"Mr Styles! Pay attention!" The third teacher that day scolded him.
He hid his face, biting his lip as he looked up towards the front of the classroom through his eyelashes. "Sorry miss." He mumbled.
He tried his best to focus on the lesson and get rid of the feeling of dread that was settled in his stomach, however he couldn't do it. He had told his uncle about his job situation last night but ran out before anything could happen. Which, in hindsight, was a stupid thing to do.
"Oi, what's up?" Louis kicked his leg gently.
"Nothing. I'm fine."
"You're not."
"I am." Harry argued.
"No you're not."
"Mr Tomlinson!" The teacher yelled, obviously exasperated, "will you please be quiet!"
"It's important miss." He protested.
"Well, if it's so important would you like to share it with the class?"
"Some important things are private."
"In that case it can wait until after my class."
"Fuckin' hell." He grumbled.
//
"Louis? What the hell are you doing here?" Harry hissed as Louis waltzed into his house. "You have to go."
"Nice to see you too." Louis quipped.
"No, seriously. You have to go."
"Calm down. I bought you some food. Got me mum to make you a basket."
"Did you tell her?"
"Nah, I didn't say it was for you to be honest. I just said I was having a picnic. Actually that's probably a shitty excuse, when have I ever gone on a picnic? Anyway, here you go."
"Thank you." Harry smiled appreciatively, "but, oh shit-oh god-" he began to panic as he saw his uncle stumble in front of the house. There was no way Louis could leave without his uncle seeing him. "Y-you need to hide-"
"What? Are you on something?"
"P-please Louis, just listen..." Harry begged, tears in his eyes. "Get under the table, there's nowhere else, but promise me you'll stay quiet, and you won't come out no matter what, until I say so, promise me."
"Okay, okay, I promise. I feel ridiculous." He muttered as he hid under the table, the table cloth mostly covering him.
"Don't say a word, and don't move."
"Boy? Where the fuck are you?" His uncle slurred as he walked in.
"H-here."
"D'you know how fucking useless you are? Can't even keep a fucking job you fag."
"'m sorry, 'm really sorry, I-I tried, I promise."
Louis shrunk back as he heard a thud, followed by Harry's whimper.
"Well you didn't try fucking hard enough! All you ever do is disappoint everyone! You're good for nothing!"
"'m sorry-" he sobbed as his uncle landed another kick to his curled up body.
Harry gripped the back off his head where his uncle had thrown him against the kitchen side.
"You shouldn't have fucking run away from those men! They would've helped with the money if you hadn't been so fucking frigid!"
"I didn't want to be a fucking prostitute!" Harry shouted, instantly regretting it as he was punched in the face.
"I want you out of my house by tonight. And if you're not there will be consequences. You're just a fucking burden."
"Okay, okay." Harry nodded quickly.
"I'm going out again, I want you gone by the time I'm back."
With that he stormed off, slamming the door.
"You fucking idiot!" Harry yelled as Louis climbed out from under the table, "I fucking told you to fucking go! I-fuck-!" Harry slammed his head back against the cupboard, groaning at pain he felt.
"Hey, it's alright." Louis whispered, resting a hand on Harry's arm. "You're alright."
"I-I need to get my stuff together, you should go. But p-please don't tell anyone."
"I'm not going anywhere. Where are you even planning on going?"
"The park. I don't know, fuck."
"You're staying with us. I'm not talking no for an answer. Jesus Christ Haz." Louis pulled him into a hug, pretending not to notice the way he tensed up. "We'll get your stuff packed up and then take you home and get you cleaned up."
Harry didn't object, knowing this was his best bet.
"Do you have a suitcase or anything?"
Harry looked down, mumbling a "no."
"I'll get me mum to drop mine off and wait outside, she can take us back. How's that sound?"
Harry nodded.
//
"Right that's the last of the main stuff. Anything else you wanna bring?"
"Um, I dunno." Harry looked around, immediately grabbing his stuffed bunny from his bed. He looked through his desk drawer, taking out his diary and sketchbook along with his colouring pencils.
"You draw?"
Harry nodded.
"Can I see?"
"Maybe later. But not yet. I think I have everything."
"Right, c'mon then. Let's go out to the car."
Harry followed Louis out shakily, scared to have to admit he was being hurt. "Hi love. Are you alright? Louis hasn't said why you're coming to ours." Jay smiled warmly.
"'m alright, is it okay if I say it later? Don't really wanna talk about it yet."
"Of course it is love. How long do you need to stay here?"
"Oh, um, I don't know, I-I can leave tomorrow if you need."
"No you can't. Where would you go?" Louis retorted.
"I'll find somewhere."
"No, you're staying with us. No way are you going back there and you have nowhere else."
"I can't just stay with you until I turn 18, that's nearly two years." Harry protested.
"Of course you can." Jay said, it was obviously bad if he couldn't go home and he needed all the support he could get.
"Do you want me to say why Haz?" Louis asked him quietly.
Harry blushed at the nickname, giving him a nod.
"Um, Harry's uncle abuses him-" Louis winced as Harry's face dropped and he scratched at his wrists, "and he kicked him out today because he lost his job."
"Oh darling!" Jay gasped, "you're living with us. We have a spare room that you can sleep in."
"But that's going to be expensive and I don't wanna cause you any inconvenience-"
"You can stop right there. You won't be causing us any inconvenience. And I think it will be good for Louis to have another boy in the house." She smiled at him. "Our home is your home."
"Really?" Harry thought he was going to cry, this was the kindest thing someone had ever done for him.
"Really." She confirmed.
"Thank you so much. I-I, thank you."
"It's no problem."