Scared (L.S)

thirty two

The next night, after both boys had attempted to fall asleep in separate rooms, as they did each night, Harry found himself sneaking into his room, where Louis lay.

Harry opened the door to see Louis lying on his back, phone in hand and face illuminated by the soft light.

"Lou?" Harry asked, tentatively. Although this was their routine every night, Harry always moved carefully, not wanting to overstep or bother Louis, especially given that they seemed to spend every minute with each other, both sleeping and awake.

"C'mere," Louis said, not looking up from his phone but moving his arm, leaving a space for Harry to lie in. Harry quickly stepped into his room, closing the door behind him and rushing to lie next to his boyfriend. He climbed under the covers and tucked himself into Louis' side, glancing at his phone to see the boy watching Netflix. Harry pressed a soft kiss to the side of Louis' neck as a thank you before adjusting his head to watch the show with Louis.

When the episode was over, Louis turned his phone off and leaned away, plugging it in before turning back to Harry and wrapping the now taller boy tightly in his arms.

They lay in silence, accompanied by only the sound of their breaths before Louis spoke, "Why do you call me angel?"

"What?" Harry asked, confused. He hadn't been paying attention to what the older boy was saying, focused more on the way Louis was scratching his scalp lightly as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"When I'm upset, you call me angel, why?"

Harry paused, "Why do you call me baby?"

Louis laughed and pressed a kiss to the nearest part of Harry he could reach, which happened to be his temple. "'Cuz you're my baby," Harry whined and Louis pressed another kiss to his face, this time his nose, "I just want to take care of you and provide you with all the love you deserve, which makes you my baby."

Harry hummed in thought for a moment, letting Louis soothe him to a state of sheer relaxation, due simply to the boy's comforting presence and touch. "It's the same then. I call you angel because you're my angel. You saved me."

---

The next day, Harry sat on the school bleachers with Jade. The two had become quite good friends, sitting away from everyone else who stayed to watch the footie practices. Jade always gave really good advice and actually reminded Harry of his own sister.

"I'm scared, you know," Harry mentioned as the sky darkened around them.

"Of what?" Jade replied, neither of them looking at each other, instead focused on the field in front of them.

"Well we're friends, right?" Harry paused but Jade nodded in agreement.

"Of course."

"At the end of the year both you and Louis are leaving. I don't know what I'm gonna do, I have an entire year extra to go."

Jade thought for a moment before speaking, "But you didn't have friends for the first two years of high school, yeah? So you're used to it, it'll be fine, Harry."

Harry sighed, "But you guys have gotten me too used to having friends."

"Oh Harry," Jade said, reaching over to ruffle his hair, "You're a smart boy, you'll be fine."

Harry remained silent. "Okay, what's really wrong?" Jade asked.

"Nothing," Harry muttered in reply.

"Don't give me that shit, Harry, there's something else that's bothering you."

Harry pursed his lips. "Fine. It's just... I told Louis I want us to come out."

Jade turned to Harry quickly and raised her eyebrows at him, "Really?"

Harry nodded.

"What did he say?"

"At first he said no, but then he said he'd think about it. It's just that it's been a few days now and he still hasn't said anything."

Jade hummed, "Honestly I'm surprised he even agreed to think about it."

"Why's that?" Harry asked.

Jade glanced at Harry again before looking back to the field. "Louis' the kind of guy that lives in the closet until he's 45. He's the kind of guy that marries a woman but sneaks out to bars to get drunk and fuck guys once a month."

Harry didn't know what to say. That was just so... Harsh. It was like Jade didn't even know the boy. To Harry, Louis was the absolute best thing in the world and he had every faith that the boy would come around on the whole 'coming out' issue.

"How could you say that?" Harry was hurt, and he really wasn't good at hiding his emotions, particularly when they were linked to Louis. His mum always said that when he looked at Louis, love radiated from his every pore.

Jade sighed and Harry glanced up at the sky, feeling a small drop fall onto his cheek. "I'm sorry, Harry. Maybe it's not true but that's what I've always thought."

"But he's dating me, why would he go and marry a girl?" Harry knew that maybe he should stop, maybe he should walk away. But Harry wasn't good with maybes. Harry never knew when to stop pushing himself.

"Harry," Jade said, her voice raising the slightest bit, "You can't possibly think you guys are going to last. You're seventeen. Love doesn't last at seventeen. Yeah, you guys are good now, but Louis' gonna go away to uni in the fall and, let's face it, you're gonna break up. High school relationships never last."

Harry couldn't help the pout that graced his face. He tightened his (Louis') jacket around his body as he tried to swallow the lump in his throat.

"I-" Harry didn't know what to say. So he did the only thing he felt was logical, he stood up, grabbing his bag, and walked away.

He thought that maybe he should be nicer to Jade, he really liked her and she was great most of the time. But highschoolers, and most people really, are mean by nature and don't really realize it.

Harry walked to Louis' car, jumping up to sit on the hood as the rain began to fall from the sky. He was worried he would have to wait the remaining half hour of practice in the rain, but the sky soon opened to the sound of thunder, a surefire signal that practice would be cancelled.

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I dont have much to say today except this chapter is short cuz I cut it in half

love you all
xx