Stuck in Time (Larry Stylinson AU)

Chapter 3 - The jacket

'Well, we have coke, tea, coffee-'

'No. I mean, would you agree to get a drink with me tonight ?'

Harry freezes. He doesn't know what will come out as a normal reaction. He just shrugs and nods altogether in a weird move, making Louis giggle and hiding his laugh behind the back of his hand in the cutest way.

'See you later then, Harold.'

'Bye Louis.' Harry says, barely audible, as the man closes the door.

'What was that about ?' Niall invades Harry's personal space within seconds after hearing the door close. He definitely wasn't eaves dropping. Definitely not.

'That's what I was going to tell you before he came in ! He's the guy I was stuck with in a closet during the shooting.'

'So, when did you decide to come out ?' Niall asks smirking, proud of his joke.

'I'm being serious mate !'

'Alright, alright ! Fuck, what's with you ?'

'We nearly kissed. I think ?'

'What ?!'

'And I think he's flirting with me.'

'What ?!'

'And he's married.'

'What ?!'

'And you're drooling.'

'What ?! Oh wait.' Niall sweeps his fingers over his face to take off the saliva coming from his mouth, shocked by so much information all at once.

'He asked me to go get a drink with him tonight and I said yes but I think it might be a bad idea.' Harry is speaking faster than usual, head spinning and thoughts racing.

Why would he invite him to get drinks ? Why wouldn't he just talk to him in the bakery ? What did he even want to talk about ?

'Dude, he came all the way to the place you work at just to ask you out ? The man is into you. Or he wants to kill you.'

'Shut up Niall, I'm dead serious right now. And he didn't come to ask me out. He wanted to give me my jacket back.'

'What jacket ?'

'Oh fuck.'

*

'So, who's that blond guy you work with ?'

'You mean Niall ? He's my best friend. The most Irish lad I know.' Harry chuckles and Louis grins.

They're sitting in a booth at the pub next door. They've been chatting for over an hour and a half, laughing and staring at each other. Harry knows something's wrong about that but he can't stop looking into those blue eyes. He can't stop looking at those thin lips, or the perfect quiff that replaced this morning's fringe, or those eyelashes. He looks beautiful, really.

'What are you looking at ?' Louis asks, flushed. He must think there's something on his face because he takes a napkin and wipes it across his mouth.

'Oh sorry. Nothing.' Harry smiles and dives back into his beer. 'So, did you talk to your ex business partner ?'

'Of course not, his son wanted to kill me. The guy is twice as strong. I'm not suicidal.' Harry laughs in a loud cackle, earning a fond smile from Louis.

'By the way, you left with my jacket. Again.'

'Oh yeah sorry about that.' Louis says but doesn't seem the least bothered by it.