melt with you || h.s

.04

Willow wasn't late to work the next day and Harry strolled in behind her, hands shoved deep into his pockets. Sam and Louis were already there, setting up tables and cleaning glasses. Louis was stressed, the lines on his forehead prominent and staining his face.

"Lou," Willow said softly, touching his shoulder as he cleaned a glass for the second time over. "You've got to calm down."

He looked up at her, eyebrows raised and a look of fear in his bright eyes. "I know, I know. It's just - fuck. I haven't seen the fucker in a year, you know? What if he forgets who I am?"

"Louis," Willow laughed, her head dropping to his shoulder as he sat on a stool with his head in his hands. Harry sat across from them with a drink at his lips. "He didn't forget. Didn't you just talk to him last week? I heard you on the phone and you didn't let it go the whole night."

A grin slipped onto Louis' lips and he nodded. "Yeah. That was him."

"See, you shit. He knows who you are. Now go on and give him a call, or something. I'll finish the glasses."

"Thanks, babe. You're amazing," Louis' grin widened and he kissed Willow's cheek before running off to Sam's office.

"Want to help?" Willow questioned, raising a brow at Harry as she held up a towel and a glass. "I mean, you're not getting paid or anything, but you're here. You might as well."

Harry laughed and nodded. "Yeah. Might as well."

Sam buffed tables and made calls to make sure everything was going according to plan with the food they'd ordered weeks before. Louis was useless the rest of the afternoon, sitting at the bar withb his feet kicking back and forth, his phone in his hand and a childish grin on his lips. Willow didn't mind, though.

It was 4 o'clock, three hours after she'd gotten there, and Sam urged Willow to leave so she could get ready for the party. She was hesitant, the place wasn't nearly as a mess as it was when she'd gotten there, but the decorations still hadn't been put up and Sam was stressing over the food though he denied it. She left though, Harry telling her everything was going to be fine as they walked the few blocks to their building.

Willow had spent very little time in her own apartment in the past week and it seemed lonely when she walked in. Her kitchen was finished, shiny and brand new. It smelt like fresh paint and plastic and the faint buzz of the fridge greeted her. She lit a candle, vanilla, and left it on the counter.

Harry was knocking on her door at seven sharp, as she told him. He opened it before she could get there, hoping on one foot as she attempted to put her other shoe on. She tipped to the side as she turned, still on only one foot, and fell right into Harry's arms.

"Sorry," she grinned up at him, pushing herself away and landing on both feet, shoes on.

"S'alright," Harry smiled back, chuckling. "Fuck, Willow. You look good."

A blush crept onto Willow's cheeks and she bit her bottom lip. "C'mon, now. We've got to get there before everyone shows up."

Willow was surprised to see that the decorations had been put up and the food table was crowded with appetizers. Sam was taking a shot and Louis still had his phone attached to his hand, but they too were dressed in a dress shirt and dress pants.

"Classy," Willow poked Louis' shoulder, clad in a white button up.

Both Louis and Sam paused, looking Willow up and down, Sam nearly choking on his drink.

"Christ, Will. You're fucking hot," Louis cursed, shaking his hand out like she was literally hot.

"You don't look so bad yourself. Both of you," she nodded towards Sam. "Didn't know you had anything but old band shirts."