Louis glances at his watch. 10:05 am.
He's probably on his way. His lecture probably just ran late. He's definitely on his way. Louis thinks to himself, but those thoughts don't stop him from getting out of the car and heading into the building.
He wanders the halls of the lecture hall. Harry had told him the name of his professor, and Louis eventually walks past the room with that professor's name.
Then, Louis hears voices down the hall. A voice he recognizes.
Fucking Nick. Louis starts down the hall, and rounds the corner to Harry cornered against the wall by Nick. Nick is kissing his Harry.
Nick is slightly taller than Harry, and Harry looked scared. Louis can see Harry struggling, and his anger burns bright inside him. Nick has the upper hand and Harry is trapped.
Louis stormed up behind him. His hand wrapped around the collar of Nick's shirt and pulled him away, shoving him back against the wall across the hall.
Louis was significantly shorter than Nick, but that didn't matter. Nick recognized him from last night, and instantly looked terrified.
"Good, you remember me." Louis says, staring at the boy. "I told you to keep your fucking hands off my boyfriend, remember that?"
Nick nods quickly and Louis laughs. "Then why the fuck didn't you listen?" Louis asks but Nick doesn't answer.
Louis drops his hands from Nick's throat and steps away. "Get the fuck out of here. If I ever see you near Harry again, I'll kill you."' Louis says and turns back around.
He starts to walk away, back towards Harry when he hears Nick behind him murmur "I'd like to see you try, you dick." Louis stills.
"You wanna run that by me again?" He growls and turns back around. Nick steps up to Louis, towering over him, full of completely foolish and unearned confidence.
"I said, I'd like to see you try, you dick." He says, and Louis takes a deep breath attempting to control his anger and failing spectacularly.
His fist collides with Nick's gut and Nick doubles over as Louis grabs the back of his neck and drives his knee up into his nose. Nick yelps at the pain and falls backward against the wall, sliding all the way to the floor.
Louis pulls the gun out of the holster on the inside of his jacket and cocks it, pushing it up against Nick's head as he leans in towards his face.
"You're very lucky that I'm deciding to be nice today. You assaulted my boyfriend, and you should be thankful you're not leaving here in a body bag. The next time I see you near my boy, you will end up with a bullet in your head. You got me?" Louis asks and Nick nods, looking absolutely terrified.
"Good. Now, get the fuck out of here now." Louis orders and Nick stands and runs down the hallway. Louis tucks his gun back into its holster and runs a hand through his hair as he turns back to Harry.
Harry is sitting on the floor, his hands in his hair and tears streaming down his face. Louis goes up to him quickly and kneels down in front of Harry, slowly detangling his hands from his hair and holding them in his own.
"Harry, baby, please look at me. Are you ok?" Harry looked up suddenly, his eyes red and swollen.
"Louis I'm sorry. I didn't want to kiss him, he cornered me, I swear. I never wanted to kiss him."
Louis leans in and cups Harry's face in his hands, pressing his forehead against Harry's. "I know baby, it's ok. I got rid of him. He's never gonna touch you again."
The tears on Harry's face slow and stopped, and Harry worked to control his breathing. Louis slowly brushed his hands through Harry's curls, pushing them out of his face as he bent down to look at him.
"I'm so sorry, Louis. I swear I didn't want to." Harry says and Louis hugs him to his chest.
"I know, baby. This isn't your fault. It's Nicks, but he's never gonna come near you again. Ok? I'll make sure of it."
"Thank you, Louis." Louis rubs his hands up and down Harry's back, and then helps him get up, wrapping his arms around the boy's torso. He could tell something else was going on here.
Harry was shook by this, and it was an understandable reaction. But why did he try to assure Louis he didn't want it? He didn't want to push Harry too far, but he also wanted to know what had happened that made his baby so scared.
"It's ok, Harry, you're ok now." He runs his hands up and down Harry's back until his breathing slows. Harry looks at Louis, the tears still staining his cheeks, but he has now calmed down.
"If he goes near you again, tell me. Ok?" Harry just nods, hugging Louis to him.
"Thank you." Harry whispers and Louis finally feels calm, knowing Harry is safe again. He wraps his arm around Harry's waist and they walk out to the car together.
"Harry, I need to ask you something." Louis says once they are in the car. He starts it, but doesn't start driving. "Has something happened...to you? I understand that was scary, but I would never blame you for that. Why did you think I would?" Louis says, looking over at Harry, who was staring down at his lap.
"I was hoping you wouldn't ask." Harry says, softly.
Louis reached over and took Harry's hands in his own. "Baby, you don't have to tell me. I just want to be able to help you." says asks, and Harry nods.
"I'll tell you, it's just hard for me." Harry says, and Louis nods, settling himself so he's sitting facing Harry, giving him his full attention.
"So, about a year or so ago, I was...I was dating this guy, a few years older than me, Luke. He seemed really nice at the time, but he got super possessive...really quickly. What happened today, something similar happened with someone else. I didn't want it, but he thought I did. He blamed me, and he..." Harry paused, tears running down his cheeks.
Louis ran a thumb over his cheek, catching the tears. "It's ok baby, take your time. I'm here for you. I'm right here." Louis said, resting his hand against Harry's cheek. He felt it as Harry leaned into the touch of Louis' thumb moving in small circles against his face.
"He...he thought I had wanted it, even though I told him I didn't. He called me a cheater, and he hit me." Louis' heart stopped.
"He hit you?" He asks softly, and Harry nods, staring back down at his lap. Anger flared inside Louis. Whoever this Luke was, Louis wanted to murder him, but another thought tamped that one down.
"And...you thought I was going to...do that?" Louis asked, and Harry nodded slowly.
"I'm sorry, Louis, I just got really scared. I didn't know what to do, it felt like I was back there again, and I got really scared..." Louis cut Harry off with a soft kiss, climbing over into his lap. Harry gasped into it.
"Harry, I need you to listen to me." Louis says, pulling away, but resting his hands on Harry's shoulders. "I am never going to hit you. I am here to protect you, to care for you. But, I understand why you felt the way that you did. I get it. But, Harry, you are the love of my life and I will never do anything to hurt you." Louis says, squeezing Harry's shoulders.
Harry just stares up at him. "The love of your life?" Harry asks, and Louis nods, pressing his forehead softly against Harry's.
"You are. I love you so much, Hazza. So much." Louis whispers, and Harry wraps his arms around Louis' waist.
"I love you too." He whispers back, and Louis' heart soars. They sit there like that for a moment, giving Harry time to calm his breathing down.
"Do you want me to take you home baby? We don't have to go to the office." Louis says as he climbs back over into his seat and throws the car into drive, pulling out into the street.
"I think I just need a little time alone, is that ok?" Harry asks, and Louis smiles at him.
"Of course, it's always ok, Harry. Always ok."
Harry smiles back at Louis. "Can you come back later, though?" He asks, and Louis reaches over, taking Harry's hand in his own.
"Of course baby, just text me, ok?" Louis says as they pull into Harry's driveway.
"Ok." Harry says, leaning in and wrapping his arms around Louis in a hug. Louis hugs him back.
"I love you, Louis." Harry whispers, and Louis' stomach erupts in fireworks. He squeezes Harry tighter, not wanting to let his boy go.
"I love you too, baby." Harry pulls away, blushing and smiling as he exits the car and heads inside. Louis smiles after him and pulls out of the driveway, heading back to the office.