Rivals - L.S.

Eleven - I Scream, You Scream, Ice Cream

"Oh, Louis, let's go there!" Harry exclaimed, pointing at a brightly lit ice cream parlor at the end of the street.

Louis laughed and switched lanes so he could turn into the parking lot. "Okay. Whatever Curly wants, Curly gets," Louis mused playfully, pulling into a spot and stopping the car before unbuckling his seatbelt.

The headed inside, the smell of sugary sweets greeting them as soon as they pushed open the front door. Everything was decorated in shades of blue, from the booths, to the tables, to the large sign reading 'England's Best Sundaes.' A pretty red haired girl stood at the front, wearing a white apron and a matching hat with the parlor's logo on the front, she didn't seem to notice the boys enter.

Harry and Louis strolled up to the counter, hand in hand, and looked over the rows of flavors. Louis gave Harry's hand a squeeze and quietly asked, "What's your favorite flavor?"

"Vanilla. Simple, yet effective," Harry smiled proudly, "What's yours?"

"Chocolate," Louis announced, sounding genuinely happy.

"So, one vanilla and one chocolate?" the girl suddenly chimed in, a wide grin spread across her face.

Both boys nodded simultaneously.

Louis reached to take out his wallet and Harry practically slapped his hand away. "No! I get to pay since you planned the whole date," the taller boy insisted, pushing Louis' hands down to his sides.

Louis stubbornly shook his head. "No way. I asked you out, so that means I get to pay. That's kind of how a date works, Popstar," Louis declared with a small smirk, wiggling his arms to get away from Harry.

"It's on the house," the girl interrupted, holding out their ice cream, "Mr. Styles, you're like my favorite musician ever. And Mr. Tomlinson, you're my little brother's idol. I could never charge you guys." She had a shy smile on her face.

Harry and Louis exchanged a look before taking their ice cream. "That's very sweet of you," Harry said as he squints to read her name tag, "Kit, are you sure it's free?" He felt a little bad for not paying, especially since he practically bathed in money that he had no use for.

"How about we at least give you something in return? Like, I can sign something for your little brother," Louis offered with a kind smile.

Kit nodded quickly with an excited grin, clapping her hands together. "I'll go get some paper and a pen!" she exclaimed.

-

After photos and autographs with Kit, the boys sat down at a table on the far side of the parlor. "Can you believe that like, a week ago, we hated each other?" Louis asked, taking a lick off of his cone with an expectant look on his face.

"I know," Harry thought out loud, "Can we agree not to do that anymore? Like, be mean to each other? It's so much more fun when we're like this." He cracked a smile, eyeing Louis hopefully.

"Well shit, now who am I gonna make fun of?" Louis asked lightly, a smirk playing at his pink lips, "Kidding. But, of course. I like being with you like this. It feels good." Louis reached across the table to take Harry's free hand and lace their fingers together.

Harry nodded with a relieved smile. "It does," he agreed.

"So, Styles, was this a good enough date? Do I get a second one?" Louis asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

Harry shrugged, trying to act nonchalant. "Hm. It was alright. Maybe, since you're cute, you might just get a second one," he hummed out, tapping his chin with his finger in mock thought.

Louis clasped his hands together like he was in prayer, sticking his bottom lip out like a child. "Oh, Harry Edward Styles, the greatest pop heartthrob of our generation, please grace me with the pleasure of taking you on a second date in the near future," he begged, though his smile was betraying the whole gesture.

Harry playfully flipped his hair. "Well, since you asked so nicely," he trailed off, "Yes."

"Hallelujah!" Louis exclaimed, jumping to his feet.

Harry let out a laugh, something he found himself doing pretty often with Louis, and shook his head. "Stop being so embarrassing or I'll take it back," Harry threatened, even though it was empty and he would never dare decline a date with Louis Tomlinson.

"You wouldn't," Louis scoffed, still moving to sit back down.

"True," Harry shrugged, smiling when he heard Louis chuckle.

Louis held a hand out to Harry, "Come on, Popstar. It's getting late. And I, a proper gentleman, do not take advantage of my suiters on the first date. I return them home by a sensible ten o'clock, like any good Christian boy," he said in a posh accent, doing a little bow.

Harry shook his head, slipping his hand into Louis' and getting to his feet. "Yeah right. A good little Christian boy? If that's you then I might as well start living in a swamp and calling myself Shrek," Harry rolled his eyes.

"That didn't even make sense."

"Exactly."

-

The drive home flew by, Louis and Harry singing along to the radio the whole way passed the time pretty quickly. They pulled up outside Harry's building, the boy slowly unbuckling his seatbelt. "I don't want to say goodbye. Tonight was so much fun," Harry confessed with a shy smile.

"But, with every goodbye comes another hello," Louis said simply before adding, "And, if I'm lucky, a goodbye kiss."

Harry got butterflies, feeling like he could faint right then and there in Louis' car just at the idea of a kiss. "Goodbye kiss, huh?" he mused casually, even though he was freaking out on the inside.

Louis leaned across the seat, using one of his warm hands to cup Harry's cheek. Harry's eyes fluttered closed once he felt Louis' soft lips meet his own. Harry could honestly say he'd never kissed anybody like this before, it was soft and gentle but still passionate to the point that it made his legs so wobbly he was afraid to stand. Louis tilted his head into the kiss, Harry following the older boy's lead as his hands found Louis' sides. Louis eventually pulled away, leaving Harry breathless and desperate for more. He ran his thumb along Harry's jaw for a moment, eyeing him with a shy smile, looking the most unguarded that Harry had seen.

"You're a really good kisser," Harry mumbled out, not really thinking before the words came tumbling out of his mouth. Realizing how dorky he probably sounded made him want to punch himself in the face because he was so embarrassed. Thankfully, it was dark so Louis couldn't see the red flush that had spread across Harry's cheeks.

Louis let out a quiet laugh and moved his hand away from Harry's cheek. "So are you, Haz," he smiled.

"Thank you for everything, Louis. Tonight was really perfect," Harry said as he shoved open the car door, "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" He lingered in the seat, one leg out as he watched Louis for confirmation.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Popstar," the blue eyed boy nodded.

"Good. Okay, um, bye Lou," he waved shyly, shutting the door. He flashed Louis a smile before turning and heading up the sidewalk towards the doors to his building.

"Hey Popstar!" he heard Louis' voice yell. Harry looked over his shoulder to see Louis leaning out the car window. "Thank you for making me happy again," he called.

"Anytime, Captain."