Chapter Text
Louis is not late, however he finally gets to his gate with five minutes to spare and his phone starts ringing. He takes it out of his pocket, rolling his eyes lovingly when he sees the name on his screen, “Yes, Mom?” he answers.
“I miss you.”
Louis sighs fondly, “I was with you ten minutes ago.”
“So what? Am I not allowed to miss my baby?”
He laughs, taking a free seat between two women, placing his backpack between his feet, “Of course you are. But I have to go back to my place at some point.”
“I know,” It’s her turn to sigh. “I was so happy to have you with us for the past two weeks.”
“Me too, Mom.”
“You call me when you land, okay?”
“Yes I will, don’t worry,” he reassures her, clutching his phone between his ear and shoulder while digging through his bag to get his ID out.
“Do not forget…” she warns him.
He rolls his eyes. “When do I ever forget?”
“Almost every time. I always have to send you a text to ask if you’ve landed safely.”
He cringes but can’t help the smile creeping on his face, because yes, he always forgets, though he doesn’t do it on purpose. “Alright, no need to be cocky about it,” he teases, finally finding his ID that he should have kept in his hand all along and not thrown into his bag earlier. Jay laughs on the other end of the line. “Okay, Mom I have to go, they are about to call us for boarding.”
“Sure, sure, you go and be safe, Honey. I love you.” Her voice is shaking and Louis has to end this call soon or he will also start crying.
“I love you too. Give another kiss to the girls and Ernie for me.”
“I will. We’ll- We’ll see you in the summer.”
He swallows hard, as he can hear the cracks in her voice again. “Yes, yes. Okay, bye Mom.”
“Bye, Lou.”
He quickly hangs up, and closes his eyes for a moment. Since he moved from New York to Los Angeles, he sees his family less than he used to, and each time, it is harder than before to go back home and leave them behind. It is, of course, easier for him to go see them than have an entire family of eight fly across the country. Logistically, it’s a hassle, and financially, it is not even possible for his mother and stepdad to afford that kind of trip. So he has to settle for visiting them two or three times a year and his next trip will be in five months.
He is brought out of his thoughts when one of the stewardesses announces the boarding of his flight. He searches for his ticket on his phone and stands up to get in line. He passes rather quickly but then, he of course, has to wait a few more minutes for the doors leading to their plane to open.
He takes a look around himself while he waits, more people scanning their tickets and gathering in the small waiting area and Louis’ breath unexpectedly gets stuck in his throat. He almost drops his phone at the sight of a man, twenty feet away from him. He has short chocolate hair with curls that from where Louis is standing, look like they are made of silk, one of them falling in his eyes as he looks down at his phone. He is wearing black dress pants and black boots, a white shirt, his black jacket and coat are hooked over his arm and Louis’ mouth is suddenly very dry.
Damn this guy is fucking handsome.
Usually, and to his demise, Louis is more attracted to guys that have some kind of a bad boy vibe, but for some reason, this very elegant man makes him feel hot all over and blush for no apparent reason.
Louis doesn’t know if the attractive stranger can feel his creepy stare on him, but a couple of seconds later he is lifting his gaze from his phone, his eyes locking with Louis’ for a quick moment and making his heart speed up. Louis immediately looks away, his cheeks burning with embarrassment, and he pretends to have something to do on his own phone.
Jesus Christ, very subtle Tomlinson.
He rolls his eyes at himself, though doesn’t have time to linger on his stupidity and what just happened, because the glass doors of the corridor leading to the plane are now opening, and the stranger will be seated far away from him anyway so everything will be fine. He follows everyone and thanks God that they are not walking outside to get to the plane but only on a boardwalk, because the weather in New York in February is freaking cold and Louis gets chilly easily.
They start to board, and he finds his place at the back of the plane. He takes his beanie off, puts his coat in the compartment above his seat, and pulls his phone and his airpods out of his backpack before stuffing it under the seat in front of him. He waits before fastening his seatbelt because he will definitely have to get up for the person that will be sitting next to him by the window.
All the passengers get settled and he notices him again, the fucking beautiful stranger. Louis’ heart is doing that weird thing again, and he has to smile at the face the man is making. He seems like a lost puppy, looking around for his seat and suddenly, Louis’ smile starts to fade when he realizes that he is dangerously getting closer to him. There are still three or four rows behind him with empty seats, so he is probably heading for those and definitely not for the one next to his. He has to be heading there. He has to.
Louis looks down at his phone once again to avoid another weird eye contact exchange with him, however, luck isn’t on his side and a deep warm voice comes to his ears, making his tummy flutter. “Um… Excuse me,” Dear God. Louis looks up at him. Green. His eyes are green. “Hello,” the man greets with a smile, and a fucking dimple pops out. That’s just great. “My seat is over there.” He points to the one on Louis’ left, still smiling and waiting, his leather satchel hanging on his shoulder, his coat and jacket still hooked over his arm.
Louis doesn’t know what happens at that moment. Maybe he is drooling over this runway model, maybe he is staring at him like a lunatic who has never seen such a beautiful man, maybe his mouth stays agape longer than it should and at one point, the man scratches his throat, “I um… I’d like to get to my seat… If that’s possible.” His smile never leaves his perfect face and once again, Louis feels like an idiot.
“Oh fuck.” He stands up abruptly, making the man laugh. “Sorry for swearing and for well.” He cringes stepping away to let him sit down. “Yeah, sorry.”
“No problem,” the man replies, before neatly folding his coat and jacket to put them away in the compartment. He then settles in his seat and Louis does the same, finally fastening his seat belt to give him something to do, rather than focus on the stranger’s long legs.
Louis’ cheeks feel like they are on fire and this guy must think he so stupid. He lets out a defeated breath and tries to focus on the rest of the people taking their seats and after a moment, no one is boarding anymore, but for some unknown reason, they are still waiting. He is starting to get impatient along with the rest of the passengers.
“I’m sure we’re waiting for latecomers,” the beautiful stranger says.
Louis looks at him. “Oh, yes maybe. They’re making everyone wait…”
“It’s pretty annoying.”
“It is.” Louis smiles, the stranger doing the same and before he can get lost inside his green eyes, one of the flight attendants is speaking.
“Our flight is now fully boarded, we will be taking off in a couple of minutes, thank you for your patience.”
“Oh, the last passengers must be here finall-” Louis looks to the central aisle and the air has just left his lungs, but not in a good way. He feels like buckets of ice water have been poured on him, although at the same time it is like the inside of the plane has all of a sudden been raised to a hundred degrees. His breathing is peaking, and he feels like he could throw up any second now.
Oh no, no, no, no, no. Please, no. Please tell me this is not happening. This must be a fucking joke. Oh God.
Walking towards him, accompanied by some woman that Louis doesn’t know, is someone he never thought he would ever see again, much less on a plane. His first instinct is to bend over and almost dive under the seat in front of him, to pretend he is searching for something in his bag. That way he can wait until the person has passed his seat and it will be okay. He waits, ridiculously rummaging for nothing in his backpack, and evidently life is fucking messing with him today. The late passengers walk past him and they could have sat a few rows behind, but obviously they don’t. Otherwise it wouldn’t be funny really. They of course have to settle right behind him and the beautiful stranger, and Louis is mortified.
What did I do to deserve this?!
He stops his nonsense, pushes his bag under the seat once more and straightens up. At that moment, the plane starts to move and Louis already knows this flight is going to be a nightmare. He closes his eyes, clings onto his right armrest and attempts to calm himself down. He can feel the gaze of the stranger on him and when he opens his eyes again, to helplessly stare into space, the man is quickly looking away, focusing on the flight attendant who is giving the usual safety instructions.
Louis wants to cry so badly. He fights so hard not to let the tears fall down and make a fool of himself. He tries to take discreet, yet deep breaths, to slow his hammering heart rate and make his urge to vomit go away, but it is hard when he can hear the couple being all disgusting and lovey-dovey with each other behind him. His hot flashes don’t lessen so he takes his green hoodie off and folds it in his lap, his hands clutching it tightly.
The plane takes off, and he doesn’t know how he is going to make it. He doesn't know how he is supposed to act normal when someone he never wanted to see again is sitting right behind him for a five and half hour flight.
The plane is finally stabilized in the air, unfortunately Louis’ stress isn’t, anxiety and panic bubbling inside of him. All he can think about is how he is going to survive the longest flight of his life. He puts his airpods in, starts whatever playlist he prepared for the flight on shuffle while he is still embarrassingly hyperventilating. He closes his eyes, clutching onto his hoodie like his life depends on it when he feels a finger gently poking at his shoulder. He opens his eyes, taking one of his airpods off to hear a deep whisper, “Are you- Are you alright?” The voice is laced with worry. “You’re kind of scaring me. Are you afraid of flights?”
The stranger seems genuinely concerned and it makes Louis want to cry even more. He doesn’t reply, simply shakes his head and thinks for a moment. Nothing can really get any worse at the moment so Louis grabs his phone from his lap, opens his note app and types, ‘MY EX IS SITTING BEHIND US WITH HIS NEW GIRLFRIEND’.
He shows the phone to the stranger, the man’s eyes widening as he reads the sentence. Louis takes his phone back and continues to type, attempting to explain why he is reacting that way.
We met at Uni in New York during my second year of studies. We got together and dated for three years there. While we were at Uni, he was in a band on the side, it was a hobby for him but then it started to be more than that. We both moved to LA for work to get better opportunities, but I had a feeling he was moving there to ‘make it big’. We dated after Uni for like a year and a half, then unfortunately, things didn’t go as well as he wanted for his band and he blamed it on me and said that I was holding him back… He dumped me six months ago saying that he had to be alone and focus on the band without someone slowing him down… He left the apartment we were both living in the next morning, and I never heard from him again since then… Except for today… Sorry if I’m over sharing…
He hands the phone to the man once again and waits. He has no idea why he poured everything out like that to someone he doesn't even know, but Louis never really moved on and what happened really hurt him and was utterly humiliating. He expects him to give him his phone back with a judging look on his face, though that is not what happens at all. Louis can see him typing in turn on the phone, then giving it back to him.
Well, that guy is an absolute jerk. And don’t apologize, I understand completely. You’re doing great by the way, I would have evacuated the plane.
Louis smiles, a small laugh escaping his lips. He types again.
It’s too late for that now and that would have been a bit embarrassing. I mean, I could have blamed it on the left phalange. Although, I don’t think it would have worked.
When Harry reads his words, he snorts in the cutest way possible, concealing his laugh in his fist and Louis is so endeared. He laughs as well, happy that he got the reference and that he didn’t make a fool of himself for what seems like the hundredth time in the past hour.
My name is Harry, what is yours? And what about that douche?
Harry. The name fits his elegant persona.
It’s Louis’ turn to snort at the last question.
I’m Louis and the douche’s name is Damien.
It’s nice to meet you, Louis.
It’s nice to meet you too.
What they are doing is so silly, though Louis can’t erase the smile on his face. Harry is so nice and the fact that he is extremely handsome is also helping to calm him down at that moment. The man still has Louis’ phone in his hands and instead of typing something or even handing the device back, he seems to be in deep thought. His brows are furrowed, his thumbs hovering over the screen, and it is like he is debating with himself whether he should type or not. Louis doesn’t push him and a moment later, Harry lets out a small shaky breath before his fingers are finally hitting the screen once again.
Louis takes the phone from him when he is done and to say that he is surprised by what is written would be an understatement. There is no way he would have ever thought that Harry, a stranger, would suggest something like that to him.
You might think that this is an incredibly stupid idea, I don’t know why I’m even typing this right now, but maybe I could help you get a small revenge of some sort or like make him jealous… If you are interested, I could pretend to be your boyfriend for the next five hours… Or not. You decide. I won’t be offended if you refuse. Like I said, it’s a pretty dumb idea. We don’t know each other and it could be weird, although we won’t see each other again after this flight if that can make your decision easier. Anyways, I'm shutting up now and handing you your phone back. If you think I’m completely out of line to suggest this and that I scared you, please ignore me for the rest of the flight while I will wallow in a puddle of embarrassment.
First of all, knowing that Harry likes men or at least that he is an ally makes his heart swell. Second of all, yes it is a bit weird, but for some reason, Louis finds it cute and endearing. He laughs once more at the last sentences, this handsome man seems so goofy and it contrasts with his classy appearance. It’s Louis’ turn to debate with himself and decide if this would be the worst idea ever or a fun moment to share with a very beautiful man that he will never see again. Yet again, he has nothing to lose and this flight is already ruined by the constant sound of kissing and giggles that makes his teeth grind coming from behind them so…
Yeah, okay.
Oh, okay! Harry is smiling, Tell me the ground rules. What can we do or not do?
Louis chuckles, I’d say cuddles, kisses on the cheek and hand holding is allowed. And talking obviously.
Alright, great. Do we “act” until we get off the plane? Do you have luggage to pick up?
Yes, I do. And yes maybe we should keep going until then… Just to be sure… Sorry…
Don’t be sorry, I’m the one who suggested this. I’m happy to help. So… Should we cuddle now…?
Louis pockets his phone and doesn’t even answer. Instead, he looks at Harry with an unsure look before the man is nodding at him and that is all he needs. He lifts the armrest separating them so that it is more comfortable and tentatively hooks his arm with Harry’s. The other man grabs it instantly, covering Louis’ hand with his, making him feel more at ease in a second. He doesn't know why, but this man has some kind of calming aura around him and Louis isn’t going to fight it. He snuggles even closer and Harry smells so good, like tobacco and vanilla, and good Lord it is intoxicating.
When Louis lays his head on his shoulder, Harry exclaims, a bit louder than someone should usually talk on a plane, “Oh Lou!” The nickname does something to his inside but he just ignores it. “I am so happy that we were in New York tooo…”
Between two giggles, Louis whispers, “See my family.”
“To see your family!” he says even louder. Louis has to hide his face in his shoulder to prevent himself from bursting out laughing, clutching his arm a bit more firmly. Damn he is muscular! “It was so good to finally meet them! Your mother and I got along soooo well!”
In addition to being stunning, smelling good and being nice, Harry seems to be very fit as well.
Fucking hell.
Louis is a bit surprised when he feels Harry’s lips in his hair. He shouldn't be because that was in their deal, but still. His heart does a little somersault for a stranger.
“Well, she told me you were her favorite so I am not surprised!” Louis plays along, distracting him from what is going on inside of him, and kisses Harry’s shoulder over his white shirt.
“Oh I can’t wait to see them for Thanksgiving and Christmas!!”
Louis can sense the weird looks of the people around them though he ignores them.
They continue to cuddle for a bit longer, the urge to turn around and take a peek to see his ex-boyfriend’s reaction constantly poking at Louis’ brain, but he refrains, knowing that it would be a very bad idea.
After a moment, because the flight was quite early in the morning, Louis falls asleep, his head still laying on Harry’s shoulder, the other man never pushing him away. At some point, he feels Harry’s head resting on top of his, so he supposes that he fell asleep as well. Louis has to bite his bottom lip to prevent himself from smiling too hard, and he doesn’t even know why he is reacting this way, his tummy fluttering for absolutely no reason.
They are woken up after a while, the flight attendants passing in the aisle to give them a little morning snack. Louis and Harry detangle themselves from each other, a small shy and awkward smile on their faces. They might have agreed to doing this, however, it is still weird to be so close to someone you’ve only just met an hour ago.
Louis has another bag of biscuits in his backpack and he shares it with Harry without even thinking about it, the latter even gives some of his orange juice to him when he sees him constantly eyeing it despite the fact that Louis said he didn’t want any. There is a small smirk on Harry’s face when he pours the juice into Louis’ empty tea cup, and it all seems very naturally domestic and kind of scary if he is honest. Though he won’t make a big deal out of it, because that is the point of why they are doing this in the first place, to make everyone believe, and especially Damien, that they are in a relationship.
“I have to go to the bathroom,” Harry whispers, cringing in a cute way when they are done with their snacks.
Louis giggles, unfastening his seat belt, and standing up to make way for Harry, but keeping his back to Damien.
“Thanks,” Harry replies, sliding between their seats and the ones in front of them and walking to the toilet situated at the back of the plane as these are the closest to them.
Louis quickly sits back down, and at that moment, another disgusting sound of smooching, accompanied by irritating giggles and even little moans from the couple behind him comes to his ears and he has had it. He suddenly has an idea that is probably a very bad one, an incredibly stupid one even, but he is a petty man and if his ex has no respect and no shame, well two can play at this game.
Louis swiftly checks and sees that no flight attendants are at the back of the plane, as they are busy collecting empty cups and wraps from the snacks they distributed not long ago, and no one is waiting for the toilet either. He stands up, walks up the 3 rows of seats that are behind his, looking straight ahead to avoid eye contact with Damien, though he notices that a few people are sleeping or concentrating on their music or reading which is good for what he wants to do. He reaches the toilet and immediately knocks.
“I’m sorry, someone’s in here,” Harry politely replies, making Louis smile. He hears the sounds of water running so he supposes that he must be washing his hands.
“It’s Louis. Let me in! Quick! Please!” he purposely overdoes it, putting a bit more drama than necessary, hoping that Harry will be worried. Louis waits, nervously looking around and hoping that no one will see him.
His tactic works, because the man quickly opens the door and he doesn’t even have time to say anything when Louis bursts into the very cramped toilet of the plane, closing the door behind him.
Harry’s eyes are wide, looking all over Louis for some kind of injury or distress. “What’s going on? Is everything okay?” The taller man can barely stand up right in the small area and he has to bend over slightly. Louis has his back glued to the door to try and leave some space between them but even with his best effort, there is less than three feet separating them.
Louis nods. “I’m okay, don’t worry,” he reassures him. “I just-” He bites his lower lip, his cheeks burning with a bit of embarrassment for what he is about to do. “Hearing them kiss once again was too much so I had an idea. I hope you won’t be mad.”
Harry raises a questioning eyebrow, leaning on the small sink, with one hand. “Mad? What do you mean? Why?”
Louis doesn’t say anything more. He takes a deep breath, before exclaiming as he giggles, “Harrryyy! Stooop! Not in here!” He continues to giggle, acting as if the other man was touching him, and at that moment he sees the realization in Harry’s eyes. They become even wider than earlier, and when Louis starts to moan, loudly enough so he can be heard from outside over the sound of the plane, Harry can’t hold his laughter and has to conceal it with his free hand over his mouth.
“Oooh Harryyy!” Louis continues, smirking and closing eyes at the same time so that he is not disturbed by Harry’s cute, embarrassed face. “Yesss!! Oooh yes, that’s good! Yeeesssss!” He giggles again, plastering his hands on the door behind him to occupy them, “Honeyyy, stooop!! Someone is going to hear us! We can’t do this here!!” He pushes his voice up once more, and when he opens his eyes again, Harry's face is beat red, his shoulders are trembling and it makes Louis smirk even more.
“Oooh Goood! That’s so nice!” he moans again. “Mmmh yeah, you know I love it when you kiss my neck! You’re so good to me! You’re so good with your hands and your lips!!”
“Jesus Christ!” Harry breathes out, between two sets of laughter, shaking his head in utter disbelief.
Louis whines and lets out a plethora of weird sounds. Judging by the color of Harry’s face, he is worried that the man might pass out at some point, and he hopes that someone will attempt to interrupt them quickly.
“Yesss!” he shouts even louder. “Oh I love that! You know that ticklish spot! Mmmh yeah! I-”
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
Finally!
Louis is startled and steps away from the door, getting even closer to Harry, the tip of their shoes touching, the taller man still covering his mouth with his hand. “Excuse me sir!” someone shouts from outside. “Um, some people said they heard some… Um, inappropriate noises… In here… And I'm going to have to ask you to stop right away and to come out of the toilet please. It is forbidden to do these um… things… on a plane, so if you don’t come out you could be in trouble.”
Louis laughs a bit more before answering, “Yes! We’re sorry, we’re coming out!” He looks right into Harry’s eyes and whispers, “Are you ready?”
The other man finally takes his hand off of his face. “I don’t really have a choice,” he laughs in turn, extending his hand towards the door. “After you.”
Louis can feel his face redden by the second. He didn’t really think this through, because now he has to face another complete stranger after faking a make out session in the bathroom of a plane and yeah, he is completely embarrassed and a bit ashamed. Before getting out, he ruffles his hair to make it look like something really happened. Now that he started this, he has to go all the way with it.
He opens the door, and he is about to speak but Harry beats him to it, “I’m sorry, my boyfriend felt a bit sick so I was just trying to help him…”
Louis can’t control the snort that comes out, the stewardess giving them an unimpressed look before she says, “Sure. Now, I am only going to give you a warning, but no more of this,” She gestures between the two of them, “until we land. Is that clear?”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“Yes, Madam.”
They both say in unison, trying not to crack up once again. Then they are hurrying back to their seats, head low, Louis pretending to put his hair back into place and avoiding the judgmental looks they are getting on their way back, and he thinks he can see Harry rearranging his trousers discreetly. He isn’t sure he is seeing things right and he doesn’t even know if he is doing it for the ‘show’ or if it is real, so he won’t dwell on that interesting detail. He also can feel Damien’s gaze on him, following him until he is seated and good . That’s what he wanted. Louis wears a proud smirk on his face, satisfied with his not so discreet little trick.
He fastens his seat belt and then Harry is handing him his phone.
I can’t believe you did this! Louis reads, and oh no. He is a bit scared to read the rest but he does it anyway, It was fucking brilliant! Oh thank God! I don’t think I’ve ever laughed that much, especially in a plane’s toilet.
Louis chuckles, typing back.
I don’t know why I did it. Like I said, I heard them kiss and that was it. I needed to get back at him in a way and throw something in his face and I’m sorry that this idea came to my mind…
Don’t be sorry. It was hilarious. And judging by the look on his face when we came back to our seats… I think it worked.
A bubble of pride erupts in Louis’ belly at the words.
Thank you for playing along when we got out of the toilet. :)
Of course, we’re in this together right? At least for the next two and a half hours ;)
Thank you so much.
Louis gives Harry his phone back, smiling gratefully to him and is prepared to listen to some music on his own phone, when the other man takes a book of crosswords out of his bag and exclaims loudly, “Baby, do you want to do the crosswords together like we do at home? It’ll pass the time, what do you think?” Harry sends him a pointed look, making Louis bite his lower lip once more, endeared by the man showing so much devotion to this little play they are performing. He isn’t a big fan of crosswords because he always has been shit at them, and for some reason it doesn’t even surprise him that Harry brought that kind of activity on a plane. Though he will make an effort for this cute dork with his pencil with the little eraser at the top and for the sake of their ruse. “It’s in case we make a mistake,” Harry murmurs discreetly with a grin, and okay, he is definitely trying to kill Louis.
“Oh sure!!” Louis plays along. “You know it is our thing!” He cringes internally, certain that Damien won’t buy any of this, as he had never really opened a newspaper once in his life.
He snuggles a bit closer to Harry, the taller man opening the book and putting it in between them so that they both can see it. “I’m warning you, I’m utter shit at this. Please leave me the easy ones,” Louis confesses shyly in a murmur.
“I’m sure that is not true.” Harry doesn’t even let him add anything else when he begins. “But we’ll take this one that I already started so it’s a bit easier.” He turns a few pages, Louis laying his head on his shoulder. “Alright, 'Space’.”
“Oh sorry.” Louis lifts his head, pulling away. “I thought we were-”
Harry chuckles fondly, “No, Louis, that’s the first definition. Look, 1 across is ‘Space’, in three letters.”
Jesus .
He mentally slaps his forehead. He is such an idiot sometimes. “Dear God,” he sighs, “see I wasn’t lying when I told you I was shit at this,” he whispers.
“Stop saying that.” Harry’s voice is firm. “Now put your head back where it was and let’s do this. So do you have an idea?”
Louis does what he is told, settling back into his previous position. “You didn’t do the first definition?”
“You know I like to go randomly.”
“Yeah, I do.” Louis smiles. “Well, that one is easy, I would say ‘gap’.”
Harry nods. “That’s what I would say too.” He writes it down. “Okay, forty three down is ‘Maestro’ . It’s a five letter word and it starts with an ‘L’.”
“You take that one,” Louis tells him, resting his hand on his bicep.
“Okay, hmmm…” Harry hums pensively, “I’d say ‘Leader’.”
Louis is kind of entranced by his deep and calm voice, and he isn’t really paying attention or even looking at the book anymore. He has raised his head and he is now simply staring at Harry’s profile. That one single curl falling on his forehead, his sharp jawline, the tip of his nose moving like the one of a cute bunny each time he talks, his dimple popping out every time he gets a word and smiles. For a moment, Louis almost forgets about his ex sitting right behind him with his new girlfriend, lost in a ‘Harry bubble’.
“‘Moon, for instance’...” Harry goes on, very much invested and immersed in these crosswords, not even realizing that Louis has gone astray in his beauty. “Oh! That’s easy, 'Satellite’ of course.” He giggles adorably while scribbling down.
Fucking hell, the man is gorgeous AND he is the cutest dork ever.
Louis’ grip is tightening on his bicep and now he is resisting the urge to poke at his dimple with the tip of his forefinger, ready to fall right into it.
“Okay Louis, 'Content’ ?”
“Very,” he blurts out, without even thinking about it, and he immediately feels his heart speeding up when he realizes that his response is not what was of course expected.
“What?” Harry turns his head to look at him with a confused look on his face, and Louis can’t blame him.
He blinks a few times, shakes his head to try and focus back on the game and to control his blush. “Sorry, I was lost in my thoughts, um… ‘Content’ you say?” He scratches his throat and looks down at the book.
“Yes, nine down, it starts with an ‘S’ and has an ‘F’ here, see?” He points at it.
“Um…” Okay, don’t make a fool of yourself Louis, that’s enough for now , “‘Satisfied’…?
“Yes! Well done Baby!” Harry cheers, writing the word and making Louis blush even more.
Damn it!
“‘Halves of weekends’...? Nine letters, with an ‘U’ here.”
“‘Saturdays’…?” Louis tries, always unsure of himself.
“Yesss!” Harry cheers again, a huge smile on his face.
They finish the crosswords puzzle, and Harry is extremely good at this. Louis surprises himself and figures out another couple of words, Harry whispering in his ear when he closes the book, “See, you’re not shit at it at all.” He kisses his cheek and puts the book away in his bag. Louis has to bite hard on his lower lip to prevent himself from smiling too hard for something so stupid.
He doesn’t know the man, and yet, here he is acting like a teenager having a crush on the new boy. It’s ridiculous and he needs to get a grip, because in another two hours they will go their separate ways and Louis will never see him again.
He shakes his head and tries to come up with something else that they could do to pass the time together, thinking that he should be the one taking a step this time.
He hopes Harry won’t think it’s stupid. “Do you want to play ‘Would you rather…’ ? We’ve never played it before…” He tries.
“Oh! You’re right we never played that!” Thank God for Harry working with him without even blinking. “Alright you go first, Baby.”
Another tingle in his tummy. Fucking hell, stop it! “Okay um… Would you rather go on a Tinder date with someone holding a fish in their photo or go on a Tinder date with someone who really wants to talk about your natal chart?”
“But I only have eyes for you Baby, I would never look at anyone else.” Harry smirks.
“Just answer, will you?” Louis rolls his eyes playfully.
Harry laughs, “Let me think.” He pensively taps his forefinger on his chin. “I think I’d rather go with the person and the fish. I wouldn’t mind going fishing.” He shrugs, making Louis chuckle.
“I agree, even though I have a hard time imagining you in fishing gear…” It’s Louis’ turn to smirk.
“Heyyy!” Harry whines. “I can be adventurous, you know that!”
“I do, I’m messing with you.”
“Alright, my turn, um… Would you rather wear only sequined clothing or only all-black clothing for a year?”
“Definitely all black.” Louis doesn't even hesitate. “But I bet you’d go for the sequined clothing.”
“You know me so well,” Harry dramatically puts a hand on his heart, “but you’re right, I would,” he then whispers, and Louis can’t hold back his laughter.
God this man is a lot .
“Would you rather only be able to go on cruises or only be able to go to Disney World for vacations?”
“That’s an easy one,” Harry scoffs.
“Disney World?” Louis hopes.
“I mean, I don’t even understand why you asked the question in the first place.” Oh Thank God. He playfully rolls his eyes.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Louis raises his hands in a surrendering manner. “It's your turn.”
“Yes, thank you. That way I can ask real questions. Would you rather only be able to read romance novels or only be able to watch reality dating shows for a year?”
“I hate reading, so dating shows.”
Harry sighs, shaking his head in faux disappointment, “What will I do with you? I will of course choose the novels.”
“Of course you would, you dork,” Louis teases. “Would you rather be able to eat only Hawaiian pizza or only pizza that’s doused in ranch? Be careful with your answer, our relationship could end right now, I hope you’re aware of that,” Louis warns him.
“I mean I like pineapple…”
Louis gasps, “Harry, Honey nooo! Pineapple on a pizza is a disgrace!!” he cries. “I don’t know if we can be together anymore. How could you hide this from me?!”
“I know, I’m sorry. I should have told you sooner. But please, don’t let this break what we have,” he tragically pleads, taking Louis’ hand in his and making him hide his laughter behind his free one.
“I guess I can give you another chance,” Louis finally says when he is able to talk.
Harry sighs in relief, “Thank you.” Then kisses his cheek.
Butterflies again.
“Would you rather let your mother or your ex create your next online dating profile…?” The man knows what he is doing and Louis wants to kiss him, somewhere other than on the cheek. But he won’t.
“Definitely my mother. At least I’m sure she loves me.” Louis’ heart clenches at his own words, but what Harry murmurs next softens it.
“Well said.” He winks at Louis, taking his hand in his and squeezing it.
“Would you rather be in extreme heat in a snowsuit or in extreme cold in a swimsuit?”
“Oh, cold in a swimsuit for sure. That snowsuit would be a nightmare.”
“Yes, and that way I could enjoy your gorgeous body.” Louis doesn’t know where this is coming from, but he apparently has no filter. It doesn’t seem to bother Harry who is grinning in a seductive way.
“Oh really? You’d like that?” There is a glint in his eyes.
“You know I would. I’ve always loved your body.” Louis isn’t lying. For what he already felt while touching his arm, what he definitely can see through his white shirt and what he can imagine under these trousers, he is a hundred percent convinced that he would.
“I’d like that too…” he teases cheekily.
God is it hot in here?
Louis scratches his throat, fidgeting on his seat, “It’s- It’s your turn.”
Harry chortles, “Right, um… Would you rather be trapped in a rom com with people you hate or trapped in a horror movie with people you love?”
“Horror movie. That way you could protect me.” Louis charmingly bats his eyelashes and he is sure he can see Harry’s cheek redden.
“I definitely would, Baby.” He squeezes his hand once more, and Louis doesn’t really know what this means but he doesn’t dwell on it.
“Would you rather communicate telepathically or know every single language on the planet?”
“Hmm… That’s an interesting one… Being able to communicate telepathically could be very helpful for certain situations…” He gives Louis a pointed look, the two of them grinning at each other, “but I think I’d rather know every single language on the planet.”
“Me too,” Louis agrees, “that would be so handy when you travel, and just the cultural richness.”
“I couldn't agree more.” Harry’s gaze is so soft, Louis has to distract himself.
“Okay, last one for you, because I really have to pee.”
Harry barks out a laugh, “Alright, last one…” There is a cheeky glint in his eyes and Louis is scared of the question. “Would you rather get back together with your ex or have to listen to only Christmas songs for a year?”
Louis shakes his head, smiling and biting his lower lip. “Christmas songs without a doubt. With my birthday on Christmas Eve, you know I love that time of the year.”
Harry’s eyes widen, his mouth falling adorably in the form an ‘o’. “I know you do,” he says before mouthing comically. “Really??!!”
Louis nods with a smile.
Harry mouths again, “That’s so cool!” before saying, louder this time, “Now go to the toilet.”
Louis chuckles, but the man is right, he really needs to go, because he might have joined him in the toilet earlier but he never actually ‘went to the toilet’ per say, and the tea he had with their snacks is starting to take effect. Louis unfastens his seatbelt, stands up, and thankfully the bathroom is free. Avoiding looking at Damien has become a skill now, fixing his gaze on the back of the flight attendant, but he still can feel the judgmental looks from the other passengers on him after what had happened earlier, therefore he does his best to ignore them.
He reaches the door and before he can enter, the stewardess who interrupted them earlier stops him with a little smirk. “Stay alone this time…”
Louis laughs, “Yes, I promise.”
She lets him go and the man is able to do his business and wash his hands before getting back to his seat. When he is settled again, they only have like an hour‘s flight left, so he takes his phone and airpods out and hands one to Harry.
The taller man smiles, taking the airpod that is offered to him. “What are you listening to?”
“Coldplay. Do you like them?”
“Who doesn’t like Coldplay ?” Harry looks almost offended and Louis can’t help but chuckle.
“You’re right.”
“It’s like The Beatles, they are a classic.”
“I couldn’t agree more.”
They smile at each other before being silent and letting the music take over. Yet again after a moment, lulled by Yellow and Fix You, Louis starts to fall asleep, naturally laying his head on Harry’s shoulder, the man’s presence doing something weird to Louis. It is like he has some kind of superpower and is able to calm and appease him without even knowing it. Again, they are strangers to each other and Louis needs to stop these ridiculous thoughts right now. Sure Harry is very sweet, here on this plane, but who is to say that in real life he isn’t a serial killer or something?
Why do I even care? I won’t see him anymore.
Louis shuts his brain up, and allows himself to doze off.