BLUSHING//L.S.

Chapter XX

When the sun started to spill in the room, covering every surface with a honey-like colour, Harry opened his eyes slowly, trying to get accustomed to the feeling. He could still feel dried tears on his cheeks: he had been crying for what felt like hours, listening to Louis' story. He couldn't stop seeing the fear and the pain hidden in the older boy's blue eyes. And now, with these new knowledges that were eating up his beating heart, Harry was able to understand much more. Suddenly all of Louis' sharp behaviours made sense.

But there was something else that was different that morning: for the first time Harry didn't wake up to an empty bed. Louis was lying next to him, mouth slightly parted and still fast asleep. The little boy tried to breath as quietly as he could, while admiring him with a feeling he couldn't name. He observed every feature closely, paying special attention to his lips and the way that the sunlight hit his skin so sweetly, making him glow with beauty.

Harry knew that it was already eight and he should have woken Louis up, since their lessons were just a few minutes away, but he couldn't. There was something about the heat that came from the older boy's chest pressed against him and the way he could feel him arm around his own waist, that was just preventing him from moving at all. And he knew that eventually Louis would wake up and the magic spell that was upon them would break.

-You're staring – he heard Louis say after a few minutes, blushing at his words.

-Good morning...- he whispered, green eyes meeting blue. Louis didn't answer, but he did take his time to stare at Harry as well: he would never admit it but that was the best he ever slept in the last few months.

-How do you feel? - the little boy shily asked. Louis shifted uncomfortably, knowing full well he wasn't in the mood to talk about his feeling again. But something about Harry's voice and his eyes full of hope and a spark that he had lost long ago, stopped him from being rude.

-Weird... what about you? -.

Harry felt a little disappointed at the choice of words but tried to ignore the feeling.

-Same...-

-We should get up and go to our lessons..- Louis stated, looking at the time on his phone.

-Indeed, we should...- was all that the little boy said back. But none of them moved a single inch. Instead, they both closed their eyes, fearing that once out of the room everything would be over. Louis would be again living with fear and shame constantly at the pit of his stomach and Harry would go back to begging for the smallest crumb of attention from him.

-Look...- Louis started saying, lifting Harry's chin up with his fingers –Why don't we just skip school for today? My father is already going to kill me when I get home, I don't think things can possibly get worse than this... -.

Harry felt sadness wash over him as he heard the words. He wanted to be with Louis, he needed to be with him more than he needed to breath in that moment. But the fact that Louis would be in danger just could pass by to him. He didn't want Louis to get beaten just so they could spend some time together.

-I don't know Lou, maybe we should go... -- Louis felt rejected at the words, but tried to play it cool anyway.

-Oh c'mon baby...- he insisted. Soon his hand was on Harry's chest, caressing him slowly. -Just think about what we could do here...- he kept whispering in his ear, sending chills down the curly boy's spine. -What I could do to you, using that pretty and dirty mouth you have...- .

Harry felt himself getting hard and before he could even try to say no, he found himself pressing his lips into Louis'.