Let You Go (Larry Stylinson)

Pieces

Louis sits in silence in the passenger seat of Niall's car. He didn't want to go back to Niall's house for a chat, but now he's here and there's nothing he can do about it. 

Niall is worked up. He drives faster than he normally would, cutting through the traffic and casting occasional looks towards his best friend sitting silently beside him. He wants to help, but he doesn't know what to do. Finally they arrive home, and Niall decides it's time for a chat.

"Louis, why did you break up with Harry?" he asks bluntly. Tact never was a strong point for him.

Louis' body language becomes defensive as he crosses his arms over his chest.

"Well, same reason people usually break up," he says in a tight voice. "They don't want to be together anymore."

Niall can't help it; he rolls his eyes. "Yeah, which is why both of you have spent the past week crying over each other, right?"

Louis glares. Niall is, in fact, absolutely right, and Louis doesn't like it. 

"No," he defends. 

"Louis," Niall says softly. "You're my best friend. Remember when you used to tell me everything? Because I remember it, and I don't know why you've stopped. Recently... I mean, you've just closed yourself off completely. I may be dumb but I'm not stupid, and I know that you love Harry. Present tense. So what's going on?"

Louis doesn't say anything. He feels awful. He thought he would be the only one who got hurt out of this, but clearly Harry, Liam and Niall are all taking it upon themselves to feel sad as well. Harry, he can understand, but Liam and Niall? This wasn't how it was supposed to play out. Finally he takes a shaky breath and decides to confess.

"I had to let him go," he croaks. "I'm holding him back. Have you seen him? He looks like a perfect popstar, he sings like an angel, he's funny, charming, likeable... and then I'm... just me." 

There's a silent pause, and then Niall explodes. 

"Oh, so that's what you have going on here? Some screwed up martyr shit, all 'not Harry, take me instead'? That's what this is?" Niall pauses for a breath, his eyes dark. "Well guess what Louis, this isn't fucking Harry Potter! Harry loves you, all you're doing is breaking him, and you know what, you're breaking all of us! Did you even consider the rest of the band? Or were you too busy trying to force Harry into a 'perfect popstar' that you forgot about Lima and me? Oh, that's ok Louis, don't worry about us. No, go ahead, just chuck Harry into the spotlight he doesn't want to be in, sacrifice yourself for nothing, and leave me and Liam to rot in the dust. We won't mind." Niall's eyes are narrowed and his tone is laced with venom and sarcasm. 

"I should go," Louis whispers and he leaves as quickly as he can, calling a taxi to take him to his new flat which will never be home, because Harry's not there.

In the taxi, Louis' eyes fill with tears and he lets them fall, not having the energy to wipe them away. Why is he so fucking stupid? In primary school Louis' teacher always told him to think before he spoke, so that he didn't say anything mean. Well, now he's sitting here having not thought about anything, and he's gone and fucked everything up. 

Last week he was sat at home snuggling with his boyfriend, three best friends just a phone call away. Now he's single, friendless and broken. The only consolation he gets is from a tiny voice at the back of his head, whispering it'll all be worth it if it ends with Harry finding himself.