Falling for someone,
Is losing your footing and tripping.
The place you land,
Either plush warm blankets to keep safe and warm,
Or a bed of needles that will hurt you not just skin deep.
-
Upon further inspection, which included not only observing but also smelling, Harry was pretty sure this was Louis' bike. Considering the helmet smelled like sweat, slightly spicy cologne and clean shampoo. Cara doubled over when she saw Harry sniffing the helmet all creepy-like.
After Cara calmed down, Harry unlocked his front door and walked into the house, yelling his usual greeting to his mum. Two voices answered him though. The other sounding very much like Louis.
"Harold!" Harry near passed out when he saw Louis on his couch, cross legged with a half nibbled cookie in his hand, next to his fluffy white cat and mother watching the Discovery Channel. What a homey sight.
"Well well, who's this?" Cara says, already making her way to the living room with Kendall in tow. Harry makes a face, this was going to be embarrassing.
Before Louis replies, Harry's mum steps in.
"Harry dear, Louis came over a bit earlier looking for you. He's a lovely chap, made me great tea. Good company he is."
What who why huh?
"Aw Anne! You're making me blush, it's really no big deal." Louis laughs.
Anne? They're on a first name basis now? Harry just stands rooted at the spot, thinking of any possible reason why Louis would be at his house looking for him.
"Well Hazzabear, aren't you gonna come say hello?" Anne asks, bringing the curly haired lad back to earth. Louis sits on the couch with a cheeky grin, looking at Harry as if to say "well?"
With all the attention focused on himself, Harry toyed with the ends of his curls.
"Louis."
"Hazzabear." Of course he would use the nickname. Harry pouted at Louis who simply stuck out his tongue like a kid. Honestly, the more Harry got to know Louis, he seemed to either be a man child who had the playful attitude of a toddler or serious and daddy as fuck. It was endearing and made him like the man more than he should have.
"Shove off." Harry mumbled weakly.
"So you're Louis. The Louis." Cara said pointedly, giving Louis a once over. "Huh, you really are fit."
"Are all your friends this flattering, Harry? First that Eleanor girl and now this..." Louis snapped his fingers, "what's your name, love?"
Love. Harry felt something deflate within him. Right, Louis called everyone that, the knowledge didn't make him feel any happier though.
"Cara."
"Cara. Thanks for the compliment, they seem to keep rolling in after I met little Hazzabear here." Louis says, talking to Cara but looking intently at Harry. "My lucky charm, aren't you, Harry."
"If you say so." Harry sing songed nervously. "So what brings you here anyway?"
"Well I enjoyed your company the last time we met and was bored after drama class ended today I thought I'd pop by...to see if you wanted to hang out?" Louis asks, hesitating little at the end.
"Yes!" Harry answers excitedly, making Cara and Kendall burst out it giggling fits beside him. Anne looks at him with amusement, not seeming even slightly wary of her sixteen year old son warming up so quickly to the older man.
"Great!" Louis' smile could rival the sun. He shoved the remaining chunk of cookie into his mouth, licking his lips to clear any crumbs. Harry stared a little too long at that.
"So, let's go?" Louis asked, offering his hand as he got up.
Harry was about to reach for it, he was so close to touching the hand he'd dreamt of holding any day, everyday when Cara interjected their moment.
"Wait! Not yet y'all won't." She said loudly, stepping in the middle of both him and Louis, blocking his wonderful view of Louis and making Harry feel like slapping her just because.
He thinks he sees Louis glaring at her too but that could've just been him projecting his unrequited feelings on the man.
Cara looked over to her girlfriend and the girls shared a mischievous look.
"What?" Harry questioned, impatient and confused. He honestly just wanted to get whatever Cara wanted to do over with quickly so he could spend time alone with Louis.
"We'll be back in a moment, Lover boy." Kendall whispered the last part so only Harry could hear her. He shot her a warning glance.
The two girls pulled him upstairs to his room. Harry trying his best to keep up, stumbling clumsily due to his long legs.
"Harry babes. We're gonna get you all dolled up and ready to impress Mr. Tomlinson down there." Cara announced.
And then Harry was pulled into a flurry of makeup. Cara worked on his makeup while Kendall tried to work with his hair. He felt multiple urges to sneeze and tried not to be too loud when Kendall tugged at a few of his tangled locks.
"Be gentle!"
"We have to be quick! Don't want to be late do we?"
That shut Harry up.
After ten minutes, Harry was biting his lip nervously as he made his way down the stairs, Cara and Kendall trailing behind him proudly like he was a piece on art and they were the artists. But then again they kind of were. He licked his lips out of habit and tasted the faint taste of sticky strawberry gloss on his lips, at this rate there'd be no gloss left after a while.
"He's ready!" Cara announced loudly.
Louis looked stunned upon seeing Harry, his eyes fixated on the pretty boy standing before him. Harry looked up at him with his doe eyes.
"Sorry you had to wait, I'm ready." Louis quickly regained himself, nodding to say it was okay.
"Well I'm gonna steal little Hazza here till after dinner! That okay, Anne?"
Anne agreed easily and continued watching her show. Cara and Kendall followed the pair out, giggling and whispering. Harry was too nervous to bother about them, he kept looking at Louis and admired how relaxed the man looked.
"Hop on, darling." Louis drawled in a fake accent, gesturing to his motorbike like a prince would a princess.
Harry giggled and stared at the bike warily. Well at least his front could be plastered on Louis' warm back and it'd be completely natural and he could blame it in the nerves.
"Have fun! Take care of our baby, Tomlinson!"
"Only the best for Harry." Louis said airily, Harry bit the inside of his cheek shyly. Louis handed him a cute helmet with goggles he could use, the helmet made his curls fluff in his face, he quickly arranged his hair and got behind Louis on the bike.
Would it be too fast and or obvious if he held on tight to Louis even before they started moving?
Harry's hands lightly clutched the sides of Louis' shirt. Patience was key. Patience.
-
Fuck patience.
Harry was pouting as he saw the waitress so obviously trying to flirt with Louis. The pair of them were at a cafe Louis claimed to serve the best waffles. It definitely wasn't the girl's first time meeting Louis, considering the way her eyes brightened when she saw Louis and the yelled out Louis' name.
"It's been ages since you've came, Louis." Harry huffed and rolled his eyes.
"I've been busy."
"Awh but I- I mean we've missed you, you always do make working here more enjoyable." Desperate. Absolutely desperate. Harry could see her fluttering her lashes and biting her lip.
"Glad I do, love. Now I'll have my usual-"
"Chocolate banana waffles with two scoops of vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup, on it!"
Harry clenched his fists below the table, his bottom lip was jutted out and his eyebrows pulled into a frown as Louis laughed and nodded and the girl giggles along like it was the funniest thing in the world.
Honestly.
"I'll have the same as Mr. Tomlinson here but add sprinkles." Harry interjected, putting emphasis on Mr. Tomlinson, the words drawled out and sounding absolutely filthy. Louis' attention was back on Harry, unfortunately so was Ellie's, who sneered.
"Sprinkles? How old are you even, twelve?"
"Might be young but at least I'm matured enough to not judge other people's food choices." Harry said, smiling innocently, earning him a scowl.
"I'll be back." She smiled at Louis and stalked off.
"Mr. Tomlinson?" Louis asked, amused.
"Wanted your attention." Harry shrugged, then he leaned over to whisper near Louis' ear.
"Was jealous."
He could feel and hear how Louis' breathing suddenly became heavier.
"Yeah?" Louis' reaction spurred on the blast of confidence Harry felt. He brushed his lips lightly on Louis' cheek, the first contact his lips had ever had with people other than his mum and sister. Harry sat back down and looked directly into Louis' eyes, the pupils were dilated.
"I don't like seeing you flirt with other people." He admitted, a pink blush tinting his cheeks. He couldn't believe he just kind of(?) kissed Louis' cheek.
"Don't worry Harry." Louis replied after a full minute of intense silence.
"I've only got eyes for you, even since the beginning. Proper cherub aren't you? Love the way you smile and laugh and how you always look so pretty." Louis continues, staring into Harry's nervous green eyes.
Harry smiled shyly.
"Thank you" He mumbled. "You think I'm pretty?"
"Of course, love. Prettiest boy I've ever seen." Louis says, his blue eyes shining with sincerity. Harry giggles.
By the end of their non-date Harry and Louis have shared complains about Lottie and her hinting, Harry has blushed more than he usually does, they've arranged for a proper date (which Louis and Harry agree to keep quiet about for the time being) and Harry received a text from Louis with a lone 🐸 emoji.
-
Harry thinks that now that he knows Louis personally, it was wrong to listen to his favourite audios and get off. Especially since they were actually starting to form a relationship or sorts.
That didn't mean he didn't finger himself to the thought of Louis' raspy voice saying pretty boy. He was too far gone to stop what he had started anyway.
-
A/N: An extremely late happy birthday to @lily1D_stylinson!! Also it's Chinese New Year for all my fellow Chinese readers:3
I know you've been waiting so long for updates and I won't lie saying I've been busy. Yeah it's my last year of high school and what not but I keep delaying updates mostly because I'm a bit lost on how to keep Harry innocent yet make this story more interesting without it being cliche.
Sigh.
Enjoy.