Winter Fic Exchange || Larry

the only flaw you are flawless

FOR: snowinglarry

prompt #2: " a fic in which harry and Louis are college students, harry spends his free time at a local coffee shop playing the piano and singing and Louis just likes going to the coffee shop. Harry might end up writing songs for louis. And like this is all Christmas themed bc winter and warm cozy coffee shops.

:;

Harry isn't particularly fond of college. He almost dislikes it, if he's being honest. The students are loud and rude, come to class drunk and high, disrupt Harry's sleeping patterns with their obnoxious parties and drunken yells.

Okay, so he loathes it.

His only sanctity is the coffee shop off campus.

Because of the Starbucks on campus, it isn't busy ever, really.

It's usually just him, the owner, and a few elderly customers that come by every once and while and so Harry loves it.

He holds his books tighter to his chest as he walks toward it in late November, snow landing in heavy clumps on his head.

"Harry!" The owner, Cordelia, says as he walks in.

He hangs his coat on the rack, leaving his scarf wrapped loosely around his neck.

There isn't anything special about the decor of the place. Soft benches and worn table tops, a beaten up piano in the corner, the smell of ground coffee beans and cookies, but that doesn't stop Harry from loving it.

"Delia," Harry smiles, soft.

Cordelia walks toward him and he laughs hard.

She's a short woman, probably only five feet even with blonde hair, cut short above her ears. She often jokes that she has the Miley look without the Miley reputation.

But that's not what he's laughing at.
She has on a pair of footy pajamas, bright green with a hood drawn over her head.

"The Grinch?" He cracks a grin.

"You bet." She smirks. "Go on. I'll bring you a mug over to your table."

She rolls her eyes, eyeing the books in his arms.

He has a big test in psychology tomorrow, so he'll be busy for a while.
"Thanks, Delia." He heads toward the table, opening his book and studying hard.

A few moments later, Delia places down a mug of hot chocolate onto the table and Harry glances up, smiling widely. He mutters a thanks before going back to the books.

;;

It's nearing six o'clock and the sun has long set when Harry begins to pack up his books.

"Hey," It's Delia yelling from across the counter.

Her hair's wild and untamed, her eyes bright in the dark cafe.

"Can you play me a song before you go? You're a beautiful pianist." She smiles.

"Definitely." He assures, placing his books back down and heading toward the piano. "What song?"

"Something...soft...and not Christmas-y." She smiles again, resting her head on his hands as he sits on the bench.
He quirks his lips up in a grin before beginning to play the beginning set to Stay With Me by Sam Smith. It's been on the radio a lot lately and Harry finds himself playing it before he can even think about it.

He hums along, but somewhere along the way begins to sing aloud.
His voice fills the small cafe, bouncing beautifully off the walls as he feels himself unravel in the most empowering way.