Something Different // l.s.

Part Three

Harry went to reply before the manager stepped out.

"Styles?" He asked while looking Harry up and down. Harry completely regretted not slicking down his hair for the job after seeing Mr. Corden's hair full of gel.

"Yes sir. Sorry, I'm heading in now." Harry slipped his phone into his pocket and walked inside. The bar was half full and was as quiet as a mouse. The side of his head began to nervously sweat as he made his way to stage in the back.

"This is not my original but I've been working on a cover." Harry didn't fall over his words like he thought he would but instead strums his guitar to ease his nerves.

"This is I can't help falling in love with you." He says before beginning the song.

Just as Harry gets halfway through the song, a young lad has become familiar as he steps in. Louis, the boy from the library makes his way to the bar without noticing his crush on stage. After the bartender sets down his normal blue martini, Louis turns to see what the crowd has stopped to see.

His heart drops suddenly, seeing the green eyed lad on the stage before him. Him and Harry make brief eye contact before Harry throws a smirk his way. Louis diverts eye contact and looks at the bartender.

"You know that guy?" James asks. He's the owner of the bar who had reached out to Harry for this very job.

"He comes into my library a lot and picks out books. We've never spoken before though." Louis shrugs as if it's no big deal but truly it was Louis. Louis was so scared of being shot down and he worried that Harry wasn't into guys.

"Well maybe you guys should acquaint yourselves. He seems to know who you are." James says while nodding towards Harry. Harry's eyes had some how still been stuck on Louis. Louis felt extremely uncomfortable knowing Harry's eyes were watching him like a hawk.

"Eh I don't know. We don't seem like two people who would be good friends." Louis takes a drink of his martini while James just shrugs.

"You'll never know till you find out." He says while walking away. Louis looks down at his tattoo again on his right arm. I know right.

He couldn't possible come up with any words to say to Harry that would make his reply with I know right.

Louis looked back up at Harry as he moved onto the next song.

Harry knew the boy by the bar was someone he knew but he couldn't put his finger on it. He sighed and started singing Sign of the Times. Mr. Corden smiled over at Harry while wiping a glass down.

***

After Harry had gone through a list of songs and sang a few requested from the crowd, he walked over to the bar. Him and the boy he swore he knew were only a few seats away. He avoided eye contact with Harry as he drank his martini.

"What would you like Harold?" James said and Harry's eyes shot towards him. The only other person to call him that was his father. Harry stared at him for a while before realizing the tension between the two.

"Scotch on ice." He says while Mr. Corden disappears behind the counter. The boy finds some courage to look at Harry and Harry stares back.

"Here you go." Mr. Corden sets down a glass in front of Harry and throws a towel over his shoulder.

"Thanks." He mumbles before taking a drink. He lets the cold bitter scotch run down his throats and cool his insides.

"You did a good job tonight. I'm actually quite proud to say the least. Here's your $500 and a little extra." James smiled and walked over to another customer. Harry counts up an extra fifty dollars and nods to James across the table.