nobody shines the way you do » l.s.

part two

Present Day

Shit, shit, shit.

Louis was running so late.

He was running around his flat with only one of his shoes on while searching underneath his couches for the other. This was one of the rare and only occasions he wished that he was better at keeping his flat clean, but it came and went when he would remember how lazy and unorganized he had always been.

Harry was going to kill him. Louis somehow managed to always be late for their lunch dates and it wasn't his fault. It really wasn't. He just always got caught up in something, whether it be losing one shoe or trying to get rid of whoever he'd slept with the night before. It was just expected now that he'd evidently be late as always.

"Zayn," he called out. "Zayn, have you seen my other blue Vans?"

Zayn popped out from the bathroom, clad in a pair of plaid pajama bottoms, his toothbrush hanging from his mouth. Louis tilted his head to the side wondering if Zayn got another tattoo because something looked different. Maybe it was his hair. Zayn always managed to look like he'd gotten a new haircut or something just by trying out a new hairstyle, all of which looked amazing on him.

"I saw it there last night when I was watching TV," he replied, pointing to the space underneath their small TV set.

Louis bent down and pulled his other shoe out, pulling it on as he tried to simultaneously run out the door. "Thanks, Z," he called out. "See you later."

Becoming roommates with Zayn was probably one of the best decisions he'd ever made. A few months after they'd all met and started becoming friends, Zayn's lease for his apartment went up and he needed a place to stay, but out of the city. That was when he moved in with Louis in Brooklyn and helped him with the rent.

Louis ran down the usual subway steps and thanked God that the train had arrived as soon as he made it onto the platform. Twenty minutes later, he got off at Broadway and Lafayette, running up the stairs and onto the street. When he walked up in front of Spice Soho, he saw Harry smirking at him from the restaurant window.

Louis rolled his eyes but smiled as he walked in and sat down in front of Harry. "Sorry," he said genuinely. "Didn't mean to be that late." He looked up and their eyes locked for a second, and Harry was still smirking, which quickly turned into a pout when he saw Louis sit down.

"Give me a hug, you dick."

"Sorry," Louis said, getting up and meeting Harry halfway in a bone-crushing hug. Louis felt himself breathe out a sigh of relief and felt completely at ease from Harry's familiar smell, which felt like home. He felt Harry kiss the top of his head and pulled away from the hug.

"That's better," Harry said, sitting back down. "But honestly, Lou. Why were you late again? You promised me last time that you'd be better at this."

"I couldn't find my other shoe," he replied, kicking his toes up and wiggling it in front of Harry. "Otherwise I would have been here long before you."

Harry laughed. "We've been best friends for two years and you've still got me waiting like a loser every time we plan to go out. Remember that first time?"

Louis nodded, a smile on his lips. It was a few days after he'd met Harry at Niall and Barbara's party and the two of them kept in touch via Facebook message. It was Harry who suggested they met up and they decided on lunch. Louis was late that day, too, thanks to the train delay and traffic.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when the waitress approached them. She took their orders and then left them with ice-cold waters.

When Louis locked eyes with him again, Harry winked. Louis rolled his eyes, feeling stupid and flushed. Harry was so stupid and cute, thinking he was so slick. "What's up?" he asked as means of distracting Harry. He really didn't want Harry to make seductive faces at him. It was distracting and he was starting to think Harry did it on purpose just to watch him squirm.