TW: homophobic language. Sigh. Once again.
ALSO. This is a long one.
//
After the weekend passed, Harry was dreadful for the following week of school. He had no idea how the hell things would play out after the disastrous scene he and Louis made at Prom. People were around when the two of them were arguing, and they definitely heard when Louis confessed his love for him. It was only a matter of time before that became the hot gossip of the school.
To start off with, Louis had been MIA, and Harry had no idea why. He wasn't in music class on Monday, but he apparently showed up for the rest of the day. Which was odd. Then on Tuesday, there was another school pep rally. North Bridge had a home game that night, so the intensity of the pep rally was at an all-time high since they were closing in on post-season play. The pep rally had to have been Louis' excuse for not making it in time for class. Granted, many other students were able to miss the first class of the day. Still, Harry was beginning to feel like he was purposely avoiding him.
Harry didn't see him in the hallways, nor at lunchtime, so he had no idea what game Louis was playing with.
Wednesday and Thursday passed. Then it was Friday, and he was still nowhere to be found.
Throughout the week of not seeing him at school, Harry had been so troubled about what to do. They hadn't talked or seen each other since Prom, and he felt utterly lost. He wanted to talk to Louis and get things straightened up between their relationship, but he also wanted to make sure things were okay with him. He was at such a crossroads now, and none of his friends were much help either.
It kind of sucked to think that Louis would ignore him on purpose. It didn't seem ideal for him to do after confessing his love. Sure, he probably needed some time to think about what he did and consider what this meant for the whole school knowing, but Harry didn't know that meant not seeing him at all. They had so much they needed to still talk about and fix, and he was still upset with himself for not telling Louis that he loved him too. He had the opportunity so many times that night, and he choked. He remained silent and let him walk away.
The only somewhat decent thing about Louis not being at school was the rumors. Since the night of the Prom, Harry had been hearing more and more people talk about their fight in the hotel lobby. More people were picking up on the fact that they had a thing, and now they were all looking at him suspiciously in the hallway. Some were whispering about Louis being gay, and some were whispering about their secret relationship. There were even absurd whispers about Harry trying to sabotage their chance at winning a championship title for football, but at least it was all localized at school. At least Louis wasn't having to deal with the whispers and gossip spreading around. And thankfully, the backlash of Prom hadn't been too bad.
The whispers about what happened were mainly targeted around Harry. They were either blaming him or accusing him of something, and no one seemed to accept the possibility that Louis might actually be into guys. He literally yelled out that he was in love with him, but the response to that was apparently some form of manipulation. It was ridiculous. And even though Louis didn't have to deal with the brunt of what happened at Prom, Harry still wished he had him by his side at times. It wasn't easy being in the spotlight in such a negative way, and he was getting tired of all the hushed whispers about him. He would instead someone come up right to him, but no one had ... yet.
The first approach happened on Friday. Harry was just arriving at school when he saw a group of cheerleaders hanging around the front steps. He didn't think much of it as he tried to walk past them to head to his locker. Considering earlier in the week had been quite mellow, he didn't expect them to finally say something.
Well, he was wrong.
All the girls were dressed in their uniforms because North Bridge had yet another home game in the evening. It meant that a pep rally was probably planned before the school day started. It also meant that e probably wouldn't be seeing Louis again today.
Just as Harry was about to ascend the stairs to head inside, Eleanor stepped away from the group. She reached out to grab his arm and abruptly jerked him back so they were staring at one another. The conversation didn't end well. It was mainly Eleanor screaming and yelling at him, accusing him of stealing her boyfriend. She was mad that he would manipulate Louis into liking him, and she laughed at him for thinking that Louis could ever be in love with him. It really was just a bunch of harsh words being thrown at him, but Harry knew it was going to happen at some point.
The conversation only lasted a couple minutes, but once Eleanor got everything off her chest, she ended it all with a slap across his face. It definitely was not something he was expecting. So when the sharp sting of her hand hit his cheek, he stumbled back with a pitiful whine. People around saw it happen, and most of them began clapping in her honor. It was fucking embarrassing. He could only imagine what Stan would do to him once he decided to finally approach. It was inevitable, and he had grown more anxious as each day passed without running into him.
Harry quickly escaped Eleanor after getting slapped and hearing the people around cheering her on. As he stepped inside the building, trying to ignore the stinging on the side of his cheek, he noticed that the hallways were already piling up for the morning pep rally. Everyone was rushing towards the cafeteria to watch the festivities that were going on, however, he was more focused on getting to class. After his encounter with Eleanor, he was sure that people would start talking to him about what happened at Prom. It really was inevitable, so if he could limit his free time in the hallway then he would reduce the chance of someone approaching him.
As Harry turned down the opposite hallway of where all the students were gathering, he felt a sudden presence coming up beside him. For a brief moment, his heart momentarily stopped. A hand reached out to grab him, and when he looked up, fearing the worst, he was relieved to see Nick.
"Shit, you scared me."
Nick smiled weakly and let go of him. "Sorry. I was trying to catch up with you." They began walking down the hall together.
Harry made a face. He was still trying to calm his racing heart down. He really thought this was the moment that Stan would come after him.
"Are you okay?" Nick ended up asking, concerned.
"I mean ... I just got slapped by Eleanor, and I'm anxiously waiting for when the next person will do it, too."
Nick pursed his lips and carefully pulled him into his side. "Have you talked to Louis since Prom?"
They walked up to the classroom door for music and stepped off to the side to continue the conversation. It wasn't like there were many people around considering the pep rally.
"I haven't even seen him since then." Harry let out a breath and ran his fingers through his hair. "I don't know. He hasn't reached out. I haven't reached out. I don't know if he's ready to talk or not."
"Word did get around pretty fast. Hopefully, it didn't scare him off."
Harry tilted his head. "I'm just worried, you know? He's got a lot going on right now, and I – I want to make sure he's okay."
"I get it." Nick reached for his arm, squeezing lightly. "So, is what I hear true then? Did he really say that he is in love with you?"
It was the first time someone actually asked him, and it would be the first time he actually confirmed it. Nothing extravagant happened after Prom, so Harry was beginning to think that he dreamt up the whole thing. With not having seen him, and people not talking to him, he almost forgot that Louis confessed his love for him. He also tried to forget that he didn't admit it back to him.
Wow, he really felt like a mess. And it hasn't even been an entire week.
"Yeah, it's true," Harry confirmed, glancing around the hallway, worried if there were lingering ears around.
It shouldn't matter. Louis already admitted it in front of many other people at the hotel.
"I know that's something you were wanting to hear." Nick smiled. "I'm happy for you. I hope things go the right way between the two of you."
Harry turned so he could lean his body against the wall. "Gosh. There's still a lot we need to figure out, but Prom was really eye-opening for me."
"In a good way?"
Harry smiled and looked at Nick. "In a good way. I think."
"Just don't let him act like a dick, okay? He might have shit going on, but that shouldn't relay to how he treats you."
"He won't," Harry reassured. "Like I said, I learned a lot. There's no going back now."
Nick hugged him before walking off, and Harry was left standing in the hallway alone. There were about a couple of minutes until the first hour of the day began, and many people still hadn't shown up for class. That must mean the pep rally was still going on. Since North Bridge was getting closer to post-season play, the hype throughout the school was intense. He was thankful that at least the first hour of the day could be relatively calm. He knew Louis would likely skip music class again, using the pep rally as an excuse. Which didn't mean much for what they were doing in class today. He was pretty positive that they were supposed to read off the individual songs they completed a few weeks back. Harry really didn't want to read his with Louis in the room so he was quite okay if he ended up skipping again.
Upon walking inside the classroom, he noticed a good handful of the students were already in their seats. Niall, Liam, and Zayn were there, so Harry walked up to join them in his spot. It had been the same routine all week of sitting next to them and having an open seat on the other side. The whole week had mainly been focused on preparing for the end-of-year group performance, so none of them really brought up Prom or Louis. However, since the pep rally was taking up most of the first part of the class, he didn't know if that extra time would finally warrant them to bring something up.
It was Friday. Maybe today was the day that everyone wanted to talk about it. Enough time had passed since then, which meant word had to have spread to pretty much everyone. Once Harry took his seat, he slouched back and dropped his folders at his feet. Niall angled his body towards him when he released a dramatic, loud sigh.
"You okay, mate?" he checked.
Harry smiled weakly and tried not to laugh. "I'm great."
"Still haven't heard from Lou, then, have you?" Zayn leaned forward to ask.
Harry pouted. "No." He glanced over at him. "Have you heard from him?"
"Just that he couldn't talk much – said he was busy," Zayn responded.
Harry blew a raspberry past his lips.
"You haven't brought up what happened on Saturday," Niall then said. Liam made a face and reached over Zayn to slap his arm. "What?" he whined.
"There's not much to talk about."
"I heard about what Eleanor did this morning." Niall frowned.
Harry shrugged, laughing bitterly. "It was only a matter of time, right?"
"Do you want to talk about what happened then?" Zayn wondered, sounding concerned.
Harry shook his head. "Not right now. I still haven't fully processed everything myself. I really want to talk to Louis first and avoid the football team as much as possible."
"Did you say it back to him, then?" Liam questioned.
"No." Harry deflated. "I didn't."
Mr. Reeds walked into the classroom not too long after, and the school day began. For the first couple minutes of class, he talked a little bit about the upcoming group performance that was due. Harry and the guys were pretty much prepared for it. However, the main thing they needed to do was practice their song together. With Louis' football and work schedule, they just haven't had the chance to see how well they sounded together. At least they knew their parts and instruments, but hopefully they could find a free day to meet up.
Once Mr. Reeds finished his lecture about the performance, he moved on to the individual song assignment. Since the morning was a little sporadic due to the pep rally, he planned to have the students who showed up read the songs that they wrote. Harry was lucky that he was able to volunteer first. He wanted to get his out of the way, and he didn't want anyone to remember what he wrote. Plus, Louis wasn't in the room, so on the off chance that he did show up, at least his song was already read.
More than halfway through the hour, the door to the classroom creaked. Mr. Reeds was sat at his desk while one of the students stood in the middle of the room reading off his song. Everyone paused to turn towards the door when they noticed it being pushed open. Harry's heart thumped rapidly in his chest when it was Louis trying to sneak his way in. There was a cheeky smile on his face, Mr. Reeds glancing his way unamused, and all Harry could think about in that moment was how he forgot to breathe again.
"Mr. Tomlinson, decided to show up today, did we?"
Louis scrunched his nose and started walking towards his seat. "The pep rally lasted longer this morning."
Harry was so fucking mesmerized by him, and he knew he looked like a fool staring. He really tried to look away, but every fiber inside of him wanted Louis to looked back at him - to notice him. Just from being in the same room again, he felt his body relaxing. He was once again reminded how truly in love with this boy he was.
"Well, since you so kindly decided to interrupt ... " Mr. Reeds stood up and grabbed a piece of paper on top his desk. "Maybe you want to share with the class the lovely song you wrote."
Louis stopped halfway up the row of chairs and slouched, turning to face Mr. Reeds with a frown. "Really?"
"It was the assignment for the day."
"He should've skipped," Niall muttered under his breath.
Zayn and Liam snickered. Harry gulped.
This was the song that Louis wanted him to read right after they broke up. This was the song that was supposed to mean something to him. Harry was fucking nervous. Louis slowly descended down the steps, and the other student standing at the front walked back to his seat.
"Is this mandatory?" he grumbled as he grabbed the paper from Mr. Reeds.
"If you want a grade for the day, then yes."
Louis snarled his nose and walked to the front of the classroom. He placed his sheet of paper on top of the podium and got himself situated behind it. There was a brief moment where he read through the lyrics quickly to remind himself of the words. Then he looked up, and his eyes immediately caught sight of Harry's.
Harry sucked in a sharp breath when those pretty blue eyes looked right back at him. It had been six days too long since he had last gotten to see them. It seemed liked the world around didn't matter whenever they looked at one another. It was like they were the only two people in the room. From just the short moment of sharing eye contact, his stomach erupted in butterflies. It was crazy how such a small act could have such a strong effect on him.
Louis was the first to look away, effectively breaking the little moment they were having. He cleared his throat and began reading off the lyrics on the paper.
It's inevitable everything that's good comes to an end.
It's impossible to know after this we could still be friends.
I know you're saying you don't want to hurt me, and maybe you should show a little mercy.
The way you look I know you didn't come to apologize. (Hey, Hey, Hey)
Oh, why're you wearing that to walk out of my life? (Hey, Hey, Hey)
Oh, even though it's over you should stay tonight (Hey, Hey, Hey)
If tomorrow you won't be mine, won't you give it to me one last time?
Oh, baby let me love you goodbye.
Harry's heart stopped about halfway through the song, and he knew his friends were catching on as well given by how quick they glanced his way. The song was so clearly about him – about their relationship. It wasn't hard to put two and two together. And after what happened at Prom, Harry was worried that everyone else in the room would be able to pick up on that as well. It was crazy to think that Louis wrote a whole song about him , about loving him even if they didn't end up together. No wonder he tried so hard to get him to listen. The song had all the words that he was too scared to say aloud.
After Louis finished reading it off, he handed the paper back to Mr. Reeds and walked to his seat. He kept his head hung low and didn't bother looking up from the ground. The following person was called up to read theirs, and Louis sat down in his seat in silence. Harry wasn't sure what he was supposed to do after hearing the lyrics, but he knew saying something was not the right thing to do. Simply based on his body language, Louis seemed tensed. Nervous.
Harry tried to keep calm for the remainder of the class. He didn't want to make a scene or draw attention, but it was hard when he had Louis sitting next to him and kept thinking about his lyrics. He thought he was doing a fairly decent job since he remained focus up front. The two of them had successfully avoided each other yet another day, and it sucked. It was so weird and awkward, and after the class was finally over, Louis was the first one out. Now, it definitely seemed like he was avoiding him, and it left a sinking feeling inside of Harry.
Maybe Louis was embarrassed. Maybe he regretted everything that he said to him at Prom. That would be fucking disappointing.
By the time lunch rolled around, everyone was talking about him and Louis. Everywhere he turned, he could see people staring at him. He could hear the hushed whispers about him. Today was the first time that they were actually in the same room together. All week, Louis had been absent from music class. But today, he was there, and the time that he finally showed up, he read off a song that confessed his love again.
Harry was more than relieved that he could escape outside for lunch. He felt like this every day, but after enduring a long week of hearing people gossip about him , he just needed a fucking break. He was still trying to recover from seeing Louis in class this morning. He barely recovered from the love confession at Prom, and having all these people around him was too overwhelming.
The first stop he made was to his locker. It was his routine to stop there to grab his lunch before heading outside. Just like any other day, that was precisely what he did. He remained quiet in the hallway. He kept his head down low and didn't give himself any unwanted attention. All Harry was trying to do was get through the day and then go home. Hopefully, after this weekend, everything will pass, and no one will talk about what was going on.
As Harry grabbed his lunch out of his locker, he felt a sudden presence behind him. Before he had any time to turn around, hands were gripping the back of his shirt. He suddenly got yanked away from the locker door, and his lunch fell to the floor when he was jerked oppositely. He stumbled over his feet until he hit up against the nearest wall.
"What the hell?" he complained, trying to straighten up.
It was Stan who was now standing in front of him, huffing in anger. He pushed his shoulders so that he was pinned against the wall. Harry slammed back with a grunt, wincing when there was a dull ache shooting down his spine. He tried his best to ignore the students that were slowly gathering around, but he knew this would happen sooner or later. Maybe Eleanor slapping him this morning finally sparked Stan in acting out.
"You think you can come into my school and corrupt my team?" he spat out, slamming his hands against the wall near his head, making the boy wince. "What the bloody hell are you thinking about going after the captain of my team?"
Harry's eyes widen in surprise. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Did Stan actually think that he was sabotaging the team? Did he really not hear what Louis said to him at Prom?
This was even more ridiculous.
"You should know damn well no one here would have the likings to be with someone like you." Stan gripped Harry's collar and yanked him closer. "You fucking, fag."
Harry's stomach twisted, and he was slammed up against the wall once more. More people gathered around, and he was getting immensely embarrassed from all the eyes looking right at him. He felt frozen to his spot, unable to speak words or defend himself. How could he when he had the whole school against him? Harry was alone in this, and if he wanted to make it out alive, he had to stand up for himself. He had to stop letting Stan walk over him so easily.
He was unsuccessful.
While looking around at the people, Stan sent a sharp blow deep into Harry's stomach. At the sudden impact, his legs gave out, and he slipped down to the ground. His breath got knocked out of him quick, and the spot that Stan punched was throbbing painfully. Tears began filling Harry's eyes until everyone around was just a blurry figure. He couldn't tell what Stan's next move was going to be because he was fighting back the urge to burst out crying, but he felt him grabbing the collar of his shirt again, knowing another blow was about to happen.
Soon enough, Harry was being lifted to his feet. He got slammed up against the wall a couple more times. Stan was saying words to him that he couldn't process right now, but he figured everything coming out of his mouth was hurtful and derogatory.
All the commotion only lasted for a couple minutes longer. When he really thought a solid punch would make its way to his jaw or nose, Stan's body was suddenly being pushed off his. Harry immediately wiped his eyes when there was no longer a heavyweight on him. He saw that Louis was now standing in front, almost protectively, with Stan falling to the ground.
The situation was so weird, and the scene was not how he imagined it to play out. Because if he saw correctly and wasn't going crazy, Louis had just come in and protected him. He actually showed up. Actually intervened, and he actually pulled Stan off. It was such a surprising turn of event, and he struggled to breathe – in more ways than one. His stomach was still hurting badly, and now his back was sure to have bruises.
But none of it mattered. Louis was here for him.
"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" Louis snapped, hands going on his hips.
Stan made a face as he slowly got to his feet. "Teaching this fag a lesson."
"Don't call him a fag."
Harry's heart was jumping in his chest. He also swore people around him gasped. Or maybe that was him.
"Why not?" Stan's eyes hardened in his way. "I'm calling it like I see it."
When Stan stepped forward to get to Harry again, Louis pressed a hand to his chest and pushed him back.
"You touch him again, and you'll have me to deal with."
People definitely ooh'ed this time. Harry was so in love it was crazy.
"Don't tell me he's already brainwashed you?" Stan brushed Louis' hand off him and stepped back.
"Don't tell me you're still an incompetent idiot. Go do something better with your life than going after my boy. I won't tell you again."
Stan completely deflated, glancing back and forth between him and Harry before letting out a heavy breath through his nose.
"We have a game later today. Focus on that."
Nothing else was said after that. Stan then left the area, walking away in a sulking manner, and the students around dispersed out. A couple remained in the area, still lingering. Louis ignored them all and turned to face Harry.
"Are you okay?" He whispered privately, reaching for his hands.
Harry swallowed. "Yeah," he muttered. He loved the way Louis' touch felt on him.
"You sure?"
Harry nodded his head.
"Let's get out of here then."
Harry blindly followed as Louis guided the two of them out the hallway. He quickly stopped to grab his lunch that fell on the floor, and then they were both heading towards the back doors of the school so they could get outside. The walk over was silent, but Harry was preening with the way Louis held on to his hand tightly. It was so strange to walk the halls with him and have people actually see. It seemed like he didn't care - like it didn't bother him now that everyone knew they were together.
This was the one thing Harry had wanted for months, and now that he was getting it, he had no idea how to feel or react. He felt confused, that was for sure. One day they were keeping absolutely everything a secret, and then the next, they're holding hands in the halls.
Once the two of them made it outside, they walked up to the bleachers. Now that they were alone and away from all the wondering eyes, Harry could finally breathe. Louis took a seat on the second row of benches, but he remained standing. His eyes couldn't leave Louis'.
"Harry?" Louis questioned, eyebrow raising.
"You're here."
A small smile began forming on his lips. "Yeah. I am."
"I thought you were avoiding me." Harry frowned.
"No, I ... " Louis stood from the bench and walked down the steps to join him. He grabbed both of his hands again. "I've been busy this week, surprisingly. I swear I wasn't avoiding you."
"We have so much we need to talk about."
Louis snorted. "Trust me. I know."
"I'm sorry ... about what happened. On Saturday, I froze. I didn't know what to say, and I'm so fucking – "
"Harry," Louis interrupted smile widening. One hand reached up to cup the side of his face, the other brushing a stray curl from his eye. "My mum's okay. We found out the other day. That's why I haven't been here."
Harry sucked in a big breath. "That's good, right?"
"Really good. She's done with treatment."
Harry didn't hesitate to pull him into a tight hug, burying his nose into his neck.
"I promise I wasn't avoiding you," Louis said once again. "I think I was just acting a right twat this morning because I haven't seen you in so long and ... I wasn't sure what to expect?"
Harry giggled against his skin, arms tightening around his body. "It's okay. I'm just happy things are good." He pulled slightly back so he could look into his blue eyes. "I'm happy you're here."
Louis' lips tilted up, and he yanked the boy forward. His hand reached up to curl around his jaw, eyes flickering across every feature on his face before settling on his lips. Harry let out a shaky breath before it was silenced with the soft press of Louis' lips against his own. It felt like everything inside completely melted once they were kissing again. His kisses were always light and fluttery, making his heart beat rapidly in his chest.
Sadly, the kiss ended too soon. Louis pulled back with a smile, and Harry opened his eyes. He pouted when their lips separated. It had been way too long since they lasted kissed, and he never wanted to forget how nice it felt.
"Can I ask you something?" Louis asked softly, trailing his hands down Harry's side and wrapping them around his waist.
"Of course."
"So there's a game today."
Harry snorted. "I'm well aware."
Louis blinked. "Right." He cleared his throat. "Are you doing anything after the game?"
Oh.
"No, I don't think so." Harry pressed his thumb to his chin. "What's going on?"
Louis laughed nervously. "Well, I was going to see if you wanted to come to my house after the game."
Harry choked on his breath. "What?"
In all the months the two of them have been together, Harry had never been to Louis' place. It was never an option between them. They always met up at his. It was their routine, but now that Louis was inviting him over, he was hopeful for what this could mean.
"Do you want to come over after the game tonight?" Louis repeated much clearer.
"I – yeah." His smile widened. "What made you want to ask me?"
Louis shrugged. "I don't think I need to be scared anymore."
Harry's heart was going crazy. After the game, he was really about to go to his house and meet his mother. Things really were changing between them.
The rest of the lunch was spent outside. Harry pulled his lunch out of the bag and shared bits and pieces with Louis. After the hour ended, the two separated to finish the rest of the class day. Since there was a game later in the evening, Harry planned to hang around with the other guys until kick-off. He knew he wouldn't have much time to see Louis once school was over. He usually would get caught up in another after-school pep rally or with the team. He didn't mind, though. Talking with Zayn in their last class, it seemed like the four of them planned to go eat before the game.
Once school finally ended, Zayn walked with Harry to his locker. The boy waited while he grabbed his backpack out. The two of them then headed down the hallways towards the school's front entrance. Liam and Niall were already waiting outside on one of the picnic tables in the front courtyard. Harry quickly caught sight of them when he and Zayn stepped outside.
Students were filtering around as they began walking over. A couple football players were running from the car park to head over to the football field. When Zayn and Harry approach Niall and Liam, the four of them walked to the parking lot. They all piled in Liam's car and drove over to a restaurant near the school. They got seated upon walking inside the building. Naturally, Liam and Zayn took the same side of the booth, easily cuddling together. Niall and Harry took the side opposite of them, and his mind began drifting to all the possibilities of him and Louis getting to sit like that together in public.
It brought a smile upon his face as he read off the menu. Louis loved him, and he was finally ready for a relationship. That only meant there were so many things they could do now instead of hiding, and he was looking forward to all of it. They could hold hands. Could kiss whenever. They could cuddle. They could simply just be together, as easy as Zayn and Liam were. Harry really couldn't believe that he was finally getting what he always wanted after all these months. The timing must now be right for them.
"What are you smiling about?" Zayn wondered, kicking him under the table.
Of course, the attention was then directed solely on him. Liam and Niall set their menus down and glanced over. Harry's cheeks turned red.
"Nothing," he mumbled under his breath. .
"You're fidgeting," Niall commented.
Harry furrowed his eyebrows together as he looked down his body. He was, in fact, fidgeting, and he didn't even realize. He laughed nervously and set the menu on top of the table, trying to keep his legs from bouncing too much.
"I'm just ... thinking."
Liam raised an eyebrow. "About?"
"Is it about Louis?" Niall asked hopefully.
Harry sucked in a breath, and all three boys made a sound.
"I knew it." Niall boasted.
"Did he talk to you after music then?" Zayn wondered.
Harry nibbled on his bottom lip. "Sort of." He sighed. "Stan caught me in the hallway at lunch, and Louis stepped in."
Zayn's eyes widened in shock.
"Did he really?" Liam questioned.
"Yeah. He stopped Stan, and he pulled me away."
Zayn pursed his lips. "That's... good."
"So we talked ... " Harry continued, stalling a little. He didn't really know what he was stalling for. Admitting what happened at lunch sort of seemed so surreal. He still hadn't been able to process the love declaration. How in the hell was he supposed to process that he was meeting Louis' mother tonight?
"About?" Zayn urged.
"Just ... things." Harry coughed. "He invited me over after the game."
Niall whistled.
"Really?" Liam hummed, intrigued.
Harry really felt his face heating up now. "Yes. He wants me to uh – he wants me to meet his mum."
Liam nearly jumped on the table. "He's going to tell her?"
"Wow," Zayn whispered, a growing smile on his face. "That bastard really does love you, huh?"
Harry scrunched his nose. "Why do you say it like that?"
"H ... mate," Niall tilted his head and patted his back. "He's about to tell his mother that he loves you. That's a big deal. Jay doesn't even know that he's into blokes."
Yeah. Harry definitely didn't see it that way. He was just excited to finally be a part of Louis' life and meet his mother and see his home. It never crossed his mind that this was the first time he was bringing home a boy. To be exact, bringing home a boy that he was in love with. Niall was right. This was a huge fucking deal, and now Harry was fucking nervous.
What if things didn't go right? What if Louis' fear came true, and his mother got mad at him?
Clearly, he wouldn't tell her if he didn't think it was the right time. Harry was hoping he had some sort of plan going into tonight.
"He also doesn't just bring around anyone to his house," Zayn added in. "The guys on the team – the cheerleaders – he doesn't invite them over. He doesn't introduce them to his mother. They only know her by name but that's it. He's the biggest momma's boy in the world. Only the special ones get to come by his place."
"Like us," Niall preened.
Harry swallowed, looking across all three boys. "Do you think this means he wants to officially be with me then?"
"That's something you got to talk to him about, mate," Liam responded.
Zayn bit his lip. "If you were to ask our opinion, though – he's very in love with you, and it's obvious how badly he wants you. He's just not so good at expressing this sometimes."
"He told me that he loves me," Harry reminded with a smile.
Liam reached across the table to grab his hand, gently rubbing his thumb against his skin. "That's great to hear, mate. Trust him when he says that."
"I do."
The four of them spent a couple hours at the diner eating a quick snack before the game. After the conversation about Louis and Harry's relationship passed, they mainly talked about their upcoming group project in music class. They still have yet to rehearse all together. It's been hard with Louis' schedule in practices and games. Oh, well. It was fine.
Once game time got closer, they headed back to the school. People were already piling in the parking lot and filling the stands when they arrived. They got lucky with a spot in the top corner of the bleachers. Harry had a perfect view of the field, and he could easily spot Louis any time he was on the sidelines. It felt so different knowing that he was in the stands as Louis' something this time around. People knew about them. People knew that he loved him, and it was the first public outing the two of them had together since Prom.
Well ... it wasn't really a public outing, but Harry was there, and Louis was there. They were both at the field, and they didn't have to hide anything. If Louis were to look over at him throughout the game, it didn't have to be in secret. The school already knew about their secret relationship. They knew he announced that he loved Harry. Tonight's game was such a big difference for from the games he attended in the past.
As the game started, North Bridge quickly took over on the field. The team they were playing was not one of the best in their conference. Louis scored the first goal and then assisted with the other. Before the half even ended, most of the first-string players got pulled. Which meant Louis was done for the remainder of the game. Which also meant that Harry really had nothing to watch now that he was sitting on the sidelines. Since postseason play was right around the corner, the coach was cautious about saving his best players from injury.
It was understandable. And honestly, it was probably a brilliant move when North Bridge ended up winning 5 to 0. But ... Harry liked to watch Louis. He was selfish like that. Seeing him sit on the bench wasn't the highlight of his night, but he did appreciate all the glances he shared his way.
After the game ended, the players on the team began dispersing back into the locker room. Harry followed Liam, Niall, and Zayn down the steps and wandered off to the side so they could wait for Louis. A couple other people had gathered around the building as well. Mainly a bunch of family and friends of the players. The four of them were in their own spot by the corner of the field, and Harry had to try his best not to let his anxiousness grow while waiting.
During the game, he had a distraction to keep his mind off of what would happen once it was over. But now that everything was over, he was reminded that he was about to go to Louis' house. He was about to be in his home and meet his mother, and it was such a big step for them. When he was with Reid, he wasn't properly introduced to his family. Reid had a get-together with all their friends one day, and Harry happened to be there. It was a quick and meant nothing. For the longest time, Reid's mother hardly knew they were dating.
He hoped Louis' mom liked him. He definitely hoped his mother didn't hate him or hold any resentment now that her son was dating a boy. There were so many things that could go wrong with tonight, and Harry was praying for the best. Coming out was such a big thing ... but coming out with a boyfriend? He was ultimately stressed.
Wow. Harry was getting fucking nervous.
"You okay, mate?"
Harry looked over at the sound of Zayn's voice. He smiled weakly when he noticed his concerned expression. "Just a bit nervous."
"For meeting Louis' mum?"
He let out a big breath. "Yeah. I've never ... It's my first time meeting the parents with someone. I didn't do that with my ex."
Niall slid next to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "Mate, Jay is sweet. She will adore you. You have nothing to worry about."
Easier said than done.
"She knows absolutely nothing about Louis?" Harry checked, unsure what sort of answer he was looking for.
Zayn shrugged. "Louis has never said anything to her. I'm not even sure if the rumors about Louis a couple years back ever got to her, so I don't think she does."
"I bet she has a suspicion, though," Liam added. "I mean ... she's a brilliant woman."
Harry nibbled on his lip and glanced at the locker room door. "I hope tonight goes well."
It was like clockwork when he looked over to see Louis step outside the building. In the sea of people around, their eyes locked immediately, and a smile grew on his face. His body instantly relaxed when the comfort of Louis' warm gaze was staring right back at him. It was like all the nerves he was feeling throughout the night did not matter. With Louis right there, he felt calm. He felt safe. He didn't even bother looking anywhere else but at him, ignoring the world around.
Louis bypassed all the people around and met up with the group of guys. Niall was the first to bring him in for a hug, Liam standing next to him and patting his back. They shared their round of congratulations for the team win. Then they began dispersing out so that Louis could make his way towards Harry. Once it was just the two of them, Louis smiled, reaching down to grab his hand.
"You still want to come over?"
Harry felt butterflies erupt in his stomach. "Yeah, of course."
Louis guided them away from the stadium and towards the car park.
"You can ride with me. I'll bring you to your car later."
Harry nodded and quickly followed along beside him.
The two of them continued towards the parking lot where Louis' car was. Harry caught sight of Liam and Zayn off in the distance, about to get in their car as well. Before they got in, they made eye contact with Harry. They both gave him an encouraging thumbs up and then disappeared inside their vehicle. He breathed deeply when he realized they were getting close to Louis' car. The big moment of going to his' house was really about to happen.
Throughout the drive, Harry started to get more jittery. He hadn't even realized that he dozed off looking out the window and that his leg was incisively bouncing in his seat. Only when Louis reached across the console to rest his hand on his thigh did he notice. Harry turned away from the window to look at the warm comfort of his hand before glancing over at him. There was a soft, gentle smile spreading his lips, and every so often, he snuck a glance over.
Harry let out a shaky breath after the first time he looked over and grabbed his hand to properly hold.
"Y'alright, love?"
Harry's stomach fluttered with butterflies at the endearment. "Bit nervous, if I'm being honest."
Louis made a face as he brought their hands to his mouth, lightly kissing across his knuckles. "What on bloody earth are you nervous for?"
Harry sucked in a breath as he watched them pull in front of a home. It must be his. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" He blurted out, leg bouncing again.
The front of Louis' house looked like a traditional family home. The outside was coated in a lovely brick, white picket fence all around, and solid, black roof paneling. There were children's bicycles laying out by the garage and decorative chalk drawings on the driveway. In front of the porch, there was a garden of lovely flowers and bushes. Some worn-out gloves were hanging on the porch railing, and movement was going on inside the windows.
It was so surreal that they were in this position. Louis' home looked so warm and cozy. His whole life was here at this place, and Harry was about to take a step into it. All these months, he had been hoping for this moment to come. But now that it was here, it suddenly felt wrong. It did not feel right. One moment the two of them were arguing and struggling through their relationship. Then the next, he was about to be by Louis' side when he told his mother about them. There were so many mixed emotions going on, and he didn't know what to do with himself.
He didn't want to think he pressured Louis into doing this for him. This wasn't necessarily what he wanted for their relationship to work. There were so many other things that he would have pushed for instead of this. Now he was feeling guilty that the only reason Louis invited him over was because he thought this was what he wanted. Gosh. His anxiety was on overdrive.
"I don't want you to do this because of me," Harry added, swallowing his nerves, glancing at the house again. "It's not – this isn't about me," he continued as glanced over at him, panic rising.
Louis smiled. "Darling, I promise you that I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't think it was the right time."
"Are you sure?" He was wary. "I mean ... I don't need this for us. I just need us to be good to each other. If you're not ready, it's not going to push me away. I promise."
Louis grabbed both of Harry's hands and pulled them towards his chest. "Can I tell you something?"
He nodded his head slowly.
"A couple years ago, right before Hannah and I broke up, I was ready to tell my mum," Louis admitted, and Harry swallowed nervously. "I mean – I always had a feeling that I was into guys, but seeing you at the party and then again at the game really convinced me. I couldn't stop thinking about you. I was insanely infatuated. Really. Hannah and I were already crashing into the relationship. I kind of pulled away from her during the summer because I knew something was missing. I couldn't pinpoint it, but when I saw you at the party, Harry, I felt everything that I was missing."
It was still so different hearing Louis talk about him like this. Two years ago, and their relationship could have been totally different. Two years ago, if Harry had noticed him at the party, they could have met. Things would be different between them. Two years ago, and one moment could have changed the entirety of their story.
"My point is – I was ready to tell my mum then. I had it all planned out. I accepted it. I didn't care about what others thought. I was going to tell her and probably everyone. I was even going to break up with Hannah. I really was." Louis then sucked in a breath. "Then she found out she was sick, and not too long after, I caught Hannah and Reid together. It really is all timing."
"You were going to tell your mum?" He asked under his breath.
Louis nodded, a sad tilt to his lips. "I was, but things change, you know? It didn't seem important anymore, and I was terrified to tell her. She had other things to worry about, and I never wanted that bombshell to drop on her. I knew I would tell her no matter what, but I had to wait for the right time."
Time. It really was all about timing.
"Kind of like us?" Harry whispered with a smile. "Two years ago wasn't our time."
"Not even two months ago." Louis winked.
Harry leaned over the console, getting closer, eyes twinkling. "I think it's our time now."
"Do you trust me?"
Harry nodded.
"Do you believe me when I say that I want to do this for me?"
Harry nodded his head again.
"Good." Louis smiled, reaching up to caress the side of his face. "Because I'm ready. I don't want to hide anymore."
A wide smile broke out on Harry's face, and he leaned in to kiss him. After they pulled apart, the two of them finally got out of the car. Louis led them up the stairs of the front porch and then to the door. He had a gentle hand on Harry's lower back as he slowly dragged them through the doorway.
Once they were inside, Harry felt his muscles tensing again. The house was pretty quiet, aside from the low thrum of the television in the living room. Only the light in the hallway was on, and the fireplace near the TV was lit. It was getting relatively late into the evening, so he assumed that the younger ones were already in bed. As they traveled further into the house, Louis moved his hand from his back to lace their fingers together. Right before they turned into the main room of the living area, Harry squeezed his hand tightly, sucking in a deep breath until he came into view of Louis' mom.
"Hi, mum. I'm home."
Harry felt his heart beating rapidly in his chest when the woman on the couch turned her head, a warm, gentle smile spreading her lips. One of Louis' younger siblings, whom he remembered to be Fizzy, was lying on the couch. Her head was resting on a pillow on top of his mother's lap, her fingers idly brushing through Fizzy's long, brown hair. She was currently asleep, curled up on the couch with her feet pressing against the armrest.
The television had a movie playing, but she turned down the volume at her son's appearance. She didn't even bat an eyelash when Louis showed up with a boy next to him. Not even a subtle glance down at the way their hands were tightly locked together. It seemed like Harry was more nervous at this moment than everyone in the room, and he wasn't even planning on saying anything at all tonight.
"Did you win tonight?" she asked.
"We did. I played a little bit of the first half, but Coach wanted the starters to rest the majority of the game."
His mother hummed thoughtfully. "Smart to save you guys before playoffs." Her eyes flicked over to Harry, and momentarily his heart dropped. "Hi, sweetie. I don't think I met you before."
Louis bit his lip as he stepped closer into the room, heading towards the opposite couch to the one she was sitting on. "Right. This is Harry."
Harry smiled and lifted his free hand, waving. "Hello. I'm, Harry," he repeated, mentally cursing himself for being so awkward. "It's lovely to meet you."
They were still holding hands, and she still did not look bothered. This was a bloody miracle. Louis squeezed his hand a little tighter. He must have noticed too.
"I'm Jay. It's nice to meet you as well. You're very handsome."
Harry blushed and looked at Louis. He winked at him before glancing at his mother again. "Is everyone asleep already?"
"Fizzy dozed off about halfway through the film." Jay looked down at her daughter and smiled. "The twins were put down not too long ago, and I think Lottie is in her room."
"Lottie is here?" Louis wondered, slightly off-topic of where this conversation was supposed to go. "On a Friday night?"
"She had a date earlier."
Louis' eyebrows shot up. "Excuse me?"
Jay laughed. "She's allowed to date."
"Not on my watch."
Harry squeezed Louis' hand and knocked their knees together. He hoped that reminded him to get on track.
"How do you think I felt when my first baby started dating? I had to get over it," Jay teased.
Louis rolled his eyes and slumped against the cushion. "She's like twelve."
Harry understood what was going on now. He was stalling.
"She's fifteen, boo," Jay reminded with a smile, eyes wandering. There was a brief glance to Harry's lap where their hands were sandwiched together, and then she was looking back at her son. "What's going on, bug?"
Louis frowned. "How do you know something is going on?"
"You're talking too much."
Harry snorted at the answer, and Louis elbowed him in the side.
"Lou," she warned, eyebrow raised. "On with it."
Louis sucked in a breath. "Right." He glanced at Harry for a split second, almost as a confidence boost, and focused back on his mum. "I do have something I wanted to tell you ... or talk to you about."
"Of course. You can tell me anything," she responded with an encouraging smile.
"You know Harry – " he pointed to him. Harry smiled once again but omitted the wave this time. Jay smiled in return. – "Right, so he's kind of my b ...boyfriend."
Jay raised both eyebrows. "Boyfriend?"
"Yes." Louis let out a deep breath.
"For how long?"
Louis made a face, glancing at Harry for an answer. He shrugged.
"It's complicated," he settled with, laughing nervously. "But I do like him a lot – love him, actually. I love him, and I know that he's a boy – "
Harry nearly choked on his breath. He didn't think he could ever get over hearing those three words.
"Louis William," Jay interrupted, still such a gentle tone. "Do you think it matters to me that you're with a boy?"
Louis scrunched his nose and shrugged helplessly. "I ... don't think so?" she rolled her eyes. "I mean, I've only been with girls. I've never told you that I could potentially like boys. So I didn't know."
"Let me ask you something," she followed up with. Harry could feel as he tensed. "Does he make you happy?"
Louis furrowed his eyebrows together. "Yes."
"Does he treat you right?"
"Yes," he answered slowly, unsure where this was going.
"Do you treat him right?"
"Working on it."
"Do you see a future with him?"
Louis swallowed. "Yes."
Harry's heart was racing.
"Does he support you?"
"Yes."
Jay leaned back against the couch with an exasperated sigh coming out. "Then what do I have to worry about? If you are with a boy who makes you happy, treats you right, loves you, and has a future with you, then there is nothing more I can ask for. It doesn't matter to me who's holding your hand as long as that person is perfect for my baby."
"He is." Louis smiled widely.
Harry finally felt like he could breathe again, and he's only said like ten words since he got there. He had no idea how Louis was functioning right now.
After the two of them spent the next half hour sitting in the living room with Jay, they resorted up the stairs to Louis' room. There was leftover pizza still in the kitchen they were able to eat. At the same time, they finished out the rest of the movie his mother was watching, but she could barely keep her eyes open by the time the credits rolled in. Louis kissed Jay goodnight and stood off to the side while she gently shook Fizzy awake.
Louis led the two of them down the hallway of the second floor of his house. His room was down at the end, and he made sure they passed his other sister's doors quietly. Once they made it safely inside his room with minimal noise, he shut the door behind them and walked over to sit on the edge of his bed. Harry took a moment to look around and admire everything in the room. It was his first time being here, and he never pictured what it might look like.
The walls were gray, covered in different bands and football posters. There were red curtains over the windows, drawn shut, and it matched the color comforter Louis had on his bed. Football gear was scattered across the floor, and a big pile of his practice and game clothes were tossed near the closet door. The desk next to the bathroom door was piled with different folders and journals scattered across the top messily.
The room was simple. It was simple and perfectly Louis.
"Do you want to stay the night?"
Harry turned at the sound of his voice, smiling when he caught sight of a framed photo of him and his mother on the nightstand. "It's almost midnight. I figured I would at this point."
Louis rolled his eyes. "Don't get sassy with me."
"Can I borrow clothes to sleep in?"
Louis nodded as he stood from the bed. He walked over to the dresser and pulled out bottoms and a top for him to sleep in for the night and then some for himself. Once changed, he settled down on the right side of the mattress and slid under the covers, smiling as he watched Harry standing awkwardly near the bathroom door, looking unsure of where to go.
"You going to join, love?" he teased.
Harry giggled nervously. He didn't know why he was acting so weird. They have shared beds plenty of times.
The two of them got settled once Harry curled in on the left side. Louis flicked off the lamp on his nightstand and rested comfortably on his back. His arm was wrapped around his waist as he tucked him against his side. Harry's head rested warmly on top of Louis' chest, his leg slinging over his hip so that every part of them was cuddled in close. Before they dozed off, they shared one last kiss before turning their heads away to sleep.
On the other hand, Harry could not fall asleep. His mind was racing a mile a minute, and no ounce of his body felt tired. There was just so much that happened tonight – that happened within the past week, and he never imagined himself to end the week by laying in Louis' bed. When he woke up just that morning and got to school, the possibility of going to Louis's home and meeting his mother as his boyfriend never crossed his mind.
After all of that, there was no way Harry could fall asleep now. It took what seemed like half an hour before he was getting anxious with the eery silence of the room.
"Louis?" He whispered out loud, hoping the boy wasn't too far dozed off for him.
Louis grunted in response, a tired tilt to his tone. He didn't move from his position.
"Are you awake?"
He let out a deep breath and turned his head on the pillow, cracking his eyes open to peak. "I can be," he grumbled sleepily.
"Can I ask you something?"
Louis opened his eyes a little more. "Is this what's been troubling you since we laid down?"
"What?" Harry scoffed, rising up on his elbows. "How do you know?"
Louis smiled as he reached to caress the side of his cheek. "You underestimate how much I pay attention to you." Harry pursed his lips. "I can practically hear your mind going right now. What's troubling you?"
"Nothing's troubling me," he admitted, laying back down against Louis' side.
"It's keeping you from falling asleep."
"I've been thinking." Louis grunted in response. "You just came out to your mum."
Louis raised an eyebrow. "I did. You already forgot?"
"No. No, that's not my point." Harry let out a breath and tightened his fingers around his shirt. "I mean – you came out to your mum. You stood up for me at school. You're holding my hand in public. You're calling me your boyfriend. You invited me into your home."
"Is that ... is that okay?"
"It's more than okay." Harry rose up on his elbow again, now hovering over him. When he noticed the slight furrowed look on his face, he smiled gently and reached down to smooth out the frown lines on his forehead. "I just wanted to know what changed for you. Not too long ago, you didn't seem to want any of that with me."
"I guess I got scared of losing you."
Harry blinked.
"I felt you slipping through my fingers every single day, and it fucking sucked because you didn't even know how I truly felt about you. I wanted you to know, and then when you did know, none of it seemed so scary anymore." Louis reached for Harry's hand that was resting on his stomach. "I couldn't stand the thought of you being with anyone else. I kept trying to push you away – push us away – and when I saw that it was working, I realized it wasn't what I wanted."
"I don't think you could have ever really pushed me away."
Louis chuckled. "I know I don't deserve another chance – "
"That's not your decision to make-" Harry interrupted.
"I don't deserve it, though," Louis corrected. He moved his hand to the side of Harry's head and curled his fingers into his hair. "But leading up to Prom, I was getting closer and closer to my breaking point. I think seeing you show up with Nick and dancing with him really set me off. I saw you with someone else, and all I could think about was how that should be me. I wanted it to be me. If I was going to lose you to him or anyone else, then I needed you to know how I felt. Despite all the shit I was going through, it was all real for me, even if it didn't seem like it at times."
Harry's stomach fluttered. "It was real for me, too."
"I know we have a lot of shit we need to work through, but I'm all in. I'm not scared anymore."
"I've been waiting so long to hear that."
Louis smiled as he trailed his fingers down the curve of Harry's jaw to then bop him on the tip of his nose. "I know, love. I promise I'm going to make it all up to you."
"Promise?" He giggled, leaning closer, hovering above his lips.
And Louis sealed his answer with a kiss.
//
Yaaaaaay! See told you that they would eventually figure their shit out. Who's relieved? Meeeeeeee