a flower || l.s.

04 ♥ BUDDING

Harry wakes up to see rain falling, his flowers gone, the blinds still closed. The pile of leaves has been kicked out of the way to make room to walk into the shop. Someone's been back.

Then why isn't Louis opening his shop? Did something happen?

Shit, he read his letter. He read his letter? He read his letter.

Harry shakes Niall awake. "What do you want?" Niall aggressively kicks at the blankets before coming back into reality and sitting up.

"Someone's back," Harry tells him.

"Have you stopped watching the shop since Louis left?" Niall asks him.

"Yeah, of course."

"If I were Louis, I'd file a restraining order."

"He hasn't done that, and I don't think it would work with our stores so close," Harry says.

"Oh, wow, he must love you," Niall says sarcastically. "Did you see him?"

Harry shakes his head. "The shop isn't open but the lights in the apartment are on."

"Maybe we shouldn't make assumptions then. Maybe it's not even him, yeah?" Niall suggests.

Harry's never seen anyone other than Louis in the almost-year that he's been living here for. Who knows, maybe there is someone, he just missed them. He doesn't know if he wishes it were Louis in there or not.

-♥-

Louis lays on Liam's guest bed, his head pounding. Zayn warned him, but of course he had to go and drink more after he left. That's what friends do. He wants to go back to the shop, but he also just wants a break. Zayn can manage it if he wants, even though Louis knows he prefers to either go out all day or stay in all day. He rarely sees him during the day.

It's pouring rain outside and Louis can't help but wonder what Harry's doing. What if Harry misses him? No. Louis realizes how dumb he sounds. He knows life isn't a movie and people don't just miss other people that they've said 20 words to total.

"Lou," Liam interrupts Louis' thoughts with a mug of amazing-smelling hot chocolate. "Hot cocoa just for you."

He loves his friends.

"Thanks, Li," Louis says as he takes the mug from him and takes a light sip.

"I don't know why I'm treating you like you've just gone through a breakup," Liam tells him. "I should be bugging you to go confess to Harry, but I love you and I'm a good friend."

"It's just comforting to be with a friend sometimes and forget about everything for a few days. That's all I need," Louis says.

Louis' not used to this stupid drama. He stays logical most of the time and gets over problems in a second. It's easy. Until handsome-ass Harry has to come along and ruin that.

-♥-

Where's Louis? Harry doesn't want to seem stalkerish but he can see the light through the apartment window and he's feeling anxious. Louis might've read his bloody letter and then decided to ignore him.

It doesn't seem like a Louis thing to do and he tries to stay optimistic, but he's been optimistic for way too long and that's done absolutely nothing.

Niall keeps telling him to just calm down and that Louis' fine, but Harry doesn't know how he could possibly be sure of that. He hopes he's okay.

The lights go on and off every few hours, but Harry never paid attention to the door when someone could've left the shop.

Maybe he should actually calm down and not seem like a spy watching from a window.

Two days pass and Harry stops watching the shop. But on the third day, the door opens (which nearly gives Harry a heart attack while he's watering the flowers). Harry half expects to see Louis, but instead, it's someone else with darker hair and the prettiest eyelashes Harry's ever seen.

Harry steps out of the shop. "Hey!" he yells after the guy before he can walk away.

That was the boldest move Harry's ever made in his entire life.

He turns around. "Oh, you're Harry, yeah?" the dude asks.

"Yeah," Harry replies.

He knows?

"I'm Zayn. Louis' friend that lives with him," Zayn tells him. "Louis is out and I think he's coming back either today or tomorrow."

Harry nods. "Oh. Thanks."

"Yeah, of course," Zayn replies. "See you."

-♥-

"Mamaaaaa," Louis sings. "Sing with me, Liam! Ready? Just killed a maaaaan."

Liam shakes his head. "I'm driving," he tells him.

"Life had just begun," he continues, holding his hand to his heart dramatically.

Louis hums the piano parts in Bohemian Rhapsody and pours his heart and soul into it while Liam laughs and finally gives in and sings along with him as they drive back to Louis' record store.