Save Myself // Larry Stylinson

Chapter 8

"She sounds great," Louis had to jump on the opportunity to turn the spotlight literally anywhere else.

Harry smiled with full dimples again, "she is. I can hardly wait for Christmas, I haven't seen her in months,"

Much to Louis' relief, he was able to keep most of the evenings conversation focused on Harry. Lottie helped--a lot. Conversation seemed to come easily to both of them, and Louis wanted to analyze that, but he found himself lost in it. He laughed as they teased each other and tried to make note of how they did it so easily.

Everything was kind of perfect and kind of nice. No one else had entered the cafe since Louis and Lottie. Harry had just happily sat at the table with them talking about anything and everything with Lottie.

It was approaching nine and it was around then that Louis started to notice Lottie's yawns.

He looked up from his cold, half empty coffee (which he had been trying to focus on instead of Harry) and spoke "what time are you off at?"

"Ten," Harry's response was quick.

"Um," said Louis, "would you want a ride home?"

Louis could hardly believe he'd let the words out of his mouth. He was shocked at how quickly they'd come. It wasnt that he didn't mean it, he wanted to give Harry a ride, if only to extend their time together. But it was terrifying, those few seconds where he'd given Harry the option to decline. He could have easily said no, and that prospect was horrifying. It wasn't something he'd normally ask. It seemed so small and so obvious and if it were anyone else in the world besides Louis asking, it would have seemed so normal.

But, Louis didn't ask that sort of thing. He didn't put himself into a position to be turned down. It had literally never happened because, while Louis was not good with the word 'no', everyone in his life seemed to be. No one said yes to Louis. It wasn't how things worked.

A sick, anxious feeling brewed in his stomach and he could feel his face flushing. Lottie grabbed his hand under the table and squeezed it and thank fuck for Lottie. She made everything so much easier.

"Really?" Asked Harry, that easy smile on his face as usual.

"Only if you want,"

"That would be great, thank-you, Lou,"

Louis nodded once, "I think I'm gonna drop Lottie off at home and come back and get you,"

Lottie looked up to him quickly and looked like she was going to argue, but then she calmed herself and nodded, "I'm tired,"

They heard the chime above the door sound and Harry jumped from his seat.

"You slacking in here, Haz?" The booming voice was loud and Irish and unmistakably Niall.

It took Niall a solid three seconds before he noticed who Harry was sitting with. He shot harry a questioning glance and then looked to Louis.

"Tomlinson," he said, "didn't realize cheap coffee chains were your thing,"

"Shut up, Niall," said Harry, giving him a panicked look.

It was definitely, without a single doubt, time for Louis to leave.

Louis stood up and walked toward the door, hearing Lottie follow suit. They were nearly to the door before he heard Harry.

"Wait,"

Louis turned to face him and nearly froze under the ice of Niall's glare.

"Are you going to come back?"