Adore You [Larry AU]

Ten.

I was in History when I felt my phone vibrate. It had been 3 days since I had met Louis' family and we had been alone last. It really had felt like an eternity. It was so hard to get him alone at any other time, especially lunches when I had to hover around Kendal.

But now my eyes flicked over my phone screen, reading his message.

Louis Tomlinson said: "You free tonight for revision? My extension for the Macbeth essay is running out and I have to have it in TOMORROW!"

Harry Styles said: "Sure but I'm not sure if  I'll have a free house"

Louis Tomlinson said: "That's okay, meet at my car in 10."

I looked up to the clock on the classroom wall counting down every minute till the bell rang. I grabbed my stuff and raced out the class, practically the first out of the entire building. I even beat Louis to his own car. I was stood waiting when he strolled up, a can of energy drink in one hand. "Energising for tonight." He said vaguely pointing to the can and unlocking the car. He had sunglasses on which I thought was strange for this time of year but it added this type of mystery around him. Except when he flicked them up and I noticed dark purple bags under his eyes.

"Lou...are you okay?"

"Yeah, just training so hard at the moment with the team the only time I get to work on actual work is at night. This is my 4th drink today."

"That's not good Lou. If you need extra help then let me help or...talk to your coach or...teachers."

"Pfft, tried that and no-one seems bothered as long as their star player is on the team and essays are handed in. Even Eleanor doesn't care as long as I spend every other moment with her."

"So let's get this essay done quickly then so you have the rest of the night to sleep." He gave me an appreciative look and started the engine.

We sang along to the songs which came up on his playlist. He kept throwing me impressed looks when I knew nearly every one of them. When it got to the choruses we belted them out together, until we reached my flat. I was sad for a second, having enjoyed those rare moments I got with Louis. Moments I had a suspicion not many people got with him.

We walked up to my door and I let him in. He took his shoes off like he did in his own house and I felt a little burst of pride. He respected our dingy little flat. I led him over to the small table only Gemma and I had to share normally and we managed to squeeze all our work on to it.

I abandoned everything I had planned to work on tonight, in the hopes I could help Louis as much as possible. His essay wasn't bad at all, it needed a few simple tweaks which took roughly half an hour.

"Done!" His proud voice beamed through the walls enclosing us and I grinned a proper grin at him. "You can go to bed now then."

"Pfft, Harry it's 4.30.  We can hang out a bit." My mouth went dry then. Unsure what to say or how I could hang out with him without the security of essays. Also, the flat was tiny and we had nothing but a TV to keep us entertained.

"What do you wanna do?"

"Anything." A thought crossed my mind then and I leaped up to the fridge. "Fancy a beer?"

"Of course."

I grabbed two bottles and handed him one, popping the top off for him. "Come with me."

I led him to the back of the flat and opened two French doors onto the smallest balcony in the world. It housed old lawn furniture that was here when we moved in. But the view was great. We weren't high up but we were high enough to see over the rooftops of our town. Sometimes we could see into people's windows,if the light was just right. Gemma and I had spent a few summer nights out here when we first moved, people watching and reminiscing of some good times.

I sat down on one of the rusty chairs and Louis sat next to me, lifting his legs up and resting his feet on my lap. "Oh do make yourself comfortable Tommo." He laughed and there was a pause. "I'm sorry it's not much."

He scoffed and reached over to ruffle my hair. "You're too hard on yourself, this is great. Cold beer, warm ish night and great company." I blushed but tried to hide it by looking out over the town.

"So how's it going with you and Kendal?" I sucked on my teeth for a second not sure on how to answer. I wanted to come clean but I knew Kendal might not be ready for that. "Yeah she's cool. We're just getting to know each other really." I cleared my throat and hoped it didn't make me sound like I was lying. "How are you and Eleanor then?"

"Ergh. Same old really. I like her, I do. But sometimes I just think is this it? Is this what relationships are about?"

"What do you mean?" He sighed and looked over my head, staring at something in the horizon.

"Is there more to it then arguing and avoiding her phone calls? Is it like everyone says with fireworks and that? Sometimes I think she's with me just for show you know? Star footie player that everyone seems to know and want to hang out with. I don't think she wants to know who I am under it all. I don't think anyone does."

"Who are you under it all?" I asked softly. 

His gaze moved down till he was looking at me, not over me. For a second I believe he thought about answering. I felt as his eyes moved over my face and something unreadable flashed across his eyes. But that second passed quickly and he chuckled, wiping his sleeve over his face. "It doesn't matter." I pulled my eyes from his and looked back out at the view, too scared that any longer stuck to him like that and my heart would beat right out of my chest.

We both sipped on our beers in silence after that. Only broken by the sound of cars or birds tweeting. My beer was empty before Louis spoke again.

"You're scarily easy to talk to." I laughed the sort of laugh that puffs out your nose and makes no sound out your mouth, my eyebrows drawn into confusion. 

"What?" 

He had no expression on his face as his eyes lingered on me. "You just have this thing about you that makes me feel like I can open up." 

I thought about this for a second before answering. "Is that a bad thing?" 

He shrugged and looked down to his beer and the label he was picking off with his thumb. "Depends. I'm not used to opening myself up I guess. It's scary. What if you go and tell someone, like Kendal?"

"Why would I do that?" I watched his thumb scratch flakes of the label off. He didn't answer so I tried to speak again. "You have that too. A quality that I feel like I can open up to. That you won't judge what I have to say. I'm not used to that. I'm used to people laughing at me. Being an outsider."

He snapped his head up then and our eyes met. "You have all of us now. We may seem like the scary popular kids but most of us will be there for you if you need it. I will be there for you if you need it. I won't judge you. And fuck anyone who will. It's your life and only you can understand that."

His eyes were so sincere that I truly believed him. There was some sort of energy in the air, maybe it was the golden light from the sun setting around us, but it made me feel brave. So I took a deep breath. "There is something I need to tell you." My heart was racing as I scrambled for the words to tell him about Kendal and I. 

But then the french doors opened and Gemma appeared, beer in hand and she perched herself on the arm of my chair.