Hello my beautiful people!
Sorry for taking so long, I just graduated from university and I have been celebrating and stuff and wasn't able to write much.

But I'm back.

Also this chapter took me so long because I wanted it to be perfect and I've been thinking about it over and over again.

Quick reminder that Harry is seventeen in here.

Mag 🦋

FIVE / MUSIC.

[ Louis' POV ]
Doncaster.

For the first time in forever, I was early to work, earning some surprised looks from all my coworkers and especially from my boss.

I smiled and shrugged them off, walking to my tiny desk and setting myself in front of the annoying phone.

After paying Harry a visit that morning, my mood was incredibly good. I was pleased with myself for what I did, for making him happy. And that was what kept a smile on my face for the rest of the day.

I didn't hate my work as much that morning, I didn't mind my moody coworkers or the insults from the people on the other side of the line, I was just looking forward to getting everything done and visiting Harry again with the excuse of a guitar lesson.

I made it through the day smoothly, selling some products to people, eating a few sandwiches in my lunch break and smiling every time I walked by my boss's office, just to make him notice I was there, and working hard.

When my shift ended, I gathered my things quickly with only one thing on my head, getting to the park.

The urge of making the boy smile once more was enough motivation to practically run out of the building.

But yet, someone had to stop me midway.

"We're still on for tonight, right?" - Chad asked, gripping my shoulder.

"Tonight?" - I frowned.

"Drinks, remember?" - He smirked.

"Oh no, sorry. I have somewhere to be today. I completely forgot. Next week?" - I said rushedly.

"Oh, c'mon. Just one night." - He smiled.

"I can't Chad, next Friday?"

"Okay, yeah. Sure. But don't forget." - He winked.

"Yeah." - I faked a laugh and waved at him, ready to turn around and walk to the park.

It wasn't difficult to find Harry.
Music was flooding through the whole park, beautiful and bright chords being played and of course, his lovely voice accompanying it.

I stepped closer to his usual spot and I could see around six people watching him play.

I was glad that today there were more people in comparison to yesterday, he deserves to be listened to.

I smiled happily when I saw how good my old guitar looked on him, how much he was smiling now, and how he kept his eyes closed as his fingers moved through the strings as if he knew every inch of them by heart.

Because he probably did.

The song he was singing was the exact same as yesterday, though today, having a new and sane guitar, was sounding so much better.

Those four words he sang remained the same.
And it was like they were carved in my mind forever by now.

And I wondered why he couldn't continue, why he kept repeating those words over and over without letting the song come to an end.

But that was a question for some other time.

Right now, I only wanted to get nearer and listen to him from close.

So that's exactly what I did, standing next to the few people that were still listening to him, I stayed still, hearing and paying attention to every note, chord and word of his song.

And he remained immutable, completely lost in his own safe world, his music.

His eyes closed, his feet tapping at the ground to follow the rhythm, and his head slightly turned to the side, not facing his standing audience.

He didn't notice me, no one for that matter.

I didn't know how long I waited, but I couldn't interrupt his song until everyone else left, so it was a good amount of time.

I approached him carefully and slowly left my bag on the ground, not wanting to scare him.

"Ready to teach me, guitar boy?"

He immediately looked up and found my eyes, a shy smile already forming on his lips.

"Hello Louis." - He whispered more to himself than to me.

"How is the guitar working? Is it useful?"

"Yes! It's incredible, thank you. I haven't stopped playing since you left." - He grinned.

"I can tell." - I smiled back and stepped closer. - "Can I sit next to you?"

"Uhm... I guess."

"Cool." - I moved to sit by his side but with a fair distance between us. - "So, first lesson. Is exciting, isn't it?"

"I guess." - He shrugged with a little smile on his face.

"It is! What am I learning today?"

"Uhm, maybe start with the basic chords?"

"Sure." - I smiled and clapped my hands. - "Which are they?"

Harry laughed quietly and shook his head.

"Why are you so excited?" - He asked timidly.

"Because it's fun! Learning new things, it helps your brain stay young and all that stuff." - I said, making him laugh again.

And I swear I made it my number one priority.
Making him smile and laugh in between all the pain and loneliness he must feel every day, was some kind of miracle.

And I was part of it.

"Okay."

He handed me the guitar, but when I moved my arms to take it from him, Harry suddenly flinched and let the guitar fall on the grass.

I looked carefully at him before moving slowly to pick the guitar back and place it in my lap.

"Are you okay?"

He kept his eyes fixed on my hands that were now still.

"Yes." - He gulped.

"I'm not planning on hurting you. I would never do that." - I said softly.

"Okay."

"If you're not comfortable with me, Harry, just say it. I'll go."

"No, I'm fine. Sorry."

"But It's okay if you are not okay, you know? I swear. I won't be offended."

"I'm fine." - He said sharply.

I nodded slightly and turned my eyes down to the guitar on my lap, accommodating it and grabbing it correctly.

"So, basic chords?" - I tried, smiling shyly at him.

He nodded and finally looked up at me again, shifting closer and facing me.

"The string at the far bottom it's called first string, the upper one is the sixth."

"So Its backwards?"

"Yeah."

Then he took my left hand, and separating three of my fingers, he placed them on the lower strings.

"That's chord D." - He said softly.

"D?"

"Try to run your right hand down on the forth to the first string now, and you'll hear how it sounds."

I did as he told me to and a couple of disorganized notes sounded in the air.

"The 'natural' chords are named A, B, C, D, E, F and G. Today I'll explain just two of them: D and G. You can also name them as La, Si, Do, Re, Mi, Fa, and Sol. It's alright either way." - He smiled softly.

"Where did you learn all that stuff?" - I asked, curious.

His eyebrows furrowed and bit his lip, insecurity taken all over his features.

"Don't remember."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to intrude..."

"It's alright." - He said, now taking my left hand and placing my fingers differently on the strings. - "That's G chord." - He said sharply. - "Brush your right hand down the six strings."

I quietly nodded and did as he told me again, listening to the new sounds the guitar was emitting.

"It sounds good."

"Yeah, now that you know those two, you can alternate them and practice with a simple strumming pattern. Just like this." - He said, shifting closer to me and showing me just how to do it himself.

His body was tense next to mine, and his hand strumming over the strings, just over my own hand, was making both of us anxious at some point.

But after showing me the strumming pattern, he backed off and told me to repeat what he just did so I could learn it.

I was really bad at it.

And he laughed.
Hard.

I smiled to myself and didn't feel offended at all, because his laugh was cute and I was making a fool of myself. But he was happy.

And I wanted that for him.

He was young and talented, he just had really bad luck in his life. He needed a good laugh.

And if my lack of skills was making him laugh, then so be it.

"So, you're coming back with the guitar tomorrow?" - He asked shyly after a while of me trying to shuffle between G chord to D chord.

I stopped playing the guitar and looked up at him, not quite comprehending the worry behind his question.

"No, you can always have it with you. I'll just come in the afternoons for my lessons, what do you say?"

"I can't. I can't have it during the nights." - He mumbled.

"But I want you to."

"I can't."

"Why?"

"I'm scared someone would take it from me."

"Oh." - I breathed out.

He looked at me with much more sadness than ever before and I cursed under my breath for losing all the improvement we had made today.

"Sorry." - He whispered.

"Nothing to be sorry for. I'll leave the guitar in my car and bring it to you every morning before work. Don't worry." - I smiled.

He smiled down, staring at his feet.

"Thank you."

I sighed in relief that he didn't fight back this time and slowly nodded in response.

"Do you want to play one last song before I leave?"

"Can I?" - He asked with hope in his eyes.

"Sure." - I shrugged. - "You play beautifully."

Harry blushed in the spot and looked back down at his feet.

I laughed quietly and handed him the guitar once again, letting him accommodate and play the now well known chords and signing his song.

I listened to him for a while as the sun finished setting.
Not many people were passing by, and the stars were starting to shine above.

It was quiet and simple, a really nice moment as he lost himself in his song, and I enjoyed every second of it.

But then my phone interrupted him, the song, and broke the little enchantment we were in.

It was a phone call from Emily.

"Sorry." - I mumbled, picking the call. - "Em?"

"Where are you?!" - She screamed from the other side of the line.

"At the park, chill."

"What? Why? Louis, you didn't tell me you were going out after work."

"I didn't plan it, I'll be home in a bit."

"Okay. You'll have to heat your food though, I'm not waiting for you."

"Sure." - I rolled my eyes and laughed. - "Bye."

I hung up on her and turned to Harry again.

"Sorry for that."

"It's fine." - He shrugged. - "You have to go?"

"Yeah... I'll come over tomorrow." - I smiled.

"Okay." - He whispered with a tiny smile and handed me the guitar without looking me in the eye.

I slowly took it and stood up.

"Goodnight Harry."

His smile faltered and nodded.

"Thanks, I guess."

Of course he wasn't going to have a good night, he was living in the fucking streets.

So, before saying something else to upset him, I bit my tongue, turned around and practically ran to my car.