Gradualbuild Stories

This story contains themes some viewers may find distressing. It contains emotional and physical abuse, C‑PTSD symptoms, grief over a sibling's death, depression, anxiety, and queer identity in a judgmental setting. It also explores caregiver burden, isolation, and the challenges of trusting and healing from past trauma. While the narrative is ultimately about tender connection, love, and personal growth, it engages with heavy emotional content-please prioritize your well‑being and read with care. When Harry Styles arrives at Rosehill High, he's a ghost of a boy-quiet, closed off, and carrying more than he lets on. After years of surviving an abusive home, he's convinced that silence is the only way to stay safe. Louis Tomlinson is all sharp edges and loud distractions, hiding heartbreak behind sarcasm and a reputation he never asked for. He's been holding his family together since his sister died, and he's too used to people leaving to let anyone close. They don't mean to find each other. But in the quiet corners of a judgmental school-in skipped classes, shared songs, and bruised poetry-they do. What starts as a fragile friendship becomes something neither of them knows how to name. And as their feelings grow, so do the ghosts they've been running from. Because healing isn't linear. Love doesn't always mean staying. And sometimes, the people who save you aren't meant to stay forever-just long enough to show you how.