Hamburgers and Summer Time

Chapter 10

It smelled of fries and greasy burgers, but Louis was now used to it. At first, he had hated it but now, it reminded him of the curly haired boy standing on his side, peeling vegetables and flipping the greasy burgers and Louis almost craved the smell. Except he didn’t because it’d be weird.

But he craved HIS smell, the spicy deodorant and the little sweat that dripped off his forehead because Mr. P wouldn’t air conditioned the kitchen, the cost being already too high. So Louis and Harry were the only ones who had to work in what felt like hell’s kitchen.

Today though was the worst. The summer had already been unlikely too warm but today, it was sticky hot. Everybody was either at the pool or at the beach and the restaurant was rather empty.

Liam had already cleaned to whole set of tables three times, ignoring the protests of Zayn and his boy toy, the latter being the only one of the three who really had to work at his drive-in window.

“Two hot-dogs!” Niall shouted.

“I got it.” Harry said before Louis could have the time to place a word and made his way to the grill. He watched as the thick hair laid wet on his face and neck, his green eyes filled with exhaustion and his dried lips craving for water.

It had been two weeks ever since the ‘babysitting date’, and all their spare time were now spent in the company of each other’s. They would just lay on Louis’ bed for hours, listening to music, or cook at Harry’s while entertaining Brittany. Everything felt right.

The other boys seemed to notice it too, but it became clear on the previous Friday night, when Zayn and Niall interrupted their make out session to find Louis and Harry caught up in their own. It wasn’t really a shock though, and while Louis was furiously blushing, Niall just laughed it off and proposed a double date to ease the tension. Zayn then grabbed him again and pushed his tongue back down his throat and the whole ‘Louis and Harry’ thing was already just usual, which Louis really appreciated.

“Fuck.” Harry muttered as he tried to get the sweat off his face. “It’s way too fucking hot in here.”

“It’s you.” Louis replied cheekily as he cleaned the small kitchen. Harry snorted and wiggled his eyebrows in Louis’ direction which made the older boy burst out with laughter.

“What are we doing tonight? My place or yours?” All amusement fell from Harry’s face when Louis pronounced those words and he couldn’t help but wonder if he said something wrong.

“Um, I don’t think we’ll be able to hang out tonight Lou.” Harry mumbled and kept his eyes everywhere but in Louis’ gaze.

Louis’ eyebrows furrowed in confusion because Harry hadn’t seem so distant in weeks.

“Is it Brit’s baby-sitter? Because I’m sure one of my sisters would love to keep an eye on her.” Louis asked and grabbed his boyfriend’s arms, running his hands up and down his biceps.

Harry gave in and wrapped his arms around Louis’ torso, setting his head in his neck, even though that made it even hotter. It was a comforting warm and Harry liked it and Harry could never get enough.

“I need to go check up on my mom.” Harry sighed. “I miss her, Brit misses her. And I’m sure she misses us too.” Louis moved his hands to his back, tracing soothing circles on his tenses muscles.

“You could come.” Harry mumbled under his breath, so quietly that he thought Louis didn’t hear. He did.

“Are you sure?” Louis asked just as quietly. Harry didn’t say a word but nodded and Louis held him ever more tightly if that was even possible.

~

“Welcome back Mr. Styles.” The small nurse smiled warmly at Harry who had Brittany in his arms, and Louis walking beside the pair.

They walked in a sickish green painted hallway with a series of identical doors except for their numbers and the occasional names written on it.

Harry would smile and greet some workers and patients and Louis wondered how often he came to this place.

They finally came to a stop in front of a door that looked exactly like the others with a 485.

Harry let Brittany knock but they didn’t wait for an answer before pushing the door open.

The room was the same color as the hallways, the lights way too bright and the bed with cold white sheets.

But the woman lying in the bed looked wonderful, her cheeks a rosy color that contrast with the rest of her pale face. She had dark eyes, her head naked probably from the chemotherapy, but Louis thought she looked totally gorgeous anyway. Maybe it was the obvious resemblance with her son, Louis didn’t know but he smiled at her and she smiled right back.

“Harry dear, you finally brought him.” She said in a calm voice, full of love with a true smile on her face.

Harry flushed as he sat by his mom, his cousin in his lap and pulling another chair next to him for Louis to sit in.

“Yeah, mom, this is Louis, Lou, that’s my mom.” Louis pulled his hand to shake but Harry’s mom shook her head and opened her arms. “There are no cold handshakes in the Styles family.” she said and Louis leaned in and squeezed her in a warm hug.

“Welcome to the family Louis.” she said as they pulled away and Louis could just smile and hope that tears wouldn’t slip off his eyes.

“Thanks Mrs. Styles.” he said as he sat back next to Harry who had a tear slowly rolling down his cheek.

“So Harry, you didn’t burn the house down yet?” she asked to ease the tension and it worked as they all laughed.

“Louis almost did when he tried to cook pasta, but Hazza saved us!” Little Brittany added in her high pitched voice filled with laughter that caused the other three to enter another round of laugh.

And the whole afternoon was spent this way, giggling and sharing funny stories and when Harry’s mom was too caught up in a story Brittany was telling, Harry decided to go fetch something to eat with his boyfriend.

“Thanks.” Harry said as soon as they were out the door, grabbing his boyfriend’s hand.

“Why?” Harry smiled.

“I haven’t seen her look so happy in forever. Thank you.” Harry said again and he looked like he was about to cry so Louis kissed his pain away, and he knew he’d do so for as long as the young cook would need it.

“No problem co-captain.”