New Direction [Larry Stylinson]

17: Pre live show 2

"Louis!" Niall runs after the boy that is storming out of the studio. "Louis, wait! Where are you going?"

Louis ignores the Irish lad and keeps walking towards his car. He doesn't want to be here. He wants to be alone in his room. He wants to cuddle into his blanket and cry because he doesn't know how but he messed up again. Louis always knows how to push away people that start to mean something to him.

"Lou!" Finally Niall reaches the older boy and he is completely out of breath.

"I want to be alone, Niall. Please I just want to be by myself in the room. I know I promised I would go out tonight but I'm not going to. I'm sorry."

Niall sees the red in Louis' eyes and how they are swollen and worry waves over the blond one.

"Hey, it's okay. You don't need to apologise. I will drive you home, okay? We'll call Paul to drive your car back. Come on, mate. Let's get out of here."

Louis obeys because he really isn't in the mood to drive a car. His head is hurting and his eyes are burning from the tears. Honestly he wouldn't even be able to properly drive.

Niall knows Louis. Even though Zayn is the closest to the oldest boy, Niall knows him the best. He knows how to be around him when he is sad because his ex girlfriend went through something traumatic as well and although all people are different, he sees some similarities in Louis' behaviour.

"Here, I made you tea." Niall says when they are in the room. "Do you want me to stay with you?"

"For a little bit, please. I don't want to ruin all your night." Louis' voice is so small and it hurts Niall. This is not Louis. Before the whole Luke thing happened a quiet Louis didn't exist. He is so damaged by that asshole and Niall still wishes that there was a possibility to get that psycho behind bars.

"You are not ruining my night, Tommo. It's been way too long since we had one on one time. So tell me, what's new?" Niall tries to distract his friend.

"Harry's boyfriend broke up with him." Louis mumbles, tea mug in both his hands.

"Oh, that's so sad." Niall says genuinely.

"It is. It's my mistake though. I don't know why but Harry told me and he hates me for it. He never wants to be near me again." A tear rolls down into Louis' mug. "I fucked up, Niall." Louis sniffles.

"Did something happen between the two of you?"

Louis shakes his head.

"I'd never do that to someone who is in a relationship. I thought I respected his boundaries. I mean we were pretty close but I was with Luke as well and we weren't more than friends."

"Don't compare them, Louis." Niall shakes his head. "You can't compare Harry to Luke."

"I know. Luke is the one that ruined my life and I thought Harry was the one making it better again but somehow I messed up."

"Louis, you can't blame yourself for their break up. I remember you telling me that the boy was pretty toxic as well. Even Harry himself mentioned it a few times. It's a good thing they broke up."

"Harry hates me." Louis sobs. "And I don't know why, I shouldn't be so affected, but it fucking hurts Niall."

"Oh, Louis." Niall pulls the crying boy in a comforting hug. "It will be fine. Want me to call your therapist so you can have a good chat tomorrow?"

Louis looks up at Niall and nods.

"Yes, please."

--

When the following day Louis isn't at breakfast Harry feels even shittier than before. He hasn't closed an eye that night and the worst part is that the break up with Josh wasn't even the cause. He kept thinking about the way he treated Louis. He shouldn't have done that, Louis doesn't deserve to be blamed. He was always there when Harry needed him and now Harry just pushed him away.

"Hey do you feel better?" Matteo asks when they are waiting in the lobby room.

"Less sick, yeah. I'll be alright. Thanks for the help yesterday." He gives Matteo a fake smile.

"You're alright, bro. Have you seen Louis yet? I heard that we are driving to the studio now with our mentor instead of by bus."

"Hey guys!" Niall appears in front of Harry and Matteo. "I'll be your mentor for a while. Andrew is out so the two of you will be joining Beck this week."

"Where's Louis?" Matteo asks. He is really fond of the singer as well.

"He doesn't feel well. He needs to rest." Niall's eyes are lingering on Harry while shaking his head in a disappointing way. It makes Harry's heart drop in his shoes.

"Harry wasn't well either." Matteo says. "He was pretty ill. Hope it doesn't go around. I don't want to be sick."

"You'll be fine." Niall smiles. "Now let's go, guys. We're going to the studio."

--

Harry loves Niall, he really does but he can't stop thinking about Louis. He misses a few notes, forgets the lyrics, his mind is only with Louis. He can't believe he was so rude to him. He is even the cause that he doesn't show up to mentor. Harry really hates himself and honestly he doesn't give a shit about this competition anymore, he just wants to be okay with Louis again.

"Okay, break!" Niall says. "You can all go down to the café, except for you Harry. We need to have a little chat."

The other boys take their stuff and when they are out the room Niall turns to Harry.

"I like you, Harry." He starts. "I like you very much but there is someone that cares about you a lot more and already considers you a close friend. Do you know who I'm talking about?"

Harry nods and looks down at the floor in shame.

"What happened, Harry? Because what I heard... It doesn't sound like you. Louis is locked up in his room and honestly you don't look better than him."

"Josh broke up with me yesterday." Harry says. "And I was so hurt. This is what he texted me." Harry takes his phone and shows the message to Niall.

"He never liked Louis, even when I was just his fan, he never liked him. But Louis and I are, were, close and it bothered him so much that he decided to break up with me. I blamed it all on Louis and I said things I shouldn't have said but I only realised that when it was too late."

Niall looks at the screen and then gives the phone back to Harry.

"Do you think that Louis is a reason the two of you broke up?"

"Yes." Harry admits. "But it's not his fault and I really want to tell him that." Harry sighs.

"You should. He is not doing fine. I'll give you guys the afternoon off, spend it wisely okay?

A small smile appears on Harry's face as he nods, thanking Niall.

It's crazy. Harry and Josh just broke up. He should worry about getting Josh back, not Louis. But for some reason the only thing he can think about are those blue eyes and that perfect smile.

He knows why they broke up.

Josh saw it, Harry tries to hide it and worked it out on Louis. But he will not say it out loud because Harry rather hurts than getting hurt.