fighting love » l.s.

forty two - his mum calls me son

Sitting in Liam's kitchen with his mother, Louis couldn't remember a time when he felt more nervous. He'd always had such an open relationship with his mum, and for the first time ever, he couldn't think of a single thing to say to her.

Luckily, almost as soon as the other two boys left the room and they were alone, she spoke: "Louis, I came here to apologize. I spent half the night driving around trying to find you."

A mixture of surprise and relief washed over him. Based on what he knew about Harry's experience, he had been so sure that this conversation with his mum would just solidify how much she hated him for dating a boy. He had never been happier to be wrong.

"I don't think I can ever apologize enough for my reaction last night," she continued. "I was just so surprised, and I didn't give myself enough time to process before I reacted badly."

"It's okay," Louis said immediately, and he really meant it. "I understand. I was surprised, too, and it was me. I can't imagine being in your shoes."

"And I need you to know that I wasn't angry that you were seeing a boy. If anything, I was just so hurt and caught off guard that you had blatantly lied to me. We've always been so honest with each other, and I feel terrible that you thought you had to hide something like this from me."

"Mum, I'm sorry. I wanted more than anything to talk to you, but I was just so scared. My boyfriend's mum blames him for his sexuality, like it was a choice he made just to spite her. And I guess that made me afraid it would ruin our relationship, too."

His mother reached across the counter to take his hand. "Baby, there is nothing you could tell me that would ever make me hate you. The worst thing you can do is lie to me. I'm always going to be here for you in any way I can, even if last night wasn't my proudest example of that."

Louis squeezed her hand. "I know. I promise to be honest with you from now on."

Louis's mum smiled widely, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "So now, tell me about that curly-haired lad."

"How did you know?" Louis asked, shocked that she could possibly have any idea who his boyfriend was after being around the two of them for no more than thirty seconds.

"I'm your mum, Lou. The minute I walked into this room I saw the way you looked at him."

Louis laughed loudly, unable to believe he was that obviously head over heels for his boyfriend. A blush crept onto his cheeks, and he figured he needed to start from the very beginning. "His name is Harry."

/

Louis spent the next half hour catching his mother up on all of the new parts of his life he'd been keeping secret from her. He easily agreed to go home with her, and headed downstairs to let the boys know how everything went.

He opened the basement door and popped his head into the room to see Liam and Harry sitting casually on the couch. Both boys had serious looks on their faces, and Louis could see that they were engaged in some kind of intense conversation.

Nonetheless, as soon as Harry caught sight of the older boy, his face lit up. "Lou!"

"She came to apologize," Louis said immediately, not even waiting for Harry to ask the question. He crossed the room in just a few short steps and practically launched himself into his boyfriend's waiting arms. Harry hugged him tightly, pressing his face into Louis's warm neck happily. "I'm going to go back home with her."

"Louis, that's great," Liam exclaimed. Not caring at all about his obvious third-wheeling, he piled on top of the two boys, wrapping his arms around both of them as best he could. Harry burst out laughing despite the significant weight of two mostly-grown men on top of him.