Larry Oneshots

Crisp Trepidation

Summary: Louis has been having nightmares.

______

It was a few days after the incident when the nightmares started.

And almost every night for the next two months, Harry would awake to the disturbing screams of his lover, thrashing and crying right next to him. He would then spend the next few hours holding Louis as tight as he could, trying to comfort the sobbing boy the best he could while trying not to break down himself. He failed most of the times.

Louis didn't like to talk about what came to him in his dreams; not until he woke up the next day, where he would deny the true horrors he faced when he closed his eyes.

Harry wanted nothing more than to take every last bit of pain away. The fear, the anxiety, the haunting nightmares—but he couldn't. Harry didn't even know what was going on. He could only squeeze the boy into his arms and whisper into his ear, trying to shake his lover out of the horrific scenes playing in his head.

This night was no different.

Harry was jolted out of his sleep when something slammed into his back. He let out a grunt of discomfort and turned over, brushing it off and letting sleepiness overtake him for a minute longer before another kick, more harsh than the last, landed in his back again. He reluctantly peeled his eyes open and sat up slowly, rubbing his sleep-swollen eyes. Harry looked over to his lover, and sighed as he saw the boys twitchy movements and heard the slight whimpers leaving Louis's mouth.

So Harry did what he always did. He cautiously pulled a shaking Louis into his arms and brushed his fingers through the boys tousled hair, whispering soft murmurs. Harry was able to fall back asleep when Louis calmed after a few minutes, but he was soon woken up again to a loud scream.

"Louis!" Harry reached for the thrashing boy, his heart hammering at the scare. "Shh, it's okay! You're okay, you're okay. Lou, shh." He wrapped his arms around the boy despite Louis's hard force against him. He took a few elbows to the ribs and knees in the stomach, but Harry would gladly as long as it meant Louis didn't hurt himself.

Harry didn't know how long it took for the boy to stop moving, but he also hadn't noticed the boy was awake until he felt his bare chest become wet with tears and he heard small cries.

Harry felt his heart familiarly become heavy while tears began to sting his own eyes. Here he lay holding his one and only love, who was suffering beyond his imagination, and he felt powerless to help him. Louis didn't want to talk about it—Harry didn't know what to do. They needed that bridge of communication because with out it, it would put an unconsolable strain on their relationship. Was that too much to ask for? Communication?

"Lou," Harry murmured into his ear, hugging the boy closer to his body. "Baby, I need you to talk to me. I need you to tell me what's going on with you." He begged, voice defeated and weak.

Louis's small hands clutched Harry's skin, his mind flashing and heart clenching. He shook his head. I can't.

Harry squeezed his eyes shut, tears beginning to flow over his cheeks. He pulled back and brought a hand to his mouth to cover a sob. "I can't do this, Lou." He cried. "I can't go on like this."

Louis's blue eyes were rimmed red, fresh tears falling as he stared back at Harry.

"I love you, with... everything that I've got." Harry breathed, a huge lump in his throat, straining his voice. "But seeing you like this, not knowing what's going on, what's happening with you—it scares the living shit out of me, Lou. And I-I can't handle it anymore. I need you to talk to me, or-or someone. Please."

Both Harry and Louis broke down then. Clutching onto one another, both at their wits end, they cried.

______

💚 Vote and Comment 💙