Chasing Empty Spaces

Chapter 1

"Coming right up, gentlemen," She grinned and then shuffled behind the bar to prepare the drinks.

Louis glanced over his shoulder then back at Harry, "How's the date going?"

Harry couldn't help the frustrated groan that slipped out of his mouth, instantly making Louis laugh in response. He shook his head and rubbed a hand over his face.

"She's awful."

Louis snorted, "She's not that bad."

Harry expectantly lifted an eyebrow and deadpanned, "Really?"

A toothy grin stretched over Louis' mouth, blatantly trying to stifle a laugh.

"You've talked to her," Harry lowered his voice, "Admit it."

A sharp laugh shot out of Louis, instantly breaking his composure. The skin by his eyes crinkled and his teeth dug into the plush of his lower lip. Louis slowly nodded and schooled his face into an apologetic expression.

"She is a bit miserable to talk to, isn't she?" Louis breathlessly huffed out.

Harry bashfully admitted, "I was hoping she was gonna leave during the set."

"Some date you are," Louis nudged Harry with his elbow.

"Hey," Harry drawled out and nudged him back, "I'm an excellent date. She's just an awful match."

"That so?" Louis challenged. He rolled his fingers in the air, "Is it that you're interested in a different gal?"

Harry frowned, "Definitely not."

Louis' eyes brightened as he laughed out, "Why do you look so offended?"

"Everyone in this town is just," Harry vaguely gestured with his hands for lack of a fitting word.

Louis snorted, "Very specific, Stud."

"Selfish."

"Selfish?"

"Everyone is," Harry went on to explain. He rested his hands against the bar and shook his head, "Everyone just wants money and doesn't actually care about anyone but themselves."

Louis humorlessly laughed, "Everyone, hmm?"

Harry's snapped his head towards Louis at the bitter tone that laced his words. He shook his head and looked around before lightly clasping Louis' elbow.

"I didn't mean you," Harry quietly said. "I mean," He hesitated before he continued, "You're not selfish. You seem...Different." When Louis didn't immediately answer, Harry dropped his hand and stammered out, "I was just talking about girls though, yeah?"

Louis nodded and didn't say anything as the bartender returned with their drinks. She placed four glasses in front of them and left two bills. Harry anxiously glanced at Louis, worrying that he just ruined a new friendship before it had even begun.

"Um," Harry coughed out, gaining Louis' attention, "Are ya sure you don't want me to get it?"

Louis narrowed his eyes and pushed himself upright, "I can afford my own drink, Stud."

Harry blanched at that, "I didn't mean -"

"Why didn't you tell him to stop earlier?" Louis cut him off as he angled his body to completely face Harry's.

"Excuse me?" Harry tilted his head.

Louis pointedly looked towards Niall, "You don't like him telling people that you can pay for their drinks."

"Oh, uh," Harry stammered, his fingers anxiously knotting together. He shrugged, "I mean, he's not wrong. I can afford it."

"So?" Louis slowly drawled out. He folded his arms over his chest, "That doesn't mean you have tuh go an' pay for everyone you meet."

"I know that," Harry rolled his eyes.

Louis cocked his eyebrow, "Do you?"

"Do you have a problem with me?" Harry defensively narrowed his eyes.

"No," Louis answered and oddly enough, he sounded genuine. He shrugged, "Just tryin' to figure you out."

"There's nothing to figure out."

"I hope for your sake, that's not true."

Harry made an affronted noise, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"If all you got is your daddy's company, paying for your friends, and dating people you don't care about," Louis tilted his chin upwards and gave him a once over before finishing, "Well, then that's a sad life."

"You don't know me," Harry gritted out, stepping into Louis' space.

"No, I don't," Louis easily agreed and tossed two bills onto the bar.

Harry was in a daze as he paid for the three drinks. He hovered by the bar after he got his change, eyes frenetically darting towards Louis' overly-nonchalant posture. When Louis moved to walk away, Harry wrapped his hand around Louis' bicep to stop him.

"That's not all I have," Harry firmly told him.

There was an inexplicable need to prove to Louis that he had more to him than the surface persona that people saw. He was more than a trust fund and for the first time, Harry wanted to prove it to someone.

The corner of Louis' mouth quirked into a smile, "Good to know, Stud."

Harry let Louis' bicep go with a nod, not sure if he was reassuring Louis or himself. He looked back towards Niall and Faye before asking, "Are - Um, are you gonna stay with us a bit?"

Louis looked over Harry's shoulder then slowly shook his head, "Not really my crowd, Stud."

"Oh, okay," Harry jerkily nodded, not fully understanding why he felt put out.

"But, if you want to spend time with someone who isn't selfish," Louis started, pausing to put his hands in his pockets, "I work at the shop, Dempsey's."

Harry nodded, feeling the corner of his mouth twitch upwards. He clasped his hands behind his back and rocked his weight from his heels to the balls of his feel. Louis took two backward steps, his eyes trained on Harry's before he took a sip of his drink and turned away. Harry watched as Louis snaked through the crowd, eventually losing sight of him when he made it to the dancefloor.

Shaking himself out of his brief haze, Harry grabbed their drinks and walked over towards Niall and Faye. He passed both of them their glasses and he realized that neither of them thanked him. It was something that Harry wouldn't have usually thought twice about, but Louis' words were still running fresh in his mind.

"What happened to the mechanic?" Niall asked after he took a sip from his glass.

His name is Louis.

Harry shrugged, "Had to go."

"Too bad," Faye made a displeased sound. "He was a riot, wasn't he?"

Looking towards the direction of the dancefloor, Harry searched through the crowd for Louis. He sipped his cocktail and eventually turned back towards Faye's expectant look.

"Yeah," Harry nodded. He looked down at his drink, "He's somethin' else."