Imprisoned In My Heart: A Larry Stylinson Fanfic

12.

Suddenly realizing that they had been pretty much drooling over each other for a length of time that was rather too long to be easily explained, they both looked away, Louis quickly staring at the door as if he expected someone to burst in, while Harry examined the floor as if it was the most interesting thing he’d ever seen in his life. Despite his embarrassment, he laughed quietly, and even Louis smiled slightly in amusement at his own lack of self-discipline.

“What do you want to talk about today?” he offered, feeling that the sweet silence had gone on for a little too long.

Harry seemed nervous; he carefully kept his eyes down and twisted his fingers together where his hands rested on his lap. There was a moment’s pause as he attempted to gather his courage – until eventually, he coughed worriedly and said “I thought…could we talk about love?”

Louis’ breath hitched and stuck in his throat as his heart froze mid-beat and his lungs forgot how to work. For a painful few seconds, he watched Harry warily, but with an odd kind of happiness and a pang of hope sweeping through him. “Yeah, sure, fine by me,” he managed weakly.

“Do you think you can fall in love with someone you don’t really know?” Harry asked.

He deliberated for a moment. “I don’t believe in love at first sight. Lust at first sight, maybe. But I do think it’s possible to fall for someone very quickly.”

“Yeah,” Harry agreed quickly. He paused. “What about true love? Do you believe in that?”

The question was a sweet one, almost childishly innocent; Louis smiled. “Yes. Yes, I do. I believe that there’s someone out there for everyone; you just have to find the right person.”

“Even if other people wouldn’t approve of it?”

“Why should that make a difference? It’s nothing to do with anyone else. If the two people who are in the relationship feel that it’s right, if they’re in love and they aren’t going to change their minds, if they’ve found someone perfect for them, what right does anyone else have to interfere?”

“Society is vicious,” Harry observed.

“Society needs to learn to keep its nose out.”

Harry’s lips twitched into a smile; he liked that answer.

“So…an age difference wouldn’t bother you, then?”

“Nah. I mean, okay, there are limits – if there’s enough of an age gap that you can’t relate to each other, then the relationship wouldn’t work. But age is just a number; what does it matter what year you were born in? A couple of years makes no difference.”

Louis was acutely aware that Harry’s probing questions were all related to their situation, and he was starting to get butterflies in his stomach, excitement building as he wondered whether the conversation was really heading where he thought it was going. Still, to his surprise, the knowledge didn’t affect his answers; he was responding perfectly honestly to Harry’s queries.

“What about…” Harry’s nerve failed him.

Patiently, Louis waited.

With another awkward cough, Harry muttered “What about same sex relationships? Does that…I mean, do you object to that kind of thing?”

Louis snorted. “It would be a bit hypocritical if I did. I’m not straight.”

“You’re not?” Harry said eagerly, his whole face lighting up.

“Nope. Never have been, and I’m pretty sure I never will be.”

“Good,” Harry said, and then he realized that he’d said it out loud. He blushed, and Louis bit his lip to stop a smile. Harry was ridiculously pleased; his dimples showed adorably as he smiled in delight, eyes alighting on Louis and looking him up and down with new enthusiasm. It was as if his few barriers had faded away and he had given up entirely on being subtle; he might as well have started drooling. It was kind of cute, and Louis grinned at his sweet expression.