HARRY TAKING CARE OF SNIFFLEY LOUIS FOR AMNESIA TIMESTAMP HEHEHEHEHE
Not sure this is what you’ve wanted, but… I was in the mood for something emotional, so this happened ! Not betaed, so you can keep all the mistakes and typos you find :D
Louis opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling. His heart was rabbiting in his chest, and he was panting. The images of Harry, head hung low, blood dripping from his chin, skin cold — they slowly vanished in front of his eyes.
Groaning, Louis sat up, his hands sweaty and shaking. He looked at Harry who lay next to him, still sound asleep. Carefully, he tucked a curl behind Harry’s ear, letting his fingers linger. Harry’s skin was warm, dry, his hair soft.
Louis slipped out from under the duvet and quietly left the bedroom. He closed the door, leaving Harry to his peaceful sleep.
In the kitchen, Louis filled a glass with water, gulping it down in one go. His hands were still shaking, his arms covered in goosebumps.
He had expected the dreams to come back. After all, the anniversary of their accident was coming up. With it being the same day as Liam’s birthday, it was easy to pretend it had never happened. They just focused on going to Liam’s party, spending the day with all their friends. No one had to think about that God-awful day seven years ago.
He stared out of the window, blinking away the tears, swallowing them back down. It wasn’t always easy to forget for Louis. The dreams had become so much less since he’d got Harry back in his life, but they still came back in times of stress.
Louis had known they’d come, the way he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about the accident in the past few days. That he had known, however, didn’t make it any easier to deal with the dreams, though.
Dreams, flashbacks, memories. Louis wasn’t even sure anymore what they were. It was all mixed together when he slept, overwhelming him with a feeling of being powerless, of anxiety, and fear.
He jumped a little when suddenly, arms wound around his waist, pulling him against a warm body. His shoulders relaxed, the tension in his back dissolving.
“Hey,” Harry murmured, kissing Louis’ shoulder. “You’re shaking.”
Louis lifted one hand to touch Harry’s face. “Did I wake you up?”
Harry ignored Louis’ question, resting his chin on Louis’ shoulder instead. “Your skin is cold, baby.”
“Is it?” Louis blinked his eyes rapidly to get rid of every proof for his little breakdown.
“Lou.” Harry gently turned him around, expression becoming soft when he looked at Louis’ face. “Don’t act like I wouldn’t know.”
Louis couldn’t bear it, so he let his gaze linger on Harry’s bare chest. “I’m good.”
“You’ve had nightmares again.” Harry ran a hand up Louis’ back to his nape. “Don’t shut me out.”
Giving up, Louis let his head fall forward, burying his face against Harry’s neck.
“I’ve been thinking about it, too.” Harry pressed his lips against Louis’ temple, voice quiet. “I know it’s been haunting you.”
“I keep seeing it over and over again.” Louis let Harry sway him and closed his eyes. “I keep losing you.”
Harry swallowed thickly, his hand stopping its movement in Louis’ hair. He drew back and took Louis’ hands, pulling him over to one of the chairs standing at their kitchen table. Louis ended up in Harry’s lap, and Harry put a finger under Louis’ chin to make him look at Harry.
“I’m right here, Louis.” Harry drew him in, gently kissing Louis’ lips.
Louis sighed, relaxing into the kiss. He wound his arms around Harry’s neck, taking everything in. The way Harry tasted at three in the morning, the warmth of his hands on Louis’ waist, his heart beating steadily against Louis’ chest.
“What can I do?” Harry asked quietly when they broke the kiss. “I hate seeing you like this.”
Louis leaned his forehead against Harry’s, looking into his eyes. “This is just fine.”
“You gotta talk to me, Lou.” It felt like a secret whispered in the dimly lit kitchen. “This can’t go on.”
Of course it couldn’t. Louis knew that even if Harry didn’t remember the day, he was aware of it, too. He had his own demons to fight.
“I don’t just wanna be there after you’ve gone through hell.” Harry still kept his voice quiet, as if he didn’t want to scare Louis away. “I wanna stop those nightmares from haunting you.”
“You can’t.” Louis closed his eyes, framing Harry’s face with his hands. “You’re doing enough by being here, Harry. They got so much less since I’ve got you back.”
Harry pulled Louis even closer. “If it’s enough, why won’t they stop?”
Louis wanted to tell him that the memories couldn’t be so easily erased. It felt like a bitterly ironic thing to say, given their situation. “I told you, they’ll never completely stop.”
“You also told me you’d let me in.”
Biting his lip, Louis opened his eyes again.
“I’ve known you were struggling with it over the past few days. And then you just sneak out on me when you have a nightmare, when I’d be right there next to you to comfort you.” Harry’s brows knitted together, his lips pursed in a pout. “That’s not the deal we had.”
“I know.” Louis forced himself to hold Harry’s gaze. “What am I supposed to say, Harry?”
“The truth,” Harry requested.
That stood between them for a moment, weighing heavily over their heads.
“When I close my eyes,” Louis whispered, voice feeling raw in his throat, “I’m back in that moment. That fear takes over, making me feel paralised and powerless. Touching you, but being unable to do anything.”
Harry exhaled on a shuddery breath. “You won’t ever have to feel like that again.”
“I know.” Louis smiled slightly. “But I did then, and I can’t overcome that so easily. Not when it’s about you.”
“Lou.” Harry kissed him again, his hands gripping Louis’ waist tighter. “I love you.”
“I know,” Louis replied, thumbs caressing Harry’s cheeks. “That actually helps a lot.”
Harry chuckled quietly. “Seriously. Talk to me when you get scared.”
“I will.” Louis let go of Harry’s face to put his head on Harry’s shoulder. “I’m still getting used to the fact that I don’t have to deal with this alone.”
“Okay.” Harry pressed his lips against Louis’ forehead. “And wake me up when you have a bad dream. Let me be there for you.”
Louis nuzzled into Harry’s hold. “It’s not always easy to let you see me like this,” he admitted.
Harry hummed quietly. “I know. There’s no one else you can trust showing that part of you to, though. I can take it, Louis. I can handle it.”
A light from outside illuminated the kitchen for a moment. Water dripped from the tap, cutting through the silent room. Louis closed his eyes, feeling overwhelmed – but not like he had before. He was overwhelmed by something much warmer, gentler, kinder.
“I’ll find you,” Harry reminded him, the words whispered into Louis’ hair. “Even in those nightmares.”
Inhaling deeply, Louis let go, knowing that Harry was right.
Even if the nightmares were coming back, Harry was going to be there, too, pulling Louis into his reality. He was going to hold Louis and let him be weak in the safety of their home. Harry was going to be there when Louis got haunted by the past he couldn’t shake.
“I’ll find you,” Harry repeated, feathery touches running over Louis’ body as morning stirred outside.
Louis sighed quietly, deciding that they could stay like that for just a little longer.
