Let Me Teach You Something (Larry Stylinson)

Chapter 14

Hey lads! All night cram session to finish our Midterms! Zayn offered up his place since his roommate will be out and always keeps the frig stocked. I'll send directions. See you tomorrow at 4!

Harry read the text again. Three days ago Harry had made the biggest mistake of his life. He'd let the boy control him and make his do things he didn't want to do. At least that's what he'd been telling himself every chance he got.

Since, he'd been ignoring all contact with the outside world. He slept, ate, worked, and that's all. He even skipped class yesterday, feigning sickness.

Louis had texted him a couple times asking if he was okay. Telling him that he'd forgotten his clothes.

When Harry read that one he looked down at Louis' shirt that he was wearing. Disgusted, he tore it off and threw it across the room.

Harry belatedly ignore all Louis' texts. Even thought about blocking his number, but couldn't bring himself to do it. I'll need it for school, he said.

He thought about skipping tomorrow. Coming up with some lame excuse (my grandma is sick, chest pains, a friend needs help moving) but Midterms were two days away and he had to pass this class.

Tomorrow was going to be difficult.

***

Louis pulled up to the curb outside of Zayn's house and saw through the window that the boys were in the dining room with snacks and books out and ready. He saw everyone's cars except Harry's. Hopefully he wouldn't show up.

Louis had been seething for days over what happened. Harry begged to come over, made him come harder than he had in a very long time, and then blamed him for it and left him.

He tried not to hate Harry for it, he knew the boy was having a lot of confusing thoughts. The poor kid was only twenty. He'd been there at one point. But he was tired of Harry's moods swings.

Louis got out and walked up the pathway. He rang the door bell and heard a distant Come In that sounded like Zayn.

He tried the door and found it unlocked. The inside of Zayn's house was quite the opposite of what Louis expected.

As quiet and serious as Zayn seemed to be, Louis expected dark colors and minimal furniture. Instead he was greeted with cartoon figures spray painted on canvases and hung on the walls. There was a bright white couch with fluffy, colorful pillows.

"We're in here," he heard Niall call.

The boys were setting everything up and chatting happily.

"Ugh, I am so not ready for this," Louis complained.

"Are you kidding? We'll be fine. Our theory is great. Our research is solid," Liam encouraged.

"I didn't mean our project," Louis mumbled.

Zayn and Niall were play fighting and too busy being idiots to notice, but Liam gave Louis a look. Liam always knew. Every time Louis was upset Liam could tell.

Liam pulled Louis into the connected hallway that led to the back of the house. "What was that about?"

Louis waved a hand. "Nothing. I don't know I'm just...in a mood, I guess."

Liam gave him the look again. "Tommo. Seriously. You're a terrible liar, despite your reputation."

They just stared at each until Louis finally broke and said, "Harry gave me a handjob and now he won't talk to me."

Liam's face broke into a grin. "I knew he was gay. I mean for a minute I thought he was straight, but Tommo, the way he looks at you. It's like he wants to tackle you and eat your face."

"Well he did. Basically," Louis scoffed.

Liam slapped his on the arm, "See! I knew you two were just dying for it."

Louis shook his head, "You weren't listening. He hasn't talked to me since. He yelled at my and blamed me for making him do it and then he ran out."

"Oh, well shit," Liam fumbled.

"Well shit?" Louis questioned, "Gee, Wise words."

"Shut up. I don't know what to tell you here. We aren't the relationship types. We've never been through this. And Zayn wasn't like that," Liam smirked, "He knows he's gay."

Louis rolled his eyes. "Don't want to hear about your far superior sex life." Then Louis leaned in, "But honestly I swear he's got experience. There's no way," Louis smiled to himself, "He's got these fingers like-"

"Okay! Don't care!" Liam walked away from Louis, back into the kitchen, and Louis followed.

When he entered he saw Harry, with Louis' clothes, standing at the table talking to Zayn. Niall was in the kitchen, trying to reach something on a top shelf.

Liam watched Louis' reaction and gave him a sympathy shrug. Then he walked up to Zayn, leaned in and whispered something into Zayn's ear (to which the dark-haired boy smirked at), and they went into the kitchen leaving Louis and Harry alone in the dining room.

They looked around the room awkwardly until Harry said, "I'm sorry."

"Yeah I've heard," Louis said harshly.

Harry flinched at Louis' harsh words. He put Louis' clothes down on the table. "I know I've been saying that a lot. But I am."

"For what?"

Harry looked surprised by the question. "You, you know what."

"I do. But I want to here you say it. If you're going to regret something I want you be able to admit that you regret it."

Harry took a long breath. "I, I'm sorry for-"

"Don't be sorry for anything you've done with me. Because I'm not sorry for it. Only tell me what you regret."

Louis was being hard on Harry and he knew it. But he was hurt and tired of the bullshit.

"Okay," Harry contemplated his next words, "I regret....First, I regret calling you a-the 'f' word. I really regret that."

"Thank you."

Harry nodded and kept going. "I regret, um, making you worry. For calling you, drunk, and for making you take care of me."

"I didn't mind, Harry. I didn't hate taking care of you. Which is weird for me."

Harry just kept going like Louis hadn't said anything. "I regret," he stopped and stepped closer to Louis to whisper, "I regret all of the terrible thing I think about you when I'm alone."

Louis nodded this time. "Well it's good know to feel bad about being an asshole at least."

Harry just agreed silently, his eyes downcast and lip pulled between his teeth. He looked like he might cry and Louis started to feel bad.

"I didn't mean, I'm sorry. That was rude. You're not an asshole. You're just extremely frustrating."

"I am an asshole. If you knew the bad things I thought about you, you would call me much worse."

"What could be so bad, Harry. Because to be honest you seem like the kind of guy that thinks it's wrong to litter."

"It's is-nevermind. I can't say them out loud anyway."

"You won't tell me?" Harry didn't answer just looked at Louis with begging eyes. "Fine. Okay. Are you finished listing the things you regret? We really need to get to work."

Harry kept his mouth shut and just left Louis standing alone, once again, to join the others in the kitchen. Louis heard awkward greetings and shuffling, guaranteeing that they'd been listening in.

Louis was still angry and hurt. But he smiled because what they did together hadn't made the list of things Harry regretted.