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Shaking and Crying. That's all Louis is capable of doing, right at this moment when his mother told him that they are leaving Doncaster and moving to a new place.
And all the sobs that left Louis' lips weren't because he was unhappy, but because he finally felt a bit free, finally to be able to let go of the bitter past and never look back into those dark alleys of his memory.
That night when Louis blurted out what happened to him, what made him land himself in those dingy hospital rooms, his mother just said three words back to him and that was all that he wanted to hear, wanted to happen.
"We are leaving".
******
So that is how Louis and his mum drove their way to Cheshire after a month stay at the hospital and after his mum made sure she had a job and a place to stay before moving their entire life to a new place.
Louis had to change schools and he was nervous, he was terrified, to say the least. He didn't want a repeat of his past, his terrible life, he just wanted a new start but the memories just kept holding him back. Two months were just not enough to drive those thoughts to the back of the mind. He was trying, Louis was trying.
Carefully walking down the hallway after collecting his schedule, Louis kept his head down and just walked until he reached the room that he was supposed to attend his first class in, Room 4B for English Literature.
Creaking the door open, He peeked his head through the tiny gap mumbling a soft "May I come in?" to grab the teacher's attention.
"Yes. You are?" ,the teacher asked with a raised eyebrow.
"L-Louis T-Tomlinson, sir" ,Louis' voice came out a little more than a whisper and reminiscing all that happened to him in his previous school, he just skimmed his eyes through the entire classroom to see if anyone was laughing at him, already.
Except, no one was. Everyone just looked up to him with a rather neutral expression and Louis finally sighed with relief.
"Ahh.. yes.. Mr. Tomlinson. Come on in. You are late, though. I'll let it slide this time but make sure it doesn't happen again. I am Mr. Smith and I'll be taking your English Lit. class. Take a seat please, so we can continue!" , Louis kept fidgeting with the hem of his shirt, taking tiny steps towards the end of the classroom, flopping down on the seat by the window.
Louis simply placed his notebook and a pen on the desk and started scribbling down the notes the teacher dictated, when a sudden whisper broke his trance.
"Psst.. Psst.." ,Louis just wanted to ignore the one who kept distracting him but the incessant whispers kept going.
"Hey.. Psst.. Hiya.. Look over here.." ,the one sitting next to Louis' desk kept calling out to him.
"Let's introduce ourselves, yeah? I am Harry. Harry Styles. And you are?" , and even though Louis just wanted to ignore the person's existence, the moment his eyes looked up at the one creating the nuisance, Louis was transfixed.
There sat the most beautiful boy Louis has ever seen in his entire life, long and brown curly hair, the cutest smile and the most beautiful emerald green orbs. Louis just wanted to touch the person to know if the person was even real, because he didn't look like one. He looked like the one crafted carefully by the artists, with each detailing kept in mind.
Louis was at loss of words but he didn't want to talk to anyone, familiarise with anyone here. He simply wanted to take his classes, graduate and leave the school. No acquaintances. No repetition of past traumas.
"I am Harry. What's your name?" ,the boy with the emerald green eyes whispered again.
"None of your business" ,Louis gritted out through his teeth.
"OHKAY. So ,None of your business, may I know the surname please?" , and anyone else would have at least smiled to the innuendo, but well, Louis just gave a cold stare back at Harry.
And that's how the first day started off, with Louis almost crushing over his classmate, and a boring English class.
Soon recess kicked in and students rushed out from the classes, grabbing their food, all of them cheery and smiling. Louis felt a pang of jealousy in his heart. Why can't he be like them? Why can't he be normal again?
Striding across the mass of students, Louis walked to the furthermost desk in the lunch room, clutching his backpack and his lunch. It would be just a few minutes into the Recess that Louis found another person dragging the chair from across him and sitting down on it. Looking up to find out who it was, He was met with the same curly haired classmate of his.
"Hey. Do you mind if I stay here with you? I won't bother you, I promise." ,Harry was smiling so big looking up at Louis that he didn't have the heart to say no to him.
"Sooooo... None of your business, Aren't you going to eat your lunch?", and there goes Harry's 'i won't bother you' down the drain.
Louis never answered any of Harry's questions, didn't even talk to him the entire recess, just kept to himself, nibbling away at his sandwich.
And this kept going, even after a month, even if Louis never talked to Harry, Harry would find out excuses to talk to Louis, sometimes in class, sometimes in the lunch room, sometimes follow him down the hall, sit beside him in the library and Louis was getting frustrated. He didn't want someone constantly pestering and bothering him and Harry has been constantly doing that for the past month.
"Hey.. Louis.. Wait wait, Lou.. " ,Louis could clearly hear Harry call out his name but he didn't want to stop, didn't want to see the disappointed look on Harry's face when he never got a reply back from Louis.
It was not like Louis didn't want to get to know Harry, quite the opposite actually. It was just that he didn't trust anyone, anymore to let his guards down.
And just as Louis was about to sneak off, Harry's hands came on his shoulder, bringing him to a halt.
"I was calling out for you, Lou. Why do i feel like you were trying to avoid me?" ,Harry kept joking with Louis.
And just as he was about to reply back to Harry to just fucking mind his own business, a sudden shrill cry broke him out of his trance. Turning his head towards the source of the sound, Louis felt his entire world stop, flashbacks rushing in faster than the speed of light, if possible. He couldn't breathe.
There were a few strong guys who hovered over a small and delicate and innocent boy, beating him relentlessly, while the victim curled up upon himself, tears streaming down his face. Louis felt frozen on his spot. He couldn't move.
He quickly wrapped his arms around his middle, rocking himself back and forth on his heels, mumbling something to himself.
"Lou.." ,Harry whispered beside him.
"Please. Please. Save him. They'll kill him. Save him please. Someone. Please." ,Louis kept chanting the string of words incoherently till the point when it became too much for him to handle and he ran, he simply ran away from there to the nearest washroom he could spot.
Louis couldn't breathe. The air starting to feel too heavy for his breathing, he felt like someone was choking him and he was so close to dying, again. He swiftly emptied the entire contents of his backpack in search of his inhaler but everything started to black out and he felt like he was floating.
Just then, the door opened and Harry quickly came in and knelt down beside Louis , carefully maneuvering his body on his lap.
"Louis. Lou. Baby. Look at me, please. What do you need? Please talk to me.", Harry kept pleading while rubbing his hands on Louis' back.
"I-In-hal-er" ,Louis blurted out.
And Harry didn't waste any time before retrieving the inhaler from the pile of things and bringing it close to Louis' lips , helping Louis to take the drag of the medicine.
It took nearly half an hour of Harry gently rubbing Louis' back and pressing his lips to Louis temple, mumbling sweet nothings that made Louis finally calm down from the anxiety attack.
"Harry.." ,and that's when Louis broke down into a fit of sobs, his entire body shaking and he kept trembling under Harry's touch.
"Please.. Please.. Help that boy, Harry. You have to help that boy. He can't die. He can't have the same fate as me. Please Harry. Save him. Please Harry.. " ,Louis kept rambling which Harry's mind kept replaying the words "He can't have the same fate as me"..
Louis was physically abused?
Someone hurt him. And that is the reason he is so closed off.
"Baby, please calm down. He is okay. That boy is okay. You are okay, baby. I've got you. I love you so much, baby. Please calm down. Breathe for me. Please, baby" ,and Harry might not have realised what slipped right out of his lips, but Louis sure caught onto it.
Harry just said he Loves Louis. Loves him? But why?
Quickly untangling himself from Harry's arms, Louis just backed away from Harry's touch.
"Please go, Harry. Please go.. Go away. Leave me alone. Go away. Please. Go away.." ,Louis kept on chanting while gently rocking himself.
"Don't push me away, Louis. Please. Let me stay, baby. I want to be here for you. Please Lou. Don't push me away." ,Harry's pleads tore Louis apart even more because even though he wanted to let all the walls down for Harry and hand his trust to him, he knew Harry deserves better, not a broken and vulnerable boy.
"JUST. GO. AWAY. HARRY. LEAVE ME ALONE" ,Louis' screams vibrated along the confinements of the room ,making Harry flinch.
"I love you, Lou. I'll make sure to show you that you can be loved." ,Harry whispered before exiting the room, leaving Louis alone to gather up all the pieces of himself.
*******
Even before Louis could put his backpack down and take a seat, he was greeted with a piece of paper and a rose already waiting for him on his desk.
"For your eyes only" ,the envelope said.
Opening the letter, Louis just clutched the paper even closer to his chest, teardrops cascading down his cheeks.
"I looked up at the sky today, it was dark and grey. The trees didn't sway to the rhythm of the wind, The birds were unhappy and i was wondering why my life was so gloomy and dark and then i remembered that the person who I gave my heart to didn't smile today.
I love you. I'll keep telling it until you believe me.
Yours H."
Louis neatly folded the paper and put it inside the pages of his book and kept twirling the rose in his hand. A small smile on his lips.
And far away from the classroom, Harry was content and happy because his world smiled a little, looking up at him.
The notes and the cute gestures kept going on and on. From beautiful lillies to cute sappy poems, Harry Styles was a romantic and Louis was experiencing it all, loving it too.
Just as usual, Harry left yet another note and a rose for Louis, like everyday. Picking up the note, Louis was a bit surprised because there was nothing written as such on the paper.
"Hey baby.
5 pm . Tomorrow. The park beside school. Please do come. I'll be waiting.
I love you.
Yours H."
Louis was confused and his mind was running a miles per hour with thoughts of the possible happenings but well, only time will unleash what Harry had planned.
*******
Next day after school, Louis found himself making his way to the park, to meet Harry. He was in no way going to disappoint the boy further anymore, after all that he has done for him.
"Harry? You there?" , Louis was confused as to why Harry was still not here, when he was the one who wanted to meet Louis.
Taking a few steps forward, Louis found an envelope and a rose placed neatly on the grass. He knelt down and picked up the envelope, opening it.
"Pull the rope".
That was all that was written. But where the hell was the rope and why was Louis asked to pull it? Scanning his eyes across the park, Louis spotted a rope hanging down from a branch of a tree and he simply strode towards it and pulled the rope as he was asked to.
Rose petals started showering down on him and Louis felt his eyes brimming with tears. No one has ever made him feel so special, feel so wanted the way Harry did. Yet another envelope fell along with the showering petals.
"Because my prince deserves the most beautiful things in life.
i love you."
"Harry? Please come out. I need to see you. Please" ,Louis mumbled.
Stepping aside from behind a tree trunk, Harry came into Louis' line of vision and it all happened in just a few moments that Louis ran towards Harry and launched himself to Harry's arms while Harry securely enveloped Louis around himself.
"Thank you so much, Harry. Thank you so much for making me feel like I am worth it sometimes, for making me feel that I am not a waste of the space on Earth. You kept your word, Harry. You made me feel like I could be loved. Thank you." ,Louis kept rambling into Harry's neck, his tears soaking through Harry's shirt.
"You are always worth it, baby. Always have been, always will be." ,Harry nuzzled his head closer to Louis temple, leaving a kiss behind.
"I love you" and it was almost a whisper but enough for Harry to hear it and that was all it took for the unshed tears to stream down Harry's face while he held his world closer in his arms.
It doesn't matter how long a person knows the other. Even a split second is enough for a person to fall in love, while sometimes even a lifetime isn't enough.
Louis didn't want his past of abuse and trauma to ruin his future. With Harry, he wanted to make fresh memories to wipe away all the pain, all the hurt.
"Will you keep me safe?" ,Louis asked.
"Always".
"Will you call me yours?"
"Forever", and their lips found each others, meshing together in the most intimate way, pouring in all the emotions that words couldn't explain.
Louis ran away from his past. Harry was there to give him a better future while redecorating their present.