Don’t Be Shy, I Fancy You

The sun beating down on the citizens of London did nothing to prevent the cold air from numbing their fingers. The cold wasn't a rare occurrence in October, but that didn't stop people from running into shops and cafes in search for warmth.

These were the days Harry loved the most. Cold days led to more customers visiting the quiet cafe which gave him more opportunities to make new friends. He's a very kind and talkative soul, a beautiful smile always gracing his pink lips while dimples appear on both of his cheeks.

He handed a mother of two little boys her bag and handed the two children little lollipops. The mother gave him a grateful grin, rushing the two boys out while trying to balance their backpacks along with her purse and bag.

"Can you go clean the tables for me while I do the register?" Harry's boss, Meg, asked as she opens the register. He nodded and grabbed a rag, heading out into the cream-colored room with pictures of the owner's family along with newspaper clippings of articles writing about the family-owned shop. He walked past the brown couches and chairs that are sat beside a wood fireplace.

He smiled at everyone he passed. The university student typing away on his laptop and the old couple that comes in three times a week for their little lunch date. The group of high school girls that were gossiping by the big glass window and the newly divorced man is eating his feelings away in a booth while staring at a picture of his wife and child.

The person that caught Harry's eye is the older man that had come every day since his first visit. Every day since his first visit, he's always sat at the same secluded table in the back. He perked up as soon as he and Harry made eye contact causing a blush to crawl onto Harry's cheeks.

"Hello, Harry," the man greeted, his pearly white teeth on display as he gave Harry a grin. Harry smiled back at him softly, cleaning the table in front of the older man.

"Hello, Louis. What are you having today?" Louis grinned, knowing that customers are supposed to order up front. That meant that Harry is giving him special treatment.

Perfect.

"A Yorkshire tea and a hot chocolate for you?" Harry chuckled and made eye contact with the older man. Louis' crystal blue eyes were filled with mischief and amusement, easily corresponding with the man's playful personality Harry had come to know.

"So just the tea then? We have a fresh batch of cinnamon rolls if you'd like one." Harry turned to clean another table, his heart speeding up when Louis laughed at his response. It seemed that Harry has grown a bit of a soft spot in his heart for the man who visits him every day at noon. He always made Harry laugh with his witty jokes and sassy attitude.

Harry had come to look forward to his little visits.

"I'll have one if you share it with me." Louis watched as Harry bent over to clean the very back of the table, licking his slightly chapped lips. What he would do to that beautiful boy if only they were alone.

"If only you would come visit me during my break then I could," Harry teased as he began to walk back towards the counter. Louis got up and followed his target with his eyes on the way the boy moved. Hips swaying in natural temptation and his muscular back. Louis wanted him so much.

"I'm sure Megan would give you a break early. You work so hard." Harry laughed.

"You don't know Megan-"

"What about me?" Megan asked as Harry wiped down the counter. She was looking down at her notepad as she began doing inventory.

"You would be okay with Harry taking a break to have a chat with me, wouldn't you?" Louis asked with a sly smile. Harry rolled his eyes at the flirtatious tone Louis had.

The man was undoubtedly charming with his elegant stance and swoon-worthy smile. He crafted his words in such a delicate way to always get the desired reaction out of the person he was conversing with. His eyes were a tool of hypnotism that puts everyone who made eye contact with him under his spell.

It was really no surprise that when Megan looked at him that she immediately gave in.

"Of course, Louis, the lunch rush is over anyway." Louis sent her a sweet smile and gave Harry a smirk. Louis walked up behind Harry and stood on his toes to reach his ear.

"I'll be back at my table, love. Hurry back, I'm excited to chat," Louis whispered in his ear. His raspy high pitched voice sent a shiver down Harry's spine, trapping the boy's voice in his throat as he blushed deeply.

"O-Okay." He watched the boy go behind the counter and his smirk turned sinister as he headed back to his table. Harry was reacting exactly as he hoped. This made his plan a lot easier.

Louis felt his phone vibrate in his pocket which angered him. He wanted to be fully focused on Harry and his phone was a distraction, but he knew that he only gets texts during the day that it's important. He pulled it out with a huff to see that Zayn texted him.

From Zayn:

Foster didn't bring back what he was supposed to, what do you want to do?

Louis glared at the screen while the gears in his head turned.

To Zayn:

Lock him up until I get there. I'll take care of it.

"I can go back to work if you're busy," Louis heard Harry say as a cup of tea and a cinnamon roll is placed in front of him. He looked up to see Harry sat in the chair in front of him with a teasing smile on his gorgeous face.

All of the quiet chatter and noises of the cafe seemed to disappear as the two stared at each other intensely. They were the only two people alive in that moment, nothing could bother them.

Exactly how Louis wanted it.

"Nonsense, I'm never too busy for you, darling." Louis picked up his tea and took a sip, knowing that Harry had how he liked his tea memorized by now. He was able to learn things quickly which pleased the older man.

"So, what exactly did you want to chat about Mr. Tomlinson?" Harry inquired quietly with his eyebrow raised. He sat his cup down gently on the saucer, crossing one of his long legs over the other. Louis smirked at the boy and leaned back in his chair with his eyes connected to the forest green ones staring back at him.

"The answer is obvious, darling. I want to know everything about you," Louis muttered with his hands clasped together on the table.

Harry blushed a bit but ignored his nervousness. He refused to allow the man to know how much he affects him. Smooth words and a handsome face won't work on him. He'd be damned if he fell under the spell of this mystical man.

"And why is that, exactly?" Harry watched as the group of girls leaves along with the uni student.

"Because I found something that interests me and when that happens, love, I intend to learn everything about it," Louis explained, taking a bit of the treat Harry carefully prepared for him.

"I interest you?" Harry asked causing Louis to laugh.

"I thought that was pretty obvious." Harry flushed in embarrassment, taking his hair out of its bun to hide behind it. Louis frowned. "I wasn't laughing at you, I was laughing at how cute you look when you're confused." Harry's cheeks reddened further, but he ignored it.

"Well, ask what you want to ask and I may or may not answer." Harry tried to keep his face neutral, but he immediately smiled after the blue-eyed man grinned at him.

"Alright, how old are you, angel?" Louis asked with a smile on his lips. Harry takes a sip of his hot chocolate before answering.

"19. I'll be 20 in February," Harry answered while looking over his cup. "How old are you, Louis?" Louis smiled.

"26," Harry nodded, placing his cup down and begins to braid his hair. "Are you in Uni?"

"Yes. I'm a med student. I want to become a surgeon." Louis noticed how Harry seemed to take his time while speaking.

"That's very ambitious," Louis commented, making Harry giggle.

"I suppose it is, but I've always been fascinated by anatomy and physiology and I want to help people," Harry explained with excitement in his deep voice. But then he smirked at the shorter man. "So, you're always in a suit and shaved clean, are you a businessman?" Louis chuckled lightly.

"You could say that. I'm more of a CEO." Harry looked at him in awe. If he was a CEO then he had to be successful. So why would he come here every day at noon just for some tea?

"You must be an extremely busy man, do you really have time to come here every day for tea I'm sure you have at your office." Louis bit his lip at how inquisitive Harry was.

That might prove to be a problem.

"Tell me about your family," Louis said quickly. Harry's smile fell from his face and was replaced by a frown.

"I have a sister named Gemma, she's 23. My mother's name is Anne. Now, what's it like-"

"What about your father?" Louis interrupted rudely. He wanted to know how Harry felt about his loser father. Is he as disgusted as Louis was?

Harry's features turned stone cold at the mention of his father.

"I have one just like everyone else," Harry snapped, but then he sighed. "I love him, he's my dad. He just can't seem to stop screwing things up lately. We used to be so close and now-" Harry shook his head, replacing his frown with a fake smile. "Nevermind, it isn't important. I should probably get back to work. I'll see you around," Harry said quickly, standing up to run away. Louis grabbed his hand before he could leave, stopping Harry in his tracks.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you." Louis moved around the circular table so he was standing in front of the taller lad. Harry let out a breathy sigh, looking into Louis' eyes.

"It's okay, but I really do need to go back to work," Harry said as he removed himself from Louis' grip. "Have a good day," Harry said and went to the back room. Louis walked back to the table and grabbed his coat. He waved at Megan as he headed out into the blistering cold. He headed around the rusty red brick building and pulled out his phone.

He dialed Zayn's number, looking to his left to see homeless people huddled around a fire the made inside of a trash can. Half of them are passed out with rubber tied around their arms while the other half of them were sticking needles in their veins.

And that's his doing.

"What's up, Lou?" Zayn answered. Louis continued to walk down the musty, dirty alleyway with his eyes forward.

"I'm on my way back, make sure he's unconscious." Louis heard the creepy smile on Zayn's face as the lad responded.

"Of course, King."

******

Harry walked through the door of his family's house. He closed the door and sighed as warmth engulfed his body as a welcome home.

"Harry! There's dinner in the microwave for you!" Anne yelled from upstairs. He smiled at the thought of his mother saving him food. That must have meant that they have extra money.

If one of the family members isn't there for dinner, Anne won't make them food. Just because they needed to save money.

Harry walked into the kitchen and saw Gemma typing away on her laptop, still in her work uniform.

"How was work, Gem?" Harry asked as he pulled the food out of the microwave to take off the plastic wrap that Anne had stuck on top.

"It was fine, I picked up a third shift along with my original first shift so hopefully we'll have a bit of extra money," She replied busily. Harry frowned, his mother worked as a nurse during the third and first shift and now Gemma was doing the same.

"Is dad home?" Harry asked, beginning to eat his food. She shook her head.

"He went out to try and find a job. Who knows if he'll stay sober long enough this time to actually keep one," Gemma snickered, but there was no jest in her voice. Harry sat down in front of his older sister with a sigh.

"Are you going to put the extra money in the secret fund?" Gemma nodded, looking up from her laptop to smile at her brother.

"Obviously, we can't let him take any extra money that could help. I just hope he stays sober this time," Gemma answered, but she was clearly tired. Emotionally and physically.

They both knew that what she said was just wishful thinking.

"I'm going in for an interview at the bar downtown," Gemma glared at him. "I'll only work a few hours on the weekends, it won't interfere with Uni, I promise," Harry said quickly, Gemma lets out a sigh as she turned back to her laptop.

Suddenly, they heard their mother's footsteps coming down the stairs as she ran. Harry grabbed her purse and held it up for her as he did every time she was running late. She entered the kitchen with her scrubs on and a frantic look on her beautiful, tired face, letting out a sigh when she sees Harry holding her bag.

"Thank you, love. I'll see you two tomorrow," she placed a kiss on her son's cheek and waved to her daughter before scurrying out of the house.

"When was the last time she slept?" Gemma shrugged.

"Yesterday morning I think? She's going to run herself into the ground if she keeps this up." Harry nodded in agreement, picking up his plate to wash when suddenly the door slams open.

Harry sighed, the smell of alcohol reaching his nose already.

"Welcome home, Des."

******

Louis walked through the metal door, the smell of blood immediately hitting his nose. Shadows dance all around the single light. He walked up to the unconscious body and examined the young boy.

"For some reason, he assumed that we wouldn't notice that a thousand pounds were missing," Zayn said from beside Louis. Louis looked up at his best friend with a blank expression.

Louis and Zayn had been friends since primary school and haven't separated since. Both families were horrible and their childhoods were nothing short of a nightmare. Beatings for crying and fear of their parents. Tortured by older children and the dark shadows of the night entering their houses to harm them. Forced to work for their parents in the night.

Is it any wonder that they ended up in business in the underworld of London?

"When did this happen?" Louis questioned in an acerbic tone, moving towards another dimly lit part of the room. He walked over to the table, picking up a saw.

"We found out this morning." Louis hummed, placing the saw down and grabbed and grabbed a metal pipe with nails coming out of the top.

"Did he confess that it was him?" He placed the pipe down, looking at the raven-haired man.

"No."

Louis's sinister grin crawled its way onto his face as he grabbed a hammer.

"Good."