TORN

Chapter 6 (Part 1): Unleashed Desire

Harry stepped into the bar and immediately felt out of place. The air was thick, the room loud and bustling. Louis had sent him a quick message, letting him know he was already there – typical, always one step ahead. Harry spotted him at the bar, legs casually crossed, looking like the bar was his second home. Louis was charming and carefree, the complete opposite of how Harry felt at that moment.

"There you are, Professor," Louis called out, raising his glass. Harry couldn't help but smirk at the casual greeting.

"Louis," Harry replied shortly, taking a seat on the barstool next to him. Louis' gaze rested on him, almost as if he could see straight through Harry, and that immediately threw him off.

"Whiskey?" Louis asked, waving the bartender over. "You look like you could use one."

Harry was about to protest when the glass was already in front of him. "Thanks," he mumbled, taking a deep sip, feeling the burning sensation in his throat ease some of his nerves.

"You seem nervous, Hazza." Louis grinned, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "Don't worry, I don't bite. Well, not hard."

Harry stared at him, taken aback by the ease with which Louis spoke. His unabashed directness made Harry laugh but also threw him off balance. "Don't call me that," he said, trying to keep his tone serious, but Louis' smile made it hard to maintain.

"Oh, I think it suits you," Louis replied without the slightest hint of intimidation. "Hazza. Sounds kinda sweet."

The minutes passed, and Harry became more aware of Louis' presence. It wasn't just his easy-going attitude, but also the physical closeness that started to become more apparent. Louis kept leaning in, as if he wanted to be closer to Harry. It was the way his hand briefly brushed over Harry's or how their knees touched that left Harry breathless. He tried to stay calm, but focusing on the conversation became more difficult.

"What's the matter, Professor?" Louis asked with a playful smile.

Harry opened his mouth to respond, but just then, someone came up behind Louis. "Lou!" called the voice, and a handsome, dark-haired man with a wide grin joined them. "Who are you picking up this time?"

Harry felt his shoulders tense, and a strange feeling stirred within him – jealousy? The man, who introduced himself as Zayn, gave Harry a once-over, as if trying to figure him out.

"Oh, this is Harry," Louis said casually, not giving Zayn much attention. "And now, get lost. We're having a... serious conversation."

Zayn grinned, leaning into Louis. "Serious, huh?" He winked and turned to Harry. "Good luck, mate. Louis is quite the handful."

With one last grin, Zayn headed to the bar, and Harry felt the knot in his stomach loosen. But why had he been so tense? There was no reason to feel jealous... or was there?

"Zayn is... well, Zayn," Louis said as if that explained everything. He looked at Harry more intently, his face suddenly more serious. "You okay, Hazza? You seem... distracted."

"I'm just..." Harry trailed off, unsure how to put his thoughts into words. His body felt hot, and he couldn't stop thinking about how close Louis was sitting, how their knees were touching, and how those touches were arousing him.

"You know what?" Louis leaned back as if he was enjoying the tension between them. "You're overthinking. Let it go. Relax." He reached for Harry's whiskey and lifted it toward him. "Down it. I promise you'll feel better."

Harry raised an eyebrow skeptically but couldn't resist Louis' grin. Without thinking too much, he took the glass and downed it in one go. The whiskey burned his throat, but it made him feel lighter – at least for a moment.

Louis chuckled softly. "See? You look a little more relaxed now."

But Harry was far from relaxed. In truth, he was fighting an internal battle with his feelings. He could feel how Louis' proximity was affecting him, how every touch was arousing him in a way he couldn't explain – or didn't want to. It was as if his mind was at war with his body, and he didn't know what to do.

"I... I need to use the bathroom," he blurted out, standing up hastily. Louis watched him with a curious look but said nothing.

When Harry reached the bathroom, he leaned against the sink, taking deep breaths. His heart was pounding in his chest, and when he looked down, he saw the obvious arousal straining against his pants. "Damn it," he whispered, splashing cold water on his face.

What the hell was wrong with him? Why was his body reacting so strongly to Louis? He had never thought of himself as someone who could be attracted to men, yet Louis was bringing something out in him that he couldn't control. Harry stared at his reflection in the mirror, his thoughts racing. He couldn't deny it any longer – Louis was stirring something in him that he didn't understand. And it scared him.

After a few minutes, he calmed himself down enough to head back. When he returned to the table, he sat down and immediately grabbed the glass of whiskey Louis had refilled. Without a word, he drank it in one go.

Louis grinned widely. "Feeling better now, Hazza?"

Harry could only nod, still overwhelmed by what he had just experienced. But deep down, he knew this was only the beginning. Louis had awakened something in him, something that wouldn't easily go away.