title: the riddles that you speak
pairing: liam/louis (minor harry/niall)
rating: pg13 (language)
word count: 8,278
summary: about a coffee shop, stupid boys, and zayn's probably-fake girlfriend.
“I want that one I got last time, Harry,” Louis tells his best mate with a grin. “And I want it on the house.”
Harry raises an eyebrow and Louis ignores it along with Zayn’s undignified snort in the background. “You can’t get things free just ‘cause I work here, Lou.”
Louis pouts.
Harry sighs and makes him his stupid green tea. It is, of course, on the house.
“You’re going to end up getting sacked that way, mate,” Louis hears Zayn tell Harry as he mixes salt and sugar on the table he’s sat at. “If boss knew you were giving free stuff to your boyfriend-“
“Not boyfriends!” Harry and Louis express simultaneously.
“Besides,” Harry immediately picks up, “if your girlfriend was actually real you’d give her free stuff.”
Zayn groans and Louis laughs loudly. “That’s right, Zayn! How is your fake girlfriend?”
“She’s not fake-“ Zayn stops and breathes in deeply for a moment before continuing. “You’ve seen me talk on the phone with her. She’s not fake.”
Harry and Louis just share a chuckle and Zayn throws his hands up in exasperation before heading to the back and muttering, “I need a fag.”
“So Lou,” Harry says, his voice breaking the quiet in the small coffee shop, “are you just not going to class today, or…?”
“Well, Haz,” Louis answers, his voice taking on a theatrical tone and Harry has to fight to keep from actually wincing because there are customers in here- “I would be in my lovely Chemistry lab right now, doing… Chemist type things, mixing stuff and possibly setting things on fire, I’m really not sure what goes down in Chemistry class, to be quite honest. However, during the first lesson I may have accidentally propositioned my very attractive professor thinking he was another student-“
“Louis-“
“-and now am too ashamed to show my face in that particular Chemistry lab again.”
“It’s still the first week of school and you’re already skipping classes,” Harry mumbles, and Louis tells him to stop being such a mother.
“It would be different if it were my first year in uni. I’m a seasoned veteran, I know when it’s okay to skip now. I’ve learned.”
“Did you actually hit on your professor?” Harry asks, and Louis thinks he looks terrified to know the answer.
Louis just stares at Harry, prolonging whatever discomfort he can get out of him because not much can make the boy uncomfortable, and finally chuckles. “No, just don’t feel like leaving my best friend all alone at his first job!”
“’s not my first job, Lou,” Harry grumbles, then holds his finger up when he sees a customer waiting to order. Louis’ eyes follow Harry to the counter and finally over it and then double take when he sees the particular customer. It’s the usual love-at-first-sight, heart racing, palms sweating, butterflies in your stomach reaction that Louis has when he sees this boy, calmly ordering some kind of coffee that would usually make Louis want to wrinkle his nose, but now just makes him want to lick it straight out of this wonderful and beautiful boy’s mouth and-
“Lou,” Harry mock-whispers. “You’re staring.”
Louis shakes his head and notices that Harry has now moved back to his previous position by all the drink-making machines, and the boy is still standing awkwardly at the counter. There are three other customers in the coffee shop, obviously all students bent over textbooks and laptops (and Louis spares a second to think wow, really? Studying already in the first week of school?) plus this gorgeous boy waiting on some kind of drink that Louis probably couldn’t pronounce the name of. Zayn had returned at some point from his smoke break and is taking the boy’s money to put into the register and giving him a receipt and Harry is spraying whipped cream on top of the drink and smirking at Louis as though he knows exactly what’s going on inside his head.
And, considering they’ve known each other since Harry was born, he probably does know. Louis still doesn’t think it’s a proper excuse for Harry to smirk.
And then Harry’s handing this lovely boy his drink and the boy is smiling, causing his pretty brown eyes to crinkle at the corners (oh my God) and then he turns and leaves the shop, stepping outside and closing the door behind him. Louis watches with wide eyes as the boy sits at a table outside the door, setting his drink down and digging a textbook and a notebook out of his bag. Louis can’t hide the sigh of relief that he hasn’t entirely left yet.
“Oh my God,” he vaguely hears Zayn mutter. “He’s a thirteen year old girl.”
“The sad thing is that it’s not even the first time,” Harry says back, and Louis furrows his brows because they’re probably talking about him. He turns to look at Zayn and Harry, who are staring back at him with amused expressions on their faces, when the bell above the door dings and the boy walks back in empty handed. He rushes to the side counter and grabs a napkin and a straw, and then exits as quickly as he’d come in.
“God,” Louis whispers, “he’s beautiful.”
He’s broken from his reverie by Harry’s snort-bark-guffaw and Zayn’s chuckling. He turns to glare at his supposed best friend and his supposed best friend’s co-worker. “You just don’t understand true love.”
“True love?” Zayn repeats. “Yes, I, the one who has been steadily dating the same girl for three years, certainly don’t understand love. Please enlighten me, Lou. Let’s start with the name of your true love.”
Louis huffs and crosses his arms over his chest. Then he uncrosses them. Then he crosses them again.
“What’re you doing, mate?” Harry asks, staring at Louis’ flailing arms.
“Can I please go talk to him, Harry?”
Harry sighs. “Don’t be creepy, yeah?”
“No! I am never creepy!”
Harry levels him with a look and Louis looks sheepish. Zayn rolls his eyes. “I don’t think I’ll ever understand you two.”
Louis just grins widely and jumps up; he leaves the mess of salt and sugar on the table with the knowledge that Harry will clean it up for him, and rushes to the door.
“Be cool, Tommo,” Harry says.
Louis pushes open the door and breathes in deeply before setting his sights on the lovely boy again. He’s currently bent over an open text book and Louis grins.
“Chemistry, eh?” He says, and the boy startles so badly he almost knocks over his drink. Louis presses on. “I think you and I could have chemistry.”
He considers adding a wink. He decides against it. Harry probably wouldn’t approve.
The boy just squints up at him, eyebrows furrowing. Louis wants to die because he is so fucking cute.
“History, actually,” the boy says quietly, his voice deep and smooth and rich and lovely.
“Well, we could make some of that, too, if you’d like.” Louis throws the wink in there. Screw Harry.
The boy’s eyebrows scrunch even further. Louis waits for him to speak. He doesn’t. Instead he turns his head around for a moment before swiveling back to glance at Louis. Louis is confused and turns to look inside the shop at Harry and Zayn for help, but sees them laughing behind the counter. He huffs.
“I’m sorry,” Louis’ attention shoots back to the boy, who looks tentative and awkward. “But, um, do I know you?”
Louis smirks. “Not yet, but we could definitely get to know each other.”
Louis wants to make sure he gets his point across. He winks again. The boy opens his mouth for a moment and then closes it. Then he says, “Well, I’m Liam?”
Louis chooses to ignore that it’s said like a question and answers, “Well, I’m Louis, and it’s nice to meet me.”
It’s not his best, he’ll admit it. But Liam makes a weird sound in response that could be some type of strange laugh so Louis takes it as a win. He pulls the chair opposite Liam out and sits down.
Liam stares at him and his mouth opens and closes again and it kind of reminds Louis of a fish. But a cute fish, really. Maybe one in Finding Nemo. Liam is still staring at him.
“So, Liam,” Louis says, and bites the bullet. “You come here often?”
Liam squints. “Um, school just started. It’s the third day.”
“That’s…” Louis pauses, “not what I meant. Anyhow, have you got, erm, a girl-“
“Um, Louis?” Liam interrupts, and Louis wants to cry. So close.
“Yes, Liam?”
“I, uh, I really have to study now, so…”
And Louis feels his heart tumble from his chest and into his stomach. A quick breath escapes his lips and he pastes a fake smile on his face that probably looks more like a grimace. He glances back inside the shop for a quick moment. Zayn is still looking amused, but Harry looks concerned, and Louis has never been happier that his best friend can read him so well.
“Okay,” is all he says to Liam before he stands up. He pushes in the chair and yanks open the door, ignoring the chill he gets from the air conditioning. He knows his face is already sulky but he doesn’t care. Harry rushes out from behind the counter and pulls him into a hug.
“’m sorry, Lou,” he whispers, and Louis mumbles unintelligibly. “His loss, really.”
“Okay,” Louis repeats. He pulls out of Harry’s embrace and plops back down at his table. He sighs.
*
Niall glances around the large room with wide eyes. It’s his second class on his third day of school and he already feels more overwhelmed than he ever has in his life. There’s not a single recognizable face in the entire room but there are two empty seats at the end of a row at the back of the room, so he trudges on until he reaches them and drops his bag on the table with a clunk. There’s a girl two seats over who is asleep, head resting on the table, and Niall fights a laugh. She’s got tattoos up and down her arms even though she can’t be older than eighteen.
Niall sits as the class fills up, all the empty seats being taken, chatter filling the room, until the door slams open with force and the entire class silences. A boy with curly hair slinks in and at least has the gall to look embarrassed at his entrance. His cheeks are red and he’s panting. His eyes scan the room before landing on the seat next to Niall.
Niall thinks the boy looks about thirteen but knows that’s impossible. He avoids eye contact as he rushes up to the back row and pulls out the empty chair, slumping into it.
Niall can’t help but glance over and is shocked to realize the boy doesn’t look like a boy at all. He’s got a chiseled jaw and sharp, bright green eyes and hair that looks perfectly styled into pretty curls but probably took nothing more than a quick shake to place. He’s got ridiculous lips and Niall wants to scream because he would be seated next to the sexiest thing he’s ever fucking seen for the entirety of the semester.
“Uh, sorry,” the guy says, and his voice is deep and gravelly and Niall fights the shiver that wants to travel down his spine. “This seat taken?”
“No,” Niall responds quickly, and when his voice squeaks he coughs quickly and repeats himself. “No, it’s yours.”
“Irish!” He exclaims, and no, Niall’s never heard that before. “Irish accents are my favorite. Really sexy.”
And Niall was almost positive his heart couldn’t beat this fast, and yet here he is. He doesn’t know what on earth to say to that, but the guy doesn’t seem to have a problem carrying the conversation.
“I’m Harry, by the way,” he introduces himself with a smile.
“Niall,” he says, and for the first time really looks at Harry. His long lean legs and Converse shoes on the biggest fucking feet he’s ever seen and Niall knows what they say about big feet and for a fleeting second hopes to God it’s true and then- “you’re wearing an apron.”
Harry frowns and looks down at himself, and then he does this laugh that Niall is sure could give someone a heart attack. He’s not sure what to call it, but Harry’s hands fly over his mouth and he looks embarrassed. Niall has never adored someone more.
“Yeah, I, uh, work at a coffee shop right off campus. My best mate was having boy troubles and I had to console him, so I was running a bit late,” Harry explains as he reaches behind his neck to untie the apron strings. He struggles for a moment before- “Could you- I mean, do you think you could…?”
Niall nods and Harry turns in his seat so his back is to Niall. Niall is eternally grateful because it takes a few seconds for his hands to stop shaking. Once he’s untied the knot and Harry has removed the apron Niall catches the name written in curly letters on the front. It’s a Grind.
*
“Liam,” Niall says as soon as he bursts through the door of their shared flat.
Liam glances up from his phone and Niall grins widely. “Go away, Niall, I’m studying.”
Niall ignores him and sits next to him, flipping the textbook that was open on Liam’s lap shut. Liam stutters indignantly and Niall ignores that, too.
“I met the sexiest guy today,” Niall begins, and Liam rolls his eyes. “We’re going to stalk him at work tomorrow.”
“Oh, Niall,” Liam says, and it sounds pitying. Niall just grins. Liam sighs. “Where’s he work?”
“That coffee shop right off campus, It’s a Grind. Heard of it?”
Liam’s brown eyes widen considerably and Niall frowns. “What?”
“I went there today to study,” Liam begins. “There was this… This guy there.”
“Okay…”
“He… He followed me outside and talked to me. And he like, sat down at my table and kept talking to me. I don’t really know what he was on about, really. Kept saying weird stuff. And then I told him I had to study.”
Niall frowns. “What kind of weird stuff? Creepy weird?”
“Um, he asked if I was studying Chemistry. And then he said something about us having Chemistry together? But I’m not even taking that class this semester.”
Niall cackled.
“What?!”
“He was hitting on you, you absolute idiot!”
All the color seems to drain from Liam’s face and Niall whacks him upside the head. “You told him you had to study? He made the effort to flirt with you and you sent him away?”
Liam groans and drops his head in his hands. He mumbles something that Niall can’t understand and then lifts his head again. “And he was so cute, too!”
“Well,” Niall says, “I guess that means we’ll just have to go back.”
Liam groans. Niall grins.
*
“Are you skipping class again, Lou?” Harry asks when Louis steps into the coffee shop. Louis makes a face at his friend and holds a hand out expectantly. “I can’t actually read your mind, you know.”
“Can I please have a tea? And I’ve got an off period, I was just in English. Stop mother henning me.”
Harry goes to make the drink and Louis sits at his usual table and grabs a salt shaker and a sugar packet from the side counter.
“Could you not? That’s hell to clean up,” Harry says, and Louis gasps.
“Harold, you should watch your language! You have customers!” The two look around at the empty coffee shop and Harry rolls his eyes.
“Loueh!” Zayn exclaims, stepping inside the back door and catching sight of Louis. Louis grins back and then takes the tea that Harry is holding out for him. “Did you get that for free again?”
Louis shakes his head innocently. Zayn rolls his eyes.
“So, Zayn, have you talked to your girlfriend lately?” Louis asks, extra emphasis on the ‘girlfriend’. Zayn huffs.
“Would you cut it out? Do you want to see a picture or something?”
“Not particularly,” Louis replies, grin on his face. “I’d like to meet her. In person. Prove she’s not a figment of your weed-addled imagination.”
Zayn throws his hands up in exasperation. “How many times do I have to tell you I don’t smoke weed?!”
Louis shrugs and Harry cackles. Zayn bangs his head against the counter and Louis feels tears forming in his eyes.
“You’re so high right now,” he laughs. Zayn looks like he’s going to cry. Louis opens his mouth to taunt his friend some more when the bell over the door rings and the three boys all turn their attention to the customer entering.
Louis is almost positive he’s hallucinating because Liam is walking in the door, tight jeans and tighter shirt and a soft expression on his pretty face. He tries not to stare as Liam walks to the counter and it isn’t until he hears Harry exclaim, “Niall!” that he realizes there is another person with him.
The other boy is blonde and skinny and seems to know Harry, if the greeting is anything to go by. Louis isn’t sure when Harry went around making friends without him but if it lead to Liam coming back then he won’t fault him. The blonde boy orders something in a loud Irish accent and Louis pours salt onto the table. He doesn’t look up when he hears Liam’s soft voice ordering something. It’s quieter than yesterday, and he can’t understand what he’s saying, but it has to be something really complicated because he’s taking forever to order.
Louis is opening the sugar packet when the blonde Irish boy says, “hi!” right by his side.
“Hullo,” Louis answers, eyes drifting to Liam, who is leaning against the counter and saying something to Harry, who is writing on a cup.
“What’re you doing?”
Louis shrugs, keeping his eyes down. “Bugging Zayn; playing with salt and sugar; keeping Harry company. The usual.”
The boy scoots closer and Louis looks up. Liam is still talking to Harry. He tries not to think anything of it. “Um, are you Harry’s boyfriend, or..?”
“No!” Louis cries, shaking his head quickly. Both Liam and Harry glance up at his outburst and he bites his lip. “Best mate, actually.”
The boy gets a funny look on his face that seems like recognition but Louis doesn’t understand so he goes back to pouring sugar onto salt. Louis hears his footsteps walk away and drags a finger through the mixture on the table in front of him. He makes shapes until a shadow covers his perfectly crafted triangle. When he looks up, Liam is standing there, looking sheepish with a hot drink in his hand.
“Hi,” Liam says softly, and Louis hates himself for smiling right away.
“Hi,” he responds.
Liam gestures to the seat in front of him and cocks an eyebrow. Louis nods. It’s silent between them, the only noise in the shop Harry and Niall’s voices on the other side of the room, until Liam says, “I don’t have to study today.”
“Oh?” Louis responds, willing himself not to get his hopes up. He fails when he sees a slight blush on Liam’s cheeks.
“No. I reckon I was a bit rude yesterday. Thought I’d make up for it.”
Louis smiles widely. He opens his mouth to say something cheeky when Zayn’s voice interrupts them all.
“Vas happenin’?” He shouts, and then he frowns. “Did you all make friends without me?”
“Sorry, Zayn,” Harry says, “you’re a bad influence on us.”
Louis chuckles at Zayn’s eye roll. He’s already pulling his phone out of his pocket and Louis laughs. “Calling your fake girlfriend to complain about us, are you?”
Zayn sighs for a minute and then says into the receiver, “my friends are idiots,” and then he leaves again. Harry cackles.
“Fake girlfriend?” Liam asks, and Louis returns his attention to the boy sitting in front of him.
“Absolutely. He’s made her up because he’s high literally all the time.”
Liam’s eyes widen comically.
“Don’t worry, though, you’d never know,” Louis says. “He’s a really good actor.”
Liam laughs and his eyes crinkle at the sides and Louis is positive this is what it feels like to fall in love.
“Although,” he continues, if only to make Liam never stop laughing, “For the token straight guy in our friendship he’s quite gay. He’s constantly talking about needing a fag.”
And Liam is doubled over and Louis is sure he can see tears in his brown eyes. Louis is laughing along and suddenly Liam quiets down, his laughter fading into chuckles, and he says, “So you’re not… You’re not straight, then?”
Louis can’t control his reaction. He wrinkles his nose and shakes his head vehemently. Liam’s cheeks flush and he looks down at the table, but he’s smiling, and Louis counts that as a win.
“So, um, this your off period?” Liam asks after a moment of silence. Louis nods and asks the same. “Yeah. Me and Niall have classes at the same time. We’re uh, we’re here ‘cause he’s got a class with your friend and wanted to come flirt with him. But don’t tell anyone I said that.”
Louis acts indignant. “I thought you came to talk to me!”
Liam’s eyes widen and he frowns. “No, no, I mean- yes, that, too, just-“
Louis’ laugh interrupts him and he sighs playfully. “That was a joke.”
“Yes,” Louis states with a grin. Liam laughs softly.
“I really did,” he says, “also come to see you. Would’ve been disappointed if you hadn’t been here.”
Louis can feel the heat rushing to his cheeks and he doesn’t care. He doesn’t care because this amazing boy in front of him came to see him. He wants to sing and dance and scream and-
“Li? Got class soon, yeah?” Liam looks up at his friend’s voice. Louis wants to cry. “We should get going.”
Liam looks torn and then he turns to Louis and smiles. “It was really good talking to you, Louis.”
“Yeah,” Louis replies, breathlessly. Liam bites his lip and stands up, giving a little wave, and leaving with the blonde.
“My God,” Harry says, breaking Louis from his reverie. “Fucking hot Irishman from my class stalked me at work. I’ve got a date.”
Louis pouts. “I don’t.”
Harry gives him a sly grin and points at the cup Liam had left on the table.
“No,” he says, “But you got a number.”
*
“Is there like, a three day rule with texting?” Louis asks. Harry groans.
“Just text him, Lou! He gave you his number for a reason,” he says, wiping the counter with far more pressure than Louis thinks is probably necessary.
“Yes but,” Louis begins, and Harry holds his hand up to stop him. Louis, surprising even himself, does.
“No buts. Text him a hello, and when he responds ask him if he’d like to hang out. It’s that simple. Do it on Friday night when Niall and I are on my date, that way you can have the flat to yourselves.”
Louis still isn’t sure, but he implicitly trusts Harry. Still, he looks up with a questioning glance.
“It’s been over twenty-four hours since he gave you the number. I really think it’s okay.”
Louis nods and unlocks his phone, opening a new message.
Hey! :) it’s Louis from the coffee shop :)
He shows the message to Harry who bites his lip.
“Maybe get rid of one of the smileys?”
Louis nods again and fixes the message, setting Liam as the recipient. He sends the message and tosses the phone away from him on the table. Harry snorts. Louis stares at his phone and worries his lower lip between his teeth.
His jump when his phone vibrates against the wood on the table sends Harry into hysterics, which brings Zayn in from his smoke break to laugh at Louis as well. But Louis doesn’t care because Liam’s texted back.
Hi Louis ! how r u ?
Louis can’t contain the grin that wants to break out on his face as he quickly types back great, actually, I was wondering if you’d like to hang out on Friday? and then setting the phone down in a much calmer manner than before.
“I don’t remember freaking out this much when I first met Tammy,” Zayn comments, and it’s a testament to how happy Louis is that he doesn’t make a remark about his fake girlfriend.
Harry, however, doesn’t resist. “And when did you two first meet, Zayn? Were you sleeping or just high?”
Louis starts to laugh but then his phone buzzes again and he can’t be bothered, instead snatching it up and reading the text with a fast beating heart.
Of course! Wat u wanna do ?
Louis thinks that under normal circumstances the atrocious spelling and grammar would appall him but finds himself thinking it endearing coming from Liam. He ignores the signal in his brain saying you’re in too deep and texts back.
Part 2