Harry thought that maybe he was all too quick to forgive Louis for everything. To be frank, he was pretty fucking tired of dealing with Louis' bullshit. There were so many mixed signals coming from that boy that it was driving Harry absolutely mad. One minute Louis would be knocking into the younger boy, holding his hand, and calling him 'love' but then the next minute it was as though Louis didn't know him.
Harry just didn't understand.
Maybe because he didn't really have friends, aside from his mum and sister, but it seemed as though Louis was only embarrassed by Harry in front of the football players. They always seemed to be involved with whatever excuse Louis would come up with for why he had treated Harry like shit that day.
But this was it.
Harry wasn't going to stand for this anymore. Now on any other day, Harry wouldn't be nearly this forward with his thoughts and emotions but perhaps the conversation he had had with his sister the night before was contributing to his brooding anger.
"What's wrong?" Gemma had said the night before, on their weekly skype call, annoyed that her brother had been so distracted all evening.
"It's just..." Harry hesitated. He assumed his sister knew he was gay but it had never come up in conversation and Harry was reluctant to talk about anything like that with any member of his family. It was just too personal. "There's this, uh, person I like... And they-they're kinda confusing me?"
Harry glanced at his computer screen to see Gemma with her face slightly scrunched up, clearly thinking. She pursed her lips for a moment, looking away from the screen before making eye contact with Harry. "What are they doing?"
Harry hesitated again, "They, um, they'll like, hold my hand and stand really close and call me love. But then in front of his friends, he'll act like he doesn't know me."
"He," Gemma stated clearly, looking for a reaction from Harry, but only being met with the boy looking at his keyboard, "He sounds like he needs to make a choice."
With that, Harry looked up.
"He needs to decide whether or not you're worth it..." Gemma trailed off. "I don't get it completely, obviously, the whole 'coming out' thing, but you want to be with him, yeah?"
Harry gave a shaky nod. He had just revealed his biggest secret to his sister. Not necessarily about him liking Louis, but about him liking boys in general.
"Then this kid needs to man the fuck up and decide what's more important, you, or any ignorant friends he may have."
So that day at lunch, while sitting in the library, he texted Louis:
Harry: after school?
Louis: i've got footie , after ?
Louis: i can meet you at your house
Harry: k
Louis: everything alright love ?
Harry: ya
Louis: ...
Louis: you need anything ? i can stop somewhere on my way
Harry: it's okay
Louis: okay
And Harry just left it at that.
----
Harry was sitting at his desk, doing his math homework when he heard his phone buzz.
Louis: i'm outside
Harry: don't ring the bell, i'll come get you
However, before Harry got the chance to press send, he heard the bell ring, causing him to jump out of his chair and rush down the stairs. It was a Friday, meaning his mother worked from home and he really wanted to avoid interaction between her and Louis as much as possible, especially given the fact that Harry didn't think they would be friends anymore after today.
Harry rushed down the stairs but just as he reached the bottom he heard the sound of Louis and his mother. He rounded the corner to see the two of them both there, grins on their faces.
Harry couldn't help but inwardly roll his eyes. Louis Tomlinson was so fucking charming.
"Harry, why didn't you tell me Louis was coming over?" His mother said to him with a smile as Louis slipped off his shoes. He was in a school hoodie, presumably just slipped over his footie uniform given that he was in gym shorts and high socks.
"Ya Harry, why didn't you tell her I was coming over?" Louis said in a pretend mocking voice, eyes bright. Harry couldn't help the small smile that rose to his face. Again, so fucking charming.
"Sorry mum, we'll just be in my room."
"Alright. Louis, will you be staying for dinner?" Harry's mum asked. Louis turned to look at Harry, but the younger boy gave him a shrug.
"Mmm not sure yet, Anne, I'll let you know?"
"Of course, love," Harry's mum said with a smile, "You two run along now."
Harry reached for Louis, taking hold of his wrist to lead him up the stairs and into his bedroom. Harry took a seat back onto his desk chair as he had been before while Louis took a seat on the bed.
Now as much as Harry wanted to yell at Louis, or at least scold him, about how he keeps leading Harry this way and that, all of the anger he had felt the night before, and even that morning, had drifted away. All he could focus on now was the way that Louis' fringe was falling into his eyes and the way that the sleeves of his sweater came to cover the palm's of his hands.
So instead of scolding him, Harry just took a deep breath and looked down at his lap where he was lightly scratching his palm, a habit he had developed over the years.
"H, love," Louis said softly, "What's up."
Harry just shrugged again, keeping his eyes trained on his carpet. That is until he felt his chair begin to move. Harry looked up to see Louis had stretched his feet out to the chair and was now slowing pulling it so it rested right next to the bed. So then they were face to face. And all Harry could think? Fuck. Fuck this fucking charming boy.
When the chair stopped moving, Louis pulled his legs up onto the bed so they were both sitting cross legged, one on the bed, and one on the chair. They both just stared at each other, neither one really knowing what to say.
"I'm sorry," Louis said softly, he had been leaning back on his hands but he moved so his hands were in front of him and he was sitting up straight.
"For what?" Harry whispered. He was almost certain Louis didn't even know.
"For whatever reason it is you're mad at me, H," Louis whispered back, "You're my best friend, I don't want you to be mad at me."
"That's exactly why I'm mad."
"You're confusing me, love," Louis said, a hint of a smile in his voice that didn't dare reach his face.
"That's what I'm talking about Louis!" Harry exclaimed. "You're confusing me too! You call me love and you hold my hand but then you say I'm your best friend. A-And you never talk to me in front of your footie friends which is fine but then you cuddle with me all weekend and for fuck's sake Lou, what's going on?"
Louis looked into the green eyes in front of him as if searching for an answer to a question that wasn't asked. They both just sat in silence once again.
"Louis, what do you have to say?" Harry was fed up with his shit.
Louis opened his mouth to talk but then closed it right after and, instead, leaned into the boy in front of him, so their faces were but inches apart.
"Harry, I really like you and I know you like me too." Harry nodded at the older boy's words. "I'm just scared," Louis said, his voice breaking on the last word.
Harry nodded again and leaned towards the other boy so their faces were even closer and his hands rested on Louis' cheeks. Louis moved too, placing his hands on Harry's thighs.
"This is okay?" The older boy said, his voice barely a whisper.
Harry nodded as Louis finally closed the gap between them, slowly bringing their lips together. Harry absolutely relished in the feel of Louis' lips against his. They were just so soft and almost felt as if they were meant to be there. Louis kept their lips pressed together for a good 10 seconds before pulling away.
"Okay?" Louis asked again.
Harry just answered by leaning forward and pressing their lips together again.
-----
This is the final chapter of part 1, where they fall
part two will continue from here in the coming days, where they fall in love