Harry grasps the thin sheets of newspaper through clenched fingers; his lips tightened as he read the article with narrowed eyes.
"The nineteen year old from London, Harry Styles, the esteemed heir and brilliance behind the multi-billion dollar corporation, was seen leaving Monseur Archambault's late night party with an unknown blonde.
Details from reporters say the secretive two got into a cab and drove off to the young CEO's hotel later after midnight. Nearby observers at the party noticed the Englishman and his rather intimate interactions with his friend. It was once leaked that Styles..."
His eyes flared into fiery green flames as he finished reading the article and Harry slapped the newspaper on the dining table, it's layered pages spilling onto the floor.
Niall didn't dare say anything, and neither did Liam. His lips dropped, like he had given up on something so dear to him, and Niall could see the confused anger in his face.
Just last night, Harry's face was bright with laughter and slurring his words as he spent the entire night with Niall, their topics fluctuating from electrical engineering to the Romanticist movement in art history.
Just last night, Harry choked on his spit and stepped on his clumsy feet and may have skated his fingers once or twice on Niall's wrists when they talked but it was all just drunk fun.
Though now he wasn't like that at all. The complete antithesis of red-faced, wine indulged Harry Styles had replaced him.
"Harry," Liam says hesitantly.
"Why do they always do this?" Harry mumbles quietly.
"Harry, I know you've-"
"Why can't they just leave me alone?" The younger boy yelled. His chest was heaving and he was out of breath and Liam stood paralyzed in his place.
"It'll be fine. You'll be fin-"
"Nothing has ever been fine!"
Liam scrambles for something reassuring to say, "I know the paps were complete assholes, and they still are. I know the public can be a bit judgmental but-"
"I'm not some fucking show that people crowd around to see!"
Harry runs his fingers through his hair as he turned away from the two boys, "It's nobody's fucking business to pry open the absolute minutest details of my life and it certainly did not justify it whether my father told them or not!"
"Harry, you'll be okay," Niall whispered.
"Stay out of this."
Niall retracted sheepishly, looking at up at Liam.
"He was only trying to help, Harry."
"And the newspaper is only trying to publicize news, right? A father is only trying to protect his son, right?" Harry snapped.
He turned back around and strode right up to Niall's face, so close that their faces were nearly together; his sporadic breaths mingling with the older boy's.
"Bullshit," he hissed.
Niall could almost feel Harry's nose on his; there was nothing stopping the impending tension that filled the room, "I-I don't know what's going on. I don't know what's wrong."
Harry backed away, "Nobody does."
Liam stepped forward to place a comforting hand on the Harry's shoulder, but Harry quickly wiped the side of his cheek with the back of his hand and ran out the door.
"Harry!" Niall calls out after him, but the door slammed right before his face.
Liam sighed, ""It's best to leave him alone for a while."
