1D - One Shots ᶠʳᵃᵗ ᵇᵒʸ ᵉʳᵃ ۶ৎ Imagine One Direction In College

bad boy - Louis

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You had just moved to town, your nerves tightly wound around the idea of fitting in at a new college. You were shy, reserved, and this environment—full of confident, outgoing students—felt like a whirlwind. You had your headphones in, trying to block out the noise of campus as you made your way to your first class.

You’d never been the one to attract attention, always blending into the background, watching people from afar. But something about this place felt different. Maybe it was the freedom, the fresh start, or maybe it was just your nerves. Either way, you had to make it through the first day.

Walking through the crowded quad, you almost collided with someone—someone who wasn’t the type of person you typically found yourself near. He was leaning against a tree, a cigarette dangling from his lips, looking effortlessly cool. His leather jacket, messy hair, and confident demeanor screamed bad boy, and yet he somehow didn’t seem to care who saw him.

You mumbled an apology, but he didn’t seem to notice. He was too busy smirking as he watched you walk past.

“New here, huh?” His voice was low and lazy, with an edge that immediately made you freeze.

You turned around, feeling a mixture of confusion and embarrassment.

“Uh, yeah. First day,” you said, your voice barely above a whisper.

He pushed himself off the tree and took a step closer. “Well, welcome to the madness,” he said, his blue eyes scanning you like you were something new he wanted to figure out.

You felt a lump form in your throat. “Thanks,” you muttered, unsure of how to act around someone like him.

He chuckled at your shy demeanor, the sound rough and unbothered. “You’re quiet, huh? Not much for the usual chaos?”

You nodded, feeling like you didn’t belong here in this sea of people who seemed so sure of themselves.

“You’ll get used to it. Or you won’t. Doesn’t really matter,” he shrugged, taking a long drag from his cigarette and blowing the smoke out in a relaxed manner. “I’m Louis, by the way.”

“I’m… Y/N,” you said, your voice barely audible, feeling like you were talking to someone who might have been the last person to care about your name.

Louis raised an eyebrow. “Y/N. Nice. But you’re not the type to just blend in, are you?”

You looked down at your shoes, wishing you could disappear into the ground. “I just don’t know anyone here. I’m not really… outgoing.”

He watched you for a moment before flicking the cigarette away, his gaze softening slightly. “I can tell.” He seemed to take a step closer, but not in an aggressive way—more like he was sizing you up, trying to figure out what made you tick.

You felt the weight of his gaze on you, but before you could say anything more, a few of his friends walked by, laughing loudly. One of them threw a teasing shout at Louis, making some comment about getting to class.

Louis smirked and turned back to you. “Don’t let them intimidate you, alright? Everyone’s pretending like they’ve got it together here. Most of them are faking it,” he said, his tone turning more serious. “But you? You seem different. Not fake.”

You couldn’t help but feel drawn to his raw honesty. Most people would have never said something like that to you. Maybe it was because he didn’t care, or maybe it was because he saw through the shy exterior that you’d worked so hard to build.

“Thanks,” you whispered, a small smile tugging at your lips.

“Don’t mention it. But hey, you wanna grab coffee later? There’s this place off-campus,” he added casually, as if inviting you wasn’t a big deal.

Your heart raced. A part of you wanted to say no, to stick to your safe shell and avoid anything that would take you out of your comfort zone. But another part of you was intrigued, drawn to the challenge of someone like Louis.

“Sure,” you said before you could think better of it.

Louis gave you a crooked grin. “Alright then, new girl. See you after your class.”

As he walked away, you watched him blend back into the crowd. You never thought you'd find yourself talking to someone like Louis Tomlinson—someone who lived on the edge, who had a reputation. But for the first time, something about the idea of stepping into his world didn’t seem so terrifying.

Maybe this was the beginning of something you hadn’t expected, something that would pull you out of your shell and show you a different side of college life.

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