your lipstick stain is a work of art » stylinson

⚤five

part five

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calum is the first to throw in the towel, more accurately, the crumpled up napkin he's been using. he pokes his belly out in attempt to get comfortable.

louis has been kind of dreading this, the end of the meal. because about halfway through eating, calum suggested going to the strip mall across the road. see, most people don't have much anxiety about shopping with new people, but louis is kind of different. he usually only shops with his mum, sisters, and/or jesy. never other boys, and never people who are basically strangers. and neverevereverever with someone who he is developing a crush on. he just... he doesn't enjoy looking through basic colored polos or football jerseys. he likes going into forever 21 and looking at the sequins and ruffles, laces and flowers. he loves flowery clothes.

harry throws the bill money on the table before louis can protest, and calum doesn' bother, he knows that he's just trying to impress louis. if he was a bird, he'd be doing some strange mating dance. but he's harry, and calum doesn't quite actually put that past him.

"okay, boys, where do we go first?," harry asks with some type of deep tone, dropping his voice several octaves, making louis laugh at him quietly. harry gets this great big grand smile of his face, knowing he made louis bubble with happy music, he's noticed how tense he got about halfway through the meal.

calum shrugs and pulls his jacket off the back of his chair, slipping it over his shoulders. "i was thinking, maybe ruggerberry's?," he says, referring to the resident 'man' store. it's the epitome of douchebag outfitting. saggy pants, overbearing colognes, expensive hair gels, and offensive graphic tees. the workers there would probably take to louis like a piñata.

harry shakes his head with a laugh, and louis focuses on what he's saying. "i'll have to pass on that one, mate, that store's a little too... i'm going to go with the word 'manly', for me," he continues to chuckle, and louis' shoulders sag in relief.

calum scoffs at him as harry pulls louis' chair out for him (which, yes, causes him to blush). "it's all luke, man. him and z. they use this weird hair gel that only ruggerberry's carries apparently. i tried it once, it was like sticking maple syrup in my hair," he rolls his eyes, pulling a hands through his soft, curly hair. "but, alas, i do have to grab a bottle for lucas, he'll throttle me if he figures out that i came into the mall and didn't get him any," he sighs, holding the door open for both harry and louis.

harry nods, not quite grasping what calum is trying to do. get them alone, bonding time. "meet us back at the truck in thirty minutes, tops, or i'm leaving you, i'm not going into class late," harry says sternly, though he isn't actually all of that much threatening.

calum rolls his eyes at him and shakes a dismissing hand in the air. "kay, mum!," he shouts in reply, and he bursts into laughter ad harry flips him off. harry rolls his eyes as he walks across the street, towards the opposite entrance.

louis wraps his arms around himself as a chill goes by, and harry turns to him, his great, grand smile restored. "so, where do you wanna go, snowflake?," he asks, and pets the skin behind louis' ears with blunt nails.

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"harry! no, it's fine, i swear! it doesn't matter - i didn't bring enough money with me to shop anyways!," louis protests as harry drags him to forever 21. harry doesn't budge on his decision and louis tries to plant his heels into the ground. even though louis is pretty strong, he's no match for harry, who is nearly half a head taller than him with biceps as big as a grapefruit. "harrrrry," he groans, and harry actually laughs a little, his lips twisted in a smile. "do you get off on manhandling poor little boys?," he huffs, which has harry proper booming with laughter.

"every night," harry looks behind him for a moment and winks, which, in turn, makes louis flush. "and i know you wanna go in, so don't protest, babes, i don't mind," harry smiles, and though louis can't see it, he knows he is.

truth is, louis really wants to go in. but the thingy thing thing is, louis is one of those shoppers who can't go into a store without buying at least one thing. it's truly a curse. "i don't have money, harry," he reminds him. you would think somebody wouldn't e so dense as to remember the fact that he had to purchase his meal for him not five minutes ago.

harry looks behind him and gives him an incredulous scowl, like he can't believe that that's louis' best argument. "i'll buy you anything you want," harry says sincerely, and louis swallows as harry finally, successfully drags him through the glass doors of the store of every wallet's nightmares. forever 21.

"harry, i'm twenty-two, i'm not twenty-one, it's probably unorthodox for me to have even stepped through the door!," he says, keeping his eyes on harry, to keep from ogling over the (definitely new shipment of) clothing. harry laughs at him, which causes one of the workers to look over at them.

she catches glance of harry and does a double take. it's no sight to seeing eyes to tell that harry is attractive, but louis feels oddly defensive for people to be looking up his... platonic-dude-friend-mate-pal. "you're twenty-two? i thought i was being a cradle robber, no joke, thought were no older than eighteen," harry laughs a little more, and then stops suddenly, realizing what he's said.

"cradle robber?," louis asks, stepping closer to harry, making sure the proximity of their bodies is a good enough innuendo to the worker woman.

harry is absolutely blubbering, and louis is eating it up. "i - uh... you - you know what i, what i meant! like, um, like bef - befriending someone s - so much younger...," he stammers, and louis looks up at him in a new light.

he raises one eyebrow cheekily and he watches harry flush. "we're friends?," he asks, and he watches harry's adam's apple bob as he swallows thickly.

harry nods quickly, and his curls bounce adorably. "'course, 'course. and... friends shop together," harry insists, nudging louis towards the clothing racks.

louis huffs and his eyebrows furrow in distress. he just needs harry to understand. "harry... listen... this, i, um - okay. this isn't going to be like shopping with calum, or your guy friends," he says slowly, and harry just blinks at him.

"why's that, lou?," harry asks, tilting his head to the side a little. louis literally almost groans.

he's not quite sure if he's being serious, thick, or he's just... he doesn't know. "harry. i'm... just... different, okay? i like to look at skirts with cute ruffles and shirts with floral patters. i don't like to get that jersey that that one hockey player has, i'm not... interested in wearing a baseball cap with race-car logos on in. i'm not good for talking about sports or women or anything...," he rambles, his voice raising and lowering.

harry rolls his eyes at him fondly and suddenly wraps him into a warm embrace, settling his chin on his shorter shoulder. "louis," he chuckles, "i don't wanna talk with you about sports. and i really don't wanna talk to you about women. i don't care for race-cars, i don't like hockey, and i like seeing you in ruffly skirts and flowery shirt, okay babes?"