NERD- Larry Stylinson

0-0 Chapter Four 0-0

Louis loathes the bus, but his mum is borrowing his car today so unluckily for him, he's going to have to deal with it. He climbs on, bright and early, which sucks because he's used to sleeping in until eight. He has his earphones in and hardly bothers to pay attention to anyone until he's reaching the back of the bus. To his surprise (and delight) Harry is sitting there reading a book.

Louis looks left and right to see that the space next to Harry is the only seat available. He smiles as he plops down next to the lad who peeks up from his book to see who sat next to him. He immediately looks back down at his book, causing Louis to watch him curiously. Harry chances another glance and repeats his action which has Louis wanting to ask questions. He tries to focus back on his book, but he seems oddly distracted by Louis' presence. Louis pulls an earbud out and chooses to speak to Harry.

"Top of the morning to you." He greets, grinning when he sees Harry smile.

"Good morning." Harry replies shyly. He keeps his book open, thinking Louis wouldn't say anything else. Louis isn't one to cut the conversation short.

"How was your weekend?" Harry takes his time to answer the question. Louis waits patiently, studying Harry as he fiddles with his hands. He seems extremely nervous and Louis doesn't understand why. Maybe he was being too intrusive.

"I um- well I-" Louis decides to tell him what he did first, to ease some tension.

"I spent the weekend burning out brain cells playing video games. I just really love FIFA."

"Video games aren't all that bad, they teach fast reflex skills and they can actually make it easier to notice smaller details." He might have sounded like a total nerd, but Louis finds it fascinating just how much Harry knows. He's like an encyclopedia.

"Well that's great to know. I'll make sure to tell my mum that whenever she calls me out for playing too much." Harry relaxes now, knowing that Louis doesn't mind his random spew of facts. "So what about you, what'd you do this weekend." He repeats.

"Not much, worked on assignments and Skyped my friends."

"Leeroy and Veronica right?" Harry nods. "How long have you been friends with them?" Louis remembers seeing Veronica for the first time back in eighth grade. She was a tough little thing, the tomboy she is. She'll wear girly clothes, but one comment about how pretty she looks and she'd make sure to shut you up. Then he remembers seeing Leeroy, he was gangly and awkward, being one of the first openly gay kids in school.

"It's been four years. I met them both in eighth grade. We just stuck to each other since then. They understand me, I understand them. It's nice being able to count on somebody."

"That is very true. I've known Niall since kindergarten, back when we were too small to understand the world. He might be annoying sometimes and he loves eating my food, but you gotta love your best mate." He beams. He loves Niall like a brother and he's glad to have him in his life.

Louis is just about to ask Harry another question when the bus is taking a sharp right turn. Harry loses his balance on the seat and goes flying right into Louis' lap. Louis makes sure to wrap his arms around him tightly so he doesn't fall. Harry's eyes were closed, but when he realizes where he is, his eyes shot open and he scrambles back to his own seat. He sits down pushing his glasses back up before locking his hands and dropping them to his lap, his book carelessly sat next to him. He refuses to look at Louis out of embarrassment.

Louis is in shock. Harry was literally just in his lap and he might have liked it a lot more than he expected. He keeps his own gaze locked in front of him. He knew he liked Harry, it was becoming very obvious, but wow just wow. His feelings are literally all of over the place. Finally the silence has become unbearable and Louis has to speak.

"Well that was unexpected." He mumbles, hand coming to rub the back of his neck uneasily. Harry says nothing as he continues to stare at the bus floor. The bus then comes to a halt and Louis looks up to see they arrived at school. He stands and let's Harry go out first. Harry is rushing out of there, not even saying a good bye. Louis frowns, watching as Harry runs off and disappears into the school.

xxx

"Niall I think Harry hates me." Louis cries as he takes his seat next to Niall at lunch.

"Why?"

"Because he just ran away from me this morning."

"Well you must have done something to him."

"I resent that. I did nothing to him, but well there was an incident."

"An incident?" Niall inquires, raising an eyebrow and sipping on his juice.

"Yes an incident, the bus took a sharp turn and he ended up on my lap."

"I bet you enjoyed that." Niall cuts in and Louis glares at him. "Sorry continue, continue."

"Anyway yeah after he sat back down in his place, he wouldn't even acknowledge me." Louis pouts.

"Louis you idiot, he doesn't hate you, he's just mortified. You can't blame him if he didn't talk to you after that. I would be embarrassed to if I ended up on the lap of someone I fancied."

"No one said he fancied me." Louis points out.

"No one had too. It's clear as day mate." The conversation ends there when Niall decided he needs answers to next period's pop quiz.

Louis had never considered Harry could like him too. Sure he had called him hot and he was always a blushing mess when he was around him, but that didn't necessarily mean anything, well at least he thought it didn't. Now though, now he can't stop thinking about it, but he won't let it get to him not yet, he has to be sure.