built memories | a sequel

26 - Wait

In the room it breaks another noise besides his laugh and when he looks forward to see where it comes from, Jonathan is already stood up there watching him.

Louis cleans the small tears that were threatening to fall from laughing and tries to compose himself. Failing a bit, but it's whatever. 

"Hi, I'm sorry." He takes a deep breath and tries to give the impression that he is a sane teacher to his student. Jonas knows he isn't already, so it's useless and he gives up when the kid cracks up smiling and even chuckling. "Is your life being strange too?" He decides to ask, after all he is almost that boy's shrink, honestly.

The boy nods, making his few curls falling to the front of his forehead, he lazily drops his bag on the floor and sits on his spot, still with the same grin placed on his lips.

"Life can be good for us once in a while." He says and Louis' smile changes from amused to one that expresses fond and kindness. "We should embrace it, Mr Tomlinson, not calling it strange."

"Oh but I do both." Louis jokes, adjusting himself in his chair and looking at the kid sat in front of him, still with a similar smile playing on his lips and "Because what do they say? You don't get explanations in real life, you just get moments that are absolutely, utterly, inexplicably odd." Louis finishes, trying to remind the quote he once read. Jonathan looks at his teacher attentively only to smile again then.

"Very inspiring, Sir." Louis notices the young boy's mocking tone, but laughs anyway so at the end there are two people laughing in the small room that it might or might not make a little bit of echo.

"So how's your life besides being strange but good?" Louis asks, putting his foot above his opposite thigh as a way of crossing his legs.

"Just that. Strange but good." The kid looks happy, too happy and Louis can't stop himself from smiling, his face is literally glowing with the shine of his eye and the kindness that his smile transmits. "You know, there is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so. William Shakespeare. So I made it be good."

"Are we using quotes to speak with each other today?" Louis jokes but hell, what is this? This feeling that makes him feel warm as if he was sunbathing on the beach but at the same time fresh as if he was swimming on the ocean. Both things he hasn't done in a while so it makes it so much more nostalgic, yet special and overwhelming.

"Maybe." Jonathan chuckles and he drops his head, Louis would feel worried if he wasn't still grinning. He knows that feeling, Louis can actually recognise what he is seeing, there's so much happiness, so many good thoughts in the kid's brain that is becoming heavy to carry it. However, he won't throw anything away. He is a keeper. "Thank you very much, Mr Tomlinson."

"Really? For what?" Louis smirks, he is teasing, he is like this always with his students and he actually loves the relationship he builds with them along the year. ~

Especially with this one student, he knows it's not usual, Zayn usually says your students are your students, they can't be your friends as well, and isn't he right? He is. Louis knows, but Louis is human and he had been noticing that this is how he is. This is how he became, someone who at any time, any opportunity he gets, he will make people close to him. He will make people remember and think about him because he needs it. He needs people to like him or he'll feel too lonely, too empty. It's wrong, but he knows it's not as unhealthy as it seems. So it's all right, he accepts it.

"For... you know..." He struggles with his words, now playing with the shoe laces of his converse, since he is sat Indian style.

"I don't think I do." Louis continues and the kid laughs a little.