Song: I'm still standing by Elton John

⚠️Slight trigger warning: mentions of violence/abuse, however there isn't much detail.

It was the first time in the last week that Harry had managed to start off his day with his usual schedule; waking up at six in the morning for a twenty minute session of meditation, his calming music playing in the background, followed by a shower and an extensive skin care routine. He finally had the effort to style his hair into a messy quiff, though he wouldn't pride himself on his hair styling abilities, and decided on wearing a white and grey tartan style suit, a change from his hoodies and sweats he had been wearing constantly.

He couldn't bring himself to admit that the excitement he felt bubbling in his stomach and his new found energy had any relation to Louis returning to school. He knew of course, it was there in the back of his head, he just chose to ignore it.

The day came with it's negatives. Even with his bubbly attitude it felt like it was dragging, like someone had slowed time and his lessons were two hours longer than the usual 50 minutes.

He couldn't stop the tapping of his foot or his fidgeting body, changing his seating positions over and over again throughout the lessons, leaning forward, leaning back, crossing one leg then crossing the other. Slouching, then sitting up again, going through phases of hard work and concentration to distance and and a blurry mind. He couldn't wait to get back to his dorm room, where hopefully he'd find what he had subconsciously missed.

It was nearing the end of the lesson and Harry was restless. He clicked his pen a few times before putting it down again, grabbing his bottle of water to take a sip. He picked his pen up again and scribbled a few times randomly on his page before putting the pen in his pencil case. He flicked through a few pages of his textbook before returning back to the original page, and leaned back in his chair before leaning forward again.

Out of the corner of his eye he could see Liam staring at him. During the week Louis was gone Harry had opted to spend his lessons with him, on the days he chose to show up, and the two along with Niall and Zayn had become fast friends. "What?" Harry asked as he turned to face Liam.

Liam quirked a brow and the corners of his lips twitched up, "You look like you've got ants in your pants mate"

Harry pursed his lips and scratched his jaw, "I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm sitting perfectly still" he quipped with a nod of his head.

"Yeah, right" Liam grinned, checking his watch. "I know Louis has probably arrived by now, but you don't need to make it so obvious that you know that too"

Harry raised a brow and clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, "Louis' arrived?"

"Ha ha, very funny" Liam said with a bored yet amused tone, "If anyone's keeping tabs on the time since he left and the time he's due to arrive it's you"

"Well, maybe you should be doing the same" Harry tilted his head towards Liam with a slight smirk on his lips. "You could show your appreciation of him. How much you've missed him"

"Missed him?" Liam chuckled, "This is the most peace and quiet I've had in two months!"

"You can't deny missing him, we all have" Harry argued, though he couldn't disagree that the past week had been significantly less dramatic. "Besides, the only good thing you got out of it was more alone time with Zayn"

Liam furrowed his brows and parted his lips, dropping his pen onto his textbook, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I think you already know" Harry replied with a teasing tone and knowing eyes, just as their biology teacher called for them to pack away their things as the lesson was coming to an end.

Harry quickly grabbed his bag and shoved his books inside, along with his pencil case and water bottle. "What's the rush? He's going to be there no matter what time you arrive" Liam commented, watching Harry with wide eyes.

"I know" Harry zipped his bag and pocketed his phone. "But I'd rather get there sooner than later" he gave Liam a brief wave as he pulled his bag over his shoulder and rushed out of the classroom.

He huffed as he walked out into the packed hallway, struggling to zig zag his way around students that were walking far too slow for his liking. "Sorry" he would mumble to a few that he had barged into a little too hard than intended, earning glares as he rushed ahead.

He sighed in relief when he made it to the staircase, taking two steps at a time as he rushed towards the second floor. It was a risky act for someone so clumsy, but at this point he couldn't care less if he embarrassed himself falling on the stairs.

He had just made it to the top when he collided with a slim figure wearing a white striped blouse and black jeans, bracelets on his wrists and a necklace laying on his collarbones. "Harry! I'm so glad I've found you" Nick said enthusiastically, his hands resting on Harry's biceps.

"I can't say the same" Harry replied before he could stop himself, his eyes fixed over Nicks shoulder at the entrance to the right wing dorms.

Nick chuckled and swatted Harry's shoulder, "Such a comedian" he said with a shake of his head, clearly taking Harry's words for sarcasm. Harry looked at him with a furrowed brow and discretely shrugged Nicks hands off himself. "I've been meaning to talk to you about-"

"Nick I really don't have time for this" Harry interrupted, shuffling his way around the persistent boy. He saw how Nicks smile faded and his cheeks flushed pink. Harry sighed and plastered a smile onto his face, "Look, we'll catch up later or something, yeah? I just have something important to do right now"

Harry turned to leave but Nick caught hold of his hand. He rolled his eyes and clenched his jaw before turning around to face him again, an expectant look on his face. "What? Is Tomlinson more important?" Nick asked with a scowl, his grip on Harry's hand tightening.

Harry glanced down at the hand around his own and tugged it away, "Yeah" he nodded, giving Nick one last glare before walking away. "He is actually"

Harry quickly walked down the hallway and made it to his dorm room within a minute, ignoring the angered shouts from Nick that dimmed the further he walked away. Without hesitation he pushed open the door, not stopping to think that Louis could be getting changed or didn't want to be disturbed, it didn't even cross his mind.

It was the smell that hit him before the sight, the type of smell that would be addictive to some who experienced it willingly, and caused others to scrunch their nose in distaste. Stale and toxic, a chemical induced, earthy scent that lingered on clothes and stained fingertips. Though it was an element of his own perfume, Harry couldn't stand the rich smell without its mask of vanilla.

"Are you smoking?" Harry asked in disbelief as he took in the sight of Louis perched on the window sill, his head turned towards the open window with the cigarette placed between two fingers. A grey haze washed over the room as a tobacco trail seeped from it. Harry was frozen in the doorway with furrowed brows and a frown pulling down his lips. "Louis?"

When he got no reply he elbowed the door closed and strode towards Louis. "What the fuck are you doing?" He asked once he was stood in front of him, eyeing the cigarette with disgust. Louis stayed silent, didn't even acknowledge him, and brought his hand towards his lips to take another drag. "Louis" Harry said with a firmer tone, his own hand shooting out to grab Louis' arm, tugging it towards himself to take the cigarette away.

"Watch it" Louis hissed, his face scrunching up in pain as he yanked his arm back. He wasn't quick enough to keep the cigarette to himself though, and watched with wide eyes as Harry threw the half smoked cig out the window. "What the fuck Harry?"

"Why the fuck are you smoking?" Harry asked, his eyes narrowed in on Louis who scowled at him for a moment before looking back out the window. Harry huffed and reached out, his hand cupped around Louis' jaw to turn his face towards himself. Louis winced and batted his hand away, "Stop ignoring me"

"Then stop touching me" Louis bit back, drawing his knees up towards his chest and resting his hands between his thighs and his ribs.

"Answer the question" Harry said as he took a seat opposite Louis on the window sill, one leg bent towards his own chest and the other dangling towards the floor. "Why are you smoking? Where did you even get them?"

"Why do you care?" Louis asked with a snipped tone. His sharp suit was deceiving, but Harry could see the faults in his appearance. The first few buttons of his shirt were undone, as if Louis couldn't be bothered to complete such a simple task, and his collar was folded unevenly. His jacket was creased and his hair a mess, he had deep bags underneath his eyes and he looked paler than usual. If the smoking wasn't a clear enough indication that something was wrong, this certainly was.

"Why wouldn't I care? You've been gone a week, you've hardly spoken to me or returned my calls, and now you're sat here smoking" Harry scoffed, his voice a mix of anger, sadness and concern. "Should I not care? Are we back where we started?"

He hadn't intended on asking that last question. Maybe it slipped because it was the most prominent question that had been plaguing his mind ever since his last chat with Louis, the one thing he was dying to know the answer for. He didn't want to revert back to square one, couldn't even stand the idea of it, but with Louis' current attitude it didn't look promising.

"People smoke when they're stressed, right?" Louis replied, though it wasn't the question Harry had hoped he'd answer. "Stole them off my dad"

"Other people smoke when they're stressed Louis, not you" Harry shook his head to himself, struggling to find his words. "Why are you stressed?"

An amused breath escaped Louis lips and he shook his head slightly, the corners of his lips tugging up. "Like you don't already know"

Harry adverted his eyes and his fingers twisted the small, black buttons of his blazer. Louis was right. He did know, or he had an idea of why, it wasn't like he had expected Louis to be in a good mood upon his arrival. He had seen Mark Tomlinson's strict ways of parenting, the pressure he put on Louis to act a certain way and the cruel actions he used when his son didn't comply. It was safe to assume Louis' past week had been utter hell.

"That bad then?" Harry asked, only to be met with silence once again. "What did he do?"

"I don't want to talk about it" Louis replied quietly. His usual high pitched, loud voice that Harry had grown to love had dulled to barely above a whisper.

Harry swallowed thickly and ran a hand through his hair. "You didn't return my calls" he said as he looked out the window, seeing a few students laughing with each other as they walked across the yard. "I tried to call you on the- Uh. That day" he flicked his eyes towards Louis and the boy's eyebrows twitched. Good, he's listening at least. "I thought maybe you would've wanted someone to talk to"

Louis sniffed and rubbed at his nose before jutting his hand away, his eyes narrowing in on his knuckle as he sighed. "I was busy. Spent most the day with my sisters when my father didn't make me work"

"Oh. Yeah of course" Harry paused. He hated that he didn't know what to say. Before Louis left it was so easy, the conversation flowed naturally and he could almost always read Louis' expression. Right now he couldn't tell if he was sad, annoyed, tired or even mad at him for some reason. The atmosphere felt thick with tension, and he realised it was because he had never dealt with Louis in this way before. He had seen him furious, sad, happy- but not this. It was like he was speaking to a ghost.

"I um-" Harry stopped for a moment and pulled his other leg up towards his chest, mirroring Louis' position. "Are we like- we're fine, right?" He asked hesitantly, shifting in his seat as Louis stared at him. "You're not mad at me or something?"

Louis' brows pinched together as he picked at his nails. "Why would I be mad at you?" His head dipped back and rested against the wall. "Should I be?"

"No, not at all" Harry said, his words rushed. "I don't know. You just seem a bit off, like you don't want to talk to me"

Louis eyes softened as he noticed the rosy blush coating Harry's cheeks, the vulnerability in his tone. He looked like a frightened little lamb. "If what you're really asking is if my father has somehow made me hate you again, then the answer is no" he replied, and Harry's eyes practically lit up. "We're fine. I'm just not in the best mood right now"

Harry sighed in relief and a small smile appeared on his face, "Thank god" he said, only for his smile to fall as he sat up abruptly, "Not thank god as in you're in a bad mood- I don't mean that. I just mean like, thank god you're not acting like a prick again- shit. Not that you're a prick, just that you're not having a go at me, you know? I'm just glad that-"

A loud laugh cut Harry off from his rambling. Louis had tilted his head back, his eyes closed as his chest bopped up and down through his laughter. "What?" Harry asked, his smile appearing again as he watched Louis with amusement. "Louis!" He whined, tugging at the cuffs of his trousers.

Louis opened his eyes again and wiped underneath his lashes, his back leaving the wall as he leant forward. "Just- you. I'd forgotten how much you ramble" he said between chuckles as he calmed himself down. It was the first proper laugh he'd had in a week.

"I can't help it. I always mess up what I'm saying when I'm around you" Harry admitted sheepishly, rolling his eyes at Louis' teasing grin.

"Do I make you nervous then?" Louis quipped, his head tilting to the side with raised brows as he looked at Harry. "You get all flustered? Stumble over your words ey?"

Harry pushed him back slightly with one hand pressed against his chest, "Piss off" he mumbled, mentally willing away the blush he could feel burning into his cheeks. Above his embarrassment though, he was glad that Louis seemed to be cheering up a little.

Louis settled back against the wall with an easy smile. He turned slightly to look over the room, noticing all the things he hadn't when he had rushed inside two hours ago. Harry's bed was unmade, his clothes strewn across the floor, empty cups laid across his bedside table and his school supplies were left in a heap at the bottom of his bed. "This isn't like you" he said as he pointed at Harry's side of the room. "I expected a clean room for my arrival"

"Hm?" Harry's eyes followed his finger, landing on the mess he had left the room in. His lips parted and his eyes widened, "Shit!" He jumped from the window sill and raced over to his bed, his hands shooting out to straighten the duvet. "I was meant to clean this before you came back" he pulled at the covers hastily, cursing silently when crisp wrappers fell from the bed and onto the floor. "I know, it's a fucking pig stye right now. You shouldn't have to come back to this"

"Harry. I couldn't care less to be honest" Louis chuckled, "I'm more surprised that you let it get like this in the first place. What with you being such a clean freak all the time"

"I know" Harry sighed and plumped his pillows, patting them back down on the bed. "I know I just- I haven't been myself lately" he bent down and quickly grabbed the empty crisp packets, along with any other rubbish he had left on the floor over the past week.

Louis traced his top teeth with his tongue as he watched Harry rush about the room, "How so?" He stood from the window sill and made his way over to Harry, gently placing a hand on his arm to move him over so he could collect the school supplies that had been left on the bed.

"You don't need to help. This is my mess and you should be resting, you had a long journey" Harry said once noticing what Louis was doing. He tried to take the stack of books from his hands but Louis wouldn't let go.

"I'm not even tired, and I don't mind helping" Louis said as he tugged the books back, causing Harry to let go. He walked over to the book shelf and started putting the textbooks back in place.

"You look tired" Harry muttered as he began picking up the clothes from the floor, sniffing a few items to see if they needed a wash or not seeming as he hadn't worn most of what had fell from the wardrobe.

Louis snorted and turned his head to look over his shoulder, "Are you implying I look like shit?" He asked sarcastically, his hand gesturing up and down his body.

Harry rolled his eyes and shook his head, glancing over at Louis, "You never look like shit Louis"

Louis quirked a brow and slid the last book into place before turning around. "I disagree" he walked past Harry and stopped besides his record player, biting the inside of his lips as he flicked through the stack of vinyls. "I look awful in the morning" he stopped at a record and his lips quirked up. "How about some Elton John?"

Harry looked over to see Louis carefully placing his Elton John vinyl on the platter, "I'm always in the mood for a bit of Elton" he replied with a smirk, reaching up to grab a hanger for a sheer black blouse he owned. "And you don't look awful in the morning. I'm actually jealous that it takes you less than five minutes to get ready"

Louis set the record to play and a flood of drum beats and guitar strums erupted around the room. He grinned and raised his brows at Harry as he nodded his head to the beat, his shoulders bopping up and down to the rhythm. "Just because it takes me five minutes to get ready, it doesn't mean the outcome is good" he said as he bent down to grab a few clothes.

"You could never know what it's like, your blood like winter freezes just like ice, and there's a cold lonely light that shines from you, you'll wind up like the wreck you hide behind that mask you use"

Harry's head swayed from side to side as he hung more clothes up in the wardrobe, a bright smile on his face as he mouthed the words. Eltons musical-like voice carried around the room like light on a summers day, washing everything in sight in a golden glow and caused even the most unhappiest of people to smile. "The outcome is always good, stop putting yourself down" Harry said in between pauses of the song, bumping shoulders with Louis slightly as they both moved to the beat.

"And do you think this fool could never win? Well look at me, I'm coming back again. I got a taste of love in a simple way, and if you need to know while I'm standing, you just fade away"

Harry grinned and dropped the suit blazer he had in his hand, unbothered as it fell back to the dirty floor and it's hanger clashed onto the wooden surface. He spun around and threw his hands in the air as he sung the chorus, "Don't you know, I'm still standing better than I ever did. Looking like a true survivor, feeling like a little kid"

Louis widened his eyes at Harry's performance and let out a high pitched laugh, his head tilting backwards as he dropped the pair of trousers he was holding. "You can sing?" He asked with a surprised tone. Niall had mentioned it before, but he had thought it was just a passing comment, not to be taken seriously. "You sound amazing. What the fuck Harry?"

Harry only shrugged and continued to strut around the room, his knees high as he walked and his hands spread out as they jutted through the air. "I'm still standing, after all this time" he sang louder, looking towards the ceiling as he belted out the lyrics admittedly too loud for a dorm room surrounded by other students. "Picking up the pieces of my life without you on my mind"

"I'm still standing" Harry whipped around to face Louis again and pointed towards him, an expectant look on his face.

Louis felt a blush spread across his cheeks and his eyes rolled to the side, "Yeah yeah yeah" he mumbled quietly, his voice sounding bored and reluctant.

Harry strode a few steps closer to him with a grin that pressed against his dimples. He pointed at Louis again, "I'm still standing" his fingers curled in a few times towards himself, as if gesturing for Louis to give him something or come closer.

"Yeah yeah yeah" Louis sang with a little more confidence than before, seeming to please Harry who gave him a thumbs up and a genuine smile.

"Once I could have never hoped to win, you're starting down the road leaving me again, the threats you made were meant to cut me down, and if our love was just a circus, you'd be a clown by now"

"Dance with me" Harry said over the music, gripping Louis wrists as he walked backwards into the open space of the room.

"I can't dance" Louis whined, turning his head away as he was pulled forward by Harry.

"Anyone can dance Louis" Harry chuckled, swaying their linked arms as he shut his eyes and moved around on the spot.

"Yeah but you're crazy when you dance. You don't give a shit" Louis argued, unable to stop his shoulders moving back and fourth with Harry tugging and pushing at his arms. "I'm not like that"

"Well be like that then. Let loose, have some fun you old man" Harry replied jokingly, laughing when his eyes opened to see Louis' shocked face, his jaw slack and his mouth wide open.

"You wanna dance with an old man?" Louis quipped, "I can show you my old man moves if you'd like"

"Throw some crazy shapes" Harry agreed, causing them both to giggle like school kids. Louis still felt tense beneath his hands, as if he was wary to embarrass himself or do something wrong. "Don't be shy. I won't make fun of you if that's that you're worried about"

Louis pursed his lips and finally started dancing along with Harry, moving around in circles with their hands on each other's elbows, nodding his head erratically as the chorus came in for a second time. "I'm still standing better than I ever did, looking like a true survivor, feeling like a little kid" he sung, no longer with his quiet, shy voice, but with all the air in his lungs pushing the words through his mouth.

"There you go" Harry laughed, "You're a pretty good singer yourself, there's nothing to be embarrassed about" he said in amazement. He couldn't understand why Louis would want to hide such a talent. His voice was so unique, it was like nothing Harry had ever heard before.

"I'm still standing after all this time, picking up the pieces of my life without you on my mind"

"It's nothing special" Louis denied, wriggling his arms away from Harry's grip only to be tugged back towards the boy.

"Yes it is, it's so unique" Harry voiced his opinion, drawing Louis closer to emphasise his point. "There are a lot of artists out there that have a similar tone, the same sound. Not with you"

"I'm not an artist though am I" Louis wittily replied, tilting his head, "I don't sound like anyone else because my voice isn't considered good enough to make a career out of it"

Harry let out a deep breath and rolled his eyes, still faintly moving to the music, "You have to have an answer for everything don't you" Louis shrugged with a grin, "Your voice is amazing. I'd be surprised if a label didn't sign you after hearing one lyric"

"Oh please" Louis scoffed, "If anyone's getting signed to a label it's you. Your voice is miles better than mine, and you've got the confidence for it"

"Don't compare my voice to yours, we have completely different tones so it's not a fair judgement" Louis finally managed to pull one of his arms away and reached up to scratch at his cheekbone, his eyes twitching and his nose scrunching. "I wouldn't have the confidence to perform on stage any-"

Harry stopped abruptly and narrowed his eyes, staring at a point on Louis's face with furrowed brows and parted lips. Louis looked back up when Harry stopped talking, confused as to why he was looking at him so intently. "What? What are you looking at?" He asked, growing uncomfortable.

Louis tried to move backwards but Harry caught his arm again, causing him to wince and jolt away from the harsh grip. Harry lessened his grasp with a concerned expression and stepped closer, his hand raising upwards towards Louis' face. "What are you doing?" Louis asked, his eyes flicking between Harry's hand and his face.

Before Louis had a chance to stop him, the pad of Harry's thumb wiped below the corner of Louis eye all the way to his temple, revealing a dull, purple bruise where his tanned, flawless skin once was. Harry took in a sharp breath and his eyes widened, briefly glancing at what he assumed was concealer embedded into his fingerprint.

He hadn't noticed it before, not until he was this close, that there was a slight swelling around Louis' right eye, the skin of the surrounding area plump and irritated compared to his left. "Louis-"

"Don't touch it. It hurts" Louis batted his hand away, adverting his eyes to the floor. His eye hadn't stopped throbbing with pain ever since he had acquired the bruise a day earlier. He had hoped to keep it from Harry as long as he possibly could, but he knew he shouldn't have underestimated how observant the boy really was.

"Your arm hurts too, doesn't it" Harry said without a doubt, his words sharp as he flicked his gaze between Louis' cheek and his shoulder. "Show me"

Harry stepped closer and Louis inched back a few steps, his arm disappearing half way around his back. "No, just leave it" Louis said with a snipped tone.

"Your dad did it, didn't he" Harry shook his head and moved forward once again, "Just show me, I only want to help"

"How the fuck can you help?" Louis practically hissed as he walked backwards, only coming to a stop when his foot hit the end of Harry's bed. "What? You got some magic touch that will make bruises disappear?" He scoffed, scowling as Harry continued to press forward towards him.

"I can't heal your bruises, no, but I can support you" Harry stopped in front of him, a crease between his furrowed brows and his lips tugging down into a frown. "Just talk to me. Don't bottle it up"

"I already said I don't want to talk about it" Louis looked away, he couldn't stand the pity evident in Harry's eyes. The way he looked at him as if he were a victim, helpless and broken, unable to fend for himself. He didn't want sympathy, he already felt weak as it was.

"You'll only be punishing yourself by ignoring the situation" Harry let out a deep sigh. The music had long stopped playing, and he could easily hear Louis' ragged breaths accompanied by the faint chatter of students in the hallway.

Louis slightly shook his head, his sight still fixed on the floor towards the side of Harry's Gucci loafers; the ones with the rainbows that the boy dearly loved. Harry hesitantly reached out and gently placed his hand on Louis' bicep, his thumb rubbing small circles into the fabric of his blazer. "You had the courage to tell me about your past, and it helped, right?"

Louis slowly looked up, not indicating a yes or not with a nod or shake of his head, but Harry could tell he was right. "So why can't you do the same now?"

Louis paused for a moment, contemplating, as he bit the inside of his lips and clenched his hands. "Have you got a wipe?" He finally asked, his voice timid and questioning.

"Uh, yeah" Harry nodded quickly and his tongue swiped his bottom lip as he rushed over to the bathroom. "Yeah I think I've got some somewhere" he added as he opened a few draws, his eyes scanning over beauty products such as lip balm, hair spray, deodorant and toothpaste until they landed on a pack of makeup wipes he had used to take off his eyeliner when he and Louis had taken the photos for their art assignment.

Louis sat down on Harry's bed with shaky legs and a slight tremble to his hands. He trusted Harry, he really did, he just didn't want to face the events that had happened yesterday. He wanted to ignore it, pretend it didn't happen; because who wanted to admit that their father had hit them multiple times?

"Here" Harry took a seat next to him on the bed and handed him a few makeup wipes. "Do you need any help?"

"I've got it" Louis replied, hesitating for a moment before he reached up and blindly swiped the damp wipe under his eye up towards his temple. He winced slightly, his skin still too tender for the harsh touch, and lessened the pressure as he went in a second time.

The concern in Harry's expression grew with each swipe, revealing more and more of the plum purple colour decorating his skin. It was slightly yellow on some areas, almost black in others, and Harry could only grit his teeth and clench his jaw in order to not scream profanities about Louis' father.

Louis pulled the wipe away and stared at the nude pigment on the white cloth. "Is it all gone?" He asked as he lifted his head towards Harry.

Harry nodded. Yes it was gone. Where his skin should be the same shade as the concealer laying on that wipe, it was now a vibrant mess of reds and purples. "Does it hurt?" He asked as he slowly brought his hand up, his fingers ghosting over the bruised area.

Louis let out a bitter huff, "Not as much as when he hit me, that's for sure"

Harry shook his head, his lips pressed into a thin line. "Such a prick" he muttered under his breath, taking his hand away from Louis' cheek. "What else then?" He flicked his eyes towards Louis' shoulder.

Louis rolled his eyes, not making a move to take off his blazer and his white shirt. He waited a moment to see if harry would speak again. Maybe to tell him it didn't matter, or that he didn't care. He only stared shrugging off his blazer when he realised nothing of the sort would be said; and Harry remained silent.

"Just don't make a big deal out of it, alright?" Louis said as he unbuttoned his shirt, his fingers moving quickly. "I don't want your pity"

"Okay" Harry mumbled, though he wasn't making any promises. He watched eagerly as Louis worked on the final button and the shirt fell away from his shoulders, pooling around his waist on top of the duvet. When Louis turned slightly to face him, and his right shoulder was revealed, Harry couldn't help but intake a sharp breath, his stomach dropping at the sight.

His entire shoulder was bruised, ranging from a grey tinted black to an irritated red, a green tinge coating his collar bone and a pink mark drawing up his neck. From Louis' movement it looked stiff and sore, and Harry cursed himself silently for tugging on his arm so much whilst they were dancing; Louis must have masked the pain.

"Jesus Christ" Harry whispered, his hand yearning to soothe the sore skin, but his mind too scared of hurting him any further. "Louis what the fuck? He did this to you?"

"It was my fault" Louis replied, his tone void of any emotion. "I'd broken a rule and I should've known better. I was being careless"

Harry furrowed his brows in disbelief, and he found himself unable to form a sentence for a moment. "No. For fucks sake, this is not your fault. How can you even say that?" He replied sharply, his voice firm.

"If i hadn't gone in that room this would've never happened. I knew I wasn't supposed to and I did it anyway, it was my fault"

"You think you deserve to be hit for going into a room?" Harry scoffed, anger boiling away in his stomach. "That's not right. Your whole shoulder is fucking bruised, not to mention your face"

Louis clicked his tongue against the back of his teeth and shrugged, regretting his action when a sharp jolt of pain ran through his arm. "Least it's not dislocated. I thought it was at first" he replied causally.

"How can you joke about this?" Harry gestured to his right arm, "It was that bad that you thought it could've been dislocated? Seriously?"

Louis sighed and grabbed his shirt, "I told you not to make a big deal out of it" he began to slide his arms back into the shirt until Harry stopped him.

"Hold on. I might have something that helps" He said, rushing back into the bathroom for a second time. He came back out a moment later with a small, glass container in his hand and sat back down on the bed. "It's called tiger balm, it helps with sore muscles and joints"

Louis eyed the container with curiosity, he hadn't ever heard of it before, but at this point he would try anything to relieve the pain. Ice hadn't worked, neither had the opposite- a hot water bottle; he was desperate. "Okay. So what? You just rub it on there or?" He trailed off.

"Yeah" Harry opened the container, revealing a red, oily substance. "I can put it on if you'd like?"

Louis gently removed his shirt again and turned to face Harry so that he would be able to apply it easier. "Sure, just be careful. It hurts if you press it too hard"

"Of course" Harry dipped his fingers into the balm and shuffled closer to Louis, "It feels a bit weird at first. It's hot, then it has a cooling effect" he reached out and applied it to his shoulder, his fingers working in soft, circular motions as he massaged it into his skin. "This okay?"

"Yeah" Louis nodded. He could already feel the tension leaving his arm under Harry's soft hands, his eyes threatening to close as he worked the balm up towards his neck and along his collar bone. He could feel it burning into his skin, both a pleasant and unpleasant feeling erupting around his joint, like he was sitting bare chested near a fire on a cold day. "It is really warm" he mumbled.

"I know" Harry said with a small smile, his palms warming up with his continuous strokes. "You might want to wear a different shirt though, one you're not bothered about getting messy" he commented, his eyes flicking towards the plain white shirt that probably costed a hundred pounds. "You don't want this stuff staining it"

Louis hummed in reply and Harry finally removed his hands. "Gonna go wash this off. Find a t-shirt or something" Harry said, walking off towards the bathroom.

Louis nodded to himself and stood up, making his way over to the wardrobe. He quickly flicked through a few of his clothes and realised he didn't own anything less than £100, other than his Adidas hoodie. It had become one of his favourite items over the past two months, more so than some of his most expensive jackets, and he wasn't keen on staining it.

"You can wear something of mine, if you want?" Harry suddenly said as he walked back into the room. He joined Louis in front of the wardrobe and crouched down to open one of his draws at the bottom. "These don't cost much so I'm not bothered if it gets ruined" he pulled out a plain, black long sleeved t-shirt and stood up again. "It might be a little big on you though" he added with a quirk of his lips.

Louis rolled his eyes and snatched the shirt from his grasp, "You're not even that much bigger than me" he replied before pulling the top over his head, struggling to push his arm through without it hurting.

Harry pulled down the hem of the shirt absentmindedly, a smirk playing on his lips when he realised how baggy it looked on him. He tended to go a size up himself, he wasn't fond of restrictive clothing, so even with a small size different between himself and Louis, the shirt hung away from his figure and exposed his neckline. "But I am. You're just- a small person"

"I am not" Louis denied, giving Harry a light smack on his chest. "You're just a very long person" he quipped, a sarcastic smile resting on his face.

"A long person?" Harry chuckled, "You know, most people just say tall"

Louis leant against the wardrobe and tilted his head to the side, "I could've said lanky but i figured you'd be insulted"

Harry smirked and raised his brows, "I could've just said you're short, but I figured that would insult you"

"Let's be blunt then" Louis replied, swiping his tongue over his bottom lip. "You're lanky"

"And you're short"

"There" Louis nodded, "Felt good to insult you. Haven't done it in a while" he said with a grin.

"Likewise" Harry agreed, "So what actually happened then?" He asked, changing the subject. "You went in a room you weren't supposed to and he beat you for it?"

"Pretty much" Louis looked down and pulled the excess fabric of his shirt over his hands, "My shoulders fucked because he pulled me out from under the bed and my arm got trapped. He kept tugging on it though- so" he plastered a smile onto his face, "Then, well, he punched me. That's why my eye is bruised"

'Fucking stop! My arm is trapped'
'I told you never to come in here again!'
'Stop it hurts!'

"How are you so casual about it?"

"There's no point in complaining. It's already happened, hasn't it"

It wasn't a complete lie, it just wasn't the whole truth. In all honesty, Louis would have been crying about it if he hadn't spent the entire night doing just that already. At this point, he was too exhausted to cry or rant about what had happened. He'd rather pretend it didn't.

"That's not the point. It shouldn't have happened in the first place"

Louis scratched his forehead and sighed, "Please can we just stop talking about it. There's nothing I can do about it anyway" he walked back over to Harry's bed and grabbed his shirt, throwing it into the laundry basket as he made his way over to his own bed. "How have you been then?"

Harry was still stood by the wardrobe watching Louis, surprised by the quick change of subject. "Uh, good, I guess. Just bored mostly" he moved over to his desk and pulled his sketch book out of a draw. "Skipped a few classes. It was weird without you here"

Louis settled back against his pillows, "Why did you skip classes?"

"I wasn't feeling up to them" Harry shrugged and flipped through a few pages before he landed on a loose one and pulled it out with a small smile. "I finished a drawing though"

"Oh yeah?" Louis quirked a brow, "Show me then. You never show me any of your drawings"

Harry looked at his drawing for a moment before walking over to Louis. He took a seat besides him on the bed, the mattress dipping beneath his weight. "I really hope you don't think this is weird. I started it a while back- I don't know why. I guess I was bored or something" Louis sat up a little and Harry hesitantly handed him the piece of paper.

Drawn in pencil was a picture of Louis sat on his bed, much like he was now, with a book in his hands and his knees drawn up to his chest. The detail was immaculate, from the cup of tea on his bedside table to the picture frame above his bed, a few clothing items laying on the floor and his charger plugged into the wall. It looked so realistic that Louis was surprised it wasn't just a black and white photo Harry had taken with his fancy camera.

"Oh my god" Louis whispered, his eyes fixed on the drawing. A memory flashed in his mind of the time he had shouted at Harry for staring at him whilst drawing; and now it made sense why. "Harry this is amazing"

Harry watched as Louis' finger lightly traced over the lines of his drawing, "Careful, you don't want to smudge it" he said, and Louis took his hand away. "I didn't plan on giving you it now, or even at all. But I thought it could cheer you up a little"

"I'm glad you did" Louis looked up at him with a bright smile, small crinkles forming at the sides of his eyes. "I love it. But now I feel like a prick for having a go at you that time you were drawing"

Harry's eyes lit up as if remembering what Louis was talking about, and a laugh escaped his lips. "Don't. I was just scared you were going to see the drawing and take the piss out of me for it"

"Why would I?" Louis looked down at the drawing once again before propping it up against the lamp on his bedside table. "I'll probably get a frame for it"

"Because you didn't like me back then. I thought you would either shout at me or be freaked out, because we weren't on the best terms" Harry briefly explained. "You don't need to frame it though, it's nothing special"

"It is, I want to frame it" Louis insisted, "And I would've probably just been confused. You didn't like me back then either, so why draw me?"

"I never really hated you as much as I let on" Harry admitted sheepishly, picking at the fabric of his trousers. "I guess I kind of just assumed you would never like me, so I indulged in the arguing"

Louis hummed, understanding, and moved back again to lean against the headboard of the bed. "I missed this. I feel more at home here than I do at the manor" he said as he looked around the room. Everything felt right again, like he was a normal teenager sharing a room with a friend. Nothing felt hotel-like or overly clean, it was a childish mess and he loved it.

Harry nodded, "I missed you" he replied quietly, a faint blush on his cheeks. "It just felt strange not having you here. I felt quite alone and everything was too quiet"

Louis couldn't suppress his smile, but he did his best to hide it as he ducked his head down. "I suppose I somewhat missed your annoying ass too" he replied teasingly. "You had Niall and the lads though. It can't have been all bad"

"Yes, but it wasn't the same" Harry paused and bit at his lips, "I spend most my time with you"

"I guess that's true" Louis agreed.

"Just- don't get into trouble again, yeah?" Harry looked at him with almost pleading eyes. "I know it was partly my fault, but I don't want you going home again. Especially after what your dad has done"

Louis let out a long breath and met his eyes, "I'll try not to. That means we can't go back to arguing though"

"I hoped we wouldn't anyway" Harry agreed.

"Good" Louis smiled, "Then we won't"

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Author notes:

Hey guys! Sorry for taking so long with this, I was busy and really struggled to write this chapter as I've had little to no motivation recently.

Anyway, Louis is back! I'm hoping you've enjoyed this chapter, and I'm going to try my best to get updates out quicker over the Christmas break.

Please don't forget to vote and leave your opinions!

Love you all xxx