Daddy as Fuck

1.7

Louis knocked on Harry's apartment door and waited for the lad to answer. He was surprised when the door opened up right away.

Despite being freshly showered, Harry looked a mess. His damp hair was pulling into a lazy, messy bun and his eyes were red. He looked like he hadn't slept for days and was wearing a grey sweater and black jeans that looked like they needed to be washed. Even his socks were mismatched two different shades of grey.

"Hey," he said, voice hoarse, and he winced. "C'mon in, tea's almost done and then we can talk."

Louis complied and sat on Harry's couch, looking around the room. It was clean in a last-minute, tornado type of way like how Louis used to clean his room before his mum let him leave the house at late notice.

"How are you?" Harry had the audacity to ask and Louis gave him a cold look, not replying. "I-I didn't know. I thought maybe y-you were okay? You sounded okay. And I'm glad, y'know, if you are-"

A hissing noise sounded from the kitchen and Harry held up a finger before disappearing to make them two mugs.

"Here," Harry said as he approached Louis, giving him a mug of steaming tea.

"Are there drugs in this?" Louis asked, staring cautiously into the tea.

"Arsenic, maybe," Harry attempted to joke and Louis wanted to laugh but didn't.

"Good, because I'd rather be poisoned than drugged," Louis said and Harry cracked the tiniest smile, though it had no shine to it and his eyes were still sad.

"We can switch mugs if you don't trust me," Harry offered and Louis shook his head. The younger lad sighed and sat beside Louis, hand hesitantly brushing Louis's knee before he pulled away. "I... I want to start by apologizing. I hadn't any idea what I was doing-"

"If you're going to use the excuse about you being drunk, then I don't want to hear your story," Louis said immediately.

"I don't have an excuse," Harry said simply and that made Louis feel a little better.

"Then why am I here?"

"I thought that you should still hear what happened for the most part... Do you know anything about Ashton?"

"Nothing," Louis replied. Except that he's a whore, he added in his mind.

"It would help if you did know him, but I suppose I can inform you that Ashton likes challenges. He likes to push people. We did drink and he started talking about sex and how boring I'd be at it and I called it a challenge and he called it a bet. I accepted."

Louis stared at his mug, absently tracing patterns on the side as a tear splashed into the tea. "He called you daddy."

"I swear on everything that the first time he said it was when you walked in," Harry said quickly. "I would never do that with anyone else ever again. You're my baby and will always be my only baby. It will sound wrong coming from anyone else- except my own child, of course, but that's obviously different."

Louis nodded as if he agreed but he really didn't. He didn't think any better of the situation and he was still hurt.

"I can't be your friend," Harry said finally. "I really like you, Louis-"

"I fell for you and you hurt me," Louis said, voice cracking as his dam broke and he suddenly felt little and ripped apart. "You never paid attention to how I felt. I wanted to slow down and I wanted to tell you how I felt but you only ever wanted sex."

Harry stared at the boy, eyebrows furrowed. "Lou... I'd never have done that if I knew how you felt. I'm not good at reading emotions."

"You aren't good at having emotions, either," Louis said coldly and Harry sighed, but didn't argue. It was true, after all. "I'm leaving-"

"Please don't leave," Harry said, hand cupping Louis's elbow. Louis took a shaky breath and stared into his mug, wanting to curl up and cry.

"You left me," Louis mumbled. "I never wanted to be alone but you left me like that-"

"How was I supposed to know you wanted a relationship?" Harry asked, voice cracking. The lack of sleep, food, and hygiene was all taking its toll and making Harry extremely weak in this moment.

"How could you not?" Louis asked, scowling a bit. "I was obviously into you."

"I've never had anyone into me like that," Harry said. "I've spent my 'love life' just fucking and I haven't ever really liked anyone until you, Louis."

Louis sniffled a bit and tried to hold back his tears. "Y-You do like m-me?"

"A lot," Harry mumbled. "And I'm sorry that's been so unclear. I like you very, very much, alright?"

Louis's mind was at war with his heart.

He's hurt you. He slept with someone else!

Yeah, but you weren't really together, now were you?

You're making a huge mistake by even being here.

You've never loved either. Everyone works in different ways.

His heart had the strongest points. "I'll think about this," Louis whispered. "I'm just afraid to trust you."

"Don't be," Harry mumbled. "I've got you, Louis. I can take good care of you, I promise. Let me take you out on a date."

Louis shifted uncomfortably.

Don't be stupid.

He fidgeted with his fingers, eyeing Harry's hopeful face.

You're already stupidly in love.

~~~

QOTC: poor Louis... Should he say yes or no?

Xx