Blood Red Lipstick [L.S.] ✓

Ch. 18; Masquerade.

- 2 Years Later -

Louis forgot about Harry. He moved on. The man was gone and that's all there was to it.

He had woken up in hospital with several stitches in his side and not the foggiest how he got there. 

Then, he remembered.

Then, he broke down.

Then, he vowed to never think about Harry Styles again.

He continued his job, and that's the reason he's here at a Masquerade Ball of all places, scoping out a target. 

A man walks past, short chocolate coloured hair, broad shoulders, in a plain black suit. His mask is gold and adorned with a few fake rubies. Another shorter guy walks past in a similar suit, with a narrower waist, this with a silver mask, a tall woman with a blue and gold one, a few with plain white ones like himself, others with even more decorative. 

He dances with a few people, waiting for a signal on who he's targeting, and the man from before walks briskly over. 

"May I steal your partner for a moment?" He asks the man Louis' dancing with, a boring guy called Clive who's an accountant, with a sallow, pockmarked complexion and thinning, greying hair.

"Of course." Clive says, bowing like a twat and passing Louis off to the other man.

"You looked very bored of that man. Thought I'd do you a favour." He says smoothly, settling a hand on Louis' waist.

"Thank you." Louis chuckles. "Really."

"Your mask is boring." He says flatly. Louis swears he knows the voice, but he can't place it. It's deep and smooth, warm, soothing, and Louis absolutely knows it, but he can't think. It's the alcohol, he's sure of it.

"Sorry? I didn't have time to get a proper one. Was informed far too late of this event, and I picked one up at the door." Louis shrugs, and the man rolls his eyes. They're green. Maybe blue, Louis can't really tell.

"Well that's a shame." He says, smiling. He has the beginning of a beard, a rough looking stubble. "You'd suit a fancy mask."

"I would? You haven't seen most of my face." Louis points out, teasing the man. "You can't possibly make a judgement like that."

"True, true. But I believe you are probably very good looking." The man says. "And I was talking about your eyes."

"How so?" Louis challenges. The man sighs in fake exaggeration.

"You do enjoy being difficult, don't you?" He chuckles wryly, and Louis shrugs. "Your eyes. A very beautiful blue. Reminds me of the ocean, or a sapphire. You ever seen the ocean at sunrise? Or midday on a clear day? That very same brilliant blue. Breathtaking, beautiful, and mysterious. The ocean holds many secrets, some dark, some wild and wonderful, but secrets nonetheless. Your eyes remind me of that. The eyes are the window to the soul, and your sky blue eyes. That's another thing, now that I mention it. Your eyes are the sky in a summers day, perfect and serene. Anyway, as I was saying, the window to the soul, and you have secrets, but you're still a good person."

"You can't possibly of judged that by one look." Louis says, taken aback.

"It was a good look." The man smirks. "As I was saying, your eyes would look beautiful next to a silver mask adorned with sapphires."

"I'll remember for next time." Louis says, twirling the man.

"I think you should." He says. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"What have you judged from my eyes?" He elucidates, and Louis stares into them for a second.

"You remind me of a forest." Louis says, pondering. "You remind me of someone... Someone I lost." He adds softly, glancing at the ground.

"Are they good memories?" He asks, sounding genuinely curious.

"Oh. Yes, very much so." Louis says, unable to prevent the smile that makes it's way onto his face. "We didn't know each other long, but I miss him very much. He was one of a kind." He supposes that's the best way to describe him.

"Is there any way you could get in contact?" The man asks. "Find him?"

"Oh, I don't believe so." Louis shrugs, scoffing lightly. "I wouldn't know where to stop, and he knows how to stay hidden. I don't think I'll ever see him again. He was one of those, fleeting but brilliant, leaves a lasting impression. Like the blue moon."

"Sometimes those people return without you realising." The man says. "Once in a blue moon doesn't necessarily mean once in a lifetime. You could see this absentee one of a kind man again, just have hope. You could of even seen him again and never realised." He adds, pulling Louis closer.

"I suppose." Louis muses. "I don't think he'll want to see me again."

"I wouldn't be so sure." The man says. "You're pretty special yourself. Maybe he can't find you."

"I don't think so." Louis shrugs. "I think he doesn't want to see me again."

"What makes you think that?" The man asks. And Louis doesn't know why he's spilling his heart out to this stranger, really he doesn't, but he gets this vibe from him. That he can trust him. Like he knows it all anyway.

"The way it ended." Louis shrugs. "We didn't have enough time together, something happened. And... Uh. God." He doesn't know how to word this. Like, at all.

"Take your time." The man murmurs softly, rubbing a soothing hand on Louis' hip. "You don't even have to talk if you don't want to. I apologise for prying."

"No, no. It's fine. Really." Louis reassures. "Um, he hurt me, pretty badly." He finally settles on, being truthful but not so much that he's gonna reveal Harry stabbed him.

"A shame." The man says. "From what you say, he sounds pretty great."

"Incredible. He was incredible." Louis says. "I'd do anything to see him again."

"That's a pretty high stake. Anything is a lot." The man says. "You really cared about him that much?"

"More." Louis says, a little firm.

"I hope it happens for you." The man says, his phone buzzes, and he fishes it out of his pocket, glancing down at the screen. "Bollocks. I must go. It was nice dancing with you."

"Yeah, you too." Louis responds, a little disappointed. The man begins walking away, weaving surely through the crowd. "Wait!" He calls, remembering something, grabbing the mans sleeve. "I never got your name."

"It's Jonathan." He says, smirking. "Jonathan Bell." Then, he's gone, leaving Louis dumbfounded in the middle of the dancefloor.