Your Addictive Heart || l.s

Over Again

Like a gentleman, Louis let Harry slide into their booth first. He slid in next to him and wasn't very keen on personal space. Harry decided to let it go with an eye roll.

"Hey, guys." Diana greeted them. "My sections filled up so I won't be your server today but I just wanted to say hi!"

"Yeah! I meant to call you. I heard you weren't at rehearsal today. Everything okay?" Harry noticed from the corner of his eye Louis give her a strange look.

"You weren't?" Louis asked as if they regularly talked.

"No, I um...just had some stuff going on with my family." She explained. "I gotta get back. See you guys."

"See ya," Louis answered back.

Harry turned to Louis skeptically as he pretended to look over the laminated menu. "What was that?" He asked.

"What was what?" Louis looked around the room as if he didn't know exactly what Harry was asking him.

"You've never said a kind word to her that wasn't completely underhanded. What gives?" He narrowed his eyes.

"Oh, right. We're good now." He shrugged it off.

"So, you've really done it, huh?" Harry turned to face him. "You've won over the whole school with this whole kindness act?"

"Who says it's an act? I can be nice." Louis argued defensively.

"I know you can." Harry blushed at the sassy boy. "I'm just used to you hiding it from everyone else."

Louis didn't say anything as he continued to keep his gaze on the menu.

"I thought maybe at first it was some weird way of playing our game or something," Harry admitted.

"It was." Louis opened up. He finally raised his gaze to meet Harry. He was almost starstruck by the way his blue eyes sparkled under the tacky fluorescent lights. "But then I don't know, it felt nice that for once, everybody stopped hating me."

Harry nodded his head unsure of how he should feel about this admission.

"You boys ready to order?" An older woman approached the table.

"Just a peanut butter milkshake. Two cherries." He smiled at Louis as he ordered.

"Coming right up." She smiled and then walked away.

"Are you going to tell me what happened today?" Louis asked after a moment of silence.

"It was stupid. It was probably just a mistake with the mailing list. I got an invitation for the musical with all of the cast and crew information on it sent to the house. It was just weird that it got sent to the house the day my dad was home." He explained.

"Harry," His eyes softened and his face fell. "I would never do anything like that. I want you to be open and honest with your dad, but I would never force that on you." He took a hold of Harry's hand on the table and suddenly Harry's heart was racing.

"I know that. Or, I think I know that." He pulled his hand away.

"Listen, I know we've done some things to mess with each other lately but I need you to believe that I would never actually hurt you." Louis had turned his whole body in his seat so that he could watch Harry.

"But you did." Harry reminded him as he pressed his eyes shut to stop the tears.

"I know but I didn't mean to. I know that sounds like I can't take responsibility for my actions or whatever but I really never meant to hurt you. Do you believe that?" It was hard for Harry to look at Louis. He was sure if he looked into those eyes again he'd drown in his oceans.

"I believe you don't mean to hurt me. But you do. Everyday." He whispered. "I don't know how to be your friend and I don't know how to walk around school like I don't know you."

"I tried. I tried to let you go. At the cast party. I swore that I would do my best to let you go. I knew you needed to move on and I needed to let you. I tried but the second you came running back to me, even if it was just to tear me to pieces, I just- I couldn't help it. Having you in my life these past couple of weeks, even as just a mortal enemy, is the best I've felt in a really long time. I miss you. All the time." His sweet words were intoxicating to Harry.

"I know the feeling." He turned his face towards Louis and they were inches apart. He needed someone to rescue him from himself. He was slowly being drawn into this sweet creature.

"One peanut butter milkshake and two cherries." The way she slammed the milkshake down between them snapped him out of the trance Louis must have put on him. She set down some napkins and spoons and then left them alone again.

"I'm thinking about moving in with my mom again." Harry blurted out. He had to diffuse the tension somehow.

"What?" Louis looked crushed. God, why did he say that?

"I thought it might be easier for the two of us. I could still come visit. We just wouldn't see each other every day. You know, maybe that's what we need." Harry let out a deep breath.

"What part of me not seeing your face every day would be easy? Whatever this is between us, it's not going to get better by you running away. You love this school. You love your friends. You can be yourself. I won't let you do that." His tone was so authoritative Harry was trying desperately not to swoon.

"We can be friends. Real friends." Louis assured him. "I won't sabotage your relationships. I won't give you love letters. I won't give you my jacket. Or make you share your milkshakes with me. We can be friends." Louis proposed.

It was a nice proposal. It may have even worked out for them. But it wasn't really what Harry wanted. He wanted the letters and his jacket and the milkshakes. He couldn't help the way his face fell. It didn't seem like there was a place for them.

"Or..." Louis added.

Harry immediately perked up.

"We can just start over. You can just be a cute boy that asked me out tonight and maybe we don't rule anything out..."

Harry blushed and a smile spread over his face. Louis was biting his lip as he waited for his answer.

Harry took a straw and ripped it open and plopped it into the milkshake. He took a long sip and savored the sweet tasted of the whipped cream.

He then slid the milkshake over to Louis, so they could share.

***
Forgive and forget or sulk and regret.

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