Let You Go (Larry Stylinson)

Heartbeat

Louis becomes conscious for a split second and immediately passes out cold from the aching pain which rages through his body.

"We've got a heartbeat!" a nurse shouts frantically, quickly connecting Louis up to a machine. Sure enough, a steady heartbeat shows on the screen. The nurses and doctors all cheer in relief, before putting away the defibrillator and doing some tests.

Harry sits motionless on the floor, the only movement coming from the shaky rise and fall of his shoulders as he breathes. His legs are folded up to his chest and his face is buried in his arms. Harry stays there for a couple of hours before anyone takes any notice of him. 

"Honey?" A tall nurse taps him gently on the shoulder and he looks up, eyes red and sore. "We've finished all the tests. He's going to make it," she tells him, a soft smile lighting up her face.

"Really?" Harry croaks, tears welling up in his eyes. She nods.

"He fought really hard. We didn't think... we really didn't..." she trails off, blushing. "Anyways, he's going to make a full recovery in time." She's about to leave when Harry hears one more thing. 

"I wonder who he was fighting for," she adds as an afterthought, mostly to herself. Then she walks off humming, and Harry sobs.

***

Louis wakes up with his mind blurry and his body aching. 

"Did I make it?" he croaks, ignoring the fire in his throat. He feels a hand squeeze his and looks up to see a watery pair of green eyes looking at him lovingly. 

"You made it, baby," Harry whispers. "You did good."

"Hurts," Louis groans in a small voice, shutting his eyes. 

"They told me this button was for painkillers. Just push it, it'll go straight to your bloodstream through the IV," Harry tells him, pointing to a big green button next to Louis' bed. 

"Push it," Louis instructs him in a pained voice and Harry obliges. They sit in silence for a little bit, Louis' eyes still closed and Harry watching him carefully, rubbing his thumb gently along Louis' hand.

"I was really scared," Harry admits quietly. "I thought you were leaving me for good this time."

"I'll never leave you, Harry," Louis mumbles. He takes a shaky breath. "I'm so sorry about everything. Has it been long enough that you can forgive me?" Louis opens his eyes doubtfully.

"I would have forgiven you years ago if you'd given me the chance," Harry says quietly. 

Louis closes his eyes again. "All I wanted was for you to find yourself. I thought you needed room to grow. You're so good, Harry, and I'm just... I'm just..."

"You."

Louis sighs. "Exactly."

"And I love you, Louis. I already have found myself. I found myself years ago, the first time I met you. And I've..." Harry takes a shaky breath, trying to hold back his tears. "I've missed you. So much."

"Don't you think you deserve better?" Louis whispers.

"I don't want better. I want you," Harry insists tearfully.

"Even like this?"

"Even like this."

Louis doesn't say anything for a while. Finally, he smiles, eyes still closed. 

"Will you sing for me, Harry?" he asks.

"Does this mean we're together again?" Harry questions.

"It means we'll work something out when I'm more awake," Louis smiles.

"Ok," Harry agrees happily. He takes a deep breath and begins to sing. 

"Sweet creature
Had another talk about where it's going wrong
But we're still young
We don't know where we're going
But we know where we belong..."

By the time he's finished the song, Louis is fast asleep. Harry yawns, and all the exhaustion from the past two days hits him like a train. He curls up on the hospital bed next to Louis and is asleep within seconds.