angsty · internalized homophobia · closeted · cruel · anger issues · larry stylinson · au · emotional abuse · toxic relationship · soft top
The evening light splinters through a haze of cigarette smoke, stretching shadows across a man at war with himself. Church bells mourn in the distance, a solemn contrast to the taste of a secret sin on his tongue. He stands stiffly, the warmth of Louis's laughter washing over him like a brand. Louis, glowing and untarnished in the dusk, nudges him, his voice soft enough to thaw the ice in his veins. But Harry only offers a jagged smirk, a cruel mask, and takes another drag to still his trembling hands. The lie spills out—cutting, deflected, necessary. Because the truth is a fire he can't walk through, and he must scorch this desire from his soul, one harsh word at a time.