I Ain't Gonna Fence You In • L.S

13 (End) * plus AN

It's been three days. Three whole days without seeing Harry. Louis has gone too long now to not see him for this amount of time.

He's hurting.

When Jenny and Anne arrived home on Monday after the cattle sale, they were expecting both boys to greet them at the door but, it was just Louis. Jenny gave him a sad look when all he said was, "he's at home"

Anne tried asking and Louis just brushed her off and welcomed them home. Returning back to his room.

He's tried texting, calling, even asking Jenny to ask Anne if he was alright. He never heard anything.

On the fifth day of not talking to Harry he asks his mom if he can come home early. She is shocked and asks many questions but he just says he's ready to come home. He doesn't tell her about Harry.

Harry doesn't even show up to work. Jenny had to hire Joe to do the barn chores. Louis can't understand why he's running from him.

It's Thursday. His flight leaves tomorrow at 6am.

He decides to sit on the porch swing while picking at his nails to try to waste time, he just wishes it was tomorrow. He needs to leave.

The august breeze is warm, Louis shivers as he feels the dampness on his skin as he uses the balls of his feet to push himself back and forth on the swing.

Jenny walks out through the screen door, he doesn't look up at her as she sits down beside him on the swing. "I'm going to be sad when you go"

"Yeah, I'm going to miss you" he sighs, keeping his gaze down.

It's silent for a solid two minutes before she speaks again. He wasn't counting.

"I'm not sure what happened," she starts. He really doesn't want her to finish. "but I know you two can work it out"

Louis doesn't say anything. He honestly couldn't speak even if he did. They could work it out if Harry would just talk to him.

"I love him" louis whispers after another beat of silence. "I've never felt so strongly about someone before. he is everything. the way he talks, the way his eyes shine brighter when he laughs, the way he's so in love with horses and how smart he is, and this place," Louis looks around at the farm, "he cares so much and everyone looks down on him. He's such a fucking idiot, and I love him" he stops his ramble when his voice cracks. Even though its been such a short period of time, he knows its real, this feeling. He knows his feelings for Harry are genuine and he knows Harry feels for him too. Maybe he's scared? It is so confusing and unfair to Louis.

"What if.. what if you stay? What if you stay and...talk to him?" Jenny suggest hopefully. Louis keeps his head down. Drawing blood with how hard he's picking his nail. He doesn't feel it.

"I--I don't know, I'm--" he stops. He wont cry, he will not cry.

"Just.. think about it?' she says quietly as she stands again to enter the house.

He does the next best thing he can think of.

He calls his mom.

"How did you know you were in love?" Louis asks quietly. He's now in his room, the door is shut and he's curled up on his bed laying his head on his bent knees. He has his mom on speaker phone laying on his pillow.

She sighs warmly before she speaks. "Well," she starts. "I got this...feeling--" she pauses. her soft voice comforts him. He knows the exact feeling. "--It started when I knew I was about to see him again or when he would go out of his way to do things for me... It was a feeling that you get and you just know" she explains and Louis listens to every last word.