I said I would not come near you and in spit of such temptation as never before fell to mortal man, I'll keep my word....
*NARRATOR'S POV*
"Oh shit." Louis muttered distractedly.
By the end of the time Niall takes to realise what's Louis' connection to the body on fire in their courtyard, Louis' already halfway out the building's door.
He can clearly see the orange glowing banner of death from here and wants to slap Harry for his sloppiness. Taking off in a sprint across the lot, Louis misses many bunches of rowdy youngsters and their parties that thankfully distract them enough with booze.
Louis arrives at the tree, a good portion of which is already charred black and crusty by powerful flames. He can smell gas on the body, and can't see Harry. The person in question is unidentifiable but Louis has a solid idea of where he comes from.
His body freezes over, driven and influenced by panic. It was akin to paralysis, Louis' sure, because once his eyes are fixated upon the focus he can't move or look away. His bare feet are blistered and cut by the harsh stones of their parking lot, Louis is indifferent to the pain. The cold wind, feeding this fire its nourishment, gives him goosebumps.
He knows this is a big mistake. A huge error that he will pay for later in the form of police affidavits.
Somehow the smell of burning flesh, and bone turning to ash, is not as grand as films make it out to be. It's rancid and wretched. Louis understands why people throw up right after.
"Don't breathe that in, Lou." Harry's voice - however real - sounds right next to his ear.
Louis is numb and when he tries to move his hand, it doesn't even wriggle. Harry sighs and throws Louis' arm over his shoulders before picking up the boy's dead weight.
When they're away from the burning mass attached to a rickety branch, Harry speaks with his lips held against Louis' cold jaw. "You okay, princess?"
Louis seems to be fine now that there's distance between him and that disaster. "Y-Yeah. I......I think so."
Harry encourages Louis to relax more and rest his head on his shoulder, as Harry kicked open the front door.
"It can't stay there. People.....they'll see, Harry." Louis knows he should be panicking but recently, many of his underlying emotions have been smothered.
"That's the point." Harry enters the building's warm interior and makes headway towards the staircase.
"But what if the police-"
"We're okay, baby." Harry assures. "You don't have to worry."
Louis frowned at each step Harry took. He had to be showing off that he could walk up two floors without fault while Louis made every excuse to take the elevator.
"I love you, okay?" Harry kisses Louis' forehead when they reach the correct floor. Louis doesn't think about how Harry knew which is the right one. "I'm gonna protect you."
Louis' staring at the floor as he listens - he's always never been good at listening while directing his gaze at the speaker - and closes his eyes when Harry kisses his cheek, letting a tear slip out. All that gas and smoke from outside had irritated his eyes.
"Let's clean you up." Harry proposes.
Louis expects Niall to be in their room when they find that the door is unlocked. Their dorm room is empty and Bolg is front and center. Smiling at that, Louis tries to detach himself from Harry's arms but only ends up being held closer.
"Hold on a second." Harry sets Louis down on the correct bed - again, Louis won't think about it too long. "Do you have a First Aid kit?"
"Um..I think Niall does in his backpack." Louis answers, watching Bolg crawl closer to his hand.
"You don't have one?" Harry frowns, returning from rummaging through Niall's bag through Louis' instructive directions.
"Never got hurt." Louis sits with his back against the wall and Bolg in his lap.
Harry slides a pillow between Louis' back and the wall so that the chill of the concrete won't cause any damage to his spine, before seating himself on the single mattress under Louis' legs. The boy smiles shyly at him before going back to trying to locate Bundy.
"This might sting." Harry warns before dabbing a cotton ball soaked with clinical alcohol on his fresh cuts.
Harry cleans the cuts that are actually much less in number than he expected and presses strips of cotton wool with merbromin across the length of under Louis' feet. He doesn't want to bandage it but Niall doesn't have the correct tape and he certainly will not regular tape on Louis' skin. He relents and wraps a single dressing of bandages around each foot.
"How will I shower now?" Louis curls his legs up to his chest once Harry's done.
"When we go back, you can use the tub in the guest bathroom."
"Back?" Louis stretches over the bed's back place Bolg in his cage, also finding Bundy running on his wheel in his own home.
"It's only Saturday, princess." Harry reminds him. "We're going back to mine."
Louis' body sagged - deflated - at this news. "Why?"
"Why?" Harry chuckles, mocking Louis' disgruntled question. "Because, darling-" He surprises Louis by clasping his ankles with icy fingers and pulling his legs apart. "-it's only Saturday and regardless of what happened you are still going to stay with me."
"But Harry......-" Louis trails off when Harry's hands settle on his thighs, pushing down very slightly as he brought their faces - their lips - closer together.
"Hmm?" Harry bites his lip, causing the soft hum that leaves his warm breath fanning Louis' own.
Louis pries his eyes away from Harry's lips and nervously closes his legs around Harry's back. "Y-You can stay here......with me?"
Harry thinks about it and a very sane, biased portion of his conscious refuses to give in. But he'll also admit lying on a tiny bed where Louis and he would have be squashed together, was very tempting.
"Alright." Harry withdrew completely, leaving Louis' lips pouted and skin flushed of its warmth.
He almost wanted to huff in annoyance and cross his arms like a stubborn, errant child. Well, that's almost the way Harry treated him with the constant flow of pet names, rules and punishments. He also found out that he didn't mind any of it because sometimes a person likes to feel small and insecure on purpose. During those times, they need a person from the outside world who will look after them.
Louis knew for certain that picking Harry - not to say that he had a choice at all - was scary at first, especially given Harry's particular set of skills and hobbies, to put it lightly. Louis was okay with it, as long as he knew - and it was for certain - that Harry wouldn't hurt Louis as such.
He watched Harry shrug off his jacket and slid further down the bed when Harry removed his shirt. It was a habit of his to sleep in the nude, since it's the most comfortable way to sleep.
Harry follows Louis and slides under the covers, dragging Louis by his waist onto himself. Louis faces the wall, curled up on Harry's bare chest with his legs kicked out from under the duvet.
"Do you have to cancel our reservation?" Louis asks after Harry's settled.
"They'll figure it out." Harry runs his fingers down Louis' sides.
Louis starts to squirm from the delightful little sparks of ticklish sensations along the surface of his skin. He closes his eyes for only a few seconds before it gets too much and he let's out a soft giggle against one of Harry's sparrows.
"Can't sleep, baby?" Harry slips his hand under Louis' shirt and squeezes his hip.
"I can sleep." Louis' voice is small, much like the curve of his body, and soft like the way he feels when he's vulnerable and - in the past - all alone.
"Am I keeping you up?" Harry stops the tickling to rub small circles into Louis' back.
Louis shakes his head, feeling Harry's sharp chin in his hair, and closes his eyes again. "Can we talk?"
"About what, love?"
"You said we could have safe words, if we go too far." Louis picks his head up, neck straining from the lift because he isn't sure Harry will be okay with his chin pressing his chest.
"Hmm." Harry's hands glide up and down Louis' back, skipping his behind and reaching the back of his thighs. "What word do you want?"
Louis bites his lip and falls forward when Harry jerks him downward. He blushes deeply and braces an arm on either side of Harry's head. "Black."
"Black?" Harry's smirking.
"Your tattoo." Louis can't touch it to indicate what he means. "17Black."
"Oh." Harry picks his knees up high enough to support Louis' leaning weight. "Black it is then."
"So what will it mean?" Louis thoughtfully chews on his bottom lip. "If I say it."
"It will mean-" Harry pats Louis' bum and gets him to relax above him. "-that I'll stop whatever it is that I'll be doing. We should have a set of colours, in fact, so I'll know if it's getting too much at times."
"Okay." Louis refuses to call it snuggling, so he just lays his head on Harry's beating heart - at least that's where it's supposed to be - and tries not to slide off. "White. Orange. Black."
"Interesting choices." Harry pulls the cover back up, since Louis shuffled so much and kicked it away.
He whines and pushes it away again, feeling too hot under the soft insulation.
"Lou, it's cold." Harry warns.
"I'm feeling hot." Louis replies dryly.
"Are you okay?" He reaches out to touch Louis' forehead, and his victim bats his hand away.
"I don't have a fever, Harry." Louis fails to keep himself uplifted and rolls onto his side, pressed between the wall and Harry.
Harry notices the flickering of lights that change from blue to red, with no sirens but the buzz of a growing crowd outside. Half the campus must be present there around the tree, all questioning what a poor delinquent did to deserve such a demise. Harry held the answer obviously, and someone will knock on the door soon enough to get it from him.
"What's tha- Are the police here?" Louis sees it too and sits up immediately to try and get out of bed.
"Yes and what are you planning to do, Lou?" Harry traps his waist and keeps him on the mattress.
"I don't know but don't they need witness statements or something?" Louis' more frantic than good hearted and he's scared of hiding a truth that will ruin him later.
"All you're doing is staying here." Harry says carefully. "I will handle everything in the morning but I'm tired and you are too."
Louis considers the alternative of irrationally dotting around outside and answering fifty versions of the same question. He decides against going. "Okay but I'm not tired yet."
"That's because you had a nap." Harry holds Louis' body flush against his, chest meeting chest. "What do you want to do?"
"Well, I have work I should probably get done." Louis suggests, vaguely remembering the tasks granted for completion during the week. He had approximately two essays and a report to do for Photojournalism.
"You want to do that now?" Harry holds Louis' wrist in his hand when the boy tries to rise.
"Better than procrastinating."
Harry nods and releases him so he can get up. "Wait."
"What?" Louis' just about to stand.
"Your feet." Harry quirks his eyebrow. "You can't stand."
"I can." Louis argues but Harry's already pinning him to the mattress and getting up.
"You can do it there." Harry roughly gestures towards the bed where Louis' currently seated.
"Harry." He whines, and it's admittedly an annoying sound what with his voice containing a natural high pitch already.
"I could just dump everything on you."
"I'm not injured, it's a few....scrapes."
"Scrapes or third-degree burns, Louis." Harry takes a single stride to tower over the bed and Louis again intimidatingly. "You aren't doing anything for yourself."
It should be flattering and a pleasant thing to hear, however the way in which Harry carried out this favour made him feel like he's losing his independence. It's taken Louis all of nineteen years and a few months to develop that self-esteem.
"I appreciate everything you're trying to do." Louis kneels so he's able be more-or-less on Harry's eye level. He reaches up to clasp the back of Harry's neck. "Really. Nobody's cared enough to do this for me. I like space too though."
"Space?" Harry's brows knit together as he sounds out this foreign word. "Like, I should go away?"
"Not entirely, Haz." Louis shakes his head. "Just sometimes I like to just be alone. Please understand, I've been alone my entire life and to adapt to being with someone this close is a little......scary."
"I understand." He draws back from Louis, but not forgetting to kiss the boy's forehead beforehand.
Louis smiles thankfully and moves to get out from under the covers again. This time he's successful and although his feet are alight with flowering stings, he bites his lip and doesn't wobble. Harry watches him closely, with hawk-like skill, as Louis shuffles across the room.
Realising where Louis is going only after he reaches there, Harry frowns deeply and follows him to the window.
"What is there to see?" Harry tries to pull him away.
There are three police cars outside, having burst into their courtyard through the biggest gate. The ambulance is futile but still creating an unnecessary racket with its siren. People have crowded the tree and the body - now laid out on a gurney and being covered - to gasp and pry.
"How can anyone be as calm as you?" Louis let's himself be drawn away and the window shut soundly.
"It won't do me good to panic." Harry crouches and sweeps Louis up into his arms again, finding that Louis' own pace of walking was too slow. "Besides, nothing will happen to me."
"Why are you so sure?" They sit together at Louis' table - inevitably by the window - with the taller of the two holding Louis firmly in his lap.
"I have to be." Harry's lips press against Louis' temple. "How are you not shaken up?"
"I don't know." Louis bows his head, wringing his fingers.
"It can be a good thing." He gets another kiss closer to his lips. "Don't be ashamed, princess."
The chair was small but Harry's body practically overflowed, adding to the seat's surface with his thighs and knees. He brings Louis' legs up to fold on his lap so the cold tiles don't give him chills and later, internal pain from the exposure.
"Now you can do your work." Harry drags the chair forward so Louis can lean over the desk.
"Thanks."
Harry noses at Louis' neck just below the jaw, making him giggle uncontrollably and smudge the correction ink he'd used on the first essay he tackled.
"Harry!"
"Yes?"
"Look what you did." Louis groans, trying to scrape the white paint off the side of his hand.
"I did that?"
"Yes!"
"Hey." Harry lightly slaps Louis' behind, taking his ear lobe between his teeth simultaneously. "Don't raise your voice at me, princess."
Louis worries his bottom lip to keep the whine he's ready with from coming out, dropping his head back onto Harry's shoulder.
"Are you sorry?" Harry encircles his waist, sucking a bright mark into Louis' shoulder.
Nodding vigorously, Louis tries moving backwards to give Harry more access to his body. "I-I'm sorry."
"Good boy." Harry pinches Louis' pudge and nudges his head aside. "You need to finish your work, baby."
But Louis' eyes are closed, his body awakened and libido running again. "N-No."
"No?"
"I want you."
"Yeah?"
Louis nods eagerly, snapping his head up and down. He whines without a care when Harry slips a hand under the waistband of his boxers.
"Work first, angel."
Louis turns fussy and wriggles around in Harry's lap until he's facing him, whimpering when Harry shoves his legs apart and lines up their crotches.
"Y-You said-" Louis stops to tug on Harry's hair and roll his hips against Harry's. "-you'll always give me what I want."
"I also said don't get greedy. You already got pleasure today, darling." Harry stops grinding and Louis grumbles, trying to be enticing again.
"But-"
"Behave now, love."
Huffing, Louis turns back around and sets his focus back on his voice. He plots revenge in his mind somehow but he doubts he'll go through with it if he had to deny Harry sex.
"Maybe I'll reward you if you finish this."
Harry kisses Louis' throat and cheek but only gets ignored by the boy sitting on his lap.
"Are you upset now?"
Louis stays quiet, continuing to jot things down on his notepad. It's mostly rubbish now.
"If you're stubborn I'll have to punish you again."
Bravely, Louis doesn't answer in spite of the voice in his head shouting at him to stop being an idiot. Who knew how far Harry took his punishment. Louis was determined to find that out.
Harry's tone is hard and annoyed when he speaks again. "Suit yourself."
He's suddenly being lifted out of Harry's lap and flung across the room. Given, the distance was short and he landed with precision on his own bed, but Louis isn't too sure that was the original target. He isn't sure of much these days.
"Take those off and spread your legs." Harry instructs, all the familiarity and softness from before has drained out of his voice. He's cold and dominant now.
Louis hurries to do as told, also slightly afraid because there's no way he's suddenly getting what he wanted. Harry's unbuckling his pants and climbs over him before Louis can kick off his boxers. Adam's Apple clearly defined in his throat, caution in his eyes and with a shuddering body, Louis let's his hands be tied above his head with Harry's belt.
"You make a sound and I will fuck you with every object in this room until you bleed."
Louis gulps at that, eyes gone wide with fright and a budging protest getting tied in his throat. He nods.
Harry grunts in acknowledgement of his consent, and drops his boxer briefs to his knees to reveal a hard-on. Louis starts breathing heavy with panic. He didn't know how Harry got so hard when he's just at a semi. Was this getting him off? Some twisted shade of sadism, maybe.
There's so stretching and no wonderful foreplay. Harry shoves two fingers into Louis' mouth at the same time that he forces his length past his clenching entrance. The pain shoots up Louis' back and his body arches uncomfortably, desperate to scream and sob out loud. He sucks on Harry's fingers, tasting the metal of his rings and gagging when they curled.
Harry places his free hand on one side of his head, prying Louis' knees apart and thrusting harder. It's excruciating but Louis loves it. There's no lube besides Harry's spit, and Louis can feel every ridge, shift of skin and drop of pre cum in his lower tummy. There's a bump there from where Harry is nestled.
His orgasm comes crashing down after a short while and Harry's is impending from the noises he's making. Except, when Louis' teeth bite down on Harry's fingers and his body's ready to be overwhelmed, Harry pulls out and tightens his grip at the base of Louis' length. His orgasm fades away painfully.
Louis wants to shout at the top of his lungs, in love with the white pleasure he's not allowed to have. By total accident, a soft whimper escapes his lips. Harry pauses and kneels over him.
"You're particularly disobedient tonight." Harry's warm breath is gone and Louis refuses to open his eyes, a tear running down to his pillow.
*LOUIS' POV*
Black. Black. Please Black.
I lie there, exposed and trembling from a ruined orgasm, not hoping for anything but expecting the worst. I want to cry but there's a lump where my trachea should be. My voice has gotten lost in the panic of my mind.
"This should do fine." Harry settles back on the bed, the mattress sinks from his mass.
When I try sitting up, my wrists are almost cut by how tight the leather belt is binding them. Harry presses my back down against the pillows and something comes down over my eyes. It feels like his shirt.
I'm abruptly prodded at, between my legs where nothing inanimate should be. My hips stutter and nails dig into the belt, lip already bitten raw and bleeding.
I don't ever get to see what that object is but it was smooth and cylindrical, thin enough that it didn't hurt. Harry was still rough and used it to fuck into me with deep thrusts that had starting slipping onto the wrong side of painful. I don't moan or groan from the sensations spiralling up my nervous system.
The bed creaks and I try wrapping my legs around him, only to have them shoved aside and further brutally invaded. The object makes sharp jabs at my special spot, bruising it and making it swell from the pressure. It's yanked out of me and replaced by Harry's erection, still stiff and angry by the feel of it. I throw my head back, grinding against the mattress and keeping my jaw agape.
I think he's going to finally let me come when I'm on the verge of a climax but he comes first and cuts me off. I squeeze my eyes shut and my tears soak his shirt. My hands struggle to be free of the belt, and I'm certain they're bloody now with all the shifting.
His come drips out of me when he pulls out completely for a minute. The hovering burn of having my body abused like this was only slightly pleasurable now, and my mind has turned into a blank sheet so as not to hurt myself further. If I tried to get free, it could end badly.
I let him do as he pleased with my rag doll form, building me up right to the edge of something glorious before retracting. The pain burns through me bright red, and the stress on my conscious exhausts me beyond normal circumstances.
When Harry uses the mysterious object again as well as himself, I muffle my scream by biting his shirt. My mind is left empty and body broken after nearly five rounds of denial. If I'm bleeding, I don't feel anything. If something is hurt then I don't notice it. My eyes close from how heavy they feel, my back sags and when I'm untied I'm too tired to move my hands.
"Louis?" Harry's rubbing my wrists gently. Why is he doing that?
I look at him, probably red-eyed and breathless.
"Fuck, Lou."
He suddenly stops - I enjoyed the gesture - and hauls me into his lap. What's happening?
"Baby, look at me." He combs my hair back and tilts my chin up. My legs are splayed out, too tired to move, and hands crushed between us.
I am looking at you.
"Did I hurt you?"
He brushes my cheek and it's so soft, warm and light. I want to wrap myself up in his gentle strokes and fall asleep.
"You have to talk to me. What's wrong, princess?"
You fucked me like a lunatic, that's what's wrong. I never thought I'd love someone calling me feminine names but "princess" felt nice to hear.
"Come on. Come back to me." Harry coaxes, voice like honey and silk. "I'm right here, waiting for you. I love you, Lou."
Slowly it began to slip away and I wanted to crawl back into its depths but a gate slammed between us and I lost the wonderland. I blinked a few times before relaxing into my regular stature.
"There you are." Harry pecks my lips, eyes and forehead. "Are you okay?"
"I don't like that punishment." I manage to force out, my voice hoarse. "It hurts too much."
"I'm sorry, angel." He wraps his broad arms around me and my hands lock behind his head. He kisses my neck. "I love you."
I hum and smile against the crook of his shoulder, inhaling his bare scent of damp skin and cologne. He smelt like sex. I wasn't even hard anymore - not that I expected to be - because the exertion on my sex drive has exhausted every bit of me.
"Is that form of punishment....not okay with you?" Harry lifts my head so he can see into my eyes. His were full of hesitation but the embarrassment still stuck to the gold flecks in the green forest of his eyes.
I shake my head. "I don't want to ever do that again."
"Alright then. Well, you must behave for me when I ask you to, okay? I don't want to hurt you again."
"Okay." I hardly recognise the small, almost baby-like voice of mine.
*NARRATOR'S POV*
"Good." Harry keeps an arm securely around Louis' back as he lowers himself. "I need you to sleep now, get all that energy back."
"Hmm, 'mkay." Louis tries to find a position that's comfortable for him to sleep in, and eventually just lands up sprawled across Harry's chest.
"We can go for breakfast tomorrow morning too." Harry kisses Louis' hair. "You did well tonight, princess. I'm so proud of you."
For some reason, Louis' lost mind - the quieter half that clung to the alternate world where everything was warm and fuzzy - preens at the compliment and smiles gratefully.
Niall stumbles into the dorm room, red in the face and watery-eyed from running around trying to find Louis, only to discover that his room-mate is asleep with the new kid. He makes a note to grill Louis about this tomorrow and if it was a one night thing, well then he's taken a photo for safekeeping.
Harry sleeps for a full twelve hours and awakens at a little past nine in the morning. Louis' still asleep, drooling slightly on his chest, but looking so small and vulnerable against Harry's black and multicoloured ink that it's too precious to disturb.
He heard unfamiliar breathing, a third person who is probably belonging to this room as well. Harry doesn't understand how Louis survives with a room-mate.
The boy has blond hair with dark roots, his curved back facing them and heavy snoring interrupting the early morning's peace. Harry can't fall asleep again, so he works out which diners are suitable for a greasy breakfast.
Louis stirs when the clock goes past half nine, clenching his hands into tiny fists before relaxing them on Harry's pectoral. He mumbles something, heavy breathing blocking his words, and his back slumps again. Harry trails his fingers down Louis' sides and back, moving the duvet dangerously low to allow him access.
He admires the contrast of Louis' clean, perfectly tanned and hairless skin against the array of designs littering his own arm from the wrist. It was especially kind when his arm cuddled Louis' lower back. His muscles bulged, veins standing out under the mosaic of tattoos. Louis had curves in the right places, like God felt he'd be plain without some soft and feminine features.
Harry admires the way Louis' eyelashes frame his cheeks, feats that already have the perfect structural balance.
The second time Louis stirs Harry has to roll them onto their sides carefully so he doesn't fall off the bed. Louis let's out a soft moan at being shifted and in his sleepy mode, shifts away from Harry's body. Harry follows.
An alarm goes off somewhere in the room and Harry knows he can't move to turn it off or Louis will land on the ground. It annoys him that the blaring sound is bound to wake all the room's occupants up, including Louis. Harry wanted him to sleep for as long as he wanted without being disturbed.
"I'm up!" Niall gets up first, shooting into an upright position and rubbing his eyes. Harry thinks they're the most piercing blue shade, but Louis' were more beautiful. Niall leaves after that to visit the bathroom.
Louis wakes up at the sound of Niall playing rooster. He yawns and absentmindedly cuddles into the end of the duvet, taking Harry's arm with him. Harry closes his eyes, not wanting to make conversation with Niall, and pretends to sleep.
"Morning." Louis' voice suddenly intervenes, his hips wiggling until he's facing Harry again.
"Good morning." Harry smiles with his eyes closed. Had they been open, they'd have been bright and innocent like any ignorant person should be.
"What makes it good?" He shimmies his shoulders, nudging Harry's torso until he got the message and pulled him away from the edge. "Nothing's happened yet."
"But there's plenty of possibility." Harry reopens his eyes one at a time. "Like if I were to do this-" He brings his face closer so his lips are close to Louis'. "-I could end up getting a well-deserved good morning kiss."
"What makes you think you deserve it?"
"You think I don't?"
"I never said that. You can't have my kisses though."
"And why not?"
"Because they're-"
Louis squeals, shrieking when Harry tackles him and tries to press their lips together.
He giggles loudly, throwing his head back and moving every which way to avoid Harry's mouth. "Harry!"
"I could just steal one." Harry leans in, and Louis draws back on his pillow again.
"No!" Louis gasps and covers his mouth.
"Come on, princess." Harry flattens Louis' body with his own. "Just one?"
"No kisses for you." Louis turns his head and Harry ends up kissing his jaw.
"No?"
"No."
"Sure?"
"No." Louis chuckles and gets cut off abruptly when Harry's mouth crashes down on his, hard and desperate.
"C'mon, beautiful, up." Harry separates their lips, needing to breathe, and stands up. "I promised you an unhealthy diner breakfast, didn't I?"
Louis' brilliant blue eyes - almost grey with the sunlight exposure - light up at that. "You were serious?"
"Of course."
Grinning, Louis hops out of the bed and snatches up the closest available item of clothing to hide himself. It ends up being Harry's scrunched up, wrinkled T-shirt with faded print. He tugs it over his head and locates him shower bag.
"Niall just went. Wait a bit." Harry lies on his back, staring back at the empty ceiling.
"For him to come back?"
"I don't like you showering with other people."
Louis rolls his eyes at Harry's confession and climbs onto his hips, astride his sides. "I showered with you."
"Indeed." Harry tilts his head to the side. "And I spend a lot of my time hating those bastards who share one here with you."
"Well, there are individual stalls after all." Louis shrugs gradually and Harry chuckles, very lightly slapping Louis' bum.
"Let's go back to mine instead?"
"After breakfast." Louis rocks his hips persuasively. "I'm hungry."
Harry allows himself to be swayed in his decision just a little, and Louis gets to shower at the dormitory where he can put on fresh clothing. Harry stands guard and denies anyone access to the bathroom while he lit up two Camel cigarettes. When Louis exited the bathroom, he was shocked to see a queue of the dorm mates standing outside.
"Sorry boys." He apologised quickly when the last boy had completed his glare and strolled into the showers. "That was mean."
"Oh no, princess. Mean-" Harry shakes his head, bending to pick Louis up by the backs of his damp thighs and wrap them around his waist. "-would have been letting them in then having to kill them."
Louis looks over his shoulders, arms tightly wound around Harry's neck, to see where they're going. He's still just in his towel.
"Where are you taking me?" He squeezes the handle of his toiletry bag.
"To my castle in the woods where nobody will find us."
"Or hear my screams."
There's a brief moment where Harry's expression darkens to one of memorable fierceness, then becomes unreadable.
Before they reach Louis' door, Harry spins them around and presses Louis' back against a cold wall. The pressure hurts at first, mainly due to shock, then lessens when he looks into Harry's eyes. They're green but more shocking, stunningly occupied. So many thoughts, every possible human emotion racing through.
"You can still love me, yeah?" Harry's lips bruise Louis' first, the nicotine taste gets shared between them passionately before he pulls away.
"Harry, what kind of a question-"
"A simple one." Harry sighs, moving when Louis tries to touch him. "I'm trying. I keep trying so hard for you to just.....-"
"Just what?"
"To love me!" Harry barks. "To forgive me, forgive whatever massively gruesome monster you see when you look at me. I need you to submit to me. Give yourself to me, Louis, the way I will to you."
Harry reaches up to brush Louis' flushed cheeks, feeling the warm skin under his calloused fingers and rubbing his thumbs in odd circles on Louis' throat.
"I need a constant in my life, Louis. Someone to be devoted to and protect forever. No one's wanted me and I've punished them all when they couldn't see past my actions, who I was outside. But you." Harry kisses Louis' lips twice, leaving a string as thin as gossamer between them to fall. "Jesus fuck, you're the most remarkable person I've ever known. You see me, me as who I am even when I don't want to be that. I don't want anything. Skill or art, glory or fame. Air to breathe. I want none of it if I can't share it with you."
Louis held back his breathe, feeling the ache in his lungs and swelling in his chest. Harry's emotions ran red and deep, into the depths and bowels of a soul so dark and full of illusion that everyone thought was hollow. When Louis spoke next, he'd made his choice after deliberating.
"I'm sorry, Harry."