waves || larry stylinson

I

In his 17 years of living, he hadn't discovered a damned thing. When you're that old, you see at as just that. Old. When you're older, you see it as young and "just starting to figure out the world" and "learning new things" or "exploring new options". He's still not sure. Of anything. Sure you have ideas but you're never sure. And he just wants to be sure.

One thing he is sure of though, is that certain people are inscrutable. And he, Louis Tomlinson, is one of those people. Hell, if he can't figure himself out, how is he supposed to figure out others? He's having this breakdown at 8 in the morning, lying in the middle of his bed and drowning in his own sweat.

Groaning, he moved to turn on the radio to find out what time it was. After a couple songs by The Fray and some other singer he didn't know, the radio host spoke. Good morning, Houston! It's currently 8:05 and a sweltering 90 degrees Fahrenheit. I don't know about you guys, but I'm going to hit the pool!

He switched it off and laid in his bed wondering how someone can be that damn cheery about that kind of heat. There is nothing good about 8:05 or the sun or mornings in general. Especially when it's that hot out. It's never been remotely that hot when he lived in Doncaster though, so he figures his mother is going to make him go to the pool as well. Lovely.

Deciding he'd done enough wallowing for the day, he headed downstairs to confront his fate. Sure enough, as he stepped at the bottom of the stairs, he noticed everyone was up and in swimsuits. "Ah, Lou. You're up. Was just about to wake you. Could you take the girls down to the pool for me, this heat is unbearable and I have to work today," his mom said.

"'S not fair you have to work during the summer. Should be the time where everyone pulls out a beach chair and just sits back and enjoys the hot air being blasted at you from a higher frequency," he said and his mom rolled his eyes at him. "Gee, I sure will miss that sass at work today, honey. Please bring the girls back before 12 so they can eat lunch. And try to make some friends, yeah?"

➵

So here he was in the cramped pool watching over his siblings and slightly wishing he could swim. They had moved to Texas a couple years ago, but Louis just could never find the time to learn. Being that his dad had walked out on his family a couple months ago and that his mother had work, he'd never had the time to learn. Neither had the girls and he was watching them now play with the other 8 year olds in the shallow end of the pool. Watching them, he wishes he was as young as them. Not really having to worry about anything and being able to make friends as fast as seeing them across the pool. Louis had never been any good at making friends. Sure, he'd had plenty back in Doncaster but that was mainly because they'd grown up together. He still tried to keep in touch with them but it was always a slight bit harder now that they we all the way across the ocean and in a different continent.

Looking at all the people swimming around the pool, he'd officially become determined to learn to swim. And if that meant having to teach himself, dammit, then so be it. Besides, he already had his pity party this morning. Looking around to see if anyone was judging him as intensely as he was himself for even checking, he decided he was ready.

He figured he might as well just start from where he'd seen people on t.v. start: with their head in the water, kicking off and splashing his arms in the water. With one last quick glance around, he began to do just that. At first he was doing well, but he could slowly feel himself start to sink. When he couldn't hold his breath any longer, he came up and bumped into a pair of large and innocent emerald eyes.

"Oops," the boy said, his eyes friendly.

"Um, hi," Louis replied and cleared his throat in attempts to get the blush off his face.

"Need some help?" green eyes, asked. Louis blushed even more and mentally cursed himself for it. Since when does he blush? Louis shook his head. "For what?" he lied. The lanky boy shrugged and his curls bounced with the force of it.

"Looked like you were trying to swim. Just wanted to see if you needed help," the boy said and blushed, looking down at the pool water. With his dimples and curls and big green eyes, he was easily the most adorable person Louis had ever seen.

Louis raised his eyebrow at him. "You know, it's not nice to judge people before you get to know them. 'A book by the pictures' or summat. I could've been imitating a drowning fish for all you know."

The boy giggled and Louis felt a pang in his chest. "Couple things," the boy grinned as he tacked the numbers off on his fingers. "Number one: Fish can't drown. It's like, physically impossible." Louis rolled his eyes and the boy kept that ear-splitting grin on, dimples on full display.

"They probably could if they were in a pool," Louis defended. "Depends on the amount of chlorine in the pool and of course the type of fish..."

The boy wiggled his fingers and pouted. "Heeey, I still have more to go."

Louis gave a continuing gesture and mock bowed. "Of course, of course. Please do continue, oh wise one."

And the grin popped back up on his face. "Thank you. Now, number two: I'm pretty sure it's 'don't judge a book by its cover' not pictures." Louis opened his mouth to protest but the boy continued. "And number three: here in America, we don't really use words like summat."

"Well mate, I'm not from America."

"I know," he said and then blushed at Louis' raised eyebrow and rushed to explain. "I mean, because of your accent. Not because, you know, I was stalking you or anything. Which I wasn't! I mean, I saw you across the pool and was about to say hi but then..." He trailed off and started rambling, making Louis laugh in spite of himself. When curls (which is what Louis has started to refer him as in his head) noticed Louis was laughing, he blushed even harder.

This boy was absolutely adorable. The girls would love him. Speaking of which, he should probably divert his attention back to his sisters before they walk home by themselves (it's been known to happen before) and his mother scolds him for letting them out of his sight. Curls must've realized Louis' new train of thought and frowned.

"What's wrong?" he asked. Louis shook his head and looked around for his sisters, delighted to find that they're exactly where he last saw them.

"Nothing, just looking for my sisters 's all."

"D'you need help finding them?"

Louis almost laughed at the boy's enthusiasm. "No, no. They're over there," he said, pointing to the shallow end of the pool. "But thanks for the offer though. We should probably get going, actually. Reckon the girls are getting hungry."

The boy looked disappointed but nodded. To be fair, Louis was a bit disappointed as well. He'd become quite fond of the curly-haired, lanky boy.

"Maybe I'll see you tomorrow then?" Louis asked. The boy's face visibly brightened at that. "Sure. See you tomorrow."

Louis tugged lightly at the boy's hair. "Later, curls."

More dimples.

"Curls?"

Louis rolled his eyes fondly at him. "Yeah, I needed a name to call you in my head."

"You were thinking about me?" he said and when Louis blushed, he smirked.

"Don't look so smug." When the boy kept smirking at him, Louis rolled his eyes again. "This would be around the time when you tell me your name and I tell you mine so I can go home and make lunch for my siblings."

He laughed and stuck a hand out, uncovering his dimples again. "Harry. Harry Styles."

"Bond. James Bond."

When Harry pouted at him, Louis grinned and shook his hand. "Louis Tomlinson."

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hii. x

hope you like it so far :)