Young & Beautiful

Louis, hand still on the door handle, jacket open.
Harry, sat at his desk, the trickling of pink and purple sun framing the frizz of his curls, his
shoulders tiny and slouched.
“You didn’t do it,” Louis says, beginning to walk slowly towards him. “You told Zayn you did it,
but you didn’t do it.”
Harry’s face changes, but he says nothing.
So Louis continues.
“Niall did. He’s at the flat now. He told me everything. He doesn’t know you took the blame, you
know. He had no clue! And he’s gonna fix it. As soon as the sun’s risen, he’s going to tell Zayn.”
Harry bites his lip, still says nothing, following Louis with his eyes.
Louis reaches the desk, his knees bumping against the cherry wood. He stares down at Harry, lost.
So lost.
“Why did you fucking do that? Didn’t you think Liam would tell the truth? Didn’t you think Niall
would say something? Why did you do that?!”
“I told Zayn before we knew if Liam was going to be all right,” Harry says softly. He keeps
staring.
“But Niall?”
“I gave him an option.” Harry swallows, never blinks. “His career, Louis. He did so well tonight.
He’s just a kid, he’s got the world before him. Something like this would ruin his life—“
“It’d ruin your life!” Louis interjects, but Harry stands, shaking his head.
“Better me than him.”
Louis stares.
“Niall’s good. He’s a good person. And, like, he’s going to have a good life. He deserves that.
But me? They expect it of me. It made sense, Louis. And I was going to tell Niall, I was, but—“
“But I got to him first,” Louis says, watching as Harry walks to him hesitantly. “And now he’s
going to tell Zayn and Liam’s going to tell Zayn and—fuck, Harry, what were you thinking? This
was completely fucking unnecessary you stupid fucking martyr! It’s senseless! You fucking oaf!”
And he wants to be angry, but he’s not, his voice almost hysterically relieved.
“I’m sorry,” Harry says, voice carrying in the breeze.
“Stop apologizing.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Fuck’s sake,” Louis sighs, but half-laughs, rubbing his eyes. He looks at Harry, takes in the torn
boy before him, and he laughs once more, shaking his head because everything is so fucked up.
“So that means you stay then,” is all he thinks to say. “For good.”
Harry watches him closely.