Status: another story that will see if it works out
'Till Kingdom Come
chapter 4.
“Hiiiiiiiiiiiii” - Harry Styles
Louis Tomlinson had known Harry Styles for a very long time. And through this very long period of time he believed that he had grown to fully understand the way Harry Styles functioned.
Louis always believed that each person possessed a raw, basic personality that was truly authentic and would never be the same with anyone else’s. This raw and basic personality would then be accustomed, and sometimes even buried, in ways and demeanor and behaviors in which each person would grow up in. People might be changed or made through this ways and demeanor and behaviors, but the raw and basic personality of each person would always stay and never fade. It was for this reason, he always thought, that there seemed to be an infinite type of individuals in the world. It was for this reason also that people would never truly be the same; they might be made in the same ways but they each possessed an authentic seed.
Harry and himself, Louis had learned, were made in a similar way – strong mother figures, being the only descent man in the house and developed a serious trust issue along the way – but each of them possessed a very much opposite raw, basic inner self.
It was like the way they see things were kind of the same - they liked the same things, laughed at the same jokes and stood on similar principles – but the way they felt things were very different.
Louis was carefree. He always was, always has been. He lived for adventures and challenges and uncertainties. He was spontaneous and loud and very practical. He chose reasons over feelings anytime and sometimes this may made him seem insensitive and a little cynical (a trait of which the PR people always scowled him about) but it was his nature and he couldn't always help it.
Harry on the other hand was just the exact opposite because he lived for the one thing Louis totally did not; subtlety. Harry was sensitive and genuine and took everything into heart and the catch was, people wouldn't even know because that was how much of a subtle individual he really was. Though he was very opinionated and always try to say what’s on his mind he’d rather keep them to himself if people’s feelings were at risk. He was charming and likable because he always aim to be the things people wanted to see and sometimes this may made him seem a little too pretentious (a trait of which the PR people always scowled him about) but it was his nature and Harry couldn't always help it.
Despite all the basic differences Louis Tomlinson was very fond of Harry Styles, and yes, he knew he probably sounded really feminine saying it but no, he didn't mean it in a gay way because no, he was not gay and no, Larry was not real. It was just impossible really to have known and understood all this little details about someone and not have had formed a strong bond along the way.
So, due to this strong bond he had with Harry Styles, Louis knew that Harry’s crappy mood that morning were lasting just a little longer than usual. (And that he probably hadn't washed his hair in three days or ironed his shirt in a very long time, but Louis was sure people could figure out the last two simply by passing him by so they were probably irrelevant.)
What was relevant was the fact that his wedding was in three weeks time and his very best friend seemed to be uncharacteristically unhappy since the past few months. As fond as Louis was of Harry, he couldn't afford having one of his best friends being in a foul mood so close to his wedding day.
He had a long list of guests to be reviewed, wedding bands to decide on, napkins colors to choose and a dessert set to be confirmed by the end of this week or else he would, as his soon-to-be-wife had nicely put, find his balls being stuck up his throat.
He needed all hands on board, and even with Niall’s unerring excitement of everything, Zayn’s amazing knowledge of colors (“it’s not that complicated mate, cream is a warmer and richer color than broken white”) and Liam’s persistence to be calm in all kinds of chaotic situation, Harry’s forever-not-helpful-state-the-obvious comments like; “Louis, you’re getting married” were still being greatly missed most of the time.
Louis made a mental note to himself to have a heart to heart conversation with Harry later (again, not in a gay way) to find out what really was the matter with the younger lad lately, but until then all Harry’s problems be damned because Louis had his balls on the line.
“What was the address again Lou?”
Niall, who seemed to be extra pumped that morning, more than usual, called out a few steps ahead of him. His eyes were scanning the surrounding shops that lined the streets around them so thoroughly it made his face looked like he’s thinking too hard.
“Erm, 36th Street 100 E. What block are we on now Ni?”
They were somewhere along Park Avenue, having just visited two out of the cake shops on Louis’ things-that-needed-to-get-done-by-the-end-of-this-week list and were well on their way to the third one called Cupcake House. And yes, cupcakes were mainly the only reason to why Niall was so keen to find it.
“Score! I think I found it!”
His cheerful energy really was vigorous and for that Louis was truly grateful because it seemed like Harry’s horrible morning mood would most likely last until noon.
----
He didn't know how and when it first started but whenever his mood was not feeling so good Harry liked to empty his mind by singing a song repeatedly inside his head. He would do this whenever he was sad or upset and needed so bad to escape but couldn't. It became one of those things that came subconsciously to him because he did it so habitually often, and since he was not the type to wear his emotions on his sleeves and would prefer to keep as much as possible to himself he found this technique oddly effective.
Today he found himself singing The Beach Boys’ Wouldn't It Be Nice inside his head non-stop since he left his hotel room, and he had to admit by the time they reached Cupcake House his mood was getting a wee bit better.
Cupcake House was a lot more modest compared to the other two shops they h ad visited earlier. The front of the shop was made of a huge glass window that gave pedestrians passing by a clear, majestic view of the shop’s interior. When they went inside the first thing Harry noticed was how familiar the place felt to him.
It’s like that kind of place, he thought, that just gives you a strong firm aura of something you’re once used to and made you inhale a sudden breath of déjà vu, even though you've never really been there.
It reminded him of Holmes Chapel at Christmas, with the smell of fresh baked cookies and the freezing snow outside and made him think of Christmas songs and tacky Christmas-themed wrapping papers that his nana always used. It reminded him of Holmes Chapel when it was still his home, and he didn't know why.
Harry swept his view around the modest shop curiously. The floor was made of wood, and the walls were painted white. A long, elegant glass rack, filled with mouth-watering cupcakes in different flavors and shapes and colors, were displayed in front of the cash register and along the right side of the shop, trailing a way further inside. Small chairs and tables were lining up the hallway and at the back of the shop were small wooden boards, hung on the spotless wall which, Harry realized after a closer view, were actually testimonies of customers.
“Best cupcakes in New York!, a bite is not enough, guaranteed to make your mouth water, man just gimme the damn cupcakes already.”
Niall who apparently had also noticed the same thing, read through the many testimonies written on the tiny boards and whistled hungrily, his expression resembling those of a teenage boy pining over a D bust girl in a bikini that Harry just had to rolled his eyes at him.
“You’ve just ate literally a handful of red velvet cake ten minutes ago Ni.”
“Harry. These ones are guaranteed to make my mouth water! It’s like freaking foreplay and it’s making me full on ready again to take it.”
Harry regretted in that moment, that he had perfectly functional ears to ever hear that description.
“El told me to pay attention to this one, her aunt strongly recommended this and it’s at the top of her list.” Louis chimed in while scanning the small, modest shop with an approval look.
For such a wonderful and highly comfortable space the shop was surprisingly deserted that Harry wondered whether or not the shop has opened, it was still 11 AM in the morning after all, but then he realized that they wouldn’t have been able to come in if it wasn't open.
Sleepiness really took the logic out of his brain sometimes.
As Harry was about to vocalized his wonders a scuffing noise came out of what he assumed to be the kitchen, followed by a girl in an all black attire busily tying up her blue apron uniform around her waist.
“Hi, hello, sorry for the wait. Welcome to Cupcake House how may I help you?”
Harry caught a glimpse of the name written on the girl’s name tag; Sarah, as he decided to pass the opportunity to greet her with his infamous, super long friendly hello that he would've easily take was he not in such a reluctant mood to do anything.
“Hello love, I believe I’m here to get a sample of the dessert set that my fiancé’s aunt had set up earlier this week?”
It was Louis who answered her instead and as the girl, Sarah, let out a gasp of comprehension Harry lost interest in joining the conversation and continued instead to scan around the shop, trying to figure out what was it that made the shop felt so familiar to him.
He was eyeing one particular wooden table set that was located in the far corner of the shop suspiciously when the bells of the shop’s door ‘ding’ed and revealed a very flushed Liam Payne with an unrealistically photogenic looking Zayn Malik following suit behind him.
“Stole our cab! Who bloody does that? Who steal someone’s cab like that? Bloody New Yorkers I tell you.”
It was Liam who spoke first and he did not look happy. It was only natural really, Harry thought knowingly, being impeccably sensible since birth Liam never failed to be astonished when people weren’t being as sensible as they should.
“Do you know what just happened to us Harry?”
Liam asked while noisily taking a seat on the nearest table and while Harry knew Liam was being rhetorical he answered him anyway.
“Um, someone stole your cab?”
“Someone bloody stole our bloody cab! I mean who bloody does that?”
Harry could see Zayn holding back his amusement in the background and he could feel his mouth twitched a little too despite his sour mood; a pissed off Liam Payne was always a good sight to see, it was a lot like seeing Louis trying to be in his best behavior whenever Eleanor was around.
“I’m guessing, New Yorkers?”
“Exactly! Bloody New Yorkers!”
Zayn did laugh out loud this time as he patted Liam’s back sympathetically.
“It was pretty funny actually when you looked back to it.” Zayn said to which Liam responded by glaring.
“They pretended to be tourists who didn't speak English Zayn! And when we bothered to stop and put down our things to help them they just got into our cab and took off and said and I quote ‘thanks for the ride and wow, you guys really do light up our world like nobody else!’ Tell me, Harry, is that even funny in the slightest?”
Harry cracked a smile. “It is pretty funny actually, yeah.”
“They were hot too and they were two of them.” Zayn added again, much to Liam’s chagrin.
Liam closed his eyes and breathed in and out slowly as if he was doing yoga.
“Whew. Ok. I’m fine, I’m good.” He said as he opened his eyes after a few seconds. “What’s everybody’s up to?”
Louis, who appeared out of nowhere and took a seat on the empty space beside Harry, answered the questioned like he’s been waiting to be asked.
“Well, precious hazzaboo here been a sourpuss since the sun rise, and the hyperactive, sugar-rushed Irish over there been eating desserts non-stop for the past couple of hours and me, the magnificent Louis Tomlinson, is having my balls being stuck up my throat if I don’t finish the things-that-needed-to-get-done-by-the-end-of-this-week list by the end of this week. In other words, not much.”
Once again Harry found himself trying to wrap his fingers around the fact that Louis was really going to get married. His best friend was getting married. It was really happening and he found it so bizarrely, wonderfully hard to believe. That they were adults now and one of them is getting married. Harry had half a mind to pointed that out, that Louis was getting married, but he decided against it because well everybody must've known that by now right?
“That reminds me Lou, El told me to remind you that she had booked us to tuxedo fittings this afternoon at five. She said we all have to go and don’t be late.” Liam said.
“Christ. I knew there’s something I’m forgetting. Thanks mate, what would I do without you seriously.”
“Probably have your balls stuck up your throat.” Liam smiled sympathetically.
Then, with a plate full of colorful cupcakes in one hand and a strawberry milkshake on the other, Niall took the only empty seat left on their table, just beside Zayn whose hand immediately reached for one of the cupcakes only to have it smacked away obnoxiously.
“Mine.” Niall said territorialy. “I swear to God this place have cupcakes in every flavor I can imagine. This one is Reese’s Buttercup, this one is Nutella, this one is Baileys and this one,-“ he raised one particular cupcake in his hand, “-is oreo milkshake. Guys, oreo milkshake in a cupcake! I mean-“ he made an explosion hand gesture “-bloody foodgasm.”
Harry believed that the rest of them had at least two witty comebacks to say to Niall right then but he never really said his because the bells on the shop’s door ‘ding’ed again and he heard his name being called.
“Harry?”
And before Harry could utter the same surprised tone back he heard Liam bit him to it.
“You!”
“Liz?”
“You stole our cab!”
“Who’s Liz Haz?”
“What are you doing here?”
“Zayn! She’s one of them isn’t she?”
“What are you doing here?”
“Yea Li, I think so.”
“What’s the matt – Harry?”
“El?”
“And Who’s El? Why are they stealing Liam’s cab?”
“Yup it’s definitely them.”
“What are you doing here?”
“Cab stealer!”
“Oh! I just realized! I’m so sorry, it was my sister’s idea, she really needed to pee and she has a really small bladder, we didn’t mean to be rude.”
“Wha – How – What are you guys doing here?”
“Liam, put down that fork.”
“What are you guys doing here?”
“They stole our cab Zayn!”
“I’m really confused here guys.”
“Wha – “
“OH FOR GOD’S SAKE NO SCREAMIN’ WHILE I’M EATIN’”
Niall’s frustrated screech raised above all else as he made his way to another empty table, and for a few moments the shop was dead silent with only the sound of Niall’s munches on his cupcake in the background.
Harry was bewildered.
His mind was racing as fast as his heart because if El and Liz were here there was a good chance that she was here too and the thought of ever seeing her again was enough to make his blood boiled and his heart rumbled.
He dared not asking what’s on his mind, but he soon find out that he didn’t really have to because the bells on the door ‘ding’ed once more and in the few moments of silence Harry saw her again for the first time after five years.
Her hair was the shortest he’s ever seen her with and her lips were dry. The same delicate curls, the same hard, piercing blue eyes and the same effortless beauty. She looked so much older but she felt just as recent as yesterday.
She was talking on the phone when she came in, all eyes were on her.
“- yes I understand that very well sir and I will make sure it won’t ever happen again under my watch. I – “
She stopped mid-sentence when she realized that all eyes were on her.
“What’s going – Harry?”
Harry watched cold heartedly as the blood drained from her face when she whispered out his name in a wavering astonishment.
Harry? Why are you so aggravating?
Harry? Stay the night tonight?
Harry? You know I love you right?
Harry?
Harry?
Her voice sounded like a lost familiarity and it burned his insides.
And Harry wanted nothing more than to make her hurt.
“Well, well. If it isn’t the heartless bitch of Holmes Chapel.”
Harry didn’t need to turn around to see the surprised looks on his best friends’ face behind him. He could even feel Niall’s chewing stopped when the venomous words left his mouth.
For a few painful seconds nobody said anything. The atmosphere was suddenly very tense and awkward. Harry could feel Liam and Zayn and El and Liz shifted their gazes uncomfortably around him, knowing that they had stepped into a supposedly very private conversation.
“Hey Haz, don’t you have that same sweater? Only instead of H yours got L on it?”
It was Louis who spoke first off course, nobody in the whole world loved awkward situations more than Louis, Harry could bet anything on it, and he would do just about anything to be the one to make it even more awkward. Harry’s eyes shifted in response and sure enough the giant, fading letter of H was on the jumper she was wearing and Harry could feel his blood reaching its maximal temperature point.
“What the fuck are you doing here?”
He knew he had no right whatsoever to asked her that. He knew it was none of his business and he knew he was being very, very rude.
But manners be damned because she didn't get to wear his jumper the first time he’d see her again after fiver years and get away with it. Fucking no.
She was getting paler and the expression on her face was that of pure disquietude.
“Um, I.. kind of.. own the shop?”
--
He didn't know how and when it first started but whenever his mood was not feeling so good Harry liked to empty his mind by singing a song repeatedly inside his head. He would do this whenever he was sad or upset and needed so bad to escape but couldn't. It became one of those things that came subconsciously to him because he did it so habitually often, and since he was not the type to wear his emotions on his sleeves and would prefer to keep as much as possible to himself he found this technique oddly effective.
Today, after he had saw her again for the first time after five years – wearing his jumper and owning the Cupcake House and all – instead of having an outrage breakdown and yell out all kinds of horrible words that ever existed like he wanted to, Harry found himself singing to N.W.A’s A Bitch Iz A Bitch repeatedly inside his head.
And he wasn't even the least bit surprised when the line ‘Bitch eat shit and die’ was the one that stood up the most.
Louis Tomlinson had known Harry Styles for a very long time. And through this very long period of time he believed that he had grown to fully understand the way Harry Styles functioned.
Louis always believed that each person possessed a raw, basic personality that was truly authentic and would never be the same with anyone else’s. This raw and basic personality would then be accustomed, and sometimes even buried, in ways and demeanor and behaviors in which each person would grow up in. People might be changed or made through this ways and demeanor and behaviors, but the raw and basic personality of each person would always stay and never fade. It was for this reason, he always thought, that there seemed to be an infinite type of individuals in the world. It was for this reason also that people would never truly be the same; they might be made in the same ways but they each possessed an authentic seed.
Harry and himself, Louis had learned, were made in a similar way – strong mother figures, being the only descent man in the house and developed a serious trust issue along the way – but each of them possessed a very much opposite raw, basic inner self.
It was like the way they see things were kind of the same - they liked the same things, laughed at the same jokes and stood on similar principles – but the way they felt things were very different.
Louis was carefree. He always was, always has been. He lived for adventures and challenges and uncertainties. He was spontaneous and loud and very practical. He chose reasons over feelings anytime and sometimes this may made him seem insensitive and a little cynical (a trait of which the PR people always scowled him about) but it was his nature and he couldn't always help it.
Harry on the other hand was just the exact opposite because he lived for the one thing Louis totally did not; subtlety. Harry was sensitive and genuine and took everything into heart and the catch was, people wouldn't even know because that was how much of a subtle individual he really was. Though he was very opinionated and always try to say what’s on his mind he’d rather keep them to himself if people’s feelings were at risk. He was charming and likable because he always aim to be the things people wanted to see and sometimes this may made him seem a little too pretentious (a trait of which the PR people always scowled him about) but it was his nature and Harry couldn't always help it.
Despite all the basic differences Louis Tomlinson was very fond of Harry Styles, and yes, he knew he probably sounded really feminine saying it but no, he didn't mean it in a gay way because no, he was not gay and no, Larry was not real. It was just impossible really to have known and understood all this little details about someone and not have had formed a strong bond along the way.
So, due to this strong bond he had with Harry Styles, Louis knew that Harry’s crappy mood that morning were lasting just a little longer than usual. (And that he probably hadn't washed his hair in three days or ironed his shirt in a very long time, but Louis was sure people could figure out the last two simply by passing him by so they were probably irrelevant.)
What was relevant was the fact that his wedding was in three weeks time and his very best friend seemed to be uncharacteristically unhappy since the past few months. As fond as Louis was of Harry, he couldn't afford having one of his best friends being in a foul mood so close to his wedding day.
He had a long list of guests to be reviewed, wedding bands to decide on, napkins colors to choose and a dessert set to be confirmed by the end of this week or else he would, as his soon-to-be-wife had nicely put, find his balls being stuck up his throat.
He needed all hands on board, and even with Niall’s unerring excitement of everything, Zayn’s amazing knowledge of colors (“it’s not that complicated mate, cream is a warmer and richer color than broken white”) and Liam’s persistence to be calm in all kinds of chaotic situation, Harry’s forever-not-helpful-state-the-obvious comments like; “Louis, you’re getting married” were still being greatly missed most of the time.
Louis made a mental note to himself to have a heart to heart conversation with Harry later (again, not in a gay way) to find out what really was the matter with the younger lad lately, but until then all Harry’s problems be damned because Louis had his balls on the line.
“What was the address again Lou?”
Niall, who seemed to be extra pumped that morning, more than usual, called out a few steps ahead of him. His eyes were scanning the surrounding shops that lined the streets around them so thoroughly it made his face looked like he’s thinking too hard.
“Erm, 36th Street 100 E. What block are we on now Ni?”
They were somewhere along Park Avenue, having just visited two out of the cake shops on Louis’ things-that-needed-to-get-done-by-the-end-of-this-week list and were well on their way to the third one called Cupcake House. And yes, cupcakes were mainly the only reason to why Niall was so keen to find it.
“Score! I think I found it!”
His cheerful energy really was vigorous and for that Louis was truly grateful because it seemed like Harry’s horrible morning mood would most likely last until noon.
----
He didn't know how and when it first started but whenever his mood was not feeling so good Harry liked to empty his mind by singing a song repeatedly inside his head. He would do this whenever he was sad or upset and needed so bad to escape but couldn't. It became one of those things that came subconsciously to him because he did it so habitually often, and since he was not the type to wear his emotions on his sleeves and would prefer to keep as much as possible to himself he found this technique oddly effective.
Today he found himself singing The Beach Boys’ Wouldn't It Be Nice inside his head non-stop since he left his hotel room, and he had to admit by the time they reached Cupcake House his mood was getting a wee bit better.
Cupcake House was a lot more modest compared to the other two shops they h ad visited earlier. The front of the shop was made of a huge glass window that gave pedestrians passing by a clear, majestic view of the shop’s interior. When they went inside the first thing Harry noticed was how familiar the place felt to him.
It’s like that kind of place, he thought, that just gives you a strong firm aura of something you’re once used to and made you inhale a sudden breath of déjà vu, even though you've never really been there.
It reminded him of Holmes Chapel at Christmas, with the smell of fresh baked cookies and the freezing snow outside and made him think of Christmas songs and tacky Christmas-themed wrapping papers that his nana always used. It reminded him of Holmes Chapel when it was still his home, and he didn't know why.
Harry swept his view around the modest shop curiously. The floor was made of wood, and the walls were painted white. A long, elegant glass rack, filled with mouth-watering cupcakes in different flavors and shapes and colors, were displayed in front of the cash register and along the right side of the shop, trailing a way further inside. Small chairs and tables were lining up the hallway and at the back of the shop were small wooden boards, hung on the spotless wall which, Harry realized after a closer view, were actually testimonies of customers.
“Best cupcakes in New York!, a bite is not enough, guaranteed to make your mouth water, man just gimme the damn cupcakes already.”
Niall who apparently had also noticed the same thing, read through the many testimonies written on the tiny boards and whistled hungrily, his expression resembling those of a teenage boy pining over a D bust girl in a bikini that Harry just had to rolled his eyes at him.
“You’ve just ate literally a handful of red velvet cake ten minutes ago Ni.”
“Harry. These ones are guaranteed to make my mouth water! It’s like freaking foreplay and it’s making me full on ready again to take it.”
Harry regretted in that moment, that he had perfectly functional ears to ever hear that description.
“El told me to pay attention to this one, her aunt strongly recommended this and it’s at the top of her list.” Louis chimed in while scanning the small, modest shop with an approval look.
For such a wonderful and highly comfortable space the shop was surprisingly deserted that Harry wondered whether or not the shop has opened, it was still 11 AM in the morning after all, but then he realized that they wouldn’t have been able to come in if it wasn't open.
Sleepiness really took the logic out of his brain sometimes.
As Harry was about to vocalized his wonders a scuffing noise came out of what he assumed to be the kitchen, followed by a girl in an all black attire busily tying up her blue apron uniform around her waist.
“Hi, hello, sorry for the wait. Welcome to Cupcake House how may I help you?”
Harry caught a glimpse of the name written on the girl’s name tag; Sarah, as he decided to pass the opportunity to greet her with his infamous, super long friendly hello that he would've easily take was he not in such a reluctant mood to do anything.
“Hello love, I believe I’m here to get a sample of the dessert set that my fiancé’s aunt had set up earlier this week?”
It was Louis who answered her instead and as the girl, Sarah, let out a gasp of comprehension Harry lost interest in joining the conversation and continued instead to scan around the shop, trying to figure out what was it that made the shop felt so familiar to him.
He was eyeing one particular wooden table set that was located in the far corner of the shop suspiciously when the bells of the shop’s door ‘ding’ed and revealed a very flushed Liam Payne with an unrealistically photogenic looking Zayn Malik following suit behind him.
“Stole our cab! Who bloody does that? Who steal someone’s cab like that? Bloody New Yorkers I tell you.”
It was Liam who spoke first and he did not look happy. It was only natural really, Harry thought knowingly, being impeccably sensible since birth Liam never failed to be astonished when people weren’t being as sensible as they should.
“Do you know what just happened to us Harry?”
Liam asked while noisily taking a seat on the nearest table and while Harry knew Liam was being rhetorical he answered him anyway.
“Um, someone stole your cab?”
“Someone bloody stole our bloody cab! I mean who bloody does that?”
Harry could see Zayn holding back his amusement in the background and he could feel his mouth twitched a little too despite his sour mood; a pissed off Liam Payne was always a good sight to see, it was a lot like seeing Louis trying to be in his best behavior whenever Eleanor was around.
“I’m guessing, New Yorkers?”
“Exactly! Bloody New Yorkers!”
Zayn did laugh out loud this time as he patted Liam’s back sympathetically.
“It was pretty funny actually when you looked back to it.” Zayn said to which Liam responded by glaring.
“They pretended to be tourists who didn't speak English Zayn! And when we bothered to stop and put down our things to help them they just got into our cab and took off and said and I quote ‘thanks for the ride and wow, you guys really do light up our world like nobody else!’ Tell me, Harry, is that even funny in the slightest?”
Harry cracked a smile. “It is pretty funny actually, yeah.”
“They were hot too and they were two of them.” Zayn added again, much to Liam’s chagrin.
Liam closed his eyes and breathed in and out slowly as if he was doing yoga.
“Whew. Ok. I’m fine, I’m good.” He said as he opened his eyes after a few seconds. “What’s everybody’s up to?”
Louis, who appeared out of nowhere and took a seat on the empty space beside Harry, answered the questioned like he’s been waiting to be asked.
“Well, precious hazzaboo here been a sourpuss since the sun rise, and the hyperactive, sugar-rushed Irish over there been eating desserts non-stop for the past couple of hours and me, the magnificent Louis Tomlinson, is having my balls being stuck up my throat if I don’t finish the things-that-needed-to-get-done-by-the-end-of-this-week list by the end of this week. In other words, not much.”
Once again Harry found himself trying to wrap his fingers around the fact that Louis was really going to get married. His best friend was getting married. It was really happening and he found it so bizarrely, wonderfully hard to believe. That they were adults now and one of them is getting married. Harry had half a mind to pointed that out, that Louis was getting married, but he decided against it because well everybody must've known that by now right?
“That reminds me Lou, El told me to remind you that she had booked us to tuxedo fittings this afternoon at five. She said we all have to go and don’t be late.” Liam said.
“Christ. I knew there’s something I’m forgetting. Thanks mate, what would I do without you seriously.”
“Probably have your balls stuck up your throat.” Liam smiled sympathetically.
Then, with a plate full of colorful cupcakes in one hand and a strawberry milkshake on the other, Niall took the only empty seat left on their table, just beside Zayn whose hand immediately reached for one of the cupcakes only to have it smacked away obnoxiously.
“Mine.” Niall said territorialy. “I swear to God this place have cupcakes in every flavor I can imagine. This one is Reese’s Buttercup, this one is Nutella, this one is Baileys and this one,-“ he raised one particular cupcake in his hand, “-is oreo milkshake. Guys, oreo milkshake in a cupcake! I mean-“ he made an explosion hand gesture “-bloody foodgasm.”
Harry believed that the rest of them had at least two witty comebacks to say to Niall right then but he never really said his because the bells on the shop’s door ‘ding’ed again and he heard his name being called.
“Harry?”
And before Harry could utter the same surprised tone back he heard Liam bit him to it.
“You!”
“Liz?”
“You stole our cab!”
“Who’s Liz Haz?”
“What are you doing here?”
“Zayn! She’s one of them isn’t she?”
“What are you doing here?”
“Yea Li, I think so.”
“What’s the matt – Harry?”
“El?”
“And Who’s El? Why are they stealing Liam’s cab?”
“Yup it’s definitely them.”
“What are you doing here?”
“Cab stealer!”
“Oh! I just realized! I’m so sorry, it was my sister’s idea, she really needed to pee and she has a really small bladder, we didn’t mean to be rude.”
“Wha – How – What are you guys doing here?”
“Liam, put down that fork.”
“What are you guys doing here?”
“They stole our cab Zayn!”
“I’m really confused here guys.”
“Wha – “
“OH FOR GOD’S SAKE NO SCREAMIN’ WHILE I’M EATIN’”
Niall’s frustrated screech raised above all else as he made his way to another empty table, and for a few moments the shop was dead silent with only the sound of Niall’s munches on his cupcake in the background.
Harry was bewildered.
His mind was racing as fast as his heart because if El and Liz were here there was a good chance that she was here too and the thought of ever seeing her again was enough to make his blood boiled and his heart rumbled.
He dared not asking what’s on his mind, but he soon find out that he didn’t really have to because the bells on the door ‘ding’ed once more and in the few moments of silence Harry saw her again for the first time after five years.
Her hair was the shortest he’s ever seen her with and her lips were dry. The same delicate curls, the same hard, piercing blue eyes and the same effortless beauty. She looked so much older but she felt just as recent as yesterday.
She was talking on the phone when she came in, all eyes were on her.
“- yes I understand that very well sir and I will make sure it won’t ever happen again under my watch. I – “
She stopped mid-sentence when she realized that all eyes were on her.
“What’s going – Harry?”
Harry watched cold heartedly as the blood drained from her face when she whispered out his name in a wavering astonishment.
Harry? Why are you so aggravating?
Harry? Stay the night tonight?
Harry? You know I love you right?
Harry?
Harry?
Her voice sounded like a lost familiarity and it burned his insides.
And Harry wanted nothing more than to make her hurt.
“Well, well. If it isn’t the heartless bitch of Holmes Chapel.”
Harry didn’t need to turn around to see the surprised looks on his best friends’ face behind him. He could even feel Niall’s chewing stopped when the venomous words left his mouth.
For a few painful seconds nobody said anything. The atmosphere was suddenly very tense and awkward. Harry could feel Liam and Zayn and El and Liz shifted their gazes uncomfortably around him, knowing that they had stepped into a supposedly very private conversation.
“Hey Haz, don’t you have that same sweater? Only instead of H yours got L on it?”
It was Louis who spoke first off course, nobody in the whole world loved awkward situations more than Louis, Harry could bet anything on it, and he would do just about anything to be the one to make it even more awkward. Harry’s eyes shifted in response and sure enough the giant, fading letter of H was on the jumper she was wearing and Harry could feel his blood reaching its maximal temperature point.
“What the fuck are you doing here?”
He knew he had no right whatsoever to asked her that. He knew it was none of his business and he knew he was being very, very rude.
But manners be damned because she didn't get to wear his jumper the first time he’d see her again after fiver years and get away with it. Fucking no.
She was getting paler and the expression on her face was that of pure disquietude.
“Um, I.. kind of.. own the shop?”
--
He didn't know how and when it first started but whenever his mood was not feeling so good Harry liked to empty his mind by singing a song repeatedly inside his head. He would do this whenever he was sad or upset and needed so bad to escape but couldn't. It became one of those things that came subconsciously to him because he did it so habitually often, and since he was not the type to wear his emotions on his sleeves and would prefer to keep as much as possible to himself he found this technique oddly effective.
Today, after he had saw her again for the first time after five years – wearing his jumper and owning the Cupcake House and all – instead of having an outrage breakdown and yell out all kinds of horrible words that ever existed like he wanted to, Harry found himself singing to N.W.A’s A Bitch Iz A Bitch repeatedly inside his head.
And he wasn't even the least bit surprised when the line ‘Bitch eat shit and die’ was the one that stood up the most.
♠ ♠ ♠
Hello again. First off, I just want to say thank you so much for the 13 subs, I hope this chapter did not disappoint! Second off, for those who still read this, I would really really like to know what are your thoughts on this so far :) Please don't hesitate to comment, subs or even criticize!
Ps: and for those you might like to know
Lilian's Jumper.
Ps: and for those you might like to know
Lilian's Jumper.