Broken- A Larry Stylinson AU

Chapter 21

"These people are great, I'm hella scared Li. I'm going to fuck this up."

"Hey hey. Zayn, calm down. Deep breaths. You've practiced so much, love. You aren't going to fuck anything up okay? Your voice is the best." Liam kisses Zayn's cheek and rubs his arm.

"Nervous?" Josh nudges Liam.

"A little. You?"

"Seconds away from death. Niall you?"

"Stressed as fuck." He chews on his nails. He turns around to Louis. "Scared?"

"Yeah. I really hope my voice doesn't crack like practice yesterday."

"Devine, Josh." The teacher calls and Harry gasps.

"That's us guys." He cries in a whisper.

Josh clears his throat. "That's- that's us ma'am." He gestures towards us.

"Well come on then. Stumbling and falling they reach the stage. Louis pulls a green Harry away from his place.

"Lou-?"

"Shhh listen. I want you to face me when you're singing. Don't look at the crowd if you don't feel up to it, okay? Look at me. You can do it."

Harry nods and hugs Louis tightly. Louis rubs his back and slowly pulls away taking his place at the piano.

"Ready?" Ms. Elliot asks and they nod.

Josh beats his drumsticks together. "Five, six, seven, eight..."

Niall and Harry begin strumming and Louis and Liam play soft piano in the background. Niall gulps taking a sharp breath.

"Counted all my mistakes and there's only one, standing out from the list of the things I've done. All the rest of my crimes don't come close, to the look on your face when I let you go. So I built you a house from a broken home. And I wrote you a song with the words you spoke. It took me some time, but I figured out."

Harry quickly looks at the crowd then at Louis finally shutting his eyes and bringing the mic closer to him, joining in with Niall.

"How to fix up a heart that I let down!!"

They all grin and begin clapping rhythmically. Zayn begins his solo. "Now I'm searching every lonely place, every corner calling out your name, tryna find you, but I just don't know..."

They all join in. "Where do broken hearts go? Where do broken hearts go?" Josh lets out a pleased sigh, happily drumming away.

Liam pulls the mic closer and gives it his all. "Yeah, the taste of your lips on the tip of my tongue, is at the top of the list of the things I want...." As the end of Liam's solo approaches everyone looks at Harry apprehensively who still stubbornly refuses to open his eyes. "Mind is running in circles of you and me. Anyone in between is the enemy."

Harry smiles contentedly. "Shadows come with the pain that you're running from, love was something you've never heard enough. Yeah, it took me some time, but I figured out..."

All of them join in, Josh still energetically drumming. "How to fix up a heart that I let down."

Zayn repeats his solo, killing every single note and driving everyone crazy. "Now I'm searching every lonely place, every corner calling out your name. Tryna find you, but I just don't know. Where do broken hearts go?" The last line sung passionately by all.

Harry confidently tackles his next solo, encouraged by the hoots from their classmates. "Are you sleeping, baby by yourself Or are you giving it to someone else? Try to find you, but I just don't know. Where do broken hearts go? Where do broken hearts go?" He pauses for a beat. "Tell me now, tell me now,
Tell me where you go when you feel afraid?"