Let Me Teach You Something (Larry Stylinson)

Chapter 41

"Harry!" Liam yelled to the back of the class when Harry walked in.

Louis' knee stopped bouncing at the name. This morning Harry said he was ready to go back to class. The doctor cleared him to pretty much 100% yesterday but Louis thought for sure he'd wait another day.

Nope. Harry's just a fucking Amazon and refuses to stay at home. They drove together, (Louis insisted) but they couldn't show up to class together. So Louis came in and Harry went to the bathroom.

After two excruciating minutes Harry walked through the door. Liam was facing the back and caught the curly-haired boy as soon as he walked in.

"Liam!" Harry shouted back.

People were glaring. Not really giving a fuck about who the two were and why they were yelling.

Harry bounded down the isle and hugged Liam like he hadn't seen him three nights ago.

"Liam you just saw him. Stop strangling him," Zayn complained while he moved Liam out of the way to hug Harry himself. "You're back."

"I'm back."

"My turn!" Niall yelled.

Niall jumped up and embraced Harry. "Hi, Niall."

Well shit. Now it would be weird if Louis didn't hug him. Curse these boys and their touchy tendencies.

Louis slowly stood up and waited for Niall to finish. Harry pulled away and smiled at Louis. He put his arms out and Louis reflexively fell into them.

"I didn't get a good morning hug anyway," Harry whispered.

Louis held extra tight to make up for it and commanded his hands not to wander anywhere inappropriate.

Someone coughed. Louis and Harry pulled apart to see that Liam was awkwardly trying to let them know that people were watching and their hug seemed a bit long.

Louis patted Harry's shoulder and sat down. Harry tried not to let the weird gesture get to him.

"Well if you weren't already aware, class, Harry Styles is back with us," Lindon announced. "He just recovered from surgery and is ready to get back to work I'm sure."

Harry smiled and said, "More than ready."

Lindon nodded and started the lecture, "For Harry's sake, and for everyone else's, we are working on our thesis ideas for the second semester. This time I expect you to conduct an investigation into something. I have the acceptable categories floating around on a paper somewhere. We have law, science, fine arts. Anything that is unexplained or could be explained further is pretty much game." The class listened to the lesson they'd already learned.

"So, boys? Which topic are we doing?" Niall asked.

"I like the one about Bigfoot," Harry suggested.

"I have an idea," Louis interrupted.

"What?"

"Can we suggest a topic to Lindon?"

"What topic?" Liam asked.

"I want to investigate what makes somebody gay," Louis said definitively.

"What?" Harry freaked.

"What kind of question is that, Lou? You like boys. That's what makes you gay."

"No, fuck you, Zayn. I know that." Louis shook his head. "I mean. People say it's a choice. I want to see if they're right."

"You think if it were a choice I'd be gay," Harry whispered frantically. "You think if I had any control over it, I'd love you?"

Louis' mouth fell open. The others stared in shock.

"I didn't mean it like that, Lou."

"Then how'd you mean it, Harry?"

Harry rubbed his temple, "I just mean I, I love you, I love you so much," he voiced in a hushed tone, "But if I had any control over my feelings I wouldn't put myself and my family through this. The sneaking around. The lying. This is so hard for me. If I could change, I would. But I can't and so I'm so glad that I found you," Harry took Louis' hand under the table, "If I were stuck being like this alone, I'd die, Louis."

Louis held his eyes shut tight, trying to block out what Harry was saying. Look what his parents have done to him. Who treats their child like they're a mistake for so long that they feel like they're wrong or broken?

"Stop. Can we talk about this later?"

"I'd rather we not talk about this at all," Harry countered.

Louis tried to pull out of Harry's grip but Harry just held tighter. "I love you." He sounded so hurt. Like he was begging Louis to understand.

Louis looked around, checked to see no one was looking, and leaned his to head kiss by Harry's ear. "I will always love you."

"Louis?"

Louis snapped back into his chair and looked behind him. "Hey, Chaz," Louis seemed hesitant.

"How are you, man. It's been a while," he looked to Harry while he said, "Haven't really seen you around."

"Yeah. Been busy. Graduating and all."

Chaz looked back to Louis. "Yeah. I heard you sorta stopped hanging around."

Louis fidgeted, "I'm not sure what you mean."

He glanced back at Harry for a second, "Found better friends and all."

"No, mate, really. I've just been really busy."

"Excuse me young man. Can I help you?" Lindon called from the front of the class.

The guy gave one last look around the table and walked over to Lindon to hand him a folder and a note. Louis watched Lindon nod and thank Chaz. He stiffly waved to Louis as he walked back out.

"What a prick," Zayn mumbled.

"He's not. He's a good guy. Controlling, maybe."

"I saw him around our group but I never knew him," Liam added.

"He's helped me out a few times."

Harry leaned in, "Does he know you're gay?"

Louis nodded tightly but didn't look at him.

Harry seemed to take in the last couple of minutes differently and backed up again.

Louis took out his phone and quickly sent off a text.

To Chaz:

Please don't tell.

To Louis:

You've changed Tommo.

To Chaz:

Promise me you won't tell anyone about him.

To Louis:

There's nothing I can do now.

Louis dropped his phone into his lap and let his head fall into the table.

Fuck. Was all he could think.