Charlie. (Larry Stylinson)

Small Talk.

Lou's Bakery.

[made with Harry's very own hands]

"I'll have your order ready by noon, Mrs. Whitfield," Louis informs the elderly woman on the other end of the call, before hanging up. It's an early Tuesday at his bakery, the one that Harry purchased for him when it was on the brink of being torn down. The property was old, no one catered to it, and the interior looked as though it had never seen the soft side of a paint brush; but with Louis' creative vision and Harry's crafty hands, they were able to bring life into it. Louis hasn't been there in nearly two weeks; needed a little recovery time before showing his face to society again; but he's sure he'll never really fully recover. Business has moved at a fast pace, that day, and familiar faces were respectful enough not to bring up his tragedy, while strangers only came for the treats; and that was all right with Louis.

The bell chimes at the entrance and Louis' lips form a small smile when Niall comes in. It's also been two weeks since they last saw one another and it was refreshing, to know that Niall still cared, to know that things wouldn't change within his big heart even when pieces were missing. He set his wet umbrella down in one of the corners, away from business' way. "Louis!," he chirped up, joyously walking towards the registry. He's no longer blond, allowed the dyeing to stop as he began to age; and he'll argue that thirty-nine will never look good on anyone else as it does on him. Louis chuckles every time because he could counteract that Harry looked just as good, if not better.

They settle down at one of the small tables, two cups of tea and bagels. Louis eats timidly, taking small sips and eating pinches of his bagel, while Niall eats as if it's the first time. "How have things been?," Niall asks; and he's been afraid to start the conversation off in that matter, always bringing up Harry; made him feel clingy; made him like he always stuck in the past.

"As okay as time has allowed things to be," Louis informs him.

"Your father was very different from the riffraffs that plagued London. We grew up in a time when boys his age were usually locked up before they even finished high school; but I saw something different in him when he actually sat at this very mechanic shop and made conversation with us," James explained. "He was genuinely interested in how things work around here. He'd spend about five-to-minutes here before heading back off to do his paper route." Charlie smiled a little because that sounded exactly like his father - always sticking out like a sore thumb. "Say, what you got there?" James pointed towards the brown item in Charlie's hand.

"His words unspoken," the teen stated, carefully setting the journal down atop the table.

October 2, 1988.

I've come to realize that I'm rather persistent. As much as I've tried to act as though Louis is just another boy in the neighborhood, my heart continues to tell me otherwise. So, I've resorted to other lengths to get him to notice me in a different light rather than "that annoying paperboy," as I heard him tell a friend at school one day. I've left small notes in his locker, anonymously of course, and I've even took to hanging out in the library because that's where he spends his lunch - behind the counter of the check-out line. He does volunteer work; figured they could use a youthful hand to get things running faster. He's a senior; and maybe that's why he sees me as nothing more than that - a kid. No matter, because I've figured out a way to approach him tomorrow. I want him to love me.

Gemma and I had another conversation. She says things are going well for Elizabeth. Her mother and stepfather are working towards a divorce, her stepfather has been locked up and soon to be on trial; turns out he's been raping her since she was five; and she was too scared to speak up. Her mother wants to move, rid them of the evil that plagues their home. Gemma's a little sad because it means that Elizabeth will be moving far; but they vowed to keep in touch.

Oh, and I'm definitely gay.