Pretty in Plastic (l.s)

xvi

Louis shouts when he falls back onto his butt, and he stares at the shoes on his feet with anger. Liam laughs, and skates over to him. Louis grabs his hands, and lets Liam lift him up.

"Are you okay?" Louis wraps his arms around Liam's torso, almost falling again when his foot slips. Liam chuckles, and grabs his waist. He hoists the doll into a stable standing position, and glides them around the rink slowly.

"This is scary." Louis says bluntly. "What's so fun about this? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. My butt is cold."

"You can warm it up when we get in the car." Liam says, and Louis frowns. "You aren't trying."

"I fell. No more tries." Liam laughs again, and skates around a few more times with Louis clinging to him. After a few minutes, Liam decides they should get something to eat. He leads Louis off the ice, and Louis stomps around like a child. "My feet hurt. I want my shoes back."

"Let's eat first." Louis huffs, but agrees. They sit on a bench once they get some snacks, Louis getting sweets because he's a literal child, and Liam watches Louis with a fond look. "So what made you upset earlier?"

"Oh," Louis swallows his gummy, "nothing."

"We are friends, Lou." Liam says, and Louis hums. "You can tell me. Remember to talk about it."

"I tried that, talking about my feelings." Liam hums. "It hurt. I'm hurt more now. Is it supposed to work like that?"

"Sometimes." Liam says honestly. "It depends on who you're talking to, and what the problem is."

Louis hums, and stares at his skates. "Liam, I have problems sorting out my feelings. Anything that isn't... happiness I can't put a name to. So, it's hard for me."

"Feelings can be complicated. Sometimes you feel them all at once." Louis rolls his eyes. Great. "Maybe I can help if you tell me."

"What's it like to like someone?" Louis looks at him.

"You mean a crush?"

Louis' eyes widen. "A what?"

"Crush. It's what you have when you really like someone. You know, heart races fast, always thinking about them, upset when they have girlfriends or boyfriends."

Louis gasps, and covers his mouth. So he has a crush. He furrows his eyebrows. "Why's it called a crush?"

"If they don't like you back, you're feelings can really crush you. It's what you feel when you're rejected." Liam licks his cone, and Louis blinks. Is that what he felt when Harry told him he didn't like Louis back? He felt rejected? Well, if anything, he did feel crushed. "Why do you ask? Do you have a crush?"

Louis slouches in his seat, and thinks. Harry told him that he didn't know how he felt, but it seems to Louis that he does. He likes Harry, he wants Harry, and it's that simple.

"Liam," Louis looks at him, "can I tell you something?"

—————

Louis giggles as he walks inside the house, Liam right behind him. Louis struggles to see over the stuff bear Liam got him after skating, but he hears the barreling of feet.

"Louis!" The doll squeaks when he's picked up, and spun around. He knows it's Harry, but he can't see the man "I thought you left! Oh my gosh!"

"Harry..." Liam mumbles with disinterest, but Louis doesn't say anything. He's stunned because he figured Harry wouldn't have noticed.

"I was so worried!" He puts Louis down, and rips the bear from Louis' grip. He tosses it on the floor, and Liam frowns. Louis whines because it was nice to snuggle. "I thought— I didn't know— Louis..."

Louis looks up to see tears in Harry's eyes, and his heart hurts. He made Harry cry. The doll coos, and cups his face. "Liam took me skating."

"L—Liam?" Harry sniffles, and looks at the third person in the house. Liam awkwardly waves, but Harry isn't happy to see him. He squints his eyes at Liam, and clenches his jaw.

"He got me a bear. See?" Louis goes to pick it up, and smiles proudly as he shows Harry. He looked like a child on Christmas, and Harry's sad he wasn't the one who did that. Liam was.

"Beautiful, Louis. Really." Harry strains a grin. It barely meets his eyes, but Louis doesn't mind it.

"Why are you acting like Louis's a child? He can leave the house when he wants." Liam mumbles.

"We had an argument this morning. I thought he left without saying goodbye." Harry mumbles insecurely. Louis rocks onto the balls of his feet.

"I'm mad," Louis says clearly and Harry looks down, "but I wouldn't leave. Not for good."

"We need to talk, Lou." Harry says, but Liam clears his throat.

"I think we do, honestly." He says to Harry. "Kitchen. Now."

Louis doesn't pay them any mind, and goes to the couch. He mumbles about the lion cubs that usually come on around this time, and grabs the remote. Harry, and Liam go into the kitchen.

"What's Louis to you?" Liam asks automatically, and Harry raises an eyebrow. "Your friend, your secret admirer, your toy."

"What?" Harry says, and a lump forms in his throat. How did Liam know about that? Did Louis tell him?

Liam crosses his arms, and leans against the counter. "You heard me. Your toy."

"Liam," Harry starts slowly, "what's got into you?"

"Louis told me everything, Harry." Liam says, and Harry stiffens. His mind races a million miles per second, and his paces a little. Louis definitely told him. "I'm not shocked you didn't tell me."

"Really?" Harry stops, and faces him.

"I'd be embarrassed of treating someone as kind as him like that, too." Liam says, and now Harry's utterly lost him. "You lead him on, he confesses, and you reject him. For what? The likes of Kala?"

Oh. Harry gasps. Oh.

"Look, it isn't what it seems like—"

"You get possessive when he hangs around Niall, and I." Harry swallows. "You're jealous every minute his brain isn't focused on you, I can see it. I treat him better, make him smile, and you're mad someone else is doing that for him while you mope. You act as if he's yours, but deny him when he rightfully wants something more from you. Is he a toy to you?"

Harry looks at the wall, and nibbles on his lip.

"Something you can spend all your frustrations, guilty pleasures, and anger on? Then you can put him on the shelf when you're ready to step back into reality? Is that why he's always in this house, waiting on your beckoning call, because you're selfish and don't want to see him at his best without you? With me?"

"Excuse me?" Harry straightens himself out.

"You have a problem that I've gotten close with him, that I like him." Harry huffs, and crosses his arms. "I'll give it to you straight, Harry, because all is fair in love and war."

Liam walks up to Harry, and pokes his chest. "Get yourself together, or you'll be losing the best thing that ever happened to you."

"Liam—"

"Or don't." Liam backs away. "Either way, I'm taking my chances with the little ball of sunshine in there. You'll do good by keeping up."