Chapter 16: Unforgivable

Present

"I like that jacket on you," Harry bites his lip, eyeing the red and white Adidas jacket Louis is sporting, alongside tight, black jeans. "Looks good," he brings his eyes back to Louis' blushing face and suddenly widens them. "Uh, what can I do for you today, Lou?" Harry slumps in his chair a little, closing his eyes. Was he really just openly flirting with his assistant?

"Your ten o'clock meeting was cancelled," Louis speaks, his voice higher than usual. He places down the papers with his messy scrawl littered on them. "She didn't say why just said she wouldn't be able to make it..."

"Hm. Strange. She never misses appointments." Harry hums, furrowing his eyebrows. He reads over the other short notes, smiling at Louis' signatures that are also written on the page. LouisWT and a little cross-eyed smiley face that Harry can't help but chuckle at. "What does W and T stand for?" Harry raises his eyes to Louis in question.

Louis turns pale and fish mouths for a moment, raking his mind for any excuse. "My dead cat's name," he blurts out, pursing his lips. He is an idiot, he concludes. "Wilbur Terrence." Louis closes his eyes, wanting nothing more to just disappear at this moment, but then he hears it. He snaps open his eyes and watches as Harry laughs, a fond look on his face.

"Very cute..." Harry picks up the sheet and hands it back, his hand touching Louis' as he does so. "I actually used to have a cat myself, named Dusty."

"I know," Louis sighs dreamily. After realising what he had said he gives Harry a forced smile. "I knew you'd be a cat person, is what I meant!" He laughs a little, scratching his arm. "Is there any other work you'd like me to do?"

"Come for coffee with me?" Harry asks in a hopeful tone, eyes not leaving his desk in fear of rejection.

"Sure..." Louis bites back a grin, bouncing on his feet a little. "That'd be great. When do you want to go?"

"How about today? In an hour?"

"Sounds good! Is there a special occasion? Will Perrie be there?" Louis asks, nervously folding the corners of the paper held in his hand.

"Uh, I was thinking maybe just us? Is that weird-" Harry's breaths begin to pick up. "I'm sorry..." He continues to panic, eyes darting everywhere but Louis. "I just- I'd like to get to know you better since you're my assistant, you know? I hardly know you and-"

Louis' heart aches as he watches Harry stumble over his words and stress out. Like he used to. "Harry," Louis' voice is loud and stern, causing Harry's widened eyes to look at him. "I'd love to go to get coffee with you, okay?"

"Okay."

-*-

"Are you sure you don't want anything to eat?" Harry asks Louis one last time. The two sit in the cafe, next to the window. Soft music is playing and chatter fills the small building. It is decorated with dark woods, whites and plants. Louis concludes it may be the fanciest cafe he had ever been to.

"No, no," Louis bites his bottom lip, staring up at Harry who now stands, ready to go order for the two. "I really shouldn't... I have been gaining some weight lately, so I am on a bit of a diet," Louis chuckles nervously. He pats at his thin stomach and Harry frowns wondering how on earth Louis thinks he needs to lose weight. If anything, he should be gaining weight.

But Harry just smiles and mumbles an okay, knowing that at the end of the day, his assistant's eating habits have nothing to do with him. "I'll be back in a second with your tea."

Not even ten minutes later, Harry is bringing over Louis' tea, a smile on his face as he places it in front of the boy. "How much was it? Let me pay you back." Louis reaches for his pocket, only to be stopped by Harry who shakes his head as he takes a sip.

"I invited you. I am paying for you," Harry almost scoffs. "So... Tell me about yourself. Where are you from originally?"

Louis lets out a shaky breath, quickly taking a sip of tea, his hands shaking as he does so. His foot taps against the ground nervously as he stares at Harry, mouth agape. "Here. Always been from here. Not anywhere else."

Harry chuckles and nods. "Cool... I used to live a while away from here, but, uh, I didn't like it there," Harry gives him a pursed-lip smile and a shrug.

"Why?" Louis could help but ask.

"Uh..." Harry swallows thickly, running his fingers over the mug of coffee. He watches the brown liquid move gently in the white cup, before looking back at Louis. "People weren't nice to me... I hated everyone at the school I went to."

"Oh... I'm sorry," Louis watches Harry intently, eyes scanning over the youngers face. "Would you forgive them? If they ever said they were sorry?... For whatever they did- If they did something."

"No. Never. I wish I could because I want to be the better person, you know? But they made my life hell. I sometimes hope their life turned out as horrible as mine was... That is so mean," Harry breathes out shakily, covering his face with his hands. "You must think I'm an asshole."

Louis fights back tears and shakes his head, hands trembling and body stilled. "Of course I don't. I wasn't even thinking that. You h-have every right to be mad. I'm so sorry."

"It wasn't your fault..."

"It wa-"

"Harry! Louis!" They both turn to see Zayn and Harry smiles, while Louis just sits there, his heart beating quickly. Harry was never going to forgive him.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed! Please leave me some comments, I would appreciate it so much! xox

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