Save Myself // Larry Stylinson

Chapter 8

"Lottie,"

Harry picked up a cup then and a sharpie and wrote Lottie's name across the cup, "nice to meet you Lottie," he started, "I'm definitely going to need you to repeat that drink order though,"

Lottie grinned, about to pounce on Harry's weakness, when Louis somehow found his voice.

"Why don't you get something normal, Lots, poor lad hasn't got a clue how to make whatever you just said,"

Louis met Harry's eyes then, and they seemed relaxed. They didn't seem full of pity, but then again, he'd just gotten there.

"That was normal, Louis," she said his name with venom like he'd attacked her personally. She turned back to Harry then and repeated her order slowly as he scribbled it across the cup and hopped over to the work station. He started to make the drink and Louis watched him fumble with the syrup pump and nearly pour not one, but who of the wrong milks into the cup. Lottie shimmied down to the hand-off spot as she watched Harry carefully.

After a long few minutes of fumbling and cursing, Harry placed the giant cup on the counter. She picked it up tentatively, stuffed her straw into it and took a long sip. Harry watched her hesitantly.

"Perfect," she said.

Harry smiled at her happily and turned back to Louis. He smiled brighter this time, "what can I get you, Lou?"

Louis kind of felt like the world had stopped and everyone was staring at him (which wasn't entirely inaccurate given that both Harry and Lottie were staring at him and they were the only ones in the building). Louis felt his cheeks heat with his blush, he hated the spotlight. Dreaded it. He hated the sound of his voice when he opened his mouth and ruined the stillness in the air.

"Um," he sucked in a deep breath, staring at the coffee options, "just a tall Pike Place, please,"

"Really?" Said Harry, softly--always so soft.

Louis nodded once, "really,"

"Is that what you'd usually order, or are you just taking it easy on me?"

"Actually, yeah it is,"

Harry shrugged and grabbed a cup and his sharpie, scribbling on it. He filled it with coffee and then placed it on the counter. Louis picked it up and smiled as he looked down and saw Harry had written "cheekbones" on it.

"Thanks, Curly," he said, trying to reign in his psychotic smile a bit.

"You guys are weird," said Lottie, carrying her ridiculous drink over to one of the tables.

Harry laughed, still smiling at Louis from behind the counter. He picked up Lottie's Visa from where he'd laid it by the cash register and handed it to Louis.

"Those are on the house,"

"We can pay for the drinks, Harry," argued Louis.

Harry brushed his words off with his hand, "what's the point of having a friend that works at Starbucks if you have to pay for your drinks?"

There was that word again. The last word in the world that Louis ever expected to have directed at him. He was pretty sure he was blushing again, but what was another mortifying moment in front of Harry at this point?

He noticed Harry's eyes were on Lottie again. She had the book out again and she was already reading and sipping her.... whatever that drink was. Harry smiled fondly and looked back to Louis, "she's sweet,"

"Sweet isn't the word I'd pick," he hoped Harry picked up on his sarcasm, "she's a lot,"

"My sister too. Proper pain in the ass, but I miss her every day,"