darling darcy [l.s.]

chapter three

chapter three,
september 21st, 2018
1:32pm:

louis helped harry carry the abundance of bags to his car, putting them in the trunk and sitting in the drivers seat. harry stood on the sidewalk awkwardly, suddenly having second thoughts about doing this.

"getting in, love?" louis called through the window, watching harry expectantly.

harry gulped. louis really had to stop calling him that. but despite the heavy brick forming in his stomach, he nodded and opened the door, sitting down.

"address?" louis asked.

harry told him his address, and louis nodded, starting the car and pulling out of his parking spot.

"so," he began, startling harry, "do you spill coffee on every celebrity you meet in a coffee shop?" he teased lightly, and harry snorted.

"do you become an uber driver for every desperate single dad you meet in a coffee shop?" he teased back, and louis laughed, shaking his head.

"just the pretty ones." he glanced to harry with a quick wink before returning his attention to the road.

and harry blushed.

nope! not happening. absolutely not. harry couldn't let that happen again, so he cleared his throat and turned to look out the window. he'd rather jump out of the moving car than let louis get to him in that way. not again.

~•~

after a few minutes of awkward silence as harry sat in the passengers seat of louis' car, louis tapping his thumbs on the steering wheel and humming an unknown tune to himself, louis finally broke the silence.

"harry, can i ask you something?" he glanced at harry for a moment, trying his best to keep his eyes on the road.

"yeah?" harry allowed himself to study louis' profile. he was quite beautiful, wasn't he?

no, harry. stop it. you can't think of him in that way.

"did you happen to be in doncaster around new year's of 2013? a pub, more specifically?"

shit. holy motherfucking shitballs. this could not be happening. what the fuck, universe?!

harry stiffened in his seat. louis remembered him? no. no fucking way. it was impossible. it was five years ago. how could he remember him?

"erm..." harry gulped, not sure how to feel about louis' seemingly chill attitude about the situation, "y-you remember me?" he squeaked. and then louis did something harry never would have expected in a million years.

he blushed.

"yeah, of course i do, love. had a lovely night, didn't we?" he chuckled lightly, and the statement probably would have sounded more flirtatious had he not been blushing and smiling like a dopey fool, "sorry i didn't recognize you immediately. you've changed quite a bit since then."

it was true that harry had changed a lot since their meeting. back then, he was shorter and paler, and had no clue how to style his curly hair, leaving it unruly and messy. now he was taller, tanner, more muscular, and had a large amount of tattoos covering his skin. no wonder louis didn't immediately recognize him.

but harry didn't know how to respond. louis remembered him? and he thought they had a 'lovely' night together? harry's head was spinning, already dreaming up 'what-if' scenarios in his mind, wondering what could have happened if louis had stayed with him until morning.

would they be together now? probably not. but would louis know about darcy? would darcy have her father in her life right now?

"listen, i'm sorry for leaving the way i did..." louis sighed sadly, deciding to speak since harry still hadn't said anything. harry watched him with his lips parted in shock. "you probably won't believe me if i say i don't really do one night stands, but i don't. honestly? you were my first one—my only one, actually." he continued on, blowing harry's mind even more with each new piece of information.