Imprisoned In My Heart: A Larry Stylinson Fanfic

14.

Louis was cheerily whistling and playing a solitary game of noughts and crosses against himself when he heard his office door creak ominously. Instantly snatching a stack of papers towards him and sweeping paperwork across the desk to obscure his lonely and slightly pathetic way of killing time, he positioned his pen neatly on the dotted line of something that looked like a form, he started casually signing his name.

The door swung open, and a stony-faced Harry stormed inside, closing it firmly behind him. He collapsed into the chair that Louis would always fondly think of as his, and scowled darkly at the floor, pointedly waiting for Louis to ask what was up.

“Hey, you!” Louis said warmly. “What’s with the moody face?”

“Have you met the new guy yet?” Harry demanded. He paused. “Nope, hang on – you’re still in a good mood; you obviously haven’t.”

“New guy?” Louis asked interestedly, putting his pen down. “What new guy? I didn’t know there was a new guy.”

“Yeah, well, lucky you,” Harry said darkly. “He’s a – ” a tangle of expletives fell from his lips, blurring together into a stream of insults that Louis couldn’t quite make out. Still, he got the general idea; whoever the new guy was, Harry hadn’t exactly taken a shine to him.

“Well, I can tell from your face that he’s your new best friend,” Louis teased.

“I hope somebody punches him!” Harry exploded.

“Have you actually spoken to him, or does he just have one of those faces that looks really tempting to punch?”

“Now you come to mention it, he does. But it was more the fact that he shoved me across the hallway and called me a ‘pretentious arsehole’ that I took exception to. I wouldn’t mind so much if I’d done something to deserve it, but I never even said anything! He never gave me a chance to open my mouth, ” said Harry indignantly.

“Oh, he sounds pleasant.”

“Yeah, I know. But it’s not just me who hates him. Niall and Zayn want to murder him, too. He insulted Zayn’s hair and called Niall…” Glancing around, Harry leaned in and whispered.

Louis flinched. “Ouch. Jesus, that was just uncalled for!”

“Well, Niall didn’t take it well, and I think Zayn was madder for what the guy said to Niall than what he said to him. You can probably understand why.”

“Somehow I’m not looking forward to making his acquaintance. He sounds absolutely charming, but I don’t fancy starting my Tuesday morning being insulted. You’re sure he wasn’t joking and you took it the wrong way?”

With a snort, Harry said “Did you hear what I just told you? The guy takes one look at Niall and comes out with that – doesn’t sound like a joke to me.”

“Actually, you’re right. Does this guy have a name, then? Liam brought me a bunch of files this morning; I’ll look him up.”

Predictably, Harry had several rather rude suggestions as to what the obnoxious newcomer’s name should be, but eventually he relented and said “He’s Adam something. Didn’t catch his second name.”

“Hmmm…” Louis flipped through the mound of folders Liam had presented him with, searching for the name. “Ah! Here we go, this looks promising. Adam Burnsley.”

Harry craned his neck hopefully. “Come on, dish the dirt. What did he do? Thump a pensioner? Run somebody over? Steal candy from blind orphans?”

Louis laughed at Harry’s suggestions. “You’re all heart, you.”

He shrugged. “I just want him to have done something bad, that’s all. Something that means they won’t let him out any time soon.”