murphy's law (larry stylinson)

chapter one

Under the moonlight the south British avenues laid still. The heat of the day had been replaced by a cool breeze Louis Tomlinson felt against his right hand resting out the rolled down window as he drove, a lit cigarette between tired fingers. Leaving London and its constant beat behind him for the day, Louis rode between pools of streetlights while Foreigner was serenading on the radio, reminding him of an age he'd missed.

The entire backseat was occupied by cardboard boxes and heavy binders all addressed " Lively v MPC [2018] UKHL 20, [2019] 2 AC 692 " in black marker. Louis could barely believe that his colleague Liam Payne had convinced their boss to give Louis the case. Not only because Mr. Cowell had complied, something the man rarely did, but also because Liam Payne usually didn't care about anyone else but himself and his career.

Sure, Liam had insisted on leading the prosecution alongside Louis, showing his true colours, but it was something Louis didn't mind. Liam was a smart, strategic man and a good prosecutor. They had developed a rivalry kind of friendship over the years, and even if Louis could not help but be jealous of Liam for his success he also could not help but be impressed by.

Louis had worked at MPC for over three years and while the other prosecutors at the firm had kept getting the cases that gave them their push up on the career ladder towards success, Louis had been left to handle the remainders. After months of scraping the bottom of the barrel he had finally gotten his chance to prove himself. It was finally his time, and he had bloody Liam Payne to thank for that.

Louis turned into a side street, parked the car and threw the cigarette out the window before rubbing his face. He was exhausted after a long day of going through the case, but this time it felt good, it felt worth it.

He kept the radio on, the music station was actually playing decent music for ones and letting that go to waste would be a crime, though it could not possibly compete with the crime Louis was dealt with or the one he was about to commit himself, again.

The door to the passenger seat opened and a blonde haired woman slipped inside and without an introduction, she threw herself over Louis and immediately began to kiss him with intent. That was usually how Diana greeted him and Louis greeted her back as eagerly as ever. He had missed her after all.

Sliding his hands down the curves of her body, Louis did not have anyone else in mind. It was her, then and there, and she was so beautiful and real and so feminine, her eyes so blue and skin so pale and glistening.

But as soon as Louis closed his eyes, the image of her quickly transformed into Harry Styles. His Harry. Louis frowned.

After two and a half years it still made no sense to Louis that he could recite those words in the same sentence because Harry deserved better, deserved more, deserved everything. Louis did not deserve Harry. He knew this, Harry's family knew this, the world did. The worst part was that Harry had not figured it out himself yet it seemed, and Louis still feared the day that he would.

They had met at a charity event that Louis' had been invited to through work, and as he had recently moved to the capital he had known literally nobody. Enter Harry, who had literally crashed into Louis' life with the most charming smile and mesmerizing eyes and a cheeky "hi".

Louis had fallen in love immediately. But it turned out it had been Harry that had spotted him across the room that night and had decided on making him his. It was Harry that had approached him all nervously and had taken the leap and "accidentally" walked into him to create an excuse to start a conversation. It was all Harry.

If the Gods were real, Louis had always told himself, then Harry was their masterpiece. All the beauty of the universe could not even hope to compete with Harry. And yet, there Louis was, undressing a woman he had met only a handful of times.