Save You Tonight

Monday dragged by very slowly for both boys. Harry had tried on several occassions to muster up the courage to speak to Louis, but he couldn't even look the older boy in the eye. Louis was straight and Saturday had been a drunk, sympathy kiss. Harry knew this for sure now. In the morning Harry walked alone. During free period Harry sat alone. At lunch Harry ate alone.

Geography had been the most awkward lesson of the day, Louis walked in with his head down, his expression vacant and unreadable as it had been all day. Harry had shuffled in his seat slightly so he was faced in the opposite direction. The pair remained silent for the remainder of the lesson. Louis knew he was being rude, he knew he was being nasty, but he didn't know what else to do. What if his friend found out? What if his parents heard? What if his little sisters got bullied for having a gay brother? Maybe he wasn't gay at all, maybe he just wasn't into any gendar? No, that was stupid, he liked Harry, and Harry was a boy, so surely he had to be gay?

Louis mind had been racing with questions all weekend, he'd barely had time to do anything else. The others had noticed something was going on. At lunch Zayn at an obvious 'I told you so' look painted on his face and Niall had attempted several times to get Louis to tell his what had happened.

***

Harry stuffed his hands into his pockets and scuffed his feet across the concrete as he walked home after school. He had managed to keep it together all day, make it seem as if he was alright, it was starting to become increasingly hard to stop himself from getting upset. Footsteps behind Harry told him that someone was approaching, he bit his lip to stop the tears from falling. An arm reached out and wrapped itself across Harry's shoulders causing him to jump.

"Hey, chill it's just me" Niall smiled softly giving Harry's shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

Harry shrugged Niall off his shoulder and kept walking silently. He knew Niall lived at the other end of town near the shopping mall.

"What are you doing here?" Harry asked as politely as he could muster.

"Something is going on with you and Louis, and don't tell me there isn't, I'm not an idiot. I want to know what it is.."

Harry shrugged as they walked "its nothing important."

Niall grabbed Harry's arm and spun him around so that he had to stop walking and face him, "look, I've asked Louis about ten times and he won't say anything, but he's my best friend and he's really upset, so if you don't tell me I swear to God..." He snarled the last few words.

"Fine!" Harry groaned grabbing a fist full of his own hair and dumping himself down onto an old rotting bench. Niall sat down beside him waiting for an explanation.

"I...he...we kissed.." Harry blurted it out, going red.

"You..kissed?" Niall found himself laughing in shock, "c'mon are you serious? Louis isn't gay! I mean he's pretty feminine...and I know he hasn't had an interest in girls for a few months but gay? Although...it would explain a lot..oh my god...Louis gay!"

Harry winced and turned away from his Irish friend. Niall spoke his thoughts out loud, how had he not realised this before...it was sort of, almost obvious. Harry had left the room so quickly when Niall had entered, Louis couldn't even look Harry in the eye, and this explained why he hadn't told anyone.

"He's not gay, that's why he's ignoring me. It was a mistake and he regrets it." Harry grabbed his bag and stood up his eyes finally filling with the tears that had been threatening to appear all day.

Niall gave Harry a small frown as the boy turned and left as quickly as he could. Niall sighed and stood up before walking towards the path that lead to Louis' house, as Louis' best friend it was his job to fix this mess.

Niall opened Louis' front door and walked inside as he usually done, having been friends with Louis for so long they were both overly comfortable in each others houses. He could hear Jay in the kitchen making food as he climbed the stairs.

"Afternoon Jay"

Louis bedroom door was pushed open quietly and Niall stepped inside. Louis was laying on his bed, his school bag dumped on the floor along with his shirt and tie, his face was hidden by an arm and his body was shaking. Niall frowned and moved over to him, grabbing an arm and pulling it down from his tear soaked face.

"Louis?!"

Louis pulled his arm back and tried desperately to dry his face but it was too late, Niall has already seen the tears. Louis sat up slowly and sniffled, hugging his knees to his chest.

"Louis I know you're gay" Niall said softly as he sat on the bed, "I spoke to Harry..."

Louis turned red and a few more tears fell from his eyes. Niall gave him a reassuring squeeze on his hand.

"Are you here to make fun?"

Niall shook his head, "No! Ofcourse not. I don't care if you're gay...just don't start prancing around in sequences and we're okay!"

Louis gave Niall a weak laugh "I'm not even sure I am...g-gay. It just him..." his face went red again, "he gives me butterflies..."

Niall sighed and pulled his friend over to him so he could give him a cradling hug, "Louis it doesn't matter whether you're gay, straight, bi or just confused...Harry put all his trust in you when he moved here and you've hurt him. You need to speak to him and sort this or you're going to lose him...and trust me I've seen you together...you've known him two weeks and you are already so close...its like natural chemistry."

Louis held Niall close and sighed sadly "do you think he'd speak to me?"

Niall nodded and pushed Louis off the bed "get dressed and go speak to him."

"Niall...you won't tell anyone will you?"

"No! Our secret. Now go!"

***

There was a distinct lack of battered old car in Harry's drive way as Louis banged on the door with a shaky hand. After a few moments the door was pulled open and a red, puffy eyed Harry faced Louis. The silence seemed to last for minutes when in reality it had only taken a few seconds for Harry to croakily ask Louis what he wanted.

"We need to talk."

Harry sighed and nodded, moving out of the way to let Louis into his house. They moved through into the living room, Harry gestured at Louis to sit down as he remained standing infront of the tv.

"I'm sorry...I've been a complete idiot."

"Yeah...you have. I get that you're straight...and Saturday was a mistake. I get that you don't want your friends to know...but all you needed to do was tell me that."

As Louis looked at Harry so upset about this whole ordeal, yet remaining calm, understanding. That was the moment he knew for sure, he was definitely gay, and he didn't just like Harry, he was falling head over heels for him.

"Harry I'm gay! Ok. I'm gay"

Harry froze, looking at the other boy with wide eyes. He was gay? Harry should have been happy, all he wanted since they met was for Louis to be gay.

"Then why have you been ignoring me?"

"I was scared, I wasn't sure...but I am now. I know I'm gay. Niall spoke to me, he wasn't mad, he didn't hate me..."

Harry slumped down onto the sofa beside Louis not saying anything more.

"We could be together Harry. Niall promised he wouldn't tell anyone" Louis grabbed onto Harry's hand, slight desperation in his voice

Harry groaned and pulled his hand away from Louis "no. I can't be your secret...I won't. I deserve somebody who would shout about me off rooftops. I'm sorry but until you're able to admit you're gay...I can't be yours."

Louis heart might as well have actually broken at Harry's words. He felt an over whelming need to cry, yet he kept his cool.

"So...I'm going to lose you?"

Harry shook his head violently "no...god no. We can stay friends, right?"

Louis nodded.

----------------------------------------

May

Harry woke with a start, he rubbed his eyes and tried to remember what had woken him so suddenly. There was a small snore from below and he looked down to see Louis using his lap as a pillow with his history folder taking the role of a teddy bear. Harry's folder lay deserted on the floor beside highlighters and a few pens.

Harry nudged Louis to wake him up. The older boy groaned and pushed himself into a sitting position dropping the folder onto the ground.

"Whut tmes it?" He mumbled rubbing his eyes, there was an evident jean pattern mark on his face from Harry's lap.

Harry laughed and ruffled his hair, he was such a cutie when he was tired, it made Harry's heart melt.

"4am...I think we better just go to bed, we've done all we can"

Louis nodded and wobbled to his feet before taking Harry's hand and using his shoulder as a very unstable head rest as they climbed up the stairs to Harry's bed. Louis broke their closeness to pull off his chinos then climbed into the bed. He yawned loudly then patted his chest as an invitation for his friend to come use him as a pillow. Harry climbed into the bed and snuggled close.

"Night Lou"

"Night Har"

***

The exam was long and by the end of it Louis had not only and aching hand but a powerful sense of achievement, he was pretty confident that he'd done well. Harry was equally as happy with his efforts as the two left the school building. Harry turned on his phone and read through his new texts.

"My mum says we've to hurry back to mine and get changed as soon as we get in...your mums brought you clothes over...they're taking us out in celebration of our exams finishing."

Louis grinned, last year his mum had given him a pat on the back and a pizza from the co-op. He was glad his mum and Harry's had gotten so close.

Once the two were changed they stepped into the back garden where all of their friends were chilling in the sun with beers and a bbq on.

"Mum...what is all this?" Harry grinned

"Just a little treat...also we've a couple special guests."

After that sentence Louis wasn't sure what happened, there were a few screams and lots of hugging and excited talking before he was shoved towards two brunette girls with strong, posh accents.

"This is Louis! My best friend! Louis this is Anna and Millie from my old school."

Louis greeted the two girls then politely excused himself to go grab a beer from Niall. That's when Louis caught sight of someone he wasn't expecting to ever see, and definitely didn't want to see...Ryan, Harry's old boyfriend.

Harry felt someone tap his shoulder, he turned round and came face to face with Ryan. For a moment he just stood there, staring with eyes wide until he finally managed to force out a very squeaky 'Ryan?'

"Hey Har...long time no see."