A lot like love

4

When there was a knock on the front door he hurried over to open it. A stranger was standing outside.
"Hi?" Louis said.

"Hi." The stranger answered with a grin.

Louis took a step outside and looked around.
"I'm Louis."

"I'm Harry." The man said. From the way he was speaking Louis suspected that he might be deaf.

"You're not Harry." Louis giggled.

Harry jumped out from behind the bushes.
"I thought you would at least invite him in." He smiled while he was signing simultaneously.

"Give me my ten pounds." The man signed back.

"I knew it wasn't you. You're not that good-looking." Louis smiled. He totally was. Harry had cut his hair short.

Louis just watched them sign between each other. The man left. Harry smiled awkwardly.
"Hi. You look different. Good different." He was still signing as he spoke.

"So do you. I like your hair." Louis complimented.

"Thank you. Why am I still signing? I'll stop now." Harry chuckled.

"So who was that?" Louis asked.

"My uncle." Harry answered.

"So does your uncle screen all your dates?" Louis teased.

"Is this a date?" Harry asked with a smug smile.

Louis rolled his eyes and let him inside. They stopped in the living room and stared at each other in silence. Louis took a step forward and kissed Harry's neck while he tried to remove his jumper at the same time. Harry grabbed his hips and pushed him against the wall. Louis broke free and took a step back.
"Can I get you anything to drink?"

"I'm good thanks." Harry chuckled.

"I'll take a beer." Louis said and rushed to the kitchen. He turned back and looked at Harry.
"I can't believe you just assumed that this was what this was about." He smiled in amusement before he turned around and headed to the kitchen.

Harry walked after him.
"You can't... You can't believe I assumed that what was about the what?"

"I'm not the same guy you met three years ago. I mean, I'm the same guy, but it's not at all the same situation." Louis said while he opened the fridge and grabbed a beer.

"Right." Harry said, eyeing him curiously.

"I'm not one of those guys who needs to sleep with someone after every stupid breakup just to prove he's still got it. I..." Louis rambled.

Harry started to go through the kitchen cabinets.
"Yeah..."

"What are you doing?" Louis wondered.

"Uhm, I'm looking for your crazy pills. You know, they have to be around here somewhere for moments like these, right?" Harry smirked.

"That's not funny. What if I really was crazy?" Louis huffed and shoved Harry's shoulder playfully.

"Have you eaten today?" Harry smiled.

"No." Louis replied. They headed out and got in Louis' car. He drove them to a sushi place.

"I can't believe you don't have a car." He commented as they got out and headed to the restaurant.

"I had a car, then I sold it. I needed the capital for my business." Harry replied.

"That's right. The plan. The ducks. It's all coming back to me now." Louis grinned.

"That's right." Harry smiled.

"Is your beautiful husband gonna live in your mum's basement with you?" Louis teased.

"I don't live with my mum. I was just getting some stuff because I'm moving." Harry informed him and handed him a business card.

Louis looked at it.
"Diaper-rush-dot-com?"

"We're selling diapers on the Internet." Harry said as they walked inside the restaurant.

They were seated and made their orders.
"So, how's Bon Jovi? Does he still rock?" Harry asked.

"Who? Oh him. Last I heard he moved to Seattle." Louis said.

"And the latest breakup? What's he do?" Harry asked curiously.

"Who said I had a breakup?" Louis retorted.

"You did. In your kitchen during your hypoglycemic rant. So spill it. Who's the guy?" Harry asked in amusement.

"I'm not telling you." Louis huffed.

Harry looked at him with a smile playing on his lips.
"Did you dump him? No, he dumped you."

"I don't want to talk about it." Louis said dismissively.

"Fine. Then I'm not talking at all." Harry smirked.

"You're not talking? Fine, then I won't talk either." Louis said just as their food arrived.

They just sat and stared at each other while they are, trying not to laugh. Louis got bored soon enough and took a mouthful of water and spit it over the table, all over Harry's jumper. Harry just raised an eyebrow and copied Louis' action. Louis gasped but kept quiet. Harry continued to eat as if nothing had happened. Soon Louis was frustrated again. He pretended to choke on some sushi, making a scene but Harry just continued to eat. Louis made a gurgling sound and pretended to pass out dramatically. Harry just ate his sushi, watching him in amusement. Louis sat up.
"Okay, fine. I'll tell you."

"I spend a lot of time with my deaf uncle growing up. I'm used to not talking." Harry smirked.

"We met in class." Louis said.

"You went back to school?" Harry asked.

"Acting class." Louis said.

"Oh, he's an actor?" Harry wondered.

"He's a writer." Louis said.

They paid for their food. This time Louis offered but Harry took the check. They headed to a coffeehouse across the street.
"I believe the question was who dumped whom?" Harry asked as they waited for their orders.

"He left me." Louis revealed and glanced at him.

The barista gave them their coffee and Harry reached for his wallet.
"I got it." Louis said.

"No, I got it." Harry said.

"No. But I appreciate the reach." Louis smirked.

Louis paid and they brought the coffee with them to the car.
"So what are your plans?" Louis asked as soon as they were seated.

"Plans for what?" Harry questioned.

"Tonight. It's New Year." Louis chuckled.

"Yeah, I'm not a really big New Year's guy." Harry smiled.

"A bunch of amateurs getting drunk." Louis rolled his eyes.

"Yeah. Yeah." Harry agreed.

"Cringy people wearing those party hats." Louis continues to trash talk.

"Ah! The hats. Lame." Harry snorted and took a sip of his coffee.

"I know of a party." Louis said.

"Really? Let's go." Harry said.