kingdom ; minishaw

eight.

"so, harry where are you from?" ethan asked, glancing sideways at the boy.

"um-"

"he just moved here." simon cut in, shooting harry a look.

"i figured, you speak a little different." ethan observed, "and you look a little different."

simon stopped walking, causing the other boys to turn back and look at him.

"how does he look different?" simon said through gritted teeth.

ethan's eyes widened, "oh, i didn't mean anything by it, he just appears a little, er- girly?"

simon's eyes were thunderous. "girly." he repeated.

"er, yeah?"

harry was confused by this, he wasn't sure why ethan was calling him girly- he was a boy, after all. harry was also startled by the furious expression on simon's face.

then his hand was being grabbed and he was being pulled away.

"we have to go." simon said quickly, starting to pull harry away from ethan and closer to his side.

"but- wait!" ethan shouted from behind them, harry twisted his head to look back and pouted apologetically at ethan, still being pulled along by simon.

once they were a safe distance away, simon let go of his hand and turned to face harry, placing his hands on the small boy's shoulders.

"simon?" harry's voice quavered with uncertainty.

"please please please ignore everything ethan said to you." he pleaded.

harry frowned. "he said i was girly."

"do you feel girly?"

"no, i just feel like a boy.

"okay then, ignore ethan."

"but," harry nibbled at his lip, subconsciously licking away the lipgloss that had been on it, "-why did he say i was girly?"

"because," simon sighed and let go of the boy, walking away and running a hand through his hair. "people believe that what you wear, defines who you are."

harry blinked, "so because i don't dress like you and ethan, i am a girl?"

simon sighed. he was exactly right. this was how freaking ridiculous people were and harry had grasped it all too soon. he felt very sad then, he had witnessed some of harry's innocence be ripped away from him and it was partly his fault.

"people are stupid," simon finally said, "and from now on it's just going to be you and i, okay?"

harry agreed quite happily with this. not ever wanting to feel the unusual squirmy feeling in his stomach whenever ethan talked to simon.

"harry?"

"yes?"

"i wanna show you something."

-

simon watched harry giggle in delight and point up at the treehouse.

"this is yours?"

"when i was a kid, my brothers and i made it."

harry gazed at the huge tree, bigger than any he had ever seen and it was surrounded by a clump of other trees, ranging in sizes, leaves of all different colours littered the ground, some of them so vibrant in colour, harry had asked simon if someone had painted them. harry decided he liked the sound his shoes made when they stepped in the leaves.