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Early February
He’s in a grocery store looking at the fruit when he sees him, he see the most beautiful boy, man, and he internally corrects himself. Harry is so glad he decided he needed fruit salad. Harry watches for a minute as the man scans the shelf and decides that even though he cannot see the color of his eyes that they are his favorite color. He watches as the man tries to discretely look around and step forward reaching up toward the top shelf obviously needing something from the top.
And then Harry watches as the man stand on his tip-toes reaching uselessly for something he cannot get his hands on. Harry then feels himself walking, getting closer and closer to the man. Harry tries to ignore the fact that he trips up a little over his feet on his way over before he sees his own hand reach past the man’s smaller soft perfect hands and he grabs the box of cereal he was looking for. When Harry looks down he sees the man’s face expecting the soft looking man he saw just a minute ago but is instead greeted with an icy glare.
“Listen, buddy I may not be 1,000 feet tall but I can actually get my own shit off of shelves,” The man’s voice has a high lilt to it and Harry thought he was in love at just the man’s appearance but hearing his voice just pulled Harry in deeper. Harry watches as he takes the cereal box from his hands and looks down /up/ his nose at Harry. And he must have been watching for longer than he thought when the man says, “So can you talk or did all your brain power go into working those giraffe fucking limbs of yours?”
Harry chuckles at that and speaks in his deep slow voice “yes I can talk, and I’m sure I’m probably a lot more polite than you. I did just help you out the least you could say is thank you.”
“Is it? Is it the least I could say? Well big fuckin thanks, mate, except that I had that box literally in my hand but whatever let’s just fuel your hero complex I guess.”
“My hero complex? Last time I checked helping people who are obviously too short” he accentuates the words by crouching and leaning a little toward the man at each to get to the smaller man’s level “to reach shit themselves-” he gets cut off.
“Holy shit, you know I wasn’t coming here to get in a fight but fuck it-“he starts to push the sleeves of his oversized sweater up and while Harry knows he would be able to take him down easi- maybe not so easily the man’s legs look very muscular in his painted on jea- are those fucking jeggings? For a second Harry let’s himself picture the man exercising, maybe playing football, in shorts that may be too short and a tight football jersey- he stops that thought before it can get him in trouble with the feisty man.
“Heeyyyyyyy, I don’t want to fight I was just joking” harry says slowly while raising his hands in surrender and watches the boy pause his fight preparations. “I’m sorry I shouldn’t have called you short. You’re not short.”
“Obviously” the man says as if it is actually true that he isn’t short.
“I’m sorry I got that off the shelf.” He gestures at the box of cereal. “Would you like me to put it back?” Harry reaches for the cereal box and the man grabs the box holding it back from Harry’s reach and stops him.
“I mean there’s no point now. It’s already in the cart its fine-“ he says as he places the box into the cart and pauses at the end as if waiting for a name
“My name is Harry” Harry supplies
“Right of course. Well Barry I appreciate your “help”” he places air quotes on the word as if Harry hadn’t actually helped him “but I have other shopping to do. See you, mate” And turns and rushes away.
Harry is left standing in the aisle and he is sure that his mouth is open and his face is flushed “its Harry not- Barry?” he whispers to himself.
Mid-March
It’s not like Louis had been frequenting this particular grocery store in search of Harry but he wouldn’t be upset if he ran into him again. He slowly walks all the aisles of the store searching for the bo- for food, yeah, and things he needs like actual food and uhhh- liquor yeah he needs liquor desperately. By the time he gets to the cereal aisle the one he saved for last because that’s the actual thing he came for other than alcohol he is a bit annoyed at not running into the handsome boy that had helped him a full month before, not that he had actually needed help, he was perfectly capable thank you.
He reminisces at the memory of the boy. Louis did have the box though by the time Harry was reaching for it but that’s neither here nor there. Louis has been mentally punching himself for almost five weeks about not telling the boy his name or anything but he knows had he stayed any longer he would have made an absolute fool of himself. Not like he didn’t do that anyway, ‘I didn’t come here to fight?’ Louis thinks to himself asking what the fuck he was thinking? Was he really going to fight the kid? Was he really going to hit his beautiful angel face? He’s sure he wasn’t drunk when he went to the store and he’s also sure that he has no idea what possessed him to behave in such a way. But despite the first impression he’s sure the boy has of him, Louis really wants to meet Harry again even if only to apologize for- for what fucking trying to fight him? God, why had he done that? He remembers leaning on the canned foods a few aisles over after the encounter trying to remember how breathing worked.
Louis starts to laugh at himself when he’s knocked out of his thoughts. His cart bumps into another person’s and when he looks up he’s taken back at the sight of the tall man with beautiful long brown hair staring at him through widened glorious green eyes.
He tries to regain his composure and attempt a conversation with the boy as he backs his cart from where it is still touching Harry’s he leans on his own cart leaning slightly toward the boy “Well hello there” he pauses as if he hadn’t had a desperate wank or two thinking of this tall beautiful man with the deep slow voice, “Harley isn’t it?” The boy laughs and looks down while combing his long fingers through his hair, and really Louis cannot be faulted for taking a second to imagine those fingers combing through his own hair and two knuckles deep in his own a- and he shuts that though down before it can go any further. “Are you stalking me? Here to yank more cereal out of my hands? Is that what does it for you then?” He smirks at the taller- slightly taller- boy. Louis cringes in his mind, what the fuck Louis? Just be fucking normal?
Harry leans towards him slightly causing Louis to lose his grip on his own cart and falter minutely but Harry doesn’t seem to notice as he begins to talk “Well, I would never! And maybe that is what does it for me? Maybe I do have a hero complex? Isn’t that what you accused me of last time I had the honor of crossing paths with you.” He steps towards Louis in an attempt to come off sexy or something but fails when he trips over his own feet making him reach out for Louis and their hands to connect shooting sparks up Louis’ arm and he’s sure he’s not the only one who felt that when he looks at Harry’s widened mouth watching his own hand attached to Louis’. And at least Harry doesn’t seem put off at Louis’ behavior he even seems a little interested in him, Louis can make this work.
Louis drops Harry’s hand and attempts for casual when he reaches his hands out to place them onto Harry’s chest which he hadn’t noticed before and he’s not sure how but Harry’s chest happens to be covered in the sheerest shirt Louis has ever had the pleasure of seeing through- and oh is that a pair of birds? And oh shit is that a- a butterfly? Louis is so fucked- he gingerly places his hands onto the birds and puts a little pressure setting Harry’s back straight so he’s no longer leaning towards Louis, pats the boy’s chest twice and takes his hands away. “Seems like you’ve been thinking a lot about our little meeting, Curly. I would have figured saving a damsel in distress is all in a day’s work for you.” He accentuates the word damsel by flicking his fringe from his eyes and flutters his eyelashes.
Harry takes a breath and leans towards Louis once again, “Of course I remember you.” He leans to his right looking down towards Louis’ bum, “nobody forgets an ass like that walking away from them, especially after the owner threatening to fight them. It would be nice to put a name to the ass though” Harry smirks at Louis.
Louis can feel himself blush as he places one hand covering his bum. “You are really trying to be smooth aren’t you buddy? I have literally met you twice and you’ve tripped both times. Yes I did notice you trip on your way to rescue me the first time. And my name is Louis.”
It’s obvious by the way Harry’s mouth opens slightly that he didn’t think Louis had seen his little falter on the way to his side. “Uhhh- I-I’m- just a little- uhhh- clumsy?”
Harry reaches behind and puts his hand on the back of his neck stretching his arm and lengthening his already never ending torso and Louis makes sure he isn’t drooling before he goes to speak again but before he can he hears his phone ring. “Shit uhh- I gotta go I was supposed to meet someone like” he glances at his phone seeing Zayn’s number pop up “fuck like five minutes ago. Sorry to cut this little uhhh thing short,” When he looks back up at Harry he sees a little disappointment clouding his eyes. “Maybe we’ll meet here again, Harvey” he rushes off again and tries to keep his composure about him.
Louis slightly hears Harry whisper to himself “he used like five different names? He has to know my name.” Louis gives a little wave and shake of his bum as he’s sure Harry is staring after him and his suspicions are confirmed when he hears a loud cough. Well they didn’t exchange any info but he has something to look forward too and he will definitely be back at this store.
Louis barely makes it to the tattoo parlor for his appointment with Zayn and when he does Zayn levels him with a look pointing to the grocery bag in his hand “Louis fucking Tomlinson. He better have fucking been there.” He gets his answer when Louis grins wildly.
Early April
It had only been two weeks since his last encounter with Louis but it feels like it’s been a thousand years. He’s hanging out in the cereal aisle looking through the cereals for the fifth time this week and trying to avoid the workers glares as they watch him. They should be grateful to him he buys something every time he comes whether he sees Louis or not and its seeming like it’s almost always a bust.
He looks down at the bottom shelf and decides to move on to the fruit before he wastes another half hour in this aisle for nothing. It’s then he sees a pair of old looking Adidas sneakers and lifts his gaze up their owner’s legs to see some very trimmed and muscular calves, thighs, and crotch in who would have guessed black jeggings and lucky for him the top half is covered in a fitted tank –fit is right he thinks to himself- “Well hello, Lewis? Is it?” He tries to come off as sarcastic as Louis and by the look on Louis’ face he has failed.
“Love, we both know you remember my name.”
“Do we? Do we know that?” He steps a little toward Louis careful not to trip or embarrass himself somehow.
“Well ten points to Hufflepuff you managed to move without falling.” Louis teases but the way his eyes are crinkling at the corners Harry knows he’s not being rude.
“Hufflepuff? I’ll have you know I would be in Slytherin, or Griffindor, Louis. The same houses I can tell you should be in.”
“Oh you think you’re a Slytherin, mate? I think I might just have to spend more time with you to make that assessment” Harry can tell Louis hadn’t meant to let that out by the way his eyes open wide and he almost slaps his mouth.
He feels his own cheeks heating up “Well Louis if that was you asking me on a date I would love to.”
Harry watches as Louis lights up, “shit I didn’t mean to ask like that but yes I would actually like to go out with you.”
“I’ll have to check my schedule. I’m currently busy trying to stalk this boy who tried to fight me at the supermarket.”
Louis shoves a finger up to his face and jumps a little “Aha! So you admit it! You are stalking me!”
“Of course I am and obviously you are too. Don’t forget it takes two people to continually meet someone in the cereal aisle at the store.” Harry retorts.
Putting his hands on his hips Louis nods “You do have a point there, Harold.”
Late July
“You know, Louis, for someone who basically lived in the cereal aisle you’re running very low on cereal!” Louis hears Harry say from his kitchen. He spits his toothpaste and makes his way towards the source of the yelling. Louis comes up behind Harry and wraps his arms around the taller boy’s bare waist.
“Baby, I only lived in there because I was stalking you and now I don’t have to stalk you. You follow me where ever I go” Louis leans up and pecks Harry’s cheek.
It had been almost four months since the day Harry and Louis finally went on a date. It had been almost seven months since Harry had first seen Louis. They had been almost inseparable after their first date in and out of each other’s places since.
Harry turns in Louis’ arms and wraps his own around Louis’ neck and hold him close. “Babe, since you don’t have cereal we should make pancakes.”
Louis perks up at the sound of pancakes he had learned to keep such items in his home ever since the first time Harry had stayed the night and whined and threw a fit about how low Louis’ breakfast supplies had been. “Yes! I’ll get the mix!” He steps out of Harry’s hold and remembers seeing Harry put the mix in the cabinet over the fridge- fuck, he thinks to himself. He walks to the refrigerator and reaches for the cabinet door and opens it. He tries to discreetly stand on his tip-toes to reach the box –damn flashbacks he laughs to himself in his head- like déjà vu he sees a bigger hand reaching past his and grabbing the box before handing it to him. “Are you fucking kidding me, Harry?”
Harry seems to have just realized his mistake. He had mostly learned to let Louis do things himself unless he really asked for help or risk being yelled at. “I literally had it! I had the box in my hand! Again! A-fucking-gain? Really? I’m having actual déjà vu right now!”
“Baby, I am so sorry I just woke up. I’m sorry I know you had it! It was basically in your hand!” He’s basically groveling as he hangs onto Louis who still looks like he is not having this one bit.
“I’m not short!” Louis pouts.
Harry kisses his face all over and pretty much goes through a little chant of encouragements to get Louis to move on, “No, baby. You’re not short. You had it in your hand. I’m sorry. You’re not short, baby. Let me make you those pancakes, baby.”
They both know by now they’re being dramatic and dragging it out but Harry knows Louis will actually be in an annoyed mood because of it so he’s going to do whatever he can to make Louis feel less annoyed.
Giggling a little at Harry’s groveling attempts Louis grabs Harry’s face from his and squishes his mouth and straightens his face when Harry looks at him. “Fine you can make me pancakes.” He pecks Harry’s lips before sitting on the counter as Harry turns to grab the mix and get to work. “But!” Louis grabs Harry’s shoulder “you have to do it naked.” Louis finishes smiling widely as Harry lets out an exasperated sigh.
“Fine, anything for you.”
Mid October
“I’m just saying that we should do a couples costume for Niall’s party” Harry tries once again to talk Louis into doing a theme couple costume for Halloween even though he knows Louis is sure to turn him down again. They’re watching telly at Louis’ place waiting for Harry’s lasagna to finish cooking.
“Baby, I don’t do couple costumes. There are none funny or clever enough for me”
Harry knows it’s an excuse but he’s determined to get Louis to dress up with him “Okay, babe, I’m just going to throw out some ideas and like, you can shut them all down but I can at least say I tried.”
“Fine, love. Let’s hear them.” Louis sighs as if he’s put out even though they both know he’s endeared by this.
“Okay we, could go as Peter Pan and Wendy?”
“I’ve been Peter Pan like three times, sorry.”
“What if we did like a Disney couple?”
“Ugh one of us would have to wear a dress and by one of us I mean you and even though I like wouldn’t care if you liked wearing dresses-“
“I know its okay I’m not really feeling that either”
“Alright. God there’s nothing on TV. I’m just gonna fucking scroll the guide till dinners ready.”
“Louis, can you just put it on a mov- Oh do Juno I love Juno.” Harry jumps up from where he had been laying his head on Louis’ lap “Louis!! That’s it me and you should be Bleaker and Juno! I’ll be Juno and I’ll put a little belly under my shirt and I get to see you in short yellow shorts! Baby, it’s perfect!!”
“Okay, honestly I was going to pretend to hate that but I think it would actually be really good!”
Harry kisses all over Louis’ face “Thank you, baby! I’m so excited we’re going to fucking win the costume contest.”
--
Louis doesn’t really see the costumes Harry put together until the day of Halloween. It’s not that he hadn’t been interested it’s that Harry wanted to surprise him. And lucky for him the costumes are perfect. He’d known they would be when Harry said he wanted to put them together himself instead of just buying a pre-packaged costume. He wasn’t going to lie he is vaguely enjoying watching Harry walk around in his Juno costume complete with a fake pregnancy belly underneath the orange and white striped shirt he paired with some old jeans and a skirt he got from his sister. He somehow found some shorts for Louis extremely similar to the ones worn in the movie and Harry also gave Louis his very own wristbands and headband to wear.
Louis had been opposed to a couples costume but Harry really nailed it with this. And Louis tells him as much. “Babe, these are so good. If we don’t win we are going to shun Niall.” He kisses Harry’s lips as he finishes adjusting his headband.
“I know, baby, we got this! I can’t believe you almost wouldn’t do this with me.” Harry pouts.
“Well there’s no reason to pout now! I’ve agreed and we’re about to go and slaughter the competition.”
--
“Lads!” Niall screams at Louis and Harry as they enter his flat and are greeted by the smell of sweat and alcohol. “Holy shit! Are you guys Juno? That’s fucking awesome!”
Harry and Louis say their hellos to their friends and weave through the party basically attached at the hip never straying too far from each other. The boys make their way back to Niall and see has now been joined by Zayn and Perrie and Liam and Sophia. Liam is dressed as the Joker, Sophia as Maleficent, Perrie goes as Cleopatra while Zayn is Edward Scissorhands, and Louis shoots Harry a look trying to point out that none of their couple friends did couple costumes.
“I love your creative couple’s costumes!” Harry exclaims to their friends, “Oh wait, the only couple here who share enough creativity to come up with a brilliant couple costume is me and Lou.” He accentuates his statement by wrapping one arm around Louis’ waist and the other he uses to place a hand on his fake belly.
The other couples laugh and Niall’s newest girl comes to join them as well wearing a very, very unfortunate monster make up. Sophia and Perrie and Liam almost simultaneously reach for Harry’s tummy and Perrie asks for a name, Sophia asks if the baby will be put up for adoption, and Liam is just trying to see what he had put under the shirt.
They all laugh at their same timing when the girl Niall is with begins to talk. “Oh I get it! It’s funny because you’re the short one” She says pointing at Louis “So really you should be Juno and he’s tall so he should be Bleaker!” She finishes by gesturing at Harry and laughing at her own humor.
The rest of their group of friends has gone completely silent at the comment knowing how Louis is bound to react and the party around them seems to have just gotten louder. Liam’s eyes are wide and Zayn’s mouth is continuing to widen, Perrie and Sophia try to avert their gaze and excuse themselves to get drinks. Niall is trying to usher her away before Louis can say anything to her that makes her regret even meeting him and choosing her costume. With the girls gone the boys look to Louis who is blank faced.
Harry reaches for him from where he had let his hand fall to his own side, “Baby, she was just joking she didn’t mean that you were short.” He shoots a look at the rest of the boys who jump in.
“Oh shit, yeah Lou. She’s like totally drunk she can’t even see straight she probably has no idea what’s going on right now.” Niall tries
“Louis, yeah you’re not even short? Like she obviously doesn’t know what she’s talking about.”
“Lou, don’t listen to her”
Louis takes a long drink of the beer he had been holding before he yells “I’m not fucking short!” it attracts some attention of the other party guests but most all of them know louis and how “not short” he is. “Why the fuck would she even say that?”
Harry has his arm around his neck and speaks into his hair while kissing his head between words, “She wasn’t being serious Lou. She’s like really drunk. Like Z said don’t even listen to her.”
Louis turns to him and looks up at him almost sadly disappointment clear in his eyes “Oh my god. Am I that short?”
“No, you’re literally not even that much shorter than me! I promise she’s so drunk she probably has bad, like vision you probably like looked short from the angle she was at.” Harry reaches his other arm around to lock him in a hug and Louis burrows his face into his chest.
“Baby, it’s hard to hug you with this belly on.”
“I’ll take it off-”
“Harry fucking don’t we gotta win this thing.”
Harry shoots a look at Niall and sees him nod.
--
“Yeah! Harry and Louis win the costume contest! Give it up for Juno and Bleaker!”
As their prize Niall told them to choose one person to have to serve them drinks for the rest of the night. Harry thought it was only fair that Louis got to choose.
BONUS LIL THING
April the next year
“Harry this flat is awful!” Louis is in their new kitchen yelling about something when Harry comes out of their new bedroom. “I can’t reach fucking anything! They made this place for fucking giants, Harry, fucking giants!”
Harry watches as Louis reaches to grab a cereal box from the top shelf- and really they should move that, he thinks to himself- Harry watches as he walks towards the shelf past Louis’ hand. He thinks back to hiding something in this cabinet just waiting for an oppurtunity or until he could figure out timing and he think that this timing is pretty perfect. Harry then watches his own hand remove a much smaller box than the one Louis was reaching for. And this time when he looks at the man and hands him the box the man is not glaring but is smiling with tears in his eyes.