Against It All

10

Third Person POV

Liam had to come and tell the boys that their break was over, causing Harry to blush in embarrassment and apologize a hundred times over while Louis just grumbled out an apology. 

They had just been too caught up in their own world to notice the time. 

Well

Harry had been too caught up in Louis' world to notice the time.

It seem that that little bit of sandwich significantly improved Louis' mood and he instantly started goofing off.

(And Harry ate that shit up, who wouldn't though.)

Louis was just so different, constantly using odd voices and coming up with different characters all in an effort to make Harry laugh. Which he did, Harry laughed a lot. 

"It's fine," Liam insisted, mostly to Harry as he was the one continuously apologizing, "the clock is hard to see in here. Just for next time," he gave a small smile and led the boys back to the counter to work.

Louis tailed behind Harry closely as he rushed to put his apron on and wash his hands before taking position next to an espresso machine. 

And they worked for another couple hours or so, struggling to keep up and remember everything but still getting by. Harry spilt half a dozen drinks, one simply slipped out of his hands and onto the floor. Luckily Louis didn't mind cleaning up. It kept him from making a fool of himself or making petty remarks towards Liam, who he decided he didn't like even though he didn't have much of reason besides his controlling behavior and taking to Harry.

When it was finally time for the two to go home, they were exhausted. 

"Wanna walk back?" Louis asked Harry as they packed up their bags.

Harry looked at him, startled. "Erm, yeah, I guess, I mean," Harry paused when Louis didn't cut his awkward rambling off like most people did. He was just focusing on Harry instead, eyes squinting slightly from a small smile splitting through his lips.

Harry blushed but Louis didn't comment, just hummed a soft note and started to walk down the hallway that led to the exit. All Harry could do was get his legs working and follow.

"You know," Louis started and Harry snapped his head to him, giving him his full attention and slamming his own lips shut because there was no way he was speaking again after stuttering so awkwardly seconds before, "if you don't need to be back at your place...you should just come over to mine." He offered.

And then Harry tripped, because his full attention really was on Louis and his foot caught a crack in the floor tiling and Harry really wasn't coordinated enough to just regain his balance fast enough. So the poor lad crashed ungracefully onto the floor with his face smacking into the tiles.

Louis was frozen for a split second, not sure what had even just happened. Harry was walking next to him one second and the next he was face down on the floor groaning.

"Shit!" Louis cursed then dropped to his knees beside the boy, "are you okay?"

Harry didn't want to move. He was too embarrassed. Who just falls like that? Flat onto the floor too? But he slowly picked himself up so that he was sitting, face a bright red and hanging low in shame. 

"M'fine," he murmured and then stood up.

Louis followed, "you scared me Harry."

Harry refused to look at him, eyes stinging with embarrassment. 

He started to walk again but winced as he felt sharp pains in his knees.

Louis noticed, because his eyes had never left Harry and he would have noticed if Harry blinked five times in a row or if his curls started bouncing of their own accord (which they already seemed to have done and Louis thought it was very interesting to observe). 

He would have said something but he clearly could see how embarrassed Harry already was so he decided to wait to comment on it.

However, Louis did step closer to Harry and put an arm around his shoulder to support him a bit.

"What're you doing?" Harry squeaked as he felt Louis' arm wrap around him and his small hand squeeze into his shoulder.

"Making sure you don't fall again," he said simply.

And so they walked out of 'It's Just an Espresso,' with Louis' arm around Harry's shoulder and Harry's arm around Louis' waist (he had brought it up to wrap around him at some point but neither could remember when). 

------

"Did you just want to come to mine straight away or did you want to go to yours first?" Louis asked Harry as they trudged up the steps of their apartment complex. 

Harry had made it back without falling again, which he was very grateful for, knowing that he could thank Louis for holding him the whole way. Even though having Louis hold him would make him fall again, just his touch really. Which Harry really didn't want to dwell on that fact.

So he didn't.

"Um...I should go to mine first, let Gemma know I'm back and all."

Louis hummed, "your sister right?"

Harry nodded.

Then Louis finally released his arm from around Harry and Harry did the same (even though it was rather inconvenient for them to be holding onto each other while climbing the stairs).

"See you in a few, you can just walk in when you get over, I could be in the bathroom and not hear you knock."

Harry nodded.

Then Louis was skipping up the stairs and leaving Harry on his floor to watch the older boy, almost giggling at his oddness.

When Harry stopped hearing Louis belting out the lyrics to "Home, Home on the Range," (as Louis had started singing as soon as he let go of Harry to skip) Harry walked to his sister's apartment and stepped in.

"Hey Gems- oh."

Harry stopped as Gemma wasn't home. Her boots weren't at the door and her keys weren't hanging up on the wall near the fridge.

He hummed sadly.

"Jus' me then," he said quietly for no reason, he could be as loud as he wanted but Harry spoke soft. He set down his things at the end of the counter and started to walk down the hall to the toilet when something caught his eye.

A note.

On the counter.

Harry rushed to it.

Hey Harry, would have texted but my phone is dead and I know I'll forget once it's charged. I'm at a friends for the night, sorry love, there's food in the fridge but if you get a chance grab some milk ( I forgot yesterday )

Love you!

-Gemma

Harry sighed. 

His mood had significantly dropped and he shuffled to change into different clothes. More specifically pajama pants and a plain T-shirt, comfy clothes. He went to grab food out of the fridge when he remembered Louis.

Louis, Louis, Louis.

He's going over to Louis'.

His first friend and they were already so close!

Harry grinned, his face almost hurting from how wide it was. But he was was excited. He grabbed his phone and raced out the door, nearly forgetting to lock up the apartment before he started to stumble up the stairs.

He had completely forgotten he was wearing Harry Potter fuzzy pajama pants when he started knocking on Louis' door. But he remembered after Louis opened the door and examined him with his ever so calculating gaze.

Whoops, Harry thought.

-------

Tee hee, long chapter. 

WHy was I so worried before, nobody is reading this anyway so there's not reason for shame.

I have school tomorrow and I'm not for it. At all. 

Wish me luck cause I'm going to fail and then spiral into sadness.

-j.l.