Save You Tonight

Harry grabbed onto Ryan's arm and pulled him over to the side of the house so they could speak in private. He wasn't sure whether to be angry that Ryan had just turned up at his house expecting everything to be ok, or to be happy to see him again after so long. Maybe he was here because he knew he was in the wrong? Although maybe he just assumed everything would be perfectly fine between them after a reunion.

"What are you doing here Ryan?"

Ryan grazed his teeth over his lip nervously before speaking "Harry, I'm really sorry! For everything. When you told me you were moving so far away...I don't know, I tots freaked out. I didn't want to lose you and I tried to put the blame on you because I needed someone to blame. I needed a way of staying strong and not breaking down. I tried to forget you but it was bloody impossible. I know now that none of this was you're fault...please forgive me?"

Harry didn't know what to say, he was lost for words. Ryan had never really been one to admit when he was wrong, so this was definitely a new occurrence for Harry. He grinned and pulled Ryan into a tight hug.

"Friends?"

"Always! I'm so glad you're not mad at me. I just wanted us to be awesome again like we used to be," Ryan smiled.

Louis was watching the whole thing from his seat next to Niall, he couldn't make out what was being said but he was getting angry. Louis was very protective over Harry, even though they had agreed to stay friends a number of months ago its was easier said than done for Louis, he had fallen more and more in love with Harry every day since. The two were always together, inseparable. Even Niall had come to accept the fact that although Louis was always going to be his best friend, he now needed other ways of passing the time as Louis actually hanging out with him without Harry was not a common occurrence these days. Not that it bothered Niall, he loved Harry almost as much as he loved Louis, their little group had gotten extremely close -even Zayn had learnt to like Harry.

Louis rose to his feet and walked over to where Harry and Ryan were stood catching up on the months they had missed from each others lives.

"Harry can I talk to you? ...alone."

Harry looked to Ryan as if to ask 'is that alright?' Ryan smiled and patted his back declaring that he was going to go find Anna and Millie. Louis took Harry's hand and dragged him into the empty living room.

"What's wrong Lou?" Harry puzzled as Louis dropped his hand.

"So that's Ryan?"

"Urmm...yeah? Is there a problem?"

Louis frowned and turned away from Harry, getting irrationally aggravated.

"Yes there's a bloody problem! Did you see him? Treats you like shit then comes swooping in here and...I dunno..ruins your complete sense of judgement!"

"Excuse me??" Harry's voice went slightly higher as he spoke

"You know what I mean!" Louis turned back to face Harry again, "he's just going to come swooping in here and...and make all those feelings you had for him come back...so he can fuck you over again!" Louis raised his voice in almost a shout.

"You think I'm just going to fall head over heels for him again? Louis I said we could be friends...that's all."

"Oh really?" He spat with venom in his voice, "Well is not like that was the first time you've said that, must be a common sentence to come out of your mouth."

Harry faltered at Louis comment, feeling tears prickle at his eyes. Had he been that resentful about Harry asking them to stay friends all that time? It'd been months, he was almost convinced Louis had gotten over it. Harry was sure that he was the one of the two still upset about what had happened between him and Louis.

"That was just vindictive and cruel. You know exactly why I asked us to be just friends. You have no right to march in here and shout at me for talking to an ex, he said sorry. You can't even admit you like me. You're a coward, a pathetic little coward," with that he stormed out the living room and up the stairs, tears spilling down his cheeks, as he got to the top step he stopped and shouted down to Louis who had moved out into the hall with the intention of following Harry, "you know our friends have known about my being gay for two months, and none of them cared, none of them hate me. You're just making excuses for your own irrational fears."

Louis flinched when he heard Harry's door slam shut.

***

Once Harry had finally reappeared he seemed to be making it his aim to stay as close to Ryan as possible. Louis had spent the previous hour watching as they talked, laughed and shamelessly flirted. Every now and then Harry would peer over at Louis just to see what he was doing. He felt almost bad for Louis as he sat away from his friends sipping beer and trying not to get caught staring. It was pitiful just to see.

Jay watched her son sat alone looking gloomy. It wasn't like him to be so quiet, he was always the loudest in the room, always acting up and doing things that kids half his age would be expected to do. Niall had offered him a game of football, he refused. When Niall and Zayn had gotten too competitive and started fighting leading to a pathetic attempt at wrestling and the two laughing away any previous anger, Louis remained where he was, not even so much as a smile appearing on his face.

Jay walked over and placed herself by her sons side with a soft smile on her pretty face "Louis what's wrong, you're face is tripping you big time."

"Nothing."

"Don't lie to me, I know my own son."

Louis sighed and put his head on his mum's shoulder "that guy Harry is talking to...he really hurt him before he moved here. Now Harry's acting as if nothing happened..." he looked up to his mum from her shoulder and sighed sadly "I don't want to just sit here and let him get hurt again."

Jay couldn't help but giggle and wrap her arms around her baby. She had no idea what she done to make Louis such a sweet and caring boy.

"Listen sweetie, you can't stop him making his own mistakes, he'll just resent you for it. You have to leave him to make them himself and just be there to comfort him when it all goes wrong. That's what real friends are for. Friends are there for friends no matter what."

Louis sat up looking at his mother as if she were Albert Einstein. She was right, a friend loves a friend no matter who or what they are, no matter what they do...who they like. As he looked back over at Harry and Ryan he knew he wasn't going to take the first part of his mothers advice, he wasn't going to sit and let Harry make a mistake. Louis jumped to his feet and walked across the garden towards Harry and Ryan.

Ryan leant forward to whisper into Harry's ear, one hand grazing Harry's forearm. Louis grabbed onto Ryan's shirt and pulled him up off the chair so they were face to face.

"Back off" he snarled.

Harry jumped to his feet in alarm and shoved Louis chest with all his force. Louis let go of Ryan and stumbled back. Harry looked absolutely furious.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing??" The garden went silent and everyone turned and stared at the two. Their mothers had just stepped inside to refill their wine, and therefore missed all the commotion.

Louis grabbed Harry's upper arms with all his strength making Harry whimper. He tried to wriggle free from Louis grasp shouting profanities, but Louis was stronger than he was. Niall moved forward telling Louis to calm down and let go. Louis ignored Niall and moved right up in Harry's face as if he were about to shout in it. Harry went silent, scared he was about to feel a fist collide with his jaw.

For a moment they just stood there, staring into one another's eyes. Harry's pleaded with Louis' not to hurt him, Louis' had lost all the anger from before. Louis never had any intention of hitting Harry, or of shouting at him. He leant forward quickly, before he had time to regret what he had walked over there to do. Louis' lips connected with Harry's forcefully. He felt Harry jump very slightly from the surprise. It only took a second or two for Harry to relax into the kiss, his lips grazing Louis' ever so gently as his lips parted to allow Louis to deepen the kiss. Louis' grip on Harry's arms loosened and one hand swiftly made its way into his curls.

Everyone stared at the two, the initial shock that Louis hadn't attacked Harry but kissed him took a little longer to fade for them than it did for Harry. Once it had faded a few -like Niall- grinned. A few people started with the 'I knew it!' 'I told you he was gay!' 'Knew they'd get together from the start.' Others remained quiet, not sure how to take this turn of events, since when was Louis gay?

When Louis finally broke contact with Harry's lips he stared at him, silently trying to read his expression.

"Everyone's here...they all saw."

"I don't care...I love you...I'm IN love with you Har.."

Harry threw himself into Louis' arms trying not to let anyone see his face going red and tears forming in his eyes.

"Ay lub you toow" Harry cried, his voice muffled by Louis' chest.

Louis was pretty much one of the most feminine males his friends had ever met. They had all suspected at least once that he may have been gay but never actually taken the thought seriously. Being gay wasn't going to change Louis, he wasn't suddenly going to start prancing around in leotards and hitting on all his male friends, it would have been incredibly ignorant to even think such a thing. Everyone had already accepted Harry as who he really was, they weren't about to disown Louis for being the same.