When Harry left Louis to go home, his mind was all twisted up. It's not that he didn't know he was a people pleaser, it's that Louis had managed to notice and point it out despite the fact that his drunk self didn't act quite as utterly lame. It made him wonder what else Louis had noticed about him. The man was an enigma but all the mystery was really concerning, despite the fact that they had only known each other for a little over two weeks.
Why couldn't he just have a normal degree he was studying for instead of this one that gave him the power of people-reading? Like a degree in drink shaking or a position as one of those sexy half-naked calendar firemen Harry distinctly remembered had helped him realise he really liked men when he was younger? He flushed at the thought, groaning to himself. There was no need to sexualise the man but then again, Harry had a knack for letting his imagination run too wild way too much. It was one of the reasons he blushed somewhat often, his mind worked faster than his conscience ever could to stop it.
He flopped on his bed, angry at his body's reactions. He most definitely was not going to jack off to the thought of Louis in suspenders, that was just low. Why had he slipped back to those naked firemen, anyway? He knew exactly what that would cause!
Harry repeatedly told himself he was out of control, stilling when an intrusive thought muttered a very unpleasant insult to him for being such a pervert. He suddenly wanted to get drunk, again... But Louis wouldn't want him doing that, especially when he was all alone and might get hurt. No, no, he just needed to summon Zayn so he would babysit him like the stupid child he was while he got hammered. While he waited, his mind kept flashing to unpleasant thoughts about his sexual past so he decided he would give up on Zayn's arrival and take a long, long nap to forget all about how disgusting he felt and was.
By the time he woke up, it was already evening and he got himself ready to go to the club. He convinced himself he was hurrying because he wanted to get drunk off his ass but, truth be told, he wanted to see Louis even more. What was wrong with him? Had he learned absolutely nothing from every single relationship he had ever had? It was Relationship 101; don't ever crush on anyone in the first place!
When he got to the club, he let out a sigh of relief seeing only Liam there. He explained that Lou was running late but Harry didn't want to hear another word about the confusing bartender who was messing with his head. And so, he drank, ignoring the uneasiness on his friends' faces. Liam and Zayn shared a look, the first time they had interacted since the hospital and Zayn mouthed "call Louis". And if Louis rushed himself to be there for Harry, despite the fact that it wasn't his shift, well... No one needed to know that. His professors were already used to his late submissions, anyway.
Liam looked up when he heard the creaky back door swing open. Louis greeted him with a two-fingered salute, glancing around. "Where's Harry? Hazz, come over here, will ya?"
Harry most definitely heard that, his flushed cheeks a clear indication but he bit the inside of his cheek and stayed put. "Is he still upset with me? Or did you let him drink, again? Both?"
"Upset? Louis, what exactly did you say to him?" Louis rose his hands immediately, the roommates narrowing their eyes at each other.
"Hey, I only said what's true! And, just so you know you're meant to be on my side, here."
"I kind of owe it to Harry to not do that. I'm the reason he's like this in the first place-"
"Don't blame yourself, idiot. It's not your job to babysit your patrons and their mental health issues. He could have and should have stopped himself but he wanted to forget something..." Hopefully he wasn't that something. He had seen the lad shed tears over him too much in the short amount of time they had known each other. Somehow, he managed to cause him that much emotional distress without trying. "It's fine, alright? Although... To be honest, the real problem is Simon Cowell."
"He hasn't done anything. You are on such thin ice after last time with the whole shouting match, he only let you off the hook because you were injured and now you guys are on manageable terms. Do not fuck it up, again."
"Fuck what up, exactly? He hates me, I hate him so I see nothing left there to fuck up. And I can bet you the main reason he doesn't like me is that I can see right through him. Our boss is a dick."
"Louis, shut up," Liam said with a half playful, half serious nudge.
"I'm sorry, can't hear you over the shit music our SHITHEAD BOSS is playing-"
"Louis, that's enough!"
"SIMON COWELL IS A FUCKING ARSEWIPE!" Louis rolled his eyes when Simon thundered back.
"Excuse me?! Liam, what did your friend just say?!"
"Why don't you talk directly to me so I can get even more descriptive, you coward, you-"
"I swear to God, Lou- he didn't say anything, boss!" The door slammed and Liam let out a sigh of relief, placing a hand on Louis' chest. "Lou. I know you're getting emotional over Harry right now. It's making you lash out, just calm down-"
"I am not- fuck. Harry Edward Styles! Get over here. Now." Harry got up once he heard his full name, locking eyes with the bartender. He had never seen him so riled up before but as usual, his mind found it attractive as fuck. He inched over and took a seat on a bar stool, biting his lip. Louis was going to speak but Harry couldn't keep it in any longer.
"I want you to fuck me- I mean, I want to fuck you- I mean- both? Fuck... Each other? Fuck ourselves? Do I sound insane?" Louis blinked at him and Harry froze. The weight was off his shoulders now that he had spilled but the secret was properly out in the open, causing some more anxiety-induced rambling.
"I mean- I don't- like you're asexual and all, yes but you said if you care it's okay, right? Not that I matter to ya or anything, I'm just some big-mouthed weirdo. Remember what you told me, this morning? Customer, bartender, blah blah? It's just- you're really sexy and- I kind of maybe had a steamy dream about you today after begging myself not to imagine you in suspenders - spoiler alert, I failed at that- I'm being so dumb, aren't I- it's my brain, blame my fucking brain- God, I'm going to shut up now, I'm such an idiot, ignore everything I've ever said in my life, thank you."
"Okay...? First of all... You're not a big mouth. I've told you I like listening to you talk. That won't change. Second, of course, the care thing... You're wrong. I do. So you're wrong." Harry's eyes widened and he managed to look up but quickly hid his head behind his folded arms on the counter when their eyes met. He just told a man he hadn't known for up to a month that he wanted to sleep with him. He thought he had gotten past this point but then again, it was Louis who had no fucking clue how attractive he really was. If it was possible to do things like the other Harry in his life and disappear behind an Invisibility Cloak, he would have done so by then.
"Let's just act like I never walked in here today, yeah? ...please?" Louis planned to joke about it but he heard the crack in Harry's voice, clear as day. He genuinely felt guilty about his thoughts. Frankly, no one had ever admitted something like this to him before. What about him could possibly have attracted the lad when he was so gorgeous and so out of his league? Louis didn't have an answer to that but all that alcohol meant Harry was being genuine and he didn't want him feeling bad for such bizarre flattery.
"Harry...? I'm going to be honest with you, right now. Okay? Call it an overshare for an overshare." Harry rose his head ever so slightly and nodded, ears perked. What could Louis possibly want to tell him?
"I thought of having sex with you, once. You were extra drunk and kind of handsy and I just wondered what would go down if I actually did have a thing for fucking. I didn't get aroused by the thought but... I wasn't repulsed like I usually would be. I like the thought of giving you, and only you, pleasure. I usually don't give a fuck about making people feel good but you, Mr People Pleaser, are an exception, it seems. I'm not a liar so I guess that's something I'll have to accept. It's making me a little confused about where I stand exactly on the ace spectrum but yeah."
"Wait... Wait, you want to fuck me? Is... Is that what you're saying? Because I heard a lot of words there but like..."
"No, that's not what I meant, not exactly-" Hazz's expression dropped and Louis gritted his teeth. The things I do for this boy, he thought, clamping his lips together for a moment before he decided to go with it. "Depends... Do you want me to fuck you?"
"W-well, I mean, y-yeah... That would be... Umm... Cool..." Harry was blushing heavily. All that pink was a good colour on him. Louis leaned over the bar, arching a brow.
"You know, if you really want to, you just have to beg. I'll pin you against this bar right now and completely wreck you," Louis whispered, his voice getting thicker. Of course, he was just kidding but it was worth it to see Harry's reaction, whatever it would be. Electricity crackled between them as they stared each other down until Harry suddenly seemed to snap back into reality, hopping off the chair and rushing to Zayn.
"Zaynie, Zaynie! Help, Louis is teasing me, the bastard!" Harry stuck his tongue out at Louis who rolled his eyes. Yet, their conversation was still echoing in his mind and he found his face reddening again, pacing back and forth with his hands on his cheeks. "Why would he say that to me? Why? Is it a trick? But Louis never, ever lies. But he had that cheeky look, I just- God stop being so confusing, Lou, I'm too dirty-minded and horny for your cruel mind games!"
"I swear to God, Harold, I'm trying to draw something, stop being so fucking loud, will ya? Control thineself, you started it!"
"He made it sexual this time, not me! He started it- he started it, right? Did I start it? Ugh you know my memory is shit, Zayn, just... Do something! Scold him for being bad, he's totally worse than I am deep down, Zaynie, I don't know how it's possible but he is!"
"Yeah, right. Get a hold on yourself, you absolutely chronic nympho." Harry gasped, narrowing his eyes at his best friend. Liam looked up from making a cocktail when he heard Zayn yell "fuck" not too long after, followed by a string of curse words while Harry grinned victoriously with one foot hovering some inches above the ground. That is, until Zayn locked eyes with Harry, slowly holding up the shoe and said, "you do realise I'm not giving this back, right?"
"Wha... But Zayn! My foot, my naked foot! I'll be cold and the floor is probably icky, stop it!!"
"I told you to wear socks. But nope, socks are homophobic, he says. Feel free to hop and cry, you aren't getting shit, not until I at least finish my work."
"Wh- Louis! Tell Zayn to gimme back my shoe!" Harry groaned when everyone ignored him and climbed up the bar, repeating his demand louder. God, drunk Harry was a case, he couldn't imagine how Zayn did it for however long he had been chaperoning Hazz during his drinking spells. Louis looked at Zayn who looked back. They both shrugged right after and that was that. He went back to work although glancing intermittently along with the other two at the idiot towering above everyone and throwing a mini-tantrum. He finally gave in when Harry kept whining his name and responded.
"Hazz, I'm fucking busy. I don't care enough to ask your friend to throw your shoe back at your head." He handed a customer a drink and looked up at Harry again, folding his arms. He had a feeling if he told Harry to get down with enough sterness in his voice, the boy would do so but he wasn't quite sure he was comfortable having such power over someone.
"I did that out of love, Lou, love. Also, you're supposed to be on my side! Don't encourage him, he's been bullying me for years!"
"I will happily continue to bully you for doing dumb shit. It's called friendship; deal with it."
"Yeah... I'm on the side of pure nonchalance but for fuck's sake, get down from there, you absolute wanker." He slipped under the counter to the other side and stretched out his hand to help Harry down. Without giving it a single thought, Harry dove for him, squealing when Louis rushed to grip him as he slipped and tumbled off.
"...Styles."
"Tomlinson." Louis' arms were securely wrapped round Harry's torso, part of his shirt ridding up which gave unwanted access to the warm skin underneath. Harry's hands were frozen from shock, pressed against Louis' chest and they both took a moment to stare at each other, forgetting just about everything else around them. The space between them wasn't nearly enough.
They were wide-eyed but neither pulled away just yet. Harry's breath was thick with alcohol and Lou could see the redness in his eyes from all that drinking. Still, it didn't change the fact that damn, this boy was beautiful. Harry, on the other hand, was too close to a gorgeous man with gorgeous blue eyes to not hyperventilate, his brain completely blank other than a lot of rainbow panic.
"If you... Want to... wear socks and not feel homophobic, I suggest you find some rainbow ones... or something."
"Yeah... No, yeah, 'course." Louis nodded once, trying to give nothing away with his expression while Harry's eyes were still comically wide as he stared at him. Louis made sure he was steady one more time and slowly let him go, clearing his throat.
"I have to go... I- umm- Zaynie has to sleep early for work so we're gonna jet. Uh... Bye, Louis." The bartender swallowed and watched him go, shaking off how strange he suddenly felt. What was that? It had to be because he hadn't really been that close to anyone in forever. Being as touch-starved as he was, a longing for Harry's warmth still lingered but he reminded himself it was an accident and would certainly never happen again.
"Lou...? You okay?"
"Hmm? Yeah, no. I really freaking did not need Hazz jumping on me like that. We could've fallen, the... idiot." He felt his face heat up and cleared his throat once again, trying to keep his brain quiet. It was usually blank but it seemed it was glad to have something to freak out and obsess over. Or, well, someone. He looked up, already ready to bite back if Liam dared tease him but clearly Liam's mind was elsewhere.
He kept quiet, looking past Louis with a strange look in his eyes. Louis glanced back and saw that Zayn was standing there right there. He then moved to the other side of the bar quickly to give them their privacy, wondering what on earth those two were doing being so tense around each other. It really wasn't like Liam but, then again, it was never easy for most people having someone be their rainbow awakening, even though he hadn't accepted it quite yet. They shared a heavy silence until Liam opened his mouth to speak which prompted Zayn to hurriedly stretch something out to him.
"Is this my jacket? Shit... I left it at the hospital, didn't I?" He could only nod and Liam managed to tear his eyes away from him after some seconds, gazing down at the piece of clothing which had been covered in blood and some tears when he took it off. It was completely clean, now.
"You really didn't have to go through all this trouble-"
The man he was speaking to was already gone, halfway out the door. He didn't even look back and Liam could only nod slowly, squeezing the material. Of all the times in his life that he had done things he didn't want to fit a certain standard, running away from Zayn Malik had to be the most painful experience. He took in a deep breath and wiped down the bar, putting on a grin without a thought when a woman came up to get a drink and touched his arm. He could stress over that later but right then, he needed to focus on his job before Simon caught him moping and scolded him.
"Li...? You okay?"
"Hmm? Oh, yeah, Tommo, no worries. Zayn brought me back my jacket from the hospital but it's making me remember that day so I'm just trying to snap out of it, that's all. Happy you're still with us, mate. Lemme just go to the storage room real quick, we're out of lemon." Louis glanced at Liam's retreating back, then at the front door Zayn disappeared through. What was the story between those two? No wonder Harry was always trying to figure him out; this was driving him mad! He rolled his eyes, letting out a defeated sigh and got back go work.
Yeah idk how good or how bad this chapter is lol. Maybe it's confusing too but either way, it's about to be posted, brought to you by www.ZeeFeelsDeadInside.com.ng 🤩😘