Harry gingery rubbed his aching belly as he sat quietly on the bus by himself. He didn't want to bother the boys with his tummy problems even though he knew they were all very aware of them. It wasn't uncommon for Harry to get motion sick when they were on long rides. They boys knew he would go hide somewhere when he started to feel unwell. So Harry wasn't surprised when Louis came around looking for him.
"Starting to feel a bit sick Haz?" Louis asked sitting down next to him. Harry nodded. "I brought you some medicine. It might help out a bit." Louis held out his hand showing him the pills. Harry smiled and took them willingly.
"Thanks," he mumbled popping them in his mouth and swallowing them dry.
"Why don't you come back out front?" Louis asked. Harry grimaced and shook his head. "Com'on Harry, we all know you aren't feeling well if you sit up with us we can look after you," Louis encouraged.
"I'm not a child Louis," Harry grumbled defensively.
"Of course not love. But you can't just hide away until you get sick. They never makes you feel any better," Louis reasoned with him rubbing his shoulder. Harry pulled away. It wasn't that he didn't want their help. He knew Louis would look after him but he didn't want to put him out.
"I'll be fine. You should enjoy the ride with Niall and Liam," Harry sighed.
"Love, there is only so much fun we can have on a bus. I don't mind looking after you," Louis explained. Harry felt embarrassed. He didn't want them to baby him. But he also didn't like being alone. He felt conflicted and wasn't sure what to do.
"I just don't want everyone making a fuss over me."
"Would it help if just you and I sat together without the other boys?" Louis asked. Harry nodded shyly which made Louis smile. "Alright love I'll be right back." Louis got up and walked back to the front of the bus. He walked past Liam and Niall who were sitting around playing Xbox.
"How is he?" Niall asked over his shoulder.
"Sick, but he doesn't want to come out here so I'm going to stay back there with him," Louis explained.
"Good at least someone is back there with him," Liam added. Louis hummed and response grabbing a few bottles of water a few movies and Harry's designated sick bucket.
"Wish me luck lads," Louis teased. Niall snorted and shook his head.
"Call us if you need anything," Liam told him more sympathetically.
"I will." Louis disappeared to the back of the bus again to sit with Harry. He walked back and sat down beside Harry again putting down the water and the bucket in front of them. He held out the handful of movies he had brought back and had Harry point at one. When he chose Louis got up and put the movie in and sat back down. He pulled Harry down so he was lying across his lap. He felt Harry relax.
"Thanks Louis," Harry sighed letting Louis baby him. Louis ran his fingers though Harry's messy hair. He knew how much Harry loved that.
"Just relax Hazza," Louis soothed. Harry took comfort in Louis's touch. If he was being honest with himself he loved when Louis babied him. But he didn't like all the teasing that came with it.
"Lou," Harry started carefully "We're not gonna hear about this later are we? From the other boys, I mean." Harry felt his face get hot. Louis clicked his tongue and smiled a little.
"You worry too much love. Why don't you just worry about you're sick tummy and let me worry about the boys?"
"I don't like it when they tease us," Harry admitted.
"Don't worry about that. They aren't going to tease you when you're unwell. Stop fretting, you're going to make yourself feel worse with all this worrying." Harry knew Louis was right. He took a deep breath and sank further down into Louis letting him comfort him. He turned his attention to the movie on the screen and let himself relax.
A few hours had passed before Harry's stomach really started to act up. They had made their way onto a winding twisty road and it wasn't setting well for him. He whimpered pulling his knees up to his stomach which of Louis's attention.
"Don't so that love, here, I'll help out." Louis pushed Harry's knees back down and gently started to rub circles on his stomach. "That help Haz?" he asked softly. Harry nodded.
"This road," Harry groaned.
"Yeah it's a bit rough. Wouldn't be surprised if Niall was feeling ill too," Louis smirked. Harry smiled a little.
"Yeah these twisty road do him in too," Harry agreed. Louis continued to rub Harry's queasy stomach hoping to relax him a little. It worked for a while but one sharp turn sent Harry shooting straight up.
"Easy Haz, you ok?" Louis asked scooting closer to him. Harry didn't answer. He felt his stomach in his throat and all he could do was cover his mouth to try to hold off the feeling. Louis reached down and grabbed Harry's bucket and placed it on his lap. "Here you go Hazza, just relax. You'll feel better once it's over with." Another twist in the road made Harry's stomach churn. He whimpered and gagged pulling the bucket closer to him.
"God, this road," he groaned. Louis rubbed his back waiting for the inevitable.
"I know love. We should be off it soon." Harry gagged again spitting into the bucket. A sticky sweat broke out across Harry's forehead and sent shivers down his shining. Louis whispered softly to him and moved the hair out of his eyes. Liam came running back and stopped him he saw the boys in their state.
"Him too huh?" Liam asked. Louis nodded.
"Nialler feeling bad?" Louis asked him.
"Yeah he's not doing well. Where did you put those stomach pills?"
"Oh," Louis dug the bottle out of his pocket and tossed them to Liam.
"Thanks mate. Hazza you ok?" Harry gagged in response and Liam cringed. "I guess not. Feel better mate. I've got to go get Niall before he starts spewing." Louis chuckled a little as Liam disappeared again.
"See there Harry, no teasing." Louis scratched Harry's back as he watched his face quickly pale. He sighed knowing what came next. He heard a rumble come from Harry's stomach before it lurched jolting Harry's body forward and his head into the bucket with a loud retch.
"God that's foul," Harry groaned betting cut off by another gag and a retch.
"Stop talking Harry. Just relax," Louis cooed. Harry retched a few more times before his stomach seemed to settle. "There you go you all done?" Louis asked. Harry nodded. "Alright love, I'm gonna clean this out and I'll be right back ok?"
"Yeah ok," Harry rasped out, his voice sore after vomiting. Louis got up and walked out front with the soiled bucket. He walked past Liam who was nursing Niall, as he was about to be sick as well.
"Harry throw up?" Liam asked looking up at Louis.
"Yeah, he's probably feeling better now," Louis explained.
"With I could say the same about this guy," Liam teased ruffling Niall's hair.
"I hate you," Niall groaned. Liam and Louis both laughed. Louis went into the bathroom to clean out the bucket before reemerging back out front. Before going back to Harry he walked up behind Niall and put his hands on Niall's shoulder. Niall was starring down at the trash bin Liam had providing him with. Louis gave Liam a playful look before leaning down to kiss Niall's check and jumping back quickly to avoid Niall's arm as he swatted him away. Louis roared with laugher.
"Feel better Nialler," he called before leaving he room. He walked back and found Harry lying down on the couch his arm held against his stomach. "Doing ok Haz?" Louis asked softly. Harry sat up slowly.
"Think I may need that again," Harry mumbled gesturing to the bucket. Louis's heart dropped a little. Harry never got sick more than once on the bus. He felt concerned for the first time sitting back here with Harry.
"Ok Harry," Louis said with a more serious tone. He sat down next to him again and placed the bucket in his lap. Harry gripped it tightly and closed his eyes. Louis rubbed circles on his back. "You always feel better after getting sick Harry. What's going on?" The question was more of a rhetorical one so Harry didn't answer. His stomach tossed around threatening to come up again. Louis was right he always felt better after throwing up so he wasn't sure himself why he was still feeling bad. His thoughts were cut short when his stomach seized again sending up more vile liquid.
"Fuck," Harry muttered before retching again. With every heave he felt worse. His body was getting weaker and his stomach just cramped more. His pain was clearly showing itself to Louis who was starting to panic.
"It's alright Harry. It's ok," Louis cooed. Harry heaved until there was nothing left. He pushed the bucket away from him to get away from the smell. "You done?" Louis asked softly.
"I don't know I just can't take the smell," Harry grimaced.
"I'll clean it just try to relax." Louis picked up the bucket again and took it back out front. Niall had calmed down and was lying on the couch with Liam sitting across from him. They both looked up at Louis in shock when he came out again.
"He threw up again?" Liam asked. Niall sat up too.
"Yeah, I'm a little worried," Louis admitted.
"He never gets sick more than once," Niall added.
"I know. He's getting weak too. I'm worried." Niall and Liam looked at each other.
"Do you think maybe he's getting sick?" Liam asked standing up looking towards the back of the bus. Louis shrugged.
"I'm gonna clean this and get back to him."
"I'm coming with you," Liam told him. "Niall you still ok?"
"Yeah I'm fine. Go help Louis." Louis came back with the newly clean bucket and both Liam and Louis walked back. Harry's face was completely washed out. This didn't make Louis or Liam happy.
"Hey pal," Louis cooed sitting down next to Harry.
"Lou said you aren't feeling well," Liam added kneeling in front of him.
"I feel worse," Harry hiccupped.
"Love," Louis cooed running his fingers through his hair. Harry shuttered as his stomach churned again. He rubbed his stomach carefully.
"Still feeling sick to your stomach?" Louis asked. Harry nodded squeezing his eyes shut. Liam rubbed his knee.
"How long has it been he had medicine?" Liam asked looking over at Louis.
"A few hours. He's probably thrown it all up anyways," Louis explained running his hand down Harry's back.
"Lets try to get some more in him." Louis nodded as Liam stood up to get some more medicine. Harry laid down and placed his head on Louis's lap. Louis twirled one of Harry's curls in his fingers.
"I feel terrible," Harry moaned. Louis clicked his tongue and pulled at Harry's curls. Harry smiled a little. "But that feels good." Louis chuckled.
"You just leave everything to me." Liam came back with some more medicine for Harry's stomach.
"Here you go buddy," Liam said handing Harry a few pills and a bottle of water. Harry took the pills and popped them in his mouth and followed it with a swig of water.
"Thanks Liam," Harry sighed. Liam looked the two over and smiled a little.
"I think you're in good hands. Just yell if you need anything."
"Thanks Liam," Louis smiled. Liam patted Louis's shoulder before leaving the room. Harry cuddled closer into Louis taking in his scent. "You should try to drink some more water," Louis encourage picking up the water bottle. Harry didn't feel his stomach was up for it but he didn't argue. He sat up just enough to take a few drinks of water. The water felt good, cooling his burning throat was it went down but it hit his stomach like a brick. It sloshed around making Harry's mouth water. He pushed the bottle away refusing anymore.
"That didn't sit well," he gulped. Louis sighed and didn't try again. Harry laid back down across Louis's lap holding his stomach as his churned nauseatingly.
"I don't know what's got you so sick Hazza. I wish there was something I could do," Louis told him sweetly.
"You being here is enough for me," Harry replied.
"Try to get some sleep. I'm not going anywhere. Hopefully we'll be at the hotel soon." Harry nodded and closed his eyes.
"Alright." When he woke up next the bus had stopped moving. It was dark outside so he figured they must have been there for some time. Louis hadn't moved from his spot he was watching a movie and hadn't noticed Harry had woken up yet. He was about to say something to him when his stomach lurched sending him flying upright reaching for the bucket on the floor. Louis looked over at him in shock before quickly getting the hint. He grabbed the bucket and held it under Harry's chin just in time for him the start spewing into it.
"Jesus Harry," Louis sputtered out. His eyes were wide all the excited had startled him. "Guess you're still not feeling better," Louis sighed. Harry didn't have much left in his stomach the heaving didn't last long. He felt hot and gross. He draped himself across Louis who began to run his fingers through his hair but stopped when he felt heat. "Whoa," he mumbled. Louis put his hand to Harry's forehead and hummed. "That explains a lot." Harry guess he had a fever, which is why he wasn't feeling any better.
"I'm glad you were here," Harry told him softly. Louis smiled slightly.
"I'd never leave you. We're at the hotel. You were sound asleep I didn't want to wake you. Do you want to go inside or do you just want to sleep in your bunk. Either way you need to get into bed."
"You're staying on the bus?" Harry asked. Louis nodded. "I'll stay here with you." Louis chuckled.
"Then go get into bed. I'll get you something for that fever." Harry made his way to his bunk and waited for Louis. Louis came back and handed Harry a few fever reducers as well as another stomach relaxer.
"Thanks Louis," Harry sighed taking the pills and a drink of water.
"You should get back to sleep," Louis told him before he started to head to his own bunk.
"Lou wait," Harry stopped him. Louis turned back to face him. "Will you lay with me?" Harry asked shyly. Louis got a devilish smirk.
"I was waiting for you to ask." Louis crawled into bed with Harry holding him close. Harry felt safe in Louis's arms and sleep found both boys easily.