Your Eyes Will Lead Me Home {L.S}

eight

Louis was not expecting Anne Styles to be at his family's house for Christmas Eve dinner, let alone Harry. And what Louis was absolutely not expecting was the butterflies that erupted in his stomach when he locked eyes with the younger lad. Those green eyes that haunted his dreams for about ten months into his first year at University.

It took Louis so long to forget about Harry. What was he doing here? In his dining room? On his birthday? Anne took her seat and Lottie grabbed Louis' hand, dragging him to sit next to her, which was, probably not so coincidentally, right across from Harry.

"Before we dig in, I'd just like to say; I feel utterly blessed to be sitting here with my family on Christmas Eve. I love you all." Jay smiled, looking around the table at everyone, tears forming in her blue eyes. Anne leant over and slapped her upper arm playfully, "Oh don't you cry, you'll make me start crying!" She laughed and the two of them wiped away their stray tears.

Though their sappy display was quickly forgotten once the other began to fill their plates of all the delicious food that was splayed out, just waiting to be eaten. "So Harry. You just graduated? How do you feel being out of high school?" Jay asked after about five minutes of silence.

As harry raised his head, so did Louis, causing the two, to yet again, make eye contact. Harry was quick to look over at jay and clear his throat. "Uh, yeah. It doesn't feel too different yet, but I'm sure once I move out I'll feel a little more grown up" He smirked over at his mother, knowing very well he'd get a reaction out of her.

"Um, excuse me. We've discussed this Harry, you're not moving out. Ever!" She gasped. Everyone laughed but Louis, who was too shocked at how deep Harry's voice was, and that smirk! There was no denying that Harry had grown up to be incredibly attractive.

His long hair, his jaw line, and those same dimples he remembers all too well. Even the way Harry's shirt had a few buttons undone at the top, revealing part his muscular chest, which looked like it had a tattoo on it. Louis shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

The two shared a few glances toward the other during the night. Everyone was interested in Louis' trip to Las Angles with his Uni mates who he spoke so highly of. Harry would be lying if he said he didn't feel jealous. But why should he?!

He worked hard to push away his feelings for Louis; who obviously didn't feel the same. It took him so long to get over what Louis did to him all those years ago. And yet as soon as Louis comes back, so do those feelings. It wasn't fair and he wasn't going to let himself get sucked in again.

**

After dinner Jay put the girls to bed, and Harry offered to help Anne with the dishes. Louis followed his mother up and waited until she walked out of the twins room until he stopped her in his tracks. "So, when were you planning on telling me about our house guests, mother?" He asked, hands crossing in front of his chest while his other gave a sheepish look, scratching the back of her neck.

"Anne and Harry have been coming for Christmas for three years now." She spoke back matter-of-factually, showing her son just where he obtained his sassy nature. "What? Why?" He asked, "Because the year you left, only two months before Christmas, Anne's father dies and he was the only family they had left. So I made sure they had a family to spend their Christmas with." She shot back.

Louis felt terrible. He knew how much Harry loved his grandfather; he was the only male figure he had to look up to after Harry's father left them. "Well I wish you'd warned me. Things are awkward now. I messed up a long time ago and he'll never forgive me." Louis sighed.

Jay searched her sons face and sighed, "Louis, you haven't even talked to him, you can't say that for sure." She caressed his arm and walked down the hall and out of sight. Louis just stood there, wondering if his mother was right. Was it time to bury the hatchet and tell Harry the truth?

Meanwhile Harry was having a very similar conversation with his mother in the kitchen. "You never told me Louis was coming" Harry spoke lowly and Anne could tell he was displeased with the ambush. "Honey, I didn't know, I swear. Jay didn't tell me anything about this." She passed Harry the dish she'd just washed which he wiped in and put it away.

"Have you even spoken yet?" Anne asked cautiously. Harry looked over at his mother and scoffed. "Why would I want to talk to him?" he spat. "Harry..." She began but was cut off.

"No mum, you know how he made me feel. He's homophobic and he never gave me a chance. It took me a year and a half to be comfortable with myself again. HE gave up on ME, remember?" Harry's voice was shaky and he threw the dish cloth to the floor and stormed out of the room. Anne sighed.

**

Louis walked up to his sister's bedroom door and took a deep breath before knocking lightly on it. Just as he was about to walk away, the door opened up to reveal Lottie in her pyjamas and hair in a messy bun. "I was wondering when I'd be hearing from you." She smirked knowingly and opened the door wider.

Louis rolled his eyes but walked in anyway, "Since when did you become an 'all-knowing' seventeen year old?" Louis teased. "Oh, I've always been all-knowing, but I just turned seventeen recently." She winked playfully at her older brother.

"Lots, I think we both know why I'm here-"
"You want to know about Harry." She interrupted her brother and he was actually thankful she did, for once. "Well. Yeah..." He admitted and Lottie smiled. "Hmm, where to begin." She hummed, dragging out her words.

"Well. You left when Harry was a freshman, so I'll start sophomore year. Harry was fairly depressed for a while, not the he let anyone at school see that, I just know because we still went to his house to visit" She began, and Louis felt his stomach drop. He really was the world's biggest asshole.

"Him and Niall became really popular and started playing together-"
Louis' mouth dropped and Lottie rolled her eyes, "Music! You dirty freak!" She punched his arm and Louis couldn't help but feel relieved.

"Harry sung and Niall played guitar, and sometimes Harry played piano and Niall sung. They sung at all our assemblies and school concerts" She finished, watching Louis's face as he took in all this information.

"Then end of year concert came around, and Harry was playing solo. It had everyone wondering, because it was always him and Niall. And he sang 'Girl crush' by big little big town. And when the song ended, he came out to the whole school. It was so brave." Lottie gushed. And Louis was in shock.

"'Came out' as in-"
"As in he's gay, yes." She interrupted, yet again. Louis wasn't so grateful this time, but he didn't have time to react, because Harry was gay. And he remembers the things he said about him when they were younger, he feels so bad, and so he should. He really hurt him. But he was going to fix that.