I Walk the Line

Harry was never good at confrontation, he just wasn't. He never liked it, made him feel uncomfortable. As a result, he ended up being a bit of a pushover. It was worse when he was younger, he almost never said no, even if it made him uncomfortable and he knew it wasn't good because it put him in some pretty awkward situations. That's why he actively tried to have more of a backbone when it comes to things he really doesn't like. And usually, he was okay.

However, he didn't think he'd ever been in a situation like this one.

Was Louis stalking him? Was he overreacting? Was his mind playing tricks on him?

It was pretty dark out and he had to admit that the glimpse he got of the driver was more of a one second glance.

On the other hand, he seemed to be seeing the man everywhere he went. The chances of it being a coincidence were slowly decreasing in size and becoming more of a possibility.

It made his stomach drop any time he thought about it.

The problem was, he didn't want to assume anything. What if Louis wasn't stalking him and he asked him about it out of the blue? It was possible that it could come off as rude—in fact, it was inevitable.

And this back and forth in his brain was what was currently occupying his mind.

It was early in the morning as he was doing the first shift like he did every Friday. Unlike other days, it wasn't that busy, despite it being Friday, with people still at work. He just assumed it was because nobody wanted to be awake at six am and if they were, they didn't want to get coffee because they just wanted the weekend to start.

Harry knew how that felt.

The shop didn't have a bell to signal whether a customer entered or not, but Harry immediately felt atmosphere in the cafe changed when the door opened.

Louis looked different today. His normally styled hair was down on his face, swept slightly to the side. The cosy, navy jumper made the blue of his eyes stand out and they were, so, so blue. His usual smirk was taken over by a soft smile. He looked so sweet and gentle, it made Harry's heart flutter.

Harry was snapped out of his dreamy daze when the signature smirk appeared on the older man's lips, replacing the beautiful smile, and the smugness of it made Harry flustered. With red cheeks he cleared his throat.

"What can I get you?" Harry asked, his mind blanking on what he was thinking of before.

"My usual," he replied, the smirk staying plastered on his face.

Harry scoffed in annoyance, but they both knew it was playful.

There was something about the look in Harry's eyes though. A hesitance hidden in them which told Louis otherwise. He didn't mention it, though.

"And you expect me to know what that is because..." Harry trailed off, trying to play it cool, but they both knew he had it memorized.

"I come here everyday. I'm your stalker, Harry," Louis chuckled. Harry flinched, taking a tiny step back.

"W-What?" Harry stuttered.

"I come here everyday, you know my order, Harry. It never changes," Louis chuckled, but it faded when he saw the weird look Harry was giving him. "You okay?" The older man asked, giving Harry a concerned look. The boy behind the cash register sighed in relief and nodded.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine. I'll get your order for you." Harry was dismissing him and as much as he wanted to keep talking, that comment really freaked him out.

While his back was turned to make Louis' drink, he took a deep breath and thought about the other day. He was sure it was Louis driving that car.

That really fucking douchey car might he add.

Nervously, he turned around and he couldn't help the question that blurted from his mouth.

"I know you were joking, but you aren't following me, are you?"

The question caught Louis off guard. Of course it did. Why wouldn't it?

However, he sold drugs for a living. He'd killed a more than a few people and tortured them in the process. He'd mastered the poker face by the time he was twenty—at the oldest.

"Of course I'm not, why would you think that?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. His eyes were so blue and hypnotizing it made it hard for Harry to keep his head on straight. He was so gorgeous and so his type that it caused the oblivious boy to shrug his shoulders when he didn't know what else to do.

"No reason, really," he muttered shyly, embarrassed that he even asked.

"Maybe it's because we're so similar. Like the same things..." Louis trailed off, licking over his lips sensually in a way that made Harry shiver and he knew it. "We have the same interests and it leads to us running into each other. Great minds think alike, Hazza." Once again Harry was blushing and shaking his head.

"Do you remember everything?" He groaned, the tension between them being carried away with the breeze from the door opening when a customer left. Internally, Louis thanked the lord that Harry was trusting—a little too trusting—but it worked to his advantage.

Louis always knew he was doing the right thing when Harry's dimples made an appearance. All he wanted to do was kiss those spots, then kiss his jaw and his neck and his collarbone where he would leave a mark. Then Harry would have to be his.

"I do," Louis confirmed.

"Um, I'd love for you to stay and chat but there's another customer." Harry gave the only other person in line a sympathetic smile, only to receive a slightly annoyed glare back. The smirk Harry had become to accustomed to creeped onto Louis' lips and he left with a small goodbye.

It was only after the last customer left did he notice Louis never paid for his drink.

******

It was during Gemma's break that she was met face-to-face with Zayn. They had talked a few times and he seemed pleasant enough, despite being quiet. She just couldn't believe he and Louis were friends because Louis was so upfront and Zayn just not.

"Hey," Gemma greeted, sitting down at the booth Zayn was finishing his lunch in.

The lad raised an eyebrow, wondering why he was being talked to because it wasn't often people talked to him.

"Hey," he replied, looking at her in confusion when she didn't say anything. "Can I help you?" His tone wasn't rude, more questioning. It put her mind at ease a little, but not much.

"Yeah, actually, you're, uh, you're friends with Louis, yeah?" She asked.

Friends? Yes. Partner in crime: more accurate.

"I am," his answers were short, which Gemma took note of.

"Has he ever mentioned my brother, Harry?" She knew it was weird to ask, of course she did, but she couldn't help it. The worry she felt was overwhelming and there was something off about the whole situation whether she wanted it to be or not.

"Hmm," he hummed, voice vibrating deep in his chest. "In what context?"

Gemma didn't know how to answer that question, but she did anyway.

"I don't know, they have a thing going on and... I feel a little wary, that's all. I just want to make sure he's okay." Her heart dropped when he snickered.

"Can't promise you that," Zayn chuckled, looking at his watch. "I have to go. This was nice," he pursed his lips, pulling out his wallet and throwing a tip on the table. "See you later, Gemma." With that, he got up and left the booth, walking towards the exit.

"Bye?" She called after him. All she got was a glimpse of the back of his head, but she knew there was a twisted grin on his face. It was odd, normally Zayn was nice. Yes, he was quiet and he was always willing to chat, but that day he wasn't. He never just brushed him off.

It was like the topic of Louis made him quiet. Maybe she was overreacting. She didn't know.

All she knew was that she believed there wasn't something right and she couldn't tell Harry otherwise he'd do something stupid like he always did. Which was why she had to do some more digging herself.