Once Upon A Coffee Shop *Larry Stylinson AU*

Broken Souls and Broken Bones - Harry's POV

***Harry's POV***

I was just working behind the counter, and I have to say, I was kind of nervous. Ever since I had admitted to being gay, my life was thrown into chaos. I was automatically a target for getting beat up and stepped on and whipped. I was scared for my life everyday. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone look at me. He was practically staring me down. I held his gaze until his friend approached and he looked away. I was surely getting pummeled tonight. Suddenly, I witnessed a young girl vomit on the floor. 'Great, now I get to clean this mess up.' I began walking towards the mop when I started falling. I landed face first under a table and there were about ten guys from school ridiculing me. I wasn't going to cry this time, they weren't going to win. Eventually, they left. Then the boy I had met eyes with earlier approached me, well he had actually ran into me. I had just began to compose myself when he kicked me. I had mistakenly let out a whimper. I couldn't help it. I looked horrible, shoved under a table with bruises I had long since tried to hide. Since Ed Sheeran's career had taken off, there was nobody who cared about me. I'd stopped trying to hide the bruises, the scars. I only did that so he wouldn't worry. This boy stuck out his hand, surely intending on slapping me in some fashion and I recoiled. 'Wasn't being thrown under a table enough punishment?' I thought. He crouched down so he could see into my eyes, probably so he could watch the tears stream down my face and laugh mockingly.

"Hi. I'm Louis," he began. I wasn't expecting him to tell me his name, especially someone who was just going to hurt me. He followed with, "but everyone calls me Lou." Not exactly sure what to do, I ventured telling him my name. Maybe then he wouldn't crush me too badly.

"H-hi." I stopped. This person went to my school. He had no reason not to taunt and tease me. I looked up for only a second. His eyes were so full of asking, I continued. "I'm H-Harry." I was sure I sounded frightened. I couldn't help it.

"Hey, what's wrong?" He asked me. I didn't know where to start.

Tears started forming in my eyes. I looked weak. "P-please just d-don't hurt me." I was terrified this guy was going to lash out me. He wouldn't be the first one. He tried to smack me again, and I flinched. I was scared of someone I hardly even knew.

"Hey look at me, come on Harry, please look at me?" He said in a much nicer tone. I looked up, tears rolling down my cheeks. There was no sense in hiding them. He had seen me cry, I couldn't hide it.

"Why?" I asked. "You're just gonna beat me up anyways..." I trailed off, unable to conjure words. I dropped my head in disappointment. I was broken beyond repair.

"Hey Harry come on, please just look at me." He sounded exasperated. I was more trouble than I was worth. Why did he keep trying? "Harry," he continued. "I'm not like the others. Listen I've got to go home now, but here's my number, call me or text me if you need anyone to talk to about anything, okay?" Why was he being so nice to me? I had practically stopped crying, why would he be acting so nice just to kick me down again? He scratched out his number on a napkin and handed it to me before standing up.

"O-okay, Louis," I said. I looked up at him, and even though I'd stopped crying, my eyes were drenched in tears.

"Hey, come here," he asked. He tried to pull me off the floor, but every movement hurt. If he wasn't grabbing bruises, he was grabbing broken bones I had stopped caring to fix. The best we could do was remove me from under the table.

At least five minutes had flown by since he said he had to get home. "I-I thought you had t-to go... ?" I asked. I didn't want to sound rude, especially to someone who had been so kind to me.

He replied, "I do Harry, but I want you to come with me." I could tell he really wanted me to. He almost sounded hopeful.

I remembered my duties at work. "I-I can't, I have to work." I didn't want to disappoint Louis. He'd done so much for me already.

He frowned. "Well at least get up for me please?" he asked. That much I could do. I'd have to do it eventually.

"Alright," I said. I struggled for a couple moments until Louis came to my aid. We toiled and got nowhere.

"Come on Harry, please come to my house with me?" He begged. I doubt he remembered that befriending me instantly put a target on his back. Why would he want me to go to his house?

"L-Lou, I want to. I really, really want to, b-but what i-if they d-don't like me...?" I was hopeless. The disapproval of people I didn't even know broke me. Tears swelled up in my eyes and my vision was blurry. I looked at Louis. Tears began streaming down my face like waterfalls.

"Harry, don't be ridiculous. You're in no position to be working right now. Please come with me Harry?" Louis held out his hand, and I took it.

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A/N: comment your opinions please? :)