EMMA’S P.O.V.


The rest of the school day goes by quickly. I don’t see Zayn at all, and it’s a relief. When it’s over, my dad is waiting for me, leaning against his car and once again pretending he’s cool.

“Afternoon sunshine!” He cheerily stands up, meeting me at the sidewalk and taking my backpack from me, “How was your weekend?”

I shrug, “It was fine. New friends and all; So, that was fun.”

He unlocks the car and I climb into the passenger seat. He sits down next to me and simply stares at me in silence.

“Dad, I said it was fun. I’d like to go home now,” I huff, crossing my arms.

He decides not to ask and just turns the car on instead. We drive for a while with only the faint sound of the radio before Dad turns it off completely, “Emma, we need to talk about something.”

It isn’t like him to act so serious, and if I’m honest that’s the first thing to throw me off. Then, he starts to bite at his fingernails. Dad isn’t one for habits like that. What if he knows something? What if he saw something?

“What is it?” I turn away from the window and give him my undivided attention.

“Well,” he begins, but quickly starts to shake his head, “We will talk about it soon. Will you come over for dinner tomorrow night? I know you haven’t seen your mum much, but I’d really appreciate it.”

If it involved Zayn and I, I can’t imagine he’d be this nervous. He’d probably be fuming, “Sure, dad. We can get takeout or something.”

He nods, forcing a smile as we pull onto mum’s street.

“You’re welcome anytime, sweetheart. I’m sorry for bailing on you this weekend, but I’m glad you’re making new friends,” He’s still biting his nails, and it’s starting to make me nervous.

“Thanks, and hey,” he parks the car and faces me as I continue, “Whatever it is, it’s going to be fine.”

He simply grins appreciatively, leaning over and pressing a kiss to my forehead, “You’re a smart kid, Em. Now, go on. I’m sure your mum will be thrilled you’re home.”

I nod and hug him briefly before gathering my things and leaving his car. He sits in the driveway until I unlock the door, turning around to wave him off.

“Mum!” I call and instantly hear the sound of her feet on the floor. She meets me in the foyer and crushes me with a hug.

“Good god, I missed you, my dear. I’ve realized how few friends I have,” she laughs, but I can tell that she’s on the verge of tears.

“Mum, it was only a weekend. How’s about a cuppa?” I offer, honestly happy to see her as well.

“Sounds like a splendid reunion,” she grins as we walk arm in arm to the kitchen.

........

“So, tell me about things. How’s school? I feel like we haven’t talked in forever,” Mum has been bombarding me with questions, most of which I casually side-stepped. There are so many things that I want to tell her, because she is my best friend, but I just
can’t.

“School is... school, I suppose. It’s alright. I’ve made some new friends,” I blow on my tea, still too hot for me to drink.

“Any boys?” And I knew that question was coming. I bite my tongue, and think carefully before speaking.

“Yeah, there is one. Can I, actually,” I pause and breathe slowly, “Can we talk about him a bit?”

Mum scoots closer and smiles excitedly, “That’s what I’m here for! Shoot.”

I blush and look down at the counter, gathering my thoughts, “Well, we’ve just recently started talking, and I like him a lot, mum. It’s just that today, we got into an argument, and really it was all my fault.”

Mum’s eyebrows furrow, making the wrinkles between her eyes more prominent than they already are, “Sweetie, I’m sure that isn’t true-“

“No,” I protest, “It is. I just got defensive and shut down. I didn’t let him speak, and he just wanted what was best for me. I-“

I begin to tear up, because fully acknowledging the way I acted toward Zayn is making me emotional.

“I feel so bad about it, and it’s all so new; what if he doesn’t like me anymore?” I finally really look at mum, and she’s smiling, her worry lines still present.

“If he stops liking you after one fight, then it just isn’t meant to be,” she assures me.

And that’s what I’m nervous about. I want us to work so badly that I don’t want to have a grasp on reality.

She continues, “But, I can’t help you too much without knowing what happened.”

That’s what I was afraid of. I decide to just be as vague as possible, “I was just worried about being on time, because, well you know me. And he wanted to talk longer. I lost track of time, and I was going to be late for class. He just didn’t understand why I cared so much, and then he told me I have OCD and that’s why I’m so worried about it. It just pissed me off, probably because I think he’s right. I was so angry, mum.”

“Oh honey,” She pulls me into a hug, “It’s okay to be scared. It’s difficult to look at our issues so blatantly, but it isn’t the end of the world. If you want to be sure, I can make a doctor’s appointment as soon as possible.”

I nod softly against her chest, sniffling quietly, “Yeah, I’d like that.”

She pulls back a bit and brushes a few strands of hair from my face, “Now, about that boy; I think it’s all going to be alright. If you tell him what you just told me, then you’ll be all set. He obviously just wanted what was best for you, and you were scared. It’s okay.”

Her reassurance is all I need for now, but it doesn’t change the fact that I feel crazy.


________


HARRY’S P.O.V.


After school, I hang around to talk to Liam and Niall for a few minutes.

“So, Harry,” Liam walks to my right, “What are your plans for the week?”

I shrug, looking through the carpark for my car, “I’m not sure; My mum is still gone until Friday. Maybe we can have a movie night or summat.”

The boys both agree before Liam hurries off after Ellery, who is crossing the courtyard. When he’s gone, Niall and I continue to the student lot. He scratches the back of his neck and kicks the ground as he walks, “So, are you alright, H?”

I glance at him and nod immediately, “Yeah, of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“That’s my question. I’m worried about you mate,” he mumbles.

“I’m okay, Ni. Just-“ I remember what Abrielle told me, “I’ve just got a lot on my mind. I actually wouldn’t mind talking to you about it, if you’re okay with that.”

Niall perks up instantly, “Of course! I- uh, I just want to be here for you. We can talk about anything.”

I smile appreciatively, a small weight off my shoulders, “How’s about a game night tomorrow? You can come to mine, and wecan order pizza?”

Niall pats me on the back, “Sounds perfect, Haz.”

We say goodbye before parting ways, me to my car, and Niall to his mum’s van.

....

When I get home, Gemma is sitting in the living room, bowl of popcorn in her lap.

“Hey, Gem. When did you get back?” I ask, tossing my backpack on the counter.

“A couple hours ago. I meant to text you, but I fell asleep on accident,” she offers me some popcorn as I join her on the couch, and i take a handful.

“How was London?” I ask her, and she finally really looks me in the eyes. Hers are glassy and red, obviously from much more crying than I have ever seen her do.

I lean over and pull her into a quick hug before she starts to ball again, “I know I was a bitch, but Harry- He’s leaving! Ashton is leaving, and I don’t know what to do, honestly. It seems so sudden.”

She pulls back and leans forward to gather a few tissues, dabbing them under her eyes.

“I understand, Gem; but, I mean-“ I choose my words carefully, “I mean they did come to England so that they could pick up a label and all that. I know you’re sad about it, but I know that deep down, you’re proud of him.”

She nods solemnly, “That’s the worst part. I’m so happy for him that I feel guilty being sad.”

“Well, have you considered going with him?” I suggest, not sure if Ashton actually ended up offering or not.

She looks up at me as if I’m crazy, “That’s insane, Harry. He already asked me, and it’s just too much to even consider.”

I scoff, “It’s really not that crazy. You’re grown, and you don’t have any responsibilities. You love Ash, and he loves you. I think
you’d really enjoy it. Get to travel around Europe at the expense of your rockstar boyfriend. It sounds like a dream!”

Gemma laughs, really laughs, and then she’s gasping, “Do you really think I could? Like, should I?”

I sit up straight, “I think you should think about it!”

She’s practically gleaming, “You know, I think you’re right, baby bro. I will think about it.”

She ruffles my hair, knowing exactly how much I hate it, and then she’s back to eating her popcorn. If my sister is consistent with anything, it’s her inability to have stable emotions: crying to laughing to smiling. I can’t keep up.

“Harry, there’s something I wanted to say to you,” she says out of the blue after a few moments of silently watching the telly.

“What is it?” I reach over for some more popcorn, leaning against a pillow.

“Well, I never really got to apologize for how I acted the other night. Your friends dad was there, and I was just upset, and I kind of made some harsh assumptions. I hope you’re not too upset by it all,” I blush immediately when she brings it up.
I guess I should have expected it, but I was hoping she would ignore it or forget about it, “Nah, it’s okay-“

She sighs, setting the bowl of popcorn on the floor, “Don’t just say it’s okay. I assumed that you were gay for an old man, and I wasn’t very nice about it. I also told you that I had my ideas about your sexuality, and that wasn’t right of me to say. I should have never assumed-“

“Gemma, just-“

“No, Harry,” she interrupts, “I don’t want you to think that I meant it in a bad way, because I didn’t. I just always thought you might like guys a bit; I don’t know-“

“Gem, I’m trying to tell you something!” I slightly shout to get her attention.

She’s finally silent and is staring at me.

“Thank you,” I chuckle nervously, “So, I just want you to know that I’m not upset about what you said, and you might-“
I clear my throat, feeling my voice breaking, but she doesn’t try to interrupt, “Gemma, you might be right. I think I’m gay.”

She doesn’t exactly react. Her eyes widen a bit, but she doesn’t say anything.

“I don’t think,” I continue, “I know. I’m definitely gay.”

I’m staring at my lap, unsure of what to do next, and then Gemma is hugging me, her arms tight around my waist and her head on my shoulder.

“I’m so proud of you, Harry,” she exclaims, “You’re so strong and wonderful, and I’m so glad that you are comfortable being you.”

And then I realize that those are all the things I never knew I needed to hear, until I did.

“Thank you, Gemma. God, it feels so good to tell you. You’re only the second person who knows, well third if you count-“ I catch myself rambling before I say something I’ll regret, “Never mind, but thank you for understanding. It means the world to me.”

I hug her back tightly, kissing the side of her head.

“I love you, Harry. No matter what, you’re my baby brother and I’m proud of you.”

......

I finish watching a movie with Gemma, and dismiss myself, claiming to be exhausted. She doesn’t question me, even though it isn’t even ten. I run up to my room, pulling my phone out before I can even close the door.

Louis’ number is dialed and the phone is ringing before I can even think it through. Because the whole time I was with Gemma, after I told her that I was gay, I wanted nothing more than to call Louis and tell him.

“Hello?” He’s so loud, especially on the phone. I’m silent for a moment, so he continues, “Harry, is that you?”

I take a deep breath, “I wasn’t going to call. I was going to follow through with my word and actually wait until tomorrow, but I just needed to talk to you now.”

I hear shuffling, and Louis sounds frantic, “Are you okay? Do you need something? What’s wrong?”

I smile to myself, locking my door,“There is one thing you could do for me.”

“Anything,” he swears, his tone still full of worry, “What is it?”

I smirk, staring at my window, “How good are you at climbing trees?”
.....

“God dammit, Harry,” Louis struggles on the limb just below my window.

I hush him, whispering, “You have to be quiet, or Gemma will hear you.”

He’s hanging from the limb, and he’s so freaking close. In fact, if I lean over, I think I can lift him the rest of the way.

“Hey, just hang on for a mo,” I mutter, leaning over him.

“Where exactly do you think I’m going?” he retorts, rolling his eyes. I simply smirk and walk away, returning with a towel from the back of my door.

“Here,” I let one end of the towel drape over his hands, “Grab onto that, and then I’ll pull you up when I can reach you.”
Louis exhales sharply, looking up at me with a glare, “I’m too old for this shit.”

I smile teasingly and brush the towel over his hair, “I know you are, but I’m worth it.”

He glances up again and sneers, “That you are. Now, don’t drop me, okay? I’m going to stand on this branch when I’m far enough up.”

I nod, and wrap my end of the towel around my wrist. He hoists himself up, grabbing the towel with one hand, wrapping it around his wrist as well. I pull him up quickly after he nods his okay to go. Once he is standing on the branch, I reach forward and wrap my arms around him, just under his arms. I pull him close to my chest and immediately feel his heavy breathing against my mouth.

“Hi,” I grin, never imagining I’d be so happy to hug someone.

“Hello,” he smiles back, wrapping his arms around my neck, our lips centimeters away from each other, “Can you pull me through the window before you get all sentimental and romantic on me?”

I chuckle and pull him through, not setting him down once he’s inside. Instead, he wraps his legs around my waist and I lower my hands to get a better grip. He rests his forehead against mine, speaking softly, “Good thing I have a strapping young lad like you to pull me out of trees.”

Before I can say anything, we’re kissing. It feels natural, as if nothing has ever felt more right, and soon enough, I’m layingLouis down on my bed and he’s kicking off his shoes as I kiss along his neck.

“Wait, Harry-“ he chokes out, breathing coming in ragged.

“What is it, babe?” I speak between pecks, not removing my lips from his skin.

He shoves at my shoulders until I sit up, “What, Lou?”

He scoots back toward my pillows and pats the spot next to him, “You said you needed to talk, so let’s talk. If we get carried away, you’ll only regret it.”

I slump over and crawl closer to him. I know he’s right, but I get worked up so easily when he touches me.

“You’re right,” I wrap my arm around his shoulder, so glad to have him with me, “I came out to Gemma.”

Louis’ eyes widen and he squeezes my hand with his own, “How was it? Are you okay?”

I smile, nodding, “She was awesome about it. Like she told me that she was proud of me, and that she loved me, and it felt really good to finally be appreciated for the real me. For all of me.”

Louis brushes his thumb lightly over my forearm, and I find it extremely comforting, “That’s incredible, love. I’m proud of you, too, you know?”

I beam, pulling him closer to my body, “And that means the world to me. It felt really good; I think that I’m going to tell Niall this week, too. We’re hanging out tomorrow.”

Louis lays his head on my shoulder, nodding slightly, “Niall is...”

“The Irish one. There’s Niall, and then Liam. They’re both great guys, and I think it’s about time I gave them some credit as friends. I’ve just always been a bit closer to Niall, so I think it’ll be him first. He’s been asking me what’s wrong and all that for a while now. I owe him an explanation when all he’s wanted is to make sure that I’m okay,” I explain my friends to Louis, really for the first time. I’m starting to realize how little we really talk about things. About our full lives. I know a little about his family, and he knows a little about mine, but I know nothing about his friends, very little about his job. We don’t talk about anything except for us.

“Hey,” Louis says after a while, “What are you thinking about? You got all quiet on me.”

I shrug, kissing his cheek, “I guess I’m just realizing how little we know about each other. Like, really know.”

Louis scoots down a bit, pulling the strewn covers over our bodies, and laying against the pillows, “Well, let’s change that. Let’s just talk tonight, yeah?”

I nod, following suit, only after taking off my shirt and pants, “And cuddle. And kiss a little bit.”

He nuzzles into me and I can feel his smile against my shoulder, “Yeah we can do that. So, how about we start off on your obsession with being naked, yeah? What is that?”

I laugh, maybe a bit too loud, and quickly cover my mouth, “I don’t know, honestly. I just hate being dressed when I’m home, and I absolutely cannot go to bed with clothes on.”

Louis giggles, rolling onto his side so that he can look at me, “For the record, I’m not complaining.”

“I’ve taken note of that,” I grin childishly as I reach over and palm him through his sweats.

He gasps and rolls onto me, straddling my hips casually, “You’re quite full of yourself, sweetie. A bit too immature and cocky.”
He articulates his last word, laughing to himself like a boy.

I raise my eyebrows, sliding my hands up his shirt easily, “And I’m the immature one, huh?”

He shows his teeth, smiling like a fool, “Just let me have my fun.”

I nod, “Yes, sir. But only if you take your clothes off.”

He rolls his eyes, slipping his shirt off first, “Luring me into your nudist ways. How predictable.”

I smirk, pretending not to be watching his every move as he undresses properly. He stands up to take off his sweat pants, and I roll onto my side, shamelessly watching him from behind.

“I know for a fact that you are staring at me arse right now, Styles,” he scolds, turning around and jumping back into bed the second he’s free of his pants.

I pull him close to me, my hands gently feeling over his body, “And how did you know that?”

He radiates, acting coy, “Because I could hear your breathing go all whack. Don’t lie, love. You have got a major thing for my bum.”

I roll my eyes, reaching down to grab at his ass through the fabric of his boxers, “Of course I do. Anyone who claims not to is delirious.”

We both get quiet, simply laying there and staring into each other’s eyes, until Louis breaks the silence, “I really really like you, Harry.”

It’s my turn to glow, “You’re pretty alright yourself, Louis. I think I’ll keep you.”

He laughs audibly, slapping my hand and snorting, “It’s funny when you think you call the shots.”
And that’s how the night goes for the most part, serious conversation, followed by playful banter, succeeded by old childhood stories.

It may just be our best night yet.

And I haven’t even admitted that I love him yet.

Notes

Sorry again for the wait! Hope this chapter is alright <3 let me knowww