My fav Larry Stylinson stories

If You're For Real and Not Pretend

Harry is eighteen and he's got his whole life ahead of him, but for now, life is nothing more than a tray of scones in the morning, a new sheet of cookies for the midday rush, and a bag full of muffins to take home at the end of the day. He takes classes on the weekdays, but truth be told, he'd rather be at the bakery where there's so much else to learn ("What's the difference between pastry flour and cake flour?" he asks one day). It's a simple life but it's been happy so far.

When he first sees Louis, it's getting dark outside and it's been a long day, so he wants to go home sooner rather than later. But that's a downside of being a bakery that opens too early and closes too late: long days and long nights. But it's hardly anything to complain about on most days.

It's also been somewhat of a slow day, so he's wiping crumbs off the counter and cleaning smudged fingerprints off the glass display case when the bell above the entryway jingles and sigh.

"Be right with you," he says without looking up.

"Don't mind me," replies the voice, and it's one that Harry thinks he's heard before. "From the size of your selection, it might take me a while to choose anything."

Harry dusts off his apron and looks up and - well, there's a face he didn't think he'd see again.

***

It's like this.

Holmes Chapel is a cozy sort of village, one with empty streets and looming churches and lampposts that flicker at night. And for the longest while, all Harry knows of his humble little town is his quiet home and his small school.

He remembers the first few weeks of secondary school and being so lost without Gemma, who runs off to her group of friends every morning, giggling and squealing to high heaven about things he'll most likely never understand. He comes home every night to his mum's same encouragement and reassurance, telling him he'll find his place and things will be better.

It takes a year before he meets Liam, and another one before he meets Zayn and Niall. Zayn is a year older, but he's never really gotten along with his year, so he fits right in with their unlikely group.

He's fifteen when he first notices Louis walking out of a classroom with his sister at the end of the day. They're talking for all of a few seconds before he heads off in a different direction, blue eyes flashing quickly in Harry's direction and then he's gone.

They're not friends or anything, she tells Harry, just classmates. There's nothing more behind it, but it's enough to make him wait for Gemma outside the classroom every afternoon, just to catch a glimpse of the older boy with the really nice smile and the even nicer eyes.

The last few months of term fly by too quickly, and by the time Harry thinks that yeah, maybe he's got a crush on someone he's never met or spoken to, Louis is done with sixth form and out of his life altogether.

***

When Louis finally approaches the counter, he doesn't know that Harry's been watching him the whole time. Perhaps it's better that way. Less creepy, at any rate.

The boy drums his fingers against the countertop, eyeing the glass display case like something new might appear. And the whole time, Harry is holding his breath because this is the closest he's ever been to the boy that only he knows about. Well, everyone knows who Louis is, but no one knows just how Harry thinks of him.

But it shouldn't matter after all this time, anyway.

"Right," Louis finally says, the corners of his mouth twitching upward. He's pointing, too. "That croissant in the back..."

"Delicious," Harry fills in for him. "And I'm not just saying that."

Louis grins this time, nodding like he's made the right choice. "Excellent. I'll take that and some tea, if you have any."