Smile For Him
Chapter Ten
Louis’ eyes fluttered open at exactly 9:17a.m. He yawned and sat upright, stretching until he heard his back click. He had just over an hour until he had to be at work, and this greatly disappointed him. He groaned and heaved himself out of bed, dressed only in a pair of boxers and a baggy T-shirt. Stumbling much like a zombie out of his bedroom, Louis headed to the bathroom. The sound of running water made him roll his eyes. “Hurry up, I need a piss!” he thumped on the door. His voice was a little hoarse from the early morning. “Mate, I’ve only just got in,” Niall yelled over the running water, “you’re gonna have to wait.” Louis groaned in frustration, and debating waiting until the blonde haired lad had finished with his shower, but his bladder protested. “Fuck that, I’m coming in!” Louis yelled, entering the steaming bathroom.
Niall yelped from behind the shower curtain as he heard Louis enter. “Get out!” he cried, poking his head out from behind the curtain, using the rest of it to hide his naked body. “I’m desperate!” Louis whined, turning to face the toilet. Niall just made a noise of disgust and continued with his shower, trying to ignore the sound of Louis urinating. “You fucking bastard!” Niall screamed as Louis flushed the chain. Louis laughed knowing that Niall had just been hit with cold water. “Sorry, mate.” Louis said through his laughter, washing his hands and escaping from the room before Niall could hit him.
“Morning,” Zayn greeted sleepily as Louis entered the kitchen. He was hunched over a coffee mug and was flicking through the newspaper. “Morning. Not at work today?” Louis asked, grabbing a bowl and a box of Cheerio’s. “Doing the late shift, aren’t I? I’ve got to work with that cock, Steve.” Zayn looked visually depressed at the idea of working with the said ‘cock’, which Louis simply chuckled at. “Ahh, poor Zayn,” Louis smiled, placing the milk back in the fridge and sticking a spoon into his cereal bowl. “Maybe I’ll come and visit you to keep you occupied. It’s never usually busy on a Wednesday, is it?” Zayn shook his head, but looked delighted at the offer. “Nah, it’s dead on Wednesdays. I reckon the shops gonna close soon anyway. No one can be arsed to go out and get their movies any more. They just watch ‘em online. S’why I’ve been looking for a new job,” he indicated to the newspaper in front of him. “Besides, aren’t you hanging out with your male friend today?” Zayn winked playfully while Louis choked on his Cheerio’s. “Liam told you?” he asked. “Yeah, course he did. I can’t remember the last time you brought someone home.” Zayn replied, thinking over the last few months. “Yeah, well, our relationships not like that, okay?” Louis rolled his eyes, getting rather defensive. “We’re just friends. Besides, he’s a bit...odd. What we have it isn’t just a...a one night thing. It’s more important than that.” Zayn raised his eyebrows. He hadn’t seen this side of Louis in a long while. And, to be honest, he liked this side of Louis the most. The more sweet and protective side.
Louis always seemed to be in a better mood when he had someone to care about. To be honest Zayn had noticed his mood since Saturday. He seemed a lot more smiley, and more excited about the day ahead. Almost like he believed anything could happen. And, it made Zayn smile too, because Louis’ last relationship hadn’t ended on good terms. The bitch in question had been cheating on Louis the last three months of their relationship, and had dumped him via text when she was on her way to Malia with the other scumbag boyfriend. It had broken Louis, but everyone including him knew the relationship was on the rocks anyway. It never would have lasted. Zayn maybe thought this is why he’d found a friend in this mysterious male. Girls were just too evil and manipulative, particularly to someone like Louis who became putty in their hands as soon as they mentioned the L word. “Maybe you could bring your little mate to the shop tonight? I want to meet him.” Zayn took a sip from his mug and watched Louis expression. It was one of dread. “Nah, I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Louis chuckled awkwardly and spooned a mouthful of Cheerio’s into his mouth. “I’m not gonna judge, you know,” Zayn said, “as long as he makes you happy, he makes me happy.” Louis sighed, “I told you, it’s more complicated than that. He’s not just odd, he’s different. Not in a weird way. It’s just...he’s from a different place. No one can really know we’re friends. So, I would appreciate it if you’d keep your mouth shut about it? Niall can know, if he doesn’t already, but, it’s kind of a private thing. Yeah?” Louis looked at Zayn carefully, licking his lips. “Yeah, course mate.” Zayn said with complete sincerity. Louis smiled in relief and stood up from the dinner table. “Right, I better get ready for work. See you later,” he dumped his bowl next to the sink, as it was too full to try and cram anything else into it, and ran up the stairs to try and find some clean work clothes.
-
“Pint of your usual, Terry?” Louis smiled from behind the bar. The old man with a Santa beard and glasses laughed heartily and nodded. Louis was good friends with the farmer after seeing him almost daily for two years at the pub. More than once Terry had given the young lad a couple of boxes of eggs, or sometimes milk and meat, just to help him out. Terry claimed Louis reminded him of him at his age – full of energy and youth, with a kind heart and nice smile. Louis grabbed a clean pint glass and topped it with beer. “There you go, mate.” Louis grinned and placed the dripping glass onto the bar. He accepted the money from his friend and put it through the till. “How’s it going then, boy?” Terry asked. His voice gruff from his cigarettes, but none the less kind and warming. His farmer accent made Louis smile. “Yeah, it’s going good thanks. And yourself?” Louis wiped his hands down his black work shirt and placed them on top of the bar. He leant in a little to make the conversation more private. “Not too bad, lad, not too bad. Me wife’s gone off t’France with the grandchildren. Disneyland or somethin’.” Louis nodded, “Yeah. You going to throw a few parties then? I know what you’re like, Terry.” Louis winked. Terry let out a booming laugh, his pint slopping a little down his jumper. “I wish I was still like that, lad. Getting onto sixty now, ain’t I? Got no time for that. The last cock me wife saw was at the bottom of the garden.” Louis threw his head back and laughed loudly. He enjoyed the old man’s dirty humour far too much. Louis wiped his eye to catch the tears, listening as Terry spoke again. “What about you? Got a lady in your life?” Louis quietened down and said, “No. No girl for me. Last one cheated on me, stupid cow. Don’t really trust them anymore. They’re all the same now a day.” Terry chuckled, but said, “I know what you mean, lad. Took me a while to find the one. Don’t rush yourself. I reckon its fate, all this love malarkey,” Terry said, leaning back a little on his bar stool, “if you’re not looking, they appear right before your eyes. You don’t even realise it to start with. You just think they’re a friend and then one day, you look at ‘em and you realise just how much they mean to you. Happened with me wife and me. Bumped into her at the supermarket, I did. We just started talkin’ then. Two years later we were walking through the park and I noticed how much her eyes sparkled. I feel in love with her then. It was the eyes that did it. I’ve never looked at another woman since.” Terry’s brown eyes glazed over in memory, and Louis smiled warmly.
It was a genuinely sweet message from the old man, and Louis realised it must be true. Every other time he’d wanted a relationship, he’d looked for one. He’d gone to a bar, or to a club, or just stalked the town until he’d found someone of interest. It was harder to find boys seeing as not everyone around here were quite that...open. But every relationship had ended in disaster, because Louis was admiring things that weren’t really there. When he’d see a girl laugh he thought she was funny, and enjoyed a good joke, when really she was laughing cruelly at someone across the room with a cheaper outfit than her. Or when he saw a boys pupils dilate, it wasn’t from attraction, but from the amount of illegal drugs he had taken which would sometimes cause him to forget even his own name. But Harry...Harry had appeared from nowhere. Louis wasn’t looking for him, but he’d found him. And what a find it was. Louis was sure Harry didn’t ‘swing that way’ considering the environment he had grown up in. But, Louis was happy with just having him there, protecting him and making him laugh, and most importantly, smile.
“You’re thinking of someone.” Terry’s voice brought Louis out of his thoughts. “W-what?” Louis stuttered. “You heard,” Terry chuckled, “I’ve seen that look before, boy.” Louis laughed nervously, “I was just thinking of a mate of mine. I’m meeting him in a bit.” Terry raised an eyebrow, “Well, whatever floats your boat, lad,” he downed the rest of his beer and placed the empty glass on the bar, “hope you’re happy with him.” Terry smiled, “Now, where’s me second pint?” Louis laughed with somewhat relief, thankful to know that not all men were as judgemental as his father, and pulled another pint for the gentleman.
-
Louis sipped his Red Bull and glanced at the clock, 3:39. His shift had ended nearly forty minutes ago, but he was still at the pub, waiting for the time to pass. His foot twitched with impatience. Harry had asked Louis to come later than he had yesterday, but Louis didn’t want to be too late. Harry had already been waiting nine minutes, and Louis thought that was already too long. “Mate, calm down,” Liam said as he walked past carrying a tray of empty glasses. “What are you so anxious about anyway?” Liam put the tray down on Louis’ table and pulled up a chair. “I-I’m just meeting him today, and he asked me to come a bit later than I did yesterday but I don’t know whether I’m too late now-” Louis began to ramble. “Louis,” Liam put a hand on Louis’ knee to stop it from moving, “Just go now. What’s so wrong with being early? Besides, what does he do anyway, where does he work?”
Louis’ eyes widened, and he gulped. He couldn’t tell the boys Harry was still in school. They would all freak and call him a paedophile, he was sure of it. “Wait!” Liam said, his eyes narrowing in realisation. “Is your mate still at school? Is that why you always get there for 3:30?” Louis laughed a bit too suddenly, “W-w-what? Course not! No! He works at the school. He’s a teacher’s assistant.” Louis rolled his eyes as if it were obvious. Liam looked at Louis for a bit longer, but waved it off, “Okay, fine. That’s cool. I’ll see you later. Have a good time.” Louis let out a long breath, “Yeah, see you.”
He ran out of the pub and towards his car, breathing heavily. Liam had almost found out, and if his reaction was anything to go by, when he really did find out that Harry was a student, he wouldn’t be impressed! Louis groaned and slumped into his car seat, resting his head on the steering wheel. “Is this even legal?” Louis whispered to himself. He sat up straight, realising that Harry was waiting, and suddenly his heart leapt. It was that time of day again, the moment he’d woken up for. The reason he had even dragged himself out of bed. It was time to see Harry. Louis ignored his previous thoughts, and grinned as he began his drive to the posh school on the other side of town.
Niall yelped from behind the shower curtain as he heard Louis enter. “Get out!” he cried, poking his head out from behind the curtain, using the rest of it to hide his naked body. “I’m desperate!” Louis whined, turning to face the toilet. Niall just made a noise of disgust and continued with his shower, trying to ignore the sound of Louis urinating. “You fucking bastard!” Niall screamed as Louis flushed the chain. Louis laughed knowing that Niall had just been hit with cold water. “Sorry, mate.” Louis said through his laughter, washing his hands and escaping from the room before Niall could hit him.
“Morning,” Zayn greeted sleepily as Louis entered the kitchen. He was hunched over a coffee mug and was flicking through the newspaper. “Morning. Not at work today?” Louis asked, grabbing a bowl and a box of Cheerio’s. “Doing the late shift, aren’t I? I’ve got to work with that cock, Steve.” Zayn looked visually depressed at the idea of working with the said ‘cock’, which Louis simply chuckled at. “Ahh, poor Zayn,” Louis smiled, placing the milk back in the fridge and sticking a spoon into his cereal bowl. “Maybe I’ll come and visit you to keep you occupied. It’s never usually busy on a Wednesday, is it?” Zayn shook his head, but looked delighted at the offer. “Nah, it’s dead on Wednesdays. I reckon the shops gonna close soon anyway. No one can be arsed to go out and get their movies any more. They just watch ‘em online. S’why I’ve been looking for a new job,” he indicated to the newspaper in front of him. “Besides, aren’t you hanging out with your male friend today?” Zayn winked playfully while Louis choked on his Cheerio’s. “Liam told you?” he asked. “Yeah, course he did. I can’t remember the last time you brought someone home.” Zayn replied, thinking over the last few months. “Yeah, well, our relationships not like that, okay?” Louis rolled his eyes, getting rather defensive. “We’re just friends. Besides, he’s a bit...odd. What we have it isn’t just a...a one night thing. It’s more important than that.” Zayn raised his eyebrows. He hadn’t seen this side of Louis in a long while. And, to be honest, he liked this side of Louis the most. The more sweet and protective side.
Louis always seemed to be in a better mood when he had someone to care about. To be honest Zayn had noticed his mood since Saturday. He seemed a lot more smiley, and more excited about the day ahead. Almost like he believed anything could happen. And, it made Zayn smile too, because Louis’ last relationship hadn’t ended on good terms. The bitch in question had been cheating on Louis the last three months of their relationship, and had dumped him via text when she was on her way to Malia with the other scumbag boyfriend. It had broken Louis, but everyone including him knew the relationship was on the rocks anyway. It never would have lasted. Zayn maybe thought this is why he’d found a friend in this mysterious male. Girls were just too evil and manipulative, particularly to someone like Louis who became putty in their hands as soon as they mentioned the L word. “Maybe you could bring your little mate to the shop tonight? I want to meet him.” Zayn took a sip from his mug and watched Louis expression. It was one of dread. “Nah, I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Louis chuckled awkwardly and spooned a mouthful of Cheerio’s into his mouth. “I’m not gonna judge, you know,” Zayn said, “as long as he makes you happy, he makes me happy.” Louis sighed, “I told you, it’s more complicated than that. He’s not just odd, he’s different. Not in a weird way. It’s just...he’s from a different place. No one can really know we’re friends. So, I would appreciate it if you’d keep your mouth shut about it? Niall can know, if he doesn’t already, but, it’s kind of a private thing. Yeah?” Louis looked at Zayn carefully, licking his lips. “Yeah, course mate.” Zayn said with complete sincerity. Louis smiled in relief and stood up from the dinner table. “Right, I better get ready for work. See you later,” he dumped his bowl next to the sink, as it was too full to try and cram anything else into it, and ran up the stairs to try and find some clean work clothes.
-
“Pint of your usual, Terry?” Louis smiled from behind the bar. The old man with a Santa beard and glasses laughed heartily and nodded. Louis was good friends with the farmer after seeing him almost daily for two years at the pub. More than once Terry had given the young lad a couple of boxes of eggs, or sometimes milk and meat, just to help him out. Terry claimed Louis reminded him of him at his age – full of energy and youth, with a kind heart and nice smile. Louis grabbed a clean pint glass and topped it with beer. “There you go, mate.” Louis grinned and placed the dripping glass onto the bar. He accepted the money from his friend and put it through the till. “How’s it going then, boy?” Terry asked. His voice gruff from his cigarettes, but none the less kind and warming. His farmer accent made Louis smile. “Yeah, it’s going good thanks. And yourself?” Louis wiped his hands down his black work shirt and placed them on top of the bar. He leant in a little to make the conversation more private. “Not too bad, lad, not too bad. Me wife’s gone off t’France with the grandchildren. Disneyland or somethin’.” Louis nodded, “Yeah. You going to throw a few parties then? I know what you’re like, Terry.” Louis winked. Terry let out a booming laugh, his pint slopping a little down his jumper. “I wish I was still like that, lad. Getting onto sixty now, ain’t I? Got no time for that. The last cock me wife saw was at the bottom of the garden.” Louis threw his head back and laughed loudly. He enjoyed the old man’s dirty humour far too much. Louis wiped his eye to catch the tears, listening as Terry spoke again. “What about you? Got a lady in your life?” Louis quietened down and said, “No. No girl for me. Last one cheated on me, stupid cow. Don’t really trust them anymore. They’re all the same now a day.” Terry chuckled, but said, “I know what you mean, lad. Took me a while to find the one. Don’t rush yourself. I reckon its fate, all this love malarkey,” Terry said, leaning back a little on his bar stool, “if you’re not looking, they appear right before your eyes. You don’t even realise it to start with. You just think they’re a friend and then one day, you look at ‘em and you realise just how much they mean to you. Happened with me wife and me. Bumped into her at the supermarket, I did. We just started talkin’ then. Two years later we were walking through the park and I noticed how much her eyes sparkled. I feel in love with her then. It was the eyes that did it. I’ve never looked at another woman since.” Terry’s brown eyes glazed over in memory, and Louis smiled warmly.
It was a genuinely sweet message from the old man, and Louis realised it must be true. Every other time he’d wanted a relationship, he’d looked for one. He’d gone to a bar, or to a club, or just stalked the town until he’d found someone of interest. It was harder to find boys seeing as not everyone around here were quite that...open. But every relationship had ended in disaster, because Louis was admiring things that weren’t really there. When he’d see a girl laugh he thought she was funny, and enjoyed a good joke, when really she was laughing cruelly at someone across the room with a cheaper outfit than her. Or when he saw a boys pupils dilate, it wasn’t from attraction, but from the amount of illegal drugs he had taken which would sometimes cause him to forget even his own name. But Harry...Harry had appeared from nowhere. Louis wasn’t looking for him, but he’d found him. And what a find it was. Louis was sure Harry didn’t ‘swing that way’ considering the environment he had grown up in. But, Louis was happy with just having him there, protecting him and making him laugh, and most importantly, smile.
“You’re thinking of someone.” Terry’s voice brought Louis out of his thoughts. “W-what?” Louis stuttered. “You heard,” Terry chuckled, “I’ve seen that look before, boy.” Louis laughed nervously, “I was just thinking of a mate of mine. I’m meeting him in a bit.” Terry raised an eyebrow, “Well, whatever floats your boat, lad,” he downed the rest of his beer and placed the empty glass on the bar, “hope you’re happy with him.” Terry smiled, “Now, where’s me second pint?” Louis laughed with somewhat relief, thankful to know that not all men were as judgemental as his father, and pulled another pint for the gentleman.
-
Louis sipped his Red Bull and glanced at the clock, 3:39. His shift had ended nearly forty minutes ago, but he was still at the pub, waiting for the time to pass. His foot twitched with impatience. Harry had asked Louis to come later than he had yesterday, but Louis didn’t want to be too late. Harry had already been waiting nine minutes, and Louis thought that was already too long. “Mate, calm down,” Liam said as he walked past carrying a tray of empty glasses. “What are you so anxious about anyway?” Liam put the tray down on Louis’ table and pulled up a chair. “I-I’m just meeting him today, and he asked me to come a bit later than I did yesterday but I don’t know whether I’m too late now-” Louis began to ramble. “Louis,” Liam put a hand on Louis’ knee to stop it from moving, “Just go now. What’s so wrong with being early? Besides, what does he do anyway, where does he work?”
Louis’ eyes widened, and he gulped. He couldn’t tell the boys Harry was still in school. They would all freak and call him a paedophile, he was sure of it. “Wait!” Liam said, his eyes narrowing in realisation. “Is your mate still at school? Is that why you always get there for 3:30?” Louis laughed a bit too suddenly, “W-w-what? Course not! No! He works at the school. He’s a teacher’s assistant.” Louis rolled his eyes as if it were obvious. Liam looked at Louis for a bit longer, but waved it off, “Okay, fine. That’s cool. I’ll see you later. Have a good time.” Louis let out a long breath, “Yeah, see you.”
He ran out of the pub and towards his car, breathing heavily. Liam had almost found out, and if his reaction was anything to go by, when he really did find out that Harry was a student, he wouldn’t be impressed! Louis groaned and slumped into his car seat, resting his head on the steering wheel. “Is this even legal?” Louis whispered to himself. He sat up straight, realising that Harry was waiting, and suddenly his heart leapt. It was that time of day again, the moment he’d woken up for. The reason he had even dragged himself out of bed. It was time to see Harry. Louis ignored his previous thoughts, and grinned as he began his drive to the posh school on the other side of town.