"Well... Anyway, ready, Louis?" Zayn turned to him and Louis turned to the lad beside him, wondering why he looked so nervous. They walked side by side to the room he was getting it which was just a curtain so that more self-conscious clients would be able to get their tattoos in peace. Once they got there, though, Louis spared another glance at Hazz.
"Harry?"
"It'll hurt a lot. You sure you're okay with flowers?"
"I said I was, didn't I? Look... Zayn, give us a bit. Need to calm this one down." Zayn glanced between them, remembering he had seen them literally make out. Who was he to deny them a little alone time? Harry smiled when Zayn left, turning to Louis who arched a brow. He took a seat on the chair there and Harry sighed softly, running his fingers over his chest.
"I cannot believe this doesn't turn you on."
"Sorry, can't help you there."
"'ts not fair." Louis could only smile. He wanted to tell Harry to leave, especially since he was being a little too touchy too close to home but he couldn't bring himself to say the words. Harry was just having too much fun and he just didn't see the need to stop him, not at that moment, anyway. To his surprise, Harry paused on his own. Louis opened his eyes just in time to see Harry dive for the hem of his shirt, jumping off the chair and backing away.
"What the hell, Harry?!"
"Nothing... I felt something. Under there."
"It's nothing. You didn't feel anything." Harry wouldn't stop staring at him. They both knew Louis wasn't the lying type. He slowly ran his hands over his covered abdomen, sighing when Harry took his hand the moment he flinched ever so slightly.
"You're hurt. You're hurt, Louis. Take off the shirt, let me help y-"
"No, Harry."
"But you need first aid. How bad is it? How long has it been? You better not have let yourself get infected, I won't find it funny-"
"Didn't. Calm down. Please calm down." But Harry couldn't calm down. He was too busy hanging in the a balance, on the verge of crying his eyes out from his worry and confusion, how could Louis tell him to calm down when he was clearly injured underneath that fabric? It was just a tattoo, his body came first.
"What are we doing in a tattoo shop? You can't get a tattoo, Lou, that'll make it worse, that'll-"
"I've waited. I'm pretty much healed and the tattoo will cover it all up. That's the plan. That's why we're here."
"It's... You... did it on purpose... Didn't you?" He swallowed when Harry looked up at him with those big green eyes, begging him to lie to his face. Louis couldn't get any words out so he sighed, huffing when Harry grabbed his wrists. "Lou...?"
"Don't freak out? It's really not a big deal and there's a perfectly okay explanation for it all. I am always numb. My life is meaningless. See? It's reasonable, makes all the sense in the world... Or it would if you were me, I suppose." Harry shook his head, holding his hands to his lips. He wanted it to be a joke so desperately but Louis had that dull look he usually bore. It told Harry there was nothing untrue about his little speech, not even the slightest fib.
"What? No... No meaningless. Y-you aren't allowed to say that ever again."
"Fine, then. I'll just think it."
"Alright, fine! Then I'll think it, too-"
"Don't you fucking dare. I mean it, Styles."
"Well, I'll need a good distraction, dontcha think?"
"Sit."
"Wh-what? On your..." Louis nodded and Harry swallowed, knowing that despite everything, it wouldn't take his body long to react to such closeness. "B-but Zayn-"
"Does it look like I give a shit?" He got up and grabbed Harry by the torso, pulling him into the chair. It reminded them both of the first day they kissed, barely any time at all ago. Harry smiled slightly and leaned against him, rising when he remembered he was on top of an injured man... A broken man.
"Am I hurting you?"
"Course not. Now stop fidgeting, dammit, it's not a big dea-"
"YES IT IS!"
"Why a bouquet of flowers, Harry? Why did you want that tattooed on me?"
"They're really pretty."
"Yeah? That it? Your brilliant idea that you praised yourself for came from just thinking they're pretty?"
"Well, why no- I literally can't get anything past you, can I? Okay. Here's the game plan." Louis chuckled when Harry rubbed his hands together, scoffing when he was shushed. "I know it's cliche but I'll tell you. Now shh cos I'm about to fantasise, Lou! So when you and I eventually get naked and all, it'll be a tattoo butterfly on tattoo flowers, how cute is that? And I'll be sucking your nectar so when you think about it, it's awfully poetic-"
"Jesus."
"That's what some call me."
"Damn if I weren't ace you would be hella hard to resist. You're a lot better at this whole flirting thing than you think."
"Ooh, daddy, do you really think so?"
"Bite me, princess." Harry's entire face went pink and Louis bit his lip, his eyes roaming across his panicked expression. "Harry...? You really think we're gonna get there, huh?"
"Uh... No, nothing, nothing... Enjoy your tattooing, m'just gonna-" Louis gripped his hips once he made to get up and Harry whimpered, struggling between moving closer to Louis and pulling away. He had no doubt moving closer would make his body go crazy so there was only one other option but Louis wasn't letting him go. "Why are you doing this, I'm letting you get your tatt. Isn't that what you want? Let me off...!"
"You think all this... squirming and all your dirty words and thoughts doesn't have an effect on me, either?" Harry stared at him and Louis turned his head away, hating how much Harry could have him at a loss so quickly. The boy touched his cheek, brushing their noses against each other and Louis swiftly closed the gap, ignoring Harry's shocked gasp.
"You being... All cute... And vulnerable... It's not easy... For me... Either..." with every space between his words, Louis would bite and kiss Harry's neck, tugging at his hair just to feel him tremble above him. It wasn't that he was aroused but he enjoyed every second of seeing Harry come to pieces more than he knew he should have. The curtain and Harry froze, expecting Zayn while Louis let him go and tried to get a fucking grip on himself. This wasn't like him at all and of course, Harry was to blame for that.
"What even- actually, I don't want to know. I don't know what's going on between you two but you really should try to be more careful." Louis arched a brow, letting Harry go finally so he could walk over to his roommate, challenging him with his eyes.
"Meaning what, exactly?"
"I just don't think you guys should be doing all this PDA-ing? Might make some people uncomfortable?"
"Then they should die."
"Louis, that's not the answer to everything."
"You too. Die. Why are you even here?"
"Ugh. I had to get the apartment keys, forgot I gave them to ya. But I don't mean what I say in a bad way, I'm just looking out for ya. The next Karen might be worse and not quite as loud but harmless. I want you safe. Harry, you get what I mean, right?"
"Huh? Wasn't really listening but Louis said die so... Die!!" Harry let out a wild Tarzan yell and Louis didn't know whether to be proud or startled when he jumped on Liam, sending them both crashing to the floor. He leaned against the door frame, watching Harry slap Liam's face flimsily. Of course it was the internalised homophobia at work but the bitch certainly deserved it so before he knew it, a smile was peeking out.
"Dammit Louis... I should be scolding you but frankly, I don't give a shit and I'm used to you encouraging Harry's madness by now," Zayn muttered as he shook his head, trying to ignore the fact that he rushed over because he heard Liam groan.
"Why not? I mean, look at him. That is an elegant, beautiful freak of nature right there, every inch of him. This is why I love the boy-"
"You love me?" Louis rolled his eyes in response.
"Okay. So you block out your ears when I call you a freak of nature but-"
"Even when you said that it was a compliment but you... Just said you love me." Louis didn't know how or when he was going to stop mentally slamming his head into a wall but knowing Harry, something else would happen and he would be right back at it. Why was he making such a big deal out of it. He had on a stupid smile and whether it was meant to be teasing or genuine, he felt pissed off, especially when Niall appeared and said he'd been shamelessly eavesdropping the whole time.
"Ignore it. The pain has me confused... Or something."
"You totally did say it, everyone heard you, ahh! Aww, Loueh, it's alright. Remember, we've got a map of our lives together so be rest assured that I reciprocate- but I swear to the cosmos if you dare doublecross me during the great, fast-approaching Stylinson Bank Heist in a year yet to be determined, I will... Well, I won't actually do anything to you but I'll be very disappointed. Now that I know you wuv me, though, I know there's no way you would ever-"
"God, Harry, shut up, I slipped by accident. Can I not speak without getting harassed, anymore? Fucking hell I'm going to murder this kid some day."
"First off, I am two years younger. Two. Second, see, you can't and you won't murder me. And you wanna know why? Because Louis...?" Louis sighed. Harry wasn't going to stop bothering him and poking his cheek and smiling so stupidly big until he got it out, might as well get it over with.
"Loves Harry."
"And Harry loves Louis! Game, set, match! Partners for life, ride-or-die."
"I'm sorry, map of your lives together? Bank heist? Partners? I am confusion?" Niall looked more happy for them than confused but Louis tried to ignore that, facepalming.
"We were... Really bored one night during a late shift at the bar. And Harry's wild imagination took things way off-track multiple times and I just went with the flow. You really don't want to hear about how he plans to somehow pop out mini-us gremlins. Apparently if the poop can get out and he's had two to three thick cocks get in, there's no reason why a fucking seven pounds heavy baby wouldn't make its way through. And he also wants multiple at a time. Because he loves children and he is also clearly insane."
"Jesus Christ they're so in love with each other." When Zayn and Liam didn't refute the statement, although Liam did nudge Niall playfully when he turned around and started running his hands over his back while making kissy noises, Louis got further frustrated.
"Go to hell. The lot of ya. We are not anything, got it?"
"Yeah, right, sure jan. Anyway, I've got to go, now. Louis, let me know when you're done." Louis shrugged and handed him the keys, sending him a two-fignered salute. "Ni, I'll text you, Harry be careful around all the needles- bye, everyone!"
He smiled cheerfully at the workers who chroused their goodbyes as well. They were a nice bunch. If only their boss shared the same trait, he complained to himself, fighting between being mad at Zayn and mad at himself for caring so much in the first place.
His sudden departure left Zayn to his thoughts for a bit before Niall pulled him back into reality with a gentle nudge that seemed almost comforting. He forced a smile and nodded his head at Louis who followed him noiselessly back behind the curtain.
Harry had asked him to do it in that private area, unknown to Louis and it was a lot less weird, there. Zayn didn't make a single comment about the scars which he definitely appreciated but he felt like a certain weird bond grew between both their relatively less-outgoing selves in the space of that silence, the room echoing with the quiet humming of needles and the buzz of gentle chatter among staff and customers.
"Lou-lou, boo bear, you're done!" He wanted to hug him but he had gotten tattoos himself, most after leaving home and still remembered from experience that it wasn't wise to put pressure on the sensitive skin at that moment. "I'm hungry, can we go now?" Louis' eyes softened as he tugged his shirt down once more, making sure it covered his frame completely.
"Sure, princess-" Fuck. He was making it worse, wasn't he? Clearly, from the way Niall's eyes lit up as he prepared to explode into a pile of rainbow dust, he had. "No. No, Niall and shut the fuck up, no."
Louis shoved his hands in his pockets, grumbling loudly about how all the people he knew were judgemental creepy bitches. Harry asked if he was among that group and Louis replied in the negative, flushing slightly when Harry kissed his cheek because there were way too many eyes on them. He hated being watched but that flew out of the window when he heard someone wolf whistle and watched Harry's cheeks darken ever-so-slightly. "How about a little dessert, first, yeah?"
And then Louis was kissing him, so hard Harry lost all contact with reality. He blinked, gripping Louis' arm so he could stay standing and Louis shot the entire shop a middle finger with a grin before walking out.
"Jesus, their relationship is a weird one."
"Right."
"What happened with Liam, though? He's always been a cool guy, he should've stayed to hang... Or other things, wink wonk." Zayn chose to ignore the last part.
"His exams literally ended around his birthday, or so I gathered from Harry's intel. I don't think he's studying, I think he's upset with me. I think he heard some part of what we were saying before he walked in... Question is, how much does he know?"
"Liam? Nah, he's never able to keep a grudge for too long. I'm sure he knows you didn't mean anything in a weird way. Just do me a favour and confess your undying love for each other next time, okay? At least I got to see the other two kiss... Twice! Gotta think up a ship name for em, by the way, but how about Ziam?! My shipper heart caught all the tension but no boning occurred and that's just cruel, Zaynie."
"There was no tension. Liam didn't clap at the cishet question. He barely looked at me the whole time he was here. Nothing could ever happen."
"Didn't you see how confused he looked? Especially when he glanced at you." Liam hadn't done that, Zayn was sure of it so he shook his head quietly, heading to the loo. "Oh my gods you two are fucking oblivious, why is it that the ones who want and need to make out with each other the most are always the blindest to each other's pining away fuck me eyes?! I'm literally surrounded by Wattpad book couples right now and I'm not finding it funny-"
"Get the fuck out, Horan, I'll see you later."
"I'll call ya!" Finally, he was alone. Now to keep his thoughts as quiet as possible, especially since he could hear his employees talking about his friends, shocked he had more than one; Harry, in the first place. Sure enough, Niall began to tell literally everyone there, customers included about the beauty of Ziam and when he caught him mid-statement, his co-workers made a whole deal out of it and teased him through the day. As if he hadn't been embarrassed enough.
There. Good enough, lol. I still exist ewwie 😂 anyway.. The cover is trash lol, imma try to change it tho it sucks cos I worked on the current one and rlly thought I did smth there???