A one shot where Harry and Louis meet at a cafe.
Sent in by: RainbowBeanStyles
~_~_~
I came to the coffee shop every day and every day he was there. I always went at night (I know it was a strange time to get coffee) after work to get a snack before I went home. It wasn't the best plan, especially since it got pretty pricey, but it was part of my routine and I always weird if I skipped my evening croissant.
Lately, I've found that I didn't come to just get my croissant, I've been coming because he was there. Aka, the mysterious boy that sat in the corner and always paid in cash. Everyday he drank out of a small cup and sat in the corner. It was a cliche that was found in nearly every romance novel. The quiet boy in the cafe and the struggling journalist/photographer. Too bad I was a teller at a bank.
The boy was cute. He had longer brown hair that curled at the ends and light green eyes. He wouldn't have stood out in a crowd, but he did stand out in the nearly empty coffee shop. I notice how his eyes flick around the cafe like he was nervous.
"Hi, I'm Louis, do you mind if I sit here?" I ask, gesturing to the open seat in front of him. He stares at me blankly, so I sit down anyway. He gives me an odd look as I set my croissant down on the table and smile at him.
"Is there anything you want? I don't have money..." He starts. I wave him off. I could tell he didn't understand why I was here and, to be frank, I didn't either.
"Just looking for a conversation." I tell him. He sucks in a deep breath before pulling out his phone. So much for a conversation.
"I have to get going. My boyfriend is probably waiting for me at the house." He sighs as he stands, throwing his cup in the garbage.
~_~_~
For the next week I sat at the table with the boy hoping he would talk to me or at least expel some dramatic secret like he was a criminal mastermind or something. Anything, but awkward staring.
It was the start of the third week sitting with him when he finally started a conversation.
"Why do you keep sitting with me?" He asks, his voice deep and quiet. I was shocked at his sudden answer, but I hurry with my response, not wanting to go back to what it was like before.
"I want to get to know you. You seem lonely and I'm lonely so...I don't know." I say, focusing too much over him talking to comprehend and understand his question.
"If you're looking for a relationship I have a boyfriend." He spits out boyfriend like it's poison. I shrug, I wasn't exactly looking for a relationship either.
"I'm not interested in one either. But, why do you come so late? I come after work to get a snack, but you get coffee in the evening? Doesn't that make you stay up all night?" I ask. He shrugs, I didn't want him to go back in on himself. I wanted him to talk and tell me about everything. I wanted to be his friend.
"I take night classes at the university. I'm trying to get my doctorates in teaching and I already have my masters." He says, smiling for the first time since I've seen him. It was a great look on him. I wish he would smile more.
"That's cool. So you said you have a boyfriend? What's he like?" I question. His whole body language changes. He starts looking around the cafe as if someone where watching him and he checked his phone. After a while of this behavior he finally calms down.
"His...his name is James. He's...my high school sweetheart. We've been together for 10 years. He's asked me to marry him twice and I've rejected him twice." He repeats these facts like a robot while looking over my shoulder at the door.
"Why do you keep rejecting him if you've been together for 10 years?" 10 years was a long time to date someone without being married. He checks his phone and frowns.
"I think that's all for tonight." He huffs, throwing his stuff away on his way out the door.
~_~_~
It took another week to get him to talk again. This time, I noticed his neck. It was covered mostly with a scarf (and this was May so it clearly wasn't time to break out the scarves), but just peeking out I saw it. A bruise?
"Harry is there something going on in your relationship? You...you have a bruise on your neck." I say, pointing towards the area peeking out. He moves back and starts getting teary eyed.
"No, everything's...fine. All fine and dandy." He whispers. I furrow my eyebrows.
"Harry, are you in an abuse relationship? If you are you can tell me. I promise I won't judge you if you are, but if it's true than I can at least try to help you." I say, this time a little stronger. He wipes his eyes quickly before taking a sip of his drink.
"I come here so late because my boyfriend is fucking a girl at our house, okay? That's why I'm here. Is that what you wanted to know? That my boyfriend is cheating on me and has been for 5 years?" Harry snaps. I felt immediate pity for the boy.
"Harry if you know why aren't you breaking up with him? You deserve so much better!"
"I can't! I've tried, but he just beats me into silence. I want to, I want to leave him so badly, but I...I can't." Harry says, starting to properly sob at this point. I stand and scoot in next to him in the booth, wrapping my arm around him.
"It's okay, let it out." I tell him, rubbing his back as he sobs into my shoulder. This was suck a terrible thing for him to go through. I can't believe he's been in an abusive relationship for so long.
"I sleep all day because that's when he's at work and I stay up all night because that's when his sleeping. It take night classes so I don't have to see him. The evening is my morning and my morning is my evening. It's so terrible, Louis! I've met so many people that I would rather be with, but I'm just scared James will do something!" He sobs.
"How would you rather date? Maybe we can work something out with them and the find out about James?" I suggest. Harry's eyes widen and he looks down at his lap.
"You?" He says quietly. I ark and eyebrow.
"Me? You like me?" I ask. He nods and I smile.
"Good, because I like you too."
