Balance

Chapter 10

The food was a lot better than Louis had expected, amazing even.  Harry was smiling smugly throughout their casual conversation, although, it didn't come across as rude.  The kid had a right; Louis had underestimated Harry's frequented little nook.

Louis found himself sharing even more about himself— stories of his sisters and family back home, the details of his trip to London and anecdotes about his dancing peers that had them both in stitches.  It came naturally, the conversation.  

Every time he'd try and ask any related questions of Harry, however, the boy would smile down at his food before changing the topic entirely.  The first few times, Louis wouldn't push it.  After all, it wasn't as though Harry had prompted Louis to talk; the dancer was just naturally talkative and liked to share, even with rogue skaters who seemed to find vandalism fun, it would seem.

A few deflections later, though, had Louis folding his hands on the table and considering Harry with a frown.  "Okay, I get that you're trying to keep up your cool, mysterious rebel appearance, but I don't see how telling me about your friends is going to shatter my impression of you," Louis said bluntly.

Harry half smiled, shrugging casually.  "I'm more interested in yours, though.  So Zayn's a student?  Where?"

"Harry," scolded Louis, "seriously.  This is getting ridiculous.  It's like talking to a wall; a nice looking wall that nods at the appropriate times and asks follow up questions, I suppose.  But still a wall."

At that, Harry looked up from their nearly finished meal and smiled fully.  "You think I'm nice looking?"  Louis' eyes narrowed.

"Did you hear me at all?  I'm just trying to be a good conversationalist and find out a little about you since you brought me here and all and yet, you're making that exceedingly difficult," Louis sighed.  "I won't say another word until you tell me something about you."

Louis mimed zipping his lip and stared into Harry's inquisitive green eyes challengingly.  He was aware that he was acting childishly but the skater sitting across the way seemed to bring out that side of him more often than not.  The boy was holding a chip loosely between two fingers and smiled slyly, sitting up straighter.  His eyebrow raised and he tipped his head with a smirk.  Harry was ready to play.

Neither of them uttered a word, not even as Nick came to ask them if they wanted anything else.  Louis simply waved a hand vaguely, telling the pub owner to come back later.  Nick had given the pair of them a look at their supposed staring contest, glancing to Harry for explanation.  Harry had turned his attention half onto Nick and winked, probably hoping to draw a response from Louis.  When Louis didn't say anything, he simply nodded to the older man, affirming Louis' dismissal.

Louis interlocked his fingers together under his chin, elbows resting squarely on the table.  He wouldn't budge and the wry smirk that adorned his face was intended to convey that message to Harry.  Harry was gazing intently into Louis' eyes, seemingly trying to read his expression.

Finally, after a much too long and awkward pause, Harry let out a huff that toyed with the ends of his hair.  "What do you want to know?" he offered in resignation, though with a smile so as to indicate he hadn't been totally offended by Louis' demands.

Louis grinned triumphantly, settling back against the cushion of the booth.  The door had been opened and the floor was Harry's.  Given the power he now held, Louis wasn't even sure what to ask so he started with the question Harry had most recently avoided.

"Tell me about your friends?" he asked, finger idly stroking the curve of the metal fork resting on the table.

Harry let out a sound that Louis could have sworn was a scoff and the boys' eyes were dropped to watch Louis' finger.  "And you wouldn't believe me if I said I didn't have friends?" Harry prompted, though Louis got the distinct feeling he was just avoiding the answer for whatever reason.  He was frustrating, really.