Work Text:
"You need to get out more."
"And you need to get off my back!" Louis lamented dramatically around a mouthful of crisps. The sound of him turning a page in his book filled the silence. Interview With a Vampire was far more interesting than Liam's lectures on his unsociable-ness... was that even a word?
Liam sighed and swiped the book from his grip. Louis stared at the empty space for a moment before popping another crisp in his mouth. "Let me know when you've finished with that."
"Loooouis..."
"Leeeeeyummmmah."
"Look you little hermit, as your best friend, it's my duty to make sure you get laid at least once in your life-"
Louis regarded him boredly, his jaw moving slowly as he chewed. "Didn't know you thought of me that way, Lee."
Liam ignored the bait. "It's Halloween. The Pit has free drinks til ten-"
"And I suppose the fact that Sophia works there has nothing to do with this?" Louis waggled his finger. "You can't fool me. I don't do wingman."
Liam snorted. "Aw c'mon Wingy. Maybe you'll meet another nerd and they'll be like... your nerdmate."
With a deadpan expression, Louis stood, crowding into his friend's personal space.
"Wingy!!!" He shouted in Liam's face with the crunch of another crisp following seconds after.
Liam didn't even flinch, used to these sort of antics after nine years of friendship."This is why you need to get laid, mate. You're going batty."
Shrugging, Louis snatched his book back and dropped back into his chair, resuming his position. Liam always tried to drag him out. He didn't seem to understand that Louis had absolutely no interest in the whole hookup thing.
"Don't make me call your mum."
"I know she's got eyes on the back of her head but I doubt even her hearing is that good."
Liam ground his teeth. Lord save him from the stubbornness of Louis Tomlinson.
He felt sorry for the poor bastard that ended up having to put up with the little imp permanently.
¤
Louis eyed the bottle in front of him warily. He hated beer. And he hated Liam for dragging him out by the scruff of the neck. He had never saw the point in going out to get wasted while navigating around other drunken fools. It was like watching a game of blindfolded musical chairs.
He glanced over to where Liam was leaning against the bar flirting with Sophia. He almost had a mind to go over there and cause a bit of trouble, as it was, Liam deserved it for dragging him out and then abandoning him.
"Your boyfriend is a dunce."
The slow, deep, timbre had Louis snapping around. His gaze landed on a lanky man with long, wild curls leaning across the bar, regarding him with odd green eyes.
Odd because they were both dangerous and gentle, with a smattering of humour in there as well. In fact, the man's entire being seemed to send mixed signals to the brain. On one hand, he looked like a predator with those eyes sliding over him ruthlessly, almost as if assessing his weaknesses. On another, he looked like a sweet, innocent school boy with dimples set in a face that could be soft. And on some third other hand, he looked like some sort of sex fiend.
Louis had zero coping mechanisms for this.
Realizing by the self-satisfied smirk on that odd face that he'd been staring a smidgen too long, Louis glanced back at Liam. "He's not my boyfriend."
The smirk turned into a smile. "Good."
Flushing tomato red, Louis looked down at his hands, unsure how to respond. He didn't do flirting, and usually, no one flirted with him. It was why he was still a virgin at nearly twenty.
A rush of air and the sudden sense of someone looming had Louis looking up again. The man was gone.
"Dance with me?" That voice spoke directly in his ear, startling him. How... he had just been... what.
Louis turned. The man was just behind his left shoulder, chest nearly touching the back of his arm. Warmth curled through him like lava in his veins. It was more of a reaction than he'd ever had to anyone.
"I won't bite..." The man added with something that Louis could only describe as royal amusement flickering over his features. The joke was lost on Louis though.
Still.
"Why do I get the feeling you're lying to me?"
The man's brow furrowed for a split second before the amused air was back.
"Mm. You do look tasty but... I didn't want frighten you away before we had a chance to become.... acquainted."
Louis looked down again, wondering how long it would take for this man to become bored once he realized his time would be better spent flirting with an alley cat. "I don't do this." He admitted honestly.
The man's eyes softened in a way that made Louis feel like a damn kitten in a basket or something. "This as in picking up strangers at a pub?"
Louis nodded, biting his lip nervously. "Ever."
When no reply came, Louis made to turn away, a confusing mix of relief and disappointment rushing through him. Then warm breath tickled his ear.
"Good."
He shivered at the almost possessive note in this stranger's voice.
Confused as to why this guy was still interested, Louis looked back at him questioningly.
"Dance with me." The man repeated, holding out a pale, long-fingered hand.
For a moment, Louis sat in silence. As casual and unimportant as a simple dance seemed, there was something about this man that made it... everything. And made Louis feel as though if he took that offered hand he would pass through a veil and be forever changed.
Strange? Yes. Explain why? He couldn't.
He wasn't usually so dramatic.
In the end, he allowed himself to be lead to the dancefloor.
"My name is Harry. Harry Styles."
"Pleasure to meet you Harry Harry Styles," Louis smiled. "I'm Louis Tomlinson."