The Larry Book [ completed ]

A Forever Kind Of Thing

By : hilourry (ao3)

Part 2 of "Let's Be Alone Together, We Can Stay Young Forever"

Summary:

Louis doesn't know what it's like to be loved and had to grow up too fast, working as a prostitute. Harry just wants to love him and make his baby happy.

"It's beautiful here," Louis smiles, tightening his hand around Harry's. Harry hums and smiles back.

"Yeah, Spain is beautiful. I was actually the one to convince my dad to open a hotel up in Barcelona."

"You never talk about your dad much," Louis observes, turning a corner and following Harry into a small café. Harry shrugs, holding the door open for his boyfriend.

"Yeah, there isn't much to say. Since I was the man, I got the hotels instead of Gemma, but Gemma and him had a shit relationship and hadn't talked in a long time, but then he died, and she didn't really care. I was surprised she came to the funeral to be honest. Dad was kind of...I don't know, selfish, maybe? He didn't care about us much."

"I'm sorry, Harry," Louis says softly, putting a hand on Harry's lower back and rubbing soothing circles.

"Don't be sorry, babe. Really, I'm fine. I've gotten over it. My stepdad is pretty cool, though, so that's good enough," Harry says casually. Louis nods and lets it go because he doesn't want to push Harry to talk about the subject. They order tea and split a pastry and sit in a quite corner together, playing footsy underneath the table.

"So, we never really talked about your family," Harry says, taking a bite of the flaky pastry. Louis is looking over at the woman who just walked into the café, carrying a young baby girl in her arms. The toddler is sucking her thumb, her hair in pigtails, and the man that Louis assumes is her father is pulling funny faces at her to get her to giggle around her thumb. Louis can't help the smile that tugs on his lips, watching the beautiful little girl absolutely enamored with her father. "Louis?"

"Sorry, what?" whoops.

"Alright, babe?" Harry asks, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Yeah, 'm fine. Just spaced out for a second. What did you say?"

"I said we never talked about your family before."

"Oh," Louis stares blankly at Harry, shifting his weight in his chair. "I'm an only child. My parents died when I was 9. Both shot, actually. So, I kind of moved around a lot. Grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, no one wanted to put up with me, though. Once I turned 16 I found Liam and he told me how I could earn fast money and a place to stay, so that's what I did. I mean, I didn't exactly like my job, but I figured no one actually likes their job, so I put up with it. I made a lot of money and I got to stay at your hotel thanks to Liam with a shower and food and that was enough for me," Louis has never actually told anyone this before, because really, he never had anyone to talk to. Hell, not even Liam knows everything about him. All Liam knows is that Louis was homeless and needed a job.

"Lou," Harry says gently, reaching over and holding Louis' small hand in his larger one. "I had no idea how much you had to go through."

"Yeah, well, it's in the past now, right? No one really asks me, so I don't tell them," Louis shrugs, taking a sip of his tea. He looks back at the little girl, who's now in her father's arms sleeping soundly.