Misery (Larry Stylinson AU)

Chapter 12

{A/N: follow my tumblr, ayelourry.tumblr.com I'm following back :))) }


(LOUIS POV)

Louis slept in the next day, ignoring Niall's bouncing on his mattress and loud yodels to get him up.

"Louis, we have to go to football," Liam and Niall sat by his side, shaking him.

"No," Louis muttered, "I'm not getting up."

"What's going on, LouLou? You can tell us, yeah?" Liam twirled nonsensical patterns in Louis's fringe, at an attempt to soothe him. "Is this about Josh? LouLou, we are tired of sitting there like a comatose bastard while he beats you up for being gay."

"I will kill him," Niall was angry. It was obvious in his think Irish accent.

"I kicked him in the balls," Louis said into his pillow that he used as a head shield.

"What?!" Liam and Niall asked in unison.

There was a knock at the door. "S'only Zayn."

"Top o' the mornin' to ya," Niall smiled at him.

"It is twelve in the afternoon, Niall," Liam nudged Niall in the ribs.

"S'why I'm here," there was concern in Zayn's voice, "none of you showed for lunch. Is everything okay?"

"Noooo," Louis whined into his pillow.

"S'wrong Louis?" Zayn also kneeled at his bedside, rubbing his back. "Is this about that ass Josh? Harry told me about him."

"He's a bully," Niall told Zayn.

"Don't say bully," Louis flipped over in the bed to face them, "I'm twenty one. I'm an adult. This is just a regular adult problem. For a gay guy especially."

"Louis-"

"Guys leave. Go do what you have to do. If I go to footie then Josh will tell Coach and since he's the star, she'll swoon over him and punish me. I'm not ready to face her yet," Louis shooed them away, feeling guilty for doing so. He watched as Niall and Liam exited.

"What happened?" Zayn asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Harry and I snuck out. And Josh saw us and tried to hurt Harry so I kicked Josh in the balls," Louis answered truthfully.

"What?! Did he hurt Harry?!" he jumped up dramatically.

"I wouldn't let him!"

"Okay," Zayn caught a breath, "thank you for protecting him Louis. But if Josh does anything to Harry one more time I will hurt him. I don't care what you say."

"I'm with you," Louis agreed as Zayn waved goodbye and left.

He stuffed his face back into the pillows. Louis would never hurt anybody and he despised violence. But when Josh called Harry a fag, Louis would not stand for it. He grew fond of Hazza now for some reason and was quite protective of him, or so he discovered after last night.

He loved the way Harry complimented him. The only other people who did that before were Liam and Niall, but they were too close of friends to even nod his head when they said that stuff. When Harry said small things like 'you're getting better at making coffee' or 'nice job in last night's game', it filled up this hole of self hate in Lou's heart. It made him happy.

He connected with Harry so nicely. He valued their friendship so much although there was so much they didn't know about each other. Louis looked forward to learning more about his mate everyday from crazy stories about his childhood experiences. But he was yet to learn what made Harry sad and started his anxiety.

"Knock knock," said a deep, raspy voice.

Louis flipped over, immediately dismissing his thoughts about Harry. He smiled at the tea that Harry was holding in his hand, because Louis hated coffee.

"Thanks," Louis sat up to take it in his hands and sip it slowly, trying not to burn his tongue. He smiled when Harry pulled up a beanbag chair and sat next to him.

"Look I wanted to say sorry for not helping you with Josh," Harry frowned, "like I'm sorry I didn't punch him in the face."

Louis almost spit out his tea. "No!"

"Is the tea that bad?"

"No. No! Don't apologize for that. If anything I don't want you to even approach him alright? Let alone punch him," Louis intertwined his index finger with Harry's, "don't ever get that idea into your head." He saw Harry's face turning red and how his body was squirming.

"Okay," Harry replied quickly with a nervous smile.

"What is it Hazza? What did I say to make you anxious?" Louis asked, worried.

"Nothing. Um anyway, I thought I'd keep you company while you ditched, yeah?"

Louis almost jumped at that offer. "Yes please." He patted an extra space on his bed for Harry to sit.

"I know how it feels. Like you want to stay in and not do anything at all," Harry said, referring to ditching classes. Louis simply nodded.

"Film?" He asked Harry.

"Fuck yeah. I'm in the mood for some horror," Harry suggested.

"Yeah. Lets watch THE RING. One of the best horror films," Louis laughed.

Harry shrugged. "Seen it a thousand times and I'm more than willing to see it again."

Louis leaned over and slipped in the DVD. He looked fondly at Harry, noticing how his V-neck shirt exposed his swallow bird tattoos and a couple of others. Louis really liked Harry's tattoos. He remembered showing Harry his own tattoos as well. Harry seemed to love the "it is what it is" one.

Louis noticed the awkward position they were in. He budged over, and Harry crept into the extra space. Their bodies were completely touching. It made Louis's heart thump rapidly for some reason.

"You want pajamas? Those jeans look tight and constricting," Louis observed.

"Thanks man," Harry smiled.

"Over there Hazza," Louis pointed to Niall's closet.

"Will he mind?"

"No mate, you're our friend!"

"Um," Harry looked uncomfortable, "where do I change?"

"Right here... I guess?" Louis raised an eyebrow.

Harry paced for a few seconds before responding. It made Lou really concerned. "I don't know how to say it really," Harry bit his lip, "I'm really self conscious and I loathe changing in front of others, even Zayn."

Louis frowned when he heard that. "Your body is awesome okay? Like don't ever feel ashamed," Louis pep talked, "but there's a bathroom down the hall."

Louis observed how Harry had no trouble changing his bottoms in front of him but he ran across the hall to change his shirt. It didn't make too much sense but Louis tried really hard not to think anything of it. Louis smiled when he came back, forgetting about it.

Harry sat next to Louis again, their sides practically mushed together.

***************

"God, Harry. You should've told me how easily you get scared," Louis pulled out the DVD, shaking his head.

"It was scary!"

Louis chuckled at how Harry was curled into a little ball, his knees against his chest. He seemed to be a very emotional person in general, a person who wears his heart on their sleeve. Louis actually thought it was kind of adorable.

"Next time we're sticking to something like Romance. Unless you start crying during sad events."

Harry blushed. "I do..."

"Oh, Haz," Louis slipped in next to him, "c'mere." Louis let Harry lean on his chest. Strangely, Louis was really, really enjoying it. Sure, he did this with Niall and Liam all the time, but it felt different with Harry.

"Knock knock?"

"Seriously Haz... Oh fuck it. Who's there?"

"A cow."

"A cow who?"

"Who? A cow goes moo!"

Louis rolled his eyes. "You are such a wanker."

Louis couldn't help but twirl Harry's perfect hair with his finger. Louis felt like he never wanted to move from this position. Harry was so soft and comfy and Louis really liked it.

Louis's free hand trailed down Harry's side, starting from just above the shoulder. But when Louis touched his bicep, Harry flinched away so quickly that it cause Louis to jump too.

"Lou, this was a lot of fun, tell Niall to pick up his pyjamas at my dorm. Thanks though I have homework to do," Harry climbed out of Lou's bed and almost sprinted out the door with his bag.

Once again, Louis tried not to think anything of Harry's weird behaviors. There was so much mystery to Harry that Louis had to figure out. And he would. He stared fondly as Harry walked out the door.

The fondness, the adrenaline rushes, the overwhelming desire to protect him, Louis fancied Harry.

He groaned into his pillow loudly.

Why do I fuck everything up?