records: l.t. // h.s.

nine

For the past couple weeks Harry has hung out at the record store. What's odd is he stopped buying records. He just comes in and sits with Louis on the couch. They talk almost the whole time, but Louis needs to act as if he works here in front of Harry. This means every once in a while he has to leave Harry and ring irritating people up. This also means Louis feels empty and lonely inside for a couple minutes throughout the day.

Louis doesn't know why but Harry gives him this sense of security and whenever Harry isn't around, Louis feels himself caving in.

Louis thinks he's going insane.

It's Friday, again. Louis is sketching tattoo ideas in his journal and Harry has yet to come by. Louis tries to not let that bother him but it itches at his skin.

Is Harry tired of him? Did Harry find someone better to hang out with?

As if the universe were listening in on Louis's thoughts, the little bell rings and in comes Harry himself.

"Hey Lou, where you wanna go to today?"

Louis's eyes are still focused on Harry as he walks to the bins and begins looking through the records, but he still answers Zayn.

"Was actually thinking of getting a tattoo done."

Louis doesn't hear what Zayn says after that, he just watches Harry pull out a record and begin walking to the counter. Without thinking, Louis is practically knocking Zayn down and running behind the counter.

"Need me to ring you up?" Louis blurts out so fast he doesn't know if Harry even heard him.

Yet Harry nods with a smile so maybe he did.

Louis has gotten the register stuff down so he doesn't struggle to find buttons like he did when he would first started ringing up Harry.

"You going skating again today?"

Louis looks up and he swears he sees a halo above Harry's head. Harry's eyes seem brighter than usual, then again they've seen brighter these past week. His cheeks seem pinker and his smile seems wider. He's a literal fucking angel.

"No. Gonna get a tattoo done."

Harry nods at that when he's handed the bag with the record.

"Mind if I tag along?"

Louis feels his heart stop. He hasn't hung out with Harry outside of this crappy record store since they went skating two weeks ago.

Harry just smiles as Louis tries to regain his composure. He smiles as Louis takes five deep breaths. He even smiles as Louis stutters to find words. Instead of continuing to make a fool of himself, Louis just nods.

After that they sit on the couch and talk, waiting for Zayn to finish up the last half hour of his shift.

"What tattoo did you have in mind?"

"Um-well I was thinking..." Louis takes his journal out and opens to the page it seems he drew on years ago but it was only weeks. "This one."

Harry's long fingers trail the outline of the dagger.

"You drew this?"

Louis nods, mumbling out a 'yes'. Harry continues to look over the sketch, fingers delicate on the page. When his fingers go to the edge of the page, he looks up at Louis with a raised eyebrow.

"Do you mind?"

Louis shakes his head because he knows everything after this page has no relation to Harry, unlike the ones before it.

Harry turns the page and a small 'wow' leaves his lips. He seems so mesmerised by the sketches. His eyes are just a bit wider, his mouth hangs open, and his fingers touch the indents of each sketch.

"Louis I didn't know you could draw."

Louis shrugs, "It's just something I do when I'm bored."

After looking through the pages of sketches, Harry turns back to the one with the dagger and grazes his fingers over it again.

"So a dagger?"

"Er-yeah-yes," Louis squeaks.

Harry nods before a smile creeps up on his lips, handing the journal back to Louis.

"I've had a tattoo in mind I'll get too."

Louis just nods, eyebrows furrowed.

When Zayn calls for them to go, Louis stands up and looks back at Harry. He's looking at Louis with that look. That look where his eyes are soft. That look where his lips are turned up slightly and his dimples are barely visible.

That look that makes Louis loved.