That Time Harry And Louis Met In A Bar

1

"Oops! Sorry, sorry. I lost my balance. I hope I didn't spill my beer all over you."

"It's fine." Louis muttered and wiped away the few drops that landed on his arm.

"I'm Harry."

Louis looked up to tell the guy to fuck off. He hadn't expected that.
"Louis."

"So I know why I'm day drinking at a sunky bar with a handful of middle age men. What's your excuse?" Harry asked with a smile.

"I just got dumped." Louis muttered. Why was he even telling him that?

"No way! Me too!" Harry said excitedly and saw that as an invitation to sit down.

"I'm not really in the mood for company." Louis tried to brush him off.

"I feel you. So, what was their excuse? My partner did the whole it's not you it's me speech. Pathetic." Harry said and took a sip of his beer.

"Something similar. Emotionally unavailable." Louis replied.

"Them or you?" Harry asked.

"Me." Louis replied.

"Well, are you emotionally unavailable, Louis?" Harry asked and pointed a finger at him. Louis noticed the big ring on it. Not an engagement ring just flashy.

"Maybe, I don't know." Louis shrugged and drank his beer. How the hell was he drawn into this conversation?

"How long were you together?" Harry asked.

"Seven years." Louis answered.

"Were you engaged?" Harry asked.

"No. No. No!" Louis replied without thinking.

"Ah, you didn't love them." Harry said.

"Why would you say something like that? You know nothing about how I feel about Eleanor." Louis muttered. The stranger irritated the crap out of him. Here he called in sick from work to drown his sorrows and this maniac disturbed him. He didn't tell him to fuck off though.

"Well, you've been with her for seven years without popping the question and she thinks you're emotionally unavailable. I just put two and two together here." Harry said and leaned back on the chair, making big gestures with his hands.

"We were very young when we met." Louis tried to defend himself.

"Yeah, well, I'm not calling you old or anything but you're not exactly a youngster anymore, are you?" Harry grinned.

"I'm 27." Louis huffed. He was a little offended.

"I'm 25!" Harry grinned.

"I didn't ask." Louis snorted.

"So defensive." Harry pouted.

Louis sighed. Harry was clearly not taking the hint.
"So how long were you two a couple?"

"Three months." Harry sighed dramatically.

"Seriously?" Louis questioned and stared at him.

"No judgment! It's my longest relationship ever." Harry said.

"I don't know if it qualifies as a relationship. My toothbrush is older than that. " Louis muttered.

"What? That's gross! You should change your toothbrush at least once a month, Louis." Harry answered. He looked upset.

"I was just kidding." Louis chuckled.

"No, you weren't." Harry argued.

Louis drank the last of his beer.
"Believe what you wanna believe. So, why can't you be in a longer relationship? Mommy issues?"

"My mum is lovely. Why do you assume I like girls?" Harry smirked, looking amused.

"My bad. Daddy issues?" Louis asked.

"That's more like it! Why do you stay in a loveless relationship for years? At least I get out when I see that it doesn't work." Harry said and waved at the bartender to get them more beers.

"It sounds like you run fast as hell as soon as it starts to get serious." Louis pointed out.

Harry glared at him.
"You're not wrong."

Louis had never had such an honest conversation with a stranger before. Scratch that. He had never had such an honest conversation with anyone before. He gave Harry a curious look. Who was this guy?

The bartender brought them new beers and Harry paid.
"Where were we?"

"I don't know. Do you feel like you want to be a completely different person sometimes?" Louis asked. This whole brutally honest thing was impressive.

"Sometimes. We can fix that. Tonight, Louis, you can be whomever you want to be, but only for tonight. Tomorrow you have to go back to your boring life. Are you game?" Harry asked with sparkling eyes.

"That's one hell of an assumption. Me life isn't boring." Louis retorted. He felt like he had to defend his honor.

Harry just looked at him and raised an eyebrow.
"Fine, it's pretty boring. What do have in mind?" Louis chuckled.

"Just play along. Alright?" Harry smiled.

Louis just watched him cautiously. Harry removed one of the big rings on his fingers. He got up and got down on one knee in front of him.
"George! Will you marry me?" He said very loudly.

Louis just stared at him with his mouth open. He glanced around the pub. They had caught the attention of the other day drinkers.
"Oh, wow! It's so sudden, erhm Ian."

Harry stood up.
"I know that I have put you through a lot but you stayed by my side while I spent the last five years in prison. I owe you this ring."

Louis tried to keep it together.
Oh, but Ian! You helped me through me addiction. Cocaine and horse tranquilizer was a hard habit to kick."

"But you did it and I'm so proud of you, buttercup. What do you say? Will you marry me?" Harry asked and tried not to laugh.

"Yes!" Louis shouted.

The day drinkers clapped their hands. Harry put the ring on his finger and hugged him. Harry sat down again.
"That was fun."

Louis threw his head back and laughed.
"Yeah."

He gave back the ring and Harry put it on his finger.
"How about we spend the day together doing things that George and Ian would do and it has to be stuff we normally wouldn't do?" Harry suggested.

"Deal!" Louis grinned in amusement. It wasn't like he had better things to do.

"But, here's the twist. We build each other's characters so you decide what Ian loves to do and the other way around, but you can't have done it yourself either. You couldn't come up with a better name than Ian?" Harry said.

"You kind of put me on the spot there." Louis chuckled.

"I think you handled it well. The horse tranquilizer was a nice touch." Harry smiled.

"Well, thank you." Louis smirked.

"First thing first. There's a Second-Hand store around the corner. How about we find George and Ian suitable outfits?" Harry suggested.

Louis looked down at his sweats and hoodie.
"Absolutely."

"I'll choose your outfit and you'll choose mine." Harry smirked.

"Obviously." Louis said.