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“Okay Niall, you have to cover for me” Harry whispered urgently while hiding behind a huge pile of dishes.
“Haz, your shift ends in…” Niall looked down at his watch, “...literally 40 minutes. What is so urgent that it can’t wait 40 minutes?” he asked dead in the face.
“No like, just one table. Table 7.” Harry nodded his head towards the table in the back corner of the room. “That’s Louis Tomlinson. He’s my nemesis.”
“This is the twenty-first century, there is no such thing as nemesis.” Niall explained patiently.
“No, Niall, you don’t understand. He is my biggest enemy from highschool. We fucking hated each other, and now he is here in this michelin rated restaurant to eat, so he is obviously loaded! And I know it’s not family money so that means he earned it himself! So he is there, all rich and sophisticated and I am a fucking waiter! He’s winning!” Harry gritted through his teeth.
“Fine.” Niall sighed. Being friends with Harry for a few years knew it was just easier to go and do it, instead of staying to listen to the entire explanation.
Harry watched him go to the table and exchange a few words with Louis. Damn it, the asshole still looked good. He had stubble now, and his hair was longer, but he still looked hot. Harry would never admit it to anyone but he always had kind of a crush on Louis. But before he could do anything about it, or even wrap his head around it, Louis started to act like a jackass, putting shit in his hair, and pinching him and it just spiralled from there.
Now sitting in the restaurant on friday night, he was wearing a blazer and had some flowers on the side of the table so he was obviously waiting for a date. Harry wondered what kind of girl she would be. He usually went for brunettes with long legs. At least in highschool. Harry shuddered at the memory of cheerleader Danielle.
“So. What did he say?” Harry asked when Niall came back.
“He just asked for a drink, he’s waiting for a date.” Niall said, ringing up his order on the screen.
“Did he say anything about me?” Harry whispered.
“Babe. I’m gonna say it as delicately as I can.” Niall sighed “Go do your fucking job, you’re acting crazy.” he whispered mindful of the guests around them.
It’s not that Harry was scared of Niall, it’s just that Niall was a head waiter, so he was kind of his boss and he really needed this job.
So he worked the remaining 40 minutes, watching Louis carefully from the corner of his eye to make sure Louis didn’t spot him. He was still waiting for his date, and over the rest of his shift Harry noticed Louis looking around nervously, waving off Niall three more times and checking his phone obsessively. Harry began to think Louis got stood up. Which he thought would feel better than it did. Maybe he was evolving as a person. He already clocked out, and went to Niall to let him know he was leaving.
“Do you want a present?” Niall asked, grinning. “Do you want to go tell your arch nemesis that he has to order or surrender the table? I think he got stood up. It’s been an hour.”
Harry looked over to Louis whose face was getting redder by the second and weirdest thing. He felt sorry for him.
“I think I’ve gone soft.” Harry announced and moved towards Louis’ table.
“Excuse me…” he started.
“No, no I get it, I have to leave.” Louis said curtly, picking up the flowers and then shaking his head at himself and putting them down.
“You don’t remember me do you?” Harry asked then, a sour taste in his mouth. There he was bending over backwards to hide from Louis and he didn’t even remember him.
“Harry Styles?” Louis asked, looking him up and down.
“Yeah, hi. I… um. Yeah, my manager asked me to tell you that you have to order or surrender the table.” Harry mumbled out.
“You must love this, huh?” Louis smirked a bit sadly. “You hated me so much in highschool.” he laughed a bit hysterically.
“I mean. I am a waiter. And you are a hot shot whatever that can afford to eat here.” harry shrugged with a small self deprecating smile.
“It’s a fancy restaurant, you have to make a killing on tips.” Louis smiled, biting his lip.
He looked so soft, and sad and not at all like the mean monster Harry remembered that he felt sorry for him. That was the only reason he could think of why he did , what he did next. He loosened up his tie, took off his apron, rolled up his sleeves and sat down in front of Louis.
“What are you doing?” Louis asked, looking surprised.
“Keeping you company.” Harry said, opening up the menu.
“I… um.” Louis’ cheeks got redder and Harry for a second felt completely mortified thinking that Louis didn’t want his company before he continued. “I can’t actually afford to eat at this place” he whispered “I would have left half an hour ago but I ordered a drink, I have no idea how much it costs since there are no prices on the menu and I only have 20 quid in my pocket.” Harry looked at him blankly trying to wrap his head around why Louis would come to a restaurant that he could not afford. But hey! Maybe his date was supposed to pay, hell Harry was a proud feminist, it wasn’t so weird anymore for a girl to pay.
“Change of plans then!” he fake cheered and looked up at Niall motioning for him to come over.
“Niall, I would like to cash in my employer voucher today. Can we get another round of drinks?” Niall nodded, smirking at Harry and wiggling his eyebrows before he disappeared in the direction of the bar.
“You really don’t have to do this.” Louis leaned in.
“Oh come on. We’ve all been there.” Harry waved his hands around “And it’s been what? Five years since highschool? I think we both evolved a bit, as people. I mean, you didn’t try to pull my hair out of my head.” he smirked.
“Yeah, I always loved your hair.” Louis smiled wistfully.
“Loved?” Harry asked incredulously.
“Yeah, that’s why I was always trying to touch it.” Louis explained.
Niall brought back their drinks, and they ordered food, Harry recommending a few things for Louis. It was weird, mostly because it wasn’t. It was actually easy to talk to Louis. They teased each other, but it wasn’t like in highschool, where Harry would get so hurt, this time he was able to tease right back and laugh at Louis’ jokes.
“So…” he asked, moving things around on his plate. “Who was the girl?”
“What girl?” Louis asked
“The one that didn’t show up. I’m sorry I’ve been dying to ask!” Harry said, looking at Louis pleadingly.
“Um…” Louis said, his face a bit puzzled. “
He
was a guy I met in a pub last week. We’ve been texting for a few days.”
“Um sorry, what?” Harry asked, spluttering his drink.
“Yeah I guess I forgot I was tragically in the closet in highschool.” Louis rolled his eyes.
“But… you always liked leggy brunettes!” harry said feeling like the ground was crumbling under his feet
“Yeah. I do like leggy brunettes. Just like them more with abs and less boobs.” Louis shrugged. “Oh god, you’re not a homophobe, are you?” he added, then looking at Harry like a caged animal.
“No! I’m gay!” Harry added “I thought that was the reason you were picking on me in highschool!”
“What? I was into you! You were always so serious so I was trying to make you laugh!”
“You were into me?” Harry asked with a slow smile spreading on his face. “I was into you.”
“I thought you hated me!”
“Yeah because I thought you hated me!”
They both looked at each other for a few seconds before they burst out with laughter.
“If I am as good at picking people up as I was in highschool it’s no surprise he stood me up.” Louis smiled.
“Maybe I was a bit uptight.” Harry allowed it. “Just for the record, he is missing out.”
Louis smiled at him sweetly and took Harry's hand.
“How about we get out of here and I’ll take you to the movies, try to sneak my arm around your shoulders, only to kiss you awkwardly in the front seat of my mom’s car?” Louis asked with a twinkle in his eye, Harry downed his drink and stood up extending his hand towards Louis.
“See? You’re getting so much better!”