harry carefully watched as louis breathed in and out, making it obvious that he was still nervous about something. "you know you can tell me if anything's bothering you, right?" louis nodded and rolled over to the other side of the bed, rubbing his face with his hands desperately.
"my dad-" he took a shallow breath before looking over at harry and rubbing his eyes to keep himself from crying. "my dad got struck my lightning. paralysed from the waist up." he sniffled and his his face with his hands, palms drying his eyes. "i've been afraid ever since."
harry only stared at him, pulling the sheets over louis and snuggling him into them, making louis look up questionably. "you have to rest, and try to forget about everything that has happened." louis chuckled but shook his head, taking the sheets off.
"i must seem so pathetic right now, we're not spending this day in bed. tell me whatever you want to do." louis smiled as soon as his tears were dried and he sat up, making harry nod because this is what louis wanted.
harry thought of what to do and we soon as he knew, he sat up next to louis and wrapped his arm around him. "we are going to the gay pride parade." louis' eyes opened widely and he looked up at harry, biting down on his lip harshly. "please don't tell me you're a homophobe."
"no, no, my mum is though. i don't want to ask her, she'll be mad." that was true and he wants to smack himself as soon as he saw harry pout. "you mediocre manipulative little piece of string cheese, put you clothes on, we're gonna get some sandwiches and then we're going to the parade."
harry smiled and clapped his hands, wrapping his arms around louis before louis shook him off and got out of the bed. "you're the perfect size to cuddle, please?" louis shook his head and got back to his closet, pulling out a white sweater and a pair of black jeans, showing it to harry who shook his head in disappointment. "i've got two rainbow shirts for us." louis groaned but nodded, wanting to not upset harry.
"i'm wearing something over it. like a denim jacket! oh my god, i've got this one that'd be perfect." he looked through his clothes and found the light blue, gigantic denim jacket with rolled up sleeves and he quickly showed it to harry, who nodded in approval.
"the shirts are my size, so it'll be gigantic on you," harry spoke, going through his backpack and taking two of them out and throwing one at louis, who took his sweater off almost immediately and put the shirt on, reaching further than mid thigh and making harry laugh cutely, walking over to louis in his black tank and boxer briefs and hugging him. "you're such a huggable little thing when you're in big clothing!" harry smiled and louis rolled his eyes, pulling out of the way too tight hug and wiping the sleep out of his eyes.
louis grabbed his denim jacket and harry threw on his shirt and his jeans from yesterday while louis put his own on and harry wanted to hug him because he looked like the tiniest little thing with the cutest clothes. "hey, i know i said we wouldn't talk about it- but i, i just wanna say-" he walked over to harry and smiled, making harry smile too. "thank you for helping me calm down."
and he hugged harry, willingly. and harry was nearly surprised when he felt louis' hair ruffle against his chin. "it was nothing." and louis knew he was lying and harry also knew he was lying but that didn't matter, it mattered that harry calmed him down and made him feel secure, not how much effort was put into it. "let's get going, okay? button up your jacket and we'll go to subway."
louis sniffled and nodded. "is my hair okay?" harry laughed while he looked down at louis and nodded gladly.
"perfect."
----
as soon as they were at subway, harry was rambling on about what he wanted to eat and louis was clenching his stomach because fuck, this boy wanted a lot of food. they went in line and while harry was talking about how he wanted a foot long with some much shit on it that louis thinks he's gonna be sick.
"i can barely finish a six inch!" louis grunted, looking at harry ordering his foot long steak and cheese sandwich.
"can we have one that's his size?"
the boy behind the counter snickered and louis crossed his arms. "sorry, we don't make three inch sandwiches." and harry cackled, reaching for a high five, the boy taking it and louis slapping harry's arm angrily.
"you are such an asshole." harry laughed, wrapping an arm around louis and making louis punch away angrily and crossed his arms again. "just give me what he's getting but in a six inch size," louis mumbled. "i hate you so much."
"tsk. no you don't." harry smiled and ruffled with louis' hair and all that the boy behind the counter could think about was that he wanted a relationship with constant banter and cute, silly moment like theirs. little did he know they were just friends and he was getting it all wrong but what doesn't hurt him can't kill him. "okay, put lettuce and some ranch on it, that's it."
louis was still angry, arms crossed and staring up at harry with frowned eyebrows. "give this tiny dwarf the same thing as me, but with tomatoes too." the boy nodded while he wrapped harry's sandwich, taking louis' out and putting on it what harry said was gonna go on it.
"i want an apology," louis huffed while he stared up at harry and harry rolled his eyes and him. "i'm serious. i'll let you cuddle me when we get back from the parade if you apologise." louis wasn't serious. he wasn't actually looking for an apology. nor was he gonna let harry cuddle him but it was an excuse and it seemed to work while harry apologised hastily.
"i'm sorry."
"for..?"
"for saying that you are three inches tall."
louis smiled, satisfied with the answer while he got twenty bucks out of his pocket and handed it to the boy, telling him to keep the change and they took their sandwiches, walking back out.
"the parade starts in twenty minutes, hurry up, we gotta catch the bus to manchester!" harry pulled on louis' arm, who was still working on his sandwich while harry had finished his own.
"this is way too much!" louis groaned, letting go of harry's grip. "i ate a whole freaking pizza last night. i am so fucking full, harry." and he handed his sandwich to harry, who rolled his eyes playfully and ate this sandwich quickly so they could get onto the bus.
"i'm so excited, i'm gonna hook us up to this guy i know close by and he'll rainbow our faces up!" louis frowned at harry while they sat in the bus. "unless you don't-"
"no, no, i will, i'll rainbow my face up." harry happily smiled and louis was so fucking glad that he did because he can't stand harry's stupid pout. "okay, so have you been to a parade before?"
harry nodded quickly and louis stared up at harry while started his almost endless talking about the other parades he's been to while louis dozed off and harry slapped his arm in dissatisfaction.
"i'm not that boring." harry huffed and louis shook himself awake, resting his cheek against harry's shoulder. "no, you don't get my comfortable shoulder if you fall asleep while i'm happy and talking about parades." louis pouted up at harry, who had pushed louis off of him, and harry crossed his arms.
"you're so mean."
"says the one that fell asleep while i was talking!"
louis scoffed, still leaning his cheek onto harry's shoulder. harry pushed him off and and louis scoffed, crossing his arms and putting his head up. "you're not a good pillow anyway."
"that's not what thought said last night," harry muttered and louis' eyes widened while he looked up at harry.
"you promised." and tears prickled in his eyes while harry stared back at louis. "you promised not to talk about it." louis let out a tiny sob and harry shook his head, wrapping his arms around him, rubbing his back.
"no, no, fuck- i'm really sorry, i didn't mean to- i'm so sorry." louis didn't cry, know there were people here and that people would be able to hear him and make fun of him and he didn't need that. "shit- i'm sorry. i didn't want to."
louis pulled himself out of the forced grabbing and wiped his eyes with the palms of his hands and shook his head. "it's stupid- let's just forget, okay?" harry nodded and they spent the rest of the trip in silence before harry sneezed and louis giggled because his sneeze was fucking loud and annoying and harry stared at him sassily and shook his head in fake disappointment.
louis is an emotional roller coaster. he could be the happiest person one day, the sassiest the other, and then the next moment, if somebody says something that hurts him, he'll be crying his eyes out. that's all he really hated about himself, the fact that the human body had such a complex emotion system. which isn't really his fault, nobody's actually, but he still blames himself for it because the thought of blaming emotions on a non-existing force scared him more than to just falsely admitting to the cause of his emotions.
"we're here!" harry yelled out while he grabbed louis by his arm, making louis shock up while he was practically being dragged out of the bus and rushed into an apartment complex where harry would have one of his friends paint their faces. "okay, so, his name is dylan. he's gay, and he's walking the parade but not with us, okay?" louis nodded and they went to his apartment, second level, first door to the right, and harry knocked on the door, followed by dylan hugging the shit out of both louis and harry.
and this guy was tall. not harry tall which was basically 5'11" but like fucking tall, taller than harry. he had brown hair that was in a slight quiff and louis is quit certain that he was wearing some kind of lipstick.
harry was up first, and dylan talked to him while he painted harry's whole face rainbow with a makeup sponge and some paint tubes. "your hair's nice today." he smiled at harry and harry smiled back and louis was drowning because no, he doesn't get to compliment harry.
"your shirt's nice, too. where'd you get it?" and okay, it was a nice shirt, but as soon as harry started touching his abs through the shirt louis cut in.
"okay, enough flirting, paint his face and then paint mine and then we'll get out of here." harry smiled over at louis with a stupid smile on his half painted face.
"you are jealous!"
"no i'm not." louis crossed his arms.
"you so are!"
"you didn't tell me you had a boyfriend?" dylan asked while louis looked at him in shock and frowned heavily.
"we-we're not- we're not boyfriends," louis muttered out much less convincing than he had imagined it to sound.
dylan rolled his eyes and continued harry's face paint while louis sat down again, completely flustered and bright red. "lou?" harry asked softly while louis looked up. "thanks for coming with me."
"no problem, string cheese."
"thanks again, big-assed gnome."