Chapter Text
The scribbling of the pen against the paper was interrupted by a soft knock on the office’s door. Liam Payne raised his head at the sound, thinking it was about time. He hid his pen and paper inside the drawer of his clean desk and pulled out a long, green folder from it. He opened the material and skimmed through the details briefly. Harry Styles was undoubtedly going to be a challenge in his career as a full-time psychiatrist at the Holmes Chapel Center but he always liked challenges. Most of the times, these challenges brought out the best in him.
“Come in,” Liam said, as the person entered inside his office.
Harry Styles was a teenage lad with unusually luscious locks especially for a boy, who stood quite tall considering his was only at his puberty stage and had this set of emerald green eyes that made you want to question if the orbs were real or not. Liam embarrassingly did when he examined the boy’s profile in the green folder last night. He was intrigued by the boy and it did not help that the boy standing in front him was entirely different from the picture attached to the profile.
The boy in the picture had bright, twinkling eyes and a small smile in the lips but the Harry Styles in front of him was standing aloof, his eyes dull and lifeless, like he could never be cheerful again.
Liam took a note of it immediately.
“Please sit down, Harry,” Liam said, gesturing the swivel chair in front of him. Harry sat gingerly, his purple hoodie crinkling around his long torso. Harry gazed at Liam while biting his lower lip. A mannerism, perhaps, Liam thought.
“My name’s Liam Payne. You can call me Liam. I’m going to be your new counsel from now on,” Liam droned although Harry remained unmoving at the chair. The boy didn’t even blink.
“Danielle was your former counsel, right? It’s sad that she’s leaving for the States but I’m genuinely happy for her. It’s her childhood dream, to be a dancer. I told her being a psychiatrist wasn’t really her thing…” Liam continued, earning basically nothing of a response from his patient. Usually, Liam’s patients would open up as soon as he introduces himself but well, this Harry sure was a tough nut to crack.
Well, this could get awkward, Liam thought silently as he poised himself and started business properly. He flattened his white uniform and coughed purposely.
“So uhm, Harry. I’ve seen your record and so far, so good. No fights, no everything. You’re probably my first patient who’s like that, if you must know. “
Harry bit his lower lip even harder and fidgeted in his seat a little.
“Oh no, don’t get me wrong. Of course, it’s not a bad thing. I’m grateful that you are well-behaved around here. Patients who tend to be thirsty for arguments and fights are a real pain in the arse.”
Liam was not sure if he was only imagining it, but he somehow saw the littlest of the little upward pull of Harry’s upper lip. Liam beamed him a smile. Lack of confidence and immediately anxious, Liam thought.
“Since it’s our first day, I thought I could give you a gift.”
Liam pulled a wrapped present inside his drawer and handed it to the boy with the curls. But Harry was not moving his hand to receive the gift. Instead, he clasped them both together, twisted it, looked away from Liam and bit his lip once more.
“Come on, Harry. I’m sure you’d love it. You love music don’t you?”
As soon as Harry heard the word ‘music’, his head flew instantly into what Liam was offering him. Assuredly, it was not some musical instrument of any sorts because it was a thin, rectangular thing. Liam saw Harry gaze at the gift intently but the boy still showed no sign of acceptance.
Liam forced himself not to give a long sigh and stood up from his seat, walking towards Harry. He gently left the gift in Harry’s lap, as the boy lifted his head to meet Liam’s gaze.
“It’d be wonderful if you at least open it. If you don’t like it, then it’s fine.”
Harry still chose not to do anything except look at Liam with questioning eyes. Liam was not exactly sure if the boy wanted a harder push to accept the gift or if he was merely judging him because giving a gift on a first meeting sounded like an inclination to material things. It was that or Liam was just thinking overboard. But his patient sure was reluctant.
Taking the matter in his hands, literally, Liam stooped down to Harry’s level and opened the gift himself. He tried not to think how hard it took for him to wrap the gift earlier as he stripped the wrapper from the items inside.
It was a thin sketchpad and a marker.
Liam smiled, remembering the fun he had when he bought the items yesterday. It had been a while since Liam entered the bookstore down the street from his flat and walking in the cold was very much worth it when he saw his old friend, Andy, working busily at the counter. If not for the mission of giving Harry the items, he would not have a good chat with his friend.
But the smile immediately vanished as he saw a frown in Harry’s pale face.
“Sketchpads aren’t really related to music, but you can write notes in it and a few lines here and there. I’ve heard you loved writing songs before you came here and you could read notes.”
Liam saw Harry tugged the edges of his purple hoodie and bit his lip, the third time since he entered his office. Harry held the sketchpad and the marker in his hands, still hesitant but he looked at the items like a kid would gaze at a candy shop.
Harry uncapped the tip of the marker and flipped the sketchpad open. He wrote a ‘thank you’ in a squiggly handwriting, which Liam thought was a very, very huge step. Giving the sketchpad was not really about Harry’s fondness of music but a way for the boy to open up his thoughts or feelings instead.
Liam beamed his biggest smile yet, thinking that he successfully peeled off the first layer of Harry’s thick shield.
“You’re very much welcome, Harry. I think that’s all we’ll have today. Go and enjoy your gift. I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah?” Liam said clasped his hand in the boys shoulder, squeezing it softly as a sign of an approval for the boy’s behavior during the session, his smile still yet to disappear from his face.
Harry, on the other hand, grew restless under the touch of Liam’s palm and stood quickly from his seat, too quickly in fact, that the swivel chair rolled backwards making Harry fall on the floor, face flat in Liam’s posh maroon carpet.
Not used in touching, Liam added in his mental list. And probably clumsy, too.
Liam helped Harry stand up to his feet again, checking Harry if he got hurt. But as soon as he cupped Harry’s face in both of his hands and seeing no scratches or bruises for that matter, he instantly regretted that he did because of the shock present in the boy’s features.
Great, adding a ‘not used to touching’ in your list and then touch him a second after. Genius, Payne, good one, Liam thought to himself.
“Liam, I know you’re my boss now but can you not make me buy you a cuppa because- HOLY SHIT LIAM UNHAND THE BOY THIS INSTANT!” a voice roared from the door. Liam forced himself not to roll his eyes.
“I left you alone for ten minutes and here you are, harassing someone! And a boy, no less! How about my feelings you bitch-,” the voice continued.
To Liam’s surprise, the face he was feeling exhaled a quiet giggle, distracting him from the yelling Louis, but it was gone as soon as it occurred. Harry cleared his throat, giving a stiff nod as he removed himself away from Liam.
Louis Tomlinson, Liam’s new assistant, was standing in the middle of the door that stood ajar, wearing his stupid, red tight jeans and a striped shirt and holding two cups of hot chocolate. If Louis was not his best friend, he would have already fired him for, one, not wearing proper uniform, two, for shouting so loud in this early of the day, and three, for being, well, Louis.
Harry turned and headed for the door as soon as Louis stopped yelling. Louis was still blocking the way, and Harry did not plan to involve himself with the spontaneous lad, so instead of asking Louis to remove himself from the door way, he side-stepped and went out in a sideward fashion.
Liam saw Louis examining his patient from head to toe as the boy’s retreating figure got smaller and smaller. Louis closed the door when Harry’s back disappeared from the hallway, and faced Liam.
“Wow. Alright, I forgive you. If that beautiful lad was going to replace me in your heart, it’s completely fine with me.”
“Shut up, his name’s Harry. And I told you to wear your uniform, Louis,” Liam replied, rolling his eyes at his best friend. He was in the dark as to how Louis managed to make Harry giggle when all it took was a sentence and probably a bit shouting. He had been trying his very best to get something out of his patient but all he received was a stiff nod and an almost-small smile, not counting the ‘thank you’ in the sketchpad. At least, Liam knew he very much deserved that one.
“Harry. Harry. Harry. What a beautiful name. Did you see his curls, Liam? Just wow.”
“Louis, stop checking out patients. Especially my patients. It’s against the rules.”
“Do I sense some jealousy here? Aww, you’re so cute, Liam. You know nothing’s gonna happen between us if you won’t make a move,” Louis said, waggling his eyebrows, his azure eyes sparkling with mischief. He made himself comfortable and sat at the previously upturned swivel chair.
“I didn’t know you’re into kinky stuff, Payne. Swivel chairs, really?”
Liam gave a sigh, almost regretting his decision to hire his best friend. Louis got fired from his previous job as a bartender at the local night bar . Because he wanted a secretary of his own and needed to stop Louis from getting their flat filthier and filthier everyday, after a long time of thinking, Liam finally chose to give the position to Louis.
As the sweet aroma of hot chocolate filled the room, Liam got back to business. He wrote some notes in Harry’s profile, adding a few comments to take note of. As Liam was about to return the folder inside his messenger bag, Louis quickly snatched it from his hands and read its contents.
“Hey, that’s confidential.”
“Yes. But I’m your secretary,” Louis easily quipped. Liam pulled out a second folder from his drawer instead of getting into a banter with Louis. He knew too well that he wouldn’t win. Ever. Not with Louis. He would gladly take a second patient in his hands instead.
Zayn Malik. Eighteen years old. From Bradford. Forced by parents to go to rehabilitation due to anger issues, mostly resorting to fighting physically. Excessive smoking and drinking. Used recreational drugs before.
Alright. This Zayn Malik sure was bigger and harder challenge compared to Harry. Or was it?
“Liam, this Harry lad sure is interesting. It says here that he admitted himself?” Louis said, looking up from Harry’s patient profile.
“Yeah, quite sad actually,” Liam replied.
“And the reason was not indicated here?”
“Yes. Patients have the right not to tell their purpose, but it still depends.”
“And Harry’s been here since he was twelve?”
“Yes.”
“But why?”
“I don’t know, Louis.”
“Why don’t you go ask him then?”
“Because he won’t speak,” Liam finally replied. It had been five years since Harry Styles last spoke. It was the sole reason why he was eager to know more about Harry. His records show that his vocal chords were completely fine, working and normal but ever since he lived here, he never uttered a single word. Sounds also failed to come out of his mouth, not a grunt, a moan, no anything. The whole of the institution was in the dark as to why the boy chose not to use his vocal chords.
That was the reason why he thought Harry was definitely the bigger challenge than Zayn. Zayn’s messy record could be easily pointed out to his anger issues but Harry’s clean one was still a mystery.
“Oh, can I-“
“Louis. Do you really want to get fired on your first day? I’m working here,” Liam asked, gesturing at Louis to his own desk positioned at the other side of the room. Louis stood up with crinkled eyebrows and stomped every step he took before sitting down at his own chair. Liam could have sworn he heard Louis mumbled ‘such an uptight boss, no wonder no one likes to date you’ but he let it go.
“Louis, would you mind checking what time would my next patient come in?”
“Actually, yes,” Louis glared at Liam.
“Louis-“
Louis checked his wristwatch and grinned at his best friend. Suddenly, shouts of curses from the other side of the door could be clearly heard. A loud bang at the wooden door disrupted Liam’s concentration in making something out of the curses. Zayn Malik could not be that bad, right?
“Well, Mr. Payne, just in time. Your next patient is a little too eager, don’t you think?”
Liam realized it was going to be a long day.
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