You Found Me [Nouis]

Chapter 11

Graduation

"We did it!" Louis said happily, running to Eleanor to hug her. His grip was tight and Eleanor giggled, wrapping her arms lightly around his neck. "We made it through Hell! Still going for model?"

"Well," Eleanor said, letting her amrs drop off of Louis' neck and pulling away from his body. "I'm going for lawyer, but while I'm in U.N.I I'll try to find a job I can model for, kind of like a side thing for some money."

"Brilliant plan." Louis said, smiling. "I'm not gonna be a drama teacher anymore. I don't want to be someone else." He looked over at Niall, who was smiling and laughing at Perrie, Danielle, and Cher, who were jumping up and down, purposely acting like idiots. "I've got everything I need."

Eleanor gave Louis a genuine, happy smile- more genuine and happy than normal, taking a glance over at Niall as well. When she look back at Louis, she asked, "What are you gonna be then?"

"Honestly?" Louis said, thinking over it for a moment. He didn't know why he had to think, though. He'd spend the last few months re-thinking what he wanted to be, since he didn't want to be a drama teacher anymore, since he didn't want to me anyone else. "I'll probably work in a company of some sort. Maybe I'll be a therapist."

"You could help Niall then." Eleanor said, her voice having a positive tone. "I want to be a therapist too, but when I'm older- like in my forties. I'll be smarter then, I'll have made my own mistakes. I can give people advice from my experiences."

"You're a really smart girl, Eleanor." Louis said, giving her a smile. He looked back at Niall then, his smile dropping in a sigh. "I just want to support him."

"You will." Eleanor assured, patting his arm. "You will."

===

"Niall," Louis sighed, grabbing onto Niall before he could fall, having leaned on his sprained leg. "you have to leave them. As soon as I get enough money, I'll move us to a beautiful new house in a beautiful new place, away from your parents. Promise me you'll do that. Promise me you'll leave with me."

Niall looked away. Louis sighed, tightening his grip on Niall. "Baby, please. Look, I know you don't want to leave because of the tree you and your brother planted, but-"

Niall shook his head, trying to make Louis drop the issue. Louis placed a finger under the blonde boy's chin and titled his face up to look at him. "At least call the police. I'll do it for you. I'm not letting you get hurt anymore."

Niall's eyes filled with tears and he leaned up to hug Louis tightly. Louis didn't know what Niall was trying to say- if anything- so he just hugged back.

"I'll figure something out, okay?" Louis said as he pulled away, brushing a piece of hair out of Niall's face. "I promise. I'll figure something out."

===

Niall was sat on Louis' lap, between his legs, his back pressed to the older boy's chest. The door was locked so his parents didn't come barreling in and finding out he had someone here. Louis' arms were wrapped around Niall's waist as Niall flipped through his journal, looking for things important enough for Louis to read.

When he finally came upon the entry he'd written on the first day of school, he handed it to Louis.

August 30th, 2012

I thought today would be a horrible day, but it wasn't. Not completely. I met a boy today. His name was Louis, I think. He's new to the school, so he doesn't know about me yet. He was so kind and he defended me when a boy was being rude. I wish I could have thanked him.

Louis smiled at Niall, who had leaned back, now, resting his head against Louis' shoulder. "It's so stupid, the things they say to you. Why do they do that, Ni? I don't get it."

Niall took the book out of Louis' hands, flipping to the last page. It was titled "Words I've Heard", and on it were dozens of rude words, scattered all over the page. Louis' eyes widened.

"Are these things people said to you?" Louis asked, his eyes scanning the words on the page. They were all untrue. Useless . . . Ugly . . . Stupid . . . Annoying . . .

Niall nodded, looking up at Louis with sad eyes. Louis stared at the words with wide eyes. "What the fuck? Niall . . ." Louis shook his head, turning to the boy in his arms. "They don't know you. They don't know why you stopped speaking. They don't know what you go through. They're just . . . dumb."

Niall shrugged. Louis sighed, pressing his lips to Niall's temple. He pulled Niall closer, tightening his grip on the blonde boy. "Come on, Ni, let's go for a walk, yeah?"

Louis went out first, grabbing tightly to a tree branch and making his way down. Niall followed, dropping down next to Louis. Louis took his hand and they walked out to the sidewalk, their fingers intertwining.

Louis ended up taking Niall to Starbucks, ordering them both an iced coffee and a bagel. He sat down with Niall at a table in the back, away from where other people were talking too loudly.

"Feel better?" Louis asked as Niall took a bite of his bagel. Louis was happy to see Niall eating again. The blonde boy had gained weight, and that was good. 100 pounds wasn't good for a boy. 125 was alright.

Niall nodded, putting the bagel down and taking a sip of his coffee. He leaned over and kissed Louis' cheek ("thank you") and Louis smiled in return.

"Do you know what you want to be, Niall?" Louis asked. Niall shook his head then gestured to his boyfriend ("do you?").

"I think I want to be a therapist." Louis said. Niall wasn't expecting that, and he raised an eyebrow. "I like helping people, you know? I just . . . I want to help . . . people."

Niall smiled fondly at his boyfriend, chuckling lightly under his breath. Louis smiled, too, taking a bite of his bagel.

"Do you think I could do that, Ni?" Louis asked curiously when he finished his bite, just as Niall took a fourth bite of his bagel. "Do you think I could help people?"

Niall nodded, placing his bagel on his plate. Louis smiled, watching Niall wipe his hands on a napkin. He'd helped Niall, of course. Since Louis came around, Niall began eating and smiling. He'd stopped harming himself and hardly even used his rubber band anymore (but Louis made him keep it on his wrists just in case). Even though Niall still had his blades, he didn't use them. And he heard the word beautiful, his favorite word, all the time in the same sentence as his name, which only made him feel that much better. He was happy, now, and it was all thanks to Louis.