"Are you sure?" Louis asks as they enter the big building.

"Yeah, I'm not leaving your side, Lou. I won't break another promise anymore. Also I don't want to hang out with Stephanie anymore. I can't stand her."

"Harry, it's not Stephanie's fault..." Louis whispers, defending the girl for the first time. He didn't share his story with Harry with the goal to ruin their friendship.

"I know it's not. I just don't feel like I can trust her. She has come in between us too much, and it's not completely her fault, I'm to blame as well, but I'm not going to take the risk. You are worth a lot more to me than her, Lou."

"I don't want to..."

"You don't." Harry interrupts the smaller boy, knowing what he wants to say.

"I just want to be here for you, Lou. If you are okay with it, of course. If not I'll just..."

"I want you to be there for me, always. Let's go inside, yeah?" Louis' eyes that have been dull for the past week are shining now and a smile is plastered on his face. Harry can hurt Louis deeply so easily, but it works exactly the same on the opposite side. Harry can make Louis happy only by snapping his fingers.

"Louis!" Perrie jumps into Louis' arms and hugs her best friend. "Oh, I missed you! Are you okay, bud? Everybody is talking about how you apparently tried to kill Tristan."

Harry can see the look on Louis' face and Harry casually leans his arm on Louis' shoulder, showing him that he is there for him.

"It's a lie. Tristan tried to fight Louis, I was there. Louis just protected himself. Don't listen to Stephanie's bullshit. She only lies." Harry defends Louis, feeling more hate towards Stephanie. He never heard this rumour the past week and that's because Harry never talked to anyone besides Liam and Stephanie, who were both there.

"Aren't you guys friends?" Zayn raises his eyebrow when he speaks to Harry.

"Were." Harry corrects him. "We're no longer friends anymore. I don't need people like her in my life." He answers partly honestly. The other part is that she still has feelings for Louis and tried to separate the both of them only because Harry has a crush on him. He would have understood if she told him the truth, but she didn't.

"Good riddance, she is weird. Hang out with us." Perrie smiles at him. "We are pretty cool people, aren't we Zayn?" She looks at the boy next to her.

"I guess we are."

Louis doesn't say a word, his head just leaning on Harry's shoulder. Maybe he shouldn't have gone to school yet. It's only five minutes that he has been here and Tristan is mentioned already.

"Guys, is it okay if Harry and I hang out alone today?" Louis' voice is soft and Harry can hear that he is on the edge of tears.

"Sure, Lou. Just know that you can always come to me." Perrie gives her best friend a sympatric look.

"Yeah, Louis. If you want to you can hang out at mine tonight you know, play videogames and stuff?"

Louis gives both his friends a thankful smile.

"Can we do all of that after tomorrow? Today I would just like to have an easy and calm day."

Both Perrie and Zayn nod, not making a big deal out of it. Louis is thankful with friends like them. He takes Harry's hand and pulls him away from the crowd, going to a corner.

"I hope you don't mind hanging out with only me." Louis says feeling ashamed. He didn't even ask the permission of the other boy. Maybe he didn't even want to hang out with just Louis.

"Of course I don't mind. We have time to catch up. We'll sit together during French, yeah?"

Louis smiles and nods. "Yes, please."

--

It's third period and Harry and Louis are sitting next to each other in class. Harry can't help but gets annoyed by the pair of eyes burning in his back. Stephanie has been staring at him since class started.

"What's number five?" Louis whispers.

"I'm sorry, Lou. I haven't paid attention really."

"It's alright, I'll copy from Zayn later."

"Okay, class. You will have to write your own dialogue now like we have seen in the book. Choose your partner, you have whole period left to work on it. Next class you will have to do it in front of the group."

"Harry!" The curly had rolls his eyes when he hears the female voice. He doesn't even bother turning around as he answers.

"No, I'm working with Lou." He says not even looking at the red head.

"Oh, you are working with the psychopath, really nice. I shouldn't be surprised that you follow him around like a lost puppy though, you've been doing that since the day you arrived here. He can treat you like shit and you'd still do whatever he asks. Your crush is getting pathetic, Harry."

Harry looks next to him, seeing Louis shake. He grabs his hand secretly under the table, trying to comfort him.

"Don't call him a psychopath. He is a better friend that you have ever been. Now please leave us alone, Stephanie. Go find someone else to bug."

"I can't believe you are actually picking his side! After all what he has done to you, to me, to my brother!"

The mention of Tristan makes Harry's blood boil. He is really thankful they are in the corner of the classroom now and that the others are sucked up in their groups work.

"If someone is a bloody psychopath it's you and your family. Leave us alone, leave Louis alone." Louis can't speak. He is still not fine because of the encounter he had with Tristan and maybe going to school was too early. He already wanted to cry five times today and it's only third period.

"What do you mean by that?" Stephanie looks furious.

"What I mean is that you can't be shitty towards me because of my crush while you are still pining over your bloody break up. Now just go. You are really not needed here. Louis is a bit ill and the last thing he needs is your face to look at."

Louis looks up at Harry. He has never heard him talk like that, not even when they were fighting in the very beginning. He knew Harry could get angry but this is the first time he actually sees him like that. It's hot though.

"Dirty fag." With those words Stephanie leaves the pair, taking place next to someone random who was still alone.

"Don't listen to her, Haz. You are not a dirty fag. You are amazing." Louis whispers, tightening his grip around Harry's hand that he is holding under their desks.

"I try to defend and comfort you, Lou. There is no need to defend me." Harry's thumb is caressing Louis' hand.

"I like defending you. You are my little Hazza." He smiles sheepishly.

"Don't want to burst your bubble, Lou but I'm literally so much taller than you are." Harry chuckles.

"I'm older."

"By literally 2 months."

"So? I'm born in a different year. I'm older, get over it little Hazza."

Harry wanted to keep fighting about it, but honestly, secretly he loved Louis' protection. He loves how they are so equal. There is not one person protecting the other, no, they are protecting each other and that's how it's supposed to be. Being with Louis, as a friend, maybe in the future as a boyfriend, feels so right. Harry can't help but fall for the smaller guy everyday more and more. He is handsome, sweet, kind, funny and the bravest person Harry has ever met.

"Want to go for a walk in the park during lunch and grab a sandwich on the way?" Harry suggests. "Don't want Stephanie or some other bullshit ruin our break."

Louis smiles at Harry and nods. He really appreciates how Harry wants to make it all up to him. He feels like Harry is his human shield, always making him feel safe.

"Yeah, can't wait to spend time outside alone with you."