The Drive-In | l.s.

chapter 19.

do not let the things that have hurt you,
turn you into someone you are not

۵

Harry never thought he would want Louis to stop touching him. He always imagined Louis' fingertips against his skin, leaving traces as they ran up and down his body. He imagined himself trying to control his breathing as he melted under his touch. Such intimacy from the simplest form of contact.

However, he found himself exhausted. Exhausted of the hurting and the constant aching he was putting himself through. Occasionally he and Louis would stop, rest for a couple days, then pick back up taking turns distracting each other before they were ready for their skins to meet again.

Nothing sexual, simply a quick tap from Harry or a harder push from Louis. They were far too scared to hold onto each other for longer than a couple seconds though neither would admit it. Even when Louis held Harry's hand for the second time at the carnival, he let go shortly after. Harry counted forty-eight seconds. 

"Let's go on the carousel." Rue shouted over the crowd.

"Fuck no, look at that line." Luke hollered back. His feet already ached from walking and the four had only been there for half an hour.

Louis shoved his hands into the popcorn he carried for them and ate as they stopped in the middle of the walkway to discuss where they were going next. His sleeves were slightly stained from the butter as he now also wore longer shirts to cover his arms.

Harry wore a coffee colored sweatshirt with long sleeves that hid his own inked skin. His jeans were a nice light wash that caught Louis' attention and earned him a compliment. Luke smiled and agreed. He now swore to never take them off as no one had ever complimented his clothing before.

"Please, it'll go by quick." Rue begged. "Harry?" She turned to her friend knowing he'd take her side.

"I'll wait with you." He said making her clap and pull him with her.

Luke groaned as him and Louis followed the pair.

"So you still haven't gotten the rose?" Rue asked as they waited in line. It had already been twenty minutes but they were almost to the front.

"Or the dagger." Louis answered.

"I'm starting to think she might be full of shit." He said, referring to Rosiah.

Rue shook her head. "She knows too much." She disagreed.

Luke had the popcorn in his hands now and worked on finishing it as he listened. They were completely clueless as Harry and Louis discovered their new tattoos but were finally filled in as the two could no longer hide their arms. Especially since Rue and Harry almost always stayed with each other.

"She could have just heard us and simply made it up so we would keep going to her and giving her all our money."

"Louis, still," Rue said. "It weirdly enough makes sense. How else would you explain it?"

Louis shrugged.

"No, I agree." Luke pipped in. "She seems sketchy but she is the only person who knows anything."