Animal

44

Harry's eyes meet the stranger's and he becomes so stiff that Louis feels him vibrate with tension. He doesn't understand.

"Archer." The CEO extended his arm. "Dylan Archer."

—

Louis hears the stranger's name but it still doesn't click for him that this is the man Harry swore to claim the life of, after he had to lose what little innocence he had to him in earliest years.
It's not like Dylan didn't recognise Harry, those perfect emeralds for eyes with the darkest secrets. The man had aged well, just as Harry had. It's been twenty plus years and neither had grey hair or a pot belly.

When Dylan's smirk evidently switched to a polite, warm smile as he extended his well tanned right arm Harry drew Louis out of his reach. Zayn looked deeply offended, and Niall was confused but struggled to piece together an explanation.

"Excuse us." Louis gave Dylan a small apologetic smile that made Harry frown and band his arms together around the boy's waist.

Harry had to dragged away lest he make a scene with the look of murder bleeding into his eyes as they blackened. Louis held his arm and led him upstairs to one of the two empty guest bedrooms. The man allowed himself to be taken away, focusing very hard on the smaller hand fitting inside his rather than the smug bastard individual by the door.

"Haz?"

Louis hoped he could help Harry with whatever was bothering him enough to make him so tense. He backed the man up against the closed door and cupped both his cheeks to concentrate his gaze.

"What's wrong, Haz? Why did you do that downstairs?" He searched Harry's eyes for any sign of an answer suitable enough.

"Him." Harry settled his hands on Louis' lower back and massaged the soft, supple skin where the boy's muscles sometimes ached. "Do you.....he's Dylan, Louis!"

"I-I know that." Louis lowered one hand to Harry's neck. "Help me out here, Haz."

Harry stopped staring at the walls and floor for a moment to meet Louis' concerned eye. He bent and gave in to his burning desire to just kiss the boy so he would forget some of his horrors. Louis' a bit surprised at how urgently Harry's lips fall on his, but he relaxes as he always does against the man with his eyes closed and fingers gripping his jacket lapels.

His bottom lip is encased by both of Harry's far more demanding ones, the man's brows are knitted together in a frown that creates worry lines on his forehead as he suffers in distracting himself. He licks into Louis' mouth indiscreetly once before pulling back to catch his breath.

"He's the guy from my childhood." Harry whispers, voice low like that of a shadow. "He raped me."

Louis' eyes threaten to pop right out of their sockets. "Your father's business associate."

Harry nods curtly, his eyes cold and detached.

"We can go." Louis remembers Harry's promise now that the connection is made clear to him. Harry swore to kill the man waiting downstairs. "I'll tell Niall and apologise to Zayn."

"No." Harry tightens his grip like a vice on the dip of Louis' back. "No, I will not let him win."

"Harry it's not a win or lose for either of you." Louis feels the strain in his legs and back as he continues to crane his neck so he can look Harry in the eye. "He didn't know you were going to be here."

"Bastard." Harry mutters cruelly as he hoists Louis up off the ground to be wrapped around him. "I don't want him to think he won something if I leave. I'm going to stay and try not to murder him. For you."