SKIN || l.s.

Puppy Dog Eyes

its sad and fluffy time guys

"Gay-ass fags."

Louis and I both froze at the mention and we turn around.

Our bubble was popped by a guy that probably was our same age.

I don't know if I was happy or sad, or even mad. Mad, because I was going to have my first kiss. Sad, because maybe it won't ever happen again and this entire moment was temporary fixation. And happy, because I didn't want to panic or cry if my lips touched his. I almost forgot that skin-to-skin contact was my enemy and Louis made me forget that.

That was the scary art.

Louis had red eyes and I just weakly held myself together. Louis said, "What did you just say?" His fist were compacted with enough power to break the ice beneath us.

The homophobic copy of a man said slowly as if teasing Louis, "I said: Gay-ass fags." Louis squeezed my hand and his and let go of my hand in an instant.

They attracted a few eyes and it was making incredibly frightened.

As he's charging at the guy, but I skated for him: "Don't do it, Louis. It's okay." I struggled to reach him as he was angrily-like chasing towards the man.

"Shut up, Harry. This piece of shit deserves it," Louis was now surprisingly grabbing the man's collar and skated towards the wall. The man now seemed a bit more scared and felt defenseless, after all, he came alone.

"No, Louis, it doesn't help anything. You'll get in trouble," my gloves were a bit moist from he sweat I accumulated from nervousness.

Louis had his mental issues and they weren't helping me or him. But Louis kept ignoring and just kept choking the man, who was now a tad purple.

Think, Harry, think. I was beyond worry and pissed because I don't want them to take Louis.

"Louis please. Or," I was desperate, "o-or I won't ever speak to you again."

Louis stood still with the man still blocked from his air by Louis' tight hold of his elbow.

He turned slowly, You wouldn't." I don't know if he was hurt or challenging me. Both.

"I would," I held a serious expression but internally I scratched my skin for an answer. The right one from Louis.

Louis seemed in thought and seconds later, he grumbled dropping the man from high off the ground. Louis walked back to me and held my hand and with that, without words, we ran outside.

We ran quite a distance from the building and now we were in front of the university. "Jesus christ," Louis was out of breath and had his hands on his knees. I was tired and breathless too but I was still standing.

After panting, Louis looked up to me, "Why did you say that back there? Was it true?"

"I was scared, Louis. You weren't listening to me," Louis gave me a confused face.

"Scared of what?" he seemed genuinely lost. He was stupid sometimes.

"You would've got put in jail or something. Charged with misdemeanor and that would've made your record look bad," I whispered but at a fast pace.

He chuckled, now sanding up straight, "Trust me: record already looks bad from previous fights." That made me angry, of h-how easy this was to him and he wasn't petrified like I was.

"Aren't you scared? Don't you care?" When I said that angrily, he looked like I cheated oh him or something.

"I'm scared, but I don't care what happens because I know what I did was right," he gestures back the skating-rink. "No one cared anyway."

"I care, Louis!" this was my loudest I have ever been in my life, all for this punk teen, "I care about you! It's all I do ever since I came here." My gloved-hands were shaking and Louis finally looked guilty. I knew a tear had fell out and ran down a cheek.

He stayed quiet.

"I'm scared too, Louis. I always am and that homophobic clone is just one out of millions. I've gotten used to them-"

"I don't want you to get used to them," Louis now looked like a wounded kitten.

"That's too bad because this society, as much as it is acceptable of gays, it is as hateful. We just have to strong." I softly said, "Please, we have to, we have to try to stay out of trouble. Lord knows what might happen to us."

He walked towards me and I widened my eyes when he engulfed me in a hug. "I'll try." I hugged back at that and his head was tilted downwards towards mine.

He started smirking.

"What?" I looked up.

"You care about me," he outed his lips and gave me puppy dog eyes.

"Shut up." I smiled, but gave him love with my eyes.

He stared back at me deeply,

"I'll always care about you."