coffee and tea | larry

5. "no woman in this relationship, that's the point. we are gay, after all."

It was a small, old library, crowded with rows upon rows of bookshelves, taking up most of the corridors. Fresh plants stand in almost every corner of the bookshop, photographs placed in vintage frames covering the antique Victorian style wallpaper, giving it a contemporary, yet classic, vibe for young and old to enjoy. A French country wall-clock ticked softly as the time neared twelve, anticipating the loud signifying chime to come.

Just by walking in, he could smell the blooming new ideas and the powerful scent of ripening imagination coming from the untouched books scattered across selves. Every book within was properly organized in alphabetical order, A to Z, so that it would be easier for clients to come across the specific novel they are searching for. The only sounds invading the quiet establishment are nothing but the rattle of turning pages and the quiet hum of the young custodian.

The plush carpet under his feet was fashioned thick, so the consistent patter of walking would not disrupt concentrating patrons. Outdated rugs lay about, adding character to the boring gray carpet over the floor. Massive windows were located around the room, brightening up the shop with the light from the bright summer Holmes Chapel sunshine.

Louis weaved his way through the aisles, skipping over the titles on the worn bindings of new and old books alike, stopping during his stroll every now and then to take a peek at the summary of each one that caught his attention. He gave a timid wave to the librarian walking through, receiving a genuine smile in return.

After grabbing a few interesting novels, he made his way to the back of the large room. Disorderly curls were the fist evidence he spotted, a joyful smile creeping up to his lips as he discreetly crept up behind the teen lounging in a cushioned chair in front of a table near one of the windows. The boy was softly humming as his long fingers scanned the book in front of him, cheap coffee from the in-house café resting in his left hand.

"Guess who?" Giggled the older of the two, placing his pile onto the table and covering the other's eyes with his hands.

"Wow, um, now that you have your hands covering my eyes, I definitely can't see who this this," Harry teased, laughing fondly. "I'm going to take a wild guess here, bare with me, um... it's my beloved boyfriend, isn't it?" He asked, a smile lingering on his plum lips. "Or, should I say... belouved?"

Boyfriend.

Their first official date was over a month ago, and after two more, Louis finally mustered up some courage to timidly ask the younger to be his boyfriend with a bouquet of flowers he picked from his aunt's garden. How could Harry say no to that?

"Ding, ding, ding! You guessed correctly on your first try! You win a prize!" Louis announced, plopping down onto Harry's lap to wrap his arms around the latter's neck.

"What'd I win?

"A kiss from said beloved boyfriend."

"Jackpot," Harry smirked and delicately pressed their lips together.

After separating, Louis nuzzled his nose into the crook of Harry's neck, breathing in softly. "Whatcha readin', babe?" He asked his partner softly, glancing over at the Braille filled book.

Harry told him, explaining that this is one of the only libraries around that holds various English Braille novels. "Normally I have to listen to my books, so finding ones I can actually read is lovely," he finished, placing a chaste kiss to his boy's lips.

Louis beamed at him and hummed as Harry spoke, reaching over the take a sip of his coffee, grimacing. "Yuck! I hate coffee."

"Coffee is the nectar of God, Louis, you are just naïve. If anything, tea is the worst. It's just flavored hot water, disgusting."