painless ➸ larry

seven

*chapter seven;

"Impulse decisions are all I've been making lately." Harry tries to carry on a conversation, before randomly pinching Louis' arm. "Does this hurt?" 

Harry had been asking Louis this for the past week. The answer was always 'no'. Harry had pinched, prodded, and poked at Louis all week, but never had the older boy felt any of it. 

The day previous to this day, Harry had kicked the back of Louis' leg as they walked down the hallway to Harry's bedroom. Unfortunately for Harry, his mother saw and pulled him to the side for a talk—without Louis.

"Just because he can't feel it does not mean you can abuse him!" she had scolded.

"I know, it's just—"

"So, is this why I'm always finding little bruises on his arms and legs?"

"Yes, but, Mum—"

"I am very disappointed in you. You should know better!" 

"Yes, I know, but—"

"No buts, mister! If I catch this again or Louis tells me you've done something, I will have to make sure you can't see him anymore!"

"That won't—"

"I can't believe you, Harry! He's my patient, and you've been abusing him for the past week! I think I need you to stay away from him until the bruises heal."

"No!" Harry finally got out a full sentence, if you consider it one. "Please, no. I won't touch him!" Harry pleads. 

"Harry, are you sadistic?"

"Oh my god, Mum, no!"

"Well, I'll be sending Louis home and having you stay away from him until all his bruises are gone. I that clear?"

"Yes." Harry frowned. "Can I say goodbye, at least?"

"Go ahead."

So, Harry went to his room, to find Louis sitting on his bed, playing with a paper clip he must have found on Harry's desk. Harry watched Louis for a little while, before Louis realized he's in the room. Louis bent the paperclip into a heart and set it back on Harry's desk before he saw Harry standing in the doorway. 

"My mother thinks I'm sadistic, so you have to stay away from me." Harry said. "I'm not sadistic, though!"

"How long do I have to stay away?" Louis' voice sounded small, lost. 

"Until your bruises go away. I'm sorry, Lou." Harry frowned. "I just thought I could, you know, hurt you."

"Obviously not." Louis gave a small smile. "Where's my ten pounds?"

"Not so fast! I bet I can still do it." Harry said. 

"How much are we betting, now? 'Cause ten pounds isn't going to cut it."

"Fifty pounds?" Harry suggested, and Louis took the offer because there was simply no way Harry could make Louis feel pain. It was physically impossible.

Then, Louis had to go home. Anne predicted that his bruises would be gone in a week's time, so they didn't have to be separated for too long. A week was an abnormally long time for these boys, however.

That was all yesterday. Now, today, Harry has to think of a different way to make Louis hurt. Obviously, pinching and kicking Louis didn't work, and Harry is glad he doesn't need to try that anymore. It felt kind of wrong, randomly trying to hurt the boy whom Harry is most definitely developing a crush on. 

Harry can't really think of another way, so he decides to call Louis. (His mother never said anything about calling, after all.)

"Hey, Harry." Louis answers. 

"Hiii, Lou." Harry smiles, even though Louis can't see him. 

"What's up? Trying to think of ways to abuse me, probably, you little sadist, you." Louis teases.

"I am not a sadist!" Harry cries out playfully.

"It would explain a lot if you were." Harry can practically hear the smile in Louis' words. 

"Whatever." Harry pouts. 

Just as Harry is about to speak again, he hears Louis' mum in the background, calling Louis' name. 

"Oh, I have to go. Appointment time. Bye, Haz."

"Haz?"

"Yeah." Louis hangs up, and Harry is left alone with his thoughts again. 

Harry has been home from school for an hour, now, and the most logical thing he could do is his homework. Oh, the fucking homework.

Harry pulls out a pencil and his homework, and suddenly the room is filled with the sound of graphite on paper.

When Harry finally gets to math, he goes to grab his calculator, but stops himself when he sees what Louis had made yesterday. Harry had completely forgotten about the paperclip heart. He feels a smile creep onto his face as he looks at it, then he picks it up and plays with it between his fingers. Then, he sticks it in his pocket and goes on to get his calculator.

The rest of the day, after Harry is done with his homework, is extremely boring. Since Harry had Louis, he hadn't bothered to make new friends at school. Well, there was this one kid, Nick, that wouldn't leave him alone. But, Harry thinks that Nick likes him, and Harry doesn't return the feelings, so. Oh, and there is another kid that talked to Harry a lot during school—Ashton, his name is—but he's really a people person so Harry's pretty sure Ashton is just friends with everyone. 

Eventually, Anne comes home. Harry is just watching the telly, because he can't think of anything better to do. 

"I brought McDonald's." Anne says as she walks through the door, and Harry pops up off the couch and rushes towards her. 

"Thanks!" He says, taking the bag and kissing his mother on the cheek. He plops back down onto the couch, now with some cheeseburgers and chicken nuggets. Harry likes McDonald's, despite all the health problems with their food... oops. 

As Harry watches a show about some people fighting with some other people. (Like, really? That's what all shows are about, at some level.) Harry begins to think about Louis again.

If he couldn't feel physical pain, could he feel mental pain?

★

uh oh.

that's all i've got to say, really. 

well besides thanks for reading i love you lots!!!