Nick: Hi beautiful, miss you
Nick: I've got the F the C and the K, and baby, all I need is U
Nick: I still have that bottle of wine we were talking about
Harry stares at his phone, reading the texts as they came through. Nick had been blowing up his phone for five days now and Harry was getting anxious. Well more than usually anyways.
When Harry woke up, there was a text from Nick. When he came out of the shower, when he ate, when he went to sleep- there was always a text or seven waiting for him. It had started to affect on his sleeping. Just last night he saw maybe the worst nightmare so far.
Harry opened his eyes to darkness. He was tied up in a chair, his legs tied tightly to the chair and his arms tied up together behind his back. Harry sighed in frustration, tilting his head back. He started to move his hands up and down against the edge of the chair, in an attempt to break free from the ropes.
Harry continued this until he heard a nervous voice talking and a pair of steps walking towards him in a hurry. The boy's heart started racing as he dropped his hands flat against the chair. His breathing turned uneven as he heard a heavy door to be opened and closed. Then the steps got louder and louder until they stopped suddenly behind him.
Harry felt a cold touch on his shoulder, making it feel like his heart had stopped from beating. The cold hand was soon replaced with something bigger but equally as cold object, what the boy didn't recognise.
The other person in the room said something to the person behind Harry and a second later, they start to move the sharp object down on the boy's arm. When they get to his wrist, the object moves across Harry's stomach. The feeling of cold, spread around Harry's body making him anxious. His breathing started to going shakier, making it harder to breath in.
This is where it ends then, Harry thought inside his head, ready to let go.
Soon, his already black vision started to get blurry, as the oxygen runs out. Harry cursed in his mind how his body didn't seem to want to let go.
That was where Harry woke up with his breathing shaky and just covered in sweat. He didn't recognise the person when he was sleeping, but as he woke up he swore that it was Nick. It had to be.
Of course, the voices had had a comment on this.
You're just as weak in your dreams than in real life.
This had made Harry even more upset than he had been already.
The texts had caused Harry to suffer from a greater urge to cut. That's why his wrists stung whenever he showered or just got dressed in general. Not that he had actually cut, he just had scratched harder and more often, so the lines were more obvious and the worst of them were bleeding. Not majorly but still bleeding.
Harry had tried to talk about it with Niall, but the boy was busy with Liam. The two had been hanging out every day since the party and it didn't seem like they were stopping anytime soon. The boy didn't dare to ask if he could join them since it was quite obvious that they enjoyed their alone time.
He considered talking to Zayn, but it felt like they weren't close enough for it. Nor did Zayn know about Harry's anxiety and depression- not that Niall knew about it fully either, but he had a better view on it than the raven haired boy.
Besides, it was quite likely that Zayn was hanging out with his girlfriend.
At times like these, Harry was sad that he didn't have more friends. Okay, well he had Ed, but just like with Zayn, they weren't close enough to talk about things like this.
Harry heard another beep from his phone, signalling that he got a text. He doesn't reach out for it, knowing that it was Nick.
If you don't look it now, it'll just stay there.
The boy listens to the voice in his head and grabs his phone. He is surprised to see a text from not Nick, but from an unknown number.
Unknown: hi, Harry :) it's me, Louis. I don't know if you remember me but we met at the party?
Harry stares the text confused. Why would Louis text him? Where he got his number? Was he a stalker?
He saves the number to his contacts before he texts back.
Harry: hi, yeah, I remember. Um, where did you get my number?
Louis: Niall gave it to me
Harry: oh okay...
Harry furrows his eyebrows, still confused as ever. Why did Louis ask for his number or did Niall just offer it?
Who would voluntarily ask for your number?
Louis: oh shit sorry, I should probably tell you why I texted in the first place
Louis: do you wanna hang out? It's okay if you don't, but yeah.. do you?
This had to be a joke. No way Louis would ask him to hang out with him. Not after he had seen the boy crying.
Harry: is this a joke?
Harry types back with a frown. It wasn't nice to make people feel hopeful about something like this. Bad with people or not, it was an unsaid rule to not mess up with others emotions. It was just as bad as physical abuse.
Louis: what? No, why would it be?
His lying, of course, it's a joke
Harry: because you don't know me
Louis: that's why I want to get to know you x
Harry: why? Did Niall put you up to this?
Louis: again, no? I genuinely want to get to know you. If you don't want to I understand
What should he do? Should he just go for it and see if the boy was genuine? What did he have to loose? If Louis was just playing with his emotions, then he'd find out right away. And if he was really genuine, Harry would get a new friend. So basically it was a win-win situation.
Harry: okay, um... where do you want to meet?
The boy types and sends nervously.
Louis: you want to see me? We could hang out somewhere inside. I'd rather not get wet 💦
Harry: do you have a place in mind?
Louis: well if you don't want to come to mine or for me to come to yours, we could always meet at a coffee shop or something? 🤔
Harry: I don't like public places.. too much crowd
Louis: okay, would you be more comfortable to come to mine?
That was a tough question. If they came to Harry's, it was like he'd let Louis close- maybe closer than he'd want to. But if they would hang out by Louis', it'd be harder to leave since he didn't know where the boy lives.
Both places had their pros and cons, but in the end, Harry trusted more to invite Louis to his house. He knew the place inside out and Niall lived close if he needed him.
Harry: you could come here?
Harry has to breathe deeply several times before he finally sends the text. There was no turning back now.
Louis: okay 🙂 text me the address?
The curly haired boy does and gets a promise from Louis that he'll be over in an hour.
This gave Harry time to freak out. He rushes to the shower, being extra careful as he washes his hair making sure that it was really clean. The boy washes his face thoroughly, frowning how he had few blemishes on his forehead.
After showering, Harry dries himself and slips into a clean pair of boxers. He pulls out a pair of skinnies and his favourite lilac knitted jumper, that his grandma had made him. It was a bit ragged, but he loved it. It was comfy and hid his hips.
Wouldn't want to scare the boy away with your fatness.
Harry cheks the time and sees that he still has more than forty minutes until Louis was supposed to come over. He was already dressed, his apartment was spotless and he had no idea what he should do.
If he just laid in bed and waited, he'd just get more nervous than he was already. He had to do something, but he didn't know what exactly.
Then an idea hit him. He could bake. Niall had always praised his baked goods to the moon and back, so the boy was somewhat confident to make something.
One thing you don't fuck up in your life.
Harry makes his way to the kitchen and starts to gather up the ingredients needed to his famous chocolate cookies. He puts his hair up in a bun and starts to work on the dough.
Harry's mind went quiet as he mixed the ingredients, moulded the dough into tiny cookies and put the baking tray into the oven.
He then waited for twelve minutes until the cookies were ready, and pulled the tray out. He moved the cookies to a big plate and settled the tray back to the oven after he had turned it off.
The boy then covers the cookie plate with a cloth to keep them warm.
While he waits for Louis to arrive, Harry starts to wash all the dirty dishes that came from the baking. Unlike other people, Harry actually enjoyed doing the dishes and the cleaning in general. He had control over how things looked like and how clean he wanted his house to be. It was comforting.
The doorbell rings, just as Harry finishes up the dishes. His heart beat starts to quicken as he dries his hands to his apron. He then walks up to his front door, opening it to reveal the blue eyed boy.
"Hi." Louis smiles brightly the second he realises that the door was open.
Harry notices that Louis was wearing an oversized jumper and some sweats. He looked cuddly.
Say something, idiot.
"Hi," Harry says offering a shy smile. "Come in." He says taking a step back to give the boy room to enter. He was proud how his voice didn't shake and he didn't stutter.
He then closes the door behind them and waits for Louis to take off his shoes.
"Oh, it smells good in here." Louis comments smiling. "Were you baking?" He questions.
Harry nods bashfully. "Yeah, I made some cookies." He says smiling lightly. At least they smelled good.
"Can I have one?" Louis asks standing up straight. He was talking with the same soft tone than the last time they saw, and it made Harry think that it just was his general way of speaking.
"Of course. I-I baked them for you." Harry admits shyly.
God, stop being a school girl with a crush.
If it's possible, Louis' smile softens even more. "Thank you Hazza, you didn't have to do that." He says warmly.
Hazza? He just called you Hazza.
Harry just nods with a smile, not knowing how to process the nickname. Niall usually called him Haz or H, but this was the first time anyone had called him that.
Without another word, Harry leads the boy into the kitchen and pick up the plate of cookies. He bites his lip as he holds the cookies out for Louis, excited and nervous at the same time for the boy to try them.
Louis offers a smile as he grabs one cookie and takes a small bite out of it. His eyes widen at the taste and he rushes to take another mouthful.
This made Harry crack a bright smile first time in months. It was the kind of smile that left your cheeks hurting for hours afterwards. It was the kind of smile that showed off his dimples.
"You like them?" Harry asks hopefully.
Louis holds his finger up to signal for the boy to wait. He chews until his mouth is empty, keeping Harry on the edge waiting.
"These are the best cookies I've ever eaten." Louis praises sucking on his fingers. "Can I have another one?" He asks biting his lip.
"Yeah." Harry grins giving Louis another cookie. "I'm happy that you like them." The boy smiles genuinely.
"I don't mind you cooking me more often." Louis hums playfully. "Feel free to invite me over more often when you bake."
"I will." Harry smiles.
The two finish up the half of the cookies before they go to the living room. Harry goes to sit on the loveseat as Louis sits down on the couch.
"So Hazza." Louis starts softly. "Wanna tell me about yourself?"
Harry's smile falls at that. He didn't want to tell Louis about him. It would just make the boy stay away from him. He had too many problems.
"I-I'd rather learn about y-you?" Harry says quietly, hoping that Louis would do the talking.
"Okay, well I turn 19 in December." Louis starts smiling. "I like cats more than dogs, my favourite movie is Grease... Hmm.. I have five sisters and a brother that I love very much, I played football until my knee betrayed me." Louis keeps on talking, while Harry looks over him and smiles softly.
The two spend the rest of the night like this, Louis telling about himself, occasionally asking some little things from the curly haired boy. Like what was his favourite colour, if he liked reading too and all that stuff.
What made the night even better was Louis' understatement of Harry's boundaries. Whenever Harry shut down, Louis changed the subject and told more about himself.
For the few hours, Harry's mind stayed quiet. He was happy for the first time in months.
He was truly happy. And it was all because of Louis.
__
Thank you for reading my story and I hope you enjoyed the chapter :) x