And Then There Was You

Louis stepped into small record shop awkwardly. He was already nervous about meeting this Harry guy, and it was hard to walk around with a cello case all the time. He spotted a blonde haired boy at the counter, flipping thought a magazine. Louis nodded slightly. He was cute enough.

“Um, are you Harry?” He asked quietly, setting his case down at his side. The blonde looked up and smiled. Louis decided he was a lot cuter close up.

“Nope. Name’s Niall.” He corrected in a thick Irish accent. Louis frowned. That was definitely not the voice he talked to on the phone.

“Right. Ehm…is he here?” Louis asked, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

“Sure is!” He said cheerfully. “HARRY! SOME BLOKE’S HERE FOR YOU!” Niall yelled, not moving from his place. Louis flinched at the yelling that just took place. “He’s coming.” Niall said, turning back to his magazine.

“Jesus, Niall. Wanna try that again? I don’t think South Korea heard you.” Harry said to his blonde coworker as he emerged from the back. Niall gave him a smirk then Harry turned his attention to Louis.

Louis had never had one of those moments when you see someone and it just makes sense. Until today that is. If Niall was cute, then Harry was gorgeous. He had a wild mess of curly hair that had no direction whatsoever. His cheeks were full and adorable, with unbelievable dimples to top things off. And his lips…if Louis thought about those lips any longer he might explode.

“Sorry. I’m Harry.” Harry said, reaching his hand over the counter to greet him. Louis stared at the hand for a moment longer than he should have. It was enormous compared to his own.

“Louis.” He said when he finally snapped out of it. Harry was still smiled at him and Louis had half a mind to tell him to stop, because he might jump him right there.

“Nice to meet you. Thanks again for coming. Um…so…come on back.” Harry invited, pointing to the door he emerged from. As he was walking behind Harry, he recognized him as the bloke that ran into him the other day.

Louis obliged. He picked up his things and followed Harry to the back of the store to a small studio area. Harry pointed to the booth and told Louis to go set up. He followed him into the little glass room and leaned against the wall as Louis pulled his instrument out.

“So um-I didn’t really write up sheet music because I don’t really know what I want yet. So I was just going to play something into your headphones and you can copy is. Is that okay?” Harry asked, playing with a bracelet around his wrist.

“Yeah. That’s fine.” Louis replied, positioning his cello between his knees and plucking at the strings. Harry gave him a final nod and left the booth. When Louis was finished tuning he put the headphones and gave him a nod.

He heard a simple piano melody fill his ears. After a pause he copied it perfectly. Then he heard Harry’s voice in his ear.

“Can you try it an octave lower?” He requested. Louis followed the instructions. He looked up at Harry and say that he was smiling. His dimples were deep enough to get lost in.

That’s how it went. Harry played something and Louis copied it. Occasionally Harry would ask him to do it again and tweak it. Sometimes Louis played something else because he liked it better than what Harry played. Harry seemed to like his opposition and just shrugged happily.

After about an hour, Harry made eye contact with him through the mirror and gave him a thumbs up. Louis took that as the queue to start cleaning up his stuff. When his cello was tucked back into the case, he stepped out of the small booth and was met with a timid Harry.

“You were great.” Harry complimented. Louis smiled and Harry turned bright pink.

“Thanks. So were you.” Louis replied. “Liam didn’t say you played the piano.”

“I’m not majoring in it. It’s more like a hobby? It really comes in handy for composing though.” Harry said shyly, looking down at his shoes. Louis decided that he was perfectly adorable.

“That’s cool. I always thought it would be cool to play the piano.” Louis commented.

“Didn’t work out?”

“Nah. I found a different love.” He said with a fond smile, and patted his case at his side.

“Nice. You’re really brilliant at it too. You uh-look comfortable doing it, you know?” Harry commented awkwardly.

“Yeah. I know what you mean.” Louis nodded. Harry took a deep breath and looked away. His eyes were stopping on everything in the room except Louis.

“Well, I should actually do some work while I’m here, so…” Harry said, looking towards the door.

“Right! Sorry. I’ll get going. Nice to meet you, Harry.” Louis said, backing away.

“You too, Louis. I’ll let you know when I finish the track.” Harry said, folding his long arms over his thin torso. Louis tried not to stare for too long.

“Okay. Until then, I suppose.” He said, giving Harry a salute and walking away. He couldn’t even bare the thought of turning around after that. He fucking saluted him.

_-_-_-_-_

“So, how’d it go?” Liam asked, plopping onto Harry’s like he always did. Harry rolled his eyes at the intrusion from Liam, but he didn’t complain.

“What?” He asked shortly, turning around in his swivel chair so that he was facing Liam.

“Louis.” Liam said as if it was most obvious thing in the world.

“Fine. Why?” Harry replied, his voice suspicious. Liam played it cool. He didn’t want to seem to eager about it.

“No reason.” He shrugged. Harry wasn’t buying it, but he played along anyway.

“He’s cool.” He offered.

“Cute too?” Liam said. He realized afterwards that it wasn’t the subtlest thing he could have said. Harry raised his eyebrows at his friend, who was trying to keep an even face.

“Why? You interested?” Harry teased, kicking the end of his mattress. Liam made a face at the suggestion. He was as straight as they came and Harry knew it.

“No. I mean you.” Liam clarified with a chuckle.

“You’re interested in me? Liam, I’m flattered but-“ Harry began with a mischievous smirk.

“No. Harry, quit being a twat! I’m being serious. What did you think of Louis?” Liam asked.

“He was fine. Nice enough.” Harry said, not buying into Liam’s prying.

“Harold.” Liam warned.

“What? We shook hands, he played the cello, and then he left. It wasn’t like that.” Harry explained.

“You are hopeless, Harry!” Liam groaned. A serious side effect of Harry’s tendency to be a recluse was that he didn’t ever pick up on flirting. He never pursued anyone that he took an interest in.

“Did I do something wrong? I thought it went alright.” He asked, confused.

“No. You didn’t. But I thought maybe you’d like Louis.” Liam said, clearly disappointed.

“I do?” Harry said, sounding confused.

“No, I mean like…I thought you to would hit it off.” Liam explained, scratching his neck.

“Oh.” Harry said finally caught on. “You were trying to set me up with him.”

“Yeah.”

“Well. He was cute, I guess.” Harry said bashfully. Then he blushed a deep red. “Is that even okay for me to say? Is that the word I’m supposed to use?”

“Harry, no offense. But you are the worst gay boy ever.” Liam said, leaning over to pat him on the knee.

“It’s not like I have any experience. You’re the only person I ever talk to about this stuff and you’re straight. I don’t know how to be gay. Other than the fact that I was way more attracted to Ryan Gosling than Rachel McAdams in The Notebook.” Harry said, spinning in his chair as he thought about it.

Liam laughed. He knew very well about Harry’s crush on Ryan Gosling. “So you are interested in Louis.” He said, trying to contain his excitement.

“I think he’s attractive.” Harry confirmed. Then groaned. "I'm serious, Liam. How do you feel about the word 'cute'?"

"I don't see anything wrong with it. It's just an adjective." Liam said with a shrug.

"Well yeah. But it's one that girls use." Harry argued, crinkling his nose.

"Seriously?" Liam asked with a smirk.

"I'm dead serious. I just got used to the fact that I'm gay. I don't want to be that stereotypical gayboy that talks like a girl." Harry whined.

"Harry. It's just a word. And you are no stereotype. You are my gay best friend who thinks a guy is cute. There is nothing wrong with that." Liam informed Harry with a serious voice. Harry sighed heavily and spinned in his chair a couple more times.

"Fine. He's cute." Harry finally conceded. "Very very cute."

“Perfect. Now we’re getting somewhere. You just wait and see, Styles.” Liam said, wagging a finger at Harry before pulling himself off the bed and leaving the room. Harry stared at the doorway for a while, and then turned back to his computer.