Once in a Lifetime ➳ Larry

chapter thirty-two

Chapter Thirty-Two

The airport is crowded, causing Harry to latch onto Louis's hand in fear of losing him in the large mass of people. Bright sunlight filters through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the terminal, and the air smells like a mixture of sweat and sweetened coffee from the nearby Starbucks kiosk. Chatter floats through the air in the midst of a loud, continuous buzz that causes Harry to grit his teeth together. He feels the sharpness of his fangs against his tongue.

"Feels good to be home," Louis muses, trying to distract Harry's chaotic mind.

Harry nods slowly. "Guess so."

He's nervous, and Louis can sense it, but he chooses to ignore it. He's terrified about meeting his parents after over two years of separation. The last time they spoke, it was a complete and utter disaster. Harry told them he'd dropped out of university to become a stripper full time, but that wasn't even the last straw. What really pushed them over the edge was when Harry started draining all of his college funds to pay for drugs and alcohol.

His mother wanted to help him, to send him to a rehabilitation center, but he refused. He told her she didn't know anything about his life— that she'd never understand. And then he packed his things, moved to another city, adopted a new persona, and changed his phone number. He just... disappeared.

There was always a part of him that hoped his family would come looking for him, but they never did.

"Stop thinking so hard," Louis scolds softly.

Harry bites his lip. "Sorry."

"Don't apologize, baby. Just relax."

Harry stifles a laugh. "I can't relax. I'm about to show up on my parents' doorstep unannounced after they practically disowned me."

Louis tilts his head. "They didn't disown you."

"You weren't there."

"They love you, Harry."

"How do you know that?"

"Because you're very loveable."

Harry laughs with bitterness and shakes his head. "They never bothered looking for me. They don't care."

"Well, you didn't exactly make yourself very reachable, did you? Practically changed your entire identity."

Harry stops in the middle of the terminal, his eyebrows scrunched together. "Are you actually defending my parents? They tried to send me away, Louis. Whose side are you on?"

Louis huffs and grabs Harry's hands, holding them in his own. "No, baby, I'm not taking their side, I just— I know what it's like to be abandoned. My birth parents disowned me back in France a... long time ago. And to me, it seems like your parents were just concerned about you. Maybe they went 'bout it the wrong way, but you were in a dark place in your life. You can't blame them for being worried about you."

Harry frowns. "You don't know my parents, Lou."

"Maybe not, but I do know you," Louis rebuttals. "And I know nobody in their right mind would want to cut you out of their life."

Harry's cheeks pinken a little. Wordlessly, Louis reaches up and caresses Harry's soft cheek. He presses a gentle kiss to his forehead before holding his hand again and leading him towards the airport exit. When they're finally outside, Harry breathes in the smoggy air of the city and instantly feels at home. An overcast of dull, grey clouds deprives the sky of sunlight, making Louis's skin look even paler than normal.