"My friends have a house with an extra room. Asked if I'd want to move in," Harry says at dinner.

His mother, Anne, looks up, "Oh... are they friends we know?" she asks.

Harry furrows his eyebrows at his food, "Uh, no, but I've known them a while. They're good guys, I trust them," he glances up for a second.

"Go ahead, Harry. Then next up is finding the right woman," his father doesn't even look up. If he did, he'd see Harry grimace real quick.

"Right," he nods. "Well I should probably get started on packing. I'll probably start moving in tomorrow," he stands from the table, plate in hand, and after washing his share of dishes, he disappears upstairs.

He doesn't have much, or at least not much that he needs to take or cares about keeping. His clothes are one thing, but other than that it's his few records and record player and only a few other belongings.

A quick knock on his door and Gemma walks in, already in her pajamas and ready for bed. She sits on her brothers bed and crosses her legs. "How come you're moving out all the sudden?"

He shrugs, switching his clothes out from his drawers and into a large bag, "Dunno. Happened quick, but it's something new. New opportunity," he has to stuff the clothes for them all to fit, which they really don't, and he puts the rest into a box that Gemma grabs for him from the hall.

"You don't wanna work for Dad?" she asks.

Harry scrunches his nose, "No, I want to be my own person, ya know? Dunno what, but I'll figure somethin out."

She nods, then her face brightens, "There's a guy I know- well, where're you moving to?"

He hesitates, "Other side of town?"

Gemma frowns, "Why? Who'd you know over there other than Marley?"

"I know a few guys. Have a good friend Louis, and I know the others in the house, too."

She shrugs, "Oh. I was gonna say I know a guy who's lookin to hire, but he ain't over there."

Harry sits on the bed, "Where? Kinda need a job if I'm not working for Dad."

"Uh... if you're moving to the other side of town it'll probably be a twenty minute drive," she says. "Are you sure you trust these guys? I never knew of you knowing anyone over there, Harry."

He sighs. It takes a while for him to answer, too, but eventually he gathers himself. "I met someone, Gem," it comes out a whisper, but her head snaps up.

"You did?! What's her name?! What's she like?" she's smiling, obviously excited.

"Uh," he purses his lips and just goes with it. "Shorter than me, obviously. Beautiful blue eyes, and the warmest smile. Isn't always soft with everyone, ya know? But they're soft with me. And they care, a lot. We've only been together a little bit, but I can see it. In the way he acts and treats me and all," he smiles down at his lap. "We uhm... we said I love you's already," he glances at Gemma, who just had a neutral expression at the moment. "This is real important to me, Gem. That we're gonna live together. Kinda test it out further, I guess?" he shrugs. "I think it's gonna be great."

She doesn't say anything at first. She looks conflicted, and Harry can't tell why. "You love them?"

"Yes."

"What's their hair color?"

"Brown."

"Eye color?"

"Blue."

"What's your eye color?"

"Green."

"What's your middle name?"

"Edward."

"What's your first name?"

"Harry."

"What's his first name?"

"Louis."

She gasps. It's small, and goes unnoticed until Harry realized what he did, and gasps. "It's a boy?!"

"N-No!" he shakes his head. "No, Gem, it's-"

"You said he! And then I asked you what his name was and you said Louis! That's a boys name!" she's not being quiet, and Harry has to shush her.

"You tricked me!"

She looks panicked, "I-I know! I just... you're not gay are you?!" she lowers her voice.

Harry's heart is beating so loud he doesn't even hear the question properly, "I..." he blinks. "Y-You- Gemma, please," the tears are blurring his vision, and he can't steady his hands. His fingers won't stop shaking.

Gemma stands from the bed. Harry rushes and stands in front of the door, even though she wasn't going for it. "Please don't tell Mum and Dad. Don't tell anyone, Gemma, or I'll be put in jail or killed. If people find out. Some people m-might kill me," he's crying by this point, wiping at his cheeks and trying to hold back.

His sister doesn't move from the bed. She wipes her eyes with her sleeves. "I don't know what to do about that," she sniffles. "I-I don't want you to be killed, god, Harry," she lets out a cry.

"Do you hate me?"

She looks up, "No," she says it as if it's obvious. "But being gay is illegal! What the fuck are you supposed to do about that?" it's not ladylike of her to curse, but Harry doesn't care when she does it. If anything it makes her more human. He's glad she doesn't care about doing it.

He shrugs, "I... keep it a secret, I guess. The guys in the house all know, the guys in the gang- not that it's a gang, but they're all as close as family. If one of them told anyone about Louis b-being gay they'd be cast out and shit on," he tells her. "Hell, they'd probably get beat up by at least one of the guys."

"You won't ever get to live a normal life. Or get married."

Harry sits back on the bed, "I... I know. But there's an Act being put out. Heard a few politicians talkin bout it at the drug store. Somethin about gays being allowed to date only if both are over twenty one."

Gemma just looks sad, "Okay," she says after a while. "Just don't tell anybody. You could get hurt," Harry's lip quirks up. "And I want to meet him. I'll go with you tomorrow to move in."

Harry raises his eyebrows, "Sure? It's a bunch of greasers, as the girls call them," he says. "Plus this is quite new for you."

"I don't care," she crosses her arms. "If he doesn't seem like a good guy then it doesn't happen, alright? If he's no good it ain't worth the risk."

"Fine. As long as no one finds out," he begs.

"They won't find out," she sticks her pinky out, and Harry rolls his eyes, but crosses pinkies with her.

She leaves then, and Harry groans and falls back on his bed. If he could, he'd warn Louis to be on his best behavior. Now they're going to have to communicate through hidden glances.

He may just be screwed.