Solace

Chapter Ten

"How are you Louis?" She asked softly, careful not to use a tone that would scare Louis off.

"Been better obviously."

"Are you tired?"

Louis nodded, because he was. All he wanted to do was sleep but he couldn't due to the blocked nose and his constant peeing urge.

"Harry's coming down with a cold as well, you know?" Anne raised an eyebrow and looked at Louis' face to watch his reaction.

Louis looked up from his tea, heat immediately rushing to his cheeks. But instead of a smile, which Anne expected to see, Louis' face formed a scared expression. He shook his head and closed his eyes, bringing his lips closer to the mug of hot tea.

"Louis," Anne approached him, sitting next to him, feeling the heat from the blanket, "Hey, hey, now, Louis, what's wrong?" She placed her tea down. Her motherly instinct told her to wrap an arm around Louis' shoulder and even though she was a stranger to him, she did it anyway.

"What has my son done?" She asked sternly, knowing that even if Harry did do something wrong, Louis would be too scared to tell incase it backfired in his face.

So instead telling her what was going on or making up a pretty little lie, he chose to shake his head and keep his gaze at his feet. He really didn't want Harry to be annoyed with him.

"Louis, please tell me, it's important that you don't hold your feelings in-"

"Hey mum!" 

"Harry!" Anne scowled, "What have I told you about knocking?"

Louis was scared to look up but did it anyway, still a bit shocked from the sudden burst through the door. His eyes widened and then an eyebrow was raised when he actually saw Harry.

"Hey Louis." He smiled and sniffed a bit, Anne being right about the cold.

"What are you doing here?" Anne looked between her son and Louis and was hoping that Louis didn't run up to his room or anything like that.

To her surprise, he sat still, feet safely tucked underneath the blanket, his lips on the mug like his life depended on it. His eyes were slightly red and Anne knew that he was trying to hold back some tears and oh, how much she wanted to tell Harry to just grab his face and make him feel safe and loved.

Anne was still sat down next to Louis and when she noticed a brown teddy bear under his arm, she smiled and hoped that it wasn't for him.

Harry was quick to notice Louis' expression and knelt down in front of the Louis who was hidden behind a blanket.

"Hey, Lou," He softly placed the teddy down near Louis and although it was corny, cheesy and stupid, he thought it'd make Louis smile, "What's wrong?"

His hands were placed on his knees, keeping balance while Louis avoided eye contact.

"Here, the teddy's for you." Louis, indeed, smiled and took hold of the teddy with one of his hands, "I was about to go up to your room to give him to you actually. I suppose it's a thank you present for being you."

"Thank you." He still didn't dare to look at Harry in the eye.

"I see you're ill as well? We really shouldn't have been out in the rain." Harry laughed and his laugh, it made Louis' head spin for some odd reason.

After a minute or two of silence, Anne took a seat on the other couch and carried on watching the two boys.

"Hey, mum?"

"Yes, Harry?" She sucked in her lower lip.

"Do you mind if your meeting just, kind of ends here? I'll take Louis upstairs, he's really ill. I'll force some medicine down his throat if needed."