Blink of an eye - Larry Stylinson AU

Chapter 4

It is the next day, and Harry's head feels slightly better, so he gets ready for school. He still has a headache, but it is much better than yesterday.

He gets downstairs and reaches for a banana again. Since he is walking, he is leaving earlier than everyone else, so everyone is still upstairs. He checks the time and decides to walk instead of running today, so he takes his banana, all his stuff and leaves the house.

Not only physically was he feeling better, but the light inside of him also seemed alive in a way. Not to the point where it was shining but a tiny sliver of light. A pinch of hope that he was going to be okay. He had Louis to thank for this because Louis seemed to be the only person that walked into his life after everything that brought light and hope. Well, Louis and Niall. Which reminded Harry that he needed Niall's number just so they both had someone to talk to. Hopefully, he and Niall can go shopping this weekend. He really couldn't go with his father. He hates that he is so closed off to him, but he constantly reminds his mum and Gemma are no longer here, but he is. He can't handle that, but he knows his father is trying, and Harry is trying too, but it's hard. He always had a good relationship with his father, even when they were separated. He was still his father. He still loves him with everything in him. But right now, he doesn't want that reminder, he wants an escape, but he can't leave his father like that. He sighs and continues to walk, puts headphones in, drowns out the world, and listens to his music.

By the time he got to the school, he had spotted Niall sitting with an older man and assuming that it was his father. He approached Niall, but he looked at the floor with his shoulder slumped, and Harry frowned.

"Hey Ni," Harry said, and Niall's head snapped up, and Harry gasped. "What the fuck happened to your face?" Harry rushed over to Niall, who immediately covered his face with his hands. Harry looked over to the man who was watching them with tears in his eyes.

"I walked into a door," Niall said, but Harry knew that was a lie.

"That's a lie, Ni. Trust me, you are talking to someone who spends more time tripping and falling than actually walking. I know what happens when you walk into a door, and it isn't that," Harry said matter-a-factly, and Niall sighed and lowered his hands.

"Just got beat up by the football team," Niall said with a shrug as if this was normal for him. Harry eyed his injuries and then brought his hands to the bottom of Niall's shirt and slowly lifted it and gasped, seeing the big bruise across his stomach. "I'm fine, Harry, but you might want to stir clear of me if you want to survive here."

"No way am I leaving you. I'm sorry I wasn't here yesterday. I ran into a tree the day before, and well, my head was bleeding, and I barely got out of bed. God, who did this to you?" Harry rambled out and lightly pulled Niall into a hug warily of his injuries.

"Just some people on the team," Niall mumbled, and Harry frowned when he remembered that Louis was on the team.

"Louis?" Harry asked, not wanting to know the truth if Niall nodded in confirmation.

"No, Louis, Liam and Zayn stand there. They don't do anything, but it was the others," Niall said, and Harry didn't know if he should be happy or mad about that. Yeah, they didn't do anything, but that's also a problem. They didn't do anything as someone was getting beat up—someone as pure and a ball of sunshine as Niall.

"Well then, I will not leave your side once today, and if they come near you again, I will protect you. Also, you need cheering up, so clear your schedule on Saturday; you are coming with me to the mall to buy me a new life," Harry said, and Niall looked at him confusedly. "What?"

"Why do you have to buy a new life?" Niall asked, blinking confusedly at him.

"Long story, but I need clothes, some random stuff that I will find when I see it, and we get a chance to hang out outside of this hell of a building," Harry said and turned to the man, then to Niall.