Breaking Louis Tomlinson {Larry Stylinson AU}

Chapter Two

A/N: Hello again lovlies :) I'm so happy with the response I've been getting on this story, it's incredible! Writing boyxboy is way too fun... I'm really enjoying this. Yeah, my chapter is long again, but I feel like I need to detail this. My endings are rather dull, I'm trying to improve that, but in order to, my chapters would be 230943 pages longer. Anyway, thank you so much, I really appreciate it :)

Dedication goes to @StarsNStripes for being such a great friend for me. She makes me smile on a daily basis; I love her more than I love some of my real friends.  I just wish we were closer together geographically, because she means the world to me<3 x

Louis was more than tired when he got home late that night—he was exhausted.

It wasn’t only a physical exhaustion; it was a mental tiredness that made his shoulders hunch and his head pound. He was feeling strange, almost like the night hadn’t really happened, and he’d been observing the whole thing through his slightly-distorted vision.

Louis remembered how he was mocked, how the girl looked at his wrists, how she couldn’t help but gasp. He remembered, yes, but he didn’t really feel it. The pain was numbed for some reason, which relieved and confused Louis at the same time. Without pain, the thing that constantly rode alongside Louis, he felt different.

And whatever different was, it was better.

Louis ran a hand through his tousled hair, closing his eyes briefly. He was starving; after a long shift like that, all Louis needed was a bowl of pot noodles and his ragged duvet. So he set to work, heating up some water on the eye of his stove and waiting until it boiled before adding the noodles.

As his food cooked, he quickly emptied his pockets so he could change back into his sleeping wear. Louis’s phone—much to his surprise—was glowing with five missed calls, all from Zayn. Now, Zayn did care for him and all, but it wasn’t normal for him to call him more than once or twice. Especially if Louis didn’t answer.

Louis, feeling a little wary, listened to his first voicemail that Zayn had left:

Hey Louis, it’s Zayn. I’m pretty worried about you, I’ve been texting and calling, and you don’t answer. Everything alright? I can stop by and check in on you anytime, just ring me. I’m seriously concerned.

Louis sighed and deleted that one, moving on the next.

Are you okay, man? This feels off… I hope you’re not doing anything stupid. Louis, if you need someone, you know you can always talk to me. But please, whatever’s going on, don’t do anything that you’ll regret.

Zayn’s voice carried a warning to it, which made Louis laugh bitterly. If only Zayn knew how he treated himself… He’d probably feel like it was his fault—which wasn’t completely true. Louis just didn’t know how to handle what most people could. And he definitely couldn’t talk about it.

And so, Louis decided to ignore Zayn again.

It was a subconscious decision. Louis had already made it this far alone, and he was past the point of needing people. Friendship was a foreign hope for Louis, an unrealistic dream. It had been months since he could call someone friend, even Zayn. Zayn didn’t understand what was happening to Louis, and he didn’t really want him to. Louis felt like his secrets were best kept to himself, because he’d tried for years to keep them just that: secrets.