Animal

13

It is an absolute human certainty that no one can know his own beauty or perceive a sense of his own worth until it has been reflected back to him in the mirror of another loving, caring human being.

Louis held back his breathe, feeling the ache in his lungs and swelling in his chest. Harry's emotions ran red and deep, into the depths and bowels of a soul so dark and full of illusion that everyone thought was hollow. When Louis spoke next, he'd made his choice after deliberating.

"I'm sorry, Harry.

*NARRATOR'S POV*

Harry's head hangs low against Louis' shoulder, sharing the extra body heat from a shower session and filling his heart with regret. Louis' apology made no sense to him. Was he leaving? He can't do that to Harry. It would be criminal, after having been through everything they have.

"I'm sorry no one gave you the chance to prove yourself, that nobody cared." Louis combs Harry's hair, slim fingers brushing the silky locks in comfort. "It must have been a hard life and nobody understands that better than me."

Louis knows for certain Harry won't leave him, they're too intertwined to move on to other people who'll never respect them like they did each other.

Harry nods, tightening his hands on Louis' thighs and remaining buried in the boy's neck. It was a hard life, except he never really felt the weight of said burden on his shoulders until he saw what an alternate life could have been like.

"If you leave me-"

"I'm not." Louis cuts him off.

Forcefully and against the light breeze whipping around them, Harry hikes Louis' legs up higher on his waist and leans completely against him. The boy, squashed between Harry and the wall, groans from his sensitized skin brushing Harry's rough jeans.

"So you'll give me a chance?" Harry brings their faces closer, grabbing the side of Louis' face and preparing to persuade him away from rejection.

"You don't need a chance, Harry." He pushes off the wall and presses his chest to Harry's fully with an arm slung over his shoulders. "You've been proving yourself all this time."

Harry smiles, eyes bright with a green fire of passion and admiration. He reached between them and moved the flap of Louis' towel to expose him.

"How long do we have?" Harry undid his fly and released himself from the stifling confines.

Louis' eyes flew wide open and his cheeks coloured. "Harry!"

"Baby?"

"We c-can't do this." Louis tries to get free. "Not here."

"That's why I asked how much time we have." Harry removes a little silver square from his jacket pocket and tears the seal open with his teeth.

"For what?" Louis gulps, holding himself up when Harry slips the condom on.

"For someone to walk by us and see-" Harry positioned himself at Louis' pink, flushed rim and pushed in slowly. "-what I'm doing to you."

"Jesus." Louis' head thumps against the cold wall, Adam's Apple bobbing as he swallows air by the mouthful.

"Yeah? 's good?" Harry bottoms out in one go, still overwhelmed by the wonderful tightness Louis never fails in.

Louis nods energetically, biting his bottom lip to suppress his moans so they don't echo through the corridor. He scratches Harry's back and bucks his hips to meet Harry's.

"So greedy, my love." Harry attaches his lips and teeth to Louis' neck, his hand gliding down the damp skin to knead Louis' flesh and poke at where they're connected. "Don't even need prep anymore, huh? Can just take me whole now."