Restricted

Chapter 5

Louis's head was still spinning by the time he got back to his shit hole cottage.

He had sat in his car for a while mulling over the meeting he'd just had before deciding through his mental haze that he was better off driving away. As he ventured through the area his confusion only grew which, in turn, increased his agitation.

Who was this cream colored heathen and how dare he treat Louis in such a way? Did he not realize Louis was a human being, a sexy one at that, who deserved generosity and respect? He was the new guy for fucks sake! He was still running through these thoughts as he pulled into his driveway late into the evening.

He was making faces at himself in his rearview mirror while running his inner monologue before realizing how he must look. Not that it really mattered, his neighbors were certainly older than Jesus Christ himself and he was hot enough to make anyone swoon, no matter what the expression.

Unlike usual though, his thoughts didn't stay on himself for long as they were continually drawn back to the mystery baker. Beneath all of his narcissism, he worried that he had actually offended the boy, unintentionally of course. He also worried about how upset that possibility made him. Who was the asshole anyways and who the fuck did he think he was messing with Louis Tomlinson's emotions?

Louis stared out the windshield for a while allowing his frustration to boil before slamming his hands on the steering wheel and scrambling down out of his SUV. He would never enjoy being short.

Once inside, Louis kicked off his shoes, stubbing his toe once again on the door frame sending a new wave of curses out into the universe.

"FUCK YOU TOO, WORLD!" Louis finished his cries and stomped off towards his bedroom, thoroughly 'over' the day. He landed on his bed with a dramatic groan and yet another wave of disgruntled protests against his living arrangements. Still, after all his frustrations, Louis found himself drifting off to sleep with thick chocolate curls and orbs of green floating among his thoughts.

Louis awoke to an unfamiliar scent wafting through his home. He sat up abruptly, not realizing how close he was to the edge of the bed before it was too late and he was sprawled across the clean hardwood floor.

Too tired to even acknowledge the absurdity of his bad luck, Louis staggered to his feet, limbs heavy with exhaustion and trudged out of his room and towards the smell.

Under normal circumstances, Louis would probably be a bit more alert when sensing a presence in his home apart from himself. He blames his "throw caution to the wind" attitude on little sleep and a certain aggravatingly attractive local.

As he rounded the corner of his ridiculously narrow hallway, he spots the source of the smell and practically fucking bursts with happiness. Because it's not the cleaning lady, or an axe murderer, or worse, jehovahs witness. It's his best mate, Liam and his oldest friend (and probably hottest, Louis couldn't be an accurate judge though), Eleanor.

"LEEEEEYYYUUUUUUUMMMMM!!!!!" Louis squealed and barreled into the kitchen not so fast that he's unable to jump bridal style into Liam's open arms.

Liam chuckled at Louis's dramatic entrance, which he is certainly used to by now, and set him down so he could greet Eleanor with a warm hug and toothy grin which she hastily returned.

"You look right pleased to see us Lou. Is it really that hellish here?" Eleanor asked sweetly. She may be easy on the eyes, but her personality wasn't one that knew much complexity, let alone be actually entertaining.

Louis appreciated her friendship all the same, counting her as one of his most loyal and trustworthy companions rather than one of his most fun ones. Sometimes Lou even enjoyed his more boring set of friends over his party animals. But not usually.

"It's worse than hell El. It's like hell got bored with being the worst place there is and multiplied itself by 700 and flew in a chariot of fiery torture to the middle of England." So Louis might have been overdoing it, but what is he if not irrefutably interesting?

"Now I think you're getting a bit caught up in yourself Lou," Liam chuckled fondly. God, Louis missed him. "It seems quite peaceful out here, dunnit?"

Louis blinked at Liam trying to remember that he also works for him, he's not only a mate and therefore it might be mildly inappropriate for Louis to smack him for his endearing stupidity.

Because Louis isn't peaceful. Yes, sometimes (very rarely), he enjoys his solitude for work related purposes but Louis isn't just the life of the party, he's the fucking soul of it. He's loud and lives life hard and fast and doesn't slow down to worry about what that means for anyone else because fuck that. Seriously.

"Liam, if you know anything about me or care at all for our dwindling friendship you will retract that statement because I --" Louis is cut off by his doorbell ringing and what the fuck?

His location is supposed to be a secret only those members of his family, closest team and of course, El, were allowed to know. And with Liam and El being the only ones who would bother with him so soon after his arrival, Louis honestly has no idea who could be at his fucking house at 10 in the damn morning.

That is until he glances over at Liam and El who are barely stifling their giggles.

It's then that he notices the bags on the counter. The bags that had held the scent Louis had awoken to that morning. The bags that had a clear emblem printed on the front of a certain bakery Louis had stopped by yesterday. A bakery where he'd had an experience with a certain curly haired individual.

Louis eyes narrowed into paper thin slits at the two who had now begun outwardly cackling like hyenas.

"What. Did. You. DO."