Behind Closed Doors {Larry Stylinson}
Chapter 41
ZAYN’S P.O.V.
“Harry?”
The bathroom is empty besides the two of us and there’s only one stall other than the one Harry has locked himself into. I knock lightly for the fifth time, but all I hear is sniffling.
“Alright, I guess we’re having a conversation through the door then.”
Harry says nothing and I lean against the side of the stall near the sink.
“Can you tell me what happened, Hazz?”
“I’m sure Louis has already told some bullshit story that makes him look like a hero.”
He isn’t far off, but Louis didn’t tell us much of a story.
“He actually left. He was pretty upset too.”
“Why should he be upset?”
I can sense the unnerving coolness in his tone.
“Because you’re upset and he loves you.”
“He’s the reason I’m upset! He doesn’t get to play innocent here.”
I take a silent breath, not wanting to put out an air of insensitivity.
“Just tell me what happened, please.”
I hear Harry’s boots scuff along the tile as he stands in the stall.
“We had lunch with my dad yesterday. I’ve been so against telling him about Louis and I for so long and I finally just decided it had to be done. Well, it didn’t go well. It actually went worse than I even expected...”
I can piece the rest together. Louis took things into his own hands, trying to make it all better. God, he’s an idiot sometimes, but I know what he was thinking. I would have done the same thing in the heat of the moment. I continue to listen to Harry babble on about how he and Louis spent a romantic day together that I don’t care to hear about in detail.
“... and then, when I was asleep, he took my phone and found out where my dad was staying! He went over there
without me having the slightest idea, Zayn! He wasn’t even going to tell me! If my dad hadn’t texted me and asked to hang out, I wouldn’t have noticed that Louis was keeping something from me! He had that stupid look on his face-“
“Wait. It went well, then? Your dad came around a bit, yeah?”
“That isn’t the point, Zayn! The point is that he went behind my back and met with my own father! He tried to fight my battles for me and I don’t need that. I’m fully capable of dealing with this shit.”
At that, Harry unlocks the stall and steps out. His eyes are red and glazed over from crying, but his expression was laced with anger.
“It isn’t okay for him to treat me like a helpless child, Zayn.”
He stands a few feet away from me and I close the gap, patting him on the shoulder while waiting for his eyes to meet mine.
“Harry, I get that that’s how you feel, okay? I understand why you’re upset and all, but you have to give him a break,“
Harry starts to cut me off, but I raise a calm hand to stop him. “Listen, I know how you feel, but I also get how Louis is feeling so hear me out.”
Harry nods and rubs his eyes with both of his palms before listening intently.
“Lou has been watching you fight with yourself over this dilemma for years now. I remember when it all started. You guys had already told your mums and he figured you wanted to tell your dad. You’ve always been afraid. I can imagine he was thrilled that you finally felt like your relationship was at a point that your father should know about it. You know this, Harry, but Louis isn’t keen to commitment. Before you, he wanted nothing to do with it in the long term. You guys have been through so much together, so now he probably feels like he’s trying so hard to protect you from any further harm and you’re just pushing him away. I understand that that’s not your intention, but it’s how he’s going to see it. He didn’t want anything but to help you. He loves you so incredibly much, Harry. I mean it. He never stops talking about you, whether you’re here or not. Don’t let this come between you guys, especially when it ended up working in your favor.”
Harry’s eyes shift down to the floor and his hands are in his back pockets. He looks sad, but slightly ashamed.
“You’re right, Zayn. I didn’t look at it that way, but I know he didn’t mean to hurt me and really I’m being selfish. It did work out and now my dad’s being reasonable, so I should be thanking Lou, not yelling at him.”
“There ya go.”
I smile brightly, pretty proud of myself that I got through to him, and pull him into a hug.
“Let’s go eat. I’m sure Niall’s already ordered for himself.”
Harry nods and we walk out of the bathroom after he’s rinsed his face off with water. When we make it back to the table, Harry sits next to Niall and I take my place across from them.
“Thank god you two are back. I waited to order and I’m so hungry.”
Niall takes a sip of coffee and I can tell he’s a bit jittery, well more so than usual. Harry glances aroung in confusion.
“Where’s Liam?”
“He went to talk to Louis. Group effort, Haz.”
He smirks and begins to skim the menu.
__________
LIAM’S P.O.V.
We’ve been driving for a good five minutes and Louis hasn’t said a word. I’m trying to give him time to calm down completely before I attempt at reasoning with him.
“Where are we going?”
His eyes shift over to me, almost as if he forgot I was here and he lets out a long breath.
“I don’t know. I’m just driving right now.”
I nod and try to fight the noises my stomach is wanting to make since we skipped out on breakfast.
“Why was Harry upset, Lou?”
Louis sighs dramatically, although he knew when I got in the car that this conversation was inevitable. I wait patiently and watch his face as he searches for something to say before he begins to ramble.
“We went to lunch with his dad yesterday. You know how big of a deal it’s been for Harry: deciding whether to tell his dad or not. Well, that’s why we went. He was so intent on telling him and he did and I was so proud of him, Li. He was so brave and honestly, I thought we had nothing to worry about, but Des was an asshole. He was all in my face and accusing me of ‘turning his son gay’. It was awful and we left before we even ordered. Harry was a mess all day. When he went to bed that night, I couldn’t sleep. I kept thinking about how hurt Harry was and how unacceptable it was for his own father to treat him like that, with such lack of respect. I found out where he was staying and slipped out for a couple hours to talk to him. It went really well, Liam! We spoke calmly and he said he’d think about everything. I didn’t tell Harry because I didn’t want to get his hopes up, but then his dad texted him this morning and wants to spend time with him! I couldn’t hide how excited I was and he caught on fast that I was hiding something. Now, he’s so mad at me because he sees it as me ‘fighting his battles for him’ or some shit like that.”
I stare at Louis while he takes deep breaths, paying close attention to the road and fighting back tears. I place my hand on his shoulder soothingly and he pulls over, parking at the curb nearby. I don’t know where we are; it’s some side street of London.
“Lou, I know that you had the best intentions and that’s so great that it worked out well. But, Harry is probably just thinking of the ‘what-if’s’. I know that sounds pointless, but he worries about things a lot more than you do. You’re a pretty care-free person, Lou. You know when it’s the right time to worry and when it’s best to stay calm. Harry doesn’t though and it’s always been a strange dynamic with his dad because he’s always been searching for his approval. I know how he feels. I can’t bear the thought of my dad being disappointed in me, even if it were for something so important to me. Louis, you know how important you are to Harry-“
“Do I? To me, it seems like he’s a bit ashamed of me. First of all, it took him years to tell his dad about me and now, he cares more about what Des thinks than anything else!”
I shake my head in disagreement.
“That isn’t true and you know it. The fact that he told his dad about your relationship means so much, no matter when he decided to do it. I’m pretty sure he feels like you’re being selfish about it all by taking things into your own hands. Just try to see it from his perspective. He doesn’t want to seem weak to his dad and he feels like you’re doing everything for him. Like he’s a kid.”
“Alright, alright. I see what you mean. I don’t think he’s being reasonable, but feelings aren’t reasonable and he has the right to feel however he wants.”
Louis sighs and taps on the steering wheel.
“He was so pissed, Liam. How do I get him to forgive me?”
“Well, you should do something for him. Show him how much he means to you in a big way. Prove to him that you see him as a respectable.”
Louis’ eyes squint in concentration and the tapping of his fingers stops after a few minutes of uninterrupted silence.
“I know what I want to do, Liam. Something I’ve wanted to do for a while and it’s a big deal, so I’ll need your help.”
I grin eagerly, noticing the excitement in his face.
“Of course! Tell me what I need to do.”
Louis puts the car in drive and takes off, turning down a bigger and more familiar road.
“First off, we’re going shopping.”
“Harry?”
The bathroom is empty besides the two of us and there’s only one stall other than the one Harry has locked himself into. I knock lightly for the fifth time, but all I hear is sniffling.
“Alright, I guess we’re having a conversation through the door then.”
Harry says nothing and I lean against the side of the stall near the sink.
“Can you tell me what happened, Hazz?”
“I’m sure Louis has already told some bullshit story that makes him look like a hero.”
He isn’t far off, but Louis didn’t tell us much of a story.
“He actually left. He was pretty upset too.”
“Why should he be upset?”
I can sense the unnerving coolness in his tone.
“Because you’re upset and he loves you.”
“He’s the reason I’m upset! He doesn’t get to play innocent here.”
I take a silent breath, not wanting to put out an air of insensitivity.
“Just tell me what happened, please.”
I hear Harry’s boots scuff along the tile as he stands in the stall.
“We had lunch with my dad yesterday. I’ve been so against telling him about Louis and I for so long and I finally just decided it had to be done. Well, it didn’t go well. It actually went worse than I even expected...”
I can piece the rest together. Louis took things into his own hands, trying to make it all better. God, he’s an idiot sometimes, but I know what he was thinking. I would have done the same thing in the heat of the moment. I continue to listen to Harry babble on about how he and Louis spent a romantic day together that I don’t care to hear about in detail.
“... and then, when I was asleep, he took my phone and found out where my dad was staying! He went over there
without me having the slightest idea, Zayn! He wasn’t even going to tell me! If my dad hadn’t texted me and asked to hang out, I wouldn’t have noticed that Louis was keeping something from me! He had that stupid look on his face-“
“Wait. It went well, then? Your dad came around a bit, yeah?”
“That isn’t the point, Zayn! The point is that he went behind my back and met with my own father! He tried to fight my battles for me and I don’t need that. I’m fully capable of dealing with this shit.”
At that, Harry unlocks the stall and steps out. His eyes are red and glazed over from crying, but his expression was laced with anger.
“It isn’t okay for him to treat me like a helpless child, Zayn.”
He stands a few feet away from me and I close the gap, patting him on the shoulder while waiting for his eyes to meet mine.
“Harry, I get that that’s how you feel, okay? I understand why you’re upset and all, but you have to give him a break,“
Harry starts to cut me off, but I raise a calm hand to stop him. “Listen, I know how you feel, but I also get how Louis is feeling so hear me out.”
Harry nods and rubs his eyes with both of his palms before listening intently.
“Lou has been watching you fight with yourself over this dilemma for years now. I remember when it all started. You guys had already told your mums and he figured you wanted to tell your dad. You’ve always been afraid. I can imagine he was thrilled that you finally felt like your relationship was at a point that your father should know about it. You know this, Harry, but Louis isn’t keen to commitment. Before you, he wanted nothing to do with it in the long term. You guys have been through so much together, so now he probably feels like he’s trying so hard to protect you from any further harm and you’re just pushing him away. I understand that that’s not your intention, but it’s how he’s going to see it. He didn’t want anything but to help you. He loves you so incredibly much, Harry. I mean it. He never stops talking about you, whether you’re here or not. Don’t let this come between you guys, especially when it ended up working in your favor.”
Harry’s eyes shift down to the floor and his hands are in his back pockets. He looks sad, but slightly ashamed.
“You’re right, Zayn. I didn’t look at it that way, but I know he didn’t mean to hurt me and really I’m being selfish. It did work out and now my dad’s being reasonable, so I should be thanking Lou, not yelling at him.”
“There ya go.”
I smile brightly, pretty proud of myself that I got through to him, and pull him into a hug.
“Let’s go eat. I’m sure Niall’s already ordered for himself.”
Harry nods and we walk out of the bathroom after he’s rinsed his face off with water. When we make it back to the table, Harry sits next to Niall and I take my place across from them.
“Thank god you two are back. I waited to order and I’m so hungry.”
Niall takes a sip of coffee and I can tell he’s a bit jittery, well more so than usual. Harry glances aroung in confusion.
“Where’s Liam?”
“He went to talk to Louis. Group effort, Haz.”
He smirks and begins to skim the menu.
__________
LIAM’S P.O.V.
We’ve been driving for a good five minutes and Louis hasn’t said a word. I’m trying to give him time to calm down completely before I attempt at reasoning with him.
“Where are we going?”
His eyes shift over to me, almost as if he forgot I was here and he lets out a long breath.
“I don’t know. I’m just driving right now.”
I nod and try to fight the noises my stomach is wanting to make since we skipped out on breakfast.
“Why was Harry upset, Lou?”
Louis sighs dramatically, although he knew when I got in the car that this conversation was inevitable. I wait patiently and watch his face as he searches for something to say before he begins to ramble.
“We went to lunch with his dad yesterday. You know how big of a deal it’s been for Harry: deciding whether to tell his dad or not. Well, that’s why we went. He was so intent on telling him and he did and I was so proud of him, Li. He was so brave and honestly, I thought we had nothing to worry about, but Des was an asshole. He was all in my face and accusing me of ‘turning his son gay’. It was awful and we left before we even ordered. Harry was a mess all day. When he went to bed that night, I couldn’t sleep. I kept thinking about how hurt Harry was and how unacceptable it was for his own father to treat him like that, with such lack of respect. I found out where he was staying and slipped out for a couple hours to talk to him. It went really well, Liam! We spoke calmly and he said he’d think about everything. I didn’t tell Harry because I didn’t want to get his hopes up, but then his dad texted him this morning and wants to spend time with him! I couldn’t hide how excited I was and he caught on fast that I was hiding something. Now, he’s so mad at me because he sees it as me ‘fighting his battles for him’ or some shit like that.”
I stare at Louis while he takes deep breaths, paying close attention to the road and fighting back tears. I place my hand on his shoulder soothingly and he pulls over, parking at the curb nearby. I don’t know where we are; it’s some side street of London.
“Lou, I know that you had the best intentions and that’s so great that it worked out well. But, Harry is probably just thinking of the ‘what-if’s’. I know that sounds pointless, but he worries about things a lot more than you do. You’re a pretty care-free person, Lou. You know when it’s the right time to worry and when it’s best to stay calm. Harry doesn’t though and it’s always been a strange dynamic with his dad because he’s always been searching for his approval. I know how he feels. I can’t bear the thought of my dad being disappointed in me, even if it were for something so important to me. Louis, you know how important you are to Harry-“
“Do I? To me, it seems like he’s a bit ashamed of me. First of all, it took him years to tell his dad about me and now, he cares more about what Des thinks than anything else!”
I shake my head in disagreement.
“That isn’t true and you know it. The fact that he told his dad about your relationship means so much, no matter when he decided to do it. I’m pretty sure he feels like you’re being selfish about it all by taking things into your own hands. Just try to see it from his perspective. He doesn’t want to seem weak to his dad and he feels like you’re doing everything for him. Like he’s a kid.”
“Alright, alright. I see what you mean. I don’t think he’s being reasonable, but feelings aren’t reasonable and he has the right to feel however he wants.”
Louis sighs and taps on the steering wheel.
“He was so pissed, Liam. How do I get him to forgive me?”
“Well, you should do something for him. Show him how much he means to you in a big way. Prove to him that you see him as a respectable.”
Louis’ eyes squint in concentration and the tapping of his fingers stops after a few minutes of uninterrupted silence.
“I know what I want to do, Liam. Something I’ve wanted to do for a while and it’s a big deal, so I’ll need your help.”
I grin eagerly, noticing the excitement in his face.
“Of course! Tell me what I need to do.”
Louis puts the car in drive and takes off, turning down a bigger and more familiar road.
“First off, we’re going shopping.”
Notes
Hellooooo <3 So, *drumroll please* I HAVE DECIDED TO DO A SEQUEL. Quite a few of you voiced a desire for one and that's enough for me :)
Anyway, it is going to be called "Through Open Doors" and here is the link =BCD SEQUEL There isn't anything there yet because I don't want to give anything away that will be in the end of this book. Go ahead and subscribe, though so that once I start it, you will get notifications! :D
I'm really excited for the stuff that will happen at the end of this one!!! AHHH! Do you have any ideas about what you think will happen? What does Lou have up his sleeve??
Thank you so much again for your lovely comments and all of your support. I'm sick so I'll probably be updating again on Saturday, or sometime this weekend :* I hope school is going well for everyone... My professors are...strange this semester lol OH WELL makes life more interesting!
Love this
6/20/20