“I’m not going to pretend to understand,” Louis said quietly. Harry looked down as he spoke, his lips in a straight line as Harry’s body stiffened with his words. “Harry,” he said after a moment, and Harry lifted his eyes to his concerned ones, “you don’t have to pretend around me.”
“I’m not pretending,” Harry whispered, and Louis sighed dramatically.
“Not right now,” Louis countered. Louis’ eyes burned into his, and Harry could see a mixture of emotions filling his but couldn’t place one of them.
After several moments, Harry looked down, his eyes inches from Louis’ shoulder. He watched Louis tense and relax in random intervals, the muscles of his neck moving every few seconds, but did not look back up.
“I can’t hide from you,” Harry whispered, and Louis’ eyes widened. Harry looked up, taking in the sight of his furrowed brow, “I’ve spent a long time pretending.”
“I know,” Louis said softly, his voice laced with concern. His body moved closer, and Harry sucked in a deep breath, trying to remain calm. Despite how he felt beside him, the thought of touching someone terrified him to his core.
“Tyler can read me sometimes too,” he said after a moment, his voice becoming softer, his eyes moving back to him. “But even I can still hide from him.”
“You don’t have to hide from me,” Louis whispered, and Harry shook his head, laughing sadly. His hands wrung in his lap as he fought with himself.
“I don’t know how not to,” Harry admitted, and Louis stared in confusion. “You just need to accept that, Louis,” he said softly, and he nodded.
“Can I ask something?” Louis said softly, the tone of his voice unrecognizable. Harry nodded apprehensively, watching his face as he spoke, “How long have you been with Tyler?”
“Um, a little over a year,” he answered. Louis’ face became pained, and Harry’s eyes widened, a small laugh leaving his lips, “Wait.”
“What?” he asked, obviously confused by his reaction.
“He’s my half-brother, kid,” Harry chuckled, and his eyes widened. “Nothing more,” he laughed, his face filled with amusement.
Without reason, Harry was sliding closer to Louis, sitting more intimately than he’d sat with anyone in such a long time. His eyes were locked with Louis’, his lips forming a small smile, a smile Harry couldn’t help but return. There was a part of him that wanted to reach out to him, a part of him that felt so comfortable at Louis’ side. For the first time in a long time, Harry wasn’t scared of someone.
