[Thursday, September 14th 2017]

Louis parks his motorcycle alongside the curb before swinging his leg over, stepping off. The hot sun had been practically burning his hands against the handlebars and he curses himself for not bringing gloves. Instead he shoves his hands inside the pockets of his thin jacket, balling them in fists.

It's been a week since he had seen his family. Not that he's staying away from them, but he's not going to lie and say he hasn't thought about it.

Louis scurries inside, instantly sighing at the cool temperature. The girl at the counter looks up when hearing him come in. "Hi, what can I get you?" She asks.

"Just an iced tea, please." He orders, handing her the money and getting his drink in return. He sits as far from the door, melting from the warm breeze coming in after every swing of the door. It's barely going on five in the evening and the orange lights up the sky as the sun starts to set.

"It's not a big deal."

"Then why are you making them?"

"Go away."

"No, we're spending time with you. Don't you love it?"

"I'm trying to work."

"We don't care, we just wanna see you drawings, Harry."

"Aw, who are you drawing? Your boyfriend maybe?"

"Please stop."

Louis looks up, seeing the girl at the counter confused as to what to do.

"Don't have that much hope in him, Drake. A tough guy with tattoo sleeves and piercings? He couldn't get anyone like that."

Louis purses his lips at the sound of whooshing papers and stands, turning around to the source of the voices. He frowns. He knew his one drama class in high school would come in handy.

"There you are- hey, what the fuck is going on?" He comes up behind the two kids lurking over Harry scrambling to pick up his papers. He bends down and picks up the stack in one quick motion, setting them on the table and turning to the boys.

"You wanna keep messing with my boyfriend?" He challenges, watching as their eyes grow a bit wider before they both shake their heads. "Then scram! And keep your puny mouths shut!" They run off as he speaks.

Once the two boys are gone, his attention switches towards the boy standing in front of him, holding papers to his chest awkwardly. "Are you following me around, Harry Styles?" Louis asks jokingly, and tilts his head to the side.

"I should be the one saying that to you. Boyfriend? How straight forward." Harry points out, smirking.

Louis rolls his eyes. "Oh, shut up."

Harry laughs, sweeping his curls to the side. "Um, thanks, for helping me out... again."

Louis sits across from him. "Yeah well I just live for saving damsel Harry's in distress." Harry huffs with a smile and leans back against the booth. Louis grins. "You draw?"

The small boy nods shyly. "Yeah." He mumbles. "I'm not very good, though."

"Let me see them." Louis insists. He watches Harry chew on his lip nervously as he leans forward, laying them out on the table. There's only a couple of them, about four. Three of them are only sketches and one has all of it. Shading, color, detail.

Louis starts to look at the one at the end of the table when Harry snatches it away. "Not this one."

"Why not?" Louis pouts, looking at him.

"I-It's just, personal." He says quietly.

"Oh. It's okay." Louis responds, not wanting to upset Harry, and looks back down at them. "These are amazing, by the way."

Harry's face lights up at the compliment. "Really?!" He beams, eyes sparkling. Louis nods. "Thanks." His cheeks burn up, and he looks to the side, hiding behind his curls. Louis scrunches his nose up in awe, because he's just too cute to handle.

"No problem." Louis mumbles, sucking on his lip ring. "I... You said you didn't get bullied, Harry." He speaks softly, not knowing whether or not it's a hard spot for the boy.

He raises his eyebrows. "Well, I didn't know you," he says it with a cheeky smile.

"You still technically don't know me." Louis laughs.

Harry shrugs. "Still. S'not bad. I'm not like depressed or suicidal over it or anything, just don't let it bother me." He gathers the drawings from the table and stack them, putting them back in his folder and into his school bag.

"Alright." Louis purses his lips. "I know we're still strangers to each other, but I had quite a bit of teasing back before Uni and all, so I'm always here to talk if you need." He nods after Harry does, and stands from the table "I've got to go, got to check in on everything at work." He tells him, to which Harry slightly nods, looking to the side.

"Did you drive? I don't see any cars," he says uncertainly. "Unless the motorcycle is... yours?" He asks, turning his head back to Louis, who wears a smirk on his face, and nods.

"Yeah, that's mine, you like motorcycles?" He questions, to which Harry nods vigorously.

"I mean, I don't have one and would be scared to drive one, but yeah, they're cool as fuck." He smiles.

"You want to go for a ride?" Louis raises his eyebrows, knowing already what's on the boys mind. Harry bites his lip, his expression going shy as he nods slowly. "C'mon, it'll be fun." Louis laughs, and grins when Harry excitedly throws the rest of his things into his school bag, tossing it on his back before following him outside.

Louis walks towards his bike while watching Harry scurry right to it, gasping in the process. "This is a 2013 Breakout bike!" He gasps, grinning like mad. "I've never seen these in person! They don't sell these anymore!"

Louis just chuckles, and stalks towards him. "Yeah, I know. Hence the reason I got it in 2013."

Harry seems excited, so when Louis sits down, not realizing or caring that he left his wasted half full drink inside, he nods for Harry to climb on behind him. He also gives him his helmet, wearing his shitty backup one from the small trunk, knowing already that he'd rather get hurt then have his passenger get hurt.

"Hold on." Louis smiles, and when Harry doesn't do anything he grabs the boys arms to wrap around his torso. "Okay, here we go." Louis laughs, and starts up the motor, driving off.

❊ ❊ ❊ ❊

Louis ends up driving Harry to the music store, previously owned by his uncle and under Louis' supervision and care after his passing two years prior. Seeing as he needs to check up on Aubrey and the store, and it's the closest place he could think to take Harry. Especially since he could tell he was a bit scared.

While Louis checks stocks for Aubrey to see what may need to be restored, Harry tells him about his love for music, mostly when he see's an album or vinyl of an artist he likes. Louis also praises the fact that he can play piano, too, since the only thing he can do musically is sing a little bit.

Louis opens up the lid to the piano that they have in the corner of the shop. The store wasn't a music store that only sold instruments. It was the kind that sold cd's, albums, vinyls. Record players, old and new, things from headphones and earbuds to speakers. They even have a framed guitar signed by Ronnie Wood up on the wall. Legend that man is.

"What've you got?" Louis pulls out the stool for the piano.

"I know quite a bit." Harry prides, smirking at Louis. "Depends what you want." He sits down.

"Stay With Me, Sam Smith." Louis sits next to him with his hands in his lap.

Harry raises his eyebrows. "I didn't know you liked him."

"What?" Louis grins. "Think I listen to screamo music from my tats?" He makes Harry laugh and shake his head.

"Not what I meant." He smirks, and sets his hands over the keys, hesitating for a moment before playing.

He only remembers the beginning from memory, not when it breaks off for the chorus, but even then Louis is impressed. "That was great!" He praises. "Got to teach me that sometime, oldie but a goodie." He sighs, to which Harry snorts so he doesn't laugh.

"I could maybe do that. Might take some time, though, you'd have to see me more often." He crosses his arms.

Louis sucks on his lip ring to hide a smile. "I'd say that's doable. Rides on the motorcycle in return for piano lessons."

"Good." Harry mumbles. He almost glances at Louis' lips before his phone buzzes. "Oh... I should get going. Could you uh... could you drive me home?" he asks. "I don't get my license until February."

Louis stifles a laugh, but nods anyway and stands from the piano bench, closing the lid to the instrument before jerking his head for Harry to follow him. He does, and Louis grabs the keys to his motorcycle before heading outside with the younger boy on his tail.

"My mum will hate me for riding this, but I honestly don't care." Harry smiles giddily, admiring the bike with a glint in his eyes as he again climbs on behind Louis. His arms hesitantly wrap around his waist from behind, but Louis just pushes off, riding down the street and off to Harry's house.

And yeah, let's just say his parent's aren't that happy with the fact that their son is riding a motorcycle with an older boy covered in tattoo's. Next time, Harry tells him, he can drop him off at the end of the street.