Adore You [Larry AU]

Two.

Everyone's chairs scraped against the hard wood floors and I snapped my head up to look around. People were packing their things away and I gently shut the small black book in front of myself, realising I had zoned out for the whole lesson.

In front of me, Louis packed away his things and turned to face me, smiling widely down to me. "So, what do you have next, if we're heading in the same direction I can show you?" I pulled my gaze away from his and started to shove my few things into my bag. "Um, I think it's football. My sister thought it would be good for me to do some extracurricular stuff so signed me up without telling me when I registered here."

Without even hesitation or a hint of judgement in his voice he asked: "With Mr Willis?"

"I...I think so I'm not sure." I stood up hesitantly and looked up to him through my lashes. As I stood up I realised for the first time that I was taller than him and somehow I didn't feel so protected anymore. His smile spread wider across his face and it made his blue eyes sparkle. "Lucky for you that is exactly where I am headed. Care to join me?" He started pacing out the room and I followed quickly behind him, scurrying a little to keep up. He seemed to breeze down the corridors and just being around him I felt more confident and almost as though no-one could hurt me.

"So, where are you from then?" He shoved his hands in his jacket pockets and I wrapped my arms around myself, holding my book to my chest. "Um, Cheshire sort of."

"What do you mean sort of?"

"We moved around a bit. I've lived all over really."

"Oh that's cool...I think? Why are you here now then?" I took a deep breath as my mind raced to come up with a lie. I hadn't expected to meet someone so easily so I hadn't bothered to rehearse anything. Luckily, a group of girls rounded the corner and one with long brunette hair that was styled perfectly raced forward. She lunged at Louis, tangling her arms around his neck and moved in to kiss him. They kissed for a good few minutes and I felt my cheeks start to heat up. I took a step back, tempted to walk on without him but before I could she pulled away and smirked up to him.

"Lou, I missed you this weekend. I wish you didn't have to train all the time and you could have come to Zayn's."

"I know baby, but that's the way it is. You got me tonight though." She giggled and untangled her arms from his before spotting me over his shoulder. Louis saw where her eyes were wandering and smiled over his own shoulder at me. "El, this is Harry, he's new."

"Hi Harry." Her tone was bland as she addressed me and kissed Louis one more time before wandering off. "See you later Lou."

"See you later babes." By the time he had finished speaking she had sauntered off so he continued his conversation with me, picking the speed back up again. "That's Eleanor, we've been together for nearly a year. She drives me crazy sometimes but she's alright. Not good with new people so she may take some time to warm up to you."

"Mhmm." I mumbled. He stopped abruptly in front of me and I nearly dropped my book as he took a step to the side and opened up a door. "Changing rooms....Oh wait I didn't really show you where to go. Do you think you could find this by yourself again?" He looked worried and I tried my best to smile at him. "I think so." This false statement seemed to relax him and he directed me inside. The room was bigger than it looked from the outside and my eyes followed along all the benches and showers, trying to find a corner I could hide away in. My stomach started to twist into a knot and I felt my chest tighten with it.

Louis walked in, dodging around the spot I was frozen to, and threw his stuff across the busiest bench, starting to join in with the rowdy conversation. He hugged a few people before throwing his jacket off and stripping his black t-shirt from his body. I watched as his tanned skin stretched tightly over his muscles but I looked away as my eye caught with one of his friend's. Their voice travelled through the room, "Who's the newbie Lou?" A black haired boy patted Louis on the back forcing him to face me but Louis just grinned. "That's Harry. He's cool."

"Aint he the one who walked into you this morning?" My eyes flicked to the face of the boy with the unexpected Irish accent and I felt my stomach tighten even more. "Yep. Harry go get changed, there's a free bench over there." Louis gestured aimlessly to the only empty bench in the room and I felt my heart start to pick up pace as I walked over to it. I gently put my bag down onto it and slowly rifled though it for my kit.

It was getting harder to breathe and I felt the tears prick at the back of my eyes as I lifted the new shirt out of my bag. My fingers slowly ran across the bottom of my jumper and I was nervous to pull it off. The laughing coming from behind me assured me that no-one was paying attention to what I was doing therefore I could painlessly rip the jumper off and put my shirt on without anyone noticing. My clammy fingers gripped the bottom of my sweater trying to pull it over my head. It got stuck for a few seconds and it felt as if time had stopped. The harsher I pulled at it the less it would budge. I felt bile rise up in my throat.

The laughing behind me grew louder and I heard as people whispered my name. Some people weren't as quiet and I heard their comments of "What IS that?!" followed by "I don't know, looks vile if you ask me." The words swirled round and round my head before finally a familiar voice piped up. "Everyone shut your damn mouths and let him get changed. Fuck all of you."

Nothing in the world would have convinced me to continue getting changed.

I pulled my jumper back down over my body and picked up my bag before racing out. I had no idea where I was going and the school seemed like a maze to me, especially through the blur of tears. I saw a familiar blue man sign and raced into the toilets, locking myself in the furthest cubicle before sliding against the door to the floor. I pulled my knees up to my chest and sobbed heavily into them.

There was no way I was staying in college now, never mind going back to football training.

I knew how it went. The rumours would spread and by lunch time, everyone would know that I was some sort of freak. It would be just like last time, endless teasing and jeers as I walked down the corridors coupled with endless notes being passed to me. Maybe even worse this time around.

The sound of footsteps echoed in the toilets and I held my breath to fight back the strangled sobs. "Harry, are you in here?" Louis' gentle voice echoed in the bathroom. Although it should have felt good that someone came for me, that someone went out of their way to find me, it actually felt humiliating.

The footsteps kept walking till they reached my cubicle and I heard him sigh on the other side of the door. "I know you're in there Harry. Are you okay?" I didn't respond and heard him shuffling to sit down on the other side of the door. "I know we only met this morning and you don't want to talk to me but I do want to know if you're okay and I'm not leaving till you are."

"I'm okay. There, now you can leave." I choked out, hoping to sound aloof and strong.

"Well we both know that's bullshit." A silence fell between us after he spoke and I couldn't help but sob quietly to myself.

"I'm sorry Harry. Please don't cry."

"You didn't do anything. In fact, you tried to stop them."

"No, I'm sorry that they said the things they did. I'm not asking you to tell me what happened but....it's... it's burns isn't it?" I nodded and then realised he couldn't see me. "Yeah." Another silence fell between us before I heard him stand up. "You don't have to come to practise Harry. But don't listen to what anyone says. They're all a bunch of insecure dickheads okay. Please come find me and sit with us at lunch?"

"Okay."

"Promise?"

"Promise."