Collision; Larry

29.

Louis just nods against his chest, focusing on the steady rise-and-fall of it and allows himself to find it safe and comforting. He's run out of both words and tears and anger as of now, so finding a worthy response feels hard.

"I'm sorry," he murmurs at last. "For freaking out on you."

Harry starts shaking his head immediately.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. I'm sorry I provoked you. Even if I do think you needed to let it out."

Louis huffs softly.

"Maybe. But it's still embarrassing. I would rather have done it alone."

"Would you really, though?"

No. Louis wouldn't. He says nothing.

"You're not alone." Harry brings a light hand up and down Louis' arms, the soft warmth and tickle of his fingertips feeling somewhat cleansing, a contrast to the previous ripping and clawing he can still not quite push away. "You've had so many visitors here who took time to come and see you and wish you well. Eleanor's been on me like a hawk. Camron came by too, and he-god, he admires you so much. You have a loving family who I've not known for that long but I've seen enough to know that they'd support you through anything. You have Niall, and Liam, and Zayn. You have me. You've had me for a long time."

The words strike him quite unexpectedly, because of course Louis knows this. He knows he has people around him who cares about him, and Harry pointing that out shouldn't startle him as much as it does. Louis is almost ashamed.

But he's also spent what felt like an eternity down in the Darkness, and during that entire time, he felt utterly, painfully alone. Harry was there for him, and he tried his best to keep Louis alive and well, and while that was so sweet of him, the loss Louis felt had rapidly grown so big it swallowed everything else around him. Ultimately, he felt alone in his pain. He felt alone to the point where people empathizing with him didn't matter, because they didn't know exactly what he felt-not even Harry, he was sure at the time. No one else's sympathies mattered because no one knew how to erase it.

Harry reminding him of the support he has now, in this calm following the storm state, makes it start to feel like that matters again. Maybe dealing with what he's feeling doesn't have to mean endless loneliness just because some people he loves need help understanding it.

"Say I were to go to a psychologist," he mumbles. "Not saying I will. But if. If I did, what would that entail?"

Harry smiles into his hair and Louis thinks it sinks into his mind and clears the clouds. Even if just a little bit, just for now.

"We'll figure that out," he promises.

Louis hears the 'we', and he's comforted.

~

Life, after first having rushed so much it's been stumbling over its feet, and then having stood absolutely still without as much as breathing, progressively starts moving at a calm, more structured pace.

It happens as things slowly start to settle around them again-both Louis and Harry can go back to class, catch up with the studies they've lost. Louis can catch up with Eleanor, talk to her about how life on campus has been through this mess, and talking about the adventures he's been on himself, and he's missed her so much. He's missed her so, so much, and he knows she missed him, and this whole thing seems to only bring them closer. Stan comes back, too-Zeus, Thor, Jupiter and Odin together with some highly placed helpers have been working on fixing the portals fervently, and they're finally deeming it safe to travel between them again. It's an emotional reunion, the light in Stan's eyes dimming when he realizes what's happened to Louis and Louis hates that moment more than anything else, but other than that, having Stan back brings nothing but relief, stability, and happiness. Their little trio is back together, and they have so much to discuss. It keeps Louis' mind occupied a lot, so for that especially, he's very thankful.