strings that snap | larry

six

"Here you go," Louis hands him over the bright pink towel. 

Louis sits in the cushioned chair by the couch while Harry dries his hair. The silence is stiff. Louis feels like he should apologize, but he knows he shouldn't have to. 

They must have been sitting for at least ten minutes before the mess on Louis' couch speaks up.

"They said I could go home."

Louis can hear the weight in the boy's voice. "No one told you?" Of course they didn't. They always left him to do all the hard work. "Pretty boys never go home."

That sits heavy in the air for a bit.

"Never?" Harry sounds defeated. God dammit, Louis should have been more careful with his words.

"Well, you go sometimes." Louis' hands sit motionless at his side. "Maybe you'll get lucky." 

"I don't think either of us have a lot of it." Harry has his head in his hands, finally realizing the circumstances he's in.

"You're smarter than you look," Louis observes out lot. "Some people say I'm the luckiest man alive." He laughs dryly.

Harry doesn't find him very funny.

"I'm sorry." Harry doesn't move from his spot. "I shouldn't have come here."

"And why do you say that?"

"You don't like me." The boy sounds so beaten up about it.

Louis sighs. He's really fucked up this time. "I hate to break it to you," He moves to the couch to sit next to his guest. "You're family whether I like you or not." Harry seems genuinely surprised by that statement. "You think we just say we're family for shits and giggles?" 

"No but I just thought--"

"You do a whole lot of that." Louis cuts him off again. Something stupid was bound to fall from that boy's mouth. 

"Come on, Louis." His tutor is standing over him. "It's science. You don't think."

Louis is terrified of his older tutor. He wasn't the best at school, definitely not, but Louis' father thought he had to be.

"But what if-" The small boy says.

"There's no what if's or maybe's when it comes to a method." Louis couldn't do this. He could work with circuits and wiring and anything that involved his small hands. When it came to book work, it was the end of  him.

"No what ifs and no maybes." Louis repeats.

"Hello? Louis?" It had to have been a bit. Harry was looking expectantly at him, or maybe it was with worry. Louis realizes his hands are shaking.

"I have to go get something." He says, shooting up out of his seat.

He practically runs to the bathroom and down his pills. He could not show signs of weakness in front of Harry. He was supposed to be the sensible one. He felt warm, so he opted for laying on the cool bathroom tiles for a bit. The ceiling was not as beautiful as others he had seen.

When he decides to pick himself up from the floor and go to the living room, Harry is laying on the couch. His long lanky legs are stretched out and his arms are splayed in a similar fashion. 

He looks sleepy.

Louis reclaims his spot back on the chair and stares at him. 

"I know you're looking at me." Harry murmurs. It never occurred to Louis that this boy may have just wanted some peace. Louis averts his eyes.

Picking back up his book, he decides to leave Harry alone. Sadly, that doesn't mean he can leave. It was like an unspoken rule not to leave a new Victor alone. They're been known to do some crazy things.

After getting a few chapters in though, a new noise appears in the room. It's a little snore. Louis closes his book and goes on a hunt throughout his suite.

"Where is it? Where is it?" He mutters, going through his closet. He's standing on his tiptoes to check the top shelf. "Of course." He curses, doing a little jump. 

He unfolds the massive blanket. A quilt made by his grandmother. He never really used it but it was a nice reminder of home sometimes. Louis wondered if Harry had something like that. He realizes Harry probably didn't know he would need one.

He drags it back to the living room and drapes the quilt over Harry. The boy shifts a bit and his eyes flutter. He doesn't move too much, but he says something that Louis can barely make out.

"Why do you hate me?"

"That's a conversation for some other time." Louis says. "You get some sleep." He knew that Harry needed it.

"I'm sorry."

Louis would normally scold someone like Harry for apologizing, but he decides it's not worth the fight.

****

told you there'd be more harry! had to ease him in~

xxK