🎧-Last Night, The Vamps

"And if the walls close in

Then let's just start it all again."

                                                                                                                                February 2014

Louis' twenty-third birthday passed with some celebration. Or well, as much celebration as he could get. His friends were kind enough to bring him a cake at the hospital that he cut with his Mum and Lottie on a video call. Lottie, unfaithful to her promise, sent Niall some embarrassing pictures of Louis which he was not-so-kind enough to gift Louis in a collage frame. Later, at night, the three of his friends threw him a party near a club which consisted of, well, only four of them.

Louis got his car fixed finally but of course, that didn't happen without problems.

"What's wrong with it this time?" Louis asked Stan who was working on his car.

"The same thing that has been wrong with it for the last six times." He replied as he worked his tools around the engine, his tank top stained with grease and sweat glistening on his forehead even in chilly December.

Louis shook his head, internally groaning, anticipating the upcoming lecture. "Don't start again."

"I am not wrong when I say that it's too old and you know that."

"You are also stupid and I know that too. But you don't see me shoving me that upon your not-so-handsome face."

Stan rolled his eyes, letting out a sigh and bending down to check under the hood of the car. "The poor car is dying, Louis! Let it go. Put her out of her misery."

"Shut up with your advice and stop putting me in misery."

He shook his head with a smile. "Always the sass. But seriously, Lou, as a mechanic I feel so bad for this car. You have been dragging this piece of metal for so long."

"Hey! Don't say that about Jennifer. She has feelings, you know." Louis argued, leaning against the car and taking a sip of his hot Starbucks overpriced tea.

"Well, Jennifer here is dying. Just take a new car and spare us all."

Louis pouted. "Why? You don't like me visiting you? I thought we were getting there somewhere." He faked sobbing. "I even started looking for a ring!"

Stan laughed, his deep voice echoing in the empty garage. "As much as I like these cringy dates of ours, I love my girlfriend very much and I would rather have you meeting me for hanging out than meeting me for fixing this poor thing up every three months."

Louis sighed. "You are right. I will think about it."

Louis didn't think about it.

With his present condition, there was no way Louis could afford a new car. He thought about selling his old one for some money but he couldn't find a decent buyer willing to pay a decent price. But to be fair to them, the car wasn't in a decent condition either.

But Louis did think about Harry. Quite a lot, actually.

Louis hadn't met him since the night he dropped him off. And of course, he didn't use the number to get in contact with him. He didn't want to come across as an annoying and desperate fan. And Harry must have way more important things to attend to than Louis. Long story short, Louis didn't have the confidence to do it.

But today is 1st February.

For anyone who doesn't know, it's Harry's twenty-first birthday. Louis is debating whether to call Harry and wish him. I mean, he did say that they were friends and friends call each other on their birthdays, right?

Niall was of no help. The best advice he gave Louis was to suck it up and just drop him a text if Louis was dying to do so, which Louis took offence to because,psshh, Louis wasn't dying to get in contact with Harry. He just...really really really wanted to talk to him again. Or see him. Yeah, let's settle on that.

"Tomlinson, stop staring at your phone and work!" Louis' boss, Mr Matthew, a forty-five-year-old man with all-too-soon white hair and wrinkles, shouts at him from behind the counter.

Louis rolls his eyes.

"Don't give me attitude, young man!"

Louis rolls his eyes again.

Louis has been working at this cafe for the last eight months. Working at a radio station as a Junior can only pay bills so much. He usually has evening shifts and the cafe was near to his flat and the pay was good enough so it wasn't any trouble. Apart from Mr Matthews, occasionally. Louis has a love-hate relationship with his boss... with hate usually dominating. Louis is surprised he hasn't fired him yet with the amount of banter they have but he knows, deep down his boss actually likes him.

"There aren't even any customers, right now. And it's almost closing time." Louis says while pointing towards the clock and gesturing at the empty cafe. The yellow light from the low hanging bulbs illuminated the cafe and worked in contrast with black and white paintings on the walls along with wooden tables and booths.

"There are still seven minutes left to eight."

Louis sighs, fiddling with his apron. "What do you want me to do in these oh-so-important seven minutes?"

"Clean the kitchen?"

"Done."

"The tables?"

"Done."

"The display board?"

Louis smirks. "Done."

Mr Matthew presses his lips in a thin line and sighs, putting his hands into his jumper. Louis takes it as an indication of his victory.

"Alright then, Tomlinson. Good work. I am going now. Close up and off you go."

As his boss leaves, Louis starts staring at his phone again. He takes a deep breath. What's the worst can happen? That the number Harry gave him wasn't even right. That Harry won't pick up if Louis calls or leave him on read if he texts. Okay, that's quite bad. But, oh well, life is about taking risks, right? (It is also about  trying not to do stupid things but come on, let a guy have his dramatic moment.)

Louis decides to call because he knows being left on read is worse. (It's the experience speaking, people.) He stares at the number he saved in his phone the moment he had been dropped off by Harry. In fact, he is sure he has memorized it with the amount of staring he has done.

Finally, he clicks on the call button and puts the phone to his ear.

First ring.

Second ring.

Third ring.

Fourth ring.

Fifth-Louis is about to hang up, tired of the anticipation and nerves, the phone when it is finally picked up. "Hello?"

Louis forgets how to talk. Or blink. Or breathe. Again. (He really needs to work on this one.)

"Um, who is this?"

As Louis snaps himself out of his trance induced by Harry's deep voice, he says, fiddling with his collar, "H-Hey. It's Harry-no, I mean," Freaking get a grip Tomlinson, "It's Louis. Remember me? The bathroom guy?"

"Oh," Harry says which indicates that he definitely didn't expect this. But there is no sign of being annoyed in his voice which makes Louis calm down a little. He hears some shuffling, then Harry speaks again, "Louis, hello. It has been long. Honestly, I didn't think you were going to call."

Louis forces a chuckle out. "Well, I wasn't sure if you had given me the right number."

"I should have done that, right?" Louis can practically hear his smile filled with amusement.

"For a famous person, I recommend that would have been safer." Harry laughs. Louis-without even noticing it-smiles at the sound.

"Well, seeing that my number hasn't been leaked yet and here you are actually calling me, I would say that the odds are in my favour." It dawns on Louis that Harry is actually... happy and comfortable with that Louis has called him. Is that even possible? Niall would say, "I told you so." But then again, Louis overthinks everything.

Louis realizes that he has forgotten the purpose for which he called Harry. "I actually called to wish you. Happy birthday, Harry."

There is silence from the other end and Louis can hear Harry's breathing. Finally, he says, "I-uh...oh.Thank you."

"How does it feel to be twenty-one, ey?" Louis says trying to keep the conversation going. Schools never taught him how to do that.

"Same old, same old. You will get there once."

Louis raises his eyebrows. "What makes you think I am younger than you?"

"You are...not?"

"No, how old did you think I was?"

"I guessed twenty but you are...not. How is that possible? You look so...Never mind. How old are you then?"

"I will let you know, Harold, that I just turned twenty-three, a couple of      months ago."

"I will let you know that my name is not Harold."

"I will let you know that I know that."

There seems to be a thinking pause and then a laugh follows. "Alright, you win."

Louis smiles. "So, what's the plan for today's celebration? Apart from the usual posts, I didn't see anything party related." Not that I have stalked your social media accounts for ten times over the past month.

"Nothing, really. Mum and Gem had to be present at this event in the States so they couldn't come this time. I had a little get together with some of my friends in the morning but right now, I was just strumming my guitar, didn't really feel like to....party, I guess."  Though it's not expressed, Louis can feel the underlying sadness in his tone. Nevertheless, it's the same tone he uses.

"You are alone for your birthday?"

"Uh...yeah." He lets out a forced chuckle. "Kinda sucks, if you think about it. Like your totally not pathetic Thursday nights."

Louis frowns. He understands when it comes to himself but he is...Harry; and he is alone for his birthday and someone like Harry should not be alone for his birthday.

So, Louis being Louis, blurts the first thing that comes to his mind, "Why don't you come over and we can celebrate the remaining four hours of your birthday together?" Louis' eyes comically widen. He did not just-Oh dear lord, what even makes him think that Harry will actually agree?

Is it possible to die from embarrassment? Louis would like that very much right now.

"I-I mean, I am at the cafe I work at right now and my boss is not here so I just thought maybe we could, I don't know, have a cake or something..." His babbling trails off as Harry doesn't say anything. He sighs. "I mean, of course, you don't have to-"

"I don't wanna cause you any trouble."

Louis blinks. Harry isn't declining the offer, he is just worried about troubling Louis. "No, I insist. I have nothing to do at home anyways. Well, apart from dying of boredom. Do you want me to die of boredom, Harold?"

Harry lets out a laugh. "I certainly don't want that."

"Well, then. Remember where you left me off? Ten minutes straight ahead and there is The Hideout cafe. I expect to see you here within half an hour."

"Are you sure-"

"Harry," Louis says in a warning tone.

"Alright, alright. I'll be there."

"Great. Off you go."

"Thanks, Lou. Bye."

Lou.

Lou.

Louis closes his eyes and a smile covers his face. If he somehow manages not to die of embarrassment, Harry Styles is gonna be the death of him.

                             ******

"Well, well, well. It's the birthday boy himself." Louis opens the glass door of the cafe(which is open way past his closing time and if his boss knows he is gonna kill him) for Harry who supports a nervous smile on his face. He is engulfed in a huge black jacket with a red shirt underneath and his hair falling freely on his shoulders. Contrary to Harry, Louis' smile is a confident one. Or well, which makes it appear that he is confident because inside he is really nervous to not mess anything up. He is kinda good at faking.

Harry enters and removes his jacket, gently folding it and putting it on a table nearby. "Look, as much as I appreciate it, I don't want you to get in trouble with your boss for me."

Louis rolls his eyes, taking off his apron and shuffling his hair. "What my boss doesn't know,won't hurt him. Now, Harold-"

"What's up with the Harold-"

"-as I was saying, Harold," Harry shakes his head with a smile, "Happy birthday." Louis stretches his hands for a hug which is happily accepted.

"Thank you. I really appreciate this."

Louis moves back and smiles at him. "Always so polite. Look, I can't do much for you but maybe we can have some cake or snacks and wine?"

"It's perfect."

"I know it isn't good enough-"

"Louis," He looks at Louis with a reassuring glance," it sounds amazing."

Louis takes a deep breath, telling himself to calm the fuck down. "Right. Okay."

Harry gives him an amused look, glancing around the cafe. "Also, do you give cakes and wines  like these to strangers?"

Louis gives him a mischievous look and moves towards the cafe's kitchen, pointing towards it with a show of his dainty hands. "The wine is my boss' secret stash he doesn't know I have found while the cake...well, for someone like you, we can surely make an exception, Harold."

Harry follows him. "Steals wine, gives away cakes, leaves the cafe open. How aren't you fired yet?"

"Heyyyy..." Louis replies, jokingly defending himself, "I am not that bad of an employee. I am just a bit... rebellious. Now, look here. Which one do you like?" He points towards the cake display ranging from strawberry to chocolate to fruit cake. (Which Louis loathes because he just doesn't get the point of kiwi and pineapple on a cake.)

Harry eyes the cakes on display boards and then glances at Louis. After a bit of hesitating, he says, "Can we bake a cake?"

Louis looks at him surprised, with raised eyebrows and curiosity. "Do you know how to?"

Harry shrugs. "I used to work in a bakery."

Louis puts up an accusing finger. "You were a cashier, you liar."

Harry laughs and puts up his hands in surrender. "In my defence, I actually do know how to cook and bake."

Louis cocks his head in confusion. "You said in an interview that you can't cook."

"You really are a fan, aren't you?"

For no apparent reason, Louis blushes. "Don't change the topic."

This time, Harry seems baffled. "It's just-uh...cooking is like something ...personal? I mean, it's like a 'my thing'. Not something I flaunt about. I know it doesn't make sense-"

"It does. It does make sense." Louis smiles at him reassuringly.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Well, star chef, lead the way. I will warn you, the only thing I am capable of is trying not to burn the kitchen. And I have done that twice back at my flat."

Harry smiles.

Fifteen minutes into the making, Louis can see that if Harry wanted to be, he surely can try to join a culinary course and become a professional chef. All the while, Louis is thinking about how one person can have so many talents. Interrupting his thoughts, Harry gives him something to do after Louis convinces him that he really won't burn down the kitchen. He looks down at the utensils and then up to Harry in confusion.

"How do you whisk?"

Harry just smiles and move closer to help him.

                            ******

"Well, that was fun." Both of them plop down on the chairs behind the counter after leaving the cake to cool down.

"You did a pretty good job, Harold."

Harry laughs, shaking his head and rubbing his hands. "I will let you spread the sprinkles if you stop calling me that."

Louis pretends to think it over. "I guess we can negotiate."

Harry shakes his head with a smile on his face. He looks relaxed and happy and Louis likes to think that he is the reason for this. Louis doesn't feel that nervous around Harry now. If anything, he feels how easy-going Harry is and how nicely they get along together.

"So, just as a conversation starter, I am gonna ask you to tell me about yourself," Harry says while ruffling his hand through his hair. Oh, how much Louis would like to touch those curls--and Louis is gonna pretend he just didn't think that.

"You go first. Leave all the general trivia like name or age or birthday because well, I already know that." Louis says while choosing to focus on the weird patterns on the table rather than Harry.

"Alright." Harry nods. "My favourite movie is-"

"The Notebook. I know."

"I am allergic to-"

"Mushrooms. I know."

"My first pet was-"

"Believe me, I know."

Harry laughs out loud. "Well, you being such a dedicated fan, just ruins the game."

Louis puts his elbows on the table and leans forward. He whispers, a ridiculous dorky shine in his eyes, "Tell me something I don't already know."

"You did not just use my own lyric at me."

"Well, I did." He replies sassily, feeling triumphant.

Harry shakes his head. "You are something else."

"Is that good or bad?"

Louis sees something flash across Harry's face and for once, he actually seems serious. "I am still deciding on that."

Louis smiles at Harry. Harry smiles back.

Louis decides he quite likes this. Being alone with Harry in the cafe while it seems the whole world has slept and hanging out with someone outside of his usual group. Being with someone who doesn't know about his daily problems and doesn't look at him with pity.

And as Louis stares at Harry, he finds that within the green eyes there are specks of golden and blue.

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I would like to dedicate this chapter to __sAa___    and theangelinonlyangel . They have been very supportive and reading their comments makes my day. Thank you so much.

Also, I hope you guys had a good and safe Halloween, anyone who celebrated. Have a good November!!

Love,

Grace xx