Numbness - Larry Stylinson AU

Chapter 7

When the pizza arrives, Harry eats with the lads and listens to their conversation but contributes nothing to it. He sits the furthest from everyone, doesn't look at anyone, scroll through his phone or pretend to, and stays quiet. Although he doesn't say anything, the lads consider this a step forward.

"Oh, by the way, Harry, I will pick you up for school tomorrow. I always drive Niall, and Liam and Zayn go to school together," Louis said, and Harry nodded.

"Time?" He asked.

"7:15," Louis said.

"Which means 7:30," Niall corrected, and Louis threw his pillow at Niall, who cackled out laughing, and Harry stared at Niall. He hasn't heard his laugh in a long time, and he has the same laugh. He still wonders if Niall consciously makes himself laugh like 'AHAHAHAHAHA' or if that is just something that he does.

"Okay," Harry said and turned back to his phone. He finally checked his tutoring app, saw many notifications, shot up, grabbed his half-eaten pizza, and ran upstairs, leaving four confused lads behind.

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The following day Harry is sitting on the couch already ready for Louis to pick them up by 7 am since he was so used to waking up early and already being out of the house by this time. A very sleepy Niall doesn't come down the stairs until around 7:15 am and doesn't notice a mop of curls sitting on the couch yet as he makes his way to the kitchen.

Niall was halfway eating his cereal when the doorbell rang, and he confusedly made his way to the door and nearly spat out his cereal seeing Louis stand there.

"You are here, before 7:30 and before I have to spam your phone for you to leave the house," Niall said, and Louis rolled his eyes and pushed into the house. He goes straight for the living room and finds Harry sitting cross-legged on the couch with a mug of tea in his hands, staring off into space. "Oh morning Hazza," the use of the old nickname snaps Harry's head so fast to Niall that he is surprised he didn't get whiplashed.

"Morning, Niall, Louis," Harry said after a moment of silence.

"No nickname, got it," Niall whispered to himself.

"No, it's fine; it just caught me off guard," Harry replied, and Niall wondered how loud he said that but smiled all the same.

"Ready then?" Louis asked, and Harry nodded, picked up his bag, and walked over to the front with Niall and Louis. "Oh, by the way, my mom wanted me to tell you it's fine if you need a few weeks to heal, so you don't have to worry about Fiz."

"No, it's fine. My head is fine," Harry said and was about to get into the back, but Niall lightly shoved him to the front. Harry just climbed in, ignoring Niall's weird action.

"Yeah, but you need time to heal," Louis protested.

"I'm fine, Louis," Harry said and looked out the window and turned on the radio, effectively ending the conversation. Louis sighed and looked into the rearview at Niall, who just shrugged and turned out the window.

The ride was silent except for the radio, and when they arrived at school, Harry wordlessly got out and walked towards the school.

"I miss him," Niall said, walking up to Louis, who watched Harry's retreating. "He used to be the happiest person you could ever meet. Even when he was in the system, part of the old Harry was still there, but now I can't even see a trace of him anymore."

"He's been through a lot; it's understandable. I only wish he would open up to use just the tiniest bit," Louis said. Niall and Louis jumped when Liam and Zayn clapped them on the back, and they looked at the two confusedly.