Half a heart

Chapter 16

"S' okay Lou... take your time." Harry soothed, letting Louis lean against his chest while his hand rubbed the older lads back gently.

It's an action that causes Louis to finch because it brings back memories of being whipped. As soon as Louis tenses in his arms, Harry stops and instead just keeps his hand still on his back, his mind registering why Louis has become tense.

"I was self-harming. After two years of pain being the main thing that I knew and drilled into me that I deserved... not being punished wasn't normal so I punished myself. For everything... even the smallest of mistakes. Mum found out... it was only a few months after they had saved me. So she sent me to a place on the coast that specialized in people with self-harming - everything from cutting to anorexia. I finally got a hold of myself and after I was released was when I started therapy. It took a couple years for me to be okay with people touching me - this..." Louis gestured between Harry and himself, "Would've never happened two years ago. I would've gone postal trying to get away from you. Doctors even told my parents that they needed to give me space when it came to touching because it could cause me to relapse and then it'd be like starting from the beginning."

"I'm sorry all that happened to you. You didn't deserve it, even if you broke me, you didn't deserve that." Harry stated quietly, resting his cheek against the top of Louis' head.

"I still feel like I deserved it. I should've known. I had seen him get rough with some people but he never did with me... least not at first. Either way it was because I did something stupid and because of it I hurt everyone I cared about." Louis said with a heavy sigh.

They sat there for a few moments in silence before Louis patted Harry's arm and pulled away.

"Let's go get Scar and get you home, you're falling asleep." He said standing up and going to grab his coat and keys.

Harry followed after him with sleepy eyes, pulling on his own coat and grabbing his phone off the coffee table. They drove over to Niall's flat and picked up Scarlet, literally since she was conked out on the sofa with her white teddy secure in her arms.

Back at Harry's flat, Louis carried Scarlet to her room, kissed her forehead, wished her sweet dreams, and then went back to the living room where Harry was tapping out a text on his phone.

"I'm gonna head home." Louis announced quietly.

"Do you want to come with us to Paris for Scarlet's birthday?" Harry questioned suddenly.

"Are you sure?" Louis asked in response.

"Yeah. You two are getting along really well now and it's her birthday, both her parents should be there to celebrate. We're leaving on the 18th since her birthday is on the 19th." Harry explained and Louis nodded.

"Yeah, I'd love to go. Have you already taken care of the cost?" Louis questioned.

"Um no, I was going to buy the tickets and book the hotel tonight." Harry replied already knowing where this was going to go.

"I'll buy my ticket and book the hotel if you like?" Louis inquired quietly. "Or I can give you my credit card and you can put the whole bill on it."

"Just the hotel and your ticket... I already have the money for mine and Scarlet's." Harry answered.

"Alright, I'll book it tonight then. We'll leave Friday stay Friday night and Saturday night then fly back Sunday evening?" Louis confirmed and Harry nodded. "Alright then, I'll talk to you later, night Haz."

"Night Lou." Harry replied as Louis walked over and pecked his cheek.

His hand lingers on Harry's cheek for a moment before he pulls away and then leaves. As soon as he gets back to his flat he's booking the hotel and his ticket along with the airplane tickets to Paris, texting Harry and telling him he was doing that as well. Then he's changing his clothes and slipping into bed, his last thoughts before drifting off is pondering what to get Scarlet as a gift.