Together we're stronger

Chapter 5

Flashback-The date

"Where would you like to go?" Louis asks nervously.

"Anywhere you want" Harry says with a small smile.

"I think you have to be more specific, Haz. You want to go to another Italian restaurant or a French one or-" Louis rambles.

"Here" Harry says suddenly stopping next to a diner.

"Here?" Louis asks incredulously watching the american-looking drive-in.

"Yup" Harry answers popping the 'p' with a grin.

"Well... If you're sure..." Louis starts to walk to the door and holds it open for the younger boy (which earns him a smile and a blush) before entering himself.

The inside is... nice.

The walls are patterned with light blue and white squares and pictures of famous actors are hung over them.

The boys sit on a booth next to the right wall of the diner.

They look through the menus and soon a waitress appears next to their table.

"What can I get you?"

"I'd like a sandwitch and a diet coke, please" Harry answers whilst closing his menu.

"For me a burger and fries with ketchup and a coke" Louis tells the waitress and then gives her the menus.

"That food's gonna kill you someday, Lou" Harry states after the waitress leaves.

"Oh cmon, it's just a few fats" Louis responds with a playful smile while the waitress reappears and places their beverages on the table.

"Tell me that when you're an obese 50 year old who can't even move properly without using a wheelchair" Harry plays along "But you'd still binge-eat as if your life depended on it and you wouldn't bother to clean your clothes from the gravies" Harry finishes with a cheeky grin.

"Gross" Louis says laughing "But you'd still be beside me, right? Still skinny and charming and pretty and..." Louis' talk fades.

Whoa.

'What are you saying Louis? Why are you telling him everything you love about him?'

Harry seems to be getting awkward since he's spotting a blush on his puffy cheeks.

Louis is starting to feel awkward too.

But they both shouldn't, they are best friends after all. They know each other very well.

But this is new.

Louis can't refrain himself anymore from trying to get something more from their relationship.

Hopefully Harry can't too.

But anyways, even if this thing doesn't work out (fingers crossed) Louis knows they'll still have each other.

Either way, they'll be fine.

Or not.

The waitress reapproaches their table.

The very clumsy girl (now Louis knows) trips over something (her own feet?) and Louis' burger leaps and lands open on Louis' shirt and trousers dirtying them with ketchup and other shit but most importantly, ketchup.

"I'm so sorry!!!" the waitress exclaims, allarmed.

"It's nothing, don't worry" Louis reassures her while wiping his clothes with his napkin.

"I'll get you another one. And some more napkins..." the waitress says fleeing to the kitchen.

When she's gone, Louis directs his gaze towards Harry and sees him covering his mouth trying to suppress his laughter, but he doesn't succeed, a few giggles come out.

After a few moments, Harry steadies himself.

"Maybe you won't have to wait that long to be covered in gravy" and then he finally erupts in loud cackles.

Louis laughs along not being able to control it when Harry giggles cutely like that.

Oh boy, he really loves him.

The waitress re-reappears with an apologetic look on her face and places the extra napkins and their orders on the table.

"Enjoy your meal, and I'm still sorry..."

After Louis cleans his clothes up as best as he can, the boys start eating in silence.

Louis realises that people generally talk when they're on a date, so he tries to start a conversation "So... How's school going?"

'School? What the fuck Louis! This is a date, not a family dinner!'

"Ummm... fine" Harry answers biting back a grin.

He knows Louis doesn't have a clue about what to say, so he tries to start a conversation too "Well... may I umm... ask you why you kind of... asked me out?" Harry doesn't meet his eyes while he says this, he's too shy.

And God he's so cute.

Louis decides he'll tease him a bit.

"I actually did it to confess something important" Louis says suddenly turning serious.

"What?" Harry looks at him with wide eyes communicating both curiosity and surprise.

"Well... I-I like someone..." the older boy fakes being shy while telling him that.

"Oh... and who are they?" Harry asks trying to hide his discomfort by drinking from his glass.

See, Harry and Louis came out to each other a long time ago: when the younger boy came out to him as gay, Louis did the same as bisexual.

"Well..." Louis smirks but recovers quickly "He has got blond straight hair, brown eyes and he's sooo nice but also naughty when it comes to our free time-"

"Okay, I get it" Harry cuts him off and turns his gaze out the window.

Okay, he clearly was in a sad mood.

He definitely likes him back.

"Harry-"

"It's okay if you like someone, I wasn't expecting anything anyways" he's still looking out the window.

"What!?" Louis exclaims, taken aback "I- what- Harry, look at me" Louis finally says taking Harry's soft hand in his.

"Yes" Harry says turning his head towards him trying to smile.

He fails.

"I was joking" Louis starts and he can see Harry almost breathing out as if it was a relief to hear that.

"I do like someone" a grin appears on Louis' face "And I haven't made him up"

Harry beams.

He knows it.

His knows his feelings are shared.

"And who might this someone be?" the younger boy asks with an enourmous amount of cheekiness.

"Just Stan, you know the guy from my class" Louis says casually.

Shock is written all over Harry's face "Really!?"

"No Haz, are you crazy? Stan is just ewww, I have a high taste" Louis answers staring at Harry.

Harry blushes.

"Besides, Stan is straight as fuck"

At that Harry laughs out loud and his dimples appear.

Golden star for Louis.

The conversation flows easily after that.