The Divorce

8

"I'm the barbecue king!" Louis shouted.

"More like the barbecue court jester. You're burning that one." Harry teased and bumped his hip to Louis' side.

"Shit!" Louis said and moved the meat to the side.

Harry giggled and took a sip of his beer. Louis smiled at him and they withheld eyecontact long enough for Louis to burn another piece of meat.

Liam, Zayn, and Niall sat at the table on the patio watching them.
"Uhm guys, totally rhetorical question. If you happen to know that someone is, let's say bi, but you're the only one who knows that and for some reason, they haven't told someone else that, someone who would really benefit from knowing that... Could you like tell the other person?" Niall asked in a low voice.

Zayn and Liam exchanged looks.
"Absolutely not! That's not your place." Liam immediately said.

"But..." Niall started to protest.

"Keep your mouth shut, Nialler. You shouldn't even have told us. Clearly, he's not comfortable sharing that when we didn't know." Zayn said.

Niall looked really unhappy.
"No he, it was rhetorical."

"Right." Liam chuckled and glanced in Louis' direction. "Rhetorically, I think they will figure that out themselves with time."

"Wasted time." Niall muttered.

"I think they're getting there." Zayn commented and they all glanced at Harry and Louis by the grill and how they both were giggling and talking as if they were the only ones there.

"I fucking hope so." Niall sighed.

"The meat is done!" Louis shouted from the grill.

"Great! I'm starving!" Niall replied with a grin.

They ate outside. Niall watched Louis and how he looked at Harry when he thought that no one noticed. Niall was happy. Finally! The guys were right. He didn't have to interfere. That would happen soon enough. It had been frustrating watching Harry suffer for so long and how Louis had chosen Eleanor when he could have someone so much better. Harry and Louis were perfect for each other. Louis just had to open his eyes.

They had a great evening in each other's company. After dinner, they headed inside and spent the rest of the night playing board games. Niall, Liam and Zayn called it the night at half past twelve and Harry and Louis went to their separate bedrooms.

Harry has noticed a change in Louis' behavior toward him lately. If he wasn't totally delusional Louis was sometimes flirting with him. Not in an obvious way, of course, Louis wouldn't make it easy for him to decipher whatever curve ball he was throwing at him. If he hadn't been somewhat obsessed with everything Louis said or did he probably wouldn't even have noticed. He wasn't sure though and it wasn't like he would approach the subject and make a complete fool out of himself. Maybe it was just in his head? A wishful thinking.

On Thursday Louis met him in the hallway as soon as he arrived home.
"I sold me flat!"

"Really? That went fast!" Harry smiled.

"Thank fuck for that. I just wanna move forward, you know what I mean?" Louis said. He shoved his hands in his pockets and went back and forth on his toes and heels, looking absolutely adorable.

"Yeah. So, has Eleanor found somewhere else to live?" Harry asked as he kicked off his shoes.

"Don't know, don't care." Louis huffed.

"Right. Let's celebrate! I'll make us some pasta. Wanna open a bottle of wine?" Harry suggested.

"On a Thursday? You're living on the edge, Haz." Louis smirked.

"I didn't say that we have to empty the bottle." Harry chuckled.

"Oh, we definitely will. This is a celebration!" Louis grinned.

They walked to the kitchen and Harry opened the fridge to find the ingredients he needed to make a pasta sauce. Louis found a bottle of wine in the meantime and opened it. He poured them a glass and handed Harry one of them. He raised his glass.
"To new beginnings."

Harry clinked his glass with Louis' and took a sip of wine before he washed some green peppers and started to chop them.
"So what are your plans for the future then?" He asked with a side glance at Louis who had jumped up to sit on the kitchen counter.

"I don't know. I'll find a new apartment, I mean I can't take advantage of your hospitality forever, can I?" Louis smiled.

"You're not a maintenance, Lou. I like having you here. Don't move out on my account." Harry immediately answered.

"I'm a slob." Louis snorted.

"That you are but I don't mind. Really." Harry answered truthfully.

"I like living with you too. I won't be in a hurry to find a new place then. The day you find a guy you have to kick me out screaming." Louis winked.

"I don't think you have to worry about that." Harry chuckled.

"You're too nice to be single, Harry." Louis commented. 

"Well, the gays out there beg to differ." Harry said, sounding amused.

"Morons." Louis snorted and rolled his eyes at him.

Harry finished making dinner while they made plans for the weekend. They took a seat and Louis complimented him on his cooking while they shared the bottle of wine.

After they cleared the table they brought their wine glasses to the living room and took a seat. Harry could feel the wine buzzing in his head. He wasn't drunk but felt relaxed. He turned on the TV and turned to face Louis to ask what he wanted to watch just to find him in his personal space.
"What..."

All of a sudden Louis kissed him and Harry was completely off guard. He let out something between a laugh and a weird sound and Louis immediately pulled away.
"I'm so sorry!"

Louis was about to get up so Harry put a hand on his shoulder and made him sit again.
"You just took me by surprise."

"I don't know what came over me. I should have asked for permission." Louis said, looking embarrassed.

"Lou, I wouldn't mind kissing you, at all. I didn't know... You're not straight?" Harry asked.

"I'm bi actually." Louis shrugged.

"Oh." Harry said. He cupped Louis' face and looked him in the eyes before he leaned in. Louis met him halfway and they shared their first real kiss.