Bloodsport

chapter 47

Harry slid the door open, and it chimed as he walked in. He stopped when he’d crossed the threshold because the place was… messy. Unexpectedly so. There were napkins and plastic spoons on the floor, and there were two or three wet paper towels crushed on various surfaces. For a second, Harry thought, of course, this was where Louis worked.

He looked around, and found someone at the counter, kind of crouching, but not really. He was tall, with light brown, mussed hair and blue eyes. He had to be twenty-two, or twenty-three. He wore a black t-shirt with a pink fro-yo cup, and he looked slightly dishevelled. Harry glanced to the right and saw Louis standing behind three chairs clumsily stashed atop each other next to a table. He was fixing his hair and correcting the placement of his shirt. He looked… disarrayed, too.

Harry took off his glasses, feeling suddenly awkward. This was not what he’d expected, and it made discomfort slither up his spine. However, he met Louis’ eyes. They were casually mesmerising and gorgeous, and when he smiled — a pretty and delighted smile — Harry melted. He couldn’t help but grin back.

“So, this is where you work?” he said, raising a brow. He looked around, noting more spoons on the floor. “Nice...”

Louis rolled his eyes. “It’s a slow day so we were just having fun, throwing some stuff. I won.”

“Sure, you did.” Louis was good at everything it seemed.

“He didn’t.”

Harry turned around, glancing back at the guy at the counter. His name tag said “Greg”. Harry paused for a moment and eyed him better this time. Greg.

“A minute ago, he just surrendered,” said Greg.

“And you were just about to tell me my beautiful traits.”

Louis strode up to the counter, and gracefully eased himself up on the edge, placing himself right between Harry and Greg. Harry took a step closer, painfully aware of the small inches between Greg’s chest and Louis’ shoulder. He wasn’t sure if Louis was joking, because Louis could easily banter off such things. He didn’t like that feeling of uncertainty.

Louis glanced behind himself at Greg. “And those were?”

Greg’s smile was a little too nice for Harry’s liking. “I was going to say that you’re adorable and attractive.”

Harry released a breathless noise. Had that guy just said that in front of him?

For a second, he forgot that Louis hadn’t willingly told a single soul about their relationship, and for a second, he forgot that he wasn’t Louis’ boyfriend and that he had no right to feel offended that someone was obviously flirting with his guy in front of him.

He forgot that Louis wasn’t his.

He crossed his arms, staring at Greg’s casual stance, his breath practically bouncing off Louis’ neck. “Adorable and attractive?” Shut the fuck up. “Rugged and handsome, more likely.”

There was nothing adorable about Louis. He was fierce, sexy, smart, and sweet.

“Rugged and handsome?” asked Louis. He sounded pleased where he sat, but Harry could barely look at him. He looked at the inches between him and Greg.

“Yes.”

“Thanks,” Louis chuckled, staring up at Harry for a long moment.

Thankfully, Greg took a couple of steps back from Louis, giving the two of them some much-required space. Harry made his way forward immediately. He leaned against the glass container on Louis’ left side, coming as close as he dared in public. He stared at Louis’ face, the way his eyebrows were raised, and how pink and sweet his lips looked. His hair was ruffled.