❝IS THIS IT?❞
-Double Update-
By the time Louis gets home he knows his mum and Lottie will be working. He will only have to sneak his beaten face past Harry, which most likely will be the hardest of them all.
The television in the lounge is going and Louis curses mentally, pressing his forehead against the door.
"You're home early," Harry says from behind him and Louis gasps a little, keeping his body turned away.
"Can you leave me alone?" Louis whimpers, not wanting Harry to see him like this.
"No... Lou, look at me," Harry speaks softly, his hand moving to Louis' arm. "Please don't be mad at me."
"I can't look at you," Louis rasps out and sniffles. "Just let me go upstairs." Louis pleads, his cheek aching and lip pulsing.
Harry gently tugs on Louis' arm to turn him around. He gasps and chokes on nothing when seeing Louis' face. "Baby, what happened?" He panics, cold hand softly touching Louis' cheek.
"Nothing," Louis hisses at the contact, shrugging a little. "I fell," he lies, cowering when Harry's face hardens and his jaw clenches.
"Who did this to you?" Harry grits out, taking one of Louis' hands in his own. He waits for an answer, that doesn't come. "I need to clean your lip up and get some ice on your cheek... I'll deal with who did this later. Come, darling."
Louis shakes his head, screwing his eyes shut. "It was my boss, Harry. It was punishment for not showing up yesterday... You can't do anything. You'll get me fired."
"And that is a bad thing?" Harry scoffs. "I'm going to kill him. How dare he lay a hand on you?!"
"Haz," Louis sobs, wrapping his arms around the man, taking Harry by surprise. "I don't know what to do anymore..."
"What do you mean?" Harry crouches down and picks Louis up with ease, allowing the boy to cry against his shirt. "Tell me what you are thinking about and we can work this out together."
Louis feels himself be set down on the couch and he feels Harry's lips against his forhead, followed by a soft murmur of, "I'll be right back, love."
The small boy waits for a second, his eyes growing tired. The day was too dramarous for him, much too painful.
Harry comes back into the room with a small, green first aid kit held in his hand. He carefully sits in front of Louis, gently resting his hand on the boys thigh, notifying the half asleep boy he is there.
Louis takes a deep breath in and gives Harry a lopsided smile, licking over his split lip to try and ease the pain.
Harry places the bag next to him and unzips it, looking for the stuff to put on Louis' cut so it doesn't get an infection.
He finally finds it and dips a cotton bud into it, glancing wearily at the boy. "It'll sting for a bit... But not for long, I promise." Harry stands and leans over until his face is close to Louis'. He gently presses it against Louis' lip, moving to grab the boys hand when he whimpers. "It is okay."
Harry finishes up and packs up. He goes to the kitchen to grab a small icepack from the freezer, he puts the cover on it and takes it to Louis, passing it to the boy who presses it against his cheek.
Harry sits down besides him, pressing a kiss to Louis' temple. "Talk to me, Lou. What is on your mind?"
"Too much," Louis mumbles. "I know you're going back to Lottie. You're a good person, so I know you'll want the best for the baby..."
"She does want me back," Harry whispers. "And I'd be lying if I said I don't miss her," he says, swallowing thickly. "I miss the old Lottie, high school Lottie."
Louis' hand drops to his lap, the ice pack still held tightly in it. "She isn't her anymore..."
"I know that, Lou, trust me," Harry sighs sadly. "I have feelings for you, Louis. Like really strong ones-"
"I have feelings for you too," Louis tells him hopeful.
"But at the end of the day... You're sixteen and I've got a baby on the way with your sister. I don't see how we can work this mess out, Lou."
"Oh," Louis nods. "I understand..."
"You're still my best friend though, my little brother. I just-I think this is for the best. Maybe one day we can be something but at the moment I think it'd be too complicated."
Do you think Harry is making the right decision?