Chapter Text
Monday.
Dreary, grey, raining on the streets of London Monday.
But Louis was smiling, it was week 2, which meant Harry came in today.
The coffee shop was busy, as it always was first thing in the morning.
There used to be a bell on the door but Louis had complained just enough times about how overstimulating it was when it practically didn’t stop ringing, and Kendall had actually listened and taken it down.
The street outside was busy, just a 10 minute walk from the big offices, which meant every morning, without fail, was a morning rush.
Louis didn’t mind it, Niall had laughed at him when he first started and Louis had stated that every morning rush hour was like his own personal wet dream. But it was his normal now, and normal meant suited men in a rush, before they headed into work.
There were a handful of people that were sort of regulars, and it hadn’t taken Louis long to notice Harry. Regular as clockwork, every other day.
With a bit of small talk, and before Louis realised how creepy he was being, he had figured out the schedule. Harry and Liam worked together, and took turns buying their morning coffee. It was a 2 weekly rota, one would buy twice a week, the other 3 times, then swap.
Today marked the beginning of week 2, which meant Harry was first in on Monday.
Niall stared at Louis as he explained this insane routine,
“You’re a fucking stalker mate” he said laughing,
“No I’m not! I’m just here... all the time, they’re as regular as bloody clockwork, it would have been weirder to not notice!” Louis defended himself
The first wave of suits had started to file in and out. Louis watched them all, wondering what it would be like to have a fancy corporate job, would he walk with purpose? Would he make it to work on time? Would he look sexy in a suit?
And then Harry came in.
Louis hated himself for just knowing. Harry had always stood out, everyone blurred into one... professional hair cuts, clean shaven, tailored suits, dull eyes, secret hatred for their lives…
Harry walked in every day (or every other day, whatever) like he owned the place, he had curly hair (Curls!! a grown man? Who did that), his suit was still just as immaculate as anyone else's, but he looked lived in.
Slightly crooked tie, green eyes, awake somehow.
Louis had noticed him immediately.
Niall had laughed in Louis’ face when he’d first described him,
“It’s physically impossible for a human to have eyes as green as that you know” he’d said, amused,
But Louis had insisted, “Fucking emerald city green Niall, I’m telling you”.
As Harry approached the counter, he caught Louis’ eye and smiled,
“Morning” he said,
Louis nodded, grabbing a cup holder as Niall made the drinks behind him,
“Happy Monday” he smiled back,
“Is it?” Harry asked, raising an eyebrow, “It’s depressing as hell out there” Harry said, glancing out to the street behind him, where the puddles were already forming, and there was the sound of a siren blaring somewhere in the distance.
“Well, that’s what we get for living in England in winter” Louis shrugged, still smiling,
Harry laughed, “What’s the alternative? What do you suggest?”
“That we migrate south for the winter… obviously” Louis grinned, as Niall pushed two cups toward him,
Louis glanced down as he pushed them into the cup holder.
“Enjoy” he said, looking back up to Harry,
“Thanks Louis,” Harry smiled. And then he was gone.
Wednesday
More rain.
“Still raining” Harry whined to Louis,
“Happy Wednesday Harry” Louis grinned, unfazed.
Friday
Louis was watching the people walk by outside, as they detoured onto the road to avoid where the path was starting to flood.
“Why aren’t you miserable yet?” Harry asked
Louis laughed, “you want me to be miserable Harold?”
“No, not…actively” Harry smiled a little,
Louis leaned across the counter, “Harry do you think Noah wallowed in his miserability when there was a flood? No, he built an ark!”
“Miserability?” Harry raised an eyebrow,
“It’s a word” Louis replied, “Build a boat Harry”
Tuesday
That weekend the sky had brightened… only slightly, but still brighter.
And so far there had been no rain sightings,
“Happy Tuesday” Louis grinned as Harry glared at him,
“The sky is still grey, there’s no happiness yet” Harry said
“It must be very boring in that office of yours” Louis smiled sweetly,
As Harry turned to leave, the heavens opened.
Louis saw Harry’s shoulders slump as he sighed, watching him in amusement as Harry turned back with another glare,
“Maybe the day you smile will be the day the sun comes out” Louis called across the room,
“Hey I smile” Harry said, giving Louis the biggest fake smile he could muster.
“You got it bad mate” Niall muttered just loud enough to hear,
“Oi” Louis snapped, “I do not”
“I don’t know why you don't just ask him out already”
“Do you hear any of these other suits talk to us like were actual people, we might as well simply be another coffee machine to them, a little conversation never hurt anybody Niall”
Thursday
“You know, I don’t think he’s even ever said hi to me” Niall announced after Harry had left, “You don’t get to hog all the hot ones you know”
Louis laughed, “Hot ones? What about him do you think’s hot then? His dick?”
Niall turned away from him, “Obviously not, but that’s besides the point”
“It’s his eyes isn’t it?”, Louis laughed at the glare he received back,
“Why am I such a ray of fucking sunshine amongst all you miserable bastards” he said and Niall threw a dish cloth at him.
Monday
On Monday it didn’t rain, but Louis felt miserable.
“He can’t help it mate, stop sulking” Niall had slapped him on the back, as Louis drank his own drink quietly.
Liam had come and gone this morning, ordering one drink, and telling the boys that Harry was off sick today.
Louis didn’t even pretend to hide his disappointment, as much as he could admit that Liam was hardly bad to look at, he was no Harry.
(he had briefly wondered what was going on in that office down the road, that it was somehow capable of churning out all these handsome men).
But whatever, Louis was fine, and he was not sulking.
Wednesday
Louis hated it, absolutely despised the way Niall laughed at him,
“You just lit up like a fucking lightbulb” he had muttered as Louis rushed passed him when Harry came in this morning.
“Fuck off” Louis muttered, before turning his attention over to Harry .
“Hey” Harry smiled at him, eyes twinkling, and fuck Niall, they really were emerald city green.
“Feeling better?” Louis asked,
“it was nothing, just a bit of a cold, didn't wanna get out of bed… Liam always acts like I'm dying” Harry huffed and Louis couldn’t help but laugh at him,
“Please, if you were dying I think we would have known about it”
“How so?” Harry raised an eyebrow,
“Because it would have been raining, obviously” Louis winked at him.
Friday
“Three drinks Harry? Are you actually dying today?”
“Liam told me he needed two to make up for monday” Harry shrugged,
“Yes I know” he said as Louis opened his mouth to respond, “It would have been easier to do an extra day next week, but he insisted”
Louis nodded, his brain briefly glitching at how Harry had known exactly what he was going to ask.
Tuesday
Louis had practically skipped to work this morning. The sun was shining on his face, the sunlight reflecting off puddles that he was pretty certain were a permanent feature of London by now.
He had grabbed his sunglasses with the biggest smile on his face. Summer was calling his name.
He had been starting to worry he would join Harry and the rest of London in a state of depression before it came, but alas, sunshine.
Louis pottered about in the back of the cafe for longer than usual, rearranging the paper cups again and again, until Niall actually slapped his hands away.
Louis stood fiddling with a marker pen as the crowds of suits came and went,
“Hey” Harry asked as he approached Louis with a smile on his face,
“Happy Tuesday Harry” Louis grinned,
Harry smiled, “Sun's out today, Louis”
“Thank god” Louis muttered, taking the cup from Niall to write Harry’s name on,
He’d realised a while back that he definitely didn’t need to still be doing that, both Harry and Liam had in turn told him it wasn’t necessary but he had shushed them and insisted that every part of his job was necessary.
When Louis placed Harry’s drink into the cup holder in front of him, he watched as Harry just blinked at it for a moment, he could feel Niall’s ever judging presence behind him, the black writing on Harry’s cup bold enough for them all to see.
Louis hadn’t written Harry’s name on it today.
He’d drawn a little sunshine, and written his phone number.
“Thanks” Harry said, picking up the drinks,
“Enjoy” Louis said, watching Harry leave before finally turning back to Niall,
“Fuck” he said,
“Fuck is right” Niall said, handing Louis an espresso shot. “Here”
Thursday
“Nothing?” Niall had asked,
“Nope, not even one teeny message” Louis shrugged it off, already pacing, waiting for Harry to come into the cafe.
When Harry finally came in, Louis tried to blink himself out of the stare he could feel he was in, but fuck.
“Hey” Harry said quietly as he approached Louis,
“Happy Thursday” Louis said, forcing himself to muster all the self confidence he could,
Harry laughed lightly, “Quiet today?” he asked, glancing round, the shop was actually a lot quieter than usual, but the sun was out for the third time that week (and what felt like the entire year), so maybe that was why, Louis shrugged,
“Guess so,” he said.
Louis reached for the coffee cups from Niall, absent mindedly writing on them, before placing them into the holder, torn between staring Harry down, or avoiding eye contact all together.
Eventually he looked up as he pushed the cups across the counter, watching Harry read his cup, Louis had drawn another sunshine, and wrote his number, again, on the side of the cup, this time in neon pink.
Harry smiled softly, looking back at Louis awkwardly,
“Um Louis” he said, shifting on his feet,
Louis had never seen him be awkward, he was starting to wish the floor would swallow him whole.
“I’m really flattered, honestly, but um, I am actually kind of seeing someone” Harry said, not quite meeting his eyes,
Louis swallowed, shaking his head slightly and plastering on a smile,
“That’s okay Harry” he said, “You can’t blame a guy for trying” he winked, trying to cut through the tension,
Harry just smiled back, “Happy Thursday Louis” he said as he turned to leave.
The bell-less door swung shut behind him.
Louis stared at it for three full seconds before dropping his forehead onto the counter.
“Right,” Niall said carefully. “So that went badly then.”