Things Will Get Better

It’s not like Harry meant to be this way; the indie/hipster, singer songwriter, artsy, secluded type of guys but it happened and he likes himself he really does. Sometimes he wished he didn’t get so “weird” until after school so nobody would say anything, why people bother bullying at his age he doesn’t know, all he knows is that he’s an easy target. It’s just Harry likes coffee and hats and guitars and heartbroken melodies. He likes the American show Friends and tattoos and metaphors. Harry has one really good friend who knows everyone (some of the elitist of London) so people at his school think he’s too good for them. Once Harry showed off his first tattoo at his first tattoo that got a review in his friends highly acclaimed radio show, Harry was dubbed a snobby outcast.

He would be lying if he said the harsh words of his peers didn’t bother him because he is such a nice guy, just misunderstood. Harry wants everyone to like him and when someone doesn’t for no good reason he gets hurt. It’s just Harry is extremely empathetic and sympathetic so it’s hard for him to not take on everyone else’s emotions, including the emotions of finding himself weird or sometimes even hating himself. He’s been this way about feeling what other people feel for as long as he can remember and he knows when he has to stop listening to certain music or stop listening to friend’s drama (which is why he doesn’t have any friends besides Nick-none of his other friends bothered to figure out why Harry is the way he is). He’s gotten a bit better about separating his own emotions from others but he still has a hard time. Case in point, the school’s football star Louis Tomlinson has expressed some distaste for Harry and because of this more than half the kids in school feel the same way. This in turn has caused Harry to have a lot of anxieties about himself that he didn’t feel prior to Louis’ broadcasted thoughts. Because of all of this Harry keeps to himself and hangs out with Nick on weekends to get his weekly fill of someone actually enjoying his presence.

-

Like Harry does every weekend he took a train from Leeds to London to stay with Nick. It was the usual weekend; Friday night they had take out and got drunk in Nick’s flat, Saturday they would go out all day and most of the night and Sunday they would catch up with one another about any good or bad things happening in their lives. As the two were having their last take out meal for the weekend Nick asked for Harry’s help.

“I’ll help you with anything.” Harry told Nick honestly.

“Right well I need you to give Louis Tomlinson my number.”

“Excuse me?”

“You know how the school’s football team made it to finals?” Nick asked to which Harry shook his head. “Of course not. Right well the football team made it to the college finals so they’ll be playing at Wembley.”

“Wow.”

“I know. So the station wants me to talk to the captains of the teams who make it and one of them is Louis.”

“Okay…”

“Okay so I need you to give him my number so I can set up the show.”

“Why do I have to do it? Don’t you have like a process you normally go through?”

“Yeah but why do that when you can just ask him?”

“Maybe because I don’t know him?” Harry replied with a slight pout.

“Come on Harry, please?” Nick tilted his head to the side, his fringe falling in front of his face, his eyes wide and a pout playing along his lips.

“Oh fine, fine. I’ll do it.”

Nick straightened up and smirked, “Thanks! I need him to call me by Saturday.”

“Yeah, okay. Anything else?”

“Don’t think so. Just explain that I’m covering the game and want to talk to him before and after.”

“Okay, but you owe me for this.”

Nick smiled, “I’ll play your song tomorrow morning.”

Harry rolled his eyes, “At four in the morning? Who’s going to hear that?”

Nick shrugged, “At least it’s getting radio play.”

“Whatever. I’d rather you pay for my next meal.”

Nick was going to make a joke but looked at Harry concerned, “Do you have enough money to get you through the week?”

“Yeah I do, stop looking so worried your freaking me out.”

Nick laughed and threw a napkin at Harry, “Shut up I can be nice.”

“When you want to be.”

“Dick.” Nick grumbled under his breath.

-

Every time Harry saw Louis, which technically wasn’t a lot, he was always too nervous to actually go up to him to give him Nick’s number and tell him about the radio show. But it’s already Wednesday and Nick has been asking him almost every hour for the past three days if he’s done it yet. He knows he just has to suck it up and go talk to him and the sooner he gets it over with the sooner he never has to talk to Louis again. So Harry took a deep breath and adjusted the bag over his shoulder and walked over to where Louis was chatting with his friends.

“Uhm, excuse me, Louis?” Harry asked tapping Louis’ shoulder.

“Can I help you?” Louis asked, actually having to look up to Harry seeing as how Louis is a good few feet taller than him.

“My best friend Nick Grimshaw works for Radio 1 and he is covering the big football match your team is in. He wants to do interviews with the captains and he wanted me to give you his number so you can schedule a time to do the interview.”

“Radio 1 is covering the football game?” Louis asked to which Harry nodded. “And they want to do an interview with me?” Harry nodded again. “Why would they cover a college’s football game?”

“I don’t know, Nick just asked me to give you his number, that’s all. He didn’t tell me the details.” Harry told Louis feeling uncomfortable with Louis’ questions and Louis’ friend’s staring at him. Harry reached into his pocket and gave Louis the paper with Nick’s number on it. “He’s been bugging me about you calling him, I guess he has to talk to you by Saturday to get everything in place. If you just call him then he’ll give you all the details, much better than I can. Just call him soon so he can stop asking me about it.” Harry told Louis before walking away.

Once Harry walked away he felt like he could finally breathe and he was just thankful he got it out of the way so he doesn’t have to do something like that ever again. Apart from Harry losing friends because no one understands how strongly he feels, he’s developed some anxiety about having to meet and talk to new people. Because of how acutely aware he is of his own emotions plus others when he has to talk to new people he feeds off of the nervous and awkward energy which usually makes the encounter worse than it normally is. All of this is why he didn’t want to have to talk to Louis and why he was happy he wouldn’t have to. That was until later in the day when Louis caught up to Harry who was trying to walk to his dorm in peace.

“I don’t get it.” Louis told Harry as they walked.

“Uhm…what?”

“Why would the radio want to interview me?”

“Ask Nick.”

“I did.”

“Okay so why are you talking to me?” Harry knew the second he said it, that it came out all wrong. He didn’t mean for it to sound so harsh, he just forgot how to talk to people that aren’t Nick.

Louis stopped walking and starred at Harry, “Because you’re the only other person who knows about this.”

“You’re friends know and they are much better to talk to about this than I am.” Harry stopped walking as well.

“They’re jealous I get an interview and they don’t.”

“Oh.” Harry said frowning, feeling bad that Louis’ teammates didn’t get an interview as well. He can imagine how jealous and frustrated and maybe underserving they feel that Louis gets special treatment and they don’t.

Louis laughed snapping Harry out of his thoughts, “Why do you look so sad? It’s not a big deal. They’ll get over it, ‘sides I’m the captain I deserve this.”

Harry frowned feeling incredibly sad and annoyed by how cocky Louis is acting, “I need to go. Just talk to Nick about how confused you are about everything.”

With that Harry walked away from Louis, who looked nothing but confused and rejected.

-

to Grimmy
I hate you

Apparently telling Louis about the interview made Louis think it was perfectly okay for Louis to talk to him anytime he can and even go out of his way to talk to Harry. Anytime Harry saw Louis walking towards him he would practically run in the other direction or hurry off to class or pretend to be on the phone or something just so he doesn’t have to talk to him. As much as Harry wishes he had more friends sometimes he knows it’s for the better to only have Nick and even if Harry were to make more friends it wouldn’t be with Louis Tomlinson. They wouldn’t have anything in common and Louis would just make fun of him all the time and Harry would always be sad because he can’t handle his emotions when people pick on him. It’s for the best that they don’t talk but he doesn’t know how to tell Louis that without hurting Louis’ feelings or making Louis feel the need to be mean to him.

from Grimmy
Now why?

Harry scowled at his phone as if he was actually talking to Nick and replied to him, telling him about Louis always trying to talk to him now. He was so busy texting Nick he didn’t bother looking up to see where he was going and walked right into someone.

“Watch where you are going, freak.”

Harry’s eyes grew wide as he looked at who he ran in to, Stan Lucas, Louis’ best friend and alternate captain of the football team.

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t paying attention I didn’t mean to.”

Stan glared at Harry and stepped closer to him, “Obviously, you dimwit. Who are you even talking to? Your mom? Everyone knows you don’t have friends because you’re a stuck up twat. You’re always alone probably making friends with imaginary people.” Stan laughed.

Harry bit his quivering lip and tried not to cry, knowing it’ll just make Stan say even worse things so he blinked a few times and tried to take a step back but Stan followed. He was going to open his mouth to say something else when Louis called out to Stan and jogged over to them.

“What’s going on?” Louis asked glancing from Harry to Stan.

“This prat ran into me.”

Louis rolled his eyes, “Stop being a dick and walk away. Coach told you to manage your anger or you’re off the team. I’d keep that in mind if I were you.” Louis told Stan who just rolled his eyes and walked away from the two.

Harry let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding and put his shaking hands in his pockets. “Uhm, thanks.”

“What did he say to you? Looks like you’re about to cry.”

Harry shook his head, “It’s nothing, not a big deal. Anyway I got to go.”

“Why are you always running away from me?” Louis asked pouting and walking after Harry.

“Because we aren’t friends.”

Louis pouted, “So?”

Harry stopped walking and sighed, “So you don’t like me for whatever reason which made everyone else not like me. Just because I gave you a friends number so you can be on the radio doesn’t mean we’re friends now. You don’t like me, I don’t know why but you don’t and that’s okay I guess.” Harry shrugged. “But why be my friend if you don’t like me? It’s okay though really, I’m fine with not being friends. I’m used to it. So if you don’t mind I’ve got to get back to my dorm to do course work.”

Louis stood stunned but Harry just blinked and walked away from him hoping that would be the last of Louis trying to bother him. Which of course with Harry’s luck it wasn’t and it seemed like Louis was on some kind of mission, a mission Harry didn’t quite understand. Almost everywhere Harry went Louis would show up and it was starting to annoy Harry a bit if he was honest so by the time the weekend rolled around and he was able to get away and see Nick he was ecstatic. It was the same routine for the two however with a slight change of plans on Saturday. When Nick dragged Harry to some small get together Louis showed up and Harry had about had it especially when Louis and Nick greeted each other with a hug and Nick told Louis he was glad he could make it.

“Nick. Can I have a word?” Harry spoke in his ear, dragging him away from Louis. “What the fuck mate? What is he doing here?”

“I have to get to know him for the article.”

“That’s complete and utter bullshit. You never spend time with people before interviews; you just wing it or use whatever information the station gives you.”

Nick sighed, “Look, he called and told me about what you said to him about not being friends and he feels like and he really wants to try to be friends with you.”

Harry scowled and crossed his arms over his chest, “More like he wants to be friends with you.”

“He seemed sincere, Harry.”

“Seemed sincere, Nick that’s different than him actually feeling like that.” Harry told him with a sigh. “It’s just…he’s been everywhere and my emotions are all out of whack because of it and I was looking forward to this weekend so I could get back on track but now he’s here and I don’t know how to feel.”

“Hey, hey, hey it’ll be okay.” Nick rushed out when he saw Harry’s tears. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t say anything. It’ll be fine, just relax okay? You could end up having a good time. Just try for me, okay?”

Harry nodded and hugged Nick before walking back with him to where Louis was standing. Harry was still feeling a little sad and confused so he let Nick make conversation with Louis. As Harry warmed up to the idea of Louis being at the party with them he was able to converse with Louis more and ended up having a really good time at the party. Although the party was fun he was more than happy to have Nick to himself, it was a bit overwhelming having Louis with him all night. When Harry got back to school Monday he was a little keener on talking to Louis albeit still strange.

Harry was surprised to find that he actually had a lot in common with Louis and it was pretty easy to talk to him. Eve though it was easy talking to Louis and they never ran out of things to talk about, Harry was still having a hard time keeping his emotions in check. Louis still doesn’t know about Harry’s habit of taking on too many emotions so Louis might be in the middle of a story of how he tormented his sister and he’ll feel small and helpless. There was a time when Louis told Harry about the time him and Stan were driving drunk and ran over someone’s cat and Harry ran away crying and stayed holed up in his room for days and he tried to avoid Louis best he could. One thing Harry has learned however is that Louis is persistent and it wasn’t long until Louis was practically knocking down Harry’s door.

“Why are you avoiding me?” Louis asked pouting.

“Because I know you’re going to make fun of me crying so easily and I didn’t want to hear it.”

“I wasn’t going to.” Harry rolled his eyes, obviously not believing him. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure, what?”

“Why do you get emotional so easily? Like that one day when I said my friends were jealous you looked so sad and irritated and then when I talked about messing with my sister you got sad and when I told you about how many times I scored during practice you looked so happy, ecstatic even. I’ve never known anyone to feel so strongly before.”

Harry squirmed in his seat, “It’s kind of confusing but you pretty much said it, I do feel really strongly about most things. I tend to take on other people’s emotions, so when you’re really happy I can sense that and I take that on. And when you tell me these stories about others I can imagine how they felt. I guess you could say I’m really intuitive.” Harry shrugged.

“What happened that day with Stan?”

“He was just saying some mean things and I can’t stand it when people hate me or are rude to me when they have no reason to.” Harry admitted. “Its…it’s why I didn’t want to be friends with you.”

“Because I once said some mean things?”

“I guess. I just can’t understand why people hate me when they don’t even know me. It hurts and I can’t shrug it off like everyone else can. I can’t just not care what people think about me.”

Louis sighed and reached a hand out to hold onto Harry’s hand who after a couple of seconds held back. “I’m sorry for saying whatever I said, I honestly don’t remember but I am sorry. Now that I know this I would never make fun of you for feeling too much or crying or being too happy again.”

Harry glanced up at Louis, “Thanks.”

Louis smiled and took his hand away, “No problem and if it counts for anything, I think you’re pretty damn cool.”

-

Almost two weeks later and a week before Louis’ big game, Harry was at Louis’ practice a habit they’ve come accustomed to. Harry was just sitting in the stands waiting for Louis to finish showering so they could go out to eat when Stan walked up the bleachers to where Harry was sitting.

“What are you still doing here, Harry?”

“I’m waiting for Lou, Stan, like I always am.”

“Oh Louis must not have told you then.”

“Tell me what?” Harry questioned.

“He can’t make it to your little date after practice.”

“It’s not a date.” Harry clarified, frowning.

“Whatever, in fact Louis told me just before practice that he wants nothing to do with you.”

“That isn’t true, Stan. You’re just jealous that he’s hanging out with me more and I’m really sorry about that. I told him he needs to hang out with his team mates.”

Stan rolled his eyes, “I’m not jealous. Louis told me about how big of a pussy you are and has just been waiting to ditch you. The only reason why he’s hung around this long is because he feels sorry for you. He knows you’ll just cry and cry and cry like the pansy you are when he leaves. But he’s sick of it. He’s tired of your bipolar ass always clinging to him. He doesn’t want you anymore Harry. So I suggest you leave right now and don’t talk to him again. It’ll save you a whole of pain.”

Harry didn’t want to believe what he was saying but it made sense, everyone got tired of him even Nick gets tired of him sometimes. He was foolish to think Louis was any different and he couldn’t believe he wasted so much time on the football player. Not wanting to cry in front of Stan Harry collected his school bag and ran down the bleachers pushing past some of the awaiting players, including Louis himself. Satisfied with his work Stan left the bleachers and walked towards Louis.

“What happened to Harry? What did you do to him?”

“I didn’t do anything. I was going to try to make peace but he just said something about not wanting to wait around for you and getting tired of you playing football so much and he left.”

“That doesn’t sound like Harry at all.” Louis said his face scrunching up in confusion. “I should go talk to him. Maybe you misunderstood him.”

“Dude, you can’t keep spending your time with him. Championships are a week away and we need you. You can spend all the time you want with the faggot after.”

“Don’t call him a faggot.” Louis told Stan with a glare to which Stan just rolled his eyes.

“Whatever I’m hungry; let’s go get something to eat.”

-

Neither Harry nor Louis tried to contact one another prior to the big game at Wembley arena; neither of them knew the truth so they didn’t know how to fix what went wrong. Harry was sure he wasn’t going to go to the game but he still had the ticket Louis gave him plus Nick kept begging to go with him because he had all access to the pitch and he didn’t want to stand alone. He was reluctant to go but Nick asked him and he can’t say no to Nick, he can’t disappoint him so he managed to stop sulking and go to the game. Harry stood by Nick’s side the entire time hoping he wouldn’t have to face Louis but it shouldn’t have surprised Harry when Louis walked up to them during practice to say hello.

“You’re here.” Louis told Harry obviously shocked.

“I am.”

“For me?”

“For Nick.”

Louis pursed his lips, “Right of course, so anyway interview after right Nick? Okay well see you later.”

“What the fuck!” Nick yelled once Louis ran off to the pitch. “What was that!”

“Nothing we had a falling out. No big deal happens all the time.”

“But I thought you two go along so well?”

“We did and then he got tired of me like everyone does.”

“Then why did he ask if you were there for him.”

Harry shrugged, “To make sure I knew he didn’t want me to be here for him.”

“That’s a load of bullocks. Doesn’t make any lick of sense. You two are just being stupid.”

“You don’t know what happened; you don’t know what he said Nick.”

“Actually I do. I do know because he didn’t say shit. He called me and told me he saw Stan talking to you. I can only imagine this Stan fellow is just jealous or barking mad and made you believe Louis said those things. But I can guarantee it wasn’t Louis.”

“Believe what you want to believe Nick. Whether it was now or later he would have gotten tired of me. Better to handle the pain now than later.”

Nick wanted to dispute everything Harry was saying but he didn’t know how, he was shocked that Harry was so final about his decision. As much as Nick hates saying this but it isn’t hard to sway Harry into thinking certain things which is probably how Stan got Harry to leave him alone. Louis knew Stan was lying when he said Harry got tired of waiting because Harry has said many times he loves watching Louis play and that’s just something Harry would never ever say. But despite that he knew he had to focus on the game, his teammates were counting on him and he’d be lying if he said he didn’t want to win this. When Louis’ team ran back onto the field to start the game, Louis ran to Harry first.

“What Stan said to you was a lie and I would never leave you. I had to focus on this game and training and I’m sorry. I’m going to win this game and then we’re going to fix whatever happened. I’m not going to lose you, Harry.”

Harry smiled slightly and shook his head, “Go get ‘em Tommo.”

Harry really wanted to stay being sad and upset about not being friends with Louis but Louis’ small speech before he started playing warmed his heart and he couldn’t deny the fact that he loved seeing Louis play. As the game ticked by and Louis scored goals, even running over to Harry to celebrate with him, Harry could tell that his feeling of loss over the boy was diminishing. He didn’t exactly know the truth but he knew he didn’t want to lose Louis, he knew he couldn’t lose Louis. So a little more than half way through the game Harry was over his moping and he knew he trusted Louis fully and if he said he didn’t want to lose him then Harry wasn’t going to let him.

The last twenty minutes of the game Louis was chasing the ball to the opposing net when Stan intercepted Louis, tripping him and causing him to twist and fall onto his ankle. The play kept going but Louis stayed on the ground and it only took Harry seconds to get to him once the whistles were blown.

“Louis, Louis are you alright?”

“Fuck it hurts, Hazzah.”

“I know, I know.”

“Kid you’re not allowed on the pitch.” The referee told Harry.

“Oh fuck off, you’re not even going to make a call on him for tripping me you cunt.”

“If you don’t watch your language I’ll call a flag on you.”

Louis opened his mouth to shout something back but Harry caught his attention again, “do you need to be seen by a doctor?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Alright, good. I need you to get back up and finish off this game. You need to win this for us and for your team. Stan just wants the captain’s jersey but you’re not going to let him, you hear me?”

“Does this mean you forgive me?”

Harry rolled his eyes, “Yes you git now get up and finish off this game the proper way.”

“Okay got it. Help me up, would you?”

Harry stood up and grabbed a hold of Louis’ hands pulling him up as well and steading him by his waist.

“You alright?” Harry asked.

Louis nodded, “Yeah, we’re okay Harry right?”

“Yes Louis we’re okay. Now I’m serious, win this for me and you.”

Louis smiled and nodded, sending Harry off as he stretched his foot out the best he could. Harry ran back over to Nick who was looking at him curiously.

“Oh bugger off.” Harry grumbled.

Play resumed with Louis somehow playing better than he did before. Without having to say anything to his teammates, everyone kept the ball from Stan and in true glory fashion Louis goal within the last two minutes of play allowed him to win the game. He celebrated with his teammates before running over to Harry and capturing him in his arms, even spinning him around. Setting Harry down, Louis noticed the younger boy was crying.

“What are you feeling?”

“Proud, so very proud Louis.”

Louis beamed and hugged him again but before any further conversation could take place Louis was pulled away to do a couple different interviews. Harry whose feeling giddy, elated and so full of love waited with Nick for Louis to be finished with the tv interviews before he was finally able to make his way back over to them for Nick’s post-game interview. Nick made it short knowing the two boys had to talk and agreed to have a more detailed interview with Louis later in the week.

“If I leave to freshen up will you still be here when I get back?”

Harry blushed and nodded, “Yes I will, but hurry okay? I missed you this last week and I feel like I just got you back.”

Louis smiled and nodded, “Be back before you know it, Harry.”

And it was true Louis cleaned up in record time and rushed back to Harry, stealing him away from Nick claiming they had celebrating to do.

“Can we just skip to the part where I say I was stupid for listening to Stan and I’m sorry for not trusting you and you forgive me and we become best friends again?” Harry asked once they were in Louis’ car.

“Yes we can, if you promise me that you actually trust me.”

“I promise, pinky promise, cross my heart.”

Louis smiled, “Then yes, yes we can.”

-

The two went back to normal, like nothing happened at all and spent almost every waking moment together which eventually led to moving Harry from his dorm into Louis’ flat. They did practically everything together including going to Nick’s parties or the parties Nick is invited to and after have quite a few beers Louis kissed Harry and asked him how he felt. Not a second after the question was asked Harry said in love and it only took half a second for them to be kissing again and only about a night to get sober for them to agree to be officially together.