Where Is My Mind (Larry/Ziam AU)

15.

Chapter 15

    Louis stares at the sight, bewildered. Did Gemma just call Harry, Dave? Was there more to Harry that just him and Jamie? He had to be sure he had heard correctly; maybe it was some kind of mistake. “Dave?”

“Who is he? Why is he in my bed? Gemma, what’s going on?” The boy is startled and frantic and confused and scared.

“Hey, shh.” Gemma tries to comfort the boy. “Calm down, alright? No one here is going to hurt you.” When she sees Louis get up from the bed, she shakes her head at him. “Stay here,” she tells Louis before taking her brother out of the room.

Dave is shaking when Gemma sits him down on her bed. “I don’t know him. I don’t know him.”

“Breathe,” she reminds him. Gemma throws her blanket over his shoulders and rubs his arms. “Everything is alright.”

“I don’t know him,” he repeats again.

Gemma sighs and picks up her phone from the bedside table, walking out to the hallway. She dials Niall’s number and sighs again when he picks up on the fourth ring. “I know it’s late, but I really need you to come over.”

“What happened? Is Harry okay?” Niall shoves all sleepiness away and gets up. He searches the clutter on his floor for a matching pair of shoes. “Gemma?”

“Harry was Harry for the night and Louis stayed over and when Harry woke up, probably from a nightmare, he was Dave and he freaked out and now he’s scared and Louis doesn’t know what’s going on. I think. Actually, I dunno. You’re better at explaining everything and I just--”

Niall cuts her off. “Hey, Gemma, breathe. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

She nods even though she knows Niall can’t see her. “Thank you.”

“It’s no problem. I’ll see you soon.” Niall ends the call, finding a pair of slippers and a hoodie. He slips them on, grabs his car keys, and runs out the front door.

Gemma turns back to her room and sees that Dave is still shaking. “Dave?” He doesn’t respond. “Dave, you still in there?”

“I don’t know him. Gemma, what if he . . .?” He doesn’t finish the question, just shakes his head.

“No, no.” She crosses the room and sits next to him. “Nothing like that happened. You’re safe in this house, you know that.”

He looks up at her, fear still in his eyes. “But what if he comes back a-a-and hits me again?”

Gemma immediately knows that her brother isn’t speaking about Louis anymore, but of their father who had a horrible tendency to take his anger out on Harry. She throws an arm around his shoulders. “He’s not coming back, I promise. I will make sure nothing bad happens to you.” She kisses him on the side of his head. “I’ll be right back, okay?”

“Okay,” he whispers.

Walking back across the hall, Gemma finds Louis right where she left him. “Do you mind going downstairs for a bit? I’m sorry he freaked out on you. He’s just unfamiliar with you.”

Louis nods. “I understand. I just didn’t know there was more than just Harry and Jamie.”

She gives him a small smile. “You’re taking all of this way better than I thought you would.”

He shrugs. “I care for him, y’know?”

“I do.” Gemma steps out of the doorway and nods her head towards it. “Downstairs, please.”