LARRY ONESHOTS

~ RUMOURS ~

*LOUIS' POV*

I grunt in frustration and throw the phone across the living room, only for it to bang against the kitchen cabinet and fall on the ground with an obvious crack. The bell rings in that very moment and I groan again. It seems as if that's all I have been doing since the past hour and a half. I didn't even answer when Harry called earlier.

I open the door to find Zayn standing on the other end and I walk back to my spot on the couch without a word.

"Oii, what's wrong? Harry said you're not picking up his calls?"

"I don't know if I want to."

"Why? Did you guys fight?"

"No." I say in a 'duh' tone. We haven't fought in years. We have light-hearted banter here and there once in a while, but our understanding has reached a level where we're easily able to gauge each other's feelings perfectly well, which leaves no room for any sort of misunderstanding or misjudgements.

"Then what's got you gloomier than the monsoon clouds?"

He says while walking towards the kitchen. That's when he notices the broken phone on the ground and sighs.

"You're bummed about the pictures."

"What else?" I mutter as he plops down next to me and hands me a beer.

"Louis, why are you even worried about that? You know how orchestrated everything is; and you said it yourself. No one's gonna believe that shit."

"Yes, but that was before the pictures came out to the public. People – not people – the fans are actually believing this shit. It took them so long to start believing in us and all of that just poof! All gone with the release of these stupid motherfucking pictures."

"Louis. Stop it. Stop letting them affect you. They're the most genuine fans in the world and even though they believe in Harry and you, the management has really outdone themselves this time. There are literally hundreds of articles flowing in one after the other and can you seriously blame them for doubting themselves? Besides, there is sort of a silver lining. They're ready to support you and Harry no matter who you date. They love you guys for who you are, not who you go out with. Doesn't that count for something?"

"It counts for fucking zero, Zayn! None of that matters!" I shout at him out of nowhere, even shocking myself. He isn't surprised, though. Zayn probably expected this reaction out of me, but not the one that comes after as the tears roll down my eyes. "I am so tired of having to take this shit every single day. What did Hazza and I do wrong? We dared to follow our dreams and pursue our relationship at the same time? Is that why we're not allowed to love each other freely?"

"But you are, bro. I know the circumstances prove otherwise, but you guys found each other when you were fucking 18 years old. You're 29 now, Louis! You've been through literally everything together and you guys are still together."

He puts down his beer on the table and turns all his attention on me.

"Look, I know, okay? I get how hard this is and I do want you guys to be able to show it to the world just how much you two belong together. I get that big time. But why are you ignoring the happiness and love that you've shared with Harry since the past ten years? Because if you actually think about it, all of this is leading up to the big reveal and that's that!!"

His words sink deep into my mind and I take a minute to get my priorities into perspective. Walking up to the kitchen, I pick up the phone, which now has a broken screen, and take my place on the couch while Zayn is still looking at me as if he is expecting another emotional outburst.

Despite the tears on my face, I roll my eyes and hand him his beer, signalling that I'm going to be fine.

"I know he is mine, I know he belongs with no one in the world but me, I know he loves me, and god fucking knows I love him; but that doesn't change the fact that him holding hands with Olivia doesn't piss me off to my very fucking core." I sigh as I put my phone away, more gently this time and look at Zayn.

He just smiles and nods his head in an understanding manner before grabbing the remote and turning on the TV to browse through the channels and put on some random movie that I am not too interested in watching right now.

"Well, even though it won't, if something goes wrong, you can always hook-up with me to piss him off." He muses and it makes me laugh for the first time today.

"You're so gross, bro."

"Oh, now you're acting tough?" he raises his eyebrows in an accusing manner and I roll my eyes.

"Shut it and watch the damned movie."

"Fine. Don't appreciate me now. You'll understand my worth when you have nobody to hook-up with." He shrugs his shoulder and flips his non-existent hair, making me laugh even harder.

My mind drifts on and off between the image of the photographs in my mind and the movie; and I don't realize when my eyes shut close and I start drifting off.

*Third person POV*

A few minutes later, the door to the couple's apartment opens and Zayn stands up to greet Harry.

"How is he? Was he not feeling well?" Harry's voice falls to Louis' ears but he doesn't react. He's half asleep by now and just doesn't have the energy for the same. Without another word, Harry walks up to the sleeping figure of his husband touches his forehead and then his neck to check if he has a temperature.

"He's going to be fine. He was a little disturbed with the whole onset of you and Olivia."

Harry's conscious and voice alike are visibly filled with dread and guilt when he walks away and comes back a minute later with a blanket in his hand to wrap Louis in.

"I wish I could protect him from all of this. It's all my fault. He shouldn't have to go through this because of me."

"Harry, listen. You've been through the exact same thing, too, alright? Also, it's not as if it's happening out of your own free will. The important thing is that you guys have each other and that this won't go away even if the whole world is against you."

The two friends talk some more before Zayn's eyes cast down to Louis shuffling in the big couch and decides to leave the couple alone for the rest of the day. Harry winces in fear when he accidentally closes the door louder than he intended to and notices Louis shuffling some more, before his groggy, sleepy voice is heard.

"Harry?"

"Hey, boo." He says, putting on a smile and sits on the ground in front of Louis so that their heads are at level and Louis doesn't have to peer up. "Were you up the whole time?"

"Kind of?"

"Such an eaves-dropper." Harry says and laughs, but Louis immediately notices the ingenuity of it all. So, without saying another word, the smaller man opens up his arms along with the blanket and gives the taller one time to tuck in.

Thank god for a big, comfy couch.

As he lays down and looks at his husband, Harry's smile grows smaller and smaller but Louis simply grabs his hand and kisses it once.

"Hazza?"

"Yes, love?"

"It's always been us against the world, and maybe it will always be. But no matter what, I am always going to be here with you. A few bumps on the road won't drive us apart."

"You promise?" he says in barely a whisper and Louis smiles before closing his sleep-ridden again.

"I promise."

~~

A/N. THIS ONE AS WELL, THOUGH. SO ADORABLE, I CRIED WHILE WRITING THIS.

PLEASE VOTE, COMMENT AND SHARE IF YOU LIKED IT! I LOVE YOU. :>

~ Love, T.