Pretty n' Pastel [l.s.]

❁ fourteen ❁

Last week, Harry asked if he could have Louis' number and at first Harry regretted it because he wasn't sure if Eliot would hurt Louis because of it, but Louis seemed more than willing to give it to him so hopefully that means either Eliot is okay with Louis having other people's number, or he doesn't know about the phone.

Harry's been texting Louis pretty often. He's found though, that after six p.m. Louis seems to not answer very much, so Harry assumes this means that maybe Eliot has a job and gets home at six, meaning that's when Louis probably isn't allowed to text people.

Harry doesn't know how Louis gets away with it, there's lots of possibilities. He could be deleting all of the messages, hiding the phone, or something else, but what Harry does knows is that he's very happy he gets to talk to Louis not just in the studio.

He's found that Louis' actually pretty funny. In the witty way not in the way he is himself. Harry's more dad jokes and puns. He thinks that maybe Louis has an easier time talking to him because it's from behind a screen. Harry knows that if he had anxiety the way Louis does that it'd be easier for him.

He makes sure to text Louis at least once a day. Always something nice. Not always a compliment or even a subtle indirect one. Sometimes it's just a joke or a meme or just a funny story. Anything to make Louis smile or just lighten his mood.

Harry doesn't know if his theory is even true so maybe he's overreacting. Maybe Louis' anxiety does come from something else and Eliot's the perfect boyfriend. Maybe Louis' not in need of nice texts everyday, but Harry
figures it won't hurt anything to send them anyway.

As much as he would just love to keep overthinking in his head, Harry's class is over now and so he obviously has to get up to leave. As much as he would also genuinely love to go straight to the studio, he hasn't eaten all day so he has to make a quick stop at the cafe or something.

He doesn't even think twice about getting Louis something. He's promised himself that he's going to do everything in his power to make Louis feel good until he has a plan to stop Eliot. Or at least until he knows if he's even right in the first place.

Harry makes his way to the cafe and gets in line with all of the other students. Coffee is honestly considered a food group in university. It's a must have.

Once it's Harry's turn he orders his and Louis' coffee and then two chocolate chip muffins. It might not be the most nutritious meal, or even considered a meal at all, but it's at least something.

Harry takes his food, that thankfully came in a paper bag, making it much easier to carry, and the drinks to the studio where he finds Louis doing what he always is.

"Hey," Harry says, causing Louis to turn around and smile.

"Hi."

"I brought you a muffin and coffee," Harry tells Louis as he sets it all down on the table along with his bag.

As Harry expected, Louis gives him a look of question. "Thanks, but why?" Louis asks.

"Because you're my friend and I wanted to," Harry says, trying his very best to make it a very casual thing. He wants Louis to know that buying him something small like this isn't a big deal. That he shouldn't feel bad or guilty about it. That he deserves it.

Louis does that thing again where he looks a little taken aback and in disbelief. "Why are you so nice to me?"

Harry smiles as Louis walks over to get his coffee. "I just told you, because you're my friend and I like you. It's what friends do, they're nice to each other."

Louis kind of just smiles and lets himself accept it, or at least that's that it seems like to Harry. He knows that Louis is insecure and he knows that it's hard for people who are like that to accept compliments or nice gestures, but he hopes over time he can help Louis over come that.

"I um, I have a question for you," Louis says, hesitantly.

Harry raises his eyebrows. "What would that be?"

"So um, we're doing portraits in class and I need someone to paint..."

Harry lights up just a little. "Me? You want to paint me?"

Louis relaxes at Harry's reaction and gives a small chuckle. "Yeah, if that's okay with you."

"Yeah! Definitely, I'd love that," Harry says, trying not to act too happy about it.

Louis smiles and softy laughs as he speaks. "Okay, sounds good. I'll um, I'll let you know when. It won't be until next week though, what days are you free?"

Harry sits down to eat his muffin, causing Louis to do the same. "Well, how long will it take?"

Louis shrugs. "I don't know. Like all together three, maybe four hours."

"Okay, does it all have to be at once?" Harry asks.

Louis thinks for a minute. "No, as long as we choose a simple pose then we should be good."

"Okay then yeah that's easy. I can just come in like normal and we can do it then. Do you know when it's due?"

Louis nods, picking a piece of his muffin off. "Yeah, next Friday, so we have like a little over a week."

"Okay so yeah, just let me know what day you want to do it. Is there anything I need to do for it?"

"No not really, just wear something you obviously want everyone to see you in and be ready to sit still for awhile," Louis says.

"Okay, will do. Now I'll be able to check 'pose for a famous artist' off my bucket list."

"Not quite famous, but okay," Louis says with a smile.

"You will be one day."

"Cheesy."

Harry just winks and finishes his muffin. For the rest of the time they just talk about random things and Harry enjoys it very much. Seeing Louis laugh and smile makes him so happy.

As Harry's leaving he tells himself that he needs to figure out a way to know for sure if Eliot is abusing Louis or not. He thinks that it won't be long before Louis' comfortable around him so maybe he just needs to wait and ask Louis himself. Harry's just so scared that Louis' not going to accept it and that it will just make him mad. The worst possible out come is that Harry tries to save Louis and ends up ruining their friendship, leaving Louis on his own.

✿ ✿ ✿

"He asked me if he could paint me!"

"That's cool, Harry," Kendall says, amused by her friend's enthusiasm.

"I know! You don't even know how good he is, Kendall. He's so talented and for him to want to paint me, it's just so awesome."

Kendall shakes her head at Harry with a smile. "You are quite literally head over heals for this kid, aren't you?"

Harry nods. "Pretty much, yeah. I don't see how anyone couldn't be."

Kendall sighs. "I hate to ruin the moment, but you do still need to be careful, Harry. I know you already have feelings for him but you can't let yourself start falling in love."

Harry rolls his eyes, tired of hearing his friends go on and on about this. "I'll do my best not to, but if I do, it's not like I would be able to help it."

"It's just, Harry, you're a very passionate person. You love hard, even if it's not in a romantic way. I don't want you to do something stupid because of it, and it seems that the road you're going down with Louis, is the road that leads to you falling in love with him."

Harry shrugs, he's not mad at Kendall for bringing this up, but he's not stupid. He knows that this is a complicated situation and that it's not going to be easy to navigate, but he doesn't care. Helping Louis, and really just Louis in general, is more important to him. He can deal with whatever complications come along the way.

Harry shrugs. "Maybe it is."

✿ ✿ ✿

✏︎ A/N: It's so weird to me that none of you guys know who I am. Like you have no clue what I could look like or what my personality is like.