"It's way too cold for this shit," Louis grumbled as he zipped up his jacket.
"They keep the pools heated, Lou. Besides, you don't have to get in it- I do. I haven't been in the pool since tryouts," Harry spoke, breathing out a sigh.
Louis smiled shyly, lacing his fingers with Harry's as a group of girls walked by them.
"I'm glad you made the team."
"So am I, honestly. Swimming is a big part of my life," Harry admitted, guiding them into the school's pool room. It was a large brick building that help two pools. One for laps and one for practice.
"Are you just gonna sit on the bleachers?" Harry asked as he flicked on the lights. Louis shrugged and nodded, watching as Harry took his gym bag into the locker room
Harry came out five minutes later in black trunks. His hat was still on his head, but he wasn't going to do any real swimming today. He just wanted to be in the water.
Harry slipped into the pool, sighing in relief and closing his eyes.
"Is it nice?" Louis asked, stepping slowly towards the pool. Harry nodded, so Louis pulled off his TOMs, rolled up his white jeans, and sat down on the edge of the pool, kicking gently at the water with his feet.
Harry swam over, propping arms on either side of Louis's thick thighs, smiling cheekily up at him.
"Wanna get in?"
"Don't be cliché about this, Styles. Don't pull me in the fucking water."
Harry chuckled, reaching up to push Louis's glasses up his nose, rolling his emerald eyes.
"I wouldn't have to if you just got in."
"I don't want to."
Harry grumbled, shaking his head. "I already got your jeans wet."
"I have clothes in my bag. Remember, I stayed at Niall's last night."
Harry shrugged, smirked as he grabbed Louis's ankles. "So, you have spare clothes?"
"Harry! Don't fucking do it! I swear on everything-"
Harry yanked Louis's ankles playfully, but didn't actually pull him in.
"M'teasing you, babe, calm down," Harry said with a loud laugh. "So, you know your friend Roni?"
Louis hummed, watching as Harry ran a thumb over Louis's painted toenails.
"Well, what's her deal? Is she single? The hard-to-get type?"
Louis gasped, smacking Harry's shoulder. "You can't fuck her, Harry!"
Harry was laughing again. He pulled off his hat and put it on Louis's head before diving backwards into the water.
The two spent an hour there as Harry swam around, but it was getting late. Harry went and changed and Louis put on some sweats that he had in his bag before the two boys were heading out into the chilly November air.
"I can't wait to start swimming again," Harry said as they headed to Harry's car. Louis had rode with Niall that morning, so Harry was going to take Louis home now.
"I bet you are. I'm excited for footie season. I'd love to watch you play. I'm a little excited, too... I'm to hefty to actually play. Besides, spring is musical season."
"Speaking of," Harry said as he opened Louis's door, "Are you ready for Aladdin?"
"I am, actually. Just a month and a half left. I'm more excited to hear what musical we're doing," Louis said with a glint in his eyes, beginning to ramble as they drove to Louis's house.
"Why don't we go out to a movie Friday?" Harry said suddenly.
"Like... You and I?"
"Well, Ed and his friends are going and Ed invited me. Maybe we should go. Show off a little. Ian will be there."
Louis thought about the offer, biting his lip. "I don't know, Harry-"
"C'mon, babe, it'll be fun," Harry prompted, placing a hand on Louis's knee as they pulled into Louis's driveway.
Louis poked out his lip, looking out the window. "I don't want them to call us names," Louis whispered.
Harry sighed, gripping Louis's knee. "They won't. I promise if any of them even utter a mean word, I'll knock their ass to the floor, alright?"
Louis shrugged, looking over at Harry. "I'll think about it. It's only Monday, so I have a few days."
Harry nodded.
"Wanna come in? Or do you have plans?" Louis asks as he opened his door.
"I have homework to do... Maybe I'll go to another city and find a girl to shag instead. I mean, I obviously can't fuck one here," Harry grumbled, tapping the door lock repetitively.
"Are you really that horny?"
Harry shrugged, raising his eyebrows. "I've been pretending to like cock for, like, two months, Louis. I can't stand not having some kind of action."
"Get out of my sight, you horny bastard," Louis said with a giggle, shutting the door. Harry waited until Louis was inside the house before pulling out.
He decided to just go home.
~~~
It was lunch time at school and Harry was in the chilly courtyard, sitting on the stone bench by the waterfall.
Due to the harsh November wind, threatening snow, most students were inside, including Louis, who was beginning to spend his lunches in the theater. Harry couldn't find Ed and didn't want to sit with Louis's friends without the feathery-haired lad.
So, Harry found himself sitting outside by himself. A couple sat in the corner, flipping through a notebook, and a few lads were lazily rolling a football between them as they sat in the grass.
Harry caught sight of a figure rushing towards him and then the person was plopping down on the bench beside Harry, letting out a sigh.
"Hello?" Harry said slowly, raising an eyebrow at the unfamiliar face.
"Oh. Sorry, mate, I'm just knackered and you looked relaxed so... Sorry," the guy rambled, fidgeting with the white string on his navy blue sweatshirt.
Harry shrugged, glancing at the guy. "What's your name?"
"Oh. I'm Liam Payne. I just started this morning," the guy replied, giving Harry a shy smile.
"Well, Liam, I'm Harry. Where are you from?"
"Wolverhampton. I've been homeschooled since year nine and my mother just moved us here- figured I should finish my last year of learning in a public school."
Harry blinked as he was given all the extra information before smiling. "Well, I'm glad you get a chance to finish out high school."
"Me as well. The first day had been stressful. I don't know what the people here are like," Liam said, eyeing the group with the football.
"What do you mean?" Harry asked, crooking an eyebrow.
"I was homeschooled because the bullying got bad," Liam muttered, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm more confident with myself now. I don't look as nerdy, and I'm out of the closet-"
"You're gay?" Harry asked in shock, staring at this kid in surprise and slight horror. How dare some new kid waltz in and think he can come in and be free of judgement when poor Louis was a mess?
Harry was a suddenly little ashamed of himself for thinking this. No one deserved to be bullied.
"Do you have a problem with gays?" Liam asked with raised eyebrows.
"No! My best- boyfriend- um, I'm gay. And I have a boyfriend. I was just shocked. We're the only gay students in the school," Harry rambled, trying to cover his mistake.
Liam nodded, sighing. "Oh, wow. This may be tough, then."
"Nah. Lou and I get on just fine. I mean, we haven't been together for long, but we were both out as gay."
"Oh... Lou? Your boyfriend?"
"Yes, Louis," Harry said with a smile, fiddling with his own fingers. "I mean, we're the only gays that have come out."
Even though I'm not actually gay.
Harry took in a breath, standing up suddenly. "In fact, I should be going to find Louis now. He should be out of the theater."
A blushing Harry took off, leaving the poor new kid alone.
~~~
Louis didn't know how it happened, really.
One moment he was standing in the halls, entranced by a beautiful sound, and the next moment he was sitting on a desk as Ed Sheeran sat on the teacher's desk across from him, strumming a guitar.
They hadn't exchanged any words; hadn't acknowledged each other's presence besides a glance when Louis had sat down.
Ed continued to play, and Louis was having horrible flashbacks of when he was young. All he could think of was the real reason he never played the guitar his father had bought- because of Ed. Louis never wanted to be reminded of Ed.
Louis was unaware that the ginger had stopped playing until the other lad was coughing, gaining Louis's attention once again.
"Why are you in here?" Ed asked.
"You just... I've always thought that you play well. You've gotten better."
Ed was surprised at Louis's compliment, but he thanked him anyways, blushing.
"I never thought we'd be alone in a room again without you ripping out my heart," Ed said with a small smile, attempting a joke.
"Well, you ripped out mine, so I would only be returning the favor," Louis said coldly, making Ed flinch.
"Lou," he whispered, but Louis was already shaking his head.
"I don't want to talk about it. I want you to play some more-"
"No."
Louis raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"We're going to fucking talk about it, Louis! That was so long ago. You should be ready to speak to me-"
"Are you ready to love me now?" Louis said in a shaky voice, staring at Ed with cold, blue eyes.
"Yes," Ed said back.
"Too late," Louis breathed, watching as Ed's shoulders deflated.
"Louis... Please. I know that you have Harry, but Harry doesn't know you like I do. I know-"
"You knew me," Louis whispered. He trying not to cry, but it was already happening. He wiped his eyes, sniffling.
Ed was up in a second, placing his guitar against the teacher's desk and reaching out to touch Louis. For the first time in three years, Louis let Ed hold him.
~~~
QOTC: So what do you think about Liam the gay boy coming in? :p
And Ed and Louis?? Any new ideas?
PQOTC: Have you ever broken a bone? How?
MA: My ankle, my finger, my leg, and my hip have all been broken. I broke my ankle when I was thirteen while jumping on a trampoline. I broke my finger when I was ten by closing a car door on it. I broke my leg and my hip when I was like one trying to escape my crib.
Okay, I'm camping right now, bye.
Xx