The Love Letters (Larry Stylinson)

Chapter 44

"Oh my god!" I smile widely as we enter the restaurant. "Louis, it's so cool in here!"

"Do you like it?"

"Yeah!" It's comfortable, the main colours of the restaurant are brown, beige and red, there are some dimmed lights, not in an elegant way, but in a cosy way.

"I'm glad you do. I mean, it's our first date." He smiles wryly. I pull his face to mine and kiss him. "I love this place so much. The food's amazing, I can afford it, and the people are so friendly", he says.

"Don't worry, I love it, too."

Louis bravely puts his arm around my hips and goes to a waiter. "Hi, we reserved a table for two."

"Hola, what name?" The waiter looks very kind, with his big brown eyes. He has a little accent when he speaks, but it sounds good.

"Tomlinson."

"Alright, follow me." The waiter leads us towards a table. When we take place, he gives us a wide smile. "Have a nice evening, gentlemen."

After a little while, we order our meals. We decided to share a plate of tapas, which is a Spanish dish. I'm glad that it isn't awkward. We could immediately start a conversation.

Louis sips on his drink. "So... why did you choose to dress up that nicely?"

I blush. "You noticed."

"Of course I did. You look older. Handsome, not pretty."

"Thank you."

Louis smiles. He takes my hand under the table and squeezes it. When he wants to pull away, I grab his index finger and hold it. Louis shyly looks down.

"I don't understand you", I say.

"What do you mean?"

"I- I don't know, you..." I think for a moment. "Sometimes, you're cute and cuddly and shy, but then, you're loud and sassy and cheeky. I don't understand that."

"There are two sides of everyone, I guess."

"Maybe..."

Louis bites on his lip. "Which side do you like better?"

I laugh. "You fucker."

"No, honestly."

"Honestly? Both."

He shakes his head. "Fuck you."

I smile and nudge his foot with my big toe. He wraps his tiny leg around mine.

"Woah gentlemen, pay attention, you should eat the food, not each other."

I look up at where the voice comes from. It's the waiter who took our command. I blush and pull back. Louis laughs. "Shut up, Julia!"

The waiter, Julia, places the food on our table. She bends down to me and whispers: "I keep condoms in my pocket. You can always ask me."

I hide my face in my hands. Louis takes my hand. "Stop! You're obviously making him uncomfortable."

Julia laughs. "Sorry, boys. Have a nice date." She winks at me. "Louis told me a lot about you. Don't let him slip." Then she turns around and goes away.

"Are you friends?", I ask. Louis nods. "I like this place very much, I come here a lot, so yeah, kind of."

"She's pretty."

"She is. But you are prettier." He smiles.

This is how the date goes. The food is amazing,  we also order a nice dessert. Louis wants to pay for the food. Obviously, I offered to pay, too, but Louis insisted on paying. I couldn't say no to those eyes.

After the dinner, we agree on going for a walk. That's what we do. My hand creeps itself onto Louis', and he takes it with pleasure. It's a new feeling to hold hands with him like this. We already did it before, sure, but only as friends, never in a lover-way.

"Louis?"

"Yes?"

"What are we now? You took me on the date so..."

"What do you want us to be?"

I stare at our hands, who fit perfectly. Louis goes on his tip toes and kisses the highest he reaches, my chin. I bend down to kiss him properly. He tastes like the tea he had with the dessert. I can feel how he puts his hands in my hair, how he softly caresses it.

When I pull away, I say: "I want us to be boyfriends."

The way his whole face lights up makes my heart  skip a beat. "I want us to be boyfriends, Louis. Are you okay with that?"

Louis pulls my hand to his chest. His heartbeat is racing. "Can you feel this?"

I nod. "I do."

"This is how fast my heart beats when you ask me questions like that." He puts my hand to his lips and presses a soft kiss on it. "Of course I'm okay with being your boyfriend, silly."

"Sure?"

"I've liked you for two years now, this is all I've ever wanted. I could die in peace now."

I turn into a giggling mess and am not able to say anything. Louis snuggles his face into my chest. "Finally...", he mumbles. He blows a kiss below my jaw.

"I- I can't believe, Louis..."

"Why? It was obvious, wasn't it?"

"Yes, but... after all that happened..."

"The last week was amazing, wasn't it?"

I nod. "It was."

"Well, we should just keep on acting like that. Nothing changes, except from holding hands and being able to say 'that's my boyfriend' and call the other nicknames..." He chuckles. "Actually, a lot changes, but still."

I bend down and pull him into a kiss. The first kiss as a couple. It's a very slow, soft kiss, with only lips and a new feeling. A feeling without a name yet.

"Thank you so much", I mumble against his lips.

"What do you mean?" His eyes are closed, and I can feel his breath on my skin. Carefully, I stroke over his defined cheekbones. "For always staying with me. I trust you. I give you my heart, knowing you won't break it."

"I can't promise anything", he whispers, "I can't promise anything, but I can confirm that I will give everything to protect your beautiful heart."

As soon as our lips find themselves again, they reconnect, and our breathes mix. I can taste that new no-name feeling on his tongue, as mine works its way to his'.

"You taste so good", I mumble. Louis bursts out in laughter. "No- not like that!", I yell. Louis keeps on laughing. "Shut up, Lou!"

"You're hilarious, babe." There it is. A nickname.

"Babe? That's a bit banal."

"Hey! You called me honey! We aren't my eighty years old grandparents, are we?"

"Excuse you? That's how the song goes!"

"How do you want me to call you, then?"

"I don't know, but something more creative."

"Bubs?"

"The fuck?"

"Bubba?"

"What?!" What are those nicknames?

"Shawty?"

"Louis, no!"

"... fellow?"

"Alright, no nicknames. At least not yet."

Louis laughs again. His laugh is so beautiful. He looks like an angel. "I'm so happy, Harry."

"So am I. This date turned out exactly how I wanted it."

Louis takes both of my hands and interlaces our fingers. "Now, I will be able to always do that. Because we're a couple."

"You got it right." I nudge his nose. "We're a couple."