Work Text:
Anne nearly dropped her tea cup as her ten year old son ran past her screaming bloody murder. She knew that scream. That scream meant he was being terrorized, by Louis. Sure enough, a second later, the twelve year old followed, holding a jar, with what looked like a spider in it.
“Who let the little beasts out of their cage?!” Gemma growled after she was bowled over by the two young Were's.
Anne shook her head and warned them to be careful.
-:-
“No!”
“I double dare you.”
“No!”
“Baby.”
“I am not a baby!” Harry yelled, stomping his foot... like a baby.
“If you weren't a baby then you'd pick him up.” Louis goaded, gesturing to the jar.
Harry bit his lip and stared at the jar wide-eyed, he hated spiders, but he didn't want Louis to think he was a baby either. They had a strange friendship, if you could call it that. Harry considered Louis his best friend but he knew the older boy just sort of... put up with him, and somewhere deep down, Harry felt that if he didn't do it, Louis wouldn't be his friend any more.
With shaky hands, Harry reached toward the jar, feeling tears pricking at his eyes - he blinked them back, he was not a baby! He could do this! He was a Werewolf, not a sheep! He was so focused on his own determination to complete his task that he didn't notice a tear sliding down his cheek, nor Louis looking at him with concern. Blinking when a hand brushed his face, Harry refocused on Louis, who was now standing in front of him.
“Hazza, you don't have to.”
Harry frowned and reached for the jar once more. “N-not a baby.”
Louis grabbed his hand and held on, his protective instincts kicking in once more. “I know. I was only teasing you. I would never make you do anything you didn't want to do, sweetheart.”
Harry's eyes snapped to the older boy's face at the endearment, he bit his lip again. “You'll still be my friend?”
Pulling the younger boy into a hug, Louis inhaled the sweet scent of Harry's curls, the fragrance of his little Haz washing over him like a peaceful haze. “I'll always be your friend, Harry.”
Harry snuggled his into him and smiled, spider forgotten. “Promise?”
“Promise.” Louis vowed, tightening his arms around the smaller boy.
-:-
“Your girlfriend looks like a ferret.”
“She does not! Take that back you little brat!”
“Ferret-face Calder!” thirteen year old Harry yelled as loud as he could, only to be tackled to the ground by Louis half a second later. “You snotty baby! Take it back!”
“Never!"
Anne sighed as she watched the boys from the kitchen window. Ever since Louis had gotten a girlfriend a few months back, Harry had been a completely different person, almost hateful, and she knew why. His inner wolf wasn't reacting well to sharing it's mate. She only wished Louis would accept the fact that he and Harry were mates, or at least get a clue if he didn't know and it was very possible he didn't - perhaps interpreting his protective instincts toward the younger boy as an Alpha's need to protect his pack. Anne longed to step in, to sort things out for them and spare her baby any and all unnecessary pain, but that wasn't how these things worked, it couldn't be forced and they needed to figure it out on their own, in their own time. She just prayed it happened before they killed each other.
“Your pups will looks like squirrels!”
“They'd still be better looking than you! You look like a frog!”
Anne cringed. Harry had always been sensitive about his looks. Sure enough, she heard Louis yelp as he was unexpectedly shoved off, and a moment later a tearful Harry was storming up the stairs and into his room, followed by the final sounding slam of a door.
Harry curled up on his bed, burying his face in a pillow as he cried. He knew he was ugly, but did Louis have to say it? The rational part of him realized he'd had it coming. The emotional part, didn't care. Sliding off the bed, Harry crawled toward the full-length mirror in the corner of his room, blinking back tears as he examined his face. He hated his face, still round and chubby with puppy fat, his nose too wide, his lips too red, his eyes too... frog-like... God! Louis was right! He touched his face and wished he could look like anyone else, anyone but the ugly duckling he saw in the mirror.
A loud knock shocked him out of his thoughts and he looked to the door where the sounds of Louis pleading was coming from. “Harry! Haz! Open up!”
Harry didn't answer and continued staring into the mirror.
“Please Hazza. Come on sweetheart, you know I didn't mean it! You're beautiful.”
Pouting, Harry stood and walked over to the door, leaning against it. “You're just saying that. I already know I'm ugly Lou, you don't have to lie to make me feel better. I'm just not used to it being said to my face is all.”
When no answer came Harry crossed the room once more and sat down on his bed, bringing his knees to his chest and closing his eyes... until he heard the lock click. He opened one eye just as Louis slipped inside.
“How-”
“One of Gemma's hairpins”
“Wh-”
Louis crawled onto the bed with Harry and pulled him to his chest, leaving him with no choice but to rest his head on Louis' shoulder. “Harry,” he whispered, petting the younger boy's curls, “You know I didn't mean it.”
“You wouldn't have said it otherwise. Don't lie.” Harry sighed tiredly.
Louis gripped his chin and tilted his face upwards. “Harry Styles, you are beautiful. So beautiful, inside and out that it scares me sometimes.”
Harry's eyebrows drew together as he looked into Louis' eyes, listening for the lie. There was none, but that didn't mean he believed Louis. The doubt must have shown on his face because Louis leaned forward, pressing his warm lips to Harry's forehead. “I would never lie to you, luv.”
Harry smiled, “Promise?”
“Promise.”