Undone, Undress (Larry Stylinson)

twenty-six

They go to Louis' chemistry lecture together because he's afraid to leave him alone.

Two offhanded comments that hint at suicidal thoughts are enough to make him worry. Harry is reluctant to go, and doesn't understand why Louis wants him there, so Louis promises him they'll take a trip to the bookstore afterwards to make up for it.

Walking into class with Harry is strange because it's immediately obvious he's an outsider who doesn't belong. He looks like a stereotypical art student with his high-waisted jeans and white t-shirt with the words women are smarter printed on it. He's wearing his pink converse today, the ones that look like they're about the fall apart, and he has his thick-rimmed glasses resting in his messy hair. He has his sketchbook in his arms and there's charcoal smudged all over the side of his right hand. Sometimes Louis finds it baffling how someone who is so messy inside can pull himself together and look like he's collected, even if he's really not.

Meanwhile the rest of the class is dressed in jeans and hoodies. There's ten minutes until lecture starts and still everyone looks up when they enter the room, their eyes landing on Harry. Louis heads over to the professor, who is standing beside the podium, to introduce Harry.

Louis greets him cordially and then asks if his art student friend Harry can sit in on the lecture. The prof looks confused and skeptical but happy to have another person listen to his frankly boring lectures on chemical structures.

"Thinking of transferring into the major?" he asks, his question directed at Harry.

Harry obviously wasn't expecting to be addressed directly, so his eyes widen slightly and he shuffles halfway behind Louis for a moment before relaxing and laughing a little, making some joke about becoming a chemist.

"There is an art to it, you know," the professor says passionately. "Who knows, you may find you like the subject."

Harry nods and gives him a warm, charming smile, joking with him some more before Louis pulls him to a seat. Instead of going to his typical spot in the middle of the second row, he guides Harry to the edge of the aisle and sits down there. Whoever sits here normally will have to move, no big deal.

One of Louis' lab partners comes in a few minutes later, cradling her baby to her chest. Louis admires her a lot for going pursuing a chemistry degree when she has a little one to take care of, and he never minds when she brings her to class. Usually she has the professor hold the baby as he lectures, so she can take notes. It's cute and the professor likes babies so it works.

"Louis!" he calls out, once he has the baby in his arms. "How does your friend over there feel about babies?"

Louis looks to Harry, laughing a little, and then feeling his heart warm when Harry's face breaks out into a real smile. "I love babies."

The professor looks pleased, and when the mother of the baby says it's okay, he hands her over to Harry, who cradles her to her chest.

"Mind holding her for the class period? It'll give you something to do."

"I don't mind at all."

"Perfect." The professor turns to Louis, smiling. "I like your friend."

"Yeah, yeah," Louis says, sitting back in his seat. Harry coos at the baby and tickles her until she laughs, the sound pleasant and joyful like little bells.

All in all, it's a weird day.