Frame of Hearts - l.s.

Chapter Twenty Three

unedited chapter (again sorry) because i really need to study for a test and this needed to be done. x

on the side, i did the ice bucket challenge so you can watch that now or later idek okay. x

The week is solemn, a little bright with a tinge of bullying on the side. It's mainly Harry that's keeping him sane and is the reason why Louis hasn't tried drowning in his bathtub just yet.

There's still significant bruises and little scratches. The mild abuse from his cohort and family is scarring Louis' skin. Harry makes sure to kiss these wounds secretly every lunch time when Louis comes to sit with him. No one has bothered to hurt Harry again, or Louis when he's with Harry. Practically, everyone's scared of Harry, and Liam's probably the reason no one wanted to touch Louis either. Harry's told Liam about the situation afoot, and Liam's gladly took the role of hurting anyone that's tripping Louis up. Liam's close to an in house suspension for already attacking three people in the last two days.

Weekend rolls by to what seemed like took forever. He sneaks to see Harry at the tree house that afternoon with a bag packed full of gear just in case he was to sleep over Harry's later that night. That seems to be the case after a few minutes of discussion, and Louis made the decision definite after Harry told that his mother was making a home-cooked favourite between the two - a nice pot roast lamb. Louis is just anxious he might not be able to eat as much, and that kills him. He loves Anne's roast.

Harry's cuddling him from behind and watching him as he messages his sister. Louis shrugs Harry away from himself, his stomach feeling a little churny from the brownies they just had. Louis shouldn't have ate them and honestly, if he were at home right now he'd be at the toilets trying to throw it back up. But that's something Harry doesn't need to know.

Night comes and dinner is served. Louis eats minimally and claims that it's just his gurgling stomach that's making his appetite not that great. Anne understands and foils his plate up for Louis to eat later. He watches Harry eat and both head into Harry's bedroom afterwards. They're sitting on the bed and on their phones, being extremely antisocial and introverted. Louis feels hot under his sweatpants and t-shirt, so he makes a random suggestion.

"Can we go on the roof?" Harry wants to bark out laughing, but Louis is dead serious. Harry's never roof climbed just out of random, but out of curiosity he wants to try it.

He agrees, and five minutes later both him and Louis are getting the ladder from the shed and lining it up to the roof right above Harry's room. Louis climbs first, then Harry, and they're sitting on the tiles carefully, looking up to the moon and stars. Louis sighs. It's cool outside, and it's much nicer with Harry right beside him.

"You're weird, you know that?" Harry speaks suddenly. Louis scoffs and rests his hand over Harry's, leaning back and getting a clearer view of the mysteries above him.

"Can't even go roof climbing with my best mate without being judged, hm, Harold?

"Never heard of roof climbing before, Lou," Harry admits. "First time doing it anyways."

"You get to see so much more of the world, and you're closer to the stars. You can see the stars more openly like this, and it's so magical." Harry's grin grows wider with fond. Louis is talking nonsense about the stars again. He loves the stars, and it's something he's noticed. Louis always had stars everywhere and it took him nine bloody years to figure out Louis really loves stars.

"We could go out in the ute and we could see stars still."

"We could lay in the meadow and see stars," Louis says, his voice a little slurred and Harry thinks it's probably from overjoy. "Can you see any constellations? It's like dot to dot, we can make new ones and write them down."