The Taxi Valentine {l.s. a.u.}

Part II: Tea Talk

Louis stiffly waited on Harry's couch for his tea. He felt unsure of what to do with his hands and feet. Does he relax into the couch as he normally would? Does he just sit there and wait like a guest would? Louis chose the latter of his two options. Being in this house felt nice and warm, but he refused to let himself feel those two feelings. He clenched his teeth and closed his eyes tightly in frustration.

All he wanted was to wake up from this nightmare that he knew was real. Louis glanced at some pictures hung on the walls that were of Harry and his sister when they were younger. Louis cringed and looked away. And there were more pictures, Louis was in these. Harry had his arms wrapped around Louis and was trying to jump on his back. Louis just shut his eyes and bent over, his head in his hands. Maybe with his sight impaired momentarily, he could ignore all of the memories that would bubble to the surface at every little trinket or photograph.

It didn't happen. Even with his eyes closed, the memories would still surface just from seeing those few photos.

"Haz! Haz put me down, you wanker!" Louis yelled, but with adoration and fondness in his voice. Harry put the smaller boy down and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips since they were at family gathering.

"Here, jump on my back. I want to see if I can carry you," Louis suggested, an excitable glimmer in his eyes.

"Okay, Lou," Harry said, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend and jumping up onto his back.

Snap.

Jay smiled from behind her camera, while snapping shots of the two boys in love. She adored Harry as her own, and hoped one day that the two would marry and have their own children.

After what felt like a blink of an eye, Harry walked out of the kitchen with two cups of tea, one for Louis and one for himself. Harry noticed the hunched over Louis and was confused. He wondered what could've caused Louis to do this, but maybe the tea would help.

"Here you go," he said, handing over a cup to Louis, who jumped slightly from the startle and immediately sat back up on the couch. "Did I scare you?"

"Yeah, your face is quite the eerie sight," Louis mumbled, sitting straight up like board while quickly grabbing the cup from the other male's hand and taking a frustrated sip from it.

Harry seemed taken aback for a moment, but then just shrugged. "You haven't changed a bit," he told him, taking a seat next to him and leaning against the armchair as he took a sip from his cup as well.

Louis rolled his eyes a bit, before averting his gaze from him and to the floor. If he looked at Harry, then he knew that feelings (of whatever kind) would arise and he would talk about them. Why couldn't he just hit his head and wake up with amnesia? It would make everything easier for Louis. But nothing could ever be made easy for him.

"So, why are you actually here?" Harry finally spoke after a couple minutes of silence. "I know you're not here because of me, as much as I'd wish for that to be true."

"I didn't have cash on me. Fucking driver kicked me out of the taxi. Who even does that?" he mumbled, still avoiding his eyes.

"Well, you can't just get a ride in a taxi for free," the curly-haired lad pointed out.

"Maybe not, but he didn't have to be a damn prick about it. Could've said, 'oh, sorry mate, but I'm gonna have to drop you off here if you can't pay for the ride,' but no, he was screaming bloody murder about me being in his presence. People these days!" Louis ranted, not realizing that he was probably going on about it for longer than he should have.

Harry chuckled, shaking his head and taking another sip from his tea. Louis never ceased to amuse him. Even when the two were not on good terms.

"What? What are you laughing at, shithead? Imagine if it happened to you! How would you feel then?" Louis snapped.