Walking past the publishing house, Louis' hands started to sweat and his pulse picked up a notch. They were getting closer and his mind was making up horrible scenarios. All of them ended with Louis leaving the party in shambles for different reasons. Being noticed, being humiliated, being used, being embarrassed, being laughed at for being an awkward mess, making a fool of himself.

"I can see every single one of your worries floating around your head, Louis" Aria stopped him in his tracks, putting her hands on his shoulders. "Why exactly are you so scared?".

"Mainly because I don't know what to expect. I don't even know Zayn and Niall wasn't too happy with me the last we've seen each other. I don't want this to be extremely awkward for him. He was nice enough to think of me. I don't want him to regret it" Louis admitted small, never able to really lie to Aria. It was impossible.

"He won't. He knows all of these things and still invited you. Hell, he let you bring me along to make it easier for you. That sounds like both he and Zayn are very empathetic people" Aria showed him that he was blowing this out of proportion yet again.

Her words made him think of Harry taking into account that Louis could be scared to get noticed by anyone and making sure he knew that it would be impossible today. He really was very empathetic and compassionate. He was bloody special. And it only made sense that his friends were just like him.

"Besides, you know Àmbar and that's better than nothing, don't you think?" Aria smiled encouragingly at him.

"You're right, like always" Louis rolled his eyes at her fondly. "Oh, that reminds me that I think you two could really get along".

"You think so?" Aria didn't sound convinced.

"I know so. She's lovely and rambles just as much as the both of us when she's nervous. I suspect social anxiety but she tries to cover it up" Louis told her, thinking back to their conversation.

"Is it weird that this calmed me down a little bit?" Aria pursed her lips guiltily.

"Not at all, Love" Louis flicked her chin lovingly. "I'm surprised you even agreed to come with me, to be honest. Feeling better with knowing that someone else might not like big crowds is not something to feel guilty about".

"You said it won't be a big crowd" Aria frowned at his words.

"That's was Harry said but who the fuck knows how he defines big. I barely know that guy. Could be huge" Louis shrugged, only realising how his reply sounded when it was too late. "God, damn it. That's not what I meant".

"It was hilarious to see you realise what you just said, Will" Aria toppled over in laughter. "One of a kind, for real".

"I hate you" Louis grumbled childishly.

"No, you don't" Aria nudged him, beckoning him to continue their walk towards Zayn's loft. "And that Zayn guy is really some kind of model?".

"That's what I was told" Louis racked his brain for what Harry had told him during their walk back to the bakery. "He's rarely home and that's why they're throwing this party for him. It's the first time in years that he's home for his birthday apparently".

"Lovely gesture" Aria noted simply.

"It is" Louis agreed with her, spotting the building they were heading towards in the distance. "But according to Harry, Zayn actually isn't a big party person, more of an introvert. That's why the 'crowd' won't be too big. Only people they know".

"That sounds fucking vague" Aria snorted amusedly. "Only people they know. With us, that would be a pretty small 'party' but with them, that could be a loft filled to the brim. We can't know".

"Exactly my worries, Ari".

The last few metres were spent in silence. Arriving at the big building, Louis texted Harry that they were outside as agreed and then waited for him to come down and pick them up. They only had to wait a minute before the door was opened and no other than Harry himself was beaming at them as bright as the sun itself. Chancing a look at his outfit, Louis felt his mouth going dry. He looked bloody sexy in that sheer see-through black blouse with roses adorning it. Harry could literally pull off anything.

"Hi, thank you for coming" Harry sounded a bit out of breath, reaching his hand out for Aria. "Hi, I'm Harry, it's a pleasure to meet you".

"Aria, this idiot's best friend" Aria shook his hand with a grin.

"Ey" Louis huffed indignantly.

"You know I love you" Aria winked at him.

"I'm not so sure Ido" Louis glared at her funnily.

Curiously, Harry watched their exchange, his eyes landing on the box in Aria's hands. "Oh, what's that?".

"Dumplings. I never come empty-handed" Aria presented the box a bit awkwardly for the lack of something better to do.

"You didn't have to" Harry assured her sincerely.

"But I wanted to and this nutcase insisted on assisting me, which ... I would've been done quicker alone, so thanks for that. Totally your influence" Aria had apparently decided this was the perfect time to roast the shit out of Louis. He needed better friends.

"I am deeply offended" Louis pinched her side. "I was a great help".

"No, you weren't. Just because you baked some bloody muffins, you're not suddenly a chef, Louis" Aria stared him down.

"I really don't like you right now" Louis pouted exaggeratedly. "You can stay out here. I don't need you anymore".

"As if" Aria rolled her eyes at his dramatics, addressing a silently watching Harry now. "How about we get these and us out of the bloody cold, mh? You must be freezing in that fabulous blouse. The drama queen can sulk inside where it's warm".

Pinching Aria again for that last comment, Louis saw Harry chuckling to himself and felt himself blushing, hoping he wasn't appalled by their behaviour but maybe rather endeared, which was highly unlikely but he could still hope. Now nervous again, he followed Harry up the stairs with Aria by his side. Apparently, the elevator was broken, so they had to take the stairs to the fourth floor, which was great. Really. Not like he hated cardio.

Wheezingly, they reached their destination and Louis felt like his lungs were on fire. Obviously, Aria noticed that and decided to be a little shit about it, her shyness apparently not in the room with them. "Weren't you an athlete? Where's your bloody stamina?".

Seeing Harry's ears quite literally perk up at that, Louis felt like dying on the spot. Instead, he slapped Aria's shoulder. "I'm this close to pushing you back down all those stairs, Rebecca".

"Uh, second names. Now you sound like my mother" Aria took the piss, breathless herself.

"You treat her a lot better than me" Louis pointed out, locking eyes with Harry for a moment, who looked highly amused.

"Because she is actually intimidating. You only want to be" Aria countered cheekily.

"Charming you two" Harry threw in, giggling at their antics.

"Me? Yes. Her? Not really" Louis followed Harry inside the loft.

While Harry closed the door behind them, Louis took a look around the place. It was a pretty big loft with an obviously open living space connected to a kitchen, all in white with black details like his own home. The loft had huge windows and a black spiral staircase leading up to what Louis assumed was the bedroom. A last door was right next to the kitchen, almost hidden by the staircase. Probably the bathroom. The outline with the higher level right over the kitchen was pretty sick. Louis loved all of it.

"Here, let me introduce you to the birthday boy" Harry tore Louis out of his staring, throwing an arm around a very pretty man with raven black hair. Definitely a model. "Guys, this is Zayn. And these are Louis and Aria. They brought you dumplings".

"Really? I love dumplings. You didn't have to" Zayn sounded genuinely way too happy to receive some food from strangers.

"We wanted to. Happy birthday, by the way," Aria handed the box over to him. "Oh, and thank you for having us".

"It's my pleasure" Zayn took the box gratefully. "Take off your coats and get comfortable. No one bites here".

"I take your word for that" Louis blurted out, hoping Zayn had the same kind of humour as him.

"If I'm wrong, you can bite me to even it out" Zayn definitely shared his humour, making Louis smile with his response.

"I definitely will".

"Okay" Harry clapped into his hands out of nowhere, startling Louis and Aria but Zayn was only smirking for some reason. "Like he said, get comfortable and mingle, yeah? We're nice".

"At least, he hopes so" Zayn winked at them before he left with Harry in tow, leaving them be.

"Was that jealousy I sensed there?!" Aria cackled as soon as they were out of earshot.

"Definitely not" Louis took off his coat. "Anyway, what happened to being shy around strangers? Did you decide today was the day to embarrass me and be a pain in my ass?".

"Teasing you in front of Harry is kinda fun. I've never seen you blush so much. Sorry," Aria looked only mildly apologetic.

"Because I want him to like me" Louis stated the obvious. "As friends. The plan was not to freak him out by being weird".

"You are weird" Aria dead-panned.

"Aria" Louis whined frustratedly.

"I meant that in a good way and you know it" Aria dropped all jokes. "Friends like each other for who they are. You can show him all sides of you. All of them are lovely".

"To you" Louis bit the inside of his cheek, smoothing out his blue shirt to busy his hands.

"I thought you were calmer around him after your baking session. You said you were less nervous" Aria studied him closely.

"I was. I am. But this room is full of his friends. What if they don't like me and he realises ... you know" Louis felt pathetic.

"Then you couldn't change that but that's no reason to act like someone you're not. He either likes you for you or he doesn't. But to me, it looks like he likes you the way you are. He liked our silly banter" Aria nudged his shoulder softly. "Relax".

"Okay," Louis inhaled and exhaled deeply to really relax. Like this, he glanced around the room and immediately spotted Àmbar. "Oh, there's Àmbar. Come on, I introduce you".

Not giving her time to react, Louis grabbed her hand and dragged her over to where Àmbar was standing by the spiral staircase, eating some cake. "Hey, Àmbar. How's it going?".

"Louis, hey. He told me you'd come. I'm happy to see you again so soon" Àmbar smiled at him, her eyes falling on Aria. "And I see you're not alone. You brought a friend".

"I did. Àmbar, meet Aria, my best friend in the entire world" Louis waved his hand exaggeratedly in his friend's direction. "Don't tell her brother I said that. His ego might get hurt".

"I won't tell a soul" Àmbar giggled exhilaratedly. "Hi, nice to meet you. I'm Àmbar".

"Hi," Aria replied hesitantly, suddenly as shy as always. "Is that chocolate cake?".

Not expecting that first question, Àmbar glanced down at her plate. "Um, yeah. You want one?".

"I'd love to but um ... where ...?" Aria struggled to get words out.

"Come with me. I show you" Àmbar smiled at her. "Is it okay if I steal her for a moment?".

"Go for it" Louis could barely hold back his laughter.

"Great. Come on" Àmbar looked very happy with that answer.

"Great. Now I'm the nervous one" Aria hissed at him under her breath. "What do I do?".

"What did you tell me? Relax and let her like you for you" Louis grinned at her, whispering back while Àmbar was starting to walk away. "Better follow her, Princess".

"I really can't stand you" Aria glared at him before following Àmbar, visibly nervous and it was adorable.

"It's mutual" Louis mouthed before cracking up laughing.

Now alone, Louis looked around the loft again. He could see Niall and Sarah, the other owner of the bakery. Harry had told him about her when he had walked him home. Right by Harry's side, Louis spotted Christopher and that other touchy guy he had seen him with in the bakery before. Apparently, they were close enough to be invited to his friend's party. Well, he was here and they weren't that close but they were baking together.

"That must mean something to him" Louis murmured under his breath to himself, not wanting to come off as crazy.

But maybe it meant nothing to Harry. Maybe he was doing this with them as well. Maybe that was something he offered men on the daily. Maybe he liked to get messy in the kitchen and use that as the perfect porno intro scene for a totally different mess. And maybe Louis was overthinking this again. Maybe he needed to relax and not always expect the worst. They were just friends.

Deciding to walk away from the staircase, Louis crossed the room, waving back at Sarah when she spotted him. The kitchen aisle that separated the kitchen from the living room was filled with various kinds of food and snacks and dozens of drinks. Grabbing a beer of a brand he knew, Louis walked over to the big windows and leaned against the wooden pillar that was steadying the upstairs area. Or well, it was supposed to look like it did when it really didn't. That would be way too unsafe.

For some time, he stood there alone and watched everyone else chat and laugh but he didn't know how to insert himself, so he just didn't. His friend was talking to the girl that she obviously already fancied and Harry was deep in conversation with that Chris guy. Everyone else was technically strangers to him and he wasn't good with strangers. Not anymore. Too paranoid, too awkward.

"Why are you all alone?" Zayn came over to him after another ten lonely minutes. "Have you eaten anything yet?".

"Not yet. Been checking it out from afar for a while to see which options are ...".

"We have dozens of different options for everyone" Zayn talked over him rambly. "Lactose-free, veggie and vegan, lots of it".

"Which ones are the vegan options?" Louis eyed the mountain of food variants.

"Oh, you're vegan? He didn't mention ...".

"No, I'm not" Louis cut him off with a laugh. "I'm definitely not. It's the last thing I'd be even if I wanted to".

"Now I'm confused. Then why would you ask which ones are the vegan options?" Zayn knitted his forehead together confusedly.

"Because I'm allergic to soy and it's in so many vegan products" Louis enlightened him casually. "Limits your few choices and I'm already a picky eater, so vegan isn't an option for me. Shouldn't eat soy if I don't wanna end up in the hospital".

"Shit, I'm sorry. I'm allergic to nuts. Pure irony" Zayn let him know, grinning dirtily. "The vegan section is right by the fridge".

"Got it. Don't eat the food by the fridge or you die. I'll try to remember that" Louis joked sillily. "Chocolate cake's fine?".

"You won't drop dead from it" Zayn winked funnily at him.

"I take my chances but that means we shouldn't make out until I brushed my teeth afterwards. You know, with being allergic to nuts and all that" Louis couldn't help himself. Jokes were his thing.

"Too bad. I'm pretty impatient" Zayn played along smoothly. "But I'm not allergic to all nuts".

"Good to know" Louis emptied his beer, holding eye contact with Zayn. "How about my cake now?".

"Your cake looks absolutely fine. No notes" Zayn grinned like the biggest shithead but Louis was loving this.

"Well, thank you" Louis fluttered his eyelashes exaggeratedly. He had not expected this turn of events but he and Zayn seemed to have the same vibe. "Your boyfriend not jealous, Pretty Boy?".

"Nah" Zayn glanced over at a man on the other side of the room talking to some women. This angle gave Louis the perfect chance to admire Zayn's side profile. He really looked like he was carved by the gods. He was unfairly beautiful. Almost blindingly. But not his type, somehow. No. But he could see them being friends.

"I'm really craving that chocolate cake now. Feels like I'm bloody starving" Louis felt his stomach rumble, way too empty.

"Let me lead you to your desired snack" Zayn put on a fake posh accent. "Even if it's not me".

"Insufferable" Louis shook his head at him, following his lead.

"Here we have your beloved chocolate cake" Zayn presented the cake to him showily, leaning next to the fridge. "Want some soy dessert?".

"Sure. Wanna taste my nuts?" Louis started eating his cake, completely unbothered. It tasted absolutely delicious.

"Touché" Zayn tipped his head at him, popping some crisps into his mouth like a caveman. A very pretty caveman though.

"Here you are" a dirty-blonde man snug his arms around Zayn's waist from behind. That must be his boyfriend then. Hopefully.

"Louis, meet Liam, my boyfriend" Zayn relaxed into the tight embrace immediately. But Louis only saw Harry trailing next to Liam, already looking at him. "Louis really likes your chocolate cake, H. Devoured this nutty dessert".

"Don't worry. We agreed to only make out after I brushed my teeth to not kill him" Louis wasn't sure if they should continue this joke with his boyfriend here but now it was too late to take it back.

"Very kind of you" Liam came off as totally unfazed. Probably way too used to his boyfriend's antics. "Nuts are a sensitive topic, after all. Right, Babe?".

"Very sensitive" Zayn wiggled his eyebrows stupidly.

"Too bad your bedroom is so open. No fondling nuts until later then, no matter how sensitive they are" Louis definitely needed a brain-to-mouth filter but he had none. He realised that again when Harry's face showed how unexpected that comment was.

"Nobody will bat an eye if you wanna fondle someone's nuts in the open, Louis" Zayn countered skilfully.

What followed was a beat of silence before all four of them cracked up laughing way too hard. Tears were leaking out of his eyes with how hard he was laughing, clutching the counter for some illusion of support. His mind was definitely not older than twelve. He had just proven that but at least, he wasn't alone.

"You just took the cake with that, Zayn" Louis brought out through his giggles.

"You've still got plenty of that yourself, don't worry" Zayn only made his giggles worse. But after his remark, Louis could feel eyes on his bum for a brief moment, making him smirk to himself.

"I'm not worried as long as I stay away from the fridge" Louis just vibed so easily with Zayn. It was mind-numbing.

Suddenly, Zayn's eyes grew big and the next second, he just slapped Harry's arm. "You bastard!".

"What did I do?" Harry looked so lost.

"Why did you not tell me that Louis is allergic to soy? Do you know how many plates are full of soy? I could've killed him" Zayn looked straight-out outraged. It was kinda hilarious.

"Twenty plates, to be exact. I helped with the food, remember?" Harry raised an eyebrow at his dramatics before turning very serious out of nowhere. "And I didn't know or I would've told you".

"How can you not know that? Aren't you two baking together? You always ask everyone and their mother what they're allergic to. Who even are you?" Zayn resembled a disgruntled toddler.

"I ..." Harry fell silent, his face showing actual shame now.

"It's not that big of a deal" Louis had to break this up. "I found a perfectly fine chocolate cake, that I'd love to learn how to bake myself. Up for that?".

Blinking in astonishment, Harry nodded slowly. "Yeah, I am".

"I'll leave you to that. I'm in need of a smoke. You're with me?" Zayn asked his boyfriend nonchalantly.

"Always" Liam immediately agreed to join him, totally smitten. "It was nice meeting you, Louis. Hopefully it won't be the last time. H, make sure he comes around more often".

"I ...".

"Don't worry, Love. As much as H talks about him and their baking session, I'm pretty sure we will see him again" Zayn led his boyfriend out of the kitchen, throwing them an evil smirk.

With Zayn's words hanging over them, Louis didn't know what to do or say. That didn't sound like just friends to him. Maybe he actually was interested in him, even after getting to know him a little bit. Even though it tended to be hella awkward between them.

"I'm sorry for not asking about any allergies ...".

"You really don't have to be sorry, Haz" Louis didn't wanna hear it. It wasn't a big deal. He would've said something earlier if it had been important in the moment. "Just a soy allergy. Nothing you normally have to be wary of when baking normal pastries".

"Still" Harry pouted adorably, his face changing. "You did mention it though, right? When you asked me to help with Archie's cake, you said no soy and I never questioned it, although it was an odd request for a birthday cake".

"I did, yeah. But mainly because he doesn't like the taste of it and maybe because he wouldn't want me to miss out on cake" Louis told him honestly. "No big deal, really. I got your delicious cake".

"That good, huh?" Harry eyed the empty plate.

"Better" Louis grinned happily. "I need that recipe".

"We'll make one on Saturday specifically for you, Lou" Harry smiled at him with warm eyes. That nickname made his heart jump stupidly in his chest. "Now let me show you the other guests. They might seem less scary like that".

With a dropped jaw, Louis gaped at him. "How do you know ...?".

"My best friend has social anxiety. I can see when someone is avoiding people out of fear of saying something wrong, not really knowing how to approach strangers" Harry looked him straight in the eye as if he was reading him. "Even if it's not the same".

"Just ..." Louis didn't know where he was going with this.

"Come here" Harry patted one of the chairs facing the room by the counter, sitting down on one himself.

Intrigued, Louis sat down next to him with his back leaning against the counter now. "What are we doing?".

"You see Niall and Sarah over by the window talking to two women?" Harry pointed slightly in their direction. "The brown-haired one is Maya, Niall's friend from secondary school. The other one is Chloe, Sarah's girlfriend. She works in a bar and surprisingly got the day off for this party. Maya is a dentist but Niall still refuses to go to one regularly. He hates them. Irony".

"Understandable. It's never a pleasant visit" Louis offered some kind of comment, overwhelmed by what Harry was doing.

"Right behind them are Chris, Àmbar's friend Maribel and her boyfriend Liron, who's a regular at the bakery" Harry went on, explaining who the other touchy guy really was. Now he felt bad for assuming things. "Once, he hit on me but that was years ago and long before he was introduced to Maribel, who's a long-time friend of Sarah and that's how she met Àmbar a few years back".

"He ... You didn't need to explain ...".

"I know what it can look like from the outside. With both of them," Harry offered him an explanation anyway. "I always thought it was funny but lately, I realised it can be pretty misleading and send the wrong picture to people that matter more".

At that, Louis just had to look at him in shock. "Oh, maybe".

"Moving on" Harry cleared his throat, all his boldness gone. "In the corner by the door are Zayn's sisters Zara and Zelia talking to some of his model friends that I really don't know shit about".

Giggling to the ground, Louis let his eyes wander through the room, feeling less lost now. "Who's that with Àmbar and Aria?".

Glancing over at them, Harry squinted his eyes. "Bailey, a bartender we're friends with. I wasn't sure she would make it but I'm glad she's here. It's ... I ... Is it possible that your friend and my friend are hitting it off?".

"I bloody hope so. They're adorable" Louis chuckled freely.

"I'd be very happy for Àmbar. Bailey was the last person she had a crush on but they're no match and better off as friends. They're too different but Aria seemed a lot more quiet and laid back ...".

"You think she's quiet from her acting like ...?".

"Details, Louis" Harry focused back on him. "Everyone has a tell. Her teasing you didn't cover up her shyness completely".

"Huh," Louis examined this weird man. "Good to know how bloody attentive you are. You see things others don't".

"I try" Harry waved the matter off. "You're okay on your own for a moment? I really have to pee".

"Just admit you wanna fondle yourself after all that nutty talk earlier" Louis just couldn't help himself. He was immature.

"You're insufferable" Harry shook his head at him with a smile, standing up and looking over his shoulder. "I like this side of you".

Before Louis could reply, Harry disappeared into the room where Louis had guessed the bathroom was located. Staring at the closed door, he tried to regulate his heartbeat. Harry was unusually blunt and forward today and Louis never knew how to react. He wasn't used to someone showing interest in him. Not like this and not this genuine. Not someone he liked as well.

Because his eyes were fixed on the bathroom door, he didn't notice how someone sat down on his other side, at first. When he noticed it, his head snapped immediately towards the new woman sitting on his right side now. Seeing no reason for her to be here, Louis only offered her a polite smile, that she returned.

"Hi, I'm Nora" she introduced herself.

"Louis".

"I haven't seen you around before. I'd remember your face. Are you a friend of Zayn?" Nora started a conversation randomly.

"Newly, yeah" Louis felt oddly awkward and uncomfortable right now but he couldn't say why exactly. Maybe the scenario was way too familiar for his liking. "You're a model as well?".

"Are you saying I'm pretty enough to be one?" she was definitely fishing for compliments or trying to be flirty. Either way, it wasn't welcomed, especially because Harry was coming back now.

"I'm sure you know that, given you are one of his model friends" Louis wasn't interested in this intention-filled conversation.

"I'm surprised you aren't. You definitely have the face for it" Nora batted her eyelashes a little bit too much. Louis didn't understand flirting. It was so primitive and superficial. It gave him the ick.

"Not in the morning, dear" Louis felt trapped in this situation. It wasn't helping that Harry hadn't made himself noticed yet although he was back to sitting on Louis' left. "Right, Haz?".

Hoping for the best, Louis tried to let his face show what he wanted Harry to know, to do. His big eyes and wild expression must have sent the right message to him because Harry's face showed pure understanding, sitting up straighter. "Oh, I wouldn't say that, Lou. You're beautiful even in the early morning, maybe especially then, Darling".

Okay, that was not what he had expected Harry to do. He was not entirely sure what he had expected, to be honest. Hearing him say these things hasn't been it though. That was for sure. Looking back at Nora, Louis knew his cheeks were bright red by now. Only Harry could make him blush with every bloody word.

"He's biased. Don't listen to him" Louis tried to steady his voice. "I'm really not a model. I'll leave that to you".

"And I'll leave you to it. Sorry," Nora fled the scene as quickly as she had appeared.

"She was definitely into you" Harry drew the attention back to him. "She tried really hard for you to catch onto her flirting".

"I noticed that but this kind of flirting isn't really my cup of tea. Too superficial and just hollow" Louis rested both of his elbows on the counter behind him, clearly seeing that Harry didn't like to even say out loud what had gone down. "Besides, wrong team, Honey".

This time, Harry's head really snapped at him with an impact that should make his neck crack but Louis looked straight ahead, expression neutral and casual. "Too bad for her then".

Smiling to himself, Louis agreed. "Yeah, too bad for her".