Redemption [h.s]

twenty-two

"Why, I'm finding it quite interesting" he said.

I leaned my head on his shoulder and felt him tense up for a second before relaxing again. "I found this place after a few weeks living here. It was summer back then, and this cherry tree was so beautiful. I don't know what it was about it exactly, of so endearing, but I just kept coming here again and again."

"It must've been the cherries" he replied, and I playfully hit his thigh.

"Oh, shut up. You're making it less poetic. Where did the literature teacher inside you go?"

He laughed lightly. "Go on, I'm interested."

I shrugged. "I don't have anything else to say, I guess. I always come here when I have a lot of things to think about. It was just to say, it looks kinda dead, but it's nice in the summer."

"Very poetic" he replied.

"You're impossible" I said, and he laughed again. "Let's just go home now, I'm freezing my ass on this bench" I added, noticing that it was starting to get dark.

I stood up, and he did the same. As we walked out I noticed he was looking at something in the centre of the playground. I followed his gaze and saw a swing, that was slightly dangling because of the wind.

"Are you ready to go?" I asked him, and he nodded, looking at me again.

"Yeah, sure. Let's go back home."

We got out of the park and started to walk in the direction of our building.

"What's your favourite book?" I asked him after a while, breaking the silence we'd fallen in.

He looked up to the evening sky. "It's hard to choose, there are so many good ones."

I licked my lips, that were chapped because of the cold. "Some weeks ago you said you like Bukowski, what's your favourite?"

He smiled. "It's nice to know you remember." He opened the door for me and I stepped inside, smiling at the sudden warmth, in strong contrast with the cold weather outside. "I think it's You get so alone at times that it just makes sense. But I wouldn't be so sure about it. There are so many good ones" he replied.

"What is it about?" I asked.

"Have you never read it?"

"I don't think so."

"I'm not telling you, then. You'll just have to find out" he said. "Let's take the stairs."

"You know what, I've actually enjoyed walking around with you today. Oh my god, it sounds so weird said out loud! But it was nice" I told him, pulling him up the stairs.

"I'm glad you liked it" he replied, and I smiled at him.

When we got up to our floor, we found someone waiting against the wall.

"Oh look, aren't you just so sickeningly cute."

"Louis, what do you want?" I asked, glaring at him.

He smirked. "From you? Nothing. Actually, you're the one that should want something here." He pushed himself off the wall and moved towards us. "Harry, my dear, you've always been the younger one, but honestly, I can't keep teaching you stuff!" He said, looking at him straight in the eyes, "Haven't all those books taught you that honesty is one of the most important things in a relationship?"

Harry frowned, his hand moving to touch mine. He didn't say anything, and Louis turned towards me.

"Has he been honest with you?" He asked, slowly starting to walk in my direction.