devotion ➶ larry

twelve

It's been a little over a week since the incident as Harry calls it. Ever since then he has tried his best to avoid Louis, taking a rather unsentimental liking to the living room couch again. He has been sleeping there, leaving the bed to Louis. Sure he woke up most mornings with a sore back but it was better than repeating last weeks events.

Harry frowned as Niall continued to talk on the phone. Louis was taking a bath and Harry was glad he could get some alone time. He cared deeply for the boy, but he needed to talk to Niall privately.

"I literally can't find anything about him. It's like he doesn't exist." Niall says, his voice frustrated and tired.

"I--okay. Thanks, Ni." Harry says into the phone.

"No problem mate. I'll keep my eyes open for anything." Harry hums and says his goodbyes. Not a minute later Louis is padding into the living room wearing a fuzzy pink sweater and black skinny jeans.

"Hi." He says, looking down. Harry frowns and shifts for him to be able to sit next to him. Louis takes a seat at the edge of the couch, far from him, curling into himself, bringing his knees to his chest. He doesn't look at him. Harry's heart breaks at the sight and sighs, running a hand through his hair.

"How are you?" Harry asks, trying to spark up a conversation. Louis' ears twitch and he shrugs, picking at his sweater.

"Lou, don't ignore me." Harry pleads and Louis looks up at him, blue eyes shy. He looks down just as quickly. Harry shifts so he's sitting next to the small boy.

"I'm sorry about what I said, okay? I just--I'm trying to do the right thing." He says with a begging tone. The small boy glances up at him again, his eyes nervous.

"W-What if I don't want to do the right thing?" He whispers, his voice barely audible. Harry groans and pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation.

"Lou..."

"K-Kiss me. And if you don't get the fuzzy feeling like I do, I'll stop." Louis begs, staring up at Harry with his cerulean eyes. The older man should just say no and tell him to stop. He should take him to the police and they'll figure out what to do with him. But he can't. He just can't.

"One kiss. And that's it." Harry says. Louis' eyes widen, surprised it worked. When Harry's eyes flicker down to Louis' lips he knows he's fucked.

He leans down to kiss him, sighing at the feeling that he's missed. It's been too long. His hands reach up to grip at Louis' waist, pulling him closer. Their lips move roughly over each other's, a week of pent up frustration coming out. Harry doesn't mind. He feels overwhelmed, Louis was everywhere, in his mind, on his lips, in his heart.

When they pull apart, Harry keeps his eyes closed, not daring to open them. Opening them means facing reality. He had feelings for Louis. And that was the first of many kisses.

****

Harry wanted to slam his head on his desk. Evelyn was talking, speaking about a new girl that she wanted Harry to meet, someone named Stacy. Honestly, how many friends does this woman have?

He nodded along to whatever she was babbling about, humming in times he needed to as he finished filling out some paperwork.

"So that's a yes?" The question knocks Harry out of his stupor.

"I'm sorry what?" He asks, looking up from the stacks of papers.

"Will you go out with Stacy? She's dying to meet you." Evelyn says. Harry sighs, shaking his head.

"I'm very busy at the moment. And don't you have something to attend to?" Harry inquires and the woman jumps, nodding and running out of Harry's office. He lets out a breath once he's alone and leans back into his chair.

He pulls out his phone and calls Liam, who was so kind to stay with Louis again. The boy didn't like being alone for many hours.

"Hey, how's he doing?" Harry asks once Liam answers.

"Hi, yeah he's good. He's been watching the telly most of the day but he's--" Liam is cut off by a high voice.

"Is that Harry? Can I talk to him?" Louis asks, and Liam hands over the phone without a word.

"Harry! Hi! I miss you!" Louis says into the phone. Harry chuckles, and says that he misses him too.

"When will you be home? I miss you dad--er, Harry." He says. The older man catches his slip up and smirks.

"Don't worry kitten. I'll be home in a few hours. Get Liam back on the phone, yeah?" Louis does as he's told and Liam is back on the line.

"Thanks for watching him. I already told you about how lonely he gets and--"

"What are you gonna do with him? I mean, you can't just let him stay with you forever." Liam whispers into the phone. Harry rolls his eyes.

"I'm thinking about that." Harry answers curtly. Liam sighs and they hang up after quick goodbyes. He gets back to work, mind drifting back to Louis. He didn't know what to do with him. It was eating at him, he wanted him to stay with him, wanted him to be his, but. He knows it's wrong. He knows it's consensual but it's frowned upon.

A twenty-seven year old with a sixteen year old? It just couldn't happen. He was already crossing so many lines by kissing him.

He continued with the stack of papers and tries not to think so negatively about this entire situation.

And if the moment he got home and Liam left, he pinned Louis against the wall and snogged him senseless, no one had to know.

------

hiiiiii I'm bored. this turned out a lot shorter than I planned, sorry.

y'all are cute.