Adore You [Larry AU]

One.

Harry's POV

I felt the bed shift as the edge of it sunk down under my sister's weight. Her hand caressed my back gently and I squeezed my eyes together tighter. "Harry love, it's time to get up, your alarm has been ringing for ages." Her voice was soft and quiet, trying to pull me gently from sleep. She rested her hand on my shoulder and shook me lightly while I held my breath. "I know you're awake Harry."

"Please don't make me go." I begged, my voice croaking.

She continued to run her hand soothingly up and down my back as I stared at the blank wall in front of me. "You know you have to Haz, I'm sorry." I didn't move so she climbed in behind me, wrapping her arms around me and resting her chin on my shoulder. "I know you're scared, but I promise it won't be like last time." I sighed and she held me tighter for a second before climbing off me and pulling me with her. "Do it for me Harry...?" I sighed again feeling guilty. "I made you toast, it's ready and waiting" and at that she got up and left the room, closing the door behind herself.

Sighing, I reluctantly got up and padded over to the tiny wardrobe we shared. I flicked through my side of the clothes, looking for something okay to wear to my first day at a new sixth form. My gaze rested on my favourite pair of black jeans so I hooked them off the hanger and coupled them with a baggy black jumper. Everything I owned was black; I found it weirdly poetic. Black life, black mind, black clothes.

The smell of toast wafted in from the kitchen, an even smaller room than the bedroom, and I walked clumsily from one to the other, picking up my converses as I went. Gemma was sat round the small dining table and smiled at me. "I'm really proud of you Harry." I shrugged and picked up the toast she had made, finishing it in two bites. "Life goes on right?" I murmured, she nodded but kept her gaze away from me, her eyes glazing over, hiding the sadness that we both felt. I tried to avoid looking, knowing that if she crumbled I definitely would. My hand reached for my mug and I sipped my tea, finishing it within a few mouthfuls and wiping my mouth with the back of my sleeve. By the time I was done Gemma was staring at me and smiling. "Have a good day baby bro."

"I'll try." But we both knew I would try no such thing.

********

I rounded the corner to college at a snail's pace, hoping and praying that if I just walked slow enough I would never make it. The very thought of sixth form again made my stomach churn and caused my palms to sweat. But to my dismay, the building was insight as I made it to the edge of the street.

It was a bleak and grim building, like most schools and colleges are, and what I had expected it to look like. It was a mundane grey of solid concrete from start to finish, except the far right side which was all glass. That part must be new, I thought to myself as I edged ever nearer. The entrance was guarded by tall oak trees and my eyes wandered over them, deciding if I could hide under one for the rest of the day and not be noticed. Around it all was a fence that in some point in time was a deep blue, but now was chipped and rusted. I approached it and stood gripping my hands around it, needing to feel something to know this was real. I shut my eyes for a second and took a deep breath.

I sighed to myself. It was going to be just like before.

I turned around to face the road, resting my back against the fence. My hands gripped the bars tightly to steady myself as I tried to plan a way out of this. Maybe I could turn back and go home and maybe Gemma wouldn't be mad at me?

Without thinking, or looking, I took a step forward, untangling myself from the fence. My body collided with something – or rather, someone and I had to steady myself to not fall over. The sound of laughter erupted around me and I felt as my cheeks reddened. I fixed my gaze firmly on the ground, ignoring everyone around me. I didn't need any insults to be thrown at me before I had even stepped foot onto the college grounds. Luckily the boy I had walked into spoke before I did and I snapped my eyes from the floor to his face. "Shit sorry, are you okay?!..." His face shaped into confusion as he noticed the direction I was going. "You know college is the other way right?" He seemed concerned and his eyebrows dipped down in the middle, although they were hard to see through his fluffy fringe. He pointed behind us and I looked in that direction, eyeing up the college building. "Yeah...I see that."

"Are you new? I haven't seen you around before, or am I just blind?" He chuckled at his own words and seemed to be waiting for me to respond. I didn't say anything as his friends filtered away one by one and finally, when we were alone, he spoke again.

"So? Are you new?"

"Um, yeah. I am. I'm just contemplating whether it's worth it to actually go in or if I should take my chances crossing that road with my eyes closed." He chuckled and moved round me to keep up with his mates. He turned to face me and kept walking backwards continuing our conversation. I cringed as I watched him, fearful he would trip over something but he seemed to have this magical air about him; as if he could walk the earth backwards forever and the world would change around him, to keep him safe.

"I can show you around if you want me to?" I shook my head at his offer and he shrugged. "Well if you're sure, I guess I'll see you around then, newbie." He winked at me before turning around and walking forward once again, within seconds he was surrounded by a different group of people to the first and I couldn't help but feel jealous of him already.

I took a deep breath and a tentative step, following after the boy into the grounds. I tried to navigate my way to class but the corridors all seemed to wind into one another, making it nearly impossible. It was pure luck that I happened to look up and see the classroom number I was looking for printed on the frosted glass.

Butterflies started to dance in my stomach as I paced towards it and rested my clammy hands on the door handle. I twisted it and waited for the door to slowly roll open. When it came to a stop I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding and felt my cheeks start to burn as I registered that all eyes were on me. I was really late and everyone was already seated.  "You must be Mr Styles. Take a seat at the back please." I followed the teachers gaze and saw the one empty seat, pushed into the furthest corner of the room. It practically had my name written all over it. The seat reserved for the guy who wouldn't talk and had no friends.

I kept my head and gaze down as I navigated to the empty chair and started to unpack my things. Before I had even put my pen down my desk shifted and I looked up, seeing the boy from before twisting in his seat to look at me. He had his arms folded across my desk and was grinning wildly at me. "You should have just let me show you around you know." I nodded, scared to respond with words and get in trouble for talking already. "I'm Louis by the way, and I'm guessing you're My Styles." He giggled and I nodded slowly before quietly correcting him, "Harry actually." The voice of the teacher made me jump and Louis rolled his eyes at what I assumed was the use of his surname: "Tomlinson turn around and leave Harry alone, he certainly doesn't need to be bothered by you on his first day."