I Know You, Lou // l.s.

31.

When Louis' lips hit Harry's he didn't know what to think.

It was literally his dream come true, to have the love of his life back in his arms again, holding him. So Harry tried to savour every second of it. The taste of his mouth, the feeling of his lips, the way his hands gripped his hair.

Harry cradled Louis' face in his hands, feeling the older boy's subtle stubble against his fingers as he tried his hardest to make him feel wanted. To feel loved.

But it was over all too soon.

Louis pulled back and started to shake his head, seemingly regretting what had just happened, but Harry wasn't letting him go that easily.

He'd lost him once, it wasn't going to happen again.

Louis' touched his lips with a trembling hand. "Oh my God..." He whispered. "I shouldn't have-"

In a panic, Harry gripped his waist, not letting him move away. He couldn't let him regret something that he knew Louis' wanted. No matter what words came out of his mouth, his actions said something completely different.

"Louis." Harry said, looking into his eyes with worry.

"I can't-" Louis tried to struggle out of his grip, but Harry wouldn't let him. He held the boy still, and moved his hands to cup his cheeks again, forcing the boy to look at him.

"You can't w-what?" Harry asked, pleading with Louis' teary eyes for an answer. It had been so long, a back and forth between the two of them, always unexplained. Harry needed answers, and Louis needed to give him them.

"I can't be with you." Louis said sadly. "I'll only end up hurting you."

"You w-won't." Harry replied, vigorously shaking his head as he tried to get Louis to understand. "You w-won't hurt me, p-please Louis. Let's just.. I-I don't know, p-please, give th-this a try?"

He was desperate. He loved Louis so, so, much, he couldn't let him ruin it before they'd even had a chance to start again.

"I-I can't-"

Before Louis could finish, Harry kissed him again. He needed to show him that it was okay. That they could have everything they'd ever wanted. That Louis didn't have to be afraid. And that they could have love. Harry needed to show him that he was there, and that he was never going to let him go.

"Louis. William. T-To-Tomlinson." Harry whispered, kissing him again, before letting their foreheads rest together as he stroked Louis' cheek with his thumb. "I'm n-not going anyw-where. There is n-nothing you can s-say, that w-would make me l-leave."

"I-I can't-" Louis shook his head, so Harry kissed him yet again. Tender and special, each time Louis doubted himself, Harry wanted to show him that he didn't need to.

"You can." Harry whispered again, their eyes still closed as they breathed closely, practically in each other's air.

Louis let out a long breath, looking up to the sky to calm himself down as his hands rested on Harry's upper arms. He gripped Harry's sleeves tightly, working up the courage to say it as he bit his lip, and looked back at Harry. His Harry.

"It was my dad." Louis choked out, and Harry's eyes went wide with shock.

"W-What?" Harry stuttered, his eyebrows furrowing as his mind reeled with possibilities as to what on earth Louis meant.

"I-I want to love you Harry." Louis babbled, beginning to ramble as his grip on Harry's arms got tighter. "I want everything with you. I want us to be with each other, like how we used to be. You were right, you were my everything and I never wanted to let you go, but... when I left, I lied to you. I'm so sorry Harry, but I had to."