Until they tear us apart. | l.s.

44

With shaky legs Harry approached Louis until he was standing next to him, staring at the side of his face who didn't move a muscle until now although he could sense his presence before he even made the last step. He slowly turned his head until their eyes locked and for a second Harry could see something flashing through his eyes before it was gone and he sat up properly.

"What do you want to talk about?" He asked apathetically. "Can we make this quick? I have to leave soon."

"Y-yeah, sure." Harry stammered and eyed the bench, contemplating to sit down as well, but when he noticed Louis' tense posture he decided against it eventually and crossed his legs nervously, fiddling with his ice cold hands in front of him.

"So?" Louis asked expectantly and quirked an eyebrow at him, to not let Harry see how troubled he was.

"Yeah, r-right...s-so..." Harry stuttered, feeling initimidated by Louis' stare, not even to start with that he had no idea what he should even say.

"Harry, why are we here?" Louis sighed and got up when Harry didn't make an attempt to form a proper sentence and he knew he wasted his time here after he had overcome himself to even send him a simple text. "I'm sorry, but I really have to go." He muttered and passed him about to leave, but he should've known this wasn't it yet.

"What exactly did you say to mum and dad that day?" Harry blurted out and Louis froze on his spot before he turned back around to him slowly.

"It doesn't matter." He muttered without meeting his eyes.

"Yes, it does!" Harry contradicted frustrated. "Because they said you told them you forced me which is far from the truth!"

"It doesn't fucking matter, Harry! Just fucking leave it, okay?" Louis exclaimed.

"Tell me!" Harry yelled and his eyes filled with angry tears. "I have a right to know!"

Louis flinched, not being used to Harry getting loud and even though he knew beforehand that he suffered, he only noticed now how much actually and that just by seeing his pained and desperate face. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath shaking his head to himself at this hopeless situation.

"That's true, but it wouldn't change anything, so let it go and forget me." He said eventually and saw how Harry's face crumbled and the first tear ran down his cheek.

"I could never forget you." He croaked out and wiped his face with his sleeve angrily. "If everything was real, if you really felt the way you were always telling me then tell me the truth!"

"You already know the answer, what do you want from me? Yes, I said it was me because it was! You didn't know better!" Louis exclaimed.

"Bullshit! I started it, you fought against it, you pushed me away, but I didn't let you! I knew what I was doing!" Harry said harshly.

"But I gave in and I should've known better, Harry!" Louis shouted.

"You didn't tell them that! You said you used me! Why did you do this?"

"Because I needed to protect you!" Louis yelled and his eyes welled up and instantly rolled down his cheeks when the fight with Mark that day came to his mind as if it just happened yesterday. "I needed to keep you safe like I always tried to." In the end his voice cracked and came out in not more than a whisper.

"You're calling that protecting me? Do you have any idea what's going on at home? Everything changed because you ran away-"

"They wanted to kick both of us out!" Louis interrupted him harshly and Harry's face changed into shock.

"W-what?"

"I had no other choice! Dad wanted to kick us both out and I couldn't be the reason you'd lose another family! I needed to make sure you have a good life, you wouldn't have been happy with me in the long run if you lost mum and dad!"