Epilogue
Harry was walking alongside Liam with Aiden, laughing about some stupid thing Liam had seen on Facebook when Harry stopped abruptly. "You okay, Daddy?" the toddler asked cluelessly, with no answer in return. Harry's skin went pale, and his face showed only an emotion of confusion, fear, and anger.
The man he was looking at caught his eye, and his expression mirrored the curly haired boys. He took a step back, and turned away only to run into the tall man behind him. The blonde put his hands on his shoulders and the two had a couple second conversation with a couple glances towards Harry and Liam. That is, until the blonde haired man kissed his lips, and turned the other boy around again, gesturing him forward.
Zayn started walking forwards, a scared and nervous look on his face. Harry looked around, and went to walk away when he called out. "Wait!" Zayn ran forward, "wait wait wait, please, Harry, please let me just talk, please! I'm sorry, a-about everything and I know that's not enough for you to hear but please let me just explain myself over like a cup of tea or something, I need to talk to you. It's been so long, and I know all I've been is a complete asshole to you but I've changed and I promise I'm not going to hurt you or anything!" he rambled, tears in his eyes as he talked with a shaky voice, "p-please, let me just explain myself to you. You don't have to forgive me or even say anything back. I just need to tell you what's happened," he sighed.
Harry's lip trembled, and he opened his mouth several times to speak, but just ended up nodding instead. "Uhm, I-I... how about over my place?" he offered quietly.
So, that's what they did. Zayn told the man he was with, who understood, that he was going over Harry's. Harry got in his car with Aiden. Liam also understood and left, but still didn't like the idea of Zayn being with Harry at all.
They got to Harry and Louis's house, and Zayn nervously followed Harry and Aiden. On the way up to the door, Aiden poked Zayn's leg, "hi!" he smiled.
Zayn just gave the little boy a small wave, and the stepped through the door after Harry. They went into the kitchen, where Louis had just been putting something into the cabinet. He grinned, and picked up the little boy, swinging him above his head and kissing his cheeks. He gave Harry a peck, saying hello to his angel before spotting Zayn.
He froze, his jaw clenching and his eyes wide. "Oh my god," he said, "what the hell are you doing here?" he growled, holding Aiden a bit tighter on instinct.
"It's okay," Harry whispered to him.
Louis furrowed his eyebrows, "No, it's not okay! He made- go play, Aiden," he set the boy down to run off elsewhere, "he made your life a living hell! Both of ours! So, why is he being allowed into our house?!" he exclaimed.
Zayn cut in, "Please- Louis, I know I was an asshole-"
"You've got that right."
"-but, if you'll please let me explain! I know there's no exception for what I did. But it's been almost four years and every single day I've been living in such regret and hate for it, to drive someone that close to death and- I-I just, I'm sorry. Please let me just talk, please?" he asked.
Louis stood still, glaring at the dark haired man, who held regret and sadness in his eyes. He nodded silently, and guided the other two to the dining room table.
The three sat down, and Zayn started talking. "Uhm, I know, that what I did to you- both of you, was unacceptable. I shouldn't be forgiven, but I'm still sorry. I'm so so so sorry for everything I did to make your lives shit. When I first started bullying people I didn't like it. I was only a sophomore so my senior friends had always pushed me and practically bullied me myself into doing it. I thought it was cool since they were older and 'wiser' or some shit. But I still listened to them and did it. Made fun of people, hurt people with both actions and words," he wiped his eye, "uh, and so then for the next three years it had sadly grown to be naturally part of my lifestyle. I-I had been blind to it for those years, like how bad I had gotten. I think I noticed that right when I had seen that video that you had posted that one day, Harry. I realized that it was sick and that I was a sick and disgusting person, and I was ashamed. Everything became clear to me and I was so guilty and regretful of everything I had done to people," he sighed, picking at his nails nervously, "the only reason I went for you, Harry, was because Marcus told me about you when you moved schools. He was one of those friends too except he was my age. When he showed me a picture of you I didn't think anything wrong of you but then he just filled my head with all these stupid ass lies. I was just too dumb to listen to them and accept them. I didn't even know you had Schizophrenia. He just told me you talked to yourself," he stopped, rubbing his face.
"I know that's a shit excuse, and I'm not saying it really is an excuse since there's never an excuse to bully people. The other reason I went for you was when Marcus told me you were openly gay I guess I became a bit uh, jealous. I think a while before I met you I admitted to myself about being bi, but then eventually knew I was gay, and I was jealous that you were able to have the strength to come out and I was too much of a coward to say something about my sexuality. That's why I never dated anyone, and why no one had ever seen me kiss any girls. They all thought I hooked up all the time but I never did or would and I didn't like that rumor about me, so for some reason I took my anger out on you," he said.
Louis spoke up, "But if you were angry then why'd you have to take it out on a person? There's so many other things to do to get your anger out. You don't have to go fucking hitting people and calling them names," he snarled.
Zayn winced, "I know, I know. I'm getting there. As I said after that video and after the news that eventually got out about Harry, I had an epiphany and all that shit. I realized I was a douche and that I was wrong and stupid and that I had been too blinded by everything that I hadn't noticed how bad I really got. So I just vented out to my mum and I-I didn't know what to do, knowing I had caused all of your problems. She said I could see a therapist if it was bothering me that much. I thought it was stupid but I did it anyway, and a couple weeks later she said I had anger issues. I- there's a specific name for it but that's just...," he ran a hand through his hair, "irrelevant... uhm, I started taking pills to control it, and a couple months into the summer I moved away to Bradford to live with my dad instead. I couldn't bear seeing you two and knowing what I did. I wanted a new start and that's what I got. I uh, I came out to my new school and they accepted me. It felt like shit knowing that our school could've been that cool 'accepting of everyone' school if I hadn't been there," he gulped, "that's uh, that's kind of just my story. That's sort of it. And again, I'm so so so so sorry, and I hope that if you'd at least tell me anything to say that you're okay and that I'm okay than I'll be okay and I'll be out of your lives forever," he sighed, folding his hands in his lap.
Harry fished his mouth open and closed, "Th-That man, that you were with, who was he?" he asked, "he kissed you, I saw. Is he your boyfriend?"
Zayn bit his lip from smiling, "Chris? He's my husband, actually. I met him when I moved schools. He was actually the first one after my mum that I just came out and told everything to. He knows all about what I had done and he accepted me and told me that I'd changed and I was on the right road and all that stuff. He's amazing. He's the perfect one for me and unlike my dad and some of my family members he didn't think I was a monster. He loves me. He became my first friend and he uh, asked me to the dance as a way to ask me out. We've been uh, together ever since," he pursed his lips, "so yeah. That... that was my husband that you saw."
Harry shook his head again, "But... wait. You said you moved to Bradford. That's a couple of hours from here. What brought to to Manchester?" he questioned.
Zayn scratched the back of his head awkwardly, "Oh, uh, well. I told you that I told him everything about what happened. And I mean everything. He knew about all of my feelings about how guilty and regretful I was and so he had once told me he wished I had gotten some sort of closure with you. I thought the same thing. But anyway, he was like, scrolling through Facebook a month or so ago, and he somehow found Louis' page. Then I found yours from looking through Louis' and I recognized one of the shops from one of the pictures you posted. I had been there once, so I knew where it was. We were in town and he suggested we go to that shopping place by the park where we saw your picture, hoping you'd happen to be there. You uh, found me first, though," he gulped, biting his lip again.
There was silence for a while, but after a minute or so, Harry looked up at him. "I forgive you," he sighed.
Zayn's eyes widened, "You do?" he whispered.
Harry nodded, "Y-Yeah, I do. I mean, I don't trust you yet, but I do forgive you. You had the balls to even find me," he told him honestly.
Louis sighed, "Me too. But that definitely doesn't mean I trust you," he pointed out.
Zayn shook his head slowly, "Thank you both, so much, I mean it. I had been wanting to apologize for years now and I've finally been able to do it," he said.
Aiden came out from around the corner, "Daddy! Dada! I went potty on big boy seat!" he exclaimed, grinning proudly as he scurried to the curly haired boy.
Harry sighed, and picked him up, "Yes, because that probably went so well," he chuckled, "I'll be right back," he told the other two, and re-entered the bathroom down the hall.
Louis had a smile as he watched the two, and he turned back to Zayn. He sighed, "Zayn, I-I know you're sorry. And now we both know your story of the whole situation, and I'm not saying that I trust you, or that I'm showing sympathy because even though you had those problems it doesn't give you an excuse to bully my husband. But I appreciate, and I really mean appreciate, you coming all this way to find us and apologize. That took guts after these couple of years. I thank you for that," he nods, folding his hands in his lap. "Harry has these nightmares every once in a while. Maybe like every couple of months. And it's always about that day that he uh... tried to do that, and he always saw either you or Sam or Marcus and I honestly think that with your apology he may have an easier time with those dreams," Louis told him.
Zayn nodded in understanding, and smiled a bit when Harry came running in after Aiden. The toddler had wet hands, and patted Louis' leg. "Oi!" he exclaimed, "did you wash your hands little man?" he asked.
"Ya, I did!" Aiden smiled.
"Did you dry them?" Louis chuckled. Aiden nodded again. "Sure you did," he grinned, grabbing a napkin from the table and drying off his sons hands.
"Who's you?" Aiden asked, pointing to Zayn.
Zayn looked at Louis, who nodded. "I'm Zayn," he said, smiling when Aiden giggled and stuck his fist out. Zayn furrowed his eyebrows, but the little boy knuckle punched himself.
"Gotta do... and boom!" he squealed. Zayn knuckle punched him, and laughed when doing the explosion part. "Yay!" he cheered, climbing off of his father's lap. Harry came into the room, standing in the doorway with a smile on his face as he watched his son and husband talk with Zayn. He walked to them and sat down, lifting Aiden up to sit on his lap.
"You showed Zayn your handshake?" he asked the toddler, kissing his cheek.
Aiden smiled a toothy grin, "Yeah!" he chirped, and once again had Zayn do it with him. Zayn had a big smile on his face, and looked up at the two adults across from him.
"I know we had a bad past, and I'm eternally sorry for it, but I'm really glad that you both ended up in a good place. I really am," he nodded. Aiden had run off into the living room to play, and they all stood up. "I should be getting back to Chris. I really hope we can at least be acquaintances," he chuckled awkwardly.
Louis looked to Harry, and nodded, "Yeah. I don't necessarily trust you yet, but I think we're all willing to try and make up for it," he told him.
Zayn had a fond look on his face, thankful for the two forgiving men in front of him, "Thank you. Both of you," he pursed his lips. He shook hands with both Harry and Louis, and waved goodbye to Aiden when he waved to him.
Once the dark haired man left, Louis let out a sigh. He wrapped his arms around Harry's waist. "I was really nervous when you brought him here... but, I think you did the right thing," he cooed, pecking his lips, "love you, angel," he smiled.
Harry smiled against his lips, kissing him again, "Love you too,' he grinned, digging his head in his husbands neck.
fin
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oh my god okay so this series is officially over. I'm so so so sad it is because this was by far my best and touching stories, being able to show how bullying can affect others and how. There was a big message in the two stories, and I absolutely hope that you can figure it out because it's an important one. If you cant then go back to school or DM me, either one :)
THANK YOU TO EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO HAS VOTED, COMMENTED, AND GAVE ME ANY KIND OF FEEDBACK ON BOTH SCARS AND FIRST!!!! YOU'VE ALL BEEN AMAZING!!!
I LOVE YOU ALL TO THE MOON AND BACK! AND MAKE SURE TO SUPPORT SCARS IN THE WATTY AWARDS 2015 :*****
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KBYEEEEEEE, LIZ
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