checkout (l.s)[Boyxboy]

eight

Tuesdays were usually the longest days. Simply because you're already a day into the week and Friday isn't anywhere near to being close.

Harry started to wear a noticeable amount of aftershave to work now. It wasn't for any reason in particular - of course not. However, if there happened to be a customer looking for someone to compliment, Harry wouldn't mind being that someone.

It was also a particularly busy Tuesday, with the lines by every check out being as long as the aisles further back. So far, Harry had received a complaint about expired milk, a compliment on his teeth and a number from a woman who was most probably married.

The sound of laughter erupted from somewhere further down the line and Harry flickered his attention to where the laughing was coming from. Surely enough, his eyes were met with the sight of messy hair and crinkly eyes and all that's good with the world. He didn't even notice the people he was laughing with.

Because how could you miss him? Nothing could possibly compare to his smile or the way everyone around him seemed to fall under his spell without him really meaning to do anything. It took everything in Harry's power to force his eyes off him and return to his job, but he couldn't help but notice that Louis was wearing that Guns N' Roses tee that he liked so much.

hey, Lou!

It then occurred to Harry that there was no way of greeting Louis that wouldn't make him sound like a complete fool.

fancy seeing you here at Tesco's!

Harry made a subtle glance at the people Louis was with and frowned when he didn't recognise them.

i'm wearing aftershave, did you notice?

Harry silently thanked God for giving men the opportunity to smell great with twenty-four hour protection.

you look so good today oh wow

Had Louis even noticed that this was Harry's check out?

As Louis finally approached Harry with his herd of friends, all words that were prepared to leave his lips tumbled out clumsily, almost like a quiet word vomit.

"Hi Louis." He grinned, completely in awe for a second. Louis looked up from his wallet and smiled politely at the poor mess.

"Hi."

Harry started scanning the items, listening in to Louis' friends go on about more parties. Occasionally, Harry would look up to see if Louis would meet his eyes, but was left disappointed when he only really paid attention to the men surrounding him.

"Uh, that'll be seven-fifty nine, please." Harry was starting to feel a bit silly, eager for some sort of attention. Louis pulled out a crisp ten pound note and handed it to Harry.

"Thank you." He couldn't help but notice how unresponsive Louis was being. He handed back the change and slumped in his chair, only slightly.

"Thanks, mate." Louis nodded at Harry with a tight smile before picking up some shopping bags and turning away with his friends. They weren't even two paces away from Harry when one of them asked Louis:

"How did he know your name?"

Harry's eyes followed them outside the automatic doors, waiting for Louis to respond, to flinch, to do something at the mention of his name.

He never did, though.

*******

"This is the last time, Louis."

Niall was visiting Louis from his university in Manchester. They were both sat on the sofa with Liam quietly perched on the floor.

"Thanks man, knew I could rely on you."

Niall had brought fish and chips to the house because Louis said that he hadn't had food from the chippy in weeks, and that's all Niall really ate in Manchester.

"So," Niall clapped his hands together after popping a couple of chips in his mouth. "What's new with you guys?"

Louis shrugged. "Nothing much. Had a few parties. Met new people."

Liam eyed Louis from his spot on the floor. "Louis made a new friend."

Niall looked at Louis. "Yeah?" He reached for the remote to change the channel. "What's his name? It's a he, right?"

"Yeah, he's a he." Louis signalled to Liam for the ketchup bottle beside him. "He's a Harry."

"Nice," Niall nodded in approval, despite him not knowing much about the lad, anyway. "What's he like?"

Louis smiled, because what can he say? He loses at every game imaginable to man, he doesn't understand sarcasm, he eats carrots better than he breathes and he's the type of guy who cries at both sad and happy scenes in a film.

"He's very special." Louis nodded to himself. "He's uh, he's great."

"He's adorable." Liam chipped in. Louis sent daggers at Liam because Niall didn't ask for his opinion, actually.

"More so than me?" Niall fluttered his eyelashes at both boys.

"Oh, God yes."

"Harry wins."

"You guys suck."

******

Harry stared at Louis' name on the bright screen with a frown. He couldn't decide whether or not to text him, he didn't want to annoy him. He didn't want to annoy anyone.

After work, Harry went straight home. He wasn't in the mood to say goodbye to anyone, so he slipped out the back door without saying a word. Nobody would have noticed, anyway - Harry mastered the arts of invisibility, apparently.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't seem to erase the image of Louis' smile. Not the one that he shared with his friends, but the one he gave to Harry today. The one that looked so forced and painful that it made Harry feel anything but happy.

And maybe Harry was overthinking this, like he always did. He was a sensitive human being, he couldn't help it. Harry didn't need anybody to shoot his self-esteem because the sad truth was that he could do that all on his own.

But Louis wasn't like that. Louis was at the highest pedestal and nobody could take him down because he loved himself and that's something Harry struggled with for most of his life. There wasn't a particular tragic story to back his problem up, however. He wasn't bullied at school, his parent's divorce wasn't scarring and he never had his heart broken violently by anyone. That was the worst part - he had nothing and nobody to blame his insecurities on.

Harry hesitated before pressing on the name.

Is he embarrassed by me?

Surely Louis was acting strange because he was around his friends, but then that doesn't explain why he was completely fine and friendly during the parties Harry was invited to.

Harry stopped typing and pressed send.

hey

******

"Louis!"

"Yeah?"

"Your phone's buzzin'!"

"Switch it off for me, Niall!"

Niall sighed and reached for Louis' phone. "The things I do for you."

Niall left the kitchen and entered the living room where Liam and Louis had began watching X-Men, Louis' phone long forgotten.