The Artist

10.

Louis sat in his car staring down at the directions on his phone. The hotel Harry had been staying at, for God knows how long, was further away than he had expected. It was also more luxurious than he figured Harry could afford. He hadn't wanted to come to visit him right away, but he wanted an explanation.

He fidgeted with his phone for a few more minutes before climbing out of the car. The wind had started to pick up, and snowflakes were still drifting along with it. Louis took his scarf from the passenger seat and wrapped it around his neck to avoid the cold.

As he approached the entrance, he looked at the surroundings. His car was the only that wasn't a shining Rolls Royce in the parking lot. Everything was outilined in gold trim, fountains spewed the clearest water, and everything was just too high end. Even for Harry. The last time he'd seen him, he'd only had a little over a hundred dollars. There was no way that he was staying here.

The floors inside the hotel were crytal clear marble with flakes of gold. Louis had been afraid to walk across them in his dirty winter boots. He walked to the front desk and waited for the concierge to look up from tapping on the keyboard. "Ahem."

"Oh, I'm sorry," she whispered. "How can I help you today, sir?" At least the staff didn't seem like stuck up assholes, he thought.

"I'm here to see Mr. Styles. I got a message from him saying that he was staying here." The woman looked into the booklet she had in front of her and scanned the lists with the end of her pencil.

She shot up and gave Louis a polite smile. "Just take that elevator down there to the fifth floor and his room is 528. It's towards the end of the hall on your left." Louis nodded, said thank you, and walked toward the elevator. When the doors closed, he knew that there was no way he'd be able to go back now.

He watched as the floor numbers lit up one by one. Two. Three. Four. He dreaded the thought of it finally reaching the fifth floor. And as the bell dinged, Louis felt as if he'd lost his stomach, almost like he'd been on a high dive and he was plummeting to the ground.

The doors opened and he stepped out into the empty hallway. He made a left just like the lady downstairs had told him to and he walked all the way towards the end. When he counted down the rooms, he could feel the vomit rising from deep in his stomach. He wasn't ready to see him again.

Room 528.

He stood in front of it staring at the gold plated numbers nailed beside the frame. Just as he lifted his hand to knock, he heard the door unlock from inside. He backed away frightened. The knob twisted and the door cracked open. From what he could see, there were long legs dressed in black jeans and a head full of curls with his back turned to the hallway. He was looking at something in the room.

Harry finally turnded around to exit the room. When he caught a glimpse of Louis standing against the opposite wall, he froze.

"You came." Louis didn't say anything. His eyes were wide and his arms were hugging his body. Harry walked closer to him and he moved away.

"Louis, please don't be like that. Just let me put my arms around you." He could tell that Harry was being genuine, but he didn't want to believe that the same man who abandoned him a month ago could turn back into this sweet person. Louis tensed as Harry moved closer and pulled him towards his chest.

When their bodies collided, Loius shattered. He burst into tears and gripped onto Harry's shirt like it was the last chance he ever had at life. "Why'd you leave me, you fucking asshole? Why!" He pinched hard into Harry's skin, but Harry just clenched his teeth and held Louis closer.

"I'm sorry," was all he could manage to say before pulling both of them back into the hotel room. After the door shut behind them, Louis let go and stood by himself. "You can sit down, babe. I'll get you something to drink."

Louis looked around at the furniture. It was all leather and expensive. The tables were covered in plates of gourmet meals and he was very much tempted to scarf down an entire plate. Louis gave in and plopped down on the couch behind him.

Harry came back with two glasses of ice water and sat on the couch next to Louis. Louis took his glass and quickly put it to his lips. He gulped down the glass and then sat it one the coffee table in front of him. "You have a lot of explaining to do, Harold."

He nodded guiltily. "I know I was an asshole for doing what I did to you. I just... I didn't know how to react when you said those words. I couldn't say them back because I was afraid."

Louis turned and leaned into the back of the couch. Harry continued. "I have literally nothing to give you and you deserve much more than me. There is no way in hell that you'd really love me, Louis."

"How can you tell me who I can and can't love? You don't know what my heart feels, or felt in this case. You walked out on me when I had all of those special feelings saved up from all of the time and nights we shared together. And you ruined it. There is no way I can stop loving you, but I really want to."

Harry gulped. "Good. You don't need to love me. I'm nothing that you need in your life." Louis surprised Harry with a hard slap to the side of the face. He'd hit him hard enough to bust open his bottom lip and cause his nose to bleed.

"You're an asshole! So why did you make love to me? Why did you stay with me? How could you hurt me like this?" Louis held onto his throbbing hand and leaned forward. For a while, neither one of them said anything. They just sat quietly listening to each other breathe. But then Harry broke out of the silence.

"I didn't make love to you. I fucked you to get rid of my pain. I took it out during sex so I wouldn't feel so bad later. But I don't think that I'm proud of how I treated you. I wanted to love you, but something isn't letting me. I'm not able to love anyone. That's why I'm alone."

Louis didn't open his mouth to yell at him, or to even speak to him. He just stared into his hypnotizing green eyes and fell into his arms. Harry held him to his chest as Louis' arms made their way around his neck.

"What made you so mad that you had to throw all of your anger into sex with my, Harry?" Louis' voice was muffled by Harry's shirt. He let out a heavy sigh and rubbed his fingers through Louis' tufts of hair.

"I was abused, Louis. Sexually and physically when I was younger. I take it out on others to disguise what I felt back then."

Others? Louis shuddered at the thought of Harry sleeping with anyone else but him. "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

Harry shrugged. "It wasn't anyone else's business." When Louis shifted to look at his face, his eyes had turned cold. "It's not even your business. But I told you anyway because a part of me cares too much to let you go without an explanation."

 Louis looked down and avoided Harry's gaze. But Harry lifted his chin with his finger and brought him close. "Louis, I want to love you. But I can't."

"Then how about we try something else? No strings attached." Louis sat up quick and pressed his chapped lips against Harry's forever smooth ones. Their tongues touched only to ignite the need in they felt deep within themselves. He pulled at the buttons on Harry's shirt and tore it open. Harry lifted Louis' t-shirt over his head and tossed it away.

They touched each others' chests and left kisses on every inch of skin visible. "Louis," Harry moaned and grabbed Louis harder. "I'm taking these off you." He pushed Louis onto his back to where he was able to straddle him. Louis lifted his back so Harry could slip him out of his jeans.

Harry undid his belt and wiggled out of his own, revealing nothing but his hard on. He scooted himself closer to Louis and steadied himself before pushing into him. At first it was slow and steady, then he rammed into him over and over causing Louis to go over the edge like he had done before.