Solace

Chapter Ten

Worthless.

Pointless.

Stupid.

Louis knew he was all of them, no point in denying it. He didn't want to hide the fact that he was ashamed of himself because what would be the point in that? No-one liked him. And even if they acted as if they did, count on Louis to screw everything up. Count on Louis to scare that person away. Count on Louis to regret everything.

Louis was scared of Harry, no matter how nice the younger boy was to Louis, he couldn't get over a bridge that seemed to collapse. Harry, in his eyes, was a dangerous person. One who would hurt you after gaining your trust. Louis didn't want to risk anything.

Maybe that's why Louis told Harry not to bother with him. Because Louis was scared, or was he just being selfish? He was scared to act upon everything he felt when he was with Harry because he knew, he was sure that one of them days, Harry would kick Louis in the guts and leave him alone to die. That's what everyone else did and Harry surely didn't like to be different.

Tissues surrounding Louis while he lay on the bed, one of his hands was placed on his forehead, constantly checking up on his rising temperature. It was all Harry's fault really, because if not that curly fucker, Louis wouldn't have left the institute and definitely would not be out in the rain. But as if everything decided to turn against him, Louis had to suffer not only emotionally but physically. His eyes were bloodshot, skin beyond the temperature of hell and nose as runny as a waterfall. To add to his miseries, he also had a burning sensation down below and had to get up to pee every twenty minutes which worn him out by the fifth time he stood up to walk across the corridor and use the toilet.

His legs were weak and he couldn't even be bothered to lift them up from the ground. He, quite literally, dragged himself along the floor, and once in the toilet, didn't even bother to lock the door. He was quite sure that the people on his floor were now fully aware of Louis' sudden penis problem.

He tried falling asleep a few times, but was woken up by either a lump in his throat and had to cough it out or a sneeze rapidly making its way out. All in all, Louis was tired, pretty damn exhausted to be specific and the only thing on his mind apart from his burning penis, was Harry.

Harry, Harry, Harry. Harry, the dream. Harry, the kiss on the cheek. Harry, the nice guy. Harry, the one who might be lying.

*

"Would you like some tea, Louis?" Anne asked a few hours later. She looked over at Louis who was sat on the couch, wrapped up in a blanket he bought with him, dressed in a hoodie and sweats, shivering.

"Yes please." He signed.

"Louis, are you alright? Do you need any medicine?" She questioned with concern. He shrugged with response. Although he did trust Anne, he wouldn't want to take medicine from her. At least not until he was really desperate.

"I hope you get better. Looks like this isn't just a cold." She made eye contact with Louis, first time in days.

Anne walked over to the door and leaned forward to turn the heating up a bit by pressing some buttons underneath the light switch. She saw how cold Louis was and she really didn't want him getting ill. 

Once the kettle boiled, Anne prepared two teas, one for Louis and one for herself and handed one to the lad once she sat down on the couch opposite. She smiled lightly at Louis when he took a big gulp of the liquid in attempt to warm himself up but his nose scrunched up once he realised that he burned his tongue. She chuckled quietly, not wanting to put Louis off, but carried on smiling.

Louis looked up at her from his tea, his orbs peeking through underneath his eyelashes and the corners of his lips turned upwards just slightly, ever so slightly. Louis was smiling. He was smiling at a person who he didn't know a few months back. Surely, that counted as an achievement.