Harry faintly touched his lips, letting out a low Wow as the door closed behind him. He had just kissed Louis. It had been brief, but it had brought forth the warmth in all of Harry's body, igniting it on fire.
Harry had kissed a few people before, but never had he kissed anyone who kissed the way Louis did. He couldn't contain his smile. It spread over his face faster than a virus, and once there, it seemed impossible to wipe off.
He had kissed Louis.
And it had been freaking amazing.
* * *
The following day, Harry biked to the flower shop. It was the one Louis had told him about. He had texted him—they had a lot since the night prior—asking for the address. Gladly, Louis had granted it to him.
The bell chimed above Harry's head as he stepped inside, the strong aroma of a ton of different flowers hitting him. He loved it. He let his eyes scout around the shop, his eyes landing on a cashier's desk standing by the far end of the shop. He walked up to it, furrowing his eyebrows as he cluelessly looked around.
His eyes landed on a small bell. Hesitantly, he moved his hand to touch it, but just then a door on his right opened. Out stepped a woman whose big smile made up for her height.
"Hello," she greeted. "Can I help you?"
Harry cleared his throat. "Well, yes. I'm here regarding the job offer. A... friend of mine mentioned it to me."
"Ah, I see." She stopped behind the cashier. "Happen to be the date of a very nervous-looking young man yesterday?"
Harry's cheeks blossomed red. "Yeah, that's me."
"My name is Mary," she said, holding a hand out for Harry to shake over the desk.
Harry took it, shaking. "'M Harry."
"Well, Harry," said Mary, "the job is a relatively simple one. Stand here behind the cashier, and sometimes it will also entail that you help me in the back of the shop. It's part-time, and you can decide yourself when your shifts are gonna be, that way you can fit it in with studies or whatever else you have to do. Though, if you want full pay every month, you have to take on a certain amount of shifts."
"I think I would really, really like it," Harry said. Then he added, "I love flowers."
"Then you're hired," Mary said. She was smiling warmly. "Anyone who loves flowers is gonna love working here. When can you start?"
"What about... tomorrow already?"
* * *
"Niall! I got the job!" yelled Harry as he stepped into the apartment. He shrugged his coat off, furrowing his eyebrows as his eyes landed on a pair of well-known Vans. Next to them stood two other pairs of shoes Harry was unfamiliar with.
"That's great!" came Niall's reply just as he showed up at the door. He was holding a box in his arms. "I got my new Playstation, finally! I hope you don't mind I invited the boys over for Fifa."
Harry swallowed, his eyes landing on the shoes. "Is... Louis here as well, perhaps?"
"Yes." Niall nodded, grinning. "No need for applause. I know I'm amazing."
"But—I'm still wearing my night clothes!" exclaimed Harry. He hadn't bothered to change since it would be a short trip outside and his coat would be hiding his attire anyway. "I look like shit!"
Niall scoffed. "Like Louis would care. Come in. We're in the living room." With those words he disappeared, leaving Harry to panic.
Slowly, Harry took off his boots, exhaling deeply. Louis was in his living room. Louis whom he had been on a date with. Whom he had kissed.
Slowly, Harry began the short trip to the living room. The sound of Louis' laughter reached his ears. It made butterflies set off in his stomach. He loved Louis' laugh.
"Hey, guys," he said, trying to appear nonchalant as he stopped at the door. All the boys were sitting around the TV, working on setting up the PlayStation.
Louis' face lit up. "Harry, hi." Even in sweatpants and a hoodie, hair mushed up, Louis was the most stunning person Harry had ever seen.
"Yeah, Harry," Zayn drawled. "Hi."
Liam cackled.
Louis rolled his eyes, standing up. He walked over the boxes that lay on the floor, beelining for Harry. He was smiling. Harry smiled back.
"Hey," Harry mumbled as Louis stopped in front of him. "Nice seeing you here."
"I can only say the same," Louis said. "I mean, well, it's your apartment and all, but still. I... I like seeing you. A lot. More than a lot. You're pretty."
Harry snorted, shaking his head amusedly. "Thank you, Lou. I can only say the same."
"I'm gagging over here!" called Liam.
"Guys!" Niall called. "Can't you go to the kitchen and begin making hotdogs? I bought the stuff for it."
Louis' eyes found Harry's. "I know shit about cooking."
"I know you don't. You can sit and look pretty on top of the counter?" Harry suggested, and... maybe having Louis here wasn't as awkward as he had expected it to be. Instead, it was as it always was; easy. Being around Louis was so easy in the best way that made him feel light on his feet and in his heart.
Louis grinned, his eyes crinkling. "Yeah, I would love that."
"Good, come on." Harry grabbed Louis' sleeve, pulling him along into the kitchen.
Louis propped himself up on the counter, settling his eyes on Harry as Harry began moving around the kitchen.
"So... you got the job?"
"I did, yeah," grinned Harry. He placed the bread and sausages on the counter. "Thank you for that, by the way. I'm starting tomorrow."
"That's bloody great," exclaimed Louis. "I'm so happy for you."
"Thank you." Harry stepped closer to Louis, scratching his neck. "I need to... the cabinet above your head... I need a bowl from there."
Louis raised an eyebrow at him. "Is that so?"
"Yeah."
"Then why don't just come closer to get it?"
"Because you're sitting there, duh," Harry said, cheeks heating.
"Ah, right." Louis spread his legs further apart. "Now there's space."
Harry swallowed. "Oh. Alright." He took a step forward, settling between Louis' legs. He tried to ignore the way Louis' thighs were touching him lightly and the way Louis looked at him through his lashes, as he reached into the cabinet. He took out a bowl and placed it down on the counter next to Louis. But he didn't move away.
Louis looked up at him, his eyes darting to Harry's lips. "Hello."
Harry chuckled. "Hi."
"Did I mention I enjoyed myself last night?" muttered Louis.
"You did, yeah," Harry said, trying to bite back a smile. "And I did, too."
"I was wondering if..." Louis trailed off, his eyes darting between Harry's eyes and lips constantly.
"If?" Harry asked, holding his breath.
"If I could kiss you again?"
Harry's breath struck in his throat. "Like right now? We... we haven't even been on our second date—"
"And?" Louis asked. He lifted his hands, tangling his fingers in the curls at the nape of Harry's neck. "I still want to, if you want to as well, that is."
Harry wet his lips. "Of course I want to."
Louis' face lit up in a small smile. "Yeah?"
Harry nodded. "Yeah, I really, really want to." He dipped his head down slightly, his lips hovering close to Louis'.
Louis was the one to connect their lips in a kiss, and once again the all-consuming feeling rushed through Harry's veins. Louis' lips were warm, soft. It was everything Harry had ever needed, and somehow he needed more.
Louis ran his tongue along Harry's bottom lip, and Harry parted his lips slightly. Their tongues collided, and Louis groaned in the back of his throat. He settled his hands on Louis' hips as they kissed deeper.
Louis tugged slightly on Harry's curls, and Harry gasped against his mouth. Warmth was pooling in the pit of his stomach, his mind hazy.
Louis pulled away slightly, his thumb brushing over Harry's cheekbone. "I love kissing you," he whispered.
Harry smiled, eyes cast to the ground. "I love kissing you, too."
"We should be making hotdogs."
"We should."
Neither moved.
"So, this second date," Harry said. "I was thinking, maybe Thursday night? If you're free, I mean. I'm going home this weekend, so I can't then."
"I think that sounds really lovely," Louis whispered. "Wanna tell me what we are gonna do?"
Harry shook his head, mimicking zipping his mouth. "It's a surprise."
Louis groaned. "I asked for that myself, didn't I?"
"You kinda did, yeah," chuckled Harry.
Louis groaned, throwing his head back. "Ouch!" His head hit the edge of the cabinet, and Harry clasped his hands over his mouth to stifle his laugh.
"Are you alright?" chuckled Harry through his fingers.
"Yes, I'm absolutely brilliant," Louis said.
"You sure?"
"No."
"Want a kiss to make it better?"
"Please."
Harry grinned, connecting their lips once more. The blood was buzzing in his veins, and he let out low, pleased sounds.
"Hey, guys—Woah!"
At Zayn's voice, they pulled apart, Harry's skin flaring red.
Zayn was standing at the door, leaning against the frame. "Am I interrupting something?"
Louis cleared his throat. "No, no, not at all." He, too, was flushed.
"I just came to see how long you were with those hotdogs," Zayn whistled. "Niall had a suspicion that you weren't actually getting any work done. And... he was right."
"I'll begin now," Harry said, walking over to the things he had placed on the counter. "No more make-out sessions."
Louis pouted. "Awh, come on."
Harry chuckled.
Louis stayed on the counter as Zayn disappeared into the living room once again. He watched as Harry put the bread in the oven, fried the sausages, and poured dips into small bowls. He cut cucumbers and onions, placing them in small bowls as well. He talked, too. Mostly he tried to bribe information about Harry's date plans out of him. It didn't work.
"I'm not telling you," chuckled Harry as he placed the bread on a plate.
"Please?"
"No. Now, change of subject, do you like Fifa a lot?"
Louis rolled his eyes fondly. "Yes. I do. Real football, too. I love playing it as well. What about you?"
"I enjoy watching it," Harry said. "Never really tried playing Fifa, besides once, and that was the greatest mistake ever. Was even worse than I am in real life."
"You can't be that bad," Louis said. "We should try playing against each other."
"In Fifa or real life?"
"I meant Fifa, but both work fine for me."
"A shame I'm not willing to," Harry said, placing all the food items on a tray. "It will just be embarrassing."
Louis pursed his lips. "I can teach you."
"Louis, have you seen how clumsy I am? And it's like that clumsiness is just... transported into the screen."
"Yeah, I've seen how clumsy you are." Louis jumped off the counter, walking to stand beside Harry. "It was one of the first things I noticed about you."
Harry furrowed his eyebrows confused. "It was?"
"Yup." Louis snatched a piece of cucumber from one of the small bowls on the tray. He placed it on his tongue, humming. "Hmm, delicious."
Harry chuckled. "That's for the hotdogs."
"Sorry, love." Butterflies. "But for real, let me try and teach you?"
Harry exhaled, running a palm over his face. "Fine. But it's a lost game, I'm telling ya."
Louis grinned. "That I can live with."
They went into the living room, Louis carrying the tray of food. "Harold's special hotdogs coming through. The sausages are extra crispy!"
"I'm so excited to taste your crispy sausages, Harry," Liam said. "Truly."
Harry snorted.
Louis scowled at Liam. "Dad, tell Dad to piss off."
"Liam, piss off," Zayn said, his eyes glued to the screen where Niall was setting up a game of Fifa.
"Ouch."
Zayn reached beside him, patting Liam's thigh tenderly. "Sorry." He didn't sound sorry at all.
Louis placed the tray on the table, turning to look at Harry. "Want help with getting drinks?"
"How could I say no?" Harry grinned.
"No making out!" Niall butted in.
"Can't promise," Louis said, wriggling his eyebrows.
"Liam, when did our son become like this."
"Zayn, I have no clue whatsoever. Did we fail?"
Louis rolled his eyes. "Can we just get the damned drinks, Haz?" he asked.
Harry chuckled. "Sure."
Louis followed Harry into the kitchen once more. Harry opened the fridge, looking inside. "We have a few beers, soda, wine... anything that sounds appealing to you?"
"Just soda, thanks," Louis said.
"Alright." Harry took some sodas and beers out of the fridge. "I know Nialler would want some beer." He placed them on the counter, finding a tray from one of their cabinets. Just as he was about to put the beverages on the tray, he felt a hand on his lower back. His whole body stilled. He looked over his shoulder, and there was Louis.
"Have I mentioned I really, like really, like you?"
Harry's cheeks turned red. "Perhaps, but I would like to hear it again."
Louis rested his head against Harry's shoulder. "I really, really like you."
Harry wet his lips, the butterflies in his stomach basking wildly. "I really, really like you, too."
"Can I admit something to you?"
"Of course."
"No other person has ever made me feel like you have."
Harry's heart skipped a beat. "That's... that's exactly how I feel, too." He turned around so he was fully facing Louis. "Is that weird?"
Louis shook his head, smiling softly. "No, I don't think so." He reached up to tuck a curl behind Harry's ear. "I wanna do this right."
"Do what right?" Harry asked, his eyes fluttering shut at Louis' gentle gesture.
"Us," Louis clarified. "I wanna go slow, I wanna take you on dates. I wanna get to know you bit by bit, and then I want to see, to experience, all that comes after all that. Do you... want that too?"
Harry smiled. "Are you asking if I at some point would wanna be official with you?"
"Well..." Louis' cheeks turned red. "I know I only just kissed you yesterday, but... I can feel that this is something I wanna hold on to. So, yeah, eventually..." He trailed off.
Harry reached up to cup his face. "I want that, too."
Louis' face lit up. "Yeah?"
Harry nodded, grinning. "Yeah."
"Can I kiss you?"
"At this point, there is no need to ask, Lou. Please just do it."
Louis grinned and kissed Harry.
* * *
Louis didn't manage to teach Harry Fifa, but that was okay. Being in Louis' company, knowing what was between them, made that day one of the best days he had ever had.