Hate That I Love You

Chapter 36

There had been silence for about ten minutes in the living room of the Tomlinson mansion.

Harry was standing still playing with his fingers, with his head strictly down and the eyes of eight people focused on him, while Louis continued to look just worried at his father.

"Er," Louis began, clearing his throat. "Here, I'd like to introduce you to Harry, my new ..." Louis turned hesitantly to Harry, looking at him for help. "What are you?" he asked him.

"Special friend?" he proposed to him.

"God, Styles, without any imagination" he rolled his eyes. "Boy" he finally decided to say. "Harry is my boyfriend, not entirely official, but we've spent the last six, seven months secretly meeting each other, so let's say we got through the first phase."

The children continued to look at the faces of those present intrigued, Lottie smiled, proud of her brother, Fizzie wrinkled her nose at his revelation, Johanna had her eyes on her husband and Mark completely petrified by his words.

"Is this a joke?" the man asked.

"Er." Louis slowly grabbed Harry's hand, intertwining their fingers. "Not exactly."

"Louis William Tomlinson," roared his father, rising from the sofa he was sitting on. "Can I speak to you privately?" he asked him.

"Nah" he wrinkled his nose. "I need witnesses in case you kill me."

"Louis. Kitchen. Now," he ordered.

"Dad" Louis shook his head. "Anything you want to tell me, you can say it even in front of Harry."

Mark slowly blanched. "Are you sure?" he asked him.

"One hundred percent," he nodded.

"Good," he narrowed his eyes. "I guess this is not part of the plan to keep the Styles from getting the noble title," he said.

"Plan?" Harry frowned.

"Well, I never actually had any plans." He bit his lip.

"Plan?" Harry repeated.

"No plan?" Mark blinked.

"What a damned plan!" exclaimed the curly haired boy.

"No plans," Louis reassured him. "Look, after the photos, to reassure my father I told him I was doing it to ruin your marriage, that's it."

"What?" the curly haired boy widened his eyes.

"Don't be mad," Louis calmed him. "I-I didn't know how to tell him, that's it" he muttered.

"Tell me what?" Mark interjected. "What are you making the Styles fool you?!" he got angry. "What are you questioning all my esteem for you just for a little crush? Is that what you couldn't tell me?" he screamed.

"It's not a crush!" Louis exclaimed. "I love him, dad!" he said, emphatically. "I love him," he sighed as Harry squeezed his hand tightly. "And, well, I've always been in love with him, ever since I was little. Lottie and Niall are witnesses."

"I confirm," Lottie interjected. "He has been bothering us for years, because he followed his every move on the gossip. And the only plan that existed here in between was to try to conquer him."

"It was a plan that only you did." He rolled his eyes.

"Well, in my defense I was bored hearing you talk about him so often. You looked like one of those die hard One Direction fans!"

"Stalker," Harry chuckled, making Louis even more embarrassed.

"Thanks for embarrassing me, Lots," he muttered. "But anyway, Dad, I'm sorry," he said, turning serious again. "But you can't ask me to leave him."

"It could be Des's tactic to sneak into our company!" Mark said. "They might be using your feelings for this guy against us!"

"Actually," Harry began, a little embarrassed. "Look, my father has every intention of disinheriting me for what I'm doing, so I highly doubt it."

"How can we be ..." Mark's words were interrupted by his wife who immediately jumped into the air.

"Oh, love!" exclaimed the woman approaching the curly haired boy. "Did your father do this? How can he even think of trying to thwart such a young love!" She said, hugging him intrusively. "Come here, honey. You must be shocked," she affirmed softly, accompanying him to the sofa and forcing him to sit down. "A father should never, ever stop his son from being with someone he loves!" Johanna looked at Mark, raising an eyebrow. "Right, Mark?" she asked sternly.

Mark folded his arms. "Okay," he grumbled.

"So, honey, how are you?" the woman asked apprehensively.

"Umm," said Harry, his cheeks slightly red. "I'm a little confused and scared," he replied. "Well, I think."

"Louis!" the woman exclaimed. "Go buy some desserts for Harry, we could make him feel better."

"Desserts?" asked the puzzled boy.

"Sweets always cheer someone up," the woman explained.

"I don't think Harry needs it," he shrugged.

"Louis!" the woman protested. "Where are the true gentlemen of yesteryear!" she complained.

"Don't worry ma'am," Harry smiled. "No need, your son was very close to me even without sweets."

"He should fill you with gifts!" the woman exclaimed.

And, while the rest of his family began to converse cheerfully with Harry, Louis, dejected, approached his father who still had his arms crossed and observed the situation with skepticism.

"I'm sorry," Louis muttered.

"You love him?" he asked immediately.

"Yes, Dad. A lot," he nodded.

"And are you sure it's worth it?"

"No, I'm not sure," he shrugged. "Maybe we are making a mistake, we are risking losing the trust of our families for a story that will not last long. But, in short, the fact that we are willing to take risks means something already, doesn't it?"

Mark nodded. "I hope you're not wrong," he said. "But if you're happy, I'm happy too," he said, smiling slightly. "And then," he continued with a shrug. "At least he's a handsome boy, very intelligent, certainly more than you."

"Hey!" Louis protested.

"And the press will talk about you all your life," he chuckled. "Anyway, it shows that it doesn't matter what blood you have," he said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You are a Tomlinson in all respects. We fight for love even at the cost of messing up" he smiled. "Look at our ancestor, he just started a war for one woman."

"And maybe, his descendant could put an end to this senseless fight," he offered with a smile.

"No," Mark shook his head, wrinkling his nose, "Not while Des and I are running the company."

Louis laughed. "Okay. Just let me hang out with Harry as much as I want." He shrugged.

"If he makes you happy," Mark nodded.

Louis looked over at Harry who, at that moment, had taken Ernest on his knee and was making him jump a little. Just then, the curly haired boy decided to raise his eyes to Louis. As soon as he saw that he was looking at him, Harry smiled.

"Yes," Louis nodded, responding to his smile. "He makes me happy."