A Walk in the Park--Larry Stylinson

Pool Shark

Louis, Troy and Harry walked toward the door, Louis showing the most supreme confidence Harry had ever seen, his bouncy, signature arm swinging walk testament to that. The guy must outweigh him by at least fifty pounds. Harry felt sick to his stomach. Louis . . . fighting for him. Again. He couldn't stand it, not knowing what was going to happen. The butterflies in his stomach threatened to flutter up into his throat.

Troy's steps began to falter the slightest bit as they neared the door. He looked back at Harry, who was following them silently. Harry couldn't have put a name to the expression on Troy's face. He didn't look half as cocky as he'd looked moments before. He was actually turning deathly pale.

Louis was already in the parking lot, just standing there, legs braced apart, looking relaxed, although expectant and ready. He wore his "bad boy" expression, and Harry couldn't detect a trace of nervousness in him.

As Troy neared Louis, he ceased walking and came to a stop so quickly that he tipped forward, almost stumbling.

"Fuck it all!" Troy bellowed suddenly, the words exploding from his mouth. "If Harry's stupid enough not to want me, then you can have him! He's not worth my time! He doesn't put out anyway!" Troy thundered off on mile-long legs to his truck, getting in and driving off quickly, without another word.

Louis was aghast, having been primed for a fight, he and looked to Harry for answers.

Harry finally relaxed. Whew. That had been scary. "He's never been in a fight that I know of. I think he's scared of you," he grinned as he said the words to Louis.

"That huge oaf is scared of me?"

"Course he is! I told ya before. You look like a bad ass sometimes, and right now you look like you could kill."

"Yeah, kill him," Louis snarked. "The big pussy."

Harry laughed. Louis laughed. They went home.

"Wanna go play some pool this weekend?" asked Harry as they sat on the couch.

"Well, I guess we can do that. We can hit the gym on Thursday. When do you start singin' with the band?

"Next weekend, not this one. You gonna come?

"You and an army couldn't stop me!"

They went to a popular bar with pool tables, and after a few hours, Harry had successfully wiped the floor with Louis.

Louis was blown away, because he'd always been a halfway decent pool player.

"I should've known better when I didn't even pick up me cue during the first game. Should have clued me into the fact that I was up against a fuckin' pool shark!" he exclaimed.

Harry laughed. "I'm not generally athletic, so I learned to play pool instead, and I learned from one of the best."

Louis reached into his pocket for a twenty dollar bill that had been the bet. Harry pushed it away.

"Forget it. I knew I'd probably win, so spend it on some dinner tonight. I'm beat. Don't feel like cookin.'"

Twenty dollars didn't quite cover it, but Louis didn't mind. They stopped for pizza and cheesy garlic bread on the way home. For some odd reason, playing pool and having Harry whip his ass made Louis extra horny. He was always horny for Harry, but this was way beyond the normal torture he underwent on a daily basis.

Now that their feelings had been aired, Louis was only too aware of how he'd spouted off about not wanting a relationship. That had been an all out lie. Before he could talk himself out of it, Louis said, "I want to apologize for bein' such an ass before, and sayin' I didn't want a relationship."