Warning: Death of character!
Hold Me Now
Chapter Twenty-One
The room was dark, and Harry couldn't see anything around him. Harry's head had a dull sting pounding from the back, creating fuzzy spirals to be seen in the darkness. Groaning, Harry shifted to move his arms. He was surprised to find that they were restricted, tied down on the chair.
His heart picked up as he realized he was tied to a chair, duct tape over his mouth. He couldn't exactly remember why he was here, or how he got here. He groaned again, Louis popping into his mind. All the pieces fell into place after that.
*As soon as Zayn dashed off after Niall, Harry picked Louis' light body up, quietly creeping out of the room. He didn't know where to take his dying boyfriend, he had no transportation. Making his way carefully down the dark hallway, and to the concrete stairs.
Louis moaned in Harry's arms. "H-Ha-arr-"
"Shh, babe," Harry whispered, clutching Louis tighter to his body, ignoring the blood that seeped into his shirt from Louis' wound. "Don't speak, you need to save your energy." Harry couldn't tell if his boyfriend's eyes were open or not, or if he was sleeping.
"H-Hur-r-t," Louis whimpered, his breath tickling Harry's bare arms. Harry nodded his head, almost completely sure that Louis couldn't see him. He leaned down and pecked the older boy's forehead, nearly tripping over the stairs.
"Boo," Harry said, a sudden though crossing his mind, "you need to stay awake. Can you sing me the alphabet? Please?" Louis grunted in Harry's arms, gasping in pain.
"N-Now?" He asked, his voice under a whisper. Harry stopped, sitting down on the stairs to reposition the boy in his arms. He brushed the feathery fringe of hair from Louis's face.
"Yes, Boo, now," Harry said, placing a small kiss to Louis' frail lips. He picked up the other, and continued down the stairs. With Louis in his arms, the trip took much longer than it should have, especially being in the dark.
"A," Louis said quietly, his fingers shakily finding Harry's curly hair. "B-B." Louis gently tugged on one of Harry's curls, his chin resting on the younger boy's shoulder. "C."
"That's it, Boo," Harry whispered, placing small kisses on his lover's neck. "Keep going." At long last, the two reached the ground level, Harry throwing the door open to reveal a dark, empty lobby.
"D," Louis mumbled, coughing. His throat was dry, tears stinging at the pain. Harry quickly made his way over to the couch conveniently placed in the lobby. "E." As careful as he could, Harry set down the smaller boy. "F-F."
Harry removed Louis's striped shirt, looking down at his bullet wound. Louis coughed again, his voice raspy. Tears streamed down his face at how much it hurt, and it broke Harry's heart. "Hang in there, Boo. And keep singing, you just did f," Harry said, looking around the room.
"G," Louis whimpered. Harry stood up, and Louis reached out, his blood covered fingers rubbing against Harry's, not reaching his wrist. "D-Don-n't. S-Sta-ay." Harry bent back down next to his boyfriend, his emerald green eyes staring into the blue one's of his lover.
"I'm going to the bathroom just over there, okay?" Harry whispered, pointing towards the door not far off. Louis' eyes watered, opening his mouth, but not saying anything. "I need you to keep singing for me, okay? Nice and loud, you're doing great, sweetie."
"H," Louis said, watching as Harry got up and quickly made his way to the bathroom. Louis didn't feel good at all. His chest was numb, yet on fire, his stomach was queasy, ready to throw up anything he had recently eaten. "I."
Harry threw open the door, kicking the doorstop down to hold it open. Harry yanked on the cabinets under the sinks, finding a bucket along with some rags under it. He placed the bucket under the faucet of the sink and turned it on full blast. "J," Louis said from the couch.
Once the bucket was half full, Harry flipped the water off, and snatched the bucket and rags, making his way quickly back to his boyfriend, the water sloshing around in the bucket. "K," Louis muttered, quieter now that Harry was back.
Harry knelt back down to Louis, pecking the elder's forehead. "Keep going, Boo," Harry said softly, dropping the rag into the bucket of water. He wrung it out, wiping at the blood on Louis' chest. Louis hissed, closing his eyes and arching his back up slightly.
"L," Louis whimpered, his fingers weakly gripping the couch under his body. He gulped down air, the tears flooding his vision. Harry was completely helpless, his own tears streaming down his cheeks. He hated how much pain his boyfriend was going through. "M-M."
Harry took the rag off of Louis' wound, putting it in the bucket. Wringing it out again, Harry pressed it back on the older boy's chest. Louis hissed, his eyes squeezed shut. Harry leaned down and scattered small kisses over Louis' face. "I love you, Boo," he whispered, kissing away some of the other boy's tears.
"L-Love you t-too," Louis said, his voice strained. Once the wound had stopped bleeding, Harry used Louis' shirt, along with his own, to create a makeshift bandage, wrapping Louis' chest. Harry wasn't a doctor, and didn't plan on being one, but he thought the bandage was nicely wrapped.
"N," Louis said, holding his arms out for Harry. His limbs quivered, and Harry engulfed the smaller boy immediately, holding his close to his chest as possible, without crushing or hurting him. Louis coughed, his hand on his chest as he hacked up a lung.
"Babe, are you okay?" Harry asked, rubbing Louis' bare back gently. "That's it, just breath." Louis was hunched over in Harry's arms, coughing up chunky yellow and white goop. It was disgusting, but Harry knew it was a bad sign.
"O-O," Louis whispered through his gags, turning back over and burying his face in Harry's chest, clutching Harry's shoulders. Louis' tears had come back, and they slid down Harry's chest. "P."
"We've got to get you to a hospital," Harry said, picking up Louis' small body once again. He swung the elder onto his hip and started for the door, careful not to trip over anything in the dark.
"You're not going anywhere," a dark voice growled from behind the two boys. Harry spun around, his heart skipping a beat. Harry gasped at the tall, lean figure towering over his. Harry turned back around, and dashed as fast as he could to the door. "Harry."
"No!" Harry shouted, blindly stumbling along, Louis clutched tightly to his chest. "You are not going to hurt him again!" The dark figure-Harry's father-lunged at him, falling short, but able to grab onto Harry's calf, pulling his legs out from under him.
Harry let out a shriek as he fell, twisting his body at the last second so he wouldn't land on Louis, as it would crush the smaller boy in his weak state. Louis grunted as his chin hit Harry's shoulder hard, rolling off and onto the floor. He lay there, looking up into the darkness.
"You are my son and you will listen to me," Des hissed, grabbing Louis' skinny ankles and yanking the boy to him. Louis cried out pitifully, his hands looking for Harry to hold on to. His fingers clasped around Harry's belt loop, his other hand searching frantically for a better hold.
"Don't you dare do anything to him," Harry hissed at Des, his hands finding Louis' wondering one, yanking on it. Des grinned in the dark, pulling on Louis' ankles again. Louis let out a cry as his body was pulled in two different directions.
"Let go of him," Des snarled, tugging harder. He stood up, straddling Louis as he leaned up to Harry, trying to pry the two lover's hands apart. Harry fought him, shouting and kicking at his father. Raising one of his hands, Des swung his fist down at Harry's head, causing him to see splotches of color.
Harry's body went limp, even though he was still fully conscious, just a little dazed. Des smirked triumphantly as he snatched Louis up by the throat. Louis was sobbing, his body writhing under Des as he struggled to get away. Harry couldn't move though; he could help his boyfriend, not matter how hard he tried.
"Harry!" Louis screamed, or at least tried to. "H-Harry, please! H-Help me!" His voice cracked as his arms came up to protect his face. Harry's head rolled to the side, watching as his father slammed Louis' head down on the carpeted floor. Louis cried out, his hands fisting the carpet. "H-Harry!" Louis wailed.
"He doesn't care about you," Des snickered, spitting on Louis' face, "he's just sitting there. If he loved you, he'd come and help you." That made Louis cry harder because he knew it was true. Des' fingers found their way back into Louis' hair, yanking him to his knees, which shook.
"H-Harry," Louis cried again, his while body trembling. Des let go of the boy's hair, immediately kicking Louis in the chest, causing him to tumble onto his stomach, howling out in pain. Des repeated his actions, pulling Louis to his knees before kicking him.
Silent tears slipped down Harry's cheeks, watching as Louis gave up trying to fight, laying lifeless on the ground. Des had walked a little ways away, and Harry couldn't see him. Ever so slowly, Harry reached his hand out and closed his fingers over Louis'.
"H-Harry?" Louis whimpered, his pained blue eyes meeting Harry's. "W-Why didn't you h-help me?" Louis' voice wavered, and he started to cough, the goop coming out again. Louis started sobbing again, the pain was overwhelming.
Harry could speak, his mind fuzzy and hazy. Des came back, one of the small, square shaped coffee tables in his hand. Louis was too busy coughing up a lung to notice. Harry's lips parted, but he was unable to make a sound.
Des brought the table down on Louis, the room falling silent. Tears rolled down Harry's face as Louis' body became limp, his pale face shining with tears. A small sob escaped Harry's trembling lips, his heart breaking.
"You never should've loved him," Des chuckled, reaching out and grabbing Harry's neck. He pulled Harry up, dragging him away from Louis' body. Harry didn't care what happened to him anymore. His life had no use if Louis was gone.
"You're a monster," Harry choked out, his eyes never leaving his beloved boyfriend. Des chuckled again, yanking Harry around. He tilted his son's head up roughly, forcing Harry to look him directly in the eyes.
"Maybe this time you'll learn that you should never love anyone. Kelp your heart hard and cold, that's the only way to survive in life," Des said, clenching his jaw. "Remember your dear sister? Gemma?" Harry gasped, struggling in the hold Des had over him.
"You better not have hurt her!" Harry screeched, his heart pounding. Des laughed, looking around at the dark room. His gaze rested on the moon's reflection in the glass doors, inhaling sharply. "What did you do?"
"I killed her," Des said quietly, his eyes glazing with tears. Harry's heart skipped a beat, and tears rolled down him face. Des' face returned to the angry position it had earlier. "I killed her. It was so easy, too, Harry."
"No," Harry whispered, tears streaming down his face, "no you didn't! You're lying to me! You're freakin' lying to me! You didn't freakin' kill her!"
"But I did," Des said softly. "I shot down Liam's servants, and found her hiding in your room, a T-shirt of yours clenched in her hands, curled up in a ball, sobbing with her hands over her ears. I stormed into the room and grabbed her up by her hair, a headlock position. The rest came so naturally."
"No," Harry whimpered, "please, no."
"She was screaming and struggling, your shirt lying on the ground. I had dropped the gun as soon as I saw her, I'm not that evil. I wouldn't shoot a little girl. So I didn't. I snapped her neck instead. Watched the life drain from her eyes, falling limp in my arms. She was a beautiful girl, she really was. It's a shame she had to die."
"Why?" Harry hiccupped, gasping for air. "Why did you do such a terrible, horrible thing?"
"Because she left me, just like you," Des snapped, giving Harry a hard jab to the stomach with his foot. "And now you're going to die." Harry screamed out, but it was no use.
With his hand tangled in Harry's curly hair, Des slammed Harry's head onto the corner of the receptionist's desk. Harry's eyes rolled back in his head as his head ached. Everything went black moments later*
"Glad to see you're awake," Des said from somewhere in the room. Harry's whipped all around the room, looking for the man. He wasn't gagged, and he wasn't blindfolded. A light clinked on in front of him, and his father was there.
"What do you want?" Harry snapped, his eyes narrowing. "You cocky little bas-"
"I wouldn't say anything like that to me," Des smirked. It was then that Harry realized Des was holding something squirming. He froze when he saw Louis' pale face illuminated by the light.
"Louis," Harry whispered, his lips trembling. Louis looking up when Harry spoke, stopping his squirming. "Babe, you're alive!" Louis opened his mouth to speak, but Des' large hand cover over it, preventing him from uttering anything.
"Not for long," Des said, throwing Louis to the cold, hard cement floor. Harry threw himself against his restrains, his anger boiling. In the weak light, Harry was able to get a good look at his poor boyfriend.
Louis' chest was completely bare, the bandage Harry had made gone, the bleeding in his chest wound streaked down his skin, a sickly brown. bruises littered everywhere on Louis, his body quivering. His brown hair was limply hanging over Louis' sweaty forehead, his blue eyes dull and lifeless.
"Louis, baby, I'm so sorry," Harry cried, tears springing to his eyes once again. Louis looked up at the younger boy with much difficulty, his breathing ragged. "I'm so, so, so sorry. This is all my fault."
"Shut up!" Des shouted as he came back into the room, a gun in his hands. Louis whimpered from the floor, his eyes meeting Harry's again. "This will be your first lesson, son," Des said, stopping next to Louis' petite body.
"No, please," Harry wailed, pulling at the ropes. "Please, father, let him live. I'll break up with him, live with you, be locked inside, take your beatings, whatever you want! Just please don't kill him!"
"Harry," Louis mumbled from the floor, slowly making his way onto his feet. He shakily walked to Harry, straddling the younger boy's lap. His knees gave out, and he wrapped his arms around Harry's neck. "I love you, Harry, so, so much. Don't ever forget that."
"I love you too, Boo," Harry whispered, his tears flowing freely down his face. Louis took a deep breath, pulling his head closer to Harry's, their foreheads touching. They were both breathing hard, staring directly into one another's eyes.
"K-Kiss me," Louis whispered softly, "one last time." Harry nodded his head, not trusting his voice as his heart shattered at Louis' words because he knew they were true.
Harry pressed his lips against Louis', their lips moving in perfect sync. It wasn't a heated, needy, or rushed kiss, but a slow, passionate one, full of love and the promise of goodbye. When they pulled away, Louis cupped Harry's face in his scratched hands, rubbing small circles into Harry's cheeks.
"I love you," Louis whispered, gulping. Harry nodded, and Louis looked down at Harry's shirtless chest. "I'll always be here," he said, tracing a heart over Harry's. "We'll meet again soon, I promise. I love you."
"I love you too," Harry whispered back, choking back tears. Louis smiled at his lover, and Harry smiled back, focusing on Louis, and Louis only. Louis' fingers found Harry's shoulder as he pressed one last lingering kiss to the younger's lips.
A shot rang out, and Louis' body tensed, his face falling in pain. His breathing stopped, and his body crumpled to the ground, his eyelids closing, trapping the eyes behind them for good. Harry cried, big, fat tears rolling down his face. He made no noise, his heart breaking.
He felt numb and empty inside, like a piece of him was missing. Louis' lifeless body lay limply at his feet, the new bullet wound in his back spilling his blood onto the slabs of concrete under them. Harry had trouble breathing correctly when he saw Louis' mangled body, forcing himself to look away.
"Now you no longer have to love him," Des cackled, putting the gun on a shelf Harry hadn't noticed before. "Tomorrow we'll see about maybe getting Liam. Sleep well my son, see you in the morning."
Turning around, Des started to walk towards the iron door, expecting Harry to scream and shout at him, anything to express his anger and hatred for the lost of his beloved boyfriend. But it never came.
As Des reached up to turn the light off, he heard Harry mumble, "don't worry, Boo, he will pay. I promise." And then he turned the lightbulb off.
~~
Note: I know what you're thinking, "What the heck did you just do, Rosy?!" But I don't know! I freaking cried writing this. I loved Louis, he's one of my favorite characters! But I had to kill someone, and Louis was the perfect victim.
I hope you feel this story how I feel it, freaking sad. Can you? Please tell me how you feel about this chapter. I understand if you hate me for killing Louis off, but it was for the best.
Now that I have this figured out, other pieces are falling together, and it has come to me that this story is almost over, my baby is almost all grown up. I know how the ending will be, and as much as I hate it, it will be happy. Most likely. No, there will not be a sequel, unless a very, very, very good idea comes to me. But that's highly unlikely.
If I had to pick a time where I needed your support most, it's now. I really feel terrible with no comments, no votes, nothing. It hurts, it really does, and it gets me feeling like I want to give up. And I might. I really hope not, but who knows? Please inbox me if you don't want to leave a comment here, even if it's telling me how much my story sucks and you hate it; I want to know!
So that's all I really have to say for now. I know it's a major Larry chapter, but I like this chapter. I think it's one of my best ones yet.
~Rosy