Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.

Challenges listed at the bottom.

Word Count - 753

A Creepy Appeal

The pub was quiet, just the way Harry liked it. He took a seat at the bar, ordering himself a pint and perused the menu. After the day he'd had, something sweet and indulgent was just what he needed. Deciding on the chocolate cake, he ordered it when the barman fetched his drink, and put the menu back in it's stand, leaning forward against the bar.

He wasn't usually one to drown his sorrows. He didn't often drink, all too aware of what happened to people who become dependent on the drink at the end of the day. He didn't want to be one of those people.

Stretching his back, he tried to shake off some of the tenseness in his muscles.

"Hey."

Harry turned to find a red haired man standing beside him, smiling at him.

"...Hi," Harry replied, quietly.

"Can I buy you a drink?"

Harry looked at his untouched drink and then back at the man, a small smile tilting his lips. "I'm good, thank you."

The man blushed, before holding out his hand. "I'm Fred."

"Harry."

"Would you like to join us?" Fred asked, nodding his head to a table close to the door, where more red heads sat around the table, all watching them.

"Um, no, thanks… they're not very subtle, are they?"

Fred snorted. "My brothers? They're about as subtle as a double decker."

The barman set Harry's cake and ice cream on the bar in front of him, before he turned to take Fred's order. Harry inhaled indulgently, he loved the scent of chocolate.

It was his weakness.

Fred took his drinks over to the table, smiling at Harry as he left. The redheads were the noisiest patrons in the small bar, but they weren't overly loud. Mainly, laughter rang out from the table.

Harry finished his cake and nursed his beer, debating with himself over buying another pint or just going home to veg in front of the television.

"Uh, hi again."

Harry's lips tilted up when he saw Fred had returned. "Hi."

"So, they're daring me to come ask you to join us again," he said, jerking his head back to the table. "But, I actually think you're really hot, so I thought maybe I could join you here instead?"

Harry blinked. "Um. Sure. I was actually just thinking about leaving though."

"Let me get you another drink. Please," Fred asked, his eyes almost begging.

Harry hesitated before he nodded. "Okay."

They chatted, and Harry was amazed how easily the conversation flowed. He was the first to admit that he was socially awkward, and he didn't often speak with people he didn't know.

When he finished his second drink he refused Fred's offer of a third.

"I'm ready to get home, it's been a long day," he apologised. "It was nice to meet you."

Fred followed him from the bar. "I uh, don't mean to be creepy, but I know where you live," he said, before he paused, frowning. "Actually I do mean to be creepy."

Harry snorted. "Why do you mean to be creepy?"

"Seems particularly horror movie-esque. That appeals to me."

Laughing, Harry shook his head. "Horror movies aside, how do you know where I live?"

"I just moved into the apartment block across from yours a few weeks ago, and I've seen you around. I've been trying to work up the courage to ask you out on a date.

A flood of emotion made Harry freeze. A date? He hadn't been on a dare for years, not since the end of his last relationship, and that was three and a half years ago.

Nervously he ran a hand through his hair, not helping the mess that it already was.

"You're hair is wild," Fred commented quietly. "It was the first thing I noticed about you. Well, that and your ass."

Harry couldn't help but admire Fred's confidence. It was a skill he'd never picked up himself.

"So. Will you go out with me?"

"I. Uh." Harry cut himself off, cursing his awkwardness. Stealing himself, he nodded. "Yeah. I'd like that."

"Give me your phone."

Harry handed his mobile over, and Fred entered his number, one belling his own phone.

"I'll call you."

Harry grinned and turned away with a brief wave of his hand, walking the short distance to the apartment block he lived in. A small bubble of elation had taken root in his chest.

For the first time in a while, he was actually looking forward to the future.

Written for;

Creativity Month - HarryFred - 14. "I don't mean to be creepy, but I know where you live. Actually I do mean to be creepy."

Character Appreciation - 5. Chocolate.

Sophie's Shelf - 10. Skill, Elation, Flood, Stretch, Daring, Wild.

Caffeine Awareness - 11. Carajillo - Story set in a pub