Louis and Harry have been secretly dating for almost six months now. That evening at the library Louis and Harry had a long talk about their feelings and Louis told him about how they would have to keep their relationship a secret and that he couldn’t let anyone know about them. Harry agreed thinking it wouldn’t be bad, but boy was he wrong.

Every day Louis and his friends walked by and said the most hurtful stuff to him. Harry normally just brushed it off and went to find Niall after so he could get his mind off of everything. Harry and Niall were actually really close. They hung out during school and after Louis and Harry’s tutoring sessions (which Louis still lied to Harry about how smart he really was) they would hang out. Niall was kind of Harry’s rock sometimes. Helping him look past everything. Although Niall didn’t know about him and Louis. Harry just told him they used to be friends. Just says the bullying hurts.

Today was just one of those days those where everything was just really getting to Harry. “Move it faggot!” Louis screams as he pushes Harry into the lockers. Harry moans as his head hits off the lock and he falls to the ground. He holds his head as he watches Louis and his friends walk away. Louis glances back at his secret boyfriend as he and his friends turn the corner and gives him and sympathetic look.

“That’s it!” Harry mumbled getting to his feet. He marched after Louis and his friends and spun Louis around and started screaming at all of them, “I am fucking done with you ass holes pushing me around! I’m gay, big fucking deal! I am so sick of putting up with your shit! How about you grow some balls and just lay off of people for a change. You think you’re all high and mighty when everyone at the school would punch you in the face if they had the opportunity! FUCK YOU!”

Harry stormed down the halls leaving everyone around standing their with their jaws dropped. Louis couldn’t decide whether to be offended or proud. However, now wasn’t the time for that. Zayn and the others weren’t very happy. “Can you believe him! Louis, were going to do something about this right Louis?”

Louis looked at his friends and saw the rage in their eyes. He was torn on what to do. If he just told the boys to let it slide they might get the wrong idea or be super pissed with him, but he didn’t want to chase after Harry and make things worse for him. Fuck, Zayn was getting pissed without an answer. He had to make up his mind now. Okay he knows what to say. “We’ll get him after school.” What?! No! That’s not what he wanted to say at all. He wanted to tell them to let him go and they’ll take care of it later.

“Good. You heard Louis boys, we get to have some fun.”

~.~

Hour before school ends

“You did what?!” Niall shouted at Harry as they walked through the halls.

“I told em to fuck off.” Harry said casually as he stopped in front of his locker to exchange his books for his and Louis’ tutoring sessions.

“You’re going to regret that. Do you have any idea what you just got yourself into?! I don’t care if you and Louis used to be friends, this is a different time, one where Louis has the power to have the shit kicked out of you.”

“Niall calm down. I’ll be fine. I can handle myself.”

“I know you can. I just worry about you Harry. You’re my only friend, you saved my life, like literally.”

Harry closed his locker, set his things down, and pulled Niall into a tight embrace. “I love you Niall. You are the greatest friend I could ever have. Thank you for caring so much, but really, I can handle this. I just needed to say something. I am so sick of them!”

Harry pulled back and let Niall go. Niall sighed and just said, “Okay. I’m here if you need me though okay?”

Harry smiled and ruffled his best friends hair, “Of course.” Harry started picking up his things and they started off again down the hall. “Oh, you know that Liam Payne kid?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“I saw him at the store the other day. We talked a little bit and caught up cause I never see him around school because he’s so smart he does his work in the other building for the advanced. He gave me his number and said he wanted to hang. You want to join?”

“Sure.”

Harry looked over at Niall and saw a small blush emerge on his cheeks. “Oh my god.”

“What?”

“You like him don’t you?!”

Niall smacked Harry so he would quiet down. “Maybe.” Harry raised and eyebrow and stopped in the middle of the hall. “Alright alright. Yeah I kind of have a huge crush on him. I bumped into him in the cafeteria about a week ago. I dumped my food all over him and helped him clean up in the toilets. We talked a little and he was so sweet and nice to me Harry.”

“Aww Niall, that’s great. I’ll have to work some magic and get you two together.”

“NO!” Niall practically shouted. “I mean. I don’t even know if he’s gay to begin with. Also, I want to do this on my own. People are always interfering and I hate that.”

“Okay. I’ll stay out of it.”

“Thank you.”

“Hey I got to go. I’ll catch you later yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Harry gave Niall one last hug then set off into the opposite direction not knowing what was coming next.

~.~

After school

Harry turned in a paper to one of his teachers then made his way out of the building. As he descended the stairs to the parking lot he heard footsteps. He turned and saw a few people following him down then when he turned back more were at the bottom of the stairs. Shit, he thought. “Well if it isn’t gay boy.” Zayn mocked as Harry got to the end of the stairs.

“Leave me alone Zayn. I just want to go home.”’

“Well we can’t have that now can we? Not after what you did today.”

Harry watched as Louis emerged from behind one of the cars. “You need to be taught a lesson Harry. No one messes with me.” Harry locked eyes with Louis for a brief moment and saw the hurt in his eyes, but then Louis looked away. “Get him.”

The two boys behind Harry grabbed his arms. Zayn and three others started flinging their fist at Harry landing blows to his face and torso. Harry screamed out in agony at the close range punches. The two guys behind him kicked at his legs until he fell to the ground. All five of them stood around him kick and punching him. Harry couldn’t do anything but protect his head the best he could. The larger one picked him up over his head only to slam him back down onto the ground. Harry’s face hit the pavement so hard he let out a scream that caused all the boys to quickly back away. Harry arched his back as he coughed up the blood from biting through his tongue and spit out a tooth. His nose was most certainly broken and his face was so bloody you couldn’t even tell who he was anymore.

Two of the boys picked him back up to his feet and Zayn smiled pleased with his work. “Louis, the last blow is all yours.”

Harry opened his eyes the best he could, but everything was too blurry because all he could do was cry. Louis stepped in close and whispered in his ear, “I’m sorry.”

Harry closed his eyes as Louis’ fist connected with his jaw sending him to the ground again. The boys laughed and ran off before anyone would see them. Harry was left their alone on the ground so beaten he couldn’t move. His head started to spin as he heard a familiar irish accent shout his name before he passed out.

~.~

4 hours later

Harry awoke in the worst amount of pain. Everything hurt. He could barely open his eyes, but he could still make out his surroundings enough to know he was in a car. He glanced at the seat next to him and saw Niall. Harry opened his mouth and barley managed to choke out, “Hey,” before he was hunched over feeling sick to his stomach.

“Woah, that it easy there Harry. I took you to the hospital. Your nose is all bandaged up. They said your going to feel really nauseous for a little while. You bit right through your tongue dude, literally, I saw. You got a nice hole in there. You lost a tooth too, but it’s in the back so you can’t even really tell. Your going to be dizzy too because your eyes are swollen so just keep them closed and I’ll help you out. I called your mom and told her I was taking care of you so she didn’t have to leave work panicking. She said I can stay at your house for the week to help you out. We’ll be at your house soon, just close your eyes and relax.”

Harry did as he was told. Even if he wanted to he couldn’t respond. Niall helped him into his house and laid him on the couch. Niall sat down underneath him and rested Harry’s head on his lap. Everything was silent for about an hour before there was a knock at the door. Niall went to get up to answer it, but Harry stopped him. “I got it.” He whispered. Harry made his way out of the living room and looked through the peep hold of the front door. Louis. Harry opened the door slightly and whispered, “Meet me at the back door.” Then closed it and went back to the living room. “Niall, can you go get me some Nando’s?”

“Sure. You going to be okay by yourself for a little while? I’ll be gone for about half an hour.”

“s’okay.”

Niall nodded and grabbed his keys before leaving. Harry went to the back of the house and let Louis in. As soon as Louis saw Harry and hugged him tightly, “Are you okay?!”

“What do you want?” Harry could tell he was losing his voice so he had to keep the talking to a minimum.

“I came to see you. Make sure you were okay.”

“Fine. No thanks to you.”

“Harry I’m sorry. You shouldn’t of told them off-”

Harry held his hand up to stop him, “Don’t even. You could’ve stopped them.”

“Not without them getting suspicious.”

“I can’t do this anymore.” Harry dropped his head.

“What?”

“Unless your willing to come out and end this, it’s over.”

“Harry I-”

“Good-bye Louis.”

Harry started crying as he pushed Louis out of the door. He was done. It was one thing to hide their relationship and get called names. It was another for things to get physical. When Louis hit him he felt his heart break into a million pieces. Harry wasn’t going to be put through this. Not anymore.