With the wind on his face, Louis drove down the street on his skateboard. Shawn was right behind him. The feeling of being absolutely free gave Louis the feeling of flying. Careless and weightless. Louis had missed that feeling. Skateboarding always made him forget about his problems and right now he needed to forget about a certain person for a while.

They entered a skateboard park a bit outside of town. It had some lower and higher ramps and a long-ass metal rod in the middle. Surprisingly, it was completely empty but that was presumably due to the time of day. It was too early.

Feeling the adrenaline pumping through his veins, Louis skated towards one of the lower ramps. One jump later he headed to the higher one and made some tricks and flips at the top, that he could remember. Back on the ground he jumped on that metal rod and slid over it, ending his slide with a backflip down from his skateboard and landed on his two feet right next to it. Shawn followed right behind him and did a pretty impressive jump before he stopped right next to Louis.

When it got later and some other younger guys showed up at the park, Shawn and Louis went further down until they reached some water and sat down on a small bench. In silence, they enjoyed the view over the water and the quiet before the upcoming next busy week.

"What's the matter, Shawn?" broke Louis the silence, noticing how restless his friend seemed.

"Just a lot on my mind" answered Shawn distantly.

"Wanna let me in on it?" tilted Louis his head aside.

"I'm doubting my decision" sighed Shawn out shakily.

"What decision?" Louis didn't understand.

"Law. I'm not sure if I chose the right Major" opened Shawn up to him.

"Why do you think so?" hooked Louis carefully.

"I'm just not feeling it. The stuff is interesting, but I just don't give a shit about it and that's not how it should be. I see how much Niall loves his course or how much you talk about yours. I just want to get out every day and get lost in my music" confessed Shawn insecurely.

"Shawn, we are friends. Can I be completely honest with you?" turned Louis his whole body towards Shawn.

"Sure," said Shawn in a shaky voice.

"I think you should switch your Major to Music as soon as you can" advised Louis him honestly. "Maybe Law is interesting and you found some parts that you liked before, but music is obviously your passion and you're burning for it. You love it with your whole heart. You should do what you love and not what you think might secure you a great future. It could be risky, but all decisions made by heart are a risk. Are you willing to take it?".

For a second Shawn just stared at Louis with an unreadable expression on his face and Louis could see it was working in his head and he was taking in every word Louis had said. Louis stood behind his words. He was always of the opinion that you should follow your heart even if it'd be risky instead of giving in to what society expects from you if it doesn't make you happy. Louis was a heart kind of person most of the time. Pure irony that at this time of his life he listened more to his brain than his heart. How times change.

"What if it doesn't work out?" voiced Shawn some doubts.

"It will work out if you give it a chance. Don't expect too much. If you love music, then go for it. As long as you do what you love and can live from it, you're successful. What does a long life full of hard work that will break you bring you in the end? What does it do to you when you are about to die and look back on your life? What do you wanna see then? A career in a job you never wanted or a fulfilling life in which you followed your heart?" tried Louis to make Shawn consider everything before he made a decision.

"You're right. Society shouldn't press me into something I'm not. My heart wants something different and I should listen to it, otherwise, I might break sooner than expected. Thanks, Tommo" realised Shawn with a smile.

"Not for that. I was just trying to help" waved Louis the matter off.

"You always do that. You help all of us at any time of the day. You're a great friend. If you need anything, just let me know" offered Shawn him gratefully.

"I will".

---

"You can't ignore him forever" scolded Zayn him as he sat down next to Louis at a table in the cafeteria.

"Hello to you too, Joey" greeted Louis him sarcastically.

"Not today, Tommy. I met Niall earlier and he told me you ignored Harry for days on end and are never in your dorm. Only for sleeping. Where the fuck are you all the time?" was Zayn not having it.

"I was with Shawn and with Àmber and I had my courses and studied a lot" counted Louis what he did the last few days.

"And it never crossed your mind to let me know or Harry, who thinks he did something wrong?" raised Zayn an eyebrow at him.

"No? Why should I? You're not my parents. I have a life, you know? I don't have to justify every little thing I do" replied Louis a bit annoyed.

"Of course not, but Harry thinks ...".

"Let him think he did something wrong. Maybe he'll find out what he did someday" cut Louis him off.

"So, you're really avoiding him?" checked Zayn observingly.

"A little bit, maybe. I just have things to do and don't feel the need to spend time inside" shrugged Louis.

"It's freaking cold outside and you rather freeze than be in the same room as Harry?" was Zayn surprised.

"If you word it that way ..." trailed Louis off.

"Tommy, I know you're hurt and I understand, but you can't avoid him for the next three years" pointed Zayn out.

"I'm not hurt. I feel fucking betrayed" lost Louis his nerves. "That little shit talked about friendship and trust and being there for each other the whole time, but doesn't think trusting me was an option? I trusted him and for what? He lied to me the whole time".

"I wouldn't call that lying" coughed Zayn hesitantly.

"Oh really?" snorted Louis unamused.

"You never asked him if he had a second name. You simply assumed he didn't. Yes, he could've told you because he knew yours pretty soon and screamed it into the world, but he wasn't obliged to tell you" stated Zayn some facts.

"On whose side are you?" snapped Louis at his best friend.

"Yours. Always yours and you know that. I just wanna stop you from being stupid. Why can't you just talk to him?" softened Zayn's voice.

"Because I don't wanna hear him saying that I'm not worth his trust and I'm not good enough" admitted Louis quietly.

"Now we're getting to the bottom of it. Tommy, you mean a lot to him. Everyone can see it. I don't know why he never told you, but maybe there is a reason for it. You have reasons to be who you are too. Reasons to react in certain ways to certain things" grabbed Zayn for Louis' hand, which made him look into Zayn's eyes.

"I hate you when you're right" grumbled Louis with a pout on his thin lips.

"I'm always right" winked Zayn at him.

"If that's the case how did it go with Liam?" changed Louis the topic of conversation skilfully.

"Um ... I was able to talk to him before my course earlier" became Zayn all shy and blushy now.

"Uh, I want details" urged Louis him to talk.

"Well, err ... We met up by the park nearby and I told him I needed to tell him something and he should just listen until I'm finished. When he agreed, I started nervously telling him everything. I confessed my feelings for him and that I'd like to try out if we're meant to be and even if not, that I don't know if I could stay away from him in that way and would risk a try if he was in as well. Then I apparently started to ramble stupid nonsense because he was just silently looking at me. At some point, he stopped my rambling and told me to shut up and let him talk. Totally scared, I listened to him and ... um ... he admitted on feeling the same way as me and he was willing to try it out as well and if nothing would happen by saying our full names we could talk later on what happens next" informed Zayn him about what went down earlier.

"And what happened? Did you bond or not?" was Louis on the edge of his seat.

Zayn blushed even more and stared at the tabletop. "We bonded".

"Yes! Oh My Gosh! I knew it! That's amazing!" exclaimed Louis overly excited and happy for his best friend.

"I'm happy too but can you keep it quiet? People are watching us weirdly" shushed Zayn him. Other students were eyeing them as if they were aliens.

"Sorry, I'm just so happy for you and ... wait, a second! How did you bond? I mean, in which way? Simple or romantically?" lowered Louis his voice again.

"First, we got the simple bonding mark. It felt so strange to hear him say my full name. Now I know how you felt. That burning feeling when the mark appears ... don't wanna feel that again. But it was worth it when I spotted the matching one on Liam's wrist" recalled Zayn his feelings during the bonding.

"What is it?" eyed Louis Zayn's arm.

"A Yin Yang symbol. It fits. We're opposites but match pretty well" showed Zayn him the small symbol on his wrist.

"It makes sense" mused Louis. In his mind, he was wondering why they got a logical symbol like that and Louis had that freaking rope, which still didn't make any sense to him.

"Afterwards, we talked about how we proceed now. Liam admitted he doesn't care if we bond romantically or not because he would try a relationship with me anyway if I wanted to. That made me so happy that I fell into his arms, I know pretty pathetic, and just hugged him closely and said I'd love to be with him no matter what fate had to say about it" confessed Zayn timidly.

"Aww" cooed Louis at his cuteness.

"And that's when it happened. Another mark appeared on our skin. On our chest underneath the collarbones to be exact. It's a pair of wings. It felt like a mix between the other two marks. A tingling but more intensive just without a burn. I don't know how to explain it. It made me the happiest I've ever been" described Zayn the feeling in detail.

"You look happy to me. You're beaming. I'm happy for you" smiled Louis providentially.

"It feels still so strange that I'm bonded now. I never thought I'd bond ever, but here I am now. Strong feeling" breathed Zayn out overwhelmed.

"It's understandable. It just happened. It'll sink in later when you see each other again" lay Louis his arm around Zayn's shoulder.

"Oh God, I'll see him in an hour" gasped Zayn in realisation.

"I'd say we get you ready for that after lunch, okay? I'll be right there with you" offered Louis him his help.

"You don't understand. We haven't kissed yet. I only ever kissed you. I'm scared to screw things up already" panicked Zayn.

"Wow, thanks. Doesn't sound like I'm terrible at kissing at all" snorted Louis offended.

"Sorry, that's not what I meant. You're a brilliant kisser and I ...".

"You're gonna be great. Liam was willing to give his 'soulmate' up for you. You really think he'd leave you if your first kiss isn't perfect?" interrupted Louis him.

"He wouldn't do that" calmed Zayn down when his mind started working again.

"See? Everything will be alright. Well, as long as I don't tell him you called me a brilliant kisser. He might get jealous" Louis couldn't help himself.

"Don't you dare, Tomlinson. Or I swear I'm gonna tell Harry why you're avoiding him" threatened Zayn him but Louis knew he'd never do this to him. Zayn wasn't like that.

"You wouldn't" countered Louis challengingly.

"Test me" shot Zayn back.

"Nah, right now I'd love to eat this food. You should try it too before you faint after your first real kiss" cackled Louis.

"Why am I even friends with you?" shook Zayn his head amused but started eating, nonetheless.

"Because you love me" winked Louis at him.

"Sadly, that's true" laughed Zayn with food in his mouth.

"Gosh, never go out eating with Liam. You're disgusting" grimaced Louis and got kicked against his leg under the table. "Ow".

---

For the first time this week, Louis was sitting on his bed in the afternoon and was video chatting with Aria. There was no solid reason for it. She just had the feeling Louis needed someone to talk to, but she had many things to do at home and Àmber was at Uni until later. The same goes for Harry. Right now, Aria was bugging him about Harry as Zayn did before because he was still avoiding him.

"But avoiding him is not a solution" argued Aria over the screen.

"No, but an option" countered Louis childishly.

"Louis" groaned Aria out. "He kept his second name from you, not his dead brother".

"I wouldn't know because he doesn't tell me anything. Now that I think about it, he knows way more about me than I know about him. He never let me in but forced me to do it" replied Louis stubbornly.

"You are so damn stubborn. A second name is something private and you know why. Don't be mad that he didn't tell you. You have no reason to be" grew Aria angry.

"He knows mine and never cared if I wanted him to know. The amount of times he screamed it into the world without a single care is massive. That's reason enough to be pissed. He at least could've told me his in exchange" pointed Louis out madly.

"Okay, maybe you have a point there, but you should tell him that. Talk to him" Aria had to admit.

"No" shook Louis his head.

"Oh, for fuck's sake, Louis. Talk to him. What is so bad about it that you can't tell him? Just talk and then ...".

"It's bad because the one I'm bonded to doesn't even trust me" exploded Louis but bit his lips as soon as the words were out.

"Wait, you're bonded?" asked Aria shocked.

"Yes, but one-sided only. I thought you knew already" was Louis' bottom lip bleeding by now as hard as he bit down on it.

"Why should I ... Àmber knows, right?" understood Aria what Louis hinted at. He just nodded. "She didn't say a word. It's your secret, not hers. She'd keep it forever if you wanted her to. I may be her girlfriend but Àmber is a loyal friend. She'd never expose you".

"Àmber is amazing" was Louis' only comment.

"She is, but that's not the point here. Louis, I'm sorry. If I had known I wouldn't have advised you to tell him" apologised Aria understandingly.

"It's okay. Only two people know. Not even my Mum. I'm too ashamed and I can't tell Harry" assured Louis her truthfully.

"Louis, can I ask you something without you getting mad?" asked Aria hesitantly.

"You can try" shrugged Louis.

"Did you consider that your one-sided bond isn't as one-sided as you might think?" tried Aria to word her question right.

"What do you mean?" frowned Louis in confusion.

"I guess you bonded before you knew about his second name, right?" checked Aria knowingly.

"Yes, but what ... Oh" grew Louis' eyes big in realisation.

"Maybe it was only one-sided because it wasn't his full name" stated Aria her view on the topic.

"Don't give me hope. It wouldn't change anything" denied Louis the possibility.

"Why?".

At that moment his phone beeped and on the screen was an incoming call from his mother. "Sorry, My mum is calling. Talk to you later, Ari. Bye" ended Louis the video call abruptly and grabbed for his phone.

"Hi, Mum" answered Louis the call.

"Hi, Boobear. How are you feeling, Sweetheart?" asked Jay over the phone. Her voice told Louis that something wasn't right.

"I'm good but, how are you? Is everything alright?" Louis wanted to know worriedly.

"We're good, don't worry, Love" calmed Johanna her son down.

"Why do you sound so sad then?" wondered Louis suspiciously.

"My instincts are alarmed. I have the feeling you're not feeling good. What's wrong, Darling?" revealed Johanna to him.

"I didn't mean to make your mark burn. I'm sorry" apologised Louis. He hated being the cause of his mother's pain, especially when it was through the family marks.

"It wasn't my mark that told me. Yes, it burns a bit, but a mother knows when something is wrong, Boobear. So, you wanna tell me?".

The soft and gentle voice of his mother brought tears to Louis' eyes. He had tried so hard to stay strong for her and not break in, but he was a mummy's boy through and through and couldn't lie straight to her. He never could even if it would break her heart.

"It happened to me too, Mummy" started Louis to cry over the phone.

"Oh, my poor baby" heard Louis his mother inhale a sharp breath. He knew that would be her reaction.

"It hurts" snivelled Louis heartbreakingly.

"I know, baby, but you're gonna be alright. I'm here now. When did it happen?" she soothed him in a soft voice.

"Right on the first day" cried Louis quietly.

"And you didn't tell me?" sounded Jay sad.

"I didn't mean to worry you" mumbled Louis guiltily.

"Don't worry so much about me. I'm good now. Better tell me how this happened so early" Johanna wanted to know.

"He bumped into me when I wanted to leave my dorm and I dropped my timetable. On it was my full name. He picked it up for me and read it out loud. The burn was horrible, but nothing hurt more than him not bonding back and not caring at all" told Louis his mum with tears still streaming down his face.

"He's your dormmate, right?" hooked Johanna and Louis nodded but then remembered she couldn't see him.

"Yes".

"Do you want me to ask for a switch?" offered his mother to him.

"No, it's okay with him. But thanks" declined Louis the offer.

"You wanna stay with the boy that broke your heart? I don't want someone close to you who doesn't care about you, Boobear" Johanna didn't understand him.

"He didn't do it on purpose. He has no idea I'm hurting. He cares about me and he'd be so broken if he'd know that he is the cause of my pain" defended Louis Harry and had no idea why.

"How can he not know that? I thought you ...".

"He doesn't know about the mark, Mum" cut Louis her off. "I didn't tell him".

"And you're suffering all alone now?" hooked his mother sadly.

"No, Zayn knows and Àmber too. They help me through it as much as they can. Being away from Harry only makes it worse, so I'm staying" opened Louis up to her.

"Okay, but if it gets too much you let me know and we'll find a way" held Johanna back her tears.

"I promise" breathed Louis out. "And Mum? Please, don't tell the girls. I don't want them to worry about me".

"Okay. I promise, Darling. Take care of yourself" promised his Mum and in that very moment the door to his dorm fell close and Harry stood close to his bed.

"I will. Love you, Mum" said Louis absently, staring at Harry.

"Love you too, Boobear" ended Johanna the call and Louis pocketed his phone.

"You're here" breathed Harry out in surprise.

"Only shortly. I um ... just needed to make a call in silence. I'm gone in a second" cleared Louis throat, wiped away his tears and stood up from the bed.

"No, Louis, stop" grabbed Harry for his arm and turned Louis around to face him. The sight broke Louis' heart even more. Harry looked totally distressed. His eyes were red and puffy and his hair was all over the place. He looked simply broken. "Louis, what did I do? Why are you running away from me? Please, tell me. I can't live with you being mad at me. Tell me what I did wrong".

His first thought was to just tell Harry the lie he had told anyone else if they asked him what was going on but seeing Harry this distraught did something to Louis. His bonding mark was burning like hell. As if his arm was set on fire because Harry was sad, and Louis was the cause of it. Louis let out a sigh of defeat and stepped closer to Harry, wiping away some of his tears.

"You didn't do anything, Haz" caressed Louis Harry's cheek gently. "I was just having a really bad week and had some private family issues to solve. I didn't handle this the right way and I'm sorry for it. I never wanted you to feel like you did anything wrong. You could never really hurt me, Haz".

"Really?" blinked Harry away his tears, staring into Louis' eyes.

"Really. It wasn't your fault. I'm sorry for avoiding you this week" apologised Louis again.

"As long as you are okay now, I'm okay too. I only want you to be happy, Lou" snivelled Harry cutely.

"I am" lied Louis straight to his face instead of answering the way he wanted to.

"So, we're good? Is everything alright now?" wiped Harry away his last tears and brought some space between them and that move really hurt Louis, but he kept a straight face.

"Yes, we're good, Haz". 

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Question of the Chapter: Do you understand Louis or is he overreacting?