Boston (Short Story)

Spontaneous

This chapter is dedicated to @gooeylove for her amazing cover!!

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Louis didn't leave his bed for five days straight. He remained burried under a tunnel of sheets, bathing in his self loath.

He was sure Liam had called. Scratch that, he was postive. The incessant ringing got so annoying after the first day that Louis thew his phone on the ground, definitely shattering the screen.

Today, he could smell himself from a mile away. Normally that level of filth would disgust him beyond belief, but he reminded himself that he had nobody to impress anymore.

No job to drive to at nine, and nobody to randomly surprise with an intricate bouquet of roses.

He had nothing.

He was nothing.

Through his bubble of self-pity, Louis didn't even apprehend the anrgy stomping of-what had to be-Liam's crusty, beige boots scraping along his linoleum flooring.

He burrowed farther under his sheets, wishing he could disappear into a cloud of blue smoke, much like the Genie on the movie he watched last night.

A squeal of refusal passed Louis' lips as the warm sheets were ripped roughly away from his body. Curling into a sad ball, he glared at his friend. "What was that for?"

Liam huffed a short breath, false amusement coloring his brown eyes. "Are you fucking with me right now?" He waltzed over to Louis' window and threw the black, satin curtains open.

"Hey!" Louis protested, sitting up on his elbow. He was majorly pissed at Liam, though his scratchy voice didn't portray it very well.

Louis bit his cheek as his friend walked closer. "What is wrong with you Tomlinson? Huh? I called you at least a hundred times! I left-I don't even know how many messages, and you couldn't bring it upon yourself to answer just once!?"

Louis almost felt bad for his lame response.

"I broke my phone," he shrugged, "sorry."

"I broke my phone!" Liam mocked.
Quite offensively, the annoyed boy might add. "I thought you were dead--you absolute bastard!"

Halfway through Liam's rant Louis had rolled out of bed and into his modern bathroom, leaning with both hands on the sink. His anger had started to dissipate and began morphing into sadness. The change stirred in his stomach, causing him to feel seasick.

Liam continued his spheel, but Louis' mind was too fuzzy to make out anything over the rush of his pulse.

"Louis? Are you even listening to me?!"

It only took a moment before Louis was wretching wildly into the sink, emitting broken sobs. Liam snapped his mouth shut, speeding over to hold Louis' back as the boy trembled out of mortification and pain.

He whispered soothing words, not unlike a mother to an upset child.

"Shit, Lou," He whispered with his nose burried in Louis' matted hair, "I'm so sorry."

Louis looked up, and hummed brokenly. "Not your fault."

"Let's get cleaned up and then we can splurge on some ice cream and The Walking Dead. Just the two of us. How does that sound?"

Louis smiled, so Liam took that as a yes and began wiping the marble sink with a Clorox wipe. He ran a shower for Louis, promising to meet him downstairs in twenty minutes with two bowls of ice cream fully prepared.

When the small boy descended the tiny flight of stairs, his hair was fluffy and clean. Liam smiled, patting the space next to him invitingly.

Louis blushed at the ice cream in his hand, not used to being looked after. He'd always been an independent soul, and hated vulnerability. Still, the gesture was sweet and Louis was grateful.