Clean Criminal // l.s.

xxi.

Harry stood outside of his apartment on his balcony with a cigarette between his lips. He slowly took the cigarette from his lips and exhaled, relaxation washing over him in waves.

Harry hardly ever smoked, or at least he tried not to. It was special situations like these where he was so stressed that he couldn't help but light the stick. But it was these moments that he could think clearly with no distractions.

He hadn't gotten enough time to himself until his phone started to ring--a sound he was getting tired of hearing. "Hello?" he had weakly questioned.

"Hi, Harry," Louis had started, "I just wanted to tell you--tell you how pretty you are. And, and how you make me feel really good."

"Lou, are you--have you been drinking?" Harry had questioned.

"Pfft, you're silly," Louis laughed, "such a silly-willy."

Harry ran his hand through his hair, "I'll be right over. You are at your place, aren't you?"

The other line had become static-y but soon Harry could hear Louis yet again, "mm, no."

Harry closed his eyes, "then where are you?"

Louis had looked around the bar he was in and he stranger who had been staring at him all night long. His voice became lower as he spoke over the phone, "I'm at a bar, Harry, and there's this weird guy looking at me. I'm kind of scared and, and I don't really know what I should do."

Harry let out a sigh, trying to not get mad. He can't get mad, not at Louis anyways. He should be angry at Zayn, Zayn was the guy who had hurt Louis and God knows who else.

"Which bar are you at?" Harry questioned as he entered his apartment again and searched for his jacket.

Harry felt like Louis was going to cry just by the sound of his voice when he started to speak again, "the...the one just a block away from my place."

"I'm on my way," were the last words Harry said before hanging up.

.

When Louis sat down at the bar, he automatically knew he didn't belong with the sluts and old married guys looking to get laid. He knew that the place was far too dirty for him and that he should have just left. However, the bartender, who was quite handsome, had asked what he wanted and when he said, "I'll take a Coke, please," the bartender laughed and got him scotch on the rocks.

Louis had taken a swig and found that it wasn't as bad as it seemed. It was refreshing, not just the drink itself but also the symbolic meaning, or at least what Louis thought was symbolic. He was letting go, trying new things, releasing everything all with one sip. So of course he wouldn't stop.

After a few drinks, Louis' body wasn't exactly agreeing with him. He was dizzy and he spoke with a slur and he was beginning to sweat in crazy amounts. However, this didn't stop a few men from approaching him with wide grins and evil intentions after he had called Harry.

The man who had been watching him was the first to sit down next to Louis and then one of his buddies sat on the other side. Louis felt trapped. 

"What's your name, pretty boy?" the first guy asked. 

Louis had at first ignored the man but when the guy had grabbed Louis by the neck, he was forced to speak up, "it's--I'm Louis." 

"Aren't you a doll?" the second had stated, "I bet you look real pretty in dresses."

Louis squirmed in his seat, hoping the bartender would come back from the kitchen to save him. But he never did and Louis was stuck under the hold of this stranger who definitely wanted to hurt him.

"I--I wouldn't know. I don't really wear dresses," Louis commented, not trying to cause any trouble.

"Maybe we should take you to our truck and we can see what you actually look like, huh, baby?" the second man asked as he played with Louis' hair.

"Well, I don't exactly--"

"What the hell are you bastards doing?" Harry yelled, running towards the perverts that were harrassing his Louis.

Harry had immediately grabbed the perv who was playing was Louis' hair and pushed him against the counter. He gave a few punches to the bastard's face before the other creep had tried to take on Harry as well. However, his drunken state made him wobble and then fall on his ass.

"Harry...Harry, please, just stop it!" Louis yelled as Harry continued to punch the guy underneath him.

Once Louis had touched Harry's arm, the taller had stopped what he was doing and looked at Louis. It was as if Louis could bring clarity to Harry's life with just one gentle touch. 

"Harry," Louis said weakly.

Harry had instantly taken Louis in for a hug, "I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner."

"I'm sorry I went out and got drunk," Louis said, holding Harry tight.

Harry kissed the top of Louis' head and closed his eyes, "it's okay, baby."

.

It was three o'clock in the morning when Louis had woken up and started walking around his apartment. Harry had been sleeping on the couch and was awakened when Louis started to climb into bed with him.

"Lou?" Harry asked sleepily.

"I missed you," Louis stated.

Harry chuckled, "you were less than twenty-five feet away."

"Any distance I am away from you is a distance too far," Louis said as he snuggled into Harry.

"Look at you getting all poetic," Harry spoke as he rubbed his sleepy eyes to look down at Louis. 

Louis leaned up to kiss Harry before asking a question that was stuck on his mind, "why haven't you arrested him yet?"

Harry let out a sigh, "do you really want to talk about that right now?"

Of course Louis did. He wanted to know why the guy who had killed Zayn wasn't arrested. Why was he still around? He should be in prison for the crime he commited. Even if Zayn was a bad guy, everyone deserves justice, or at least Louis thought so. 

"Zayn deserves justice," Louis stated simply.

"We're working on it. We've been trying to connect everything and we should have it done by the end of the week."

"It's Wednesday," Louis pointed out.

"And we'll have him in cuffs by Friday," Harry reassured. Louis kissed Harry once more, sealing the promise.

"Harry?"

Harry hummed a "hmm?" waiting for Louis to continue speaking.

"My head really hurts."

Harry let out a short laugh, figuring this was Louis' first time even touching alcohol, "just try to sleep it off. I'll get you some Advil in the morning. Just sleep, love."