Therapy // Larry AU ✔️

in a sea of sound

Harry woke up the next morning with a yawn. He tossed the blankets off his sweater clad body and rubbed his eyes, picking at the goop that had made purchase in his eye. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up, stretching until his bones cracked. After letting out a strangled groan, he padded quietly to the connected bathroom and turned the water on to take a warm shower.

Showers were one of his favourite things, he often took multiple per day. One in the morning, one after school, and one before bed. It just made him feel clean — he was able to scrub off the dirt and horrible feelings he had collected throughout the day and for those twenty minutes he could just stand there and think while letting the steam circle around him, keeping him warm.

His mum used to let him take showers in her bathroom since it was larger and there was a bench in her shower, that way Harry could sit and relax. After everything went down the way it did, she left and he wouldn't dare step food in there with the risk of being caught by Des.

Des wouldn't hit him, but he would use his words to tear Harry down to the smallest he could be, and then stomp all over him.

Harry would rather get punched.

The water began to run cold, the steam had long since disappeared. Harry decided he should get out so he could  finish getting ready and head off to school. He didn't mind school that much, honestly. No one really bothered him too much, he was mostly invisible to everyone. That's how Harry liked it to be.

After he stepped out and took his time drying off, he blow dried his hair and let it fall to his shoulders naturally. He went to his closet and grabbed a grey sweater, his favourite pair of skinnies, and his beaten brown boots. He threw a beanie on and made his way downstairs, grabbing his bag and keys. In one swift motion he was out the door and walking down the street. He lived fairly close to school, just over a five minute walk, so most days he chose to stroll through town on his way to school instead of taking the over crowded bus, or driving himself there.

At the school gates, he saw his friend waiting with a smile, he said goodbye to the other boy next to him and walked up to Harry.

"Alright, mate?" Harry smiled and nodded, walking with the boy up the front steps.

"You finish your project yet, Ni? Your teacher is gonna go ape shit if not," Harry shook his head.

Niall brushed it off by shrugging his shoulders, "Oh, please. Mr. Sheeran loves me,"

Harry raised his eyebrow and smirked, bursting out into laughter. "I'm sure he does."

"Not in that way, you perv!" Niall smacked his shoulder, rolling his eyes. "Yet, anyway." He said with a side smile, turning to look at Harry.

"C'mon, lad. Time to go see your sugar daddy." Harry said, earning a smack on the head from Niall.

..

"Really, Harry? How could you do that? Are you mental?" Niall groaned, looking at the boy with icy blue eyes. "You're so stupid." Niall had seen Harry's wrist when his sweater rolled up in their last class, Chemistry, that the two boys shared. He waited until class ended and the two boys where by their lockers before he started his interrogation.

"Niall, please. Stop," Harry pleaded quietly, feeling his mind start to go fuzzy, a sign that his other personality was about to take control over the situation.