Princess » l.s ✔️

The One With The Flower Crown

Chapter Seven: The One With The Flower Crown.

It was later on that night, the kids up in their rooms sleeping soundly since they had school the next day.

Both Harry and Louis were downstairs in the living room, watching reruns of Friends in the dark with food all over the coffee table, bowls of chips, gummy bears, popcorn, practically everything.

Louis was wearing the same thing he was earlier but Harry changed after dinner, wearing one of his large sweaters that doubled as a dress and went up to his knees—again, it was July—and shorts underneath. It took every bit of Louis not to pull the younger lad closer because, he looked so cuddly and soft.

It was nice like this, though. Them sitting side by side, shoulders brushing while Louis heard Harry laugh here and there— the most beautiful sound he had ever heard— and there was even a moment when Harry leaned into his side then laid his head on his shoulder — something he didn't oppose to even though Harry's hair was tickling him, because it just felt right. Like they've done it a million times before. He liked it like this, Louis really did.

"So may I ask?" Louis spoke up, making Harry lift his head up curiously  "You're well over eighteen, right? Why do you live with your foster siblings? Like, did their parents..." Louis trailed off, frowning slightly as if whatever he was thinking, he didn't want to say it.

"Oh, no, no." Harry shook his head, his curls bouncing a little, Louis smiling. Harry sat up properly and crossed his legs. "They're just away. Like they always are, to be honest." Harry sighed and bit his lip. "They're never here so they always expect me to take care of their own kids."

Louis nodded understandingly, pressing his lips together. "Okay that explains that but why are you still here? Other than to take care of the little ones."

Harry looked down at his hand for a minute, the smile he had on before quickly disappearing. Louis suddenly felt really bad because he didn't want to trigger anything in Harry but before he could tell him he didn't have to answer, the lad started.

"My own parents, um, they want nothing to do with me. They never did and never will, I guess," Harry said, nibbling on his lip. "And it's just... it feels nice to come home to someone that appreciates you. I've been with this family for as long as I can remember, I can't leave these kids now. They practically-actually, they are family and I can't do that to family." He shrugged, his sweater falling off his shoulder as he did so. 

Louis smiled softly and reached over to tug the fabric back so that it was covering Harry's shoulder like it had been, leaning back. "That's so sweet. Honestly, Harry, you're so sweet. You're giving me a tooth ache, here." Louis laughed softly, trying to lift up the mood a little from where it dropped. The crinkles formed again once he made Harry giggle—has Louis ever said how amazing that sound was?

"Ooh. I just remembered." Louis stood up, walking out the house to his car that was parked upfront, leaving a confused Harry on the couch to peer out the open door.

When Louis came back a few minutes later, he was holding something behind his back, which just increased Harry's curiosity, the boy trying to look behind him.

Louis just saw it there on the display box in front of the window of the shop whilst he was out with Zayn and he really couldn't help but think of how Harry would love it and how beautiful it would look on top of his brown curls, sitting there so neatly and fuck- he just had to get it for him.

"Um, what's that?" Harry asked when Louis sat back down next to him with a pink bag in his hands that he laid between them.

"It's for you." Louis just simply said.

"F-for me?" Harry asked surprisingly, pointing at himself as he looked at Louis then at the bag then back at Louis.

Louis chuckled. "Yeah, for you. I just-thought you'd like it..." he shrugged. He pulled out the flower crown, holding it delicately as if it could just break down and placed it on top of Harry's curls, smiling widely at the pink on Harry's cheeks and how happy he looked.

"You didn't have to-" Harry started but Louis cut him off.

"You don't like it?" He bit down on his bottom lip, leaning back on the soft couch. "It was just an idea. I could just return it." He shrugged again, trying not to make it such a big deal because it wasn't. Not at all. He thought Harry would like it and it would look good on him but, you know, he could return it and get his money back. No biggie.

"No, no." Harry shook his head, the flower crown falling off a little and him pushing it back up. "I love it, Lou. It's so pretty." Harry grinned. Louis' heart skipped a beat not only at the nickname but also at how bright Harry was beaming. "I just don't want you to waste your money on me."

And at that Louis shook his own head, smiling at the boy. "It's not a waste. I like seeing your smile." Louis said, blushing as soon as it left his mouth because he wasn't supposed to say it out loud, he wasn't supposed to be saying things like that at all. He was Louis, the bad boy, Louis who had no feelings and had a cold heart and was straight.

He quickly looked back at the TV screen just so Harry couldn't see the blush that was starting to spread all over like a rash.

But then Louis felt Harry's lips on his cheek and they probably got even darker now and why — how were Harry's lips so soft?

"Thank you, Louis. Really." Harry whispered, Louis taking note on the green of his eyes and how it was just as pretty as the rest of him.

Louis then watched the boy smile so big that he was certain that his face would split in half then announce he was going go get a drink and as he walked away, the new pale beige and pink flower crown on top of his head, Louis really, really liked how it looked on him and really, really liked how great it felt to make the boy so happy.