Louis is going to turn ten in a week and he doesn’t think about anything else but that. He’s on fourth grade and considers himself a man already – poor eluded boy. He thinks this year his birthday will be more special than the usual because he has a brother now, he’s going to spend the day in his house, so his grandfather is already in Doncaster, and the best of that is that Louis is going to introduce him to Harry. Louis wants to spend his birthday with Harry so maybe this year he’ll manage to do that.
Harry’s parents are at work when he goes to Louis’ house to eat Christmas’ cookies and drink hot chocolate. Louis introduces him to his grandfather with a wild grin in his face. Harry knew the old man already by how many times Louis talked about him so Harry makes his best not to keep looking at the floor when he shakes his hand with a warm smile on his lips, he knows how important this is for Louis.
Harry keeps looking in awe at Louis’ Christmas tree and tells his friend that it’s really big, shinning and beautiful. Louis tells him, proudly, that he helped decorating it and Harry tells him that he would love to decorate a Christmas tree one day. Louis would find weird that fact if he didn’t know Harry this well by now and wasn’t so used to the squeeze inside of him when Harry says things like this. But as always, Louis works with his mind to make something to cheer his friend up.
“Let’s make our own Christmas tree” He tells Harry and he is sure he never saw the boy looking at him with such green, widen, shining and full of life eyes. His lips form the most enormous grin Louis ever saw and he finally realises the two dimples little Harry makes in each cheek of his.
Louis asks his mother to give him the small Christmas tree he knows they have and some small decorations. Louis makes sure that his grandfather is up to help the two and Harry doesn’t seem bothered about that. It’s a small tree but enough for them to be occupied for half an hour, working hard so it can looks the best possible. As a result it’s full of colourful balls, laces and lights and Louis offers it to Harry saying that is going to be his Christmas’s present for him.
“But I don’t have anything for you” Harry says worried and holding the tree in his small hands
“It’s okay, you can be my Christmas present” Louis smiles and finds Harry’s cheeks turning red and maybe it’s because of the cold, he thinks. “So come to my birthday.”
Harry nods and for the second time that day, he smiles widely at his friend “I’m gonna try.” he doesn’t promise anything but Louis is sure that he’s going to make it, he is going to try his best.
~*~
“So beautiful Harry!” Louis says, standing in front of Harry and leaning his head forward to have a better look to what Harry is drawing on his so familiar black book. Harry jumps from the shock since he wasn’t expecting Louis to come back that sooner from his house with the blankets.
Harry tried his best to tell his friend that he was fine and it wasn’t that cold, but Louis didn’t believe it since his cheeks were flushed, his nose cold, his eyes weird and he was shaking. Louis wouldn’t guess – no one would – that Harry was that way because Louis kept leaning too close to his side, touching his cheeks to check if he really was okay, brushing Harry’s hair to the side with his soft fingertips when they would fall down in front of his eyes so he couldn’t see what he was doing on the paper.
Harry composes himself and offers him a small smile. He doesn’t close the book as soon as Louis appears since he was only drawing the Christmas tree Louis gave him. But it sure doesn’t look like the same tree because Louis knows that the real one isn’t that beautiful and with those amount of details. For a nine years old boy, Harry is a genius in art and Louis doesn’t even realise how proud of his friend he is.
Louis puts one blanket around Harry’s shoulders and he thanks him, then he does the same with himself sitting next to the other boy, on his previous place. Harry sure feels more comfortable and warm now but he decides not to say it.
Louis notices that Harry is quieter than the usual so he knows something is bothering the younger boy. He also knows that he probably won’t know the reason why but he always tries, maybe from curiosity or maybe from concern – it’s the second option really. “What’s wrong?”
Harry takes time to open his mouth and let go any sound “I can’t go…” He says in a low tone.
Louis looks at him weirdly “Where?”
“Your birthday.” Louis heart drops and Harry knew that Louis’ smile would fade away and he’d look like he just lost her mother in the park. He knew his eyes would lost the glow and would look down, disappointed and sad. He knew, so he made sure to turn away and look at the end of the stairs from his balcony that are wet from the rain that fell down in the previous night. That’s the sadder thing a boy like Louis has to listen to.
“Oh.” Little Louis says, his voice low and dead.
He doesn’t say anything else and Harry finds it odd because Louis doesn’t keep silence in times like this… in any time really. When Harry looks at his friend he sees him playing with his fingers on his lap, pouting, with a sad face and his small fringe going to the front of his forehead. So Harry finds the urge to do something, to move, to talk. He gets closer from Louis and hesitantly pulls away the small locks of hair that were probably bothering Louis, like he previously have done to him. His cold fingertips brush on Louis’ soft skin and makes Louis look at his friend in awe.
“I’m so sorry Lou. I wish I could go.” Louis knows Harry is being honest because Harry never lies. Harry just speaks truthful things, things with feelings, things that matter. He doesn’t talk much but when he does he says things that have a meaning, intelligent things even, besides his age. He always thinks before he speaks and that’s one of the many things Louis likes the most about Harry.
“I wish you could as well.” Louis says and he doesn’t feel as bad as he was before because Harry is allowing him to be close to him, his knees are touching and his cold fingers are above each other’s while they’re rested on the cold floor from the balcony. “You’re my best friend after all and that was the thing I wanted the most.” He admits and Harry face changes to surprise.
“Best friend?”
“Of course you dork!” he gives him a small and friendly push by his shoulder with a smile. He considers Harry his best friend since the first summer they spent together because Harry didn’t let him spend those days alone, he made him company. Harry offered himself to Louis so he could be his friend, so he could have someone. But Louis didn’t know that it was more like the otherwise. “You’re my best friend.” His voice comes out tenderly, his smile is soft and it seems like he has lights besides his eyes.
Harry’s expression is probably the same – or stronger – as Louis and what he does next makes Louis know, without words, that Harry considers him his best friend as well and is so thankful for that. He wraps his arms around Louis’ neck and gives him a comfortable hug, letting the blanket fall down from his body. Louis holds him by his back and move his hand up and down through it.
He’s sure he hears the boy whispering a “Thank you” and that makes him really happy.
~*~
Before Louis starts the fifth grade Harry decides to be more open to him and tell him what he is feeling before it is too late. He says that he knows Louis is going to make new friends, he is older than him and Harry is only on the fourth grade so Louis shouldn’t spend the same amount of time with him like he spent these last three years, at school. Louis laughs. For him, this conversation doesn’t make any sense and sounds like grown up discussions
“You’re my best friend and I promised that I was going to be there for you.” Louis reminds the boy. “So I will” He finishes, he sure isn’t expecting breaking this promise because he doesn't want to see Harry crying like last time, alone, curled up in a corner because he hates school and the people from there. Harry needs extra caution, he’s strong yes but at the same time fragile and Louis can see that and since he’s the only person Harry feels comfortable with – he’s sure he’s not like this around his family as well – Louis needs to take advantage of it and take care of the green eyed boy.
The fact that Louis makes Harry understand his words clearly and makes him know that just because he is going to the fifth grade it doesn’t mean he is going to leave him, makes the green eyed boy enjoy the rest of the summer more relaxed. Louis isn’t going anywhere.
~*~
Louis only gets to know when Harry’s birthday is when he is about to turn eleven. It’s a mere coincidence, really, because it could easily pass another year without Louis knowing that important detail, which took him basically five years to find out. Louis forgot that Harry is a normal person who grows up and has on the calendar a day to celebrate another year from being alive.
It is in a hot Wednesday, fifty-fifth of August, the sun is shining outside and Louis wants to get out of the house. He doesn’t know if it’s hotter outside or inside, so he much prefers being outside since is summer and spending these day at home is almost consider a crime. He’s bored but there isn’t much he can do.
He doesn’t spend time with Harry in a week because he’s too busy studying the subjects he’s going to have this year since he’s going to the fifth grade now and he needs to have new responsibilities. Now Louis doesn’t understand how Harry loves to learn new things, especial the ones they learn at school. Louis is going to the sixth grade and he can’t see the time of finishing it already. They’re really different in this case but if we see things better, it’s not only in this, they’re different in everything but in their eyes that’s not a bad thing.
“Mom, I’m going to meet Harry.” He says dressing back his blue t-shirt while walking down the stairs
“Did he finish studying already?” She asks, walking to the hall from the kitchen, laughing.
She had to hear Louis complaining about Harry not having time for his best friend because he has to study. “Who does even study on summer holidays?” he asked her in annoyance but didn’t even allow her to answer at his rhetoric question by adding “He doesn’t even look at me anymore, he probably forgot who I am!” his mother laughed. It was hard for them to go on vacations for five days because Louis wouldn’t shut up about how he was wasting his time he had with Harry by coming to the beach and then they come back and Harry is in his studying mode.
Louis secretly complains with his mom in his head by her being mocking him “I don’t know but I’m going anyway.” he says and Fiona nods. But then he stops and thinks for a moment “Should I go?” he asks then unsure “I mean… I can be bothering him. Maybe he wants to be alone.”
“Oh Louis…” she shakes her head in fond by his son’s words “You should do what makes you happy, dear.”
And those are the words that make Louis nod firmly and open the front door more confidently now. He’s going to call Harry to feel the fresh – more like warm, hot and sweaty – air and he already knows where he is taking his best friend to.
He goes running to the other side of the street – his mother, and even Harry, already warned him about the fact of him not looking at both sides to see if there is any car coming because that’s dangerous. Though Louis keeps ignoring. He knocks at the door with no problem, knowing that by this time of the year Harry’s parents go on vacations for two weeks and leave Harry with a nanny – Louis doesn’t even bother to ask Harry why he doesn’t go with them because he knows the plenty reasons behind it and doesn’t need to know more – and for how incredible that is, it’s Harry answering at it.
“Alleluia, you’re out of the dock” Louis jokes and Harry looks at him rubbing his eyes. Was he sleeping at this time of the day? He’s only wearing denim shorts and flip flops, his hair is going all the ways and Louis thinks it looks much longer and darker than last year. “Is your babysitter here?” he says peeking at the inside
“She's not really a babysitter Louis” Harry says in his sleepy voice. He was really sleeping “And no she went to the grocery… I think.”
“All right, dress a shirt because we’re going to take a walk.” Louis says grinning and Harry only looks at him “C’mon Harry, it’s been weeks since we’re together. Are you going to study again?”
He shakes his head “Finished this morning.”
“So please let’s go.” He pouts but doesn’t keep still.
“I can’t.” he answers quietly and Louis sighs in frustration
“I’m bored and you’re my only option.” And he’s starting to sweat by being stood up here and taking with the sun on his back while the fresh air from Harry’s house hits his chest.
Harry sighs as well and without saying any more word, shuts the door, leaving just a little edge opened and goes back to the inside. Minutes later he appears full dressed and brings a cap to Louis while he’s already using his. Louis thanks him and holds his hand to start running, for Harry surprise, walking down the stairs and going through the sidewalk.
“Louis! Where are we going?” he shouts and it’s probably the loudest Louis ever heard him talking
“You’ll see.” He says not stopping and if Harry wasn’t in a good mood he’d make Louis stop running and holding his hand so tightly to the point of both being sweaty. He normally is in a better mood when his parents are out.
When Louis stops, not too far from the neighbourhood – it’s pretty close, actually – he faces Harry with a small but pretty garden. The grass is really green since it has automatic irrigation every morning, there is around three banks next to the huge trees, which help to make a shadowy places and if it wasn’t summer it’d be full of little and colourful flowers, roses and daisies – so Louis asks himself why he never bought Harry here, especially in that time of the year so he could see the flowers. And the best part of this place is the lake in the middle. It probably occupies half of the space but it’s great to watch because it has big and small rocks around, aquatic plants and a mini waterfall, which makes a relaxing sound.
Harry looks at the place with mouth semi open and eyes looking around attentively
“Like it?” Louis asks looking at his best friend and only drops his hand when Harry looks at him and nods “My grandpa brought me here once on my birthday” it was the year he spent it in Doncaster and Harry couldn’t go – but he doesn’t mention it. It didn’t end up to be a bad day even thought it would be better if Harry could appear. He almost forgot about the place and now that it’s not winter and he comes back here, the place doesn’t seem the same.
“It’s beautiful” Harry says and starts running through the grass. Louis smiles looking at him, he never really saw him this way, his eyes shining this way, so free and excited. It takes some minutes to Louis walk beside his best friend by being appreciating the moment. By now Harry is already sat on the edge of the lake, his shoes along with his cap next to him and his small feet are under water.
Louis does the same, resting his hands behind his back, pressed on the grass, to hold himself. “Kind of deep!” he says looking down at the water
“Kind of scary” Harry says half serious half joking. Louis chuckles and moves his feet splashing some water “Hey!” Harry protests laughing a bit and pushes him by his forearm to make it stop
Louis laughs losing a bit his balance but then keeps doing the same, then Harry does it as well but moves faster than Louis so at the end they’re both giggling at each other and soaked in water, but that’s not really a problem since with the warm air they’re going to dry quickly.
Harry lays down on the grass, still with his feet under water and Louis takes the opportunity to take another look at his best friend. He has a truly smile on his lips, his hands are underneath his head, as a pillow, and he’s looking at the blue sky.
“What are you thinking about?” Louis decides to ask. It’s a rare thing to see Harry this way and he wants to make sure that he knows exactly what the boy thinks while he’s smiling so he can live this more often, make him think about that so he can smile more frequently.
Harry closes his eyes and Louis notices that he seems so much older and mature than him, but he’s only ten “That this is the best birthday ever.” Okay he’s only eleven now
“Birthday? It’s your birthday?!” Louis asks in surprise and shock. Harry nods laughing a bit “I didn’t know. Happy Birthday!” He says with a wide smile and if it wasn’t their positions he’d hug his best friend. Harry opens his eyes and gives him a lazy but big smile, reaching his dimples “I don’t have anything for you.” Louis says sadly. He wanted to give Harry a special and official birthday present.
"But you did." Louis raises his eyebrow looking at him and Harry notices the way Louis’s looking at him and laughs once again "You gave me yourself" Harry says soflty and Louis notices what he did there so he laughs, both laugh because their friendship is so weird but so comfortable.
Louis lays down on the grass next to Harry, like he is, his elbow touching, and after some time of just listening to the sounds the nature offers them, Louis decides to talk about something he has been wanting to talk with Harry for a while, because there it is, Harry has always something good to say and he knows he can talk about anything and nothing with him.
"Harry?" he calls him
"Louis?" Louis chuckles
"The other week my friend from school... kissed a girl on the lips for the first time." He starts and is not surprised when Harry doesn't say anything "He says it was really special and I'm curious about it.” he makes a pause trying to organize all the questions and doubts he has “Did you ever think about kissing a girl?"
"Not really. I never really talked properly to a girl, did you?" Louis is surprised that Harry is getting along with the conversation
"Talked to a girl? Yes, they are okay." He answers. Louis made some girl friends but they don't play football like the boys so he doesn't spend much time with them
"No, have you ever thought about k-kissing a girl?"
Louis ponders for a minute and then gives with himself frowning "Not really. But... I wanted to have my first kiss." He looks at the side to see Harry’s profile. His expressions are usually hard to read but Louis got used to it and he understands quite well the other boy. But now it’s hard because he can’t tell if Harry is uncomfortable or just fine and indifferent with the subject. Or maybe he’s bored or maybe he’s curious about it, but it’s always hard to difference, even being two complete different feelings. Things are always tougher with Harry.
The silence Harry gives as an answer is normal but Louis really wanted to know more, wanted to clear his mind and his doubts. He wanted to ask his mother how’s this thing of having his first kiss, how should it be, if it has rules, what’s the feeling, if kiss on the cheek counts, with who he should do it… but he feels like it’d be like telling her his bad grades. He sees his parents kissing sometimes and for what he knows married people normally do it. But his friend isn’t married and he kissed a girl so he’s confused. He knows he can’t do it with everyone but then how does that work?
“Do you know how to do that?” So he decides to ask Harry because he’s supposed to know everything in Louis’ point of view, for how idiotic that must be.
Harry shrugs and Louis doesn’t take his eyes off of him, so he’s with his head on the side feeling the grass on his ears and not caring about it dirtying his hair. “I suppose there is no right way of doing that.” Louis takes that as a good answer “I think you do that with someone you like and their lips just touch.” Harry is making a weird face but Louis still takes what he says very seriously “I think it’s disgusting.”
“I don’t think it is.” Louis says instead and Harry doesn’t give the weird look at the sky anymore he gives it to Louis
“Ew Louis.” Louis laughs with his friend’s face “You use your mouth to eat and let’s not forget about the saliva.” Louis thinks about it. Harry has a point but Louis still finds the idea of kissing someone he likes on the lips thrilled.
“But if you like that person it wouldn’t matter, right?” Harry’s expression changes as if he’s thinking about the words he just listened to "Do you wanna try it?”
Harry's eyes open widely "What?”
“Do you wanna try it Harry? With me.” this words flow from Louis’ lips easily and he says it normally. Harry can’t understand how he says such thing with no fear and so certainly. More like how does he even can say that?
“I don’t think we’re supposed to do that” Harry says instead of answering
“Why?”
“Because we’re two boys.” Louis thinks Harry is right in a way but that doesn’t stop him to lift his head up and support the weight from his body in his arm. Harry keeps in his position, now looking up at Louis and is thankful for the light from the sun not being hitting his light eyes and bothering him.
“But we like each other. We are best friends.” Louis tries to make his point clear. He doesn’t see anything bad in this and he never heard that two boys can’t kiss, even two girls. Harry said that there is no right way to kiss so it must have no rules as well. “And like this your first kiss can be with me and my first kiss can be with you.” Louis smiles “There is nothing wrong Harry because it’ll be special.”
Harry finds himself smiling along with the blue eyed boy “Okay…” he says and his voice comes out kinda shaky
“Okay?” Louis asks and Harry nods. Louis gives him a smile before getting closer to him. Harry can’t move and can’t understand how Louis seems so relaxed – thought he really isn’t, he’s kinda nervous as well because he doesn’t know how to do it and how it will be – so when he sees Louis, still holding himself by his arm, leaning over so their faces get closer and closer, he doesn’t waste time on shutting his eyes tightly.
Harry’s right thigh and Louis’ left one touch side by side, the arm that is supporting Louis is beside Harry’s head and that’s it. Harry feels Louis’ soft hair from his fringe, tickling his cheek, and then Louis’ lips are touching his. It seems like Harry holds his breath when Louis keeps still with their soft and thin lips brushing. Louis closed his eyes right in the moment he felt them on Harry’s and he makes sure to keep them closed as long as the kiss lasts. The sounds they used to hear around them seem to be quiet, Louis feels calm, weird, but calm and he pulls gently and slowly away after six seconds, only because he felt it passed much longer.
He only opens his eyes when stops from pulling away. Their faces are still close but Louis decides to give Harry the space he needs now – which is not much because the space Harry needs is not the one Louis wants right now. Harry has his eyes open before Louis so he’s faced with wide green open eyes looking at him and parted lips so he stays looking at him more time than the necessary - but it's not like Louis notices himself doing it.
“So…? Was it okay?" Louis asks and feels his nerves growing bigger. What if Harry thinks this wasn't right? What if he stops talking with Louis? What if Louis invaded too much Harry's personal space? Young Louis doesn't know what to think or say anymore he just hopes Harry is okay.
His worries disappear when Harry sits up, nods and gives Louis a soft smile "You were right, it was special." He speaks and Louis is almost sure this is all he'll get from Harry, that's all he'll say out loud about this and Louis does think that is more than enough because it was special for him as well. After all Harry is his best friend and he is growing up with him so why not sharing all the special and first things he has to live with, with the beautiful and green eyed boy that is in front of him? No one has ever told him that it’s wrong yet.
~*~
» This first chapters are so special for me because they're still so young and i can't wait for you guys to read it. I don't have anything special to say but i think i'm so used to say something in each chapters that i can't let it go without an author's note.
Let's not make a goal this time, how much votes and comments can you give me? I'll look forward to it ^-^