martin waved lightly. "I'll be in the lunch room, if you wanna join me later."
"Thanks." Louis watched him leave and then got up to grab his coat. He informed Cecilia at her desk that he'd be out for lunch and then took the lift downstairs.
Outside, it was raining, so Louis decided to go to one of the restaurants nearby. He crossed the street and went into one of the restaurants he frequented for his lunch breaks.
Louis enjoyed going out for lunch every other day. It helped him clear his head and take his mind of especially hard cases. These days, his cases weren't as hard, but his mind still needed some ease.
Harry kept occupying it. 
He was led to a table and sat down while ordering something to drink. The waiter handed him a menu and Louis opened it to find the familiar selection of dishes.
When he was served his drink and had ordered a dish, his gaze fell onto a table at the back of the room. Frowning, Louis tilted his head and leaned forwards. He made out dark, short curls, a small and straight nose and plush pink lips.
Fate, he thought for a second, but then doubted that out was that easy. Taking his glass with him, Louis went over to where Harry was sitting and reading on his mobile.
"I take it this is not a coincidence."
Harry looked up from his phone as Louis sat down across from him and his eyes widened in surprise. He looked genuinely shocked. "Louis!"
Louis narrowed his eyes. "Don't act like you didn't expect to meet me here."
"I didn't!" Harry put down his mobile and looked around. "What are you doing here?"
"I go to this place for lunch. My work is just across the street." Louis lifted a brow. "But you already know that, don't you?"
"You work around here?" Narrowing his eyes, Harry checked out Louis' suit. "Looks like it."
Louis snorted. "Come on, Harry. Did Niall tell you about this place?"
Harry shook his head. "No, actually." He looked down at his hands, blushing a little. "I swear I didn't follow you here or something. I wanted to test this place."
"What?" Louis' brows shot up.
"When I work evening shifts, I go to some of the restaurants with excellent reputations to test them."
Louis couldn't help laughing a little. "You go have lunch by yourself in some posh restaurant?"
Harry shrugged, glancing up at Louis. "I don't know many people here yet. And the ones I know don't seem to like to spend that kind of money on food."
For a moment, Louis simply watched Harry. He knew that Harry wasn't lying. The person Louis had fallen in love with couldn't lie to save his life. He could put on a good act, but he couldn't lie.
"Would you mind then if I joined you for lunch today?" Louis asked before he could think better of it.
Harry's face lit up, and although Louis knew that every bit of contact with Harry was a mistake, he couldn't make himself regret offering. He'd do anything to be the person making Harry light up like that.
"I'd love that," Harry replied. "I've wanted to ask you out on a date for a while now."
Shaking his head, Louis folded his arms on the table.  "This is my lunch break, not a date."
"We're sitting in a posh restaurant, across from each other, a candle is lit between us and I'm gonna steal food from your plate to try it." Harry grinned. "Sounds very much like a date to me."
"It's a date if you pick me up at home and bring me nice flowers." Louis gestured for Harry's glass. "And if there's good wine with our food."
"So it's a bit of an awkward first date. Not perfect," Harry added, leaning forwards. "That means we'll need a second date to improve that."
Louis laughed. "You're getting ahead of yourself again, Speed Racer."
"Well, it's not that easy to get a hold of you."
"I have no idea where that obsession with me comes from," Louis mused. The next sentence was hard to say, but he had to say it to keep himself grounded and in reality. It was too easy to give into this false feeling of familiarity around Harry. "You don't even know me."
"I brother in infatuation from first sight." Harry took a sip of his water. "I know when it's worth being persistent."
Louis ignored the way his heart twisted. It sounded like Harry had pursued quite a few people over the last years. Instead, he put on a smirk to play it cool. "Sounds like you've got quite a bit of experience with that."
"Actually, I don't." Harry smiled bashfully. "I hope you don't mind."
Louis swallowed thickly with how endlessly endearing Harry was in his honesty. "I don't," he got out, sounding a little choked up. 
The waiter came back with their food and Louis kept his eyes on Harry's face as he thanked the waiter and smiled at him. Apparently, it was still important to Harry that he looked at people when he interacted with them. He always had a smile on his lips.
So far, Louis hadn't found anything major that had changed about Harry. Except for the onions Harry now ate in raw form, everything was still exactly the way he had been when they had first met.
How was Louis supposed to let him slip away again? He knew well enough that he shouldn't be here right now; that he shouldn't keep in contact with Harry. Yet, there had been a void in his life ever since he'd lost Harry and nothing and no one could fill that void except for Harry. 
"Are you all right?" Harry asked.
Louis looked up from his food with a smile. "Just a tough case that I'm working on right now," he lied.
Harry cut his meat.  "What is it about?"
"Can't really tell you." Louis shrugged. "But it involves ruthless people and a lot of money."
"Do you have many cases like that?"
"Too many, yeah." Louis tried the first bite of his fish. "The salmon is good."
"Let me be the judge of that." Harry took a piece of bread and drank a bit of water before he cut a bit of salmon and moved it onto his plate.
Louis lifted a brow. "It's not like I don't know what a good salmon should taste like."
"Who taught you?" Harry asked as he had swallowed.
You , Louis thought and looked down at his plate. "You just learn after living in these circles for a while."
Harry hummed. "I can imagine."
For a moment, they ate in silence. Louis glanced at Harry every now and then, wondering how really every memory of them sitting together like this, eating and discussing food could have vanished from Harry's mind altogether.
Wasn't there anything triggering at least the tiniest memory?
The fourth time Louis glanced at him, Harry lifted his head at the same moment and their eyes met. Harry looked caught, grinning like a teenager.
Like the teenager he'd still been when they had met for the first time. 
"What's your verdict?" Louis asked to distract from how fidgety he got himself. 
"I knew this place was good the moment you said you went here frequently." Harry smiled a little. "The chef's good."
"Not better than you."
Harry laughed. "The only thing I've ever made for you was breakfast and you hated the baked beans."
Louis cursed himself inwardly. He needed to control his brain-to-mouth filter better. "I had your Beef Sauvignon."
"Your boyfriend complained about that for you," Harry countered.
"First, that prick's not my boyfriend." Louis put his cutlery down when he finished, unfolding his napkin. "And second, I didn't want to complain about it. It's all on him."
"So you liked it?" Harry bit his lip as he looked at Louis.
Still fishing for compliments. Louis had to smile, when he realised that Harry hadn't changed. He still craved compliments and confirmation. "Best I ever had."
Harry bit his lip harder to hold back a full-on grin. "Why did Niall choose someone that horrible for you to date?"
"In Niall's defence, he's never met the guy."
"Has he met your ex-boyfriend?" Harry asked out of the blue.
Louis sputtered a little, breaking their eye contact. "No."
For a moment, Harry was quiet. "Was he as horrible?"
"No." Louis focused on folding his napkin bank in shape. "No. He was lovely."
Harry hummed quietly. "Did he break up with you?"
Louis couldn't believe that he was talking about this with Harry. He wasn't supposed to be talking about this. Harry was supposed to just finally snap out of it and remember him.
He swallowed thickly. "Not really."
Harry seemed to grasp that Louis didn't want to talk about it. He nodded stiffly.
Desperation made Louis go on. Maybe the right words would bring Harry back. "I think I'm still in love with him."
Harry's eyes widened and his jaw went slack. Louis could only guess that at this moment, he probably regretted being so curious. 
"Sorry," Louis mumbled. He'd gone too far. This was not the kind of thing to say to a person that was an acquaintance at best. To Harry, he was nothing more than that. There was no history between them for Harry.
Maybe he'd even driven Harry away with that comment. If so, Louis had to see it as a positive development.
"Don't be," Harry assured him. His tone was gentle. "At least I know what I'm competing against."
"Harry..."
"Don't tell me to give up." Harry kept his eyes on Louis', not looking away. "I know what I'm getting myself into."
"You have no idea," Louis murmured. It was the first time it occured to Louis that at this point Harry would be so, so mad at him for not saying anything. Louis knew him well enough that even though Louis had given in to everyone around him advising him not to tell Harry about them, Harry would have wanted to know. Harry would feel betrayed. And he'd feel even more betrayed if Louis did this; if Louis didn't tell him to stop and let Harry pursue him.
Harry really had no idea what he got himself into with this.
"You asked me to go slow," Harry said. "But I think you don't want me to stop. So I'm gonna see where this leads."
Louis didn't know how to argue with that. Of course Harry had noticed that Louis felt the attraction, too. Louis had practically melted away that moment in his kitchen when Harry had been so bold. He'd had to physically keep himself from jumping Harry then and there.
"So, instead of asking you on another date now, I'm gonna invite you to a gathering with friends," Harry went on when Louis didn't say anything. "How's that sound?"
"This is not a date," Louis protested.
Harry chuckled. "If it were, I wouldn't have talked about your ex." His eyes sparked with mischief and Louis wanted to lean in and kiss him. "But it was a nice test run for what a date could be like."
"We're not gonna go on a date." Louis knew that he didn't sound very convincing.
Harry just smiled in that way that Louis knew he did when he was sure he'd already won. He probably had. "How about my invitation?"
"What kind of gathering?" Louis asked.
"Just a few friends. I'll cook, we'll probably go for a few drinks at the pub."
"It's your birthday," Louis realised. Again, he inwardly cursed himself for speaking before thinking.
Harry nodded. "Dunno how you do that all the time, but, yes, it's my birthday next week. Niall will be there and Zayn's coming, too."
The waiter interrupted them when he came to collect their plates. "Would you like anything else?"
Louis smiled at him. "Just the bill."
"Would you like me to split the bill?"
"All together. Thank you."
The waiter left and Harry crossed his arms on the table. "So it's a date after all?"
Louis tried to calm down his rabbiting heart. "Just a test run."
"You don't have to pay for me, Louis." Harry sounded sincere.
There had been times when they had quarrelled over who was going to pay the bill. So many times. "I know. But I'm grateful for the company for lunch today. So it's on me."
The waiter came with their bill and Louis handed him his credit card.
Harry nodded briefly, and Louis saw that he wanted to argue but held himself back. "It's my turn next time."
"We'll see," Louis decided to say. There was just no way he could agree to a date with Harry. It'd only lead to more chaos.
Louis had already caused enough chaos by letting Harry back into his life like this.
When the waiter returned with his credit card, Louis got up from his seat. He left a five pounds note on the table and straightened his suit. Upon looking up, he found Harry staring at him.
"You look so different in a suit," Harry said, following Louis to the door.
Harry had used to laugh at him when Louis had started wearing suits during his first work placement. He'd found it ridiculous, saying that they didn't fit Louis at all. Yet, he had always appreciated how Louis' bum looked in those trousers. It was either laughing or wanting to rip it off Louis. There had been no inbetween for Harry.
"I know, I know," Louis said. "It looks ridiculous."
Harry stood way too close when Louis turned back around to him outside on the street. Louis stumbled a little with the sudden proximity.
"Not at all," he said, hand coming up to Louis' elbow to steady him. "You look gorgeous."
Feeling himself blush, Louis freed his elbow and took a step back. So today, it was making Harry horny instead of laughing. "Shut up."
Chuckling, Harry let his hands slip into the pockets of his coat. "So. Will you come to my birthday? Next Friday. Dinner's at eight."
If there were other people, it'd be okay, wouldn't it? Louis knew it wasn't. He knew he should refuse and tell Harry that he couldn't be there. "Yeah, I'll be there," he said instead, once again losing to his burning desire to keep Harry close.
Harry beamed at him again. "Great. I'll see you there."
Without a warning, Harry leaned in and pressed a kiss to Louis' cheek. His lips felt warm and familiar. They gently brushed Louis' skin and Louis' heart twisted at the memory of those lips kissing every inch of skin on his body. This was way too short, way too hasty, and way too platonic.
"Have fun at work," Harry said as he pulled back and turned around.
Louis just stood frozen, staring after Harry. He cursed himself again, this time loudly, when Harry looked over his shoulder and caught him staring.
Harry just grinned.
+++
"Wait, wait, wait," Harry mumbled to himself as his mobile started ringing. He had just put the chicken in the oven and hurried over to where his mobile phone lay on his bedside table.
"Hi," he answered when he saw Liam's name flashing on the display.
"Harry, mate," Liam said cheerfully. "Happy birthday!"
"Thanks, Lee." Harry sat down on his bed, wiping a hand on his trousers. He still had to change. "I'm happy you called."
"I'm sorry I haven't called you sooner. It's been crazy busy at work those past few weeks." Liam sounded a little upset. "How are you?"
"Good." Sitting back, Harry crossed his legs. "Really good. I'm happy I went through with this after all."
Liam hummed. "I'm happy for you.Your mum's not calling every day?"
"Not anymore." Harry giggled. "She did at the beginning, but now she's texting every other day."
"And you're not feeling lonely?"
Harry hesitated for a second. "No, I don't. It's scary sometimes, but overall, it's good. I met a few people."
"Are you going out with them tonight?" Liam sounded a little distracted now. He was probably still in his office.
"Maybe later." Harry looked over to the small kitchenette. "They're coming over in a bit for dinner."
"I wish I could celebrate with you, too."
"Me, too." Harry bit his lip, contemplating his next sentence. "Actually, um..." He cleared his throat. "You wouldn't believe how small this city can be. I met Louis."
There was a noise on the other end of the line that Harry couldn't quite identify. "Did you?" Liam asked.
"Yeah. He came to eat at the restaurant I work at." Getting up, Harry hit his toe and cursed lightly. "I didn't even realise but then I met him again. He's friends with my neighbour."
"Is he?" There was a tilt to Liam's voice that Harry couldn't interpret, but made him frown. Liam definitely wasn't too thrilled with that news. "That's a coincidence."
"He's nice," Harry added.
"He's a good bloke, yeah."
"I saw him on some of the pictures on your fridge, but..." Harry smirked to himself, knowing that Liam would understand. "I knew he was fit, but he's really fit in person."
Liam groaned. "Harry, no."
"Too late," Harry replied, grinning wider. "I think he's interested, too. So, I just wanted to give you the heads-up, you know. Being fair about it and all, since you guys are friends."
"Louis's not good for you, Haz." Liam sounded way too serious. "Don't do that."
Frowning, Harry checked on the potatoes boiling on the cooker. "Yeah, okay, he seems to have a few trust issues. He just hasn't met the right one yet, Liam."
Liam was quiet for a moment. "I'm serious, Harry. Don't start anything with Louis. It won't go well."
"Why do you---" He was cut off by his doorbell ringing. "Sorry, my guests are here. I gotta go."
"Harry, listen---"
"I'll call again, Lee," Harry promised and hung up. He tried to shove what Liam had said aside for the moment and hurried to the door to open it.
"Happy birthday!" Barbara and Zayn yelled in unison.
Harry hugged them both before he let them in. "Thanks for coming."
Niall had brought over his two chairs earlier so that all of his guests could sit at the table tonight. It was a bit cramped, but Harry had went all out on the decorations.
"Sit down. Have something to drink. I'll go and change." He hurried over to the bathroom, grabbing the change of clothes he had laid out earlier on his way.
In the bathroom, Harry made quick process of changing is clothes. He washed his face again and brushed his hair, trying to tuck a loose curl behind his ear. It wasn't quite long enough, so it kept falling on his forehead. It was probably best to ignore it.
When he came back out, Niall and Louis were both there. Niall was mixing drinks for everyone and Louis stood close to Harry's bed, staring at the wall of photos. He hadn't noticed Harry yet.
"Birthday boy!" Niall yelled, abandoning the bottle in his hand to go for Harry. "Let me hug you!"
Harry opened his arms for Niall to embrace him and laughed when Niall tried to lift him off his feet.
"I'm mixing some special drinks for your birthday," he declared, pointing back at the kitchenette. "That's my present. Plus my two chairs."
"You didn't need to get me anything else." Harry followed Niall to the table. "Lending me your chairs is enough."
"That's true. Guess that makes you pretty special." Niall winked and went back to mixing the drinks. "So, what did the others get you?"
Barbara stood up and held out two pots for Harry. One was a thyme plant, the other basil. "That's from us. Fresh herbs for the new flat."
"Lovely." Harry smelled the basil. "I'm gonna put them close to the window."
Zayn just nodded, a soft smile on his lips when Harry thanked him, too.
He turned and saw Louis still standing on the other side of the room. He had his arms behind his back and looked at Harry with a strange expression.
"Thanks for coming, Louis," Harry said, not sure how to approach him.
"Thanks for the invitation." Louis briefly looked at the wall of photos again before he came closer and held out his hand for Harry. "Happy Bbirthday."
When Harry looked down at Louis' hand, he noticed the two tickets. Curiously, he took them from Louis. He gasped. "How did you get these?"
Louis shrugged. "A friend owed me a favour."
"I tried getting tickets myself." Harry stared down at the solid paper in his hand and remembered how devastated he'd been when he hadn't got any tickets in the presale. Not that he could've even afforded them. He would have made ends meet somehow if he'd been lucky enough, though.
"What are they for?" Zayn asked, not getting up from his chair while Niall and Barbara both rushed over.
"Fleetwood Mac", Barbara read out, gasping.
"That's too much," Harry protested, staring at Louis. "I can't accept these."
"Of course you can. It's your birthday." Louis smiled bashfully.
"Seriously." Niall came over and handed them glasses. "Don't worry about it, H. He's loaded; he can spend that kind of money."
Harry frowned at him. "Doesn't mean you have to spend it on me."
"I decide what I spend my money on." Louis shrugged and took a glass from Niall.
"How did you even know?" Harry still couldn't grasp it that he held the tickets in his hands. "Are you some kind of mind reader or something?"
Louis put both hands around his glass, looking clearly uncomfortable with that question. "Um. No. I just thought... I mean. Who wouldn't like to go?"
"I definitely would," Niall announced, shoving a glass into Harry's hand. "So I'm applying as your plus one."
Harry smiled at him, carefully setting his glass down at the table. "Sorry, but I'm already taking Louis."
"What?" Niall and Louis asked in unison.
"Can I pitch in my name?" Zayn asked from behind Harry. "I would love to go, too."
"See," Louis said, pointing at Zayn. "You should take one of your friends."
"But you got me the tickets." Harry shook his head. "So I'm taking you."
Sitting down, Niall said, "If Louis doesn't wanna go, you should take me instead."
Harry decided to let it go for now. He'd find a way to convince Louis. Somehow. "I've still got a bit of time to make up my mind."
"I think I was promised food," Zayn said, grinning at Harry. "Or what is it that smells so fantastic?"
"Okay, sit down." Harry turned to Barbara and Louis, gesturing to the table. "I'm gonna plate everything now."
+++
"That is a crime." Harry put a hand on his chest. "We can't be friends if you haven't watched Notting Hill."
Niall took another swig of his beer. "It sounds kinda boring."
Barbara had left a while ago, excusing herself because she'd had a long week and taken on an early shift for the next morning. She would probably be on Harry and Louis' side right now.
"It's one of the most epic love stories of our times," Louis argued. He shook his head at Niall, not sure they had been friends for years and Louis hadn't known about this.
"I haven't seen it either." Zayn had already moved to Harry's bed, sitting comfortably on the throw-on Harry had put over his duvet. "Dunno what's so good about love stories."
"They're safe," Harry and Louis replied at the same time.
Harry blinked at him and Louis bit his tongue, physically. They had discovered their love for romantic comedies together, had spent so many nights watching silly films together, giggling and distracting each other with kisses that had turned into heated snogging.
Louis found himself staring at Harry's lips and quickly looked away, shrugging. "Great minds think alike."
"How about we watch it now?" Harry asked. "With how it's pouring outside, we're probably not gonna go out anyway."
"You want me to watch Notting Hill now?" Niall made a face.
"I don't wanna go out." Zayn was already moving to the foot of the bed, making space for them. "Watching a film sounds much better."
"Guess I don't have a choice, then." Niall sighed. "Fair warning, though. I'm probably gonna fall asleep."
"Wouldn't be the first time you won't make it back to your own flat." Harry winked as he got up from his chair and took their empty plates to the sink.
Niall snickered. "I haven't figured out why, but your bed's much more comfy than mine."
"Spare us the details," Louis muttered, trying to act casual. Just the thought of Harry sharing his bed with someone else made him rage with jealousy. He had to learn to control it. He knew that Niall was as straight as a guitar string, so there wasn't even a reason to be jealous.
"Jealous?" Niall asked, wiggling his brows.
Louis glared at him, but then remembered that he had no claim over Harry and cleared his throat. "Just happy you're not occupying my bed anymore."
"As if you've ever let me into your bed." Niall snorted and took the space next to Zayn, tugging his feet under his legs.
Harry placed his laptop on his bedside table and opened Netflix. "Otherwise I'd been jealous."
Louis shook his head when Harry winked at him. He bit back a grin, clearing his throat again to not let on what those words did to him. Being the centre of Harry's attention had always been the nicest feeling. Harry was a social butterfly, giving people his full attention when he talked to them. Being the person to not only receive that attention but also his affections was the most flattering and satisfying feeling Louis had ever known.
"Not surprised to hear that." Niall turned a little around, looking up. "That wall gets bigger every time I come here."
Louis followed his gaze and stared at the wall of photos above Harry's bed that he had tried to ignore for the best part of the evening.
"It's finished now," Harry said, joining them on the bed.
"Is that your prevention for homesickness?" Zayn asked, checking the pictures out as well.
Niall tapped one of the pictures. "The long hair looks good on you. When was that?"
Harry was quiet for a moment, and Louis knew what was coming. He felt glued to his chair, staring at Harry's face, trying to will him into silence. He didn't want to hear it.
"I'm twenty in that picture," Harry said slowly. "And on a trip to Cornwall, apparently."
Louis had passed his biggest exams at that time, and as a reward, Harry had taken him to Cornwall for a weekend to do some sightseeing. They hadn't seen much, but had spent most of that weekend in bed instead. Louis remembered taking that picture of Harry after he had fucked Louis nearly into oblivion.
It was such an intimate picture to Louis, but no one else knew. No one knew that Harry had cleaned himself off with a towel before, and that he had only put on a t-shirt because he had opened the window wide for fresh air. His mum had given him that picture, probably thinking it'd been an innocent snapshot of Harry in the morning. No one knew that at the moment Louis had taken that picture, Harry had had his feet tangled with Louis' and his lips were so swollen and pink from sucking Louis off.
Just the thought of it made Louis want to moan. He missed that physical connection to Harry so much. Craved it.
"Oh." Zayn turned around to look at Harry. "Are all of them...?"
Harry nodded, glancing at Louis. His gaze held Louis' for a moment, and a slight frown wrinkled his forehead. Louis felt it go straight to his gut, making him want to gag. He didn't want Harry to say it.
"What's with those pictures?" Niall asked, sounding curious.
Harry turned away from Louis, looking at Niall instead. "They're from a time in my life that I don't remember."
"You don't remember?"
"I've got amnesia." Harry shrugged, as if he had no idea what he was talking about. Maybe he didn't. "I had an accident and my head got pretty messed up. I forgot everything between eighteen and twenty-one."
Louis couldn't bear looking at Harry any longer. He lowered his gaze, staring at his hands in his lap.
"Wow." Niall's voice was lower than usual.
"I won't ever remember those years." Harry sighed quietly. "Nothing that happened, or what I did or who I met. So I've asked my family and friends for every single picture they had from that time."
"You kinda keep the memories you lost," Zayn said.
"Yeah." Harry cleared his throat. "It sounds a lot more dramatic than it really is. I've learned to accept that I've lost those years."
Louis couldn't help the dry laugh escaping his mouth. This was why he had left. To make it easier on Harry to come to terms with what had happened to him. But, God, did it hurt to hear Harry say it out loud. Louis hadn't accepted shit.
"Louis?" Harry asked quietly, sounding confused.
"Sorry," Louis choked out, forcing himself to look at Harry. He was beautiful, and all Louis wanted to do was straddle his lap and kiss him until Harry would open his eyes and finally see what he couldn't see.
"You had that accident when you were twenty-one?" Niall asked. When Harry nodded, he went on, "And you forgot everything? What about the people you met? How did you handle that?"
Harry shrugged and it tore Louis apart to see him so casual about it. "It's not like you see it in movies. I didn't ask them Who are you when I saw them after the accident. I just got to meet them again."
Zayn leaned forwards to look at Harry over Niall's knees. "Was it really that easy? I mean... it can't be, right?"
For a moment, Harry was quiet. "It wasn't that easy, no. It got awkward with most people. I only really managed to stay in touch with one person from that time. Everyone else I never met again or only met once after the accident."
"Do you wish you knew them?" Louis asked before he could think better of it. "Those people you didn't meet again?"
"It's not only on me." Harry shrugged, glancing at one of his photos again. "If they didn't reach out to me, that says a lot, too, doesn't it?"
Louis' heart raced in his chest. "What if they couldn't handle it? If they just didn't know how to approach you?"
Harry was quiet again, then he looked at Louis with piercing eyes. "Well, I can only hope that they knew me well enough to know that I would do anything to catch up on what I forgot. If they fought for it, I'd do, too."
For a moment, Louis felt as though Harry knew. His heart threatened to beat out of his chest as he stared at Harry, trying to read his expression.
"As I said, though," Harry added after a second, "it wasn't dramatic or anything. I just met those people and they told me who they were and how we knew each other. It wasn't easy, but apparently, we weren't so close to begin with."
"They should make a movie out of your life." Niall rolled his bottle between his hands. "Add a lover, of course, to make it Hollywood worthy."
Zayn rolled his eyes. "There's a film like that already."
Niall gasped. "There is?"
Laughing, Harry patted the space next to himself and looked at Louis. "Which reminds me. We've wanted to watch Notting Hill."
Louis stared at the empty space there, right next to Harry and in the corner of Harry's walls covered in photos of their past. There was one of the day they had gone to the Oasis concert, and one of a day that they had gone shopping for Louis' first suit, and another one of Harry cooking in their old flat.
It choked Louis up.
"C'mon, Tommo," Niall urged him on. "It's starting."
Louis forced himself to get up and swallowed thickly as he sat down next to Harry. He could smell Harry's soap and aftershave from so close. It was different from how he had smelled back then. They had shared an aftershave; Louis' type. They had shared soap and shampoo, too.
"Hey," Harry whispered ad leaned closer. "Is it a problem for you?"
Louis blinked at him, not sure what Harry was on about. He had too many problems going on here right now. "What?" he whispered back.
Harry brought his lips a little closer to Louis' ear. "Me. My amnesia. You look upset about it."
Oh God, no. Louis didn't want Harry to think that anything like that would ever be deal breaker for a relationship. Harry shouldn't think and fear that any man would reject him because of that. Louis didn't want to be the man to cause that anxiety.
"No," Louis replied, lifting his gaze to find Harry's. "Just upset that you had to go through that."
Harry smiled slightly, his eyes crinkling a little. He didn't reply, just leaned in a little closer, so their shoulders touched.
After a moment, they both turned back to the laptop, and Louis tried to calm down his pulse. If Harry had looked like that at him for a second longer, he'd have leaned in to kiss him. Every single fibre in his body screamed for it, was begging for Harry's touch. He had to get a grip.
It didn't help that while watching, Harry let his hand rest on his thigh and every so often, he ran his thumb over Louis' hip or down his thigh. It drove Louis crazy when Harry lazily tapped his fingers against the rough fabric of Louis' jeans. They were pressed together from shoulder to knee and Harry was shamelessly flirting.
Niall had fallen asleep, just like he had promised, and next to him, Zayn was sleeping, too. He had a pillow hugged to his chest and his lashes fanned out darkly over his cheeks. Niall didn't look as graceful, which made Louis smile.
"They don't know how to appreciate a good rom com," Harry whispered, bringing his face close to Louis' again.
Louis kept his eyes on Niall, trying to ignore how close Harry was. "They can't see the true genius behind it."
Harry hummed, and time stood still for a moment, because Louis knew what was coming, and yet, he shivered all the same when Harry leaned in even closer and nipped at his jaw. Louis sat like frozen, unable to move or even breathe.
Harry's hand came to lay on his thigh, his fingertips grazing the inside of it while Harry tilted his head and started kissing down Louis' neck slowly. He nipped and nibbled, lingering beneath Louis' ear, before he darted out his tongue.
Louis' breathing set back in and he let out an exhale, suppressing a moan. He had to stop this. He had to tell Harry to take his hand off his thigh, to stop caressing him like that, to stop kissing his neck like that.
Instead, Louis rolled his head to the side, exposing his neck for Harry.
Harry shifted slightly, using his free arm to sit up and lean over Louis. He got bolder, grazing is teeth over Louis' skin, sucking lightly. His hand moved up Louis' thigh, coming dangerously close to his groin.
He was lost. Louis knew he was lost and that he wouldn't be able to stop any of it. Not when his body was starving and Harry's touch was the only thing that made him feel sated. Not when Harry's touch was this good.
Louis turned his head and blinked open his eyes. Harry was right there, lips slightly parted, eyes already fixed on Louis' face. He had that look again, and it almost made Louis smile. He looked like he was out to murder, an intense stare with furrowed brows and piercing eyes. Louis knew that it was Harry's expression of concentrating on one thing only. When there was only one single thing in his vision.
When he wanted Louis.
He leaned in and Harry closed his eyes, slightly tilting his head to meet Louis' lips.
A loud noise startled them apart, made Louis bump his shoulder on the wall. Across the room, Harry's mobile rang loudly, playing an old Justin Timberlake song.
"I--" Harry started.
"You should get that." Louis pulled his hand away from where he had put it on Harry's arm.
Harry looked torn for a moment. When he took his hand from Louis' thigh, the spot felt cold. He licked his lips and got up from the bed.
Zayn and Niall had startled awake, too; both of them oblivious to what had just happened. Niall watched the film, probably trying to catch up on what he'd missed and Zayn watched Harry pick up the phone.
"Hey, Liam."
Of course it was Liam. Louis suppressed a dry laugh. If anyone would interrupt a moment like that with Harry, it was Liam. That man had the best timing. It was like he had some kind of sixth sense for this sort of thing.
It was probably better this way. Louis had just been about to snog with harry like a mad teenager when there'd been two other people in the room. That wasn't very mature, as well as a bit too desperate.
It also made him aware of just how serious the situation really was. His mind was weak, and Harry's touch too persuasive. Louis didn't stand a chance, and wouldn't stand a chance in the future.
If he met Harry again, he was going to make a big mistake, and Louis knew that he couldn't afford a mistake like that. Not after everyone had told him to stay away from Harry. Not after he had managed to stay away from Harry for this long.
On the screen, Julia Roberts confessed her love to Hugh Grant and Louis hated how all he could think about was Harry knowing those words by heart, citing them to Louis at the most random moments.
"Why do you wanna talk to him?" Harry asked, turning around with the mobile on his ear. "I feel like you'll say something I won't like." For a moment, he was quiet. "Okay. Yeah. All right."
Harry came over and Niall and Zayn looked confused when he handed his mobile to Louis.
"It's Liam. He says he wants to talk to you for a second."
Louis looked at the mobile, trying to come up with a reasonable excuse not to take it. He knew he wouldn't get out of this, though. Taking the mobile, he sighed. "Hi, Liam."
"What the fuck?" Liam hissed. "Get the fuck out of there."
"It's nice to hear from you, too," Louis replied dryly.
"Lou, you're stirring up serious shit." Liam didn't lose the affronted tone. "You made a decision, remember."
Louis looked at Zayn and Niall who were both watching him curiously. Harry pretended he didn't listen as he cleaned the kitchen, but Louis knew that he was focused on every word. "Yeah, I'll think of it."
"Is he still in the room?"
"The flat's nice," Louis replied to keep it innocent and not let anything on. "A one room flat with a small kitchenette."
Across the room, Harry rolled his eyes.
"Listen. If Anne gets wind of this, she'll make a fuss." Liam was quiet for a moment. "You know how she gets. She's scared he could develop some kind of mental breakdown."
"I mean..." Louis looked up to meet Harry's gaze. "He's been handling it well, hasn't he?"
Harry's expression changed. He dropped the cutlery into the sink and came over, a tea towel in his hands. Without a warning, he took the mobile from Louis. "Stop meddling, Liam. I know what I'm doing and I don't need your approval."
He hung up and threw the mobile next to Louis onto the bed, glaring at it. Louis hadn't often seen Harry angry. Upset, but not truly angry. Apparently, Harry was a little more short-tempered than he'd been before the accident.
"I'm sorry," he said, clearing his throat.
"Who's Liam?" Zayn asked.
"My best friend from home." Harry got back to his dishes.
"And my mate from uni," Louis added as Zayn frowned at him. "He's just worried for Harry being here all by himself."
Harry shook his head. "They've all been a bit overprotective since that accident. They were against me moving here. My mum's always worried."
Zayn nodded. "You mentioned that before."
"Kinda understandable," Niall said. He shrugged a little. "I mean, it's weird for them as well, isn't it?"
Harry was quiet for a moment. "I guess."
"They're probably scared of you suddenly remembering things they didn't tell you about."
Louis knew Niall was joking, but that one really drove it home. It was what had all of them on the edge because Harry wouldn't ever forgive them for not telling him about Louis. Anne was most likely gonna freak out when she'd find out about Louis being back in Harry's life.
What was Louis' greatest hope was Anne's greatest fear.
"My mum wouldn't keep anything from me." Harry rolled his eyes.
Zayn raised a finger. "Wouldn't she keep from you that you were a convicted criminal to prevent you from doing it again?"
Laughing, Harry dried his hands off and came back to sit between Niall and Louis. Louis' skin prickled with goosebumps when their arms touched. "If I'd been convicted, I'd probably have heard about it."
"But what if you'd been married?" Niall raised a brow, tilting his head slightly. "And your mum's always hated her anyway, so she's keeping you from the girl now."
Harry barked out a laugh and Louis' heart sank. It was a little too close to the truth. "First of all, if I ever marry someone, it'll be someone my mum loves, too. Secondly, if I ever marry someone, it won't be a woman. And also," Harry added as he shifted a little closer to Louis. It was probably unconsciously. "If there had been a spouse, he'd not just have left. That's completely unrealistic."
Louis stared at Harry's profile, letting those words sink in. His voice was raspy when he used it. "Why?"
Harry turned to him and he looked unaffected, even a little amused. "Well, you don't just give up the person you love, do you?"
"As if it'd been that easy," Louis said, frowning.
"You've got some experience with that?" Zayn asked.
Blinking, Louis focused on him. He realised where he was and what he'd just said. "Um, no. I mean. In general." Clearing his throat, he looked everywhere but at Harry. "Life's not a Hollywood film. It's not always just about love."
"You don't truly love someone if you give up when it gets hard, though, do you?" Harry was talking quietly. It sounded as though he hadn't thought about it for the first time today.
For a moment, there was silence before Niall broke it. "Now the film's over, and I haven't really watched half of it."
"We'll watch it again," Harry promised.
"I should be on my way, anyway." Zayn got up from the bed, stretching a little. "See you tomorrow, Harry?"
"I'll start at five. You?"
"Six," Zayn replied, putting on his coat.
Louis was still not over the conversation. The words Harry had said were bouncing off the walls of his skull over and over again, running through his head in double speed. It had never before occurred to him that Harry had even thought about the people he had been with during those three years. Of course he had a clear position, and he had made it clear today.
If he'd ever found out about Louis, Harry wouldn't forgive him. Harry wouldn't understand why Louis had left, or that he had truly loved Harry.
"I'll probably just sleep here." Niall sprawled out on Harry's bed as Louis had got up, too.
"Your way home is the shortest," Louis muttered. His knees felt a little wobbly.
Niall just grinned and snuggled deeper into Harry's pillow. He exaggerated it a little when he sighed contently. Glaring at him, Louis put on his shoes.
"I'll send him home in a minute," Harry said, touching Louis' shoulder.
"I don't really care." Louis pulled away and put on his coat. He couldn't even look at Harry right now.
Zayn snorted. "Sure you don't."
Louis glared at him, too, because that was the only reaction he was capable of, apparently.
"Hey, Louis," Harry said as they left the flat. "Wait a second."
Zayn went ahead and Louis wanted to tell him to stay, just so he wouldn't have to be alone with Harry. He turned around and looked at his shoes, waiting for what Harry had to say.
Gently, Harry touched his elbow, before his fingers slid down to Louis' hand. "I'd like to continue where we've left off."
"It shouldn't even have come that far," Louis said, his hand limp in Harry's.
Harry was quiet for a moment. "It wasn't my imagination, was it?"
"No." Louis glanced up at Harry's face. He couldn't bear that look on his face. "Doesn't change that I shouldn't have let it happen."
"Why?" Harry ran his thumb over the back of Louis' hand.
"I think we've heard enough stories from the past for tonight." Pulling his hand away, Louis took a step back. "It's just not a good idea, okay?"
Harry shook his head. "It's not okay."
"Louis?" Zayn yelled from downstairs. "Are you coming? Or are you staying with Harry tonight?"
"Coming," Louis yelled back.
"If you wanted to stay, you could, you know," Harry offered.
"That's an even worse idea." Louis laughed dryly.
"Why?" Harry came closer again and he radiated a familiar warmth. "Because you'd kiss me?"
Louis lifted his gaze, staring at Harry's face.
"Because you couldn't keep your hands to yourself?" Harry went on. "Because you'd let me in on what it is that makes you pull away every time you really want to come closer?"
He had known when Harry had made that move on him in Louis' kitchen, but this really drove the message home. Harry had become a lot bolder, a lot more forward. Louis had no idea how to handle that. The only thing it did to him was make him hot.
Harry was hot like this.
"I--" Louis swallowed thickly, eyes still glued to Harry's. He had to force himself to step back and keep his cool. "Don't overestimate yourself, Speed Racer."
Harry just smiled, looking quite sure of himself. "You better start to catch up, Louis."
Before he could let Harry lure him in again, Louis turned around and walked down the stairs. He forced himself to not turn and look over his shoulder to find Harry staring after him. He knew that he'd turn around and take Harry up on every offer he'd made so far.
Downstairs, Zayn was waiting with a cigarette lit. He raised a brow at Louis and they started walking in silence. Louis got out his own cigarettes and lit one.
"You quite like him, don't you?" Zayn asked after a while.
"Well." Louis thought his answer over. "So do you, or else you wouldn't be friends."
Zayn hummed. "Fair enough."
They were quiet again. The rain had stopped a while ago, but the air was humid and cold. Louis pulled his coat a little closer around himself.
"Fleetwood Mac tickets, though," Zayn said suddenly. "For a sold-out concert. That's quite the gift for someone you've only known for a bit."
Louis shrugged.
"Just saying, mate." Zayn flipped his cigarette to the ground. "That's not how to convince him you're not interested."
Of course, Zayn was right. Louis knew that, but he had also wanted to make Harry smile. He had known that Harry wanted to go. Especially since they'd never managed to go before. Tickets had always been either too rare or too expensive. As it was now, a ticket had been expensive, too, but Louis was in a place where he could afford buying expensive tickets for a sold-out concert. He knew the right people to get them in.
When he had found the right words to justify his action, Zayn stopped.
"I gotta go this way." Zayn pointed at the street behind them. "See you around."
Louis opened his mouth, then closed it. He didn't have to justify anything. Zayn had seen through him already. "Yeah, see you."
They parted ways and Louis got a taxi at the next bus stop. He didn't feel like taking the tube tonight.
+++
"Lou," Jay said, sighing for the fifth time in two minutes. "Don't be so impossible."
"I'm not being impossible." Louis kept his gaze on his hands. "I'm being rational."
Liam sighed, as well. "If you were rational, you'd stop being so stubborn about this."
Tired of the discussion, Louis ran a hand over his face. "You've heard what the doctor said."
"They aren't sure." Jay touched the cast around Louis' leg. "It's just a possibility."
It was a possibility Louis didn't want to consider for even a minute. The doctor had sat down for a long talk with them this morning. He had actually wanted to to talk about it with Anne and Gemma, but because of Louis' inability to move, they had decided to have the talk in his room.
The doctors had run several tests on Harry to find out what was wrong during the past five weeks. What they had found out was that they didn't have a clue what was actually wrong with him. They had explained to them that every case of amnesia was individual and that the human brain wasn't explored and researched enough to understand. Superficially, Harry's brain functions were completely normal.
That was the reason they had only little hope to be able to predict anything. There was no guarantee that Harry would get his memories back, or that he wouldn't. All they could say was that the whole situation left an incredibly stressful strain on Harry's psyche and mind. It was likely that being put under pressure to remember certain events or people, Harry would break down and suffer severe mental damage.
"I'm not gonna risk that," Louis said. "If it's easier for him to deal with the whole situation, I'll stay away."
"You're an essential part of his life, Louis," Liam reminded him. "It's not fair to keep that from him."
"He doesn't know, does he?" Louis hated how bitter he sounded when he said it. Harry was not to blame; for none of it. "He can't miss what he doesn't remember."
"What if he remembers tomorrow?" Liam seemed determined to convince Louis. "Put yourself in his shoes. Wouldn't you be mad at him for not being by your side?"
"It's not like I had a choice." Louis dared look up at Liam. He looked much calmer than he sounded. "I can't just stand up and go downstairs to see him."
"The doctor's said they could make it it possible." Jay patted the cast over Louis' shin. "I know that you wanna see him."
Louis did. What he dreaded, though, was the look on Harry's face -- he'd look at Louis like he was a stranger, and Louis was sure he wouldn't be able to take that. He wasn't sure if afterwards, it would be him having a mental breakdown.
The scenes from the accident were still fresh on his mind. Louis hadn't even recovered from those yet, so he wasn't sure he could take another emotional strain on top of that. It'd break him apart, and without Harry there to pick him up, he wasn't sure he'd be able to piece himself together again.
"It's too much of a risk," he decided, shaking his head. "I don't want to put more pressure on him than he already has to endure."
Liam stepped closer to his bed. "Lou..."
"No." Louis shook his head again. "I don't wanna be the reason he breaks down. As it is now, he won't remember me, and he will feel miserable for it. I don't wanna do that to him."
"You don't know--" Jay started, but Louis cut her short.
"I do know. I know him better than anyone else, mum." Louis looked at her, locking their gazes together to make sure she saw how serious he was. "He'd feel bad, and he'd start to force himself to remember. It wouldn't be good for him."
For a second, Jay was quiet. "It's your decision."
Louis nodded. "It is. I'll stay away."
"How will you do that once you are both discharged from hospital?" Liam wanted to know.
"We'll see." Louis swallowed thickly, a lump blocking his throat. "We'll see once we get there."
+++
Harry took a deep breath before he rang the bell. Getting past the security of the building had been easier than he had thought. The hard part was going to come now.
The door opened and Louis came into sight, wearing a faded grey t-shirt and jogging bottoms. His feet were bare. He looked tired, even as his eyes widened in shock.
"Harry!" he yelped, giving him a onceover. "What are you doing here?"
"Hi, Louis." Harry held out the flowers he had brought. "I'm here to pick you up."
Louis frowned. "Did we..." When he realised, he raised a brow. "The concert."
"Please don't say no." Harry bit his lip. He had no idea why Louis was making him so nervous, but the thought of being turned down sat deep within his bones.
"Harry..." Louis ran a hand over his face as he lowered his head a little. He still held the door handle with his other hand. "You should take someone else."
Harry thought that he had to look a little ridiculous with the flowers still held out to Louis. He pulled them back to his chest. "It's my birthday gift and I get to decide who I wanna take."
Louis looked up at him, and it seemed that he took pity on Harry. He stepped aside and gestured for Harry to come into his flat. "Come in."
Harry did as he was told, feeling a little lost as Louis closed the door and went ahead into the kitchen. He wasn't sure if he should follow.
"You're actually lucky I'm home tonight." Louis looked over his shoulder. "I could still have been at work."
"You're not, though." Harry followed him and watched on as Louis opened one of the cupboards. "It's a sign. Fate wants you to go to the concert with me."
"Fate..." Louis laughed dryly and filled a vase with water. "Guess I don't have a choice, do I?"
Harry tried to keep in the grin that threatened to spread on his face. "I guess."
Putting the vase down on the counter in front of Harry, Louis met his eye. "Do the flowers mean this is a date?"
"It definitely is a date." Harry put them into the vase.
For a moment, they simply stared at each other over the counter, the bouquet of spring flowers between them. Harry didn't even dare blink as Louis mustered him. He looked so serious, like he often did when he looked at Harry.
"I'll decide if it is," Louis said then, unblinking as well. "At the end of the night."
Harry nodded. "It'll be the best date of your life."
Louis laughed, a sudden cut in the tense air between them. He nodded with a foolish smile on his lips. "I'm gonna go change."
"You've got ten minutes." Harry watched him walk out of the kitchen, eyes landing on Louis' bum.
"Stop staring at my bum," Louis said without turning. "You don't do that on a first date."
Harry frowned, wondering how exactly Louis had known. "I wasn't."
Louis disappeared into his bedroom, and Harry went over to the sitting room to wait there. His eyes fell onto the portrait of Louis' mother again and he couldn't help the shiver running down his back. He had felt like that the first time he had seen it, too. There was something familiar about her face and smile. It was like she was smiling at him directly, laughing about something he had said.
Sitting down, Harry tore his gaze away and focused on some files that were lying on the table. They had different numbers at the front, and each had a seal of the law firm Louis worked at. Harry suspected they were confidential, so he left them closed, even though his curiosity killed him to open them and find out what they were about.
On the chest of drawers next to the sofa were pictures and Harry got up to look at them. They showed little girls playing together, as well as one of Louis as a kid with a blond girl in his lap. There was a more recent one of Louis with two toddlers by his side on a sofa. They were cute, both all over him with lollipops in their hands and beaming at the camera.
When he looked up again, Louis stood in the doorframe, hands in the pockets of his jeans. He wore a wide t-shirt that made him look dainty and his feet were still bare.
"Whose kids are they?" Harry asked.
Louis's eyes roamed over Harry's face. "My siblings."
Harry blinked, looking at the pictures again and then at Louis. "All of them?"
"All of them." Louis smiled slightly. "We're seven. I'm the oldest."
"Are they all back in Doncaster?"
Louis nodded. "I visit whenever I can."
Harry straightened. He had another look at the photos, then approached Louis. "Are we good to go?"
"Just need my shoes." Louis turned and went ahead to the front door.
"You look nice." Harry smiled as Louis put on his Vans without bothering for socks. He didn't comment on it.
Louis couldn't hide the blush creeping up his cheeks. "Thanks."
"Picking you up from home, bringing you flowers, complimenting your looks..." Harry helped Louis into his jeans jacket that was lined with fur. "Does it feel like a date yet?"
Laughing, Louis shook his head as he opened the door and waited for Harry to go ahead. "It's not that easy, Speed Racer."
"I can step up my game." Harry waited until Louis had locked the door. "You'll be blown away."
"I'll be the judge of that," Louis reminded him. He smirked a little as he went past Harry.
They got on the tube a few streets from Louis' flat and Harry made sure to sit close to Louis when they got on one of the trains.
"I'm not gonna run off, you know," Louis commented.
"I just don't want other people to get the wrong idea." Harry put a hand over Louis' thigh.
Watching his hand, Louis raised a brow. "That we're on a date?"
"That we're just friends," Harry corrected.
Louis laughed and turned his body to Harry. "And that would be bad why?"
Harry frowned at the question, but liked how Louis hadn't pushed his hand away yet. "I wouldn't want anyone else to hit on you."
"Love, contrary to your beliefs, I'm not walking this world being hit on by every person crossing my way." Louis grinned fondly and shook his head.
"That's a crime," Harry said. He leaned in a little closer.
Louis' grin faded into a soft smile as he kept his eyes on Harry's. "Your cloddy flirting is a crime."
"You like it." Harry wished he didn't sound so surprised. "You like being courted."
"Who are you? Jane Austen?" Louis rolled his eyes and drew away. The way he blushed told Harry that he was right, though.
They made it to the venue just in time. Harry showed the tickets at the entrance and then Louis guided Harry to the stairs that led to the balcony. He kept his hand on the small of Harry's back, his fingers gently grazing over the knobs of Harry's spine under his thin shirt.
Harry had spent ages deciding on an outfit to wear. He didn't even know himself to be like that. He usually wore what he liked, not giving other people's opinions a lot of thought. With Louis, he was desperate to impress, though. He had chosen tight jeans and a sheer, grey shirt in the end. The shirt was unbuttoned to his navel.
So far, Louis hadn't even so much as glanced at it.
"I can't believe you got me VIP tickets, by the way," Harry said as they made it to the box. "How did you get a hold of those?"
"I know a few people." Louis took off his jacket and his eyes lingered on Harry's chest for a moment when Harry did the same. "And those were the only ones still available, to be honest."
Harry hummed as he looked around the arena. "Quite the gift to get for someone who's just a friend."
"I had a feeling you like hipster music."
Sitting down on one of the five seats in the box, Harry crossed his legs. "You're not a fan?"
For a moment, Louis hesitated, then he sat down next to Harry. "They have a nostalgic value for me."
"How?" Harry tilted his head, curious for what Louis meant.
"Their music reminds me of someone." Louis shrugged, as if what he said wasn't important.
There he was again - the mysterious ex-boyfriend that Harry had to compete with. Whatever had happened between him and Louis had left Louis vulnerable and broken. He had said he was still in love with the guy, and Harry had to admit the thought was scary. He had no idea what it felt like to love someone so intensely, and with so much passion that he couldn't get over them, even after so many years.
He had promised Louis not to talk about that ex-boyfriend on their dates, though. This was about them, and Harry would make sure that Louis had a new memory to connect to Fleetwood Mac. One that didn't make him sad.
The lights went out and they remained seated for the opening act. They introduced themselves as a young band from California and played a few original songs as well as covers. Harry ordered beer when a waiter came into their box and Louis ordered water.
"Long day tomorrow," Louis commented when Harry raised a brow.
When the opening act left the stage again, Harry turned back to Louis in his seat. "Be honest."
Louis looked a little caught, as if he was expecting the worst.
Harry smiled to soothe him. "Did you buy all five tickets, so we could be alone?"
With a quiet laugh, Louis shook his head, looking relieved. "If I had bought all five tickets, I'd have brought Niall along."
"In that case, fate is meddling again," Harry decided and cheered to Louis. He took it as a win when Louis shook his head and smiled fondly.
The lights were dimmed again and this time they got up from their chairs to stand at the railing of the box. The band opened with The Chain and Harry put a hand over his heart, looking at Louis.
"Thank you," he mouthed and Louis' answering smile said everything. He looked pleased.
Within minutes, the temperature in the building rose, and Harry already regretted his outfit choice. He couldn't dance like this. While only thinking about how to impress Louis, he had forgotten that he'd look like a moron moving in those jeans.
"I love this one," Harry gasped when they started playing Rhiannon .
"Is there even one song that you don't love?" Louis asked, leaning closer. "I have a feeling you love all of them."
Harry grinned at him and shrugged. "They're my favourite band."
It only took him a bit of convincing to get Louis to dance, too. To Go Your Own Way , he had Louis bounce along to the rhythm and Harry couldn't keep his eyes off him. Louis was even prettier when he let loose like that and Harry wanted to get his hands on him and feel that laugh on his own lips.
After a few more songs, the band started a set of quiet songs. Harry forgot everything around him when they performed Landslide , until Louis quietly sang along next to him. He turned his head and found Louis staring at the stage, singing along to the song.
"You like that one?" Harry asked.
Louis nodded. "Who doesn't? It's probably one of their most popular songs."
"Which one's your favourite, then?" Harry wanted to know.
"They don't often play that one live." Louis shrugged it off.
Frowning, Harry stepped closer. "Tell me."
" Crystal, " Louis replied, glancing at Harry briefly. "My favourite is Crystal ."
That piece of information was a little underwhelming. Of course Harry knew the song. It just wasn't one of the songs that he had paid much attention to before. It had never stuck with him before.
Songbird was next and Harry leaned close enough to Louis that their shoulders touched. "It's the most romantic song."
It took Louis a moment to reply. " Crystal is more romantic."
"You're pretty serious about that one, aren't you?" Harry smiled to himself and turned back to look at the stage. They both started singing along this time, and Harry liked how the sound of their voices mixed together.
He was about to comment on it when the next song started. It took his breath away for a moment, and he noticed Louis reacting with a gasp, too. He stood like frozen next to Harry, eyes unmoving, hands clutching the railing.
Harry only hesitated for a second. He put his arms around Louis from behind and gently swayed him along to the music. "You can't deny that this is fate," he gently said as he brought his lips close to Louis' ear.
For a moment, Louis was stiff in his arms. Then, he closed his eyes and leaned back against Harry. It was the first time Harry had torn down that wall enough for Louis to give in to what he wanted. Harry could feel how Louis's body molded against his, perfectly fitting against Harry. Louis' hands came up to grip Harry's arms and they swayed together, letting the melody dictate their bodies' moves.
After a few moments, Louis laced his fingers with Harry's, and Harry wasn't sure if Louis had even noticed what he was doing. He watched Louis' profile, smiling when Louis absentmindedly brought their laced fingers up to his mouth to press a gentle kiss to them.
He had suspected that Louis was a romantic, but having him react like that to a love song made it more than clear. Louis was much more romantic than he let on. It made him even lovelier in Harry's eyes.
The song ended, and Harry leaned his head forwards, pressing a gentle kiss right beneath Louis' ear. He could feel Louis inhale deeply, his back expanding against Harry's chest.
"Is it a date yet?" Harry whispered when the next song started playing.
Louis didn't reply, just nuzzled closer into Harry's embrace. They stayed exactly the same for the rest of the concert.
+++
Harry insisted on taking him home.
After tonight's events, Louis was sure that is wasn't a good idea, but he couldn't deny that he didn't want to part ways yet, either. Harry had been sweet and sexy and incredibly lovely tonight.
When they had started playing Crystal , Louis had lost every bit of defence, and he had to admit that he hadn't even cared. All he had wanted was to to be held by Harry while their song had been playing. If only Harry had known that it was their song, too.
It'd been nice to pretend for a few minutes.
"That was the best concert I've ever been to," Harry said as they walked along the pavement to the next tube station.
Louis smiled at him. "I'm glad you liked it."
"Thanks again." Harry let his hand brush against Louis'. "For making it possible."
The way Harry looked at him made Louis' breath catch in his throat. "Anytime," he managed to say, voice raspy.
"I think it was so special because you were there with me." Harry stopped and looked at Louis, reaching out for his wrist.
Swallowing thickly, Louis licked his lips. "I know exactly what you're up to, Speed Racer."
Harry grinned weakly. "I had hoped you'd finally catch up."
There was no way around it. Every fibre in Louis screamed at him to lean in and give Harry what he wanted. Take what he wanted. He wouldn't be able to turn around this time, not after Harry had held him like that; not after everything he'd ever wanted was right in front of Louis and his to take.
Harry leaned in, thumb gently stroking over Louis' pulse point.
At that moment, lights hit them and Louis turned around and raised a hand when the taxi passed them. The driver stopped and Louis opened the passenger door, telling him to wait a minute. When he turned back around, Harry had a pout on his lips, looking clearly disappointed in the turn of events.
"I can't let you take me home," Louis said, feeling a little out of breath. His heart was beating high in his throat.
"But---" Harry started.
"I wouldn't like knowing you have to travel all the way back to your place by yourself." Louis shook his head. "You'll take a taxi."
Harry sighed, apparently giving up on fighting Louis. "I can take the tube."
"I can't let you take me home, Harry," Louis repeated. He stepped a little closer and when Harry frowned, he managed a weak smile. "I wouldn't be able to let you go again."
With that, Louis leaned in and sealed Harry's lips with his. Harry gasped in surprise, then his hands came to rest over Louis' waist, pulling him closer. He tilted his head and opened his lips, granting Louis' probing tongue access.
He still kissed the same. Louis felt the shiver run through his body when he realised that Harry still kissed the same way he had when he'd been eighteen and they had kissed for the first time. His kisses had changed, had got a lot more bolder and finessed within the years of practice with Louis.
Getting on his toes, Louis wound his arms around Harry's neck, running one hand into his hair. It was too short for Louis to wind it around his fingers as he usually had, but Harry still reacted the same. He moaned quietly, his hand wandering lower to rest over the swell of Louis' bum.
The kiss spun out to little licks and nips and then Harry rested his forehead against Louis'. When Louis blinked his eyes open, Harry was already staring at him. His lips were swollen and a delicious shade of pink. Louis licked his own, shuddering at the realisation that he had kissed Harry for the first time in over five years and that, despite everything, nothing had changed between them.
"Let me take you home," Harry whispered.
Louis inhaled a shuddering breath. "Not tonight, baby." The endearment slipped out of his mouth before Louis could even think about it.
Harry whined quietly and closed his eyes before he nipped on Louis' lips again. Louis came easily, meeting his mouth halfway. Neither of them closed his eyes, and Louis felt it go straight to his gut, the way Harry stared at him.
"Get in the taxi." Louis turned and opened the door again without letting go of Harry. His hand was firm on Harry's nape. "Text me when you're home."
Harry used his hand on the small of Louis' back to pull him against his body again. "What's the verdict?"
Louis looked at him, frowning slightly. "Verdict?"
"Was this a date?" Harry asked, thumb pressing against Louis' spine.
Louis licked his lips, nodding. He was unable to take his eyes off Harry's.
Harry's smile was brilliant. "Let me take you on another one."
A laugh bubbled out of Louis' chest and he finally took a step back. He took out his wallet and handed some money to the driver. "It's my turn to take you on a date next," he said when he turned back around to Harry.
"I'd like that." Harry had one foot in the car already when he reached out for Louis again.
Louis let himself be lured in easily, meeting Harry's lips in one more chaste kiss. Harry's mouth was warm over his, his hand gentle on Louis' cheek.
"Good night, Lou," he said against Louis' lips.
"Good night," Louis replied, finally drawing away.
He watched Harry get in the car and close the door. He talked to the driver briefly and then the car took off. Louis stared after it until he couldn't see it anymore.
He knew he was making a mistake, of course he did. But he had also known he'd end up right here when Harry had shown up in Niall's flat a month ago. There hadn't been a way around it, even if Louis had tried to make himself believe there had been.
Sighing, Louis turned and made his way to the tube station. He needed a bit of time to clear his head. His lips still tingled, his skin still shivered with the reminder of Harry's skin on his, and his heart still threatened to burst from excitement. For tonight, he decided to ignore the alarm sirens in his head and focus on his heart. It had truly been a magical night.
Maybe Harry had been right, and fate had a hand in this.