That's Me In The Spotlight(Larry Stylinson)

Chapter 28

Chapter Notes

(reblog link)

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Louis sat in front of Harry in the large spa bath, rubbing his ankle over Harry's leg under the water. He calmly picked up his phone. Harry wondered if he'd been totally blind because Louis certainly looked wealthy in that moment: phone held totally carefree as if there wasn't two feet of water just below it, bubbles lapping at his chest.

Harry wouldn't mind if his own phone fell into deep water and stopped working. Perhaps the only American teenager whose iPhone wasn't an extension of their arm, Harry's sat out of action buried deep in his luggage most days, or it was left untouched as he watched calls ring out. He didn't reply to texts of, Hey Poppet. Jeremy told us you're in NYC with a few days off. Wish you'd told us, we would have flown up to visit you! and Duuuude. Radio silence is freaking out the parents. CALL MOM!

He didn't know what to say. He'd opened up blank text messages more times than he could count, but all he could type out was Hi or Sorry, which he'd just stare at for a moment before sighing and locking his screen again.

The world Harry was now living in felt completely different to the one he had come from. Though he had so quickly found he didn't agree with a lot of what his parents believed, he still loved them.

His mother knew him. She would hear it in his voice if he lied about enjoying the show. Harry also knew that despite Louis having stayed at his parents' house, despite all appearances as a man in a happy relationship with a woman, repenting for his gay sins, Harry's parents still didn't agree with Louis being around him. Like Gemma had said, there were 'good Christian people' on the crew, he should be spending time with them.

The first day Harry had met Louis, in that office in Texas where Louis measured him, Harry had found out Louis was gay. He had boyfriends, not girlfriends, he'd said.

Only briefly after they'd left, Harry's parents got a call saying he was going to New York City with Louis in the morning. Just him and Louis, alone, two whole nights.

Harry didn't tell his parents Louis was gay. He didn't tell Linda or Jeremy. He wasn't hesitant to go to New York City - not even secretly. He knew he should tell them... but he knew they wouldn't let him go away with Louis if they knew, and Harry wanted to spend time alone with this gay man. He wanted to go to New York City for more of that pretty French accent and those silver eyes that made him so curious... and those fast hands that had given him a boner. So he'd kept his mouth shut. He wanted to get to know the first gay person he'd ever met.

At least consciously met, Harry realised. If his uncle was secretly gay then maybe other people around him were too.

Harry was secretly gay now. And he'd never kept a big secret from his parents before.

The one thing he had done on his phone was a quiz off his Facebook feed that some old friend had taken. Harry had answered questions while the bath run, jumping back up on the bed and proudly informing Louis that that the Disney couple they were most like was Lady and the Tramp.

Louis had raised an eyebrow.

“Because we are... happy to be out on the town for an evening or snuggled up at home,” Harry read off the screen.“Laid-back, sweet, and loyal to each other.”