Angel Boy l.s

14

Louis came back downstairs wearing fluffy socks with some light wash jeans and Harry's hoodie he had given him.

Harry was already ready to go, so he motioned for Louis to follow him, and after putting their shoes on they exited and went to Harry's car.

"Y'know, I really like your style." Harry joked, looking at his own hoodie that was around Louis' torso. Though it belonged to Louis now.

Louis gigged and looked up at Harry. "Thanks. Me too."

They drove uphill, the same route they had biked, except they were in his car this time.

"Buckle up." Harry told him.

Louis noticed he had forgotten, and then did as Harry said.

Louis noticed that unlike Zayn, Harry was always driving the exact speed limit of the road they were on. It was a bit unexpected that out of all people, Harry would drive so safely.

As they pulled up to the same forest as before, Harry parked and they began the hike toward his "hangout area".

"Do you always drive so cautiously?" Louis asked the taller boy, raising his eyebrows sort of playfully.

Harry turned his head as he walked forward, chuckling. "I wanted you to wear your seatbelt, I wasn't being that cautious, it's just safety."

"Never went even a mile above the speed limit." Louis brought up.

"I'm not some daredevil, okay? Being safe is cool in my opinion." He shrugged.

Louis smiled, being amused but also enjoying that Harry cared about that stuff. "Oh yeah, super cool." He continued on the joke though.

They kept on the small pathway and climbed up a steep part of the woods, before Harry spoke. "I just want you to be safe, Louis."

The genuine tone of Harry's voice caused Louis to look up at him. He wondered if it was still some type of joke, but when he realized Harry's expression was nothing but serious, he felt his cheeks heat up. Something about people caring about him always made him feel special. But, this was different. He had expected Harry not to care. He was caught off guard.

Harry automatically made his way to the chairs they were going to sit on and cleared the dirt away from the seats. They sat down in close proximity; both were comfortable enough to do so.

"Did you hear about the party next Friday?" The curly haired boy asked, after a few moments of silence.

Louis shook his head. "What party?"

"My friend Nick is hosting it. It's not a crazy one, or anything. There will be alcohol though." Harry explained.

"Oh, okay."

"You should go. I'm sure Zayn would want you to go with him." Harry suggested, though he sounded a bit distant.

Louis nodded, his blue eyes a bit dull. "I'll see if he wants to." Maybe he expected Harry to ask him to go with him.. not as anything other than friends, of course. He was just a bit disappointed he didn't ask him.

"Who are you going with?" Louis decided to ask, wanting to know if Harry has a new love interest or something.

The taller boy shrugged. "Just on my own. A bunch of my friends will be there anyway and I don't plan on having to drive anyone to their house if they go with me and get trashed."

Louis nodded. "That's a good plan." He giggled quietly.

Harry chuckled.

It was a little awkward after that, the two both thinking similar things. Harry thinking about how he wanted to bring Louis, but knew his best friend liked the boy. And Louis thinking about how he wanted Harry to bring him, but how it was weird he didn't really feel excited to go with Zayn.

The subject of their thoughts though, was changed when Louis sneezed. His head abruptly dipped forward as he squealed like a small kitten.

Harry's eyebrows rose as he shifted his eyes over to Louis. "Bless you." He chuckled, his dimples stuck out.

Louis blushes in embarrassment, he was always made fun of for the way he sneezes. "Thanks."

After a moment of silence Louis added onto the appreciation, "...for not making fun of how I sneeze."

Harry was a little surprised. "Why would I do that? I know I was a dick to you in the beginning. I'm sorry for that. I was cruel, but I really was kidding. You know- that day in the locker room..."

Louis' eyes were a bit glossy now, "Oh, no I'm over that. I am just used to being bullied at my old school." He explained softly. "I understand that you were feeling unloved by your parents, and that I made that a bit worse."

"No, it wasn't you that made it worse. It was them, the way they talked about Gemma and then the way they talked about you; and before they had even met you at that. It made me feel less than. Like I was the unwanted one." He paused, his green eyes looking away from the carved tree he was gazing at and then into Louis' eyes. "But that doesn't matter. Do you want to talk about what happened at your old school? I'm here to listen."

Louis was a bit overwhelmed with different emotions. The slight weight of guilt that he had from coming into Harry's home, and messing with his life, lifted from his shoulders. But he was also a bit anxious. Louis couldn't remember a time that he had really talked about any of the bullying out loud to anyone. He had probably told his sister, Lottie, but otherwise he hadn't had anyone else he could confide in.

"Um...okay." He decided.

Right now, he trusted Harry enough to tell him about what happened. The way he was broken down further and further by his peers in Japan, alongside what his parents had done. "I remember walking up the sidewalk to my school, feeling myself shaking because I knew how it was going to be every day. When I'd walk through the entrance hall, people would push past me. Further into the halls, I'd get shoved into lockers, made fun of for my appearance, pushed, prodded, stolen from. I was used to it after a while, but I never got used to the days that the mean kids would catch me on my way home. I don't think many of them had anything to really do, so they found their amusement in humiliating me."

Harry shifted closer to Louis, feeling a want to comfort him. He knew this kind of bullying had affected many people, but he imagined the blend of being bullied and not being accepted at home. As he put himself into Louis' shoes, he realized Louis probably had never looked forward to anything. "I'm so sorry, Lou. You never deserved that. No one does."

Louis nodded, not having much to say. His cheeks were tender because of the tears welling up in his eyes.

Harry couldn't help it, Louis looked so broken he just had to give him a hug. As soon as the initial surprise of the action faded, Louis hugged the boy back, trying to stifle any sobs.

"You can let it out, I promise I won't judge you." Harry whispered.

And as he held the fragile boy in his arms, Louis did let it out. Harry rubbed his back in circles as he tried his best to enable Louis to release some of the emotion. He wanted to help.