Pretty Dolly - Complete | L.S

10

'As you can see, going on behind me right now is a major bust of an alleged prostitution and drug ring. Apparently, there has been months-long surveillance probe conducted by Mayor Summerlin. All part of her campaign promise to bring law and order to Kareena. Summerlin is in a very tight re-election race and no doubt she hopes an event like this will help to put her over the edge. Now we can see the police are starting to bring out some of the alleged johns.'

Harry stares up at the television. He is currently talking to Niall's wife Laura at their bar, sipping away at his beer.

"The poor bastards." He laughs.

Harry watches as Laura looks up at the screen. They are now bringing out some of the prostitutes. "What, do they charge by the pound? You don't have to shake the sheets to find her." Laura laughs at how 'fat' the girl is.'

The name of the establishment is the Kind Touch Health Spa, but locals here say they've long known that...' Niall's eyes widen as he walks out from the back of the bar, listening to the television to see what the fuss is.

"Oh, my gosh. Laura, turn that off now." Niall begs his oblivious wife.

A man behind Harry whistles as a brunette boy is escorted from the premises in nothing but lingerie and heels, hands cuffed behind his back.

"Okay, now we're talking." One customer yells... the customers laugh along... everyone except Harry. Because it just cannot be.

"Hey, Harry, he looks kind of like your husband, doesn't he?" Laura say, staring at the screen.

"Shut up."

---

Louis sits quietly in Niall's car, outside his house. Head hung from guilt. Eyes red from crying. Body thin from the weeks he had been working in the 'massage shop'.

"I knew it would end like this." Niall rolls his eyes as he shakes his head.

"Ni, please," Louis begs, he doesn't need Niall to scold him, he is going to have to endure that from Harry.

"No, you bail someone out of jail, you get to talk." Niall snaps. "At first, you did it to save your family, I get that, but then it was for you. You through your whole life away for what's on your wrist and around your neck."

Louis sighs as a single tear drips from his eye. "Oh, what did I do?" I should have quit months ago, Louis thinks.

"What am I supposed to say to him?" Louis stares at his blonde friend. Niall doesn't answer, so Louis continues. "How am I gonna fix this?"

"I don't know Lou. Maybe some things can't be fixed."

---

Louis walks inside slow steps. He is afraid to confront Harry... worried about what he will say. But more afraid, to be told the truth. To be told he is a slut, to be told Harry deserves more.

"Harry, I'm so sorry." Those are the first words Louis says to his husband of ten years. Harry is home. Alone. Kids probably at their grandparents.

He is sitting in a single chair, face full of pity, confusion, anger... yet at the same time, all those emotions make him unreadable.

"I know that I've really messed things up baby, and I'll do just about anything to make it right."

Louis is crouching down, next to Harry's feet as he stares at the curly haired man, yet Harry... Harry never even glances at him.

That hurts Louis the most.

"Please just look at me. Talk to me. Yell at me, swear at me, hit me, I don't care." Louis begs, tears flowing down his cheeks, eyes red and puffy.

When Harry finally speaks, his words break Louis in half.

"All night, I've been thinking about something. That summer after graduation? You and me going- Going to the vet to put Barney down." Harry pauses, his body is shaking.

"I loved that dog." Louis whispers.

"And we get there, and we're sitting in the parking lot holding that old dog between us, petting him, him loving the attention... and both of us knowing it's his last day of life. And then you sang to him. That Beatles song. 'In My Life.' And then I- I couldn't do it. I couldn't go in. And you took him...and you carried him in..." Harry pauses as he holds his tears in. Face scrunching into an expression of anger, hate sadness.

"And you held him...till he died Louis. You did that for me. And anytime things got tough with us, I'd think of that day, and I'd think of that boy." Harry paused, finally looking Louis in the face. 

That is what broke Louis', heart.

"And now when I think of you, it's gonna be this."

---