Each To Their Own (Larry Stylinson) *COMPLETE*

Chapter Seven

The best thing about Harry is that he forgives and forgets. He doesn’t bring up past meetings if the conversation would turn awkward, he is just forgiving, and not many people can say they have such an easy-going nature that Harry possesses. So that’s why when Louis felt a tap on the shoulder while he was drinking his Yorkshire tea in the same café that Harry and Louis first became properly acquainted, he was surprised to see the culprit. Harry. Harry gave a cheeky grin and plonked into the chair opposite Louis, putting his own warm beverage onto the coffee table, the liquid sloshing slightly inside the cup.

“Anybody sitting here?” Harry asked, despite already sitting down. He leaned back further into the chair, placing his hands behind his head and giving Louis a toothy grin, showing off a new lip piercing. Louis squinted his eyes so he could gather more detail about the jewel, it was a dark purple diamond, glinting if the light caught contact with it, making it look even the more attractive, Louis wondered would it feel nice to kiss him with, the coolness of the gem stone pressed up close to his lips, digging into his delicate skin….wait, what? Louis really shouldn’t be thinking about this, like really, he shouldn’t. He thought he had blanked out all these thoughts from his brain as he was walking up the stairs at Harry’s house, obviously not, maybe the little ‘moment’ with Harry had re-jogged his memory of his past feelings, however much he wanted to or not. Realizing he was a little bit late to answer, he looked back at Harry who was glancing around the room, his eyes skating across every surface, obviously not taking the time to wait for a response. Stating the obvious, but really wanting to know he story behind it, Louis said,

“You’ve got a new piercing” he said. As much as he loved all the metal and extra studs, he would have also loved to see Harry without them on, out of mild curiosity.

“So I have” Harry shrugged, not giving anything away.

“Why did you get it, surely you have enough?” Louis questioned, wanting the absolute maximum information out of Harry, he didn’t really know why he was so interested, but there was no time to think of an answer whilst he was interrogating Harry.

“Because I felt like it?” Harry, said almost as if it was a question and seeking the approval of none other than gothic, Louis Tomlinson from school.  Louis leaned back from the scrutiny of Harry waiting for his ever so much appreciated response; he rolled his eyes and said,

“But why did you get it? What does it mean? Why do you ruin your face like that?” Harry visibly winced at Louis’ remark about his face, it was not as if he was vain or anything, it was just he was seeking solace from Louis, and a comment like that from Louis cut his search short. Louis saw Harry’s reaction and quickly set it straight, “No! Not like that! I was just thinking that you would look really pretty without them, speaking as a friend to friend, of course?” Louis said, biting his lip hopeful that Harry would accept the term and at least be able to class them as ‘friends’ after inviting him to his house. Harry looked down sheepishly and nodded,

“You don’t like them?” he asked, his eyes trailing up Louis’ body and looking into his eyes with such innocence that he would never expect to see from the bad boy punk.

“Yeah, I love them, I just wonder what you would look like without them” Louis said, not really knowing what Harry was thinking at this stage as his face was emotionless except from the still slight glint of innocence twinkling in the dazzling green orbs.

“Sometimes I wonder what you would look like without eyeliner on and that white powder that you put on and think nobody notices” Harry said lightly, not trying to make Louis feel uncomfortable.

The two boys tiptoe around each other far too much; it would help them both if they just told each other, out straight, what they were thinking.

Harry sighed at Louis’ expectant gaze and replied, “Makes me appear tougher, scares people into not messing me around like they used to” Harry said, his line of sight yet again dropping into his lap making Louis want to hook a finger under his chin and make their eyes meet, making sure that Harry knew that he had no reason what so ever to feel insecure around Louis, or anyone really, but he didn’t, maybe that would weird it out a little bit too much than usual. Picking up onto the vague answer, Louis questioned,

“Used to?”

Nodding, Harry explained:

“When I was younger, much younger, I was bullied a lot, quite badly, not the ‘steal your dinner money and call you names when the teacher isn’t looking’ type, but the ‘I’ll push you up against the lockers and beat the shit out of you’ type”, Louis shuddered at the curse word but let Harry continue, knowing this was not the time to bring it up when he was pouring his heart out like this, “So I thought if I changed my appearance, got a few more tattoos, it would help me gain popularity and stop people from pushing me around, and so far its worked” he said, not looking up at Louis at all. The Christian boy was speechless, he literally didn’t know what to say, so he said the most stupid thing he could have ever chosen,

“You shouldn’t swear, God doesn’t like it” even after knowing and accepting that this was not the time, e still said it, so let’s face it, Louis really had no social skills. Harry gave a started laugh, looking at Louis for the first time in the first few minutes,

“I’ve just told you I used to get bullied, me, Harry Styles, used to get bullied, and that’s all you can say?” he asked, in text it sounds self-absorbed, but in real life everyone knows that Harry was just as insecure as any other normal person, “You are one weird kid, Louis” he chuckled, actually keeping his eye contact he was containing with Louis.  Louis really didn’t know whether to take that as a compliment or as a mean comment, but he decided for the first as Harry didn’t say it in a nasty tone. Harry’s phone buzzed in his pocket before Louis had a chance to reply, Harry fished around in the denim and pulled the tablet out, checking the obvious text screen and stood up, draining the rest of his cup of the fluid.

“I gotta go now, see you later mate” Harry said, ruffling Louis’ hair as he departed. Louis slumped into his seat as he heard the doorbell ring as Harry walked out, Louis was slightly upset at Harry’s sudden abandonment, he really had wanted to ask more questions, but they could wait.