Adore You [Larry AU]

Six.

It was Monday and I hadn't seen Louis at all since Kendal and I made our pact at Zayn's party last friday. I had to ask for a lift home from Liam who I hadn't really spoken to beforehand, but it seemed like he was driving past my way. I made him stop a couple of roads away so he wouldn't see my flat. I didn't tell Gemma that Louis disappeared for half of the night, or that clearly a week isn't enough time to know someone.

I'd been feeling a bit sad about the latter fact. I knew liking someone so quickly would have its drawbacks.

It was now lunch time and I hadn't seen Louis in English this morning either. And of course I skipped football again so I wouldn't have known if he was even in school today at all.

I weaved through the small crowd of people stood outside the canteen and made my way to sit at the usual table. Kendal was already there and smiled at me as I climbed over the bench and sat next to her, making sure I placed my hand on her thigh like we had discussed last night through text messages. We received a few looks and Perrie, who I only met on Friday and had evaded me all last week, beamed at us. "You two are so cute together. And that you're a couple so quickly proves it is meant to be". Kendal put her hand over mine and squeezed it and I squeezed her thigh back in support. We were both struggling with this lie already and it was only day 1.

Just then I felt a clap on my back and I turned to see Louis. He sat on the table with his feet next to me on the bench and leaned down. "Can we talk after lunch?" His eyes landed on Kendal and then on my hand resting on her thigh. I attempted to stroke it slowly but I was feeling more and more uncomfortable. His lips stretched into a thin line and I nodded. "Yeah, whenever." He got up and sat on the other side of the table with Eleanor.

*

The bell rang to signal lunch was over and Kendal and I stood up at the same time. She threw her arms around me in a hug and whispered in my ear, "You sure you want to?" I whispered back a small "Yes" and she pulled her head round till it was centimetres from my face. We hovered like that for a second and I inhaled. We both leant in and kissed each other on the lips, more like a peck, before parting and I let my breath out.

"See you later Harry." She called and I waved back, "See you later babe." She cringed behind her hair shield and I copied her mentally.

Louis caught up with me as soon as Kendal disappeared. "Hey Haz listen..." I lost concentration for a second, reeling at this nickname no-one had used on me before. And the first person was sweet lovely Louis. I realised he was still talking and I tried to pay attention. "I'm really sorry I let you down on Friday."

"Let me down, when?"

"When I didn't get you home safe. I promised Gemma I'd look after you."

"Oh it's okay, Liam gave me a lift. Why weren't you in English this morning?" 

He snickered. "Rough weekend. I was at Zayn's nearly the whole time. I got home late yesterday and slept right through. I missed my alarm."

We were stood outside my History class then. I pulled my backpack off my shoulder and noticed it was still open. "Oh shit!"

"W..what?"

"I left my notebook in the canteen." I turned and started running down the corridor, back the way we had come. I heard loud footsteps behind me and then saw Louis overtake me and run through the double doors of the canteen. I made it a couple of seconds behind him, impressed at his speed since he was a little shorter than me yet made it here first. He was stood at the table we were all sat at and picked up my little black book. He held it up in a questioning way, his face asking me "This one?" I nodded back to his silent words and he brought it over to me. 

"Thanks, I'm always leaving it places."

"I noticed you have it on you a lot. It's not a school work thing is it?" I inhaled, planning out how I should answer him. On the one hand, I had known this boy a week so I didn't owe him any sort of explanation. On the other hand, he had been one of the kindest people I had ever met for no reason, if I was honest with him I was sure he would never tell anyone. "No, it's a personal thing."

"Like a journal?" He said it without an ounce of judgement. At that my heart fluttered a little and I wished the walk back to History was a little longer. "Sort of. I don't write out 'dear diary today I went to college', it's more poems or some sort of inspiration that hits me."

"Oh so you like writing?"

"Yeah I do. I also think it helps sometimes if you're going through a lot. To write a poem about the feeling you have and it lessens it." He looked thoughtful for a second, his bottom lip tucked under his teeth. "So what did you write about your first day of starting here? There was a handsome boy who showed me around and told bullies to fuck off. How I wish I could be his friend?" He grinned and bounced down the corridor ahead of me. I laughed and it stuck in the hallway, lingering around me. I heard it come back to me and it felt so strange to hear myself laughing. It had been a while.

"In your dreams Tommo". I used the nickname I had heard all his friends call him. It felt a bit weird coming from my mouth, especially as I liked the way 'Louis' just slid right out and felt wonderful on my lips. He smiled at me then. "I'll see you later Haz, we're both really late"

"Later Tommo." I called and reached for the door to History.