KINGS & QUEENS - LARRY STYLINSON FANFICTION

ERIK

The restaurant isn't directly posh but the prices are quite steep. It's a typical, Austrian restaurant with wooden furniture and a cosy, tasteful atmosphere. When they step in, a waiter immediately comes over to greet them. "Mr. Tomlinson, Mr. Styles," he says, reaching out his hand toward his guests, slightly nodding when he says their names.
"Welcome to our restaurant! I'm Erik and I'll be your waiter for today. Please follow me upstairs." He's dressed in black suit trousers, a white shirt and patent-leather shoes that seem brand-new. His short, light brown hair is perfectly styled, his brown eyes are sparkling. He's probably in his early twenties. The young man guides Harry and Louis to a table on second floor that holds less tables but looks cosier than the room downstairs because of the low height of the room and the prominent dark, wooden beams that are part of the architecture in Austria everywhere. The beams are tastefully decorated with flowers, cowbells and other decorative items and they don't just look good, they separate the tables and create an intimate atmosphere for every little booth. Erik leads Harry and Louis toward the huge window that is stretched over almost the whole wall. It offers a wonderful view over the village and the snowy mountains. "Here we are," he says. "This is one of our most beautiful places," he says proudly, his Austrian accent showing. He pulls the chairs back a little and gestures to Harry and Louis to sit down.

"Thank you very much," Harry says and Louis gives Erik a smile.

"You're welcome," Erik nods. "Here is the menu for you. No matter what you choose, it will always be excellent." Erik gives them a smile, then lights the little candle on the table. "I'll be back in a few minutes. If you need help with choosing the dishes, you can always ask me."

"Thank you," Louis says. "We'll have a look first."

"As you wish." Then Erik walks away and leaves Harry and Louis alone.

"It smelled so good downstairs," Louis says as he opens the menu. "I could order everything right now."

"It smelled heavenly, yes. I've been to Austria once and everything I ate was delicious." Harry reads the menu and smiles. "I like that the menu is clear and we don't have to choose something from a never-ending list of dishes."

"I like that too, yeah. What do you think, should we share a starter? It might be a lot for me alone because I also want a dessert for sure."

"Which one would you like to order?"

"The sausages and cheese plate. It's like a variety of typical sausages and cheese and they're served with homemade bread. I'd love to try them."

"Let me see," Harry says. "Ah, here. Hm . . . four kinds of regional sausages and cheese, served with homemade bread. Well, it sounds yummy. I've already tried Austrian sausages and cheese before and I loved them but they're different in every region so yeah, we could order that. I also think one is a lot for one person only."

"That's really cool, thanks."

"You don't have to thank me for this, Lou. I like sharing with you."

Louis looks up and gives Harry a smile, then they both look at their menus again. When Erik comes back, he takes their order and brings them the drinks. Louis orders roast pork with fries and Harry fried beef and onions in gravy with bread dumplings and a small salad. As dessert, Louis chooses the apple strudel and Harry the Sacher cake. As they're waiting, they take in the magnificent view. "Doesn't it look amazing here? People having fun, the mountains, the snow-covered trees," Louis says as he props his head up on his arm.

"And the white colour makes everything look so peaceful. The whole view here looks like a painting."

"Absolutely."

"Do you think they chose this place because of the view or because the paps could possibly take better pictures of us?"

Louis laughs. "Probably because of business reasons so I'd go with your second idea but I really like it."

"I do, too," Harry says and takes a sip of his water. "I've tried to spot them but I can't see anyone. Do you think they're around?"

"One hundred percent. Sia wouldn't arrange this without a reason, ever. He's paying for this, well, his company does. He wouldn't waste one penny, I'm sure."

"Well, at least he chose a good place."

"Yeah," Louis half-laughs, "at least. I would be quite pissed if he had sent us to a shitty one."

Harry chuckles. "The only thing we need is our food and then we'll be fine, right?"

"Right. What would you like to do later?"

"I usually get tired after eating so I wouldn't mind laying down a little bit. If you want, we can take a walk in the evening before dinner."

"That sounds like a plan." As Louis turns his head, he sees Erik walking up the stairs, balancing a huge plate. "Oh . . . look, our food is on the way!" he says happily. As excepted, everything tastes delicious. Soon, Erik also serves the main dishes that look equally good and tasty. After the desserts, Louis leans back in his chair, his hands put onto his tummy. "Oh my god, I'm so full now," he moans quietly. "I want to lay down right here and sleep." He blows air through his lips and suddenly hiccups.

"You look so wasted," Harry laughs, shaking his head. "Like someone sucked out the energy off your body."

Louis hiccups again. "I . . . I also feel like it. I need to . . . lay down now."

"The bill is paid, right?"

"Yeah, they'll send them the bill to Sia directly. We can go now," Louis says and gets up.

"Wait, wait. I want to give Erik a tip. He was really nice and the service was great."

"Okay but hurry up."

"Heyyyyy," Harry frowns, "don't be rude. He deserves a good tip."

"I hope he doesn't deserve a date."

"You're unbelievable, really," Harry says playfully, chuckling. "Don't be jealous." Louis just rolls his eyes but gives Harry a small smile. He was just joking, well, half-joking and Harry's reaction was kind of cute.

On their way to the hotel, Harry and Louis are stopped by fans three times and although Louis isn't really in the mood, he stays polite and takes pictures with them. "Finally," Louis moans as they enter their room and he can pull off his winter clothes. "I just wanted to arrive."

"They were quite persistent, your fans, weren't they?"

"Harold . . . when will you accept that they're also your fans?"

Harry shrugs as he pulls his beanie off and snowflakes tickle off on the floor. "It's surreal for me, that's all."

Louis walks closer to Harry, wraps his arms around his waist and leans in for a kiss. "They love you, just like me but the difference is that they'll never get what I have."

Harry gives Louis a smile, then kisses Louis' temple. "That's sweet." He gives Louis a soft look. Then he pulls away they both lay down on their beds, not talking much, slowly drifting to sleep.