And Then There Was You
before the beginning
Harry Styles nodded his head to the thunderous beat that was coming from his headphones. His hands were shoved into the pockets of his jumper as he walked against the cool breeze blowing through London. His curls were being blown about as he walked, but he paid no mind. He was entranced by the tune blasting in his ears.
He weaved in and out of people as he tried to use his time efficiently. He had three minutes before he was late for work, and he still had four blocks to go. He was kicking himself for choosing to walk instead of taking the bus. Some days he just felt like walking, but that proved to be a bad idea once he realized he was running out of time.
His shoulders bumped others and he shoved through the crowds of downtown London. If he had not had the headphones in, he would have heard the many rude insults thrown his way. But as usual, his world was muffled thanks to his safety blanket. His headphone protected him from the mean things people had to say.
Harry was a timid sort of lad. He wasn’t unfriendly by any means. But he’s always had a hard time being outgoing. He preferred to stay on the sidelines with his headphones on and watch the world go by. This wasn’t to say that he didn’t want friends, but he had never been so good at making them. After a while, he just gave up trying all together.
He had one best mate, Liam Payne, who he had known since childhood. They got on real well. They shared a passion for music that no one else never really understood. Liam was an accomplished classical violinist. Harry had never seen anyone so talented in his life, and he didn’t just say that because they were best mates. Harry played the piano himself, and he was all right. Good enough to get him into university.
When the time for university came, Liam and Harry realized they shared the dream of attending a music school. So they applied to all the same schools and promised that they would go wherever they were both accept. Much to their relief, they were both accepted to the University of London College of Music, which was their hope.
Liam wanted to perform, and Harry wanted to compose. So they signed up for their respective classes and moved into a small flat near campus together since they didn’t want to stay in the dormitories. Their scholarships covered tuition fees, so they both maintained part time jobs to make up the difference. Which is how Harry ended up at the music store that he was now running late for.
Harry liked his life. But he had always felt like an outsider. He never knew the right thing to say, or the right thing to do. He never fit in with what seemed to be acceptable. All his life he was always given sideways glances and weird looks. He was always “that weird kid” or “Liam Payne’s best mate.” And he hated it, but he didn’t know how to change anything.
"You're late." His coworker Niall Horan hissed at him when he finally burst into the small record store 2 minutes and 23 seconds late. Harry blushed and hurried to his place behind the counter.
"Sorry." He mumbled and pulled his over-ear headphones from atop his unruly curls and looped them around his neck. Niall's face broke into a good-natured grin, letting Harry know that he didn't care that he was late.
"Whatcha listening to today?" Niall asked, twisting a rubber band around his fingers. He leaned into the counter and waited for him to reply. Niall was bored, and he was glad to have Harry here to talk to, even if he didn’t talk that much.
"Just barely?" Harry asked, unsure of what to tell him. Niall shrugged, indicating that he really didn't care. Harry rolled his eyes and pulled his worn iPod from his pocket and starting hooking up to the shops stereo system.
A small smile played on Harry's lips as the sound of distorted guitars filled the room. "It's called 'Moulting' by this band called 'Eagulls.' It's really experimental. They've integrated the elements of old school punk lo-fi sounds with a hint of shoegaze and some pounding beat. Cool huh?"
Niall nodded his head. He liked the song, but it was just a song. Niall liked music, but not the way Harry liked it. Harry picked it apart; it was almost like a science for him. He had this kind of knowledge that went far beyond just knowing a lot of bands. It was like a language to him, and it amazed Niall.
"Yeah, mate. Very cool." Niall assured Harry. There was a customer at the register, ready to check out so he ended his brief conversation with Harry.
"Hey Harry, we got a new shipment this afternoon. You're on inventory." Niall told him once the customer was gone. Harry nodded eagerly and ran into the back.
He loved doing inventory. It gave him the opportunity to listen to his music undisturbed. Niall knew this, so he always gave Harry his turn. He hated doing inventory. He would rather be in the store talking to people. They made a good pair, Harry and Niall.
_-_-_-_-_-_
Somewhere not too far away from where Harry was, Louis Tomlinson was giggling like a school girl with his flat mate and best friend, Eleanor Calder. The two were a match made in heaven. She was like the girl version of himself that he had been searching for all his life. He met her on his first day living in London no even two years ago. When it turned out that she was in need of a flat mate, it was a no brainer for the two to move in together.
He was studying music at The University of London College of Music. He’d been playing the cello for as long as he can remember. He never saw any other future for himself. He was meant to get a degree and play. That’s all he’d ever wanted to do.
Louis had a veracious appetite for life. He had many friends and everyone spoke very highly of him. He was the life of the party and he loved to meet new people. He had an air of confidence about him that seemed to draw people in. He thrived on his social life. He loved to talk, joke around, and be outrageous because he loved to make the most of the time he was given.
The friends were spending their rare free time in downtown London. Eleanor was catching up on some much needed shopping and Louis was following her around like a loyal friend. Normally he hated going shopping with women, but she made it fun. Especially since she was convinced that every guy that looked their direction was checking Louis out.
Louis had the sneaking suspicion that Eleanor loved the fact that he was gay a little too much. Many girls had the dream of finding a gay best friend, and Eleanor seemed to be committed to fulfilling all the roles that entailed. Which, much to Louis’ dismay, included matchmaker from time to time.
“Eleanor.” He told her seriously. “That guy is not checking me out.”
“Lou! Come on. He was! He so was!” She argued, smacking his arm to emphasize her point. He flinched away from her assault at rolled his eyes.
“You are on crack. Buy your clothes and let’s go.” He commanded, giving her a friendly shove towards the register. Eleanor giggled and followed his instructions.
“Lou, why won’t you just put yourself out there?” Eleanor asked him as they strolled down the street. He had shot down another guy she pointed out and she was growing frustrated.
Even thought Louis seemed to be the kind of guy that had it all figured out, there was one aspect that he hadn’t quite figured out. No one knew why, not even Louis, but he had this peculiar resentment for love.
“Put myself out there for what? Finding my soul mate, falling in love, living happily ever after?” Louis spat cynically.
“I don’t appreciate the sarcasm, but yes. Don’t you want something real? Aren’t you sick of one-night stands and casual relationships?” Eleanor asked.
“Nope. And I will never get sick of them. You know why? Because love is shit.
Especially for me.” Louis informed her. They had this conversation all the time, and Eleanor never managed to change his opinion of relationships.
“Love is not shit.” Eleanor insisted.
“Whatever you say. It’s a sham. It’s irrational to think that there is one person out of the 7 billion people in the world that is meant for you. And its even more irrational to think that there is even a chance of stumbling across them.” Louis said, shoving his hands into his pockets.
“But if it’s meant to be-“ Eleanor reasoned but she was quickly cut off.
“If I was naïve enough to think it was meant to be, then I deserve to get my heartbroken.”
“You’ll see, Louis Tomlinson. You’re going to find him one day. And when you do, you’ll see that I was right.” Eleanor told him in a sure voice.
She was convinced that Louis was just scared. But it was letting it hold him back. He’s never even considered the possibility that maybe he could fall in love. He’s spent too much time looking at the negative outcomes; he’s never even bothered to consider the good.
Eleanor knew she had to be patient. He was out there. She was sure of it. If only Louis could find him before its too late.
He weaved in and out of people as he tried to use his time efficiently. He had three minutes before he was late for work, and he still had four blocks to go. He was kicking himself for choosing to walk instead of taking the bus. Some days he just felt like walking, but that proved to be a bad idea once he realized he was running out of time.
His shoulders bumped others and he shoved through the crowds of downtown London. If he had not had the headphones in, he would have heard the many rude insults thrown his way. But as usual, his world was muffled thanks to his safety blanket. His headphone protected him from the mean things people had to say.
Harry was a timid sort of lad. He wasn’t unfriendly by any means. But he’s always had a hard time being outgoing. He preferred to stay on the sidelines with his headphones on and watch the world go by. This wasn’t to say that he didn’t want friends, but he had never been so good at making them. After a while, he just gave up trying all together.
He had one best mate, Liam Payne, who he had known since childhood. They got on real well. They shared a passion for music that no one else never really understood. Liam was an accomplished classical violinist. Harry had never seen anyone so talented in his life, and he didn’t just say that because they were best mates. Harry played the piano himself, and he was all right. Good enough to get him into university.
When the time for university came, Liam and Harry realized they shared the dream of attending a music school. So they applied to all the same schools and promised that they would go wherever they were both accept. Much to their relief, they were both accepted to the University of London College of Music, which was their hope.
Liam wanted to perform, and Harry wanted to compose. So they signed up for their respective classes and moved into a small flat near campus together since they didn’t want to stay in the dormitories. Their scholarships covered tuition fees, so they both maintained part time jobs to make up the difference. Which is how Harry ended up at the music store that he was now running late for.
Harry liked his life. But he had always felt like an outsider. He never knew the right thing to say, or the right thing to do. He never fit in with what seemed to be acceptable. All his life he was always given sideways glances and weird looks. He was always “that weird kid” or “Liam Payne’s best mate.” And he hated it, but he didn’t know how to change anything.
"You're late." His coworker Niall Horan hissed at him when he finally burst into the small record store 2 minutes and 23 seconds late. Harry blushed and hurried to his place behind the counter.
"Sorry." He mumbled and pulled his over-ear headphones from atop his unruly curls and looped them around his neck. Niall's face broke into a good-natured grin, letting Harry know that he didn't care that he was late.
"Whatcha listening to today?" Niall asked, twisting a rubber band around his fingers. He leaned into the counter and waited for him to reply. Niall was bored, and he was glad to have Harry here to talk to, even if he didn’t talk that much.
"Just barely?" Harry asked, unsure of what to tell him. Niall shrugged, indicating that he really didn't care. Harry rolled his eyes and pulled his worn iPod from his pocket and starting hooking up to the shops stereo system.
A small smile played on Harry's lips as the sound of distorted guitars filled the room. "It's called 'Moulting' by this band called 'Eagulls.' It's really experimental. They've integrated the elements of old school punk lo-fi sounds with a hint of shoegaze and some pounding beat. Cool huh?"
Niall nodded his head. He liked the song, but it was just a song. Niall liked music, but not the way Harry liked it. Harry picked it apart; it was almost like a science for him. He had this kind of knowledge that went far beyond just knowing a lot of bands. It was like a language to him, and it amazed Niall.
"Yeah, mate. Very cool." Niall assured Harry. There was a customer at the register, ready to check out so he ended his brief conversation with Harry.
"Hey Harry, we got a new shipment this afternoon. You're on inventory." Niall told him once the customer was gone. Harry nodded eagerly and ran into the back.
He loved doing inventory. It gave him the opportunity to listen to his music undisturbed. Niall knew this, so he always gave Harry his turn. He hated doing inventory. He would rather be in the store talking to people. They made a good pair, Harry and Niall.
_-_-_-_-_-_
Somewhere not too far away from where Harry was, Louis Tomlinson was giggling like a school girl with his flat mate and best friend, Eleanor Calder. The two were a match made in heaven. She was like the girl version of himself that he had been searching for all his life. He met her on his first day living in London no even two years ago. When it turned out that she was in need of a flat mate, it was a no brainer for the two to move in together.
He was studying music at The University of London College of Music. He’d been playing the cello for as long as he can remember. He never saw any other future for himself. He was meant to get a degree and play. That’s all he’d ever wanted to do.
Louis had a veracious appetite for life. He had many friends and everyone spoke very highly of him. He was the life of the party and he loved to meet new people. He had an air of confidence about him that seemed to draw people in. He thrived on his social life. He loved to talk, joke around, and be outrageous because he loved to make the most of the time he was given.
The friends were spending their rare free time in downtown London. Eleanor was catching up on some much needed shopping and Louis was following her around like a loyal friend. Normally he hated going shopping with women, but she made it fun. Especially since she was convinced that every guy that looked their direction was checking Louis out.
Louis had the sneaking suspicion that Eleanor loved the fact that he was gay a little too much. Many girls had the dream of finding a gay best friend, and Eleanor seemed to be committed to fulfilling all the roles that entailed. Which, much to Louis’ dismay, included matchmaker from time to time.
“Eleanor.” He told her seriously. “That guy is not checking me out.”
“Lou! Come on. He was! He so was!” She argued, smacking his arm to emphasize her point. He flinched away from her assault at rolled his eyes.
“You are on crack. Buy your clothes and let’s go.” He commanded, giving her a friendly shove towards the register. Eleanor giggled and followed his instructions.
“Lou, why won’t you just put yourself out there?” Eleanor asked him as they strolled down the street. He had shot down another guy she pointed out and she was growing frustrated.
Even thought Louis seemed to be the kind of guy that had it all figured out, there was one aspect that he hadn’t quite figured out. No one knew why, not even Louis, but he had this peculiar resentment for love.
“Put myself out there for what? Finding my soul mate, falling in love, living happily ever after?” Louis spat cynically.
“I don’t appreciate the sarcasm, but yes. Don’t you want something real? Aren’t you sick of one-night stands and casual relationships?” Eleanor asked.
“Nope. And I will never get sick of them. You know why? Because love is shit.
Especially for me.” Louis informed her. They had this conversation all the time, and Eleanor never managed to change his opinion of relationships.
“Love is not shit.” Eleanor insisted.
“Whatever you say. It’s a sham. It’s irrational to think that there is one person out of the 7 billion people in the world that is meant for you. And its even more irrational to think that there is even a chance of stumbling across them.” Louis said, shoving his hands into his pockets.
“But if it’s meant to be-“ Eleanor reasoned but she was quickly cut off.
“If I was naïve enough to think it was meant to be, then I deserve to get my heartbroken.”
“You’ll see, Louis Tomlinson. You’re going to find him one day. And when you do, you’ll see that I was right.” Eleanor told him in a sure voice.
She was convinced that Louis was just scared. But it was letting it hold him back. He’s never even considered the possibility that maybe he could fall in love. He’s spent too much time looking at the negative outcomes; he’s never even bothered to consider the good.
Eleanor knew she had to be patient. He was out there. She was sure of it. If only Louis could find him before its too late.
Nawwww, update?
2/18/14