author: jacinth

summary: "Our mums think we're infatuated with each other you halfwit," Harry pointed out. "murder over tea and biscuits isn't an option...sadly."

Or

Three years after the breakdown of their lifelong friendship, Louis and Harry find themselves faking a romance when Louis lies to avoid being set up by his mum. As it turns out, Harry is unsettlingly good at pretending to be in love with him and Louis can't help but wish those adoring looks were real.

__

Stupid. Stupid. STUPID.

Louis cursed himself and smacked his forehead off his bedroom door repeatedly, his glasses sliding off his nose and onto the carpet from the impact.

Christ. You've really done it now Tomlinson.

Of all the names he could have blurted out, he just had to choose the least believable - Elvis Presley would have made more sense!

He thought back to dinner, to the conversation that started the whole mess.

"I-I can't go out with Eleanor," Louis stuttered, wishing his mother would stop pushing him to date her just because she was the daughter of a friend. He disliked being pressured and was beyond stressed out.

"And why is that? Louis, she is a lovely, accomplished girl-"

"Because I'm already seeing someone!" He blurted crossly, mind racing to come up with a name.

Jay looked taken aback, then suspicious, then angry at his tone. She raised her brows as if to say 'excuse you?' One of the many things he'd inherited from his mother. "Oh? Who?"

Louis' brain nearly overheated as it worked to fill in the blank. If only he had more friends, a name might be easier to grasp - Liam was out, his mum already knew he was dating Zayn, Niall was...an idiot.

Suddenly, a smug smirk and devious green eyes flooded his mind, and Louis couldn't stop his mouth. "Harry."

There was a loud clang as Jay dropped her fork onto her plate. "Harry? Anne's Harry?"

This was a horrible, horrible idea that he was going to regret forever, wasn't it?

He and Harry had known each other since they were toddlers, a consequence of their mothers being close since high school. Naturally, the women had expected the boys to be close as well, and they were...for a time, despite being complete opposites. Now, Harry ran with the popular crowd, playing footie and keeping the top spot on all the invite lists for weekend house parties. He ruled the school, and had little interest in the invisible, somewhat snarky bookworm.

Louis was in the habit of telling himself he preferred it that way. There had been a time, once, when he'd fancied Harry, taken in by his charm and warmth and general goofiness. The choking donkey laugh...

Everything had changed once they entered High School. Harry had distanced himself, making quite frankly lame, excuses each time Louis attempted to make plans. Finally, Harry had lashed out when Louis tried to speak with him on morning, humiliating him in front of his new friends and more or less telling Louis to get lost.

Louis was heartbroken, but he had buried it instantly, retreating into the guarded box he had created in his head, forcing himself not to show any emotion at all. He had simply blinked at Harry, shrugged and walked away like the last eight years had never happened. In a way, it had made things easier on him, as he didn't have to worry about accidentally letting Harry see how much he actually cared every second they were together.

There were times when he wondered if Harry already knew, if it was the reason for the breakdown of their friendship. H e always squashed the thought, not wanting to face the pain it would cause.

Jay and Anne had been disappointed when the boys began keeping to themselves during weekly visits; Harry kicking a footie around the backyard and Louis curling up on the sofa to watch a film or just hiding in his room. And on the rare occasion they did interact, Harry usually decided to provoke him into flying off the handle. Those arguments were explosive.

In the last year it had gotten so bad one of the women would leave her son at home when she visited the other. They still saw each other at school unfortunately and despite ignoring one another for the most part, there was a tension that hung in the air like a bloody rock, ready to crush someone any moment. It was like something was building between them. Homicide, probably.

The seventeen year old cringed remembering all the times he and Harry had fought, all the hateful words; Jay would never buy it. "Yeah."

"Louis," Jay said, "you two can barely stand to be on the same planet, which I've yet to get an explanation for by the way, and you expect me to believe you're dating?"

Louis thought of the time he'd whipped a plate at Harry's head for a remark about how Louis would probably die a virgin because nobody wanted to go to bed with a fat marshmallow.

That was the last time their mothers allowed them in the same house.

"It... started at school..." Louis lied. "We got paired for a project and forced to get along unless we wanted detention. We got talking again. It just... sort of happened."

Jay stared at him for a moment before she let out a squeal and left her seat to pull him into a hug. "This explains a few things." She laughed. "Oh, honey I couldn't be happier!"

Great.

"I have to ring Anne!"

Louis slid down the door; he was absolutely positive Anne would confirm his lie after she confronted Harry and he laughed in her face.

He waited, but Jay never came up to scold him for lying.

¤

The next morning, Louis was up and out of the house before his mum could say anything or ask questions. He had a terrible feeling he was going to be strangled today.

At school, that feeling only intensified. He should have stayed home where it was safe; he doubted his mum would try to chuck him into a rubbish bin the way Harry might.

Louis was heading for the cafeteria when it happened. He'd been dawdling, hoping to miss the crowds (avoid Harry) by going the long way around, taking him past the boys bathroom. He considered just hiding in there until the bell rang but he was hungry after skipping breakfast. Not that he couldn't stand to lose a few pounds, he was a marshmallow, just like Harry said.

Louis choked on a startled but very manly (oh who was he kidding Ariana Grande would've been jealous of that pitch) squeal as the back of his jumper was suddenly yanked forcefully and he was shoved against the wall hard enough to rattle his teeth. Breathless from the impact, Louis quickly turned to face his attacker and was met with angry green eyes glaring at him from under a fluff of curls, as expected.

"Hi'ya Harry." He muttered, fixing his glasses and tugging on his too-big jumper where the neck had been stretched over his shoulder.

Harry growled at him. "I am going to end you, you little-"

"I can expl-"

"You told your mother we were dating!" Harry hissed, stepping closer as though afraid someone might overhear, "My mum gave me shit for keeping it from her and then smothered me with hugs."

Louis couldn't hold in the sarcasm - he tried, okay? But he was cramping up. "And you lived to tell the tale?"

Harry shoved his shoulders harder into the wall. "You have ten seconds to explain yourself before I rip your arms off and beat you to death with one of them."

"Technically, I think blood loss would--"

"Either way, you die. Talk. Now."

"God, you need anger management." Louis snapped, ignoring the throb in his shoulder-blades. "It was an accident. Mum was trying to set me up with Eleanor Calder-"

Harry barked out a laugh. "As if she would ever go out with you. I doubt Fat Lena with the buck teeth and lazy eye would go out with-"

Exhaling sharply to cover the sting the words brought on Louis shoved at Harry, sending him back a few steps. "Fuck you."

The taller boy looked him up and down with purposeful distaste. "In your dreams Minnie Mouse."

"Will you shut the hell up for two seconds?! My mum was trying to set me up with El and to get out of it I told her I was already seeing someone. When she asked who, I panicked and said you. I guess your name just comes to mind in unpleasant circumstances. And for the record, I would lock myself in a dryer with a pillowcase full of hornets before I let you touch me."

Harry's nostrils flared and Louis could almost hear teeth grinding. The anger he saw in that moment startled him. Then it was gone, replaced once more with that smug arrogance. "You had the chance to go out with Eleanor 'hot legs' Calder and you said no because. . .?"

Louis' mouth tightened but he stayed quiet.

"And you said you were dating me instead..." A smirk fell over Harry's perpetually smug face. Louis wanted to smash it. "Aw. Does the little marshmallow like coc-"

"Choke on the shit you're made of." Louis spat venomously.

Something flitted across Harry's features at the hostile confirmation before the mask of amusement slid back into place. "Oh-ho-ho! Temper, temper."

Louis pushed himself away from the wall with a little hiss. "I'll show you a temper!" He lunged at Harry, intending to claw that smirk off. In a split second he was pinned, his back to Harry's chest, with an arm pressing against the base of his throat.

"Now now, little marshmallow." Harry purred into his ear, making Louis squirm with self-consciousness as a large hand splayed across his lower belly. "Let's not turn this relationship into an abusive one."

Louis growled and struggled, wishing he were a few inches taller or at least more skilled in this kind of thing. He wasn't a violent person, but there was something about Harry that brought it to the surface.

To think, he had once longed to feel that cruel mouth against his own.

Harry's exhale was harsh against his ear. "You done?"

Louis clenched his teeth, wanting so badly to just... rip Harry to shreds. But he nodded. Harry waited a moment, then let him go.

Pushing away, Louis fidgeted with his jumper, wanting nothing more than to get away from Harry. "I've explained. Do what you will with that. Goodbye."

He made it three steps before Harry had him against the wall again. "Not so fast, marshmallow. We have a problem."

Louis raised his eyebrows.

"Our mums think we're together. And they're happy about it. God knows why." Harry began. "What are we going to do about that?"

"Tell them we broke up." Louis shrugged, attempting to leave once more. But again, he was pushed back to the wall.

"And we will, sooner or later."

Louis narrowed his eyes at the devious look on Harry's stupid face. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about pretending for a while. I don't know about you, but my mum's happy and I'd like to see her that way for a bit longer."

"You're mental."

Harry smiled in that creepy dead fish-eyed way of his that always made Louis want to recoil. "No. I'm just good at payback."

Louis shook his head in exasperation. "No."

"Either you agree, or I tell my and your mum that you were lying. You got us into this mess. Did you really think I'd just let that go?"

Louis' foot itched to make violent contact with Harry's crotch."No. I didn't. You psycho."

"Says the compulsive liar."

"One lie doesn't make it compulsive, you twat."

Harry shrugged. "Splitting hairs."

Louis huffed and crossed his arms. Why'd he ever open his mouth? Why hadn't he just agreed to go out with Eleanor? He could have made friends with her and then told his mum they were better as friends. Now he'd opened himself to blackmail from his nemesis.

"One month." Harry declared. "We pretend to be together for one month. At home. Here at school, nothing changes. It's not as if anyone would believe my standards lowered to zero overnight anyway."

The words stung like vinegar on a papercut and Louis wanted to tell Harry to go fuck himself with a Christmas tree and then go home and cry. But the thought of the look on his mother's face stopped him. And God only knew how Harry would spin the story to make him look even worse.

"Fine."

Harry pulled away with a satisfied smirk."See you after school."

"Wh-"

"We're coming to your house for supper, they planned it out last night. Didn't Jay tell you?"

Louis' lips tightened in annoyance.

"Well, now you know."

Harry waved at him over his shoulder as he walked away.

Louis wanted to scream.

¤

Louis was half way up the when he heard car tires crunching the stones behind him. He pressed himself against the wooden fence, not trusting Harry behind the wheel. He fought down ridiculous anger over the fact that he had to take a bloody bus while Harry drove and didn't even offer him a ride - not that he would have accepted.

The window rolled down. "Wait for me before you go inside."

He turned to greet Harry with a cheery smile and a sugary sweet, "Fuck you."

The car tires sent stones flying as Harry peeled into the drive ahead of him but Louis wasn't about to let him get inside first. He shot across to the other side, dropping his bag on the grass and reaching the front door before Harry had fully exited the car.

Harry's eyes were mad as he charged towards Louis with clenched fists - the fluffy curls made him seem a lot less threatening but Louis knew better. Harry was a monster in a fight, Liam had found that out last spring when Harry gave him a black eye. Louis had no idea what had happened there, but it only made things worse.

"You little sh-"

With his heart doing its best to pound out of his chest Louis crashed through the door with Harry at his heels. For some reason he was more exhilarated than scared - perhaps he looked forward to clawing Harry's big stupid face off if the boy actually managed to catch him.

"C'mere!" Harry reached out to grab him but Louis evaded the hand with a sharp side-step.

As he passed the living room, Jay and Anne were startled from their conversation. Harry followed seconds later, peeling past the entranceway like a wolf gaining on its prey while Louis screeched and tripped but quickly regained his footing. Neither boy stopped to greet his mother.

Anne and Jay observed the spectacle before side-eyeing each other in amusement and listening as their boys thumped up the stairs.

Louis barely reached the top step before he was bulldozed from behind and Harry's arms closed around him like steel bands, pinning his own against his sides. Did Harry fucking have to manhandle him so much? He would have shouted but a hand slapped over his mouth as he was dragged down the narrow hallway to a guest room.

When the door slammed closed, Louis clawed and bit Harry's hand, surprising him into letting go. "Get off!"

Both boys, angry and out of breath, stared at the other, glaring. "Can you behave for a second?"

Louis bared his teeth. "Me behave?!"

"Our mothers think we're infatuated with each other you halfwit." Harry pointed out. "Murder over tea and biscuits isn't an option...sadly."

Louis lifted his chin stubbornly and straightened his glasses which had gone askew during all the commotion. "I hate you."

"Ditto." Harry sneered. "But for one month, in front of them? We're going to be the perfect couple, okay? Unless you want them to think that you...Oh I don't know, blackmailed me into this."

Louis' fingers twitched with the need to slap Harry into next week. His violent urges seem to be going into overdrive - he was going to snap and end up killing Harry soon.

Harry's smile was all teeth. "Well?"

"Fine." He gritted out. "I'll play along. But you'll be sorry."

As he shoved past and headed for the door, Harry was suddenly at his back, lips to his ear. "I wouldn't do anything stupid if I were you, little marshmallow."

Louis fought a shiver - it was definitely an angry shiver - and ground his teeth. "If you were me I'd set myself on fire. And stop calling me marshmallow!" He snapped, then shifted awkwardly. "You know this means we'll actually have to... touch each other, right?"

Harry laughed quietly; a taunting sound clearly meant to annoy. "Oh, just knowing it makes your skin crawl will get me through that part, marshmallow."

Shuddering...in disgust, Louis wrenched the the door open. "Let's get this over with, dickface."

He received a smirk at that. "I don't need to know what you fantasize about."

Louis growled, tempted to shove the idiot down the stairs.

Before they reached the doorway to the den, Harry threw an arm over Louis' shoulders and pulled him close, making the shorter boy stiffen. He would never get used to this. Damnit. He hated Harry's green-apple-fresh-laundry smell; a smell he once adored, and found comfort in.

"Boys!" Anne huffed, "What do you mean by galloping through the house like that?"

"Sorry, mum." Harry spoke first. "Lou really, really wanted to show me something."

Harry's tone made Louis' face redden. Sleaze. He wanted so badly to say something but his tongue felt like it was made of lead. Normally he would have just slapped or shoved Harry but, that wasn't an option anymore, was it? Not around Anne and his mum, at least.

"Soda?" He asked instead, trying to look at Harry without disgust showing in his face.

Harry turned to him with a soft, adoring smile that looked almost... real. Louis knew better."Mm. That'd be lovely, marshmallow, thank you."

Seething, Louis could feel Harry's eyes on his...back as he headed to the kitchen. He knew it was only for show but it still made his cheeks burn.

"Marshmallow?" Anne cooed.

If only she knew her precious son was actually insulting him.

In the kitchen, Louis headed straight for the cabinet that held the Tylenol, popping two before pouring coke into two glasses full of ice and taking a sip to wash it down.

On his way back, he saw Harry slouched in the chair messing with his phone and an idea formed. Harry wasn't the only one who knew how to make someone uncomfortable. Not... not that this was a skill to be proud of. Unless it involved Harry, of course.

When he entered the living room, he also noticed Anne and Jay were no where to be seen. He set their cokes down. "Where-"

"Garden." Harry answered mildly, still tapping away on his phone. "But it's November so...I think they're just talking about us."

Feeling evil (and nervous but he'd never admit to it) Louis plopped himself in Harry's lap and reached for his coke, taking a delicate sip. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Harry's nostrils flare in anger. "What the fu-"

"Being a good boyfriend." Louis replied sweetly, wriggling a bit to make himself comfortable.

A rumble vibrated Harry's chest as he chucked his phone onto the ottoman and clutched his hips tightly to still his movements. "Stop that."

"Not my fault your legs are bony." Louis huffed, adjusting his position again.

Harry's keys were digging into his bum.

"Louis." Harry growled, voice cracking in anger, "Stop moving or I'm going to snap you in half. Better yet, get off of me."

Just then, they heard the door slide open, carrying Jay and Anne's voices inside. Harry quickly arranged his arms, wrapping them around Louis' waist and linking his fingers.

"You'll pay for this." He hissed directly into Louis' ear before sinking his teeth into the side of his neck.

It felt like being electrocuted. Louis shuddered as the sensation seemed to send a jolt of...something between his thighs, shocking a squeal out of him that tapered off into a whimper. Louis wanted to set himself on fire for the noise, but Harry was doing a pretty good job of that already. Fuck!

At the sound, Harry went rigid, his hand tightening almost painfully around Louis's hip bone, thumb digging into the flesh of his belly. With Harry's teeth still locked on the skin of his neck, the increasing pressure made Louis want to squeak out more noises and squirm. He wouldn't give Harry the satisfaction. A small breathy hitch still managed to slip out, unfortunately. Beneath him and against his skin, Louis could feel Harry's breathing increase.

Wanting to free himself, Louis reached up and yanked the wild mess that was Harry's hair. Harry let out a stifled groan and bit down harder. Louis wouldn't let him win-

A throat cleared.

Harry quickly released his neck and Louis felt his face flush tomato red as he shyly flicked his gaze to the doorway where Jay and Anne were watching them with amusement. Oh hell. How that must have looked - sure they thought he and Harry were dating but... still. As though sensing his discomfort, Harry began massaging his lower back soothingly, and Louis could almost pretend it was real. Almost. The memory of Harry's friendship-ending words three years ago reminded him it wasn't, nor would it ever be.

"Are we interrupting something, boys?"

The urge to jump from Harry's lap was strong but Louis held himself firm. He shifted - Harry's keys were still digging into him. He had a lot of keys.

"Yes, actually." Harry hummed. "But there's always later."

Louis was sure his face was purple now. "Harry!"

Eyes glinting evilly, Harry leaned in to nuzzle his jaw. "Hmm?"

Stupidly, Louis found himself wishing he wore cologne. He probably smelled boring in comparison to the sweet, delicate perfumes worn by the pretty girls Harry dated.

Ignoring the flutter in his chest Louis fought the need to lean into the touch. He was so going to get Harry for this. Steeling himself he turned so that their foreheads touched and reached up to run his finger along Harry's bottom lip.

"Behave." He muttered in the sugariest voice he could manage, too low for their mothers to hear. Harry wasn't the only one who could fake it.

Harry's fingers flexed on his hips, digging in almost painfully. Louis blinked, looking up into the other boy's eyes. He wasn't prepared for the blazing wildfire that greeted him, for the tinge of anger that was steadily being swallowed by something else. That look shook Louis to the core.

Not real, he reminded himself.

"Oh dear." Anne whispered to herself. The intensity of her son's stare was unsettling. Not something often seen in one so young, or even at all in most cases. In the years since Harry had started dating, she'd never witnessed such longing in her son's eyes. She'd seen it before however, when the boys were younger and stitched at the hip. Harry had always watched over the smaller boy like a dragon guarding its treasure despite the rift that had grown between them.

She had a feeling that this... thing between them wasn't going away any time soon.

Worrying his bottom lip Louis kept his eyes locked with Harry's heated ones for another moment. Not real. He made it clear how he felt back then.

"...Don't fucking talk to me..."

Not real, he reminded himself again harshly. Glancing away before his hurt could be seen, Louis slid from Harry's lap. "Ahem. I think I uh.. I think I'm gonna... take a walk." He stuttered, backing towards the doorway. He needed to clear his head.

"Louis... what-" was all he heard from Jay as he hurried down the hallway. Once outside the cool air sent a chill through him, making him realize he should have grabbed a coat. He went around the side of the house and headed for an opening in the trees. It was one of the benefits of living in the country. Taking a bus to school sucked of course, but the long walks along the fields and forests made up for it.

As children, he and Harry made believe they were in Middle Earth on some epic adventure to save the world. Despite resembling Hobbits more than anything, Harry always claimed Aragorn while Louis loved all the characters so dearly he could never just stick to one, though more often than not, Harry always insisted he was Arwen. Louis would never tell Harry, but secretly he loved Eowyn so much more than Arwen.

Louis smiled sadly as he recalled his excitement when the first Hobbit trailer had hit the internet, and how he'd scrambled for his phone to ring Harry, only to suddenly remember, they weren't friends any more. It didn't stop him from enjoying the new films, but it wasn't the same, though, he found himself relating to one Bilbo Baggins more than he ever thought possible.

Snorting quietly at his musings, Louis stopped, wrapping his arms tight around himself and taking a deep breath. Harry was right, he really was a nerd.

Louis was so caught up in his own mind that he missed the grass crunching and rustling until a weight landed on his shoulders, startling him. Before he could have a proper freakout though, he realized the weight was a jacket. He glanced down, it was Harry's denim jacket.

"It's cold." Harry mumbled and Louis looked to his once best friend, who wore a black hoodie pushed up to his elbows.

Louis stubbornly (regretfully; it was so warm) started to slide the jacket from his shoulders. "I don't-"

"Keep it." Harry ordered.

Sighing, Louis buried the lower half of his face, nose twitching and wrinkling slightly as it tickled him. He stiffened when Harry laughed, cheeks reddening further. "You're adorable."

"Don't patronize me." Louis huffed.

"I'm not."

Louis frowned distrustfully. "Last time I checked people don't call the object of their hatred 'adorable'."

"You're right," Harry agreed, turning to meet his gaze. "they don't."

"Did a branch backfire and brain you or something?" Louis huffed. "Did the last three years go bye-bye? Screw you."

"I don't bottom." Harry smirked. "Sorry."

"You're missing out." Louis muttered into the coat and looked away, not seeing Harry's eyes narrow.

"What?"

"I said, you're missing out."

The vein in Harry's forehead quickly became more prominent and Louis took a step back. He still knew Harry through and through, that would never change. And right now, he knew his ex best friend was about to blow a fuse.

"Am I." Harry asked flatly, tilting his head. "Are you speaking from experience or hearsay?"

Louis wondered if him liking boys was a problem for Harry; he never knew him to be homophobic...maybe he didn't know him after all. He decided to test his theory. He thought of his experiments with his toy. "Experience. Sure it burns a bit... until you find the right rhythm, then it's pretty good if the right spot is stim-"

"ENOUGH!!" Harry shouted, fists clenching, knuckles white.

Louis frowned. "God, I never took you for a homophobe. What happened to you-"

"Hom-!?" Harry guffawed at that. "Next time I'm balls deep in Nick, I'll remind myself how homophobic I am."

Louis stumbled back a step, his chest tight with a consuming jealousy he didn't want. He turned to leave, he didn't need to hear - Oh.

OH.

He whipped back around and pointed a finger at Harry. "You were jealous." He laughed breathlessly.

Harry's face closed off at the words, going cold and void before he sneered at the shorter boy. "Jealous of what? Don't flatter yourself, marshmallow. I don't do losers."

The words were like a sledgehammer, hitting hard and deep, taking chunks of the wall he'd been forced to put up, his only defence, down with every swipe. After three years of insulting remarks from someone he lov...used to love, Louis was raw and bloody. Skinned alive. He shouldn't let it bother him, but the strength to pretend it didn't was waning.

"Trust me, Harry," He rasped, ripping the jacket from his shoulders and chucking it at Harry. "I'm not stupid enough to think you... could ever want me."

As he turned to leave again, Harry grabbed him, shoving him against a tree. "Must you rub my nose it!?" Harry growled in his face. "Don't pretend you weren't relieved to be rid of the lovesick fool."

Louis flinched, shaken by the burst of emotion."What are you talking about! I was heartbroken - I still am!" He cried. "But I wasn't going to push when I clearly wasn't wanted. I loved you, Harry." The last bit came out as a whisper.

"What?" Those green eyes held a sea of confusion now. "That... that can't...Louis. You were cold as ice that entire summer. You knew how I felt. Don't lie to me."

"Harry, I-I wasn't...I didn't...I didn't mean to..I just didn't know how to act around you. I was so scared you'd find out I loved you as more than a friend and hate me. And you did. You ended our friendship-"

"I fucking worshipped you, Louis." Harry breathed, "When you started closing off I thought you had figured it out and it made me angry."

Louis let his head fall back against the tree as he closed his eyes and laughed. How had they been so stupid?

When Harry stiffened, he blinked and peered up through his lashes. "We're idiots." He sighed. "I'm sorry I drove you to hate me, Harry. I was so afraid for my own reasons...I didn't see it was hurting you. I hope...maybe we can...be friends again?"

Harry squeezed his eyes shut for a second. "I never hated you." He shook his head. "I can't be your friend, Louis."

"Oh." Louis' heart sank and hope died a swift death just like the excitement of learning Harry had once fancied him had.

Louis startled when Harry's forehead rested against his. "I want you too much," Harry whispered. "I never stopped loving you, needing you, missing you... I treated you horribly, and I'm so Goddamned sorry. Today made me realize how stupid I was being and I thought I wanted us to be friends again...but. God, Louis I don't...how can I be close to you, close enough to touch, knowing you're not mine? I'm a fucking selfish bastard, I admit it. But I can't."

Louis licked his lips and leaned into Harry. "I've always been yours you idiot."

Harry blinked, something sparking in those eyes that had been closed to Louis for too long. A world of possibilities. He reached up then to cup Harry's jaw with icy numb fingers and guide him into a kiss. Harry made a desperate sound when their lips met and pressed him harder against the tree, aligning their bodies hips to mouth as his hands came to tenderly rest on Louis' cheeks.

Every cliché he'd ever heard or seen or read about, Louis felt it right then. The fireworks, the butterflies, and the symphony swelling. It was utterly ridiculous, and utterly perfect.

Things got heated rather quickly after that and Harry pulled away before he lost control and took Louis on the forest floor. "Be my boyfriend for real?"

Louis bit his lip to hide a smile. "What about school?You have a reputation. Wouldn't want anyone to think you've lowered your standards."

Harry's eyes were apologetic. "Lou, I-"

"I know." Louis pressed a kiss to the corner of those plush, pouting lips. "I said some pretty vicious things too, so we're even."

Humming, Harry kissed him again but soon pulled back with narrowed eyes. "Lou?"

Louis leaned forward, chasing the warmth Harry radiated like a flame. Strange how they could just fall into place after three years of animosity. Not that he was complaining. "Mmm?"

"Earlier, you talked about bottoming..."

Struggling to keep his amusement in check, Louis blinked up innocently. "Yes?"

"Who?" The jealousy dripping from that one word almost broke him. Almost.

"David." Yes. He had named his sex toy after David Beckham. So sue him.

Harry's face tightened and Louis knew he had to explain before Harry swallowed his own tongue. "It's a toy."

Harry blinked uncomprehendingly.

"The...when I talked about that, I was referring to my experience with a toy I bought last year. I'm...I'm a virgin." Embarrassed, Louis cleared his throat. "Wasn't gonna tell you that part and have you say 'I told you so.'"

Before he could check Harry's reaction, he found himself pressed back against the tree, Harry licking into his mouth with a groan. "Shit. That's..." Harry swallowed audibly and kissed him again. "That's hot."

"Have ourselves a kink do we?" Louis hummed, his fingers playing with the curls that lie over Harry's ear.

"Not really," Harry smirked. "I usually like experienced partners, but the thought of someone else touching you pisses me off like nothing else. Ask Payne."

Louis rolled his eyes. "He's a friend, I was never interested-"

"He was going to ask you out."

"Wh-"

"He told Niall, Niall told Nick, who told me. And me didn't like it."

"You think I liked watching you french all those girls?" Louis asked sharply. "I didn't go around punching them."

"Most of them are bigger than you, to be fair."

Louis pouted. "Are you implying I'm short?"

"You're deliciously tiny, yes." Harry purred, sliding his hands up and down Louis' sides sensually, thumbs digging into his belly on every pass. "My little marshmallow."

"Why marshmallow?" Louis had been wondering since the first time Harry had called him that.

Harry nipped his earlobe, sending shivers up and down his spine. "Don't you remember?"

When Louis didn't answer Harry laughed, licking long the shell of his ear. He'd definitely found a sensitive spot. "Marshmallows are my favourite. Used to eat em by the handful, still do."

Louis laughed as he remembered. How could he have forgotten? "So... you're saying you want to eat me?"

Harry's smile was wicked and Louis felt his eyes go wide in realization. He flushed a deep shade of red and Harry caressed his cheek tenderly. "Gorgeous." He murmured.

"I'm anything but," Louis snorted. He knew he wasn't much to look at, it was just a fact.

Harry kissed his nose. "I think maybe you need a stronger prescription for your lenses, little marshmallow. You're perfect. I...whatever I've said over the last three years, it was never about you, I never meant any of it."

Louis chewed the inside of his cheek. "I'm um...sorry I chucked a plate at your face."

"No you're not."

"No I'm not." Louis chirped. "You deserved it."

Smiling crookedly, Harry kissed his forehead and tugged him away from the tree, slipping the jacket back over his shoulders. "We should probably get back...they'll think we're fucking."

Laughing, Louis shoved him away playfully. "I'm sure they'll be right one of these days."

The heated look Harry sent his way had shivers running through him. "You should get rid of David," Harry suggested with narrowed eyes. Louis choked on another laugh.

"Are you..." He smothered a full blown cackle, "are you jealous of my toy?"

Harry's expression became constipated, making him look like a disgruntled kitten. "No." His tone was unconvincing and Louis found it oddly endearing.

"You're going to steal it and bury it in your backyard aren't you?"

Rubbing his nose, Harry looked at his shoes. "Probably."

"I forgot how big of a dork you are." Louis leaned into the taller boy's side and linked their fingers. In that moment, he felt his eyes sting accompanied by an ache in his chest. A good ache, the sort you can't stand but can't get enough of. Love. "I missed you."

Harry's fingers tightened around his as he brought their hands up to brush his lips across Louis' knuckles. "I promise to never let that happen again. Nothing is worth losing you."

Louis tugged his hand free before throwing his arms around Harry's waist and pulling him into a hug. When he felt Harry holding him tight in return, reassuring, he nearly sobbed. As much as he loved the kisses, as much as he craved them, this was what he needed. He had his boyfriend, but this was him getting his best friend back, this was them becoming one in Louis' mind. And he was never letting go. "I love you, Harry." He sniffled, trying to hold it together. "I've loved you since we were kids, as a friend, as a lover, in every way there is-"

Harry pulled back just enough so that their lips could meet. "I know, Lou, I know. I feel it too. The way I feel about you...there aren't words. It should scare the shit out of me, but it doesn't. I'm all yours, Lou. I'll shout it from every rooftop in town, including the school."

Louis smiled fondly but his brow furrowed as he looked down. "I would never force you to-"

Harry lifted his chin and laid a tender kiss to his forehead, "I don't give a shit about them. I never have. You're all that matters."

"Harry, I-" Those three words didn't seem to be enough, couldn't begin to cover how he felt, how he'd always felt for Harry, even when he forced himself to believe otherwise.

"I know, my little marshmallow. Me too, always." Harry kissed him on the cheek, then on the lips.

"Let's get back before they send out a search party."

"One moment," Harry pulled him back before letting go of his hand to reach into his pocket and pull out his keys, taking one off the chain. He smiled as he began carving something into the tree. It took Louis a moment to realize what he was doing, then he moved closer, resting his chin on Harry's shoulder and watched him carve their initials.

"Sap." Louis whispered. "If you're trying to seduce me, it's working."

Harry smiled, his tongue caught between his teeth as he carved out an S.

HS + LT

Always