Prisoner

Three

The next day Louis goes in with his dad when his shift begins. He just sits in the break room on his phone the entire time until it's time for him to go see Harry. He's gonna have to get used to being in this stuffy room for hours because he's got no car and so he has to leave when his dad leaves.

It's not all that bad though, there's coffee and usually food that someone's brought in to share. He'll sometimes talk to the other guards when they come in, or walk around with his dad if he's not busy.

He's got to see most of the prison, it's nothing special, obviously. It's worn down and tired looking. He wishes he could just come in and paint all of the rooms. Liven up the place a bit.

It's not long before it's time for his session with Harry. He's actually surprised the inmates have to have a session everyday. He of course knew before hand, when he asked his dad about it though, so he's prepared for the commitment.

"Ready?" Louis' dad says, as he walks into the break room to come and get him.

Louis turns his phone off and slides it in his pocket, pushing out his chair and standing up. "Yep."

Louis follows his dad down to the room he was in yesterday, when they walk in, Harry's already sat in the chair, hooked to the table.

"I'll be back in an hour," Louis' dad says, closing the door on his way out.

"Harry," Louis greets, walking over to the only other chair in the room.

"Louis."

"How are you?"

Harry gives Louis a look. "How do you think I am?"

"Right," Louis says, earning a stare from Harry that makes Louis' heart beat speed up. "So, um, since I'm going to be seeing you everyday for while, I should probably get to know you."

"Get to know me?"

"Yeah, like the basics, favorite color, food, tv show, all of that."

"Why do you care?" Harry asks, almost as if it's odd to him that Louis is interested in him.

"Because I want to know you better. I want to help you."

"What exactly makes you think I need help?" Harry asks, sitting up in his chair and leaning forward a little.

Louis shifts in his seat, licking his lips and swallowing. "May-maybe you don't. Either way we still have to talk right?"

"No. We don't have to."

"Harry...," Louis pleads, as Harry slouches back in his chair, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Blue, my favorite color is blue."

Louis raises his eyebrows. "Oh, okay. I think my favorite is tied between blue and green actually."

"Green?"

"Is there something wrong with green?" Louis asks.

"No one ever says green."

Louis shrugs. "Guess I'm special then."

Harry gives a small smile and a shake of his head. "Yeah, guess so."

"Favorite song?" Louis asks this time, thinking of his own in his head.

"Don't know, I've been in here for six years so I'm not quite caught up on what the new ones are."

"It doesn't have to be new."

"Uh, Step up the Morphine by the DMA'S."

"I like that one. Currently mine is Now That I've Found You by Liam Gallagher. He's so fucking awesome."

"You're a fan of Oasis?" Harry asks, as if he's shocked by Louis' answer.

"Oh yeah, for sure."

"Oh. I miss music."

Louis gives Harry a sympathetic look. "I would too. Do you have any family?" he asks.

Harry's quiet for a moment and Louis wonders if maybe it wasn't the right question to ask but then Harry responds. "Yeah, obviously. My sister is my only sibling."

"Do you get to talk to her at all?"

Harry shakes his head. "No, she uh, she doesn't want to be involved. I don't want her to be either."

"Why?"

"It's easier. She's not attached to me. I'm going to die in six months, it's better that way. Same with my mom."

Louis nods, his heart breaking for Harry more and more. He gets it though, it probably is much easier that way.

"I see. What's your sister's name?"

"Gemma," is all Harry says. Louis can tell he's starting to lose Harry's interest.

"Are you single?" Louis tries.

Harry's head perks up and he furrows his eyebrows. "What?"

"Are you single?" Louis repeats.

Harry just looks at Louis for a moment, as if he's trying to figure him out. "Yeah..."

Louis nods. "Have you ever been in a relationship?"

Harry tenses up a bit, his shoulders slightly rising to his ears, and his arms tightening in their folded position. "Yeah."

"What was she like."

Louis notices that Harry starts bouncing his leg under the table. Louis figures this topic must be something that causes him anxiety.

"You don't have to tell me. I don't want to push you."

Harry looks up to Louis, once again lingering on his eyes, staring so deeply Louis can quite literally feel it, and then he looks away.

He's quiet for a moment, the silence building a certain tension in the room. "He."

Louis slightly tilts his head to the side and scrunches his eyebrows together.

"He, what he was like," Harry says again.

"Oh, you had a boyfriend?" Louis asks, genuinely surprised Harry would tell him this.

Harry nods. "I shouldn't of said anything. I uh, just forget I said that."

Louis smiles. "No, it's just um, I have an ex-boyfriend too," Louis replies.

Harry's eyes soften just a little, and Louis watches as he visibly relaxes in his seat. "Oh."

"Even if my ex was a girl , I still wouldn't of thought any differently of you.

"You know I'm a bad person right?" Harry asks.

"I don't think so."

"I've killed someone. Why aren't you scared of me?"

"I told you yesterday. We've been over this, Harry," Louis says calmly.

"Lisa thought I was a bad person. She treated me like how you should be."

"I should treat you like a human being. That's what you are. You deserve respect and kindness. You've never done anything wrong to me and from what I know and have seen in your papers, you've never done anything wrong to anyone in here."

"I've been in fights."

"So have I. Am I bad person?"

"No," Harry says right away.

"Exactly. You messed up once, so what? I'm not here to judge you or make you feel bad about it and I don't want to either."

"Prison isn't the place for you, Louis. You shouldn't be doing this," Harry says.

"How come?"

Harry looks into Louis' eyes. "You care too much; you have hope for people like me."

"Why is that bad?"

"Because you'll realize there isn't any, and it'll break you, and you don't deserve to be broken."