The chiming of the bell almost gave him a heart attack, making his head snap up so fast that he heard it crack. Of course, that earned him an exaggerated cackle from Niall, who was covering for a sick Sarah. But Harry knew he wasn't just being a good employee and friend. No, he wanted to see Harry make a fool of himself and tease him mercilessly. Because it was Saturday again. Exactly a week later and precisely a month since Louis had become a regular in his bakery. And Louis wasn't here yet.

"Relax, boss. You can't give yourself whiplash every time this door opens" his temp Holden nudged him to the side with his hip to take over the new customer. "He will show up. He's just late".

His face flushed in sheer embarrassment for being so obvious and he excused himself for a moment, creeping into the back to take a deep breath. The entire week, he had tried not to think about what he had read and what he had realised about himself but it was bloody difficult with Louis showing up here every couple of days. At least, on Mondays and Thursdays, he never stays long enough to hold an actual conversation. He only showed up to get treats for Alexa, who's always by his side except for Saturdays.

And now he was doing it again. He needed to stop thinking about Louis so much. He barely knew him. And more importantly, he still didn't want to spare dating even a single thought. One disaster was quite enough for him. This disaster should keep him from crushing on anyone ever again but here he was now, hopelessly crushing on that beautiful and mysterious man. He was fucked.

"How did I let that happen?" Harry asked himself in despair.

Instead of getting a creepy answer from an otherwise empty room, his cat Coco showed up out of nowhere, meowing at him to pet her and calm the fuck down. Obeying her wishes, Harry settled down to pet his babygirl. She rarely came down here, not too fond of other people than Harry himself. Most of the time, she just stayed upstairs in their flat, prancing around the empty space like she owned it. That she had shown up down here now could only mean she had felt his despair through their bond.

"Damn, I love you, Coco" Harry scratched her head lovingly.

"What an adorable picture" Niall cooed from the door frame, startling Harry and making Coco hiss at him immediately.

"Bloody hell, Niall" Harry brought out, a hand over his racing heart and the other calming down Coco.

"Sorry," Niall grimaced at his own actions and the reactions. "I was looking for you because you said you wouldn't hide in here today. You told Louis you wouldn't but you're here again".

"I'm not hiding in here though. Not from him, at least" Harry picked Coco up into his arms. "Besides, he isn't even here yet".

"What if he came in while you were hiding back here from your own temps?" Niall asked him smugly.

"Oh, piss off" Harry rolled his eyes at him. "He didn't".

"Are you sure?" Niall hooked nastily, pure mischief in his eyes.

"Yes," Harry replied way too fast, quickly looking down at Coco and whispering to himself. "I can't feel him yet".

"What was that?" Niall was way too curious for his own good.

"None of your business, Horan" Harry retorted fake mad but he wasn't able to actually glare convincingly at his best friend.

"Oh, last names now. You mean business" Niall took the piss.

"Why do I even like you? You're horrible" Harry pushed past him out the door with Coco still in his arms. "Get back to work".

"That's why I actually came looking for you" Niall followed him. "I came to tell you that you can take your break now. You're late".

"I know but not yet, okay? I wanna wait ...".

"For Louis. I know" Niall's voice had lost every trace of teasing and fun. He sounded serious now. "You know I'm only teasing you this much because I'd actually like for this to work out, right?".

"I know that, Nialler" Harry smiled warmly at him. "But there is nothing that could or should work out. I don't want it".

"That's why you're waiting for Louis to show up to finally take your break" Niall dead-panned.

"That's not ..." Harry started to protest but then his insides perked up and even Coco straightened her posture. "He's here".

"What? How do you ...?".

Niall never got to finish his flabbergasted question because the loud chiming of their bell cut him off, signalling that someone had walked inside the bakery. And of course, it was Louis. Beautiful as ever but not as alone as before. No, he was accompanied by his daughter, destroying at least two conspiracies with that action alone. And now he couldn't stop thinking about them.

"Hey, Harry" Louis greeted him with a bright and sunny smile when he reached the counter. "You're here".

"So are you" Harry's mouth felt dry like a dessert. "What would you like today?".

Instead of answering him directly, Louis focused his attention on his daughter. "What would you like, Darling?".

"Chocolate" the little girl squealed excitedly, making Harry wanna coo over her adorableness.

"Then I guess we take two hot cocoas for the start" Louis looked back up, directly meeting his eyes briefly. "And whatever else you have with chocolate for the little miss".

"Are you feeling more like croissants or rather cake?" Harry tried to sound as nonchalant and neutral as possible.

"Cake" Louis' daughter clapped her hands cutely.

"Cake it is then" Louis chuckled at her antics with so much fondness written on his face. "There's only one Saturday a week after all".

"Saturdays are my favourite" Harry contributed stupidly, biting his tongue afterwards and wanting the ground to swallow him.

"Yeah?" Louis' eyes seemed to light up at that, so Harry only nodded dumbly. "Mine too".

Not knowing what to do with himself, Harry decided to leave that uncommented and get the order ready. While he prepared the hot cocoas, Coco kept a close eye on him from under the counter and even Niall and Holden were watching his every step as if he'd break any second. They could all back off. He wouldn't.

Ignoring everyone around him, Harry carried everything over to the table Louis was sitting at with his daughter. Seeing him come over with his hands full, Louis obviously wanted to protest but Harry didn't let him. He placed their food and drinks on the table and waved him off. He didn't need Louis' help to do his job. And yes, maybe it wasn't his job to serve him at his table; he has never done that before; but no one needed to know that.

"Thank you" Louis offered him a tiny, very private smile.

"You're welcome" Harry croaked out before fleeing back behind the counter, where Coco immediately circled his legs.

"Are you okay?" Niall asked him quietly, glancing at Louis.

"I'm fine" Harry forced a smile onto his face. He wasn't even sure why he felt so down. Louis was only being an amazing dad. It wasn't anything remotely bad. But somehow he felt sad.

Womanizer. Queerbaiter. Asshole. Sleaze-bag. Deadbeat father.

All the things Louis had been called on the internet were coming back to him right now while he watched him interact with his cute daughter from behind the counter, definitely sporting a dumb and misplaced frown. Why was this happening to him right now?

Wistfully, he watched them another ten minutes before he got torn out of his state by a familiar voice. "Why the long face, H?".

Facing the voice for his own sanity, Harry was met with the questioning eyes of his mate Christopher. "Hey, what are you doing here, Chris? Shouldn't you be at work or something?".

"Not yet, no. I'm covering the afternoon game today" Chris let him know amusedly, knowing Harry was totally lost when it came to sports. He just didn't get them.

"Ah".

"So, why are you looking like a kicked puppy? Burned some cookies?" Chris tilted his head to the side.

"I never burn cookies" Harry pouted dramatically.

"Just tell me what's wrong, will ya?" Chris shook his head at him.

"Nothing's wrong ...".

"The guy he fancies came in with his kid and he's been watching them all wistfully ever since instead of finally taking his break before he can't anymore" Niall filled him in when he walked by.

"I am taking my break right this second or are you seeing me work, mh?" Harry huffed indignantly.

"Haven't seen you work all day" Niall shrugged evilly.

"Funny".

"Then come on, H. Talk to me and get your mind off of that guy for a few minutes" Chris walked behind the counter to drag him into the farthest corner, still technically behind the counter but away from any customers, which was for the better right now.

"It's not like he did anything wrong" Harry needed to defend Louis. He hadn't done anything for Harry to react the way he did and he knew that. He couldn't explain his feelings either.

"But you're still down and you're valid for feeling that way, H. It's okay. Sometimes it doesn't make any sense and it doesn't have to" Chris somehow just knew what was going on.

"Thanks. I think I needed to hear that" Harry let out a long sigh, leaning against the wall for support. "Enough about me. What game are you covering later?".

"You wouldn't know who I'm talking about even if I told you" Chris chuckled teasingly, glancing over at Louis' table for a second.

"I know who he is though," Harry said childishly.

"Did Àmbar tell you?" Chris cocked an eyebrow up knowingly.

"Oh, piss off" Harry pushed him back lightly, only making him laugh some more but that finally made Harry smile too.

Fleetingly, Chris stole another glance at Louis and he looked pretty thoughtful when he looked back up at him. "So, you're crushing on straight guys now? I think we've all been there once".

And Harry wanted to correct him, to tell him not to just assume things but he hasn't been any better and everyone makes some kind of assumptions about other people. And it wasn't his place to say anything anyway. He didn't know what his sexuality was. But he knew that he had a daughter, so he had to like women. To some extent at least. And he needed to stop thinking about this.

So, he decided to just play along. It was for the better. "Now I can cross that off the list".

"Better make it quick. That's not an experience any of us really likes. It's painful and a waste of time. Too bad we apparently all go through it" Chris retorted protectively.

"Sadly, we can't read on people's faces if they're queer" Harry decided to humour him but in the end, he agreed with his own words. In some way.

"Sometimes you can" Chris started grinning.

Somehow they managed to stir the conversation into a different and more light-hearted direction. They rarely had any deep talks. They weren't that close but today, Harry really didn't care. He needed distraction in any form possible. Especially because he could feel Louis watching them. From the moment they had retreated to their corner, Louis had kept sneaking glances over at them, especially when they were getting a bit too touchy and flirty for friends but they just had that dynamic because it was a kind of inside joke between them. A joke no one really understood.

So, when Louis stood up from his table and walked over to the counter with their empty cups, Harry excused himself and sent Chris off to an empty table with some food. Bypassing a smirking Holden, Harry nudged Niall aside to take his place at the till. Right in time for Louis to walk right up to him with a weird smile.

"You're back" Louis stated the obvious in an odd voice.

"Just like I told you I'd be" Harry cringed at his own words. Why couldn't he talk to Louis like a normal freaking person?

"You didn't have to abandon your boyfriend for me. I'm only in need of more hot cocoa" Louis visibly tried not to frown but he was failing miserably, which was way too cute.

"Who? Chris? No, he isn't my boyfriend" Harry clarified a bit belated, too distracted by Louis' face.

"Oh".

"We're just playing off on each other, especially around here because we've been on one awful blind date after my divorce. It's kind of a joke between us by now because we just didn't vibe at all and it's fun when people think the opposite" Harry rushed out an explanation that no one asked for, not able to stop rambling when he saw Louis' face changing from this up close. "But we really didn't vibe. He kept talking about the games he covers and I didn't understand a thing. I'm not a sports person, so a sports commentator probably isn't the right person for me. But my friends had begged me to go on a date and get out because it's been a year and apparently, that's enough time to get over a divorce, so ... yeah ... Please, stop me. I can't stop talking".

For a moment, Louis' face was void of any emotion but then he finally set the empty cups down on the counter with a way too loud clinking sound, making both of them flinch. Clearing his throat, Louis spoke up but his voice was off. "You're divorced?".

"Um ...".

"Why? For how long?" Louis hooked strangely off and it made Harry feel sick to the stomach.

Sensing his discomfort, Coco came out from underneath the counter and jumped onto it, right in between them but facing Louis instead of him. She had a curious tilt to her head and Harry had literally forgotten that she had been here all along. Before he could warn Louis, he reached his hand out to let her sniff it. To his big surprise and utter shock, Coco nudged Louis' hand in a silent invitation and let him pet her as if this was normal for her. But it wasn't. It really wasn't. She never let anyone touch her except for Harry. She barely tolerated Niall and his other friends. She didn't even like his own family being too close to her, let alone a random stranger. Normally, she hissed at everyone who got too close for comfort. But apparently, Louis was the bloody exception to her rule. Whatever that meant.

"Only one more hot cocoa for your daughter or one for you as well?" Harry asked to get a grip on reality. Somehow that question made Louis drop his hand and stare at him. And to make matters worse, Coco mimicked that stare for some reason. "She really loves chocolate, mh? You're a great single father for ...".

"How long have you known?" Louis cut him off, his tone harsh and so cold that it made him freeze.

"I ... what?" Harry was completely lost right now. What did he say that made Louis talk to him like this?

"Did you know this entire time and only pretended that you didn't know? Was this a game to you?" Louis looked so angry. "Was anything you said even true? What do you want?".

"Me? I don't know what you're talking about Louis. I'm not ...".

"Nice try, Harry. Really. A nice strategy. It actually worked and I didn't see it coming. That's new" Louis didn't let him speak. His voice sounded flat and empty, void of any emotion again. It was scary. "Answer one question. Do you know who I am?".

Although he didn't really understand what was going on, Harry couldn't lie to him. Not when Louis was obviously in so much distress right now. Not when he was already thinking that Harry was playing some kind of game, for whatever reason.

"Yes, I do" Harry answered honestly.

At that, Louis' entire face fell before it hardened. It all happened in the split of a second, if that. "I changed my mind. We don't want another hot cocoa. Actually, we're heading out now. Goodbye".

"Louis ...".

"No, Harry. We're leaving" Louis left him standing there, making his way over to his daughter.

Helplessly, Harry watched how Louis got his daughter ready and headed for the door with her. In one last desperate attempt to save what wasn't left to save, he called out for him. "Am I seeing you on Monday then?".

Stopping dead in his tracks, Louis looked back over his shoulder one last time, his daughter watching him curiously. "I don't think so, Harry. Goodbye".

With that, he was out of the door and probably out of his life for good and Harry didn't even know what he did wrong. How had their conversation taken such a horrible turn? Well, it has been awkward from the start but that wasn't new. The end was.

"Harry?" Niall touched his shoulder lightly, earning a loud hiss from Coco for that but Niall didn't back away. "Are you alright?".

Unable to answer his best friend, he leaned forward and buried his face in his hands. He wasn't sure if he was alright. He wasn't sure what the bloody hell just happened. Maybe the comments have been right, at least partly. Maybe he just was an asshole. But somehow that seemed too easy. That wasn't what happened.

Of course, the one time Harry needed her insight on this from her perspective and with her knowledge about him and the sports world, Àmbar wasn't here either. And he loved Niall to pieces but he would just curse and cuss Louis out for his sake and Harry didn't want that. He was definitely hurt but way more confused.

Looking at Coco through his fingers, Harry laughed dryly to himself, feeling weird now. "What the fuck just happened?".