The Boy in the Bookstore | l.s ✔

Twenty Six

Thank you for all the support and continuing reading, it means a lot :)

When the boys arrived home, they decided to get started on wrapping the gifts that they had brought straight away. They obviously didn't want to spoil what they had gotten for each other so Louis sat in the kitchen, Harry in the sitting room. They could still talk due to there being no doorway between the two rooms but after that encounter with the homophobes in Chester, Harry wanted to spend as much time as possible with Louis. He didn't think it was possible, but whenever things like that happened, Harry began to build up walls around himself again. He hated that he felt the need to hide himself away from people and protect himself from those who cared, but he couldn't help it sometimes. He was just so used to being let down and feeling like he needed to hide, and times like that made him want to be small enough to be able to burrow down somewhere, curl up and shut out the world. He didn't realise his hands were shaking until Louis picked him up on it, asking if he was okay. Harry put on a fake smile and just nodded, knowing that Louis could see right through him. At the moment, he just didn't care. All he wanted was for everything to be okay. Harry had always kind of known he was different - the prepped who bullied him had made that fact incredibly clear his whole life -but he had never directly felt any insecurities attached to a label that he had used for himself. For the first time ever, he felt insecure of his sexuality. He didn't like that, also he decided he would stop using a label to describe himself. Besides, labels were for packages and not people anyways. Harry grabbed a roll of wrapping paper and began to wrap the gifts he had bought, being very precise as to make sure that he wasn't wasting anything.

'Harry, love?' Anne said, walking into the small sitting room. He looked up at her, his green eyes meeting her brown eyes. She put a mug of tea down on the table that he was busy working on. He smiled gratefully and started sipping at the drink carefully. It was just right how she had made it, the perfect amount of milk and sugar. Anne was obviously trying to watch Harry, making sure that he was going to be okay. Louis was doing better, he was back to his bubbly, happy self. Harry was quieter than usual, which worried Anne because Harry being quiet meant that the tall boy was overthinking. After a few moments of silence, he decided t s=peak.

'I don't wanna label my sexuality anymore, mum.' he said looking down at his feet. After being called that awful name, his confidence about who he was had taken a huge knock.

'How do you want to refer to it, Harry? Just 'not straight'?' Anne asked, trying to understand Harry's feelings. He nodded his head, curls bouncing around his face.

'I'm proud of you, okay? If it makes you more confident and comfortable then it doesn't matter.' she gave him a quick hug before walking back into the kitchen where she was working. Harry continued wrapping the gifts he had brought, wrapping Louis' Christmas and birthday presents first so he could go and spend time with his boyfriend as soon as possible.

'Boys, I'm just going out to get some more food okay? Will you two be okay if I leave you?' they both nodded in response, wanting to spend some alone time together. Anne walked out of the door, reminding the boys to call her if anything happened.

'Baby, I'm done wrapping your present if you want to come in here and sit with me?' Louis called from the kitchen. Harry walked into the opposite room, carrying the remaining presents for his friends, his mum and Louis' sisters that were not yet wrapped. He sat down next to Louis, earning a kiss as he walked past. Louis' wrapping was the worst he had seen in a while, it was incredibly messy and the whole surface of the gift wasn't covered, Harry began to laugh, shaking his head.

'What are you laughing at, ey love?' Louis said, softly poking Harry in the side.

'You know I love you, bub. But that wrapping is awful.'