Worth Fighting For

Chapter Nine

A/N - I'm sorry

Louis knew it was coming. He just didn't know how bad it would be. He'd woken up to Simon banging on his door, shouting for him to come to the office. Harry had started shaking immediately, and Louis tightened his arms around the boy, nuzzling his face into the chocolatey curls that would be the death of him. Though, if that's how he went, death by Harry's curls, he would have no complaints. Louis pressed a kiss to Harry's shoulder and moved to sit up. Harry caught Louis' wrists, holding his arms in place, and looked up at him, eyes wide and full of pain, begging.

"Don't go," he whispered. "Please, please don't go, Lou."

"Hazza, I hafta," Louis sighed. Harry turned in Louis' arms, winding his hands around the older boy's neck to keep him in place. Louis kept his arms firmly around Harry, his thumbs lightly tracing circles on his back. Harry bit his bottom lip, studying Louis carefully.

"Let me come with you," Harry pleaded softly, gently stroking the hairs at the nape of Louis' neck. But Louis was shaking his head.

"Absolutely not, Harry," Louis said firmly. Harry felt helpless, fear clawing at his heart. He couldn't let Louis do this.

"Louis, we don't have to do this. We can leave the band, leave Simon."

"We can't. You know that. But Simon can make being in the band miserable for us, and I refuse to let him ruin something we both love so much." The determination and ferocity in Louis' words sent a shiver down Harry's spine.

"Please, Lou," Harry begged again, his voice small and scared. Louis freed his arms from around Harry, reaching up and gently pulled Harry's hands away before sitting up. He swung his legs around off the edge of the bed as Harry knelt behind him, wrapping his arms around Louis' stomach and pressing a kiss to his shoulder, in the same place Louis had to Harry just a mere minute ago. "He's going to be mad." Harry's lips ghosted over where Louis' neck and shoulder met.

"I know, love."

"You shouldn't have done that." A kiss to Louis' pulse point.

"Had to."

"Please don't go." His jaw. Louis turned right as Harry leaned in and their lips met. The kiss was soft but insistent, Louis' hand coming up to cup Harry's jaw and Harry's arms tightening around Louis' middle. But Louis had to go see Simon before the man grew impatient and Louis and Harry got caught. They'd taken a big enough risk just spending the night together, banking on the hope that Simon wouldn't go to any of the other boys' rooms.

"Harry," Louis sighed as the younger boy's lips moved from his own down to his neck. He let out a small strangled sound when Harry nipped his earlobe lightly. For his air of innocence, Harry was sinfully good at kissing. "Baby, I gotta go and this isn't helping."

"'S not supposed to," Harry murmured against Louis' neck. Louis sighed and, with great effort, removed himself from the curly boy's grasp. Harry pouted at him and Louis leaned in, smirking, to give him a quick peck before grabbing a shirt and pulling it on.

"Go to Niall's room, I'll just be a little bit. Then we can do something before-"

"Eleanor," Harry cut in quietly. The pain in just that one word made Louis' heart clench, but he just kissed Harry's forehead and left. He walked through the house to Simon's study, his heart hammering. He knocked on the door and Simon immediately called for him to come in. He was silent as Louis entered and sat down, just stared coldly at the fidgeting boy.

"Simon-" Louis starts now, after several minutes of tense silence.

"What the bloody hell were you thinking?!" Simon shouts, rising to his feet. Louis winces, jumping slightly. But then something in him hardens, his fear transforming into anger.

"I was thinking," Louis yells back, jumping out of his chair, "you just made me break the heart of the love of my life and he was hurting and there was nothing I could do about it!"

"He is not the love of your life!" Simon roars, his face turning red and he leans over the desk. But Louis doesn't back down, moving closer to Simon.

"Yes he fucking is!" Louis screams. "I love him and nothing you say or do or threaten will ever change that!" The next thing Louis knew, pain is exploding across his jaw, his head snapping to the side as his body follows, crashing to the ground. Tears spring to his eyes and his hand flies to his jaw. He looks at Simon in shock, eyes wide with terror. But he refuses to let Simon win, so he shakily stands.

"I love him," Louis whispers, his voice breaking but his spirit holding strong. "And he loves me. Even after I shattered his heart and told him I loved Eleanor, he's my best friend. Maybe we can't be together. Maybe he can't know why, know the truth. But he needs to know I still love him. You can delete that tweet, I'll just make another. You won, Simon. Harry and I are broken up, we are broken. And now you're saying we can't even be friends? How do you expect us to be in a band if we hate each other? So do whatever you want to me, Simon. But I love him- I am in love with him, and that's something you can never take away from me." Simon's face contorts in anger and he stomps around the desk, grabbing Louis' face and forcing the boy to meet his eyes. Louis winces at the pressure on his wounded jaw.

"You will never be together," Simon seeths. "You are with Eleanor now. You're doing so much to protect Harry, Louis. If it weren't for such wrong reasons, it would be admirable. Don't throw it all away by being stupid. Otherwise it'll be Harry in here next time." At the bold threat, Louis' blood runs cold and he pales. Simon shoves him back and moves back to his seat. "Get out of my sight. Now." Louis manages to hold in his tears until he's out of the room. He manages to hold them in as he walks through the halls. He manages to hold them in as he knocks on the door. Then a confused looking Liam is opening the door and Louis can't take it, letting out a strangled sob, but strangely no tears come.

"Louis?" Liam asks, voice concerned as he pulls the smaller teen inside. Louis is shaking, one hand on his throbbing jaw. "Louis what the hell happened?" Liam's eyes widen at the sight of the bruise starting to form. "What the fuck?"

"S-Simon," Louis stutters, letting Liam guide him to the couch.

"He hit you?!" Liam exclaims. Louis nods numbly, staring into space.

"H-he said- he said if I messed up again it would be Harry next time. I-if he found out we spent the night together- oh god if he found out I told Harry-"

"He won't," Liam says firmly. "We aren't going to let anything happen to Harry, Tommo. Or you. Or any of us. W- we can file a lawsuit, do something." But Louis shakes his head.

"No, we can't. I looked over the contract after my first meeting with him. There is nothing we can do. We were too impulsive- too trusting- and now we're fucked. They own us, Liam," Louis explains, finally looking at Liam. "I- I need you to help cover up this, I don't want Harry to know..."

"Louis-"

"He can't know," Louis insists. Liam sighs.

"Alright I'll get you some ice. Dunno how we're going to cover up that bruise, though. It's going to be purple within the hour. Louis groans, burying his face in his hands. Then he realizes.

"I can ask Eleanor. Ask her to come now, bring makeup or whatever. You can tell Haz that I had to go straight from Simon's office."

"But-"

"Please, Liam," Louis begs. Liam hesitates, biting his lip. Then he meets Louis' eyes, sees the desperation there- desperation to protect Harry- and he nods, sighing.

"Call Eleanor, I'll get you some ice," Liam says, standing up.

"Thank you, Payno," Louis whispers as the other boy starts to leave, staring at the ground.

"God, this is so fucked up," Liam mutters as he leaves. Louis sighs, pulling out his phone as tears sting his eyes.

"You have no idea," he whispers.

A/N - As awlays, for Madison, Skye, and Aditi cause they're basically the only reason I'm writing this.