The New Roommate - Larry Stylinson AU

Chapter Thirteen - Acting.

Louis wiped his sweaty palms on his green tights. Yes, he was wearing tights. He pulled at them from around his crotch, mumbling angrily to himself that he was going to kill whoever invented these ridiculous things.

It was the performance of Peter Pan, the play Louis and the drama group had been frantically rehearsing for months. And it was finally here. Not only the whole school was in the audience but also family members were allowed to attend. Louis was looking forward to seeing his parents after the performance. If he was honest, he was so used to being away from them after having attended the boarding school for seven years now, so normally he didn't particularly feel homesick. But recently he had been pining for the warmth of his cosy house he shared with his small family and he just wanted to go home. He missed his mum desperately; all this drama with Harry had exhausted him and he knew that the late-night voicemails he had been leaving his mother had been worrying her.

Two months ago, Louis had been thinking that maybe he would introduce Harry to his parents when they came to watch the show. He hadn't officially told his parents that Harry was his boyfriend when they had been going out, he wanted to surprise them and see their happy faces when they saw the brilliant boy who Louis had managed to bag as his boyfriend.

But, Louis thought sadly, a lot had happened in two months. He and Harry still weren't even talking properly.

Louis knew that Harry talked and laughed and acted like the amazing person he was around his friends apart from Louis. The only emotion Louis had seen personally on Harry's beautiful face was that morning, actually.

"Harry," Louis started, pulling at his t-shirt to let a bit of air hit his skin after legging it full pelt up the stairs to relay the information Mr Greyson had passed on. Harry turned around to face Louis but didn't say anything. "Harry your... Um." This was difficult for Louis because he wasn't sure whether Harry would be devastated or relieved. "Your dad has been sent to prison."

"What?" Harry gasped, and Louis took a moment to appreciate the shining green eyes of the boy across from him. He hadn't seen those eyes look so alive in a long time.

"Yeah, he went to court and your mum stuck up for you and they pressed charges. He's away for ten years, minimum." Louis smiled at the other boy. He was ecstatic about it himself; that sick bastard deserved all that and more in Louis' opinion.

"Oh." Harry said, and that was the moment that Louis saw something flicker on Harry's face. He couldn't tell what it was; but Louis was adamant that it might have been the beginnings of a smile. But then it was gone and it was replaced with the blank, emotionless look that Louis literally despised more than anything in the world.

All Louis' hopes that had stirred up at that look in Harry's eyes were crushed.

"Okay. That's all." Louis shrugged and turned around, ready to leave the room. He wanted to cry, even though nothing had really happened.

"Louis, I -" Harry started and he hadn't uttered Louis' name in weeks and it sounded so good rolling off his tongue but Louis couldn't let himself fall for that when he was just going to get hurt.

"I've got to go and practice my lines," Louis said, not bothering to stop walking.

And so Louis found himself standing behind the curtain, kicking himself for not letting Harry say whatever he was going to say. Yes, Louis hadn't wanted to give Harry the satisfaction of seeing him cry but he was still so curious about what his roommate had been about to say.

But then the curtain opened and Louis quickly shook all thoughts of Harry out of his head as he began his first line.

At least, he tried to shake all thoughts of Harry out of his head. It was difficult, though, when every little thing reminded him of the curly-haired boy. Every line he spoke he remembered practicing with Harry. Every note of each song he remembered singing to Harry as they laid in bed.