HOLD ON
Summary: The aftermath of Harry finding you.
Pairings: Harry Styles x fem!Reader (cheating together) Main characters x original characters.
Word Count: 4.1kish
Warnings: Cheating (Harry and Reader together), mentions of DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AGAINST PARTNER, mentions of blood, bruising, and cuts.
A/N: IM BACK!! I am so so sorry it’s take me over a month to post this part! I can’t even believe it’s been that long. I got into a bad writing funk after my last post and spend the last two weeks just reading and not even writing truthfully. But, thank you everyone for your patience. I hope you all enjoy. REMEMBER TO READ THE FIRST TWO PARTS!! Song inspo: “Hold On” by Chord Overstreet.
Um, I’ve also reached 1.2k of you lovely people following me. 🥹 ily all. Thank you!!
All my mistakes are my own. Please do not repost or translate my fics on any other site nor this one.
I appreciate any likes, reblogs, messages, and interactions. Please message me your thoughts!!! It fuels me!
Series Masterlist || Masterlist
Harry doesn’t think he’s ever felt more afraid.
He’s been afraid plenty of times in his life. More than he can count. He’s not ashamed to admit it.
He’s not ashamed to admit he’s felt fear before.
Off the top of his head, he was afraid for his judges response on the x factor stage, he was afraid for what was going to happen after they had lost, he was afraid when they went on hiatus, he was afraid when he went solo, he was afraid before he put out his first album, his second album, and most recently his third. He was afraid of many things.
But you were there for every single one.
And you calmed him down. You were his rock. His grounding statue when he most needed it.
Every single time he had been afraid in the past, you were his voice of reason, and it didn’t matter who was his partner at the time.
He knew you were going to be his wife one day.
He just knew it.
He was just too stupid to think you guys could ever be with anybody else. But you were happy with Asher and he was happy with Vivian.
Or he let himself believe he was happy with her.
Because you were happy.
But at the end of the day, when he laid in bed and held her. Smelling her expensive shampoo in her hair when they cuddled…
It always reminded him she wasn’t you.
But he toughed it out. Because you were happy. He loved seeing you happy. He could handle settling for second best if he still had you in his life and thankfully that was never an issue between you two.
Now, Harry feels like a complete fucking idiot.
Because if he had only made you his wife like he had wanted too, you wouldn’t be in this situation right now.
He wouldn’t be going over the speed limit in the London streets if he had. He wouldn’t be holding back his tears as he thinks of what you had just told him on the phone.
But who’s he kidding?
His eyes were full of tears, threatening to fall down his cheeks, swerving through cars, not caring if he got stopped right now, knowing he wouldn’t pull over, and his entire body was shaking.
His hands were gripping onto the steering wheel. So hard that it was almost painful, one hand was maneuvering the steering wheel, while his other hand was gripping onto his cross necklace on his chest. The same necklace that you had gifted him years ago.
You had told him you saw it at a jewelers shop one day and decided to get a matching pair. He’s worn it ever since.
His eyes dash to his cell phone that’s on the console, your name taunting him on the screen, and he keeps the call connected. Just in case you woke up.
Once Harry turned into your secluded street, his tires screeching at his fast movement, but he stepped on the gas pedal to go faster.
His heart was racing as he pulled into your stone driveway. He quickly parked his SUV, taking notice that only your car was in the driveway, and he felt his body fill with nerves as to what was going to await him inside.
With shaky hands and stumbling feet, he ran towards your front door. He instantly stilled at the front door, gulping down the lump in his throat as he reached for the handle, and pushed the door wide open. It was unlocked.
The house was earily quiet and it made his skin break out into goosebumps. Harry’s body was shaking in fear of seeing you, he quickened his pace, running down your long entrance hallway, and not knowing entirely where you were, he shouted your name.
Peering into the open rooms, trying to see if you were in the first opening of the living room, and he was getting anxious when he didn’t see you.
He ran down towards the second opening of the hallway which was your kitchen and instantly his feet skidded to a halt. His feet screeching against your marbled floor.
Harry gasped loudly at the scene in front of him, a wrenching surprising sob wrecked through his body as his eyes scanned the kitchen layout, and he felt pale.
It looked like a bloody crime scene here.
Bright red liquid splattered over the white marble floors and cabinets. He could see it all over on the countertops, against the wall, and on the kitchen stove. Glass was everywhere that his eyes could see.
And then he saw you.
Another loud uncontrollable sob wrecked through his body as he ran towards you, falling down to the floor next to your unconscious body, not caring about the glass breaking his skin, his hands immediately reaching for you, pulling you into his body, and he tried to shake you awake.
Rapid tears fall down his cheeks immediately, his entire body is shaking with his sobs, his vision is cloudy, and he pulls you into his lap. He wraps one of his arms around your body and uses his free hand to move your hair away from your face.
He keeps repeating sun and baby over and over again. Hoping you’d hear him somehow. Hoping you’d open your pretty eyes for him.
His eyes take in your bloody nose, busted lip, your favorite lavender sweater is coated with blood in different spots, and same as your apron. He notices your limp hands have glass in different places, your leggings are black but he can see different areas with small shards of glass on them. And your feet. Your poor blue fuzzy socks are drenched in red. He’s not sure if it’s wine or blood.
His eyes move back to your face and he stills when he sees the hand marks on your neck. The fresh ugly bruises that are showing up. He looks up into the air, releasing a shaky breath, gritting his teeth as tears flow down his face, and he curses underneath his breath.
Harry is physically shaking with anger and guilt. He’s so upset at what Asher did to you. He feels like he can kill him, but he shoves that feeling away and focuses on you.
He doesn’t care that he’s getting himself covered in wine and blood right now. His free hand has specs of your blood on it now, but he keeps wiping away the hair and blood from your face.
Repeating “baby” to your face and kissing your face to wake you up. The metallic taste on his tongue makes him whimper.
“Hold on, baby. Just hold on.”
His voice is shaky, weak, and desperate.
So fucking desperate.
He doesn’t know what to do. You’re not reacting to anything he does, but thankfully you’re breathing. He has no idea what Asher did to you, but whatever he did. He’s going to pay for what he did.
Harry notices your phone next to you. He takes a shaky breath in and wraps his arms around you to pick you up. He reaches for your phone as he lifts you, tucks your limp body into his arms, sniffs hard to try and hold in the rest of his tears, and hastily makes his way towards his SUV.
He manages to open his back door and gently sets you down on the seats. He kisses your forehead with shaky lips and whispers, “It’s going to be okay. I-I’m here, sun.”
He drives towards the nearest hospital and prays to god that he hasn’t been followed by paps.
The entire drive to the hospital is rapid with his eyes constantly moving to the rear view mirror to look at you. To make sure you’re still there. To make sure you’re breathing.
Harry doesn’t hesitate to park in the “no parking” zone at the emergency entrance, he immediately starts honking to try and catch someone’s attention from inside. He sees a security guard immediately come toward him and Harry knows he must look crazy.
He jumps out of his driver seat, reaching for the back door to pull it open.
“I need you to get me some help!” The security officer is trying to flag someone from the inside to come and help him.
The officer looks at him in confusion, “Are you hurt, sir?” The office raises his eyebrows at his appearance.
Harry shakes his head, quickly pulling you into him once more, he hitches you up in his arms, and starts walking towards the entrance.
“It’s for her,” he says as he continues to walk into the ER entrance and immediately he can feel all eyes on him.
He ignores the stares, yells at the officer to help him, and starts feeling anxious. And he follows the officer when he opens a back door that leads him to where he assumes all the nurses and doctors are.
He can see different people running around, helping patients, and it’s incredibly loud. Loud beeping noises and chatter fills his ears. His mouth feels dry and he feels sick.
He looks at you in his arms, a soft whimper escapes his lips, and the officer brings him towards a ground of huddles nurses that are chatting about something.
One of them is smiling at another nurse and when her blue eyes met Harry’s, she instantly stops, mouth drops, and Harry can see her lips whisper his name in shock.
But then she suddenly reacts and rushes towards him.
“Are you okay? What happened?” She asks, her hands immediately reaching out to touch you, and Harry’s reflex is to curl you into his arms. Away from her touch. He’s terrified to let anybody touch you, but he knows you need it.
“I…” Harry starts, throat raspy, and he holds eye contact with the nurse, “I need your utmost discretion,” he states in a plea, but tries to keep his voice steady.
Harry sees from the corner of his eyes more nurses rushing towards him and one of them is holding a stretcher.
A male nurse tries to reach for you as well, but the nurse in front of you- Harry quickly reads her name tag- Lily.
Lily holds her hand up to stop the male nurse and she then sets her hand on Harry’s forearm, giving him a squeeze, her eyes not leaving his, and she says, “I promise you. We will be discreet.”
Harry nods, tears welling up in his eyes, and his hands are gripping onto your skin.
“But… you need to put her down on the stretcher.. so we can help her. Okay? Can you do that, sir?“
Lily moves her body to angle the stretcher and Harry quickly nods. He walks towards the stretcher, he gently sets you down, and squeezes your hands in his quickly. His shaking fingers move the sticky hair out of your face as you fall limp into the stretcher. He steps back.
Harry stands there, frozen in his spot, and watches them rush you away to an empty room.
“I’ll take you to a private room where you can wait for the doctor. Or myself for an update, okay?”
Harry nods as he follows her down a hallway, he starts messing with the skin around his fingernails, and Lily opens the door to a private room.
“You can wait here. Somebody will come speak to you soon about what happened, okay? Do you need any medical attention yourself?” Her voice is steady and calm. It’s what Harry needs right now. Her eyes look him up and down for any injuries.
“I’m okay, maybe… maybe just a wet rag, please.” Harry says, dry tears on his cheeks making his face feel stiff, and he keeps eye contact with Lily.
“Okay,” she says. She’s standing by the door, gives him a small smile, and then reaches out for Harry’s arm. She squeezes him.
“It's going to be okay, Mr. Styles. We got her now.” Her eyes are sincere and Harry’s face crumbles in anguish.
“Thank you,” he croaks out, covering his face, and turning away from her view.
He hears the door shut behind him and the only thing he can hear in the room is his soft cries.
•••
Harry must have fallen asleep after he had gotten himself cleaned up because he almost jumps out of the chair he was slumped into when he feels someone touch his shoulder.
“Sir! I’m so sorry!” He hears someone exclaim above him. He adjusts himself into the chair, uncrossing his arms, and is confused about his surroundings for just a second before he sees your face in his mind.
He stands quickly, “How is she?” He quickly runs his hands over his eyes to wake himself up.
He recognizes the same nurse as earlier, Lily, and she gives him an easy smile.
“She’s okay right now. A slight brain bleed, but nothing major. Don’t panic. It’ll heal on its own, but we’re going to keep her overnight to monitor it. Thankfully no broken bones. She does have a couple fractured ribs, but…” she trails off, her eyes looking to the side, and she looks nervous.
“What’s going on?” His body fills with worry instantly.
“She woke up, Mr. Styles.”
Relief washes throughout his body and he silently says a thank you.
“Oh, thank god. That’s good… that’s good, right?” Eyebrows furr when Lily nods, but doesn’t follow Harry’s breath of happiness. For a split second, he feels happy that she's awake and okay. But then Lily is rolling her lips in and biting the bottom one.
“What’s going on?” Harry asks. His voice shakes. The anticipation of what she’s about to say fills him with dread once more.
“Mr. Styles, we asked her what happened and she doesn’t remember. She might have a concussion or she might be blocking out the memory because of the trauma. She simply might not want to remember. It’s a way trauma victims protect themselves in these types of scenarios. It’s not uncommon.”
“O-okay?”
Lily puts her hand on Harry’s shoulder as if to comfort him for what she’s about to say. Harry feels confused as the comforting touch. He fumbles with the skin around his fingers in anticipation.
“She states that her boyfriend would never have done this.”
“W-what? She— wait— she said that?” Harry feels even more confused. He wasn’t imagining the phone call. He distinctly remembers what you had said.
Lily nods as he continues, “S-she told me. She told me that he hit her. That he—-“ he stops himself from continuing. Gulping down the forming lump in his throat. He bites his tongue because he doesn’t need anybody knowing about his personal business.
Harry slightly looks up to keep his tears at bay, sniffling slightly, and his eyes start to burn. He looks back down at Lily.
“He found out about something… something she didn’t want him knowing and that’s when he did that to her. I-I swear.”
“Mr. Styles, I’m sorry. But… If the patient says that’s not what happened.. then we have to believe the patient.” She almost looks guilty.
“Even if she doesn’t remember it happening?” Harry asks in desperation, not believing what she’s saying.
Lily nods with a small frown on her lips.
“I can take you to see her, if you’d like.”
Harry immediately nods and follows her down to your room. Lily knocks when they stand in front of the room and when Harry walks in, his lips quiver and his heart feels heavy.
“Oh, baby.” He whimpers out as he takes in your appearance. He manages to grasp onto the door to ground himself from the way his knees buckle at the sight of you. They’ve cleaned you up, but all the bruising from your face and neck makes him wish it was him in the bed instead of you.
You're laying down against the hospital bed, covered in a white blanket, with your head tilted back, but it only showcased the ugly, raw, and red marks on your neck. It made Harry internally weep at the sight. You have a machine on your right side connected to your IV and Harry can only imagine its fluids. Or maybe pain medication. He doesn’t dwell on it too long.
Your arms are laying over the blankets and resting on your stomach. Your hands are delicately covered in white gauze, but only your palms. And he knows it’s because of all the tiny glass cuts you had.
When his eyes land in your face, he wishes he could erase this picture from his brain. He pleads to the gods above that this is the last time he will ever see you hurt. He doesn’t think he can survive seeing you like this again.
Your bottom lip has a big cut on it which is making your lip a little swollen. Your entire right cheek is bright red with undertones of purples and you have one big bruise forming on your left cheekbone. Your nose has a small splint on it, but he can see the swelling underneath and the bruising on the sides.
Harry doesn’t even want to think about what you went through.
It’s almost as if you felt his presence because you slowly tilt your head down and your eyes search the room. When you meet his gaze, your entire body relaxes with relief and his name falls out of your lips like butter.
Harry is immediately at your side, wanting to hold you and touch you, but he stops himself. He hesitates in front of you and your covered hand reaches for him. His hand immediately covers yours, warm with gauze but cold fingers, and he starts crying.
“I-I,” Harry tries to form words, but his voice is muffled because of his sobs. He falls into the chair next to you and covers his face with his arms on top of the bed.
Your hand is immediately intertwined with his curls and you're rubbing his scalp to try to calm him down.
“They told me you found me?” You question and he cries harder at your voice. It’s raspy and hoarse. You don’t sound like yourself, you sound like you’re in pain, and he knows you are. It makes him cry even harder.
Harry can only nod at your question. He lifts his head to look at you and you try to give him a small smile. He’s looking into your eyes, your beautiful eyes, and he sniffles.
He ghosts one of his hands over your face and you almost want to melt into it, but you don’t. Because you know how bad you look and how every single part of your body hurts right now.
Instead, you grab his hand in yours once again.
“I’m okay,” you whisper with tears in your own eyes as you watch his red eyes. His green eyes are bright against the red, his nose is red too, cheeks are flushed, lips bright pink, and he looks beautiful.
“Do you remember anything?” Harry asks between his sniffles.
You roll your lips inside your mouth for a second and bite down on your unaffected side, eyebrows furred down, and you shake your head.
“I… I don’t. I’m… I’m assuming someone broke in? Maybe someone tried to steal from me and did this?” Your voice sounds as if you’re trying to convince yourself this is what happened. Instead of the reality that Harry knows about.
“Baby,” Harry whimpers out. “You called me… and told me Asher had found out about us.”
“Asher?” You question in a low tone, feeling confused once again.
“You… you said he hit you.” Harry gulps down the lump in his throat after he speaks those words and takes in your reaction.
Your eyes almost bulge out of your head. Frowning, you exclaim, “Hit me?! Asher would never, Harry.”
Suddenly, you’re pulling your hand out of his hold and Harry feels like you’re retracting from him.
“Baby, I wouldn’t lie—-“
“Stop it!” You cut him off, crossing your arms over your chest, ignoring the sharp pain that runs through your body as you touch your aching ribs.
His eyes dart to your stomach and back to you.
“Are you—“
“Stop.” You spat at him, feeling furious at him for even suggesting that Asher would do this to you. Asher would never do this. Never.
“Asher would never do this to me, Harry. Are you—- what are you— are you lying to me? Is this a joke? Is this some sick fucking joke? Maybe I did this to myself!! I’m fucking clumsy. I’m sure I just fell on my own. Maybe I dropped the wine bottle myself and tripped and hurt myself!” You cry out to him as fast tears start running down your cheeks. Your mouth speaks faster than your own brain. Spilling anything that would make more sense than what Harry is telling you.
“Baby. Baby. Baby.. what are you.. what are you saying? Baby, stop. He caused your head to bleed. He caused you a brain bleed, baby. You.. you didn’t do this to yourself. How could.. how could you have done this to yourself?” Harry cries as he stumbles over his words quickly at you.
“Asher didn’t do this to me,” you state confidently even though you feel confused about the whole thing. “Why would he do this to me, H?” More tears filling your eyes at Harry’s accusations.
Asher didn’t do this to you. He couldn’t have. Could he?
“He did this to you! He hit you!” His voice goes higher as his frustrations rise, his lips in a frown.
“You’re lying!! Stop lying to me. Why would Asher do this to me, Harry?! He loves me. And I know you love me. You’re my best fucking friend, but you’re crossing a line. He would never do this to me. You need to leave. You’re lying to me. I don’t want you here.”
“W-what?” Harry’s gaping at you, mouth dropped in shock, and a sob escapes his lips once more.
“Go. Now! I don’t want to look at you!” You turn away from him, sniffling, and wiping your tears away.
“You can’t be serious, Y/N. Listen to yourself,” he tries to plead with you as he tries to reach for your hand, but you turn your body to move. Ignoring the pain it causes you. You don’t look at him.
“Leave,” you demand once more. Ignoring his cries and his words.
“O-okay, baby. I’m going to leave. But… but… please. Please try to remember my love. Please,” he begs you.
You don’t say anything. You just stare out the window until you hear him get up and leave. You sit in silence for a couple minutes. Trying to think about everything he said. You wipe away your tears and reach for the call light to call for your nurse.
You press the red button and adjust yourself to relax against the mattress, trying to inhale a deep breath, and Lily comes into the room.
“Hi, love. Did you call? Need some help?”
“Yes, Lily. I did. Harry gave you my phone, right?”
“He did.”
“Okay,” you make eye contact with her. “Can you please call the person under the name of Asher? Can you let him know what’s happened and where I am? The code is 0509.”
A look of uncertainty flashes over Lily’s face, but she quickly controls her reaction. You don’t question it because she nods quickly right after.
“Of course, Mrs. Y/L/N.” She smiles at you, “I’ll be right back.”
Lily leaves the room and you close your eyes for a second.
You try to unclear your mind, trying to remember what happened, and flashes of what happened play out.
You see the wine bottle falling down onto the floor loudly.
You see yourself crawling into the corner and the feeling of true terror fills your body at the memory.
You can see yourself begging the person to stop, but you can’t see their face.
Your face crumbles in frustration at not being able to remember the one most important detail.
You sigh, opening your eyes, and you decide to wait for Asher to walk through the door.
Maybe he can help you remember. Maybe he’s spoken to the police and maybe they’ve already found the person who did this.
But there’s also a part of you wondering why he isn’t here right now. Wouldn’t he have found you after coming home from work? Maybe he had to work late.
You shake your head at the intrusive thoughts.
You try to relax once again, trying not to feel bad for kicking Harry out, but you know Asher would have never done this to you.
He would have never.