Harry's there, in the library. Except the time is different than when he was there the day before. Because today his free period was last period. That didn't mean he wasn't waiting for Louis to come back.

That's another thing about the boy. Although he gets anxious most of the time, when he wants something, he doesn't back off from getting it or them unless they do the job and tell him off. It's quite hard for him to do so, since he can barely talk straight without messing up out of nerves, but he gets by somehow. After all he managed to have one girlfriend in grade seven for two months, before he started hearing about how people knew about them and had talked about them. Then his social anxiety got the best of him and she broke up with him because of it.

Harry doesn't want that to happen. So, he doesn't go after Louis no matter how cute he thinks he is. He waits for him to come around instead.

And he does. A couple minutes later with a smile on his face. This time he has on his light coat since it's last period, and his hair is pushed up with gel or spray or paste or whatever boys use. Harry wouldn't know since he doesn't usually use product in his curls. He just lets them set on their own.

Louis chuckles when seeing Harry settled at one of the tables, looking down at his lap and mumbling things to himself. What he doesn't know is that it's just Harry trying to practice not stuttering. Which he does anyway.

"Hi, love," Louis sits down, setting his closed hands on the table.

Harry looks up at him, gulping, "Hello... Louis," he says.

Louis just smiles at him, and purses his lips, "Tell me about yourself," he says. Which catches Harry by surprise, because no one ever wants to get to know him. They just don't. Nor is he comfortable with it.

So, he struggles a bit, "Uh... what do you uh... what should you uhm, know?" he asks, folding his hands in his lap. And he doesn't know whether or not to cover his face or to just look away from Louis' instead.

The other boy shrugs, "Dunno. What do you do? Do you have any siblings? Any interests? Those kinds of things?" he asks.

Harry blinks at him, "No. I mean. Gemma. My sister Gemma. She's all," he says.

Louis nods, "I have four sisters," he shrugs, "but anyway, what do you like to do for hobbies?"

Harry purses his lips, shaking his head slowly, "Nothing. Nothing interesting," he says quietly.

Louis furrows his eyebrows, because everyone is interesting in his world. "There has to be something, Harry. Everyone is interesting!"

Harry gets flustered again, "No. No no," he argues, "students say that uhm, th-that I can't. Uh, I'm not interesting. They don't like my things," he tries explaining, but he's so not used to talking to people outside his family that he's so goddamn nervous, and anxious, and reserved around others. He doesn't truly know how to socialize, Louis observes, and that kinda breaks his heart a bit.

"Harry Styles. You are interesting. Those kids were wrong. Everyone has a different opinion, and theirs were just mean. Whatever you like to do is your interest as well as mine. They don't mean anything when it comes to liking things. They don't have to like what you like, and if they tell you not to do something or that you can't do something, then fuck them," he tell's him. But then Harry's gasping and gaping at him worriedly and frustratingly.

"You can't say that!" he whisper shouts, "that's just- like... not here! Not here, please, Louis!" he scolds, as if it's the worst thing someone could ever do. Because yeah, he's cursed. But never with that word. Mostly because it's also used as a word for sex, and sex plus that word in general are things he's uncomfortable talking about.

Louis just finds it so amusing to watch this boy talk and communicate with him. He doesn't look him in the eyes, and he holds his hands together and stutters and technically doesn't speak normally due to this shyness or whatever he has. And sure, it can seem rude, but it's obvious that Harry must have some type of anxiety or social problem. It's something that Louis already notices and wants to protect.

"M'sorry, Harry. At your service," he says, "so, how about I get your phone number, and we can talk without having others around us," he offers, "if that would make you more comfortable, that is."

Harry tilts his head, but takes Louis' phone when handed to him. He enters his number, and add's his name under "harry styles from the library". Which makes Louis smile.

"I need a picture of you, smile," Louis says, holding his phone up again.

Harry's eyes widen, and he shakes his head furiously, covering his face with his hands. "No! No pictures!" he exclaims, not noticing the librarian shushing him quickly after, "sorry, I just don't like pictures of me. Not, uhm, not comfortable with pictures," he speaks, shifting his fingers from his eyes to uncover the one part of his face.

Louis nods at him, "Okay. I didn't know. I'm sorry, Harry Styles," he says.

The boy once again shakes his head, "Why my full name?" he questions.

Louis chuckles, adding a shrug, "Don't know, curly. You used my full name earlier, so I'm making it even," he says, and the smile on his face is just so so big at this point. And when he gets up before the younger boy after the bell, he can't help but almost giggle at Harry doing the same and following his actions.

"Do you know that I'm in your English class?" Louis asks, smiling.

Harry furrows his eyebrows. Because no, he doesn't know that. The year nearly started, but still. He barely knew anyone in his classes. He tries hard not to look at any of his classmates in case they look back at him. So he just shakes his head.

"Well, I am. I sit in the back with my friend. Not that good at English though so I kind of slack off sometimes," Louis shrugs.

Harry hugs his couple of books to his chest, "I uhm... the book," he murmurs, pulling a book from his small stack and showing it to Louis, "you asked."

"Right!" Louis exclaims, "thanks! I haven't even started my project. Which sucks cause then i'll be up all night working on it but I haven't gotten anything tonight anyway so it'll work out," he sighs, talking on. And Harry lets him. He practically encourages him, nodding when he looks to him for consent for the continuation of the conversation.

"I want you to talk about yourself. I want to know you," Louis says, keeping Harry close as they flow into the mass of other students.

"Uhm," Harry twists in between others, grabbing onto Louis' arm when he finally reaches him again. Louis smiles at him, and even when they get to a slight clearing he doesn't let go, his touch lingering on Louis' sleeve.

"What do in your free time?" he asks.

Harry gulps, glancing at his feet, "Uhm... I... I don't like talking... about myself-"

"Please?" Louis interrupts, "just one thing."

Harry squeezes his eyes shut, "I- no! Please, no. I-I can't," he grips the fabric of the one side of his sweatpants, taking steady breaths as they make it to a clearing within the hall.

Louis notices how uncomfortable and fidgety Harry is, and frowns, "I'm sorry, Harry. Don't worry about telling me anything, it's your information, not mine. We can talk about other random things, or I can talk instead if you'd rather," he tells him. The only problem is they're at the point in the hallway where your locker is on one side or the other, splitting into two halls. Both of theirs are on different sides.

"I uhm, locker. M-My locker is... th-this hall," he slightly points down the hall where his locker is located.

Louis' is in the other hall, and he glances at it as he pursing his lips, "Tell you what. You text me tonight, since I texted you my number in the library. We can talk then, yeah?" he offers.

Harry smiles and nods, "Yeah," his voice barely comes out. Especially with all the other students around. So Louis just gives him one last smile before he turns and sloths down the hall, in deep thought of the curly haired boy.

-

I hope you guys liked this chapter!! I know it's slow moving but I have a lot of other works that I'm working on so I'm trying my best haha.

All my lovveee

Liz xx.