Mean to Me ♡ Larry

3.1

Chapter 31: Pink flower

Past

With clammy palms and an erratically beating heart, Louis slowly walks towards the bakery. He didn't understand what had driven the idea to pop into his mind as soon as he awoke this morning, but he knew he had to do it.

The small building comes into sight as he rounds the corner and he bites his lip and comes to a halt. Was this stupid?... He scuffs his shoes against the cracked pavement pathway and his eyes catch something pink. He looks over and sees the bright, green grass of the nature strip. A single pink flower has grown from it, blowing gently in the whistling wind.

Louis grumbles to himself and closes his eyes. He blushes madly and leans down to pick the flower, shoving it into the pocket of his hoodie with the hope it won't break or bruise. Harry would probably think he was stupid and absolutely ridiculous, but Louis convinces himself it would be a nice gesture, even if it did make him look idiotic.

Louis rubs his hands together as he gets to the bakery. He looks through the window to see Harry quietly reading a newspaper, his plump bottom lip between his teeth and glassy, green eyes scanning the page, his finger gently running over the lines.

Why did he have to be so perfect? Louis' heart clenches at the thought. Harry was an angel, a pure angel and Louis was a hopeless nobody who didn't belong on this earth with such an incredible being that Harry is.

"Excuse me, love," an old woman startles Louis from his thoughts. She has grey-white curly hair, small glasses that perch upon her nose. A purple poncho covers her slightly arched body and warm smile laces her face.

"I'm very sorry," he quickly moves out of her way assuming she needed to pass him to get into the bakery. He throws her an apologetic smile.

She looks at him for a moment and then her eyes drift to the inside of the bakery. She squints, before a wide smile is filling her face. "Just tell him!" She points her wooden walking stick at Harry, nodding along excitedly as she does so.

"Sorry, what?" Louis' eyebrows screw together and he frowns, confused on what the lady is talking about. "What do you mean?"

"My husband used to look at me the way you look at him," she tells him, her elderly voice wavering as she speaks. "That's a look of love." She does her best to wink and Louis giggles a little, crossing his arms over his chest insecurely.

"I-I don't love-" Louis watches as Harry looks up to see him, eyes widening slightly. He instantly looks nervous and becomes jittery. He looks back down at his newspaper, a frown now on his face. "He doesn't love me," Louis whispers, passing a saddened smile to the old lady who frowns.

"Don't give up, love." Those are her last words before hobbling off. Louis stares at the ground, processing the conversation before he looks back over to Harry. With a feeling of determination, he strides into the shop. He watches as Harry gives him an awkward smile and he walks straight up to the bench.

"What can I get for you?" Harry gently closes the newspaper, folding it in half and he looks at Louis with wonder in his eyes. Louis takes a deep breath and the words get stuck in his throat. "Lewis?" Harry stares at him confused when Louis starts blushing madly.

"I c-came here to check on-"

"Harry, babe! Can you come here for a minute?" Louis hears someone yell from the back room and his heart plummets. Babe. Harry babe. Harry turns his head away from Louis, a scared expression on his face. And Louis frowns. Harry is scared of him. Of course, he is.

"Hold on, Arth! I have a customer," Harry calls in reply and turns back to Louis. "I'm s-sorry about that... What did you need?"

"This was a mistake," Louis breathes out and rubs his sweaty hands onto his jeans, trying not to tear up. "I'm sorry for wasting your time." And with that, Louis scurries from the shop.

As soon as he walks out of the door, tears are falling down his cheeks. His chest physically hurts and feels tight. He lost his chance with Harry, not that he ever had one, really. 

His vision is blurred as he stumbles along the pathway, trying to calm his breathing but failing miserably. And somehow, he makes it to Stan's house. The only person that will ever tolerate Louis because, in his eyes, he is unlovable. So, he has to settle. Stan may not be nice, he may hurt him, he may yell and scream at him, but, no matter how fat, ugly and annoying Louis is, he sticks with him and that's all Louis can ask for.

The slightly older opens the door with a frown. "What? What's wrong?" He asks and Louis crashes against his chest, crying harshly. Stan rubs his back and fluffy, brown hair, eyes knitted in confusion.

"I need the a pain to go away," Louis says in between sobs, gripping at Stan's shirt tightly. He just wants Harry. "Please make it better."

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I hope you're all doing well and enjoyed this chapter! X