Let You Go (Larry Stylinson)

Defeated Visit

Zayn is making breakfast for himself in his flat when the doorbell rings. He knows it's Harry, because he texted earlier to ask if he could come over.  Since Zayn left the band about a year ago, he hasn't seen as much of the boys as he'd like to and he happily told Harry to drop by whatever time he wanted to. 

Zayn quickly washes his hands and strides over to the door, pulling it open with a flourish. He quickly stops smiling when he sees the look on his best friend's face. 

"Harry?" Zayn's eyes are wide open in shock. He's never seen Harry looking this upset before. He looks exhausted, and his eyes are puffy and red... and he just looks so broken, Zayn thinks. He quickly bundles the boy inside, ushering him onto the sofa and wrapping an arm around him.

"What's wrong, love? Did something happen with Louis?" Zayn asks gently. Despite not having seen him too often the past year, he still knows Harry inside out, and he's sure that Louis is the only person in the world who could make him hurt this badly. The only other time Zayn's seen Harry even remotely close to this was when he told the boys that he was leaving the band. Harry had cried, all of them had, but it was nothing compared to how he looks now. 

Harry nods and takes a shaky breath, tears already flooding down his face. 

"He broke up with me," he manages to get out in between sobs. Zayn tries to process what he'd just heard. He isn't stupid, he knew that things can change and that not everything works out, but this just seems so unreal. The last time he'd seen them together, a few months ago, they had seemed totally in love with each other as always. Could that much really have changed from then?

Zayn sits with Harry while he cries, rubbing his back and stroking his hair while whispering reassuring nothings to him. When Harry has composed himself enough to talk, Zayn tries to find out what happened. 

"One day he was telling me he loved me, and the next he was gone, and all he left was this stupid note," Harry chokes out, folding the piece of paper out of his pocket and handing it to Zayn. Zayn's eyes are serious as he reads the note twice through, before giving it back to Harry. 

"And then?" he questions softly. "Did he say anything else?" 

Harry shrugs, wiping his tears on his sleeve. He's trying to seem indifferent, but Zayn sees that this is the bit which is bothering him the most. 

"I called him and eventually he picked up and basically... he... told me to fuck off and said he didn't want anything to do with me anymore," Harry manages to say, his voice cracking. He stares down into his lap, tears dripping down his face. 

"I told him to stay and he said I was childish," Harry sobs, his face screwed up in pain. 

Zayn doesn't know what to say, but he hugs Harry tightly and doesn't let go, just lets him sob on his shoulder thinking about how the fuck they ended up here. 

"I'm sure there's something else to it," he finally says softly. "Louis loves you. I know he does."

But there's nothing else to say and Zayn is so, so confused. And also sad. He might not be a part of One Direction anymore, but the boys are still like brothers to him. He hates to see Harry this broken. At the same time, a part of him deep inside knows that somewhere, Louis is feeling just as broken. And that he must have had a fucking good reason to do something like this.