Weeks passed and Louis had long lost count on the days or weeks he had already spent at the institute.
Weeks of the same routine do things to a human, and they either get used to the routine and sleep whenever they have time off, or become bored when there's a break in the routine. Louis had been a victim of the latter.
Dressed casually, but without any shoes on his feet, he walked around the institute, which he actually managed to get to know quite well and knew his way around enough to survive without Janet shouting at him, looking for something and anything to do.
He walked past the common room where people were talking, having fun and Louis knew he didn't belong there, not a chance. After all, he was that kid who no-one liked or even wanted to engage in a conversation with.
He went past that familiar door with a plant to the side of it and smiled - actually smiled - because, well, he didn't know why but he liked to think that the room was finally bringing him back on track. Maybe his mum was right? Maybe this institute was doing some good?
"Hey Louis!" Louis stopped and noticed that the door to Anne's room opened and closed and Harry was stood in front of him.
Louis waved him a hello and didn't know what to do and his eyes might have been fixed on Harry for a bit too long and he might've had that weird feeling in his stomach (the same one he got whenever Harry was around) and he might've looked like a damn freak but Harry didn't seem to care or notice.
"What are you up to?" Harry casually asked, both of them standing still, having not moved an inch.
"This and that." Louis singed and was thankful for Anne and her order for Harry to learn some sign language but of course, he would never be one to admit to that, not in a million years.
"Are you bored out of your mind?" Harry rolled his eyes as soon as he said the second part of his sentence, "Because I am. I've been reading damn books in there all morning." He pointed at the door and huffed.
Louis nodded, because what else could have he done? Harry smiled and the pair’s eyes locked, neither wanting to break the contact. Why didn't Louis look away? Normally, he would have problems looking one person in the eye, but with Harry it was all different. Sure, he was still scared and not totally convinced that Harry wasn't actually a jerk and was actually being paid to be nice to Louis but oh well.
"Louis?" Harry finally broke the mini silence that fell upon them and when Louis raised his eyebrows to almost say 'yeah?', Harry carried on, "Would you like to go out and grab some lunch? I'm pretty sure you must be sick of the food they have here, I mean I am. Week in, week out, they still have the same damn menu and it doesn't look like it's going to change anytime soon..."
Louis didn't even have to think about it, his instant reaction was a nod. He stopped himself straight after Harry's eyes lit up as if they were a Christmas tree or a star because Louis did not just agree to go out of the institute with Harry, right? Or maybe he did.
Pointing towards his feet, Harry took notice of the fact that the other, older lad had no shoes on, "Want to walk up to your room? I'll wait outside if you want, I won't invade your privacy." Harry smirked.
Louis once again nodded and the two walked up. When Louis opened his door, he told Harry to wait a minute by sticking his pointer finger up and Harry did nothing but stand on the opposite side of the door. Grabbing his damaged trainers and a jacket, he was ready to go.
What have I gotten myself into? Louis thought. Seriously, why did he agree to this little thing? Maybe Harry wanted to leave him in a forest or murder him and dump his body into a river... Louis shuddered but put the thoughts to one side. He decided to be positive for once. Positive. Yeah, positive.
Louis and Harry were just about to leave when Louis stopped dead in his tracks. Harry carried on walking until he couldn't feel a presence next to him and looked over his own shoulder to notice Louis fiddling with the zip of his jacket.
He walked up a meter or two up the corridor and to Louis to see why he had stopped but when he caught Louis looking at the reception desk, he had an idea as to why Harry was left walking on his own.
"Would you like me to sign you out?" Harry smiled and damn, that smile did something to Louis but he didn't know what. He never felt that before so he did what he thought was best and ignored it because surely, it was just something insignificant.
Louis' shyness appeared on his bright red cheeks as he nodded, because, yes, he wanted Harry to sign him out. Mainly because he really didn't want Janet on his back for the fact that he left the institute on his own, whereas if Harry signed him out, possibly using Anne's name, Louis' future seemed quite bright.
"Okay, done, let's hope that Janet doesn't see my mum around the institute or we're screwed because I basically just signed my mum out as well." Harry grinned sheepishly and Louis gave him a small smile, a little gesture that seemed to become more and more frequent while in the presence of Harry.
Louis and Harry walked hand-in-hand, their hands occasionally brushing against one another, creating an electric feeling running through Louis' whole body but again, he ignored it because it might’ve just been because he was cold, right?
When they found themselves outside, Harry pulled out a pair of keys from his pocket and opened up one of the cars parked outside in the parking lot. Louis' eyes went wide because - wow - the car was really nice and up until Harry spoke, Louis didn't know that he was basically mesmerized by the car and that his expression was priceless.
"You like it?" Harry smiled.
Louis nodded enthusiastically, the nod earning a chuckle from Harry, "It was a birthday present from my whole family, I love it myself."
Harry got into the driver's seat and when he noticed that Louis was still standing, gawking at the car, he opened up the door for Louis from the inside and leaned over the seat, "Are you coming or should I go and eat on my own?"
Louis shook his head because, no, Harry shouldn't go on his own and because Louis really wanted to go with him. Wait. Louis wanted to go with Harry? No, it was probably because he was sick of the institute food, not because he wanted to spend some time with Harry. Yeah, that was it, for sure. There wasn't a different reason behind it, not a single one. No.
Harry drove down some roads that Louis would have never known were so pretty if Harry hadn't taken him and his breath hitched in his throat quite a few times and Harry would softly chuckle at Louis' reactions because he had to admit, some of the views were to die for.
There was silence between the two lads once again, but it was comfortable, like it was meant to be there. The radio was quietly playing in the background, smooth indie music rolling all over the car like air.
When they arrived, Harry, being the gentleman he was, felt like he needed to take charge and after all, it was Harry who wanted to take Louis out. Not that he would ever admit to anyone, especially not his mum who was on his case twenty four seven, prompting for the two to actually go on a date and for Harry to finally grow some balls and all of that.
For Harry, it was never 'I like girls', and neither was it 'I like boys'. He had girlfriends and labelled himself as straight but he never actually got around to saying that he liked one gender in particular. When Anne, his mum, noticed a glimpse in his eye whenever around Louis, she knew. She knew that there had to be something to it, something more than her son being nice. Motherly instinct, they call it.
He didn't pull out a seat for Louis once they were in a restaurant because Louis wasn't a girl and Harry really didn't want to make him feel like one. Harry did, however, offer to take off his jacket, to which Louis kindly smiled and accepted the small offer.
When Harry sat opposite Louis and Louis pointed towards what he fancied from the menu and Harry ordered, the not-so-curly lad took a good look at Louis. The one thing that stood out to him were the lines on his left wrist, ouch, they looked like they could hurt.
Louis didn't cut, right? Harry would have been devastated if that was the case. He would feel guilty, but why, he had no idea. Louis cutting was put aside once their drinks arrived and Harry thanked the waitress kindly.
"Thank you." Louis smiled once Harry poured water into a tall glass for him and passed it so Louis had it within an arm’s reach.
"No problem Lou," Harry's eyes widened, "I can call you that, right?" He panicked.
Louis found it absolutely adorable and actually thought to the one time he cut his wrists too deep, thinking that he was not going to wake up. If that happened, then he wouldn't have had the chance to have a good time out with Harry. So he was glad that he didn't make a 5th deep cut that time but stayed with four.
Louis blushed because only his sisters and mum called him nicknames. Unless you could count the ones like 'faggot' or 'twat' or possibly 'retard'. Louis did not mind such a cute nickname. Wait; cute? Louis actually thought cute?
Most of their meal was spent in quiet, the two sneakily sneaking glances but neither would ever own up to it. They were both oblivious to what they were doing and Louis even thought about skyping his mum to tell her that he smiled more often because he noticed it when Harry picked up a pickle off his pizza and made a face at it.
Sure, Louis was depressed, the depression had hit him hard some time ago, a few years back or so, but it was like he was seeing a light, not a bright one but not a dull one either somewhere at the end of the tunnel.
*
One droplet of rain hit the surface of the Earth just as Harry parked his car on the furthest parking space available, it was like he gave whatever ruled the weather a sign to let it pour down like someone was emptying their bladder.
Louis and Harry got out of the car but stopped about five meters away from it, just staring at each other, neither minding the fact that their clothes were soaked and their hair was wet and their faces were drenched.
"I have an idea." Harry breathed and Louis was listening.
It took Harry a couple of seconds but holding on to his car keys; he ran up to Louis and poked him with his pointer finger.
"Tig!" He shouted and ran away.
It took Louis a couple more seconds to register what was happening but he was up for it, he had absolutely nothing to lose. Plus, he hadn't had fun in quite a while and an offer to have fun with Harry, and not in a kinky or sexual way, was not an offer Louis would pass because Harry was nice and Louis didn't want to disappoint Harry and make him hate Louis.
Louis caught up with Harry and tagged him lightly, but Harry grabbed his arm and kept him still, both of them suddenly frozen. Louis was laughing silently and breathing funny because he was definitely coming down with a cold already and Harry was about to say something, maybe even the word 'tig' or maybe even lean in, he had no idea when a voice, a stupid voice sounded and their heads turned around in the direction of the institute.
"Boys!" It was Janet and Louis still prayed that Wolverine's fingers kindly united with her downstairs area, "Come here now!"
They both made their way up to Janet, heads hanging low, side by side. Damn Janet.
"Lewis-" She stopped suddenly when she saw who the patient was with, "Harry, your mum will not be happy about this! What were you even thinking, going outside in the rain? And with Lewis? Have you even signed him out? Why can't you be the responsible one?"
Louis looked up at Harry who had gone red and his eyes were dark, they looked as if they were burning a hole on Janet's forehead, not that Louis would mind, at all.
"Follow me." Janet snapped at the two lads and they were clearly walking towards Anne's office.
Janet knocked and Anne opened the door within seconds. It was as if she knew what happened and that Janet had caught them and sighed with relief because she was a good actor.
"There you two are!" Anne pushed the boys in to the room, leaving Janet outside, "Janet, I'm so sorry, I let them go outside because Louis here needed something and I couldn't take him-"
"Anne-" Janet had a stern look on her face but Anne cut her before she said anything else.
"You can go now, it's fine. Bye Janet!" She closed the door just as Janet rolled her eyes and began to back away.
"Hi boys." Anne grinned and opened the door just seconds later, "Harry, walk Louis up to his room. Louis are you okay? You look like you have a cold."
I think I do, my nose is all runny. He sniffed, proving his point.
*
Harry and Louis stood outside Louis' room and when Louis reached for the key inside his drenched pocket, Harry quickly leaned in and allowed for his own lips to brush Louis' cheek.
"Bye Louis! I had fun!" He grinned and almost ran towards the staircase to go back to his mum.
Louis stood still shocked because Harry did not just kiss him on the cheek, right? That surely did not happen. Or did it?
He was blushing and he surely looked like a tomato and to say that he fell face first on to his bed as soon as the door closed behind him was an understatement. Louis was excited and he again had that weird feeling in his stomach. Maybe, just maybe, he shouldn't brush it off every time it appeared. But Louis was not good with feelings and all he knew was that he felt surprised and shocked because Harry kissed him on the cheek.
Maybe the younger one didn't hate Louis after all? Or maybe he did but just want Louis to completely warm up to Harry so the murder would go down easier.
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