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Louis and Harry have been best friends ever since kindergarten when Louis fell off the jungle gym and scrapped his knee. Louis was sitting on the ground sobbing while holding his knee and that’s when Harry came up offering him one of his band-aids because Harry was a klutz so his mom always sent them with him.
Harry opened the band-aid and placed it on Louis’ knee.
“Band-aids always my boo boo’s feel better so maybe they will make yours feel better too!” Harry exclaimed with his dimply grin.
Louis wiped his tears with the sleeve of his jumper. “Thanks. It’s feeling a little better.”
“Good! Because one time I scrapped my knee and it still hurt even when I did put a band-aid on it so my mommy put this stuff on it and it burned really badly!” Louis’ eyes widened. “But luckily since yours is feeling better your mommy won’t have to do that. I’m Harry by the way!”
Louis’ eyes went soft again and he smiled at Harry. “I’m Louis.”
And for the next 3 years Harry and Louis are as close as they can possibly be. They will have sleepovers, have play dates and do other best friend shenanigans. They are like two peas in a pod as their mom’s would say, but they would never understand because they aren’t peas and they defiantly haven’t been in a pod, whatever that is anyways.
--
It was February and their school’s Valentine’s Day party is tomorrow. Louis was laid directly across Harry with their coloring books in front of them coloring their little lives away in Harry’s living room.
“Louis,” Harry says while looking up from his coloring book “do…do you like anybody?”
Louis looks up from his coloring book and waited a few seconds before answering. “Yes.”
“Really? Who is it?!” Harry asked in excitement.
“You…You don’t know them.” Louis stammered while looking back down at his coloring book.
“How could I not know them? We are in the same class.” Harry frowned.
“They are in a different class.” Louis shrugged eyes still on his coloring book.
“Oh okay.” Harry nodded to himself.
Louis looked back up at Harry. “What about you? Do you like like anybody?”
“Oh, um, I mean I kind of like like Nick. He is pretty nice and sometimes he will share his snacks with me during snack time. He also can tell some pretty funny jokes” Harry pauses “It’s okay to like like boys right?”
“I don’t see why not.” Louis shrugged “But Nick? Really?”
“Yeah, I think he is a really nice person. I like nice people.” Harry replied.
“Are…are you going to give him a special card tomorrow for Valentine’s Day?” Louis asked while biting his bottom lip.
“Do you think I should? Do you think he likes me back?” Harry questioned wide eyed.
“Who wouldn’t like you? I mean…you’re really nice and fun to be around.” Louis answered with a little smile and shrug.
“Aw, well thanks Louis! You’re really nice and fun to be around too that’s why we’re best friends.” Harry still had that goofy grin on his face that Louis adored. “But I think I am going to make Nick a special Valentine’s Day card.”
Louis nodded. “Cool.”
With that Harry and Louis went back to coloring in silence.
--
When Louis’ mom picked him up from his and Harry’s play date he knew that he could always ask his mommy about like liking somebody because she is a mommy and mommies know everything.
“Mommy,” Louis spoke from the backseat.
“Yes Love?” Jay replied.
“Have you ever like liked anybody?” Louis questioned and Jay let out a chuckle.
“Yes, I have like liked somebody before.”
“Well I,” Louis pauses “I like like somebody and it’s weird because whenever I’m around them my tummy feels all weird.”
Jay smiled to herself in the front seat. “Those are called butterflies sweetheart.”
“Butterflies?!” Louis shrieked “How did they get into my tummy?! I’ve never eaten any butterflies!”
Jay lets out another chuckle. “Not actual butterflies’ sweetheart. It’s just what people call that feeling you get in your tummy.”
“Oh…” Louis takes another pause “Is it okay that I get those butterflies for Harry?”
Jay bites her lip to contain her smile. “Of course it’s okay. Harry is a lovely boy and I’m sure he has butterflies for you right back. He would be silly not to.”
Louis frowned. “I don’t think he does. He told me he liked Nick earlier.”
“Oh sweetie it’s okay. Harry could still like you, you never know unless you ask.”
“I think I am going to make him a special Valentine’s Day card for the party tomorrow.” Louis stated.
Jay’s smile broke out a few seconds after that.
--
“Okay it’s time to pass out your cards to the rest of the class! So go around the classroom and drop their cards in their boxes! Then when everybody is done we can open them!” Mrs. Turner shouted from the front of the classroom.
Louis got out of his chair and trudged himself around the classroom with his Valentine cards. He dropped each individual one in the correct person’s box and for some reason he got this really weird feeling in his stomach again when he dropped Harry’s special card into his box. Louis knew it wasn’t butterflies because butterflies always made him feel happy. This type of feeling made Louis feel sort of sick and he didn’t like this feeling at all. When Louis was done he sat back down in his seat and soon so did the rest of the kids.
“You can now open your box and your cards! When you are done come over to the table and get your soda and cookies!” Mrs. Turner shouted once more from the front of the classroom.
Louis opened his box and made his way through all his cards. He frowned when he got to the bottom of his box and he never got one from Harry. Louis could feel his bottom lip start to tremble so he bit his bottom lip as he starred down at his empty box.
“Louis! Louis…are you okay?” Harry asked with a frown.
Louis looked up and let out a choked sob. “You didn’t make me a card.”
Harry’s eyes went wide. “Oh yeah!”
Harry reached into his jeans pocket, pulled out a card and set it in front of Louis.
“I forgot yours was in my pocket. I was finishing it up when I was eating breakfast this morning.” Harry smiled.
Louis opened the card and on the card was a bunch of butterflies and he smiled back at Harry.
“I give you butterflies too?”
Harry nodded. “I didn’t know what they were until my mommy told me about them.”
Louis’ smile quickly faded. “I thought you like liked Nick.”
“I only said I like liked Nick because you like liked somebody and I didn’t want to tell you it was you in case you didn’t like like me back.” Harry pauses. “Do I really give you butterflies too?”
Louis flushed. “Yeah, you do.”
Harry bit his lip. “So what does this mean?”
“Does…does this make us boyfriend boyfriend?” Louis stuttered while breaking out a small smile.
“Does that mean we have to kiss and stuff too? That’s what Gemma does with her boyfriend.” Harry whispers and Louis’ eyes go wide.
“Maybe…we can just hold hands and hug?” Louis suggested and Harry broke out into a smile.
“Can I have a hug now?”
Louis got up from his seat, wrapped his arms around Harry’s chest and rested his head on his shoulder.
Harry wrapped his arms around Louis and spoke softly into Louis’ ear. “I’m glad you give me butterflies Louis.”
“I’m glad you give me butterflies too Harry.” Louis whispered into Harry’s ear.