Anxiety. [LT AU] I

» 03.

once they've left, he skips down the stairs to his mother who is still smiling even after the departure of the lovely couple. she really did enjoy their company. so much that it was starting to piss louis really off.

jealousy.

"hi mummy." louis wraps his arms

around his mother from behind which startles joanna a little then she relaxes in his embrace. when louis pulls away eventually she reaches up to cup her son's cheek and stroke it softly.

"how are you doing sweetie, you feeling a bit better?" joanna asks a voice full of concern and worry that only makes louis happy, jut to know that his mother cares about him still despite her new friends. he shouldn't see such wonderful people as threats.

"yes, i just heard some noises. did you have people over?" louis asks quite innocently as if he hadn't been nosey and watched.

joannna gulps, almost afraid of louis' reaction, because she tries so hard to please her son and knows how he's almost frightened of others... "uh, yes."

louis nods his head and smiles, "that's okay. as long as i didn't see them-"

"-but um sweetheart, you might just have to. they're our neighbours." joanna tells louis sheepishly, not realising that louis found out about them before she did. he was like a spy. his reaction remains calm as his head bobs down slowly when he nods his head in response. "well, they um... they're coming over for dinner today. trust me, they won't hurt you louis. i won't let anyone ever hurt you." she desperately tried to reassure him that everything was okay, but he wasn't buying it. instead, he grabbed his favourite red hoodie and walked out of the house to let off some steam. he placed his hood over his head so it was covering his eyes, just so that no-one would talk to him. it worked.

until school was over.

++

ashleigh had ms tomlinson's words going over and over in her head as soon as she lay eyes on louis, but him standing ever so innocently in front of her, shocked and almost lost as if he really didn't know what to do; well it just melted some of that cold barrier she had tried to put up. she wanted to be friends with him, maybe even best friends because in her eyes he was cute.

perfect boy best friend material. i mean, that's what all girls want.

"he-hey." she stutters, unsure if she was allowed to acknowledge him, and also weary over him causing a scene in the middle of the street. that would be embarrassing, people could think that she was harassing him when all she's doing is saying hello.

louis' mind was whirring. he wanted to faint, run away, spit on her, fart in her face, but there was also something lingering in the back of his mind. he wanted to say hello back to her. that feeling must've been so strong, because that's exactly what he does. just in chinese, "konichewa." louis bowed down before he could even stop himself. his cheeks have instantly flaming and he wants the ground to swallow him up whole. instead of a bad reaction to this as louis predicted, ashleigh laughs. and well, it was the most beautiful sound louis had ever heard.

"namaste." greeted ashleigh still giggling at louis's random greeting. so she makes it weirder by adding another countries' language in it, suddenly this becomes a game; louis likes it.

"ca va?" louis questions ashleigh and she nods her head.

"cava bein merci, et twa?"

"comse comms ca." louis shrugs lightly and then because ashleigh is smiling in such a way that it radiates on everyone around her, he smiles back. at a person that's not his mum! it's a miracle. Gosh.

"i'm glad you're not scared of me anymore louis. i really want to be friends with you." the jump from not hating ashleigh to friendship was overwhelming, and if the person wasn't as gorgeous and super nice as ashleigh was, louis most defiantly would've fainted. but that isn't the case with her anymore. he knows that he needs a friend because he can't depend on his mother forever.

one tragic day she'll pass away.

+

when ashleigh and louis arrived fifteen minutes later after bonding on the street, louis almost had a melt down as outside his house there was a whole group of people in their florescent yellow cats and black police man hats. there was two police cars with the white, blue and red flashing lights and the sirens were still blaring. there was also one ambulance and paramedics pushing a body which was lying on a stretcher, into the back of the ambulance. louis didn't understand what was going on, and how much could change in such little time. outside his neighbours house was ashleigh's parents who were clutching onto one another, vivian crying into steve's chest. without thinking, ashleigh takes louis's hand and leads him over to her parents to find out what had happened.

"dad, mom, what happened?" the fact that ashleigh's american truly shows when she pronounces 'mother' as mom, whilst english people pronounce it was 'mum.' louis picked up on this despite being in his shocked state.

"oh sweetie, thank goodness that you didn't see. our neighbour just got knocked over! she was looking for her son, and wasn't actually paying attention to where she was heading-she was in the middle of the road, and well a speeding car came and-"

"-you must be louis, our neighbour as well." steve cut his wife off, thankfully which meant louis didn't know that horrific details of what happened to his only family, the woman he loved more the anyone in the whole wide world. he was shaking all over and really the only person that could calm him down...

was being rushed to A and E.

[comment and vote pls ily]