Reason To Be (A Zouis Family AU)

Part Two, Chapter Four

Harry's hands are shaking during his science practical at school that day. It's a simple task of changing the colour of the flame on the Bunsen burner using different chemicals, only he can barely hold his hands straight without them jolting all over the place.

And for once, it actually has nothing to do with the fact that Will is his lab partner, the two of them standing close together around the flame. In fact, the two of them have been talking quite a lot lately, just as friends of course (though Harry really wishes it could be more than that; he's even stopped telling Hannah and Max to shut up when they talk about his 'crush' because denying it seems pointless), and so he's lost a lot of his nerves whenever he's with the other boy.

The reason for his shaky hands happens to be because he's running a little low and there's still forty minutes until lunch.

Will seems to notice as well, which makes him feel embarrassed, cheeks warming up the second he mentions it when Harry can't even hold the wooden stick still over the yellow flame.

"Do you want me to do it?" He asks, not unkindly but in a way that tells Harry he really just wants to help.

He nods, face warming a little more when the other eleven year old takes the stick from him and holds it over the flame steadily, their fingers brushing over each other's. He wrings his fingers together, smiling bashfully when Will looks at him.

"Are you okay?" He asks softly, and Harry gives another quick nod.

"Oh, um, yeah. My hands just get a little shaky when my sugars are low," he explains, and Will hesitates before realisation sets in and he raises his eyebrows.

"I forgot about that. Um, diabetes, right?" He says, and Harry gives a polite nod.

He still hates talking about his disease. It makes him feel small and stupid, like he's lacking something that everyone else takes for granted. But it's much easier for him to cope with than it had once been.

"My Aunty has that. She always has to carry sweets with her for when she gets all shaky too," he says, then seems to remember something because he grins. "Oh, I have sweets in my pocket from break. Will that help?" He asks.

Harry smiles, nodding, because he honestly doesn't think he'll make it to lunch with how jittery he already feels. "Um, yeah. But it's okay, you don't have to -"

"No, it's okay," he says, jabbing out the small flame on the stick using the safety mat before setting it down and reaching into his pocket, pulling out a handful of starbursts. "There," he says, taking Harry's hand and dropping the sweets into his palm.

Harry feels his face heat up a little, taking them gratefully and discretely unwrapping one, eating it before the teacher can notice. "Thank you."

Will just shrugs. "S'okay. Do you feel better straight away or does it take a minute?" He asks, and Harry swallows the sweet, making the most of the sugary taste because it isn't often he's allowed to have sweets.

He gives a small nod, feeling the shakes start to subside already. He lifts a hand for Will to see. "Getting better already, see," he says, and Will grins.

"Cool."

And it's a reaction that Harry's never gotten before, one that doesn't make him feel small and helpless. He grins back, nodding.

"Yeah. Cool."

He pauses for a moment then, his confidence growing a little in the moment. He makes up his mind before he can change it, blurring out the words quickly.

"Will? Would you maybe...wanna go out with me?" He asks quietly, worried about people overhearing.

Will freezes, turning to look at Harry in surprise before he looks apologetic and his stomach drops. "Oh. Um. I mean, you're cool Haz, but I think...I like you as a friend. And I kinda like Lilly," he says, glancing over his shoulder at one of the popular girls in the class who catches his eye with a smile.