Merry and Bright

Chapter 3

"So. New assistant I see." Zayn's voice pulls Louis out of his staring contest with the door. Harry had left out that door about 30 seconds ago, and Louis had watched him leave, unable to pull his eyes away from the boy.

"Yes, Liam hired him for me." Louis says, sarcastically.

"Liam must know your type. He's rather cute." Zayn says, settling down into the chair on the opposite side of the desk from Louis.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Can we get down to business? What did you want to meet about?" Louis asks, doing his best to avoid any talk of his new assistant.

"I wanted to meet because Payno told me he was hiring Mr Styles out there, and I wanted to see how you were doing." Zayn says, grinning like a maniac.

"You are such a nuisance. You know I have actual shit to do, right?" Louis says, turning his attention back to his computer.

"Stop avoiding my questions, Tommo." Zayn says, leaning against the desk, trying to catch Louis' eye.

"What questions?" Louis asks, innocently, avoiding Zayn's gaze meaningfully.

"You must think I'm fucking blind, Tomlinson. You think I didn't notice you eyefucking that kid as he walked out of the room?" Zayn asks, throwing his hands up into the air.

"Still don't know what you're talking about." Louis says, his voice dropping an octave. A warning. One that Zayn didn't pick up on.

"Come on, Louis. Talk to me. I mean I don't blame you, the kid's fucking gorgeous." Zayn says, turning back to the doors, as if he was looking for Harry.

"Yes he is." Louis mutters, under his breath, but Zayn still hears him.

"Uh huh. Well, if you're not gonna ask the kid out, maybe I will." Zayn says, raising an eyebrow at the way Louis tensed.

"You won't go anywhere near him Malik. You hear me?" Louis growls and Zayn laughs.

"Why not, huh? Thought you weren't attracted to him." Zayn teases, and Louis knows he's just trying to get under his skin. It was working.

"Alright, fine! I get a fucking boner every time he walks in the fucking room. I want to bend him over my desk and fuck him senseless. Happy?" Louis shouts.

Thank god for the sound proof doors he'd had Liam put in. He'd had them put in on account of Eleanor, who continued to try to eavesdrop on his meetings to have more information, but they worked for this purpose too.

"God." Louis says, resting his face in his hands. "I only met him this morning."

"There's more, isn't there?" Zayn asks, staring at Louis. Louis nods.

"I've never wanted to open up to anyone the way I want to open up to him. I want to tell him about mum, and Fizzy, and how my fucking life sucks, and how I hate everything, and how I take it out on my employees and feel like shit about it. I want to tell him things I've never told anyone. I'm not just attracted to him, Zayn, I want to be with him. The last time I wanted to be with someone was before they died."

Zayn leans forward, bracing his elbows on his knees. "So tell him that." He says, and Louis scoffs.

"And how would I go about doing that?"

"Take him out for drinks." Zayn suggests.

Louis shakes his head. "Absolutely not, you've seen what happens when I'm drunk."

Zayn cringes. "Good point. What about just dinner then? Take him to dinner to help acclimate him to office life." He suggests, and Louis just shakes his head.

"That's unprofessional. I can't start a relationship with my assistant. I'm going to get called out by the Board of Directors, and either Harry is gonna get fired, or I'm gonna get fired." Louis says. Zayn shakes his head at Louis.

"You don't give a shit about being unprofessional and you know it. You know that the Board of Directors doesn't give a shit. Hell, Liam fucking hired the kid for you. You're scared. You want to open up to him, to be with him, and that scares the shit out of you."

"Yeah, it does." Louis admits under his breath, shocked by his own honesty. "It doesn't matter what I feel though. I'm not gonna risk Harry losing his job just because I can't control myself."

"You must be fucking blind. Holy shit, the poor kid popped a boner as soon as he walked in and made eye contact with you." Zayn says, leaning back and chuckling.

"His eyes are fucking gorgeous." Louis says, trying not to let what Zayn had just said affect him.

"Take him out for dinner. Talk to him, see where it goes. It's not that hard Louis." Zayn says, standing up and heading for the door.

"I'll give it a shot." Louis says.

"But not tonight, I'm taking you and Liam out so you can fill him in on the Harry situation." Zayn says and Louis nods. Zayn heads for the door, turning back quickly and pointing at Louis.

"Ask him." Louis nods again, and Zayn turns and leaves.

Louis knew he was too much of a coward to do that.