Pride {l.s.}

69- The Rose

The Story So Far:

Louis was back at his childhood home with Harry to see his sisters again and confront his mother. He talked to his mother for the first time in years, and she now accepts him.

Mom offered to let us stay the night, but I think that Harry could tell that I needed a break. Although I'm excited about all of this, it's a lot to take in. I did promise to come back to meet Dan and to take care of the kids whenever she needs it.

We drive down the main road in town. We pass my old high school; I remember those hallways all too well. I remember being scared to walk through the door to that building. I was that odd kid. I never felt like I fit in. I was gay; I knew I was, but I had Eleanor to deal with all the time and my "therapy".

It was when Harry came that I really found myself.

"Where are we sleeping tonight, Lou?" Harry asks, bringing me back from my thoughts. I glance away from the high school to look over at him.

"I'm too tired to drive all the way back home. Wanna just crash at a motel?" I offer with a small smirk on my face.

"That sounds like a lovely idea." Harry glances over with a mischievous smile too. "Let's drive another half hour just so that there isn't as much driving tomorrow. We'll find some food and a motel when we see one."

The sun sets over the palm trees as we hop onto the highway. The smooth road lays out before us fairly empty. The lights shine against the black top as I turn the air conditioning off and open the windows. I can smell the salt of the ocean even as we head inland; it's another reminder of a childhood that I wish I spent at places like the beach, not trapped in my room since I was too afraid to leave it.

Harry turns down the radio low enough so that we can hear the breeze blowing through the trees. He looks relaxed as he rests his elbow on the door since the window is rolled down. The wind pushes his hair away from his eyes. He looks absolutely beautiful. His mouth moves along with the words to an old rock song from twenty years ago that he knows all of the lyrics to. Harry notices me looking and sends a glance my way with a smile. I am content as we head out on our mission to nowhere.

We find a diner that's not far off of the exit ramp. It's in a cute little small town right off of the highway that makes any weary traveler feel comforted. We go into the bright lights of the diner and take seats at the counter. The floor is the classic checkered diner floor, and the walls are covered in old posters from concerts and movies that are before my time. The booths line the walls, and tables are in the middle. The waiters and waitresses walk around in soda jerk hats as they deliver and get orders. About half of the seats are filled; most of them are full of cute couples that are sharing a milkshake on this nice night.

"Can I take your order?" a waiter asks from behind the counter. He pulls out his pen and pad.

"One chocolate milkshakes and two cheeseburgers with everything on them please," I say immediately with a smile.

"No problem." The waiter leaves, but Harry is left staring at me.

"What?" I ask.

"How did you know to order that?"

"Haz, we've gone to places like this before. We both always get cheeseburgers with everything on them. You always order a chocolate milkshake. You can never finish it, so I'm helping you this time."

"I love you."

I see the honesty in Harry's eyes. I tend to tell Harry those three words at romantic moments: at a nice dinner, in bed next to him, or on walks at night. Harry is a bit more random with his confession of love. He's said it when I stole food off his plate, put his favorite movie in the DVD player, or whenever I finish a painting that he likes. We say those three words at different times, but I always ask why he says it so randomly.

"Why are you saying that now? You're very random, Harry Styles."

"I say it now because I love you so much right now. I mean I always love you but right now especially. I just... You've memorized my order. No one has ever done that but maybe my mother, but you put this little corner in your mind to remember those small things about me," Harry rambles for a second with a soft blush on his cheeks.

"Little things," I correct him.

He smiles back at me as we both remember his sweet poem to me. "Yeah, little things."

"Like your di-" I try to joke, but the waiter interrupts.

"I've got two cheeseburgers with everything on them and a chocolate milkshake!"

Harry jokingly glares at me as he sips on his chocolate milkshake.

***

"I better not regret this."

"Babe, it will fit right in with your other ones anyways."

I'm not scared that it won't fit in. I'm scared that I'll forever be stuck with a permanent reminder of him after he's gone from my life. Tattoos are a serious business, but it means even more to get tattoos with someone.

"I do really like the dagger," I tell Harry as I hold his hand. He does really well with tattoos and pain, but it just feels nice to hold his hand.

"I'm in love with this rose," Harry says as he watches the art slowing come to life on his arm. The tattoo artist is doing an amazing job, and I'm excited for mine.

"Remember when I got you those roses at our one month anniversary?" I ask.

"Remember the night of your birthday?" Harry says with a smirk. My face turns red from the memory.

"Yeah... I remember that night," I mumble. I glance over at the tattoo artist to see that he's really not listening.

"We do get a motel room for the night. Do you mind if we repeat that night?" Harry asks me with a wider smirk.

"No," I say. "We're better than that."

"What do you mean?"

"That was once... I think we can go all night now," I say with confidence and a smirk now on my lips.

"You're on," Harry replies as his eyes have intensity rise within him as we both think about the night we have in store for us.

A/N

Sorry about no updates. I was on a mission trip building a ramp and stairs for a woman. I had such a fun time, but I'm back and ready to publish.

xoxo raindropkiss1