Nothing without you [L.S] AU

Chapter 2: Staring

Harry sat at his usual desk in the back of the science classroom, trying—and failing—to focus on the lesson. Mrs. Whitmore was going on about chemical reactions, her voice a dull hum in the background as Harry's attention wandered. He absentmindedly doodled in the margins of his notebook, his mind far from science.

A movement outside the window caught his eye. Harry glanced up, his gaze drifting toward the courtyard below. His heart sank and fluttered at the same time when he saw Louis leaning against the brick wall of the school, a cigarette dangling between his fingers. Zayn was with him, as usual, his laugh echoing faintly through the glass as the two of them chatted lazily. Louis took a slow drag of his cigarette, his eyes half-lidded and uninterested in everything around him.

Harry bit his lip, trying to ignore the pull in his chest. He didn't know why he kept doing this to himself—watching Louis, wondering about him. Louis was the last person he should be thinking about, and yet, there he was, staring like some lovesick idiot.

"You're staring again," Liam's voice broke through Harry's thoughts, and he quickly tore his eyes away from the window, his face heating up in embarrassment.

"I-I'm not," Harry mumbled, turning his attention back to his notebook, though he could feel Liam's grin without even looking at him.

"Right," Liam said, his tone teasing. "Because it totally looked like you weren't just drooling over Louis out there."

Niall, sitting on the other side of Harry, snickered. "You've got it bad, mate. Can't take your eyes off him, even when he's outside smoking."

Harry flushed deeper, trying to hide his face behind his notebook. "Shut up," he muttered, his voice barely audible. He didn't need this right now—especially not from Liam and Niall. They always teased him, but when it came to Louis, it was unbearable.

Niall nudged him with his elbow, his Irish accent making his words sound even more playful. "C'mon, Harry, admit it. You've got a thing for the bad boy. Even though he beats you up... kinda twisted, don't you think?"

Harry groaned, wishing the floor would just swallow him whole. "I don't—he's not—" He couldn't even find the words. It was stupid to have a crush on someone like Louis. Louis, who shoved him into lockers and made his life miserable. Louis, who seemed to have no idea Harry even existed half the time, unless it was to torment him. And yet... Harry couldn't stop the way his heart raced whenever he saw him.

"Uh-huh," Liam said with a smirk. "Keep telling yourself that. Maybe if you ignore it long enough, it'll go away."

Harry shot him a glare. "It's not a crush," he said defensively, though even he didn't believe it. Not really.

"Sure, sure," Niall chimed in with a grin. "That's why you've been staring at him like he's the last dessert on the table."

Harry rolled his eyes, trying to play it off. "I just... got distracted, that's all."

But Liam and Niall weren't letting him off that easy. They exchanged a glance, and then Liam leaned in closer, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "You know, if you like him so much, why don't you go talk to him?"

Harry nearly choked on air. "Talk to him? Are you insane? He'd probably just shove me into the nearest wall."

Niall chuckled, shaking his head. "Ah, mate, you've got it bad. But hey, who knows? Maybe underneath all that tough-guy exterior, Louis's secretly into you too. Maybe all that bullying is just him trying to get your attention."

Harry gave him a disbelieving look. "Yeah, right."

Still, the idea lingered in his mind. It was ridiculous, but he couldn't help but wonder—what if, deep down, Louis's behavior was more than just bullying? What if there was something else behind it? Something neither of them quite understood?

He shook his head, pushing the thought away. It was stupid to think that way. Louis was trouble, and Harry knew better than to get caught up in whatever fantasies Liam and Niall were feeding him.

"Just forget it," Harry muttered, trying to turn back to his notes.

But as he glanced out the window one last time, he caught Louis's gaze for a split second. Louis seemed to smirk, as if he knew Harry had been watching him all along. Harry quickly looked away, his heart thudding in his chest.

Niall nudged him again. "Yeah, you're definitely screwed."