the nightingale

Chapter Two

Scott went to work. Louis was cleaning the kitchen. He washed the counters and changed the table cloth to match the October season. He almost slipped when he was mopping the floor. When he was done, he opened the window to give himself some fresh air.

He was singing the whole time too. He loved to sing. He sang when he cleaned and made Scott breakfast and dinner. He sang in the shower. He knew he was quite good too. When he and Scott first started dating, he'd sing to him and Scott loved it. Now he barely paid any attention to it. He missed that.

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray."

Louis continued to sing, watering the plants by the window. He loved his plants. Taking care of his beautiful bonsai, cactus, and Venus flytrap made him happy because they were the only other things in the house that were alive other than him.

He then looked out the window and saw him.

It was Harry. Tall, lanky, green-eyed Harry. He was walking outside of the apartment complex across the street, wearing his work clothes. Louis watched him walk to the bakery, until he couldn't see him anymore. Louis couldn't help but smile a little. It was weirdly comforting to know Harry lived so close.

Louis suppressed those thoughts immediately. He didn't know why he was so intrigued by Harry, but he knew he shouldn't be. He was being so stupid. He had Scott. Scott took care of him. Nobody would ever love him like he did. He knew that.
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It started off as small talk. Louis would stop by at the same time every day.

"Hi, Louis!" Harry said cheerfully every time he walked in. "How are you?"

"Hi, Harry. I'm good," Louis replied with a smile.

It slowly became more and Louis didn't know if he should consider Harry a friend or not. Louis would eventually help him clean up before closing, talking about random things while doing so. Louis found out that Harry was quite nerdy. He loved reading and was currently in college classes. Something Louis wished he could do also, but he knew he wouldn't be allowed. He could hear Scott's voice inside his head.

"Go to college? You're not smart enough for college. I'll take care of you. You have me now."

Louis realized he started spending more and more time at the bakery. He would go as soon as Scott went to work. He enjoyed it. He enjoyed seeing Harry's happy face. Being with someone as miserable as Scott made him miserable too.

Louis was very lonely. He didn't have any friends. Well, not anymore anyway. The friends he once had, Scott took away. He lost contact with Liam, Niall, and Zayn after he quit his job at the library. That's why anywhere but the house was good for him.

It's not that he hated living there. It just got so boring after a while, being there all alone all the time. He didn't have any hobbies but singing and reading. He even started talking to his plants. He'd rant to them. It was stupid, but it made him feel less lonely.

Harry didn't make him feel lonely though. In fact, he felt anything but that when he was with him. Having someone to talk to other than Scott, made Louis very happy. It meant a lot to him how nice Harry was to him.

Harry was oblivious of the abuse at first. Until Louis came in with baggy clothes on and a purple bruise on his cheek.

That morning Scott made him change. Louis put on a t-shirt and some shorts that were a little too short for Scott's liking. He slapped him across the face. He told him he looked disgusting and fat. Louis started crying softly, holding his stinging cheek.

"You look like a slut too. Cover up," Scott growled and grabbed his keys and left for work.

So Louis put on a large jumper and black skinny jeans. The skinny jeans were starting to get a little big on him. He had no idea he was starting to drop weight from eating less and less, hoping to please Scott.

Harry noticed the bruise immediately.

Harry was mopping the floors and looked over at him worriedly. "What happened to your cheek? Did someone hit you?"

Louis shrunk into himself and shook his head. "No, it's nothing."

"Are you sure?" Harry asked, his breath faltering with worry.

He hated it when people noticed. He hated the looks of worry and pity. He hated it when they asked him if he was okay. He lost count of all the excuses he's made for all of his bruises.

"Y-Yes. I just ran into a pole," Louis lied, cringing.

Harry looked at him suspiciously. He didn't buy it, but he didn't comment on it any further which Louis was thankful for. He didn't want pity. It was exhausting having to lie and make up stories.

Louis wanted to tell him he lived right across the street from him, but he was too shy. But it seemed Harry beat him to it.

"So where do you live?" Harry asked. "Somewhere close? You never drive here."

Louis blushed and said, "I — I live in one of the townhouses a block away from here. I live in the second to last one. It's really close so I just walk."

"Oh, cool," Harry smiled. "I think I live near them. There's some across the street from my apartment. I walk to work too, but sometimes I ride my bike in the winter. I really need to save up for a car."

Louis gave a small smile because he knew that already. He saw him this morning, but he wasn't going to tell him that. Louis loved living in Doncaster, but he hated the house he lived in.

Growing up, he lived in a small town, right in the middle of Doncaster. They weren't necessarily poor, but they grew up having to watch what they spent. Louis didn't have a father growing up, so his mum had to work, and being a single mother to five children was very hard on them. In high school, Louis worked at the local fast food restaurant, so he helped pay for school supplies and clothes. His younger sisters wore their older sisters' clothes once they out grew them too.

"I — I have to go now," Louis said, coming out of his thoughts, and sniffed because he didn't want to leave. Scott was coming home soon. "I'll see y-you tomorrow, Harry."

And he walked out of the bakery, leaving a very confused and worried Harry behind him.
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