C H A P T E R T H I R T E E N:
“Stay the night with me,” Louis whispers into Harry's ear.
The two of them haven't moved off Louis' bed yet, not even when Johanna came in to say she was heading to bed and that Harry could stay the night if he wanted. At the time, he declined, saying he'd be going within the hour, but now he thinks staying with Louis is better than going home with tear stains covering his cheeks.
“Okay,” Harry whispers back.
Louis twirls a strand of Harry's hair around his finger, giving the ringlet a gentle tug.
“Do you need anything?” he asks.
“No, just you,” Harry says, turning his cheek into Louis' chest.
Louis sighs. “Don't... Don't say things like that, Harry.”
“Why not?” Harry looks up at Louis with furrowed eyebrows and a confused expression.
“Because—” Louis stops himself and brings a hand up to cover his face with it.
“You used to say you wanted me to trust you,” Harry interrupts. “Now you want me to just stop?”
“No, I want you to trust me,” Louis groans. He's getting his words all mixed up and it isn't working for anyone. “Maybe I'm scared. You look at me like I'm the sun and I can't deal with it sometimes. I don't understand how you can love me the way you do. How you can be so willing to hand yourself over to me and never doubt that I won't be able to take care of you. I'm scared about what's going to happen the day I can't.”
“Lou,” Harry sighs, “I'm not submitting to you, if that's what you're saying. I trust you and I want you to be there for me. When you say I'm putting my life in your hands, I'm not, but I do admit to trusting you a little more than what's normal.”
Louis cups the back of his head and holds him tighter. “I'm terrified that you're going to realize that I'm not all that great and stop loving me.”
Harry chuckles a bit. “If anything, that would be you to me. Louis, I love you, and I don't see myself leavig you anytime soon.”
Louis sighs and bites his lip. “What if I did something really bad?”
“Like what?” Harry questions.
Louis freezes up. “Nothing. I was just wondering. I'm getting tired, are you?”
“Yeah,” Harry replies. He's confused by Louis' sudden change in subject and has a slightly dazed look on his face. “Want me to get up so we can go downstairs?”
“Let's just stay here,” Louis suggests. “If my mum wants to yell at us, let her. Besides, it's not like I can knock you up, or anything.”
Harry cringes. “That sounds so vile.”
“I guess,” Louis shrugs, smiling. “Do you want me to get you some clothes to sleep in?”
Harry glances down at his shorts and then thinks about how cozy he is curled up in Louis' lap. “No,” he answers, “I'm too comfortable.”
Louis smiles and kisses him on the temple. Leaning over, he turns off his lamp and then settles back into the pillow.
“As much as I love this, I can't sleep on my back,” Louis says after a little while. His muscles are starting to ache and he can't quite get comfortable.
Harry sighs and rolls off of him, falling onto the bed with a creek of the mattress. Louis lays behind him, wrapping a leg and an arm around Harry, spooning him tightly.
“Way better,” Louis whispers in Harry's ear, kissing the back of his neck before nuzzling in.
Harry agrees with a hum, sliding his fingers in between Louis' before closing his eyes. Louis squeezes Harry's fingers, stroking his knuckles in a pattern that soothes the both of them. He's trying to fall asleep when he hears Johanna scream and jolts. Harry blinks and does his best to sit up.
When Johanna comes into the room, Louis is attempting to get the light on and make it look like he and Harry were still just talking instead of trying to fall asleep. However, she pays no attention to it and screeches out, “Lottie.” Louis understands right away.
“What did she do this time?” Louis asks. Harry clues in and takes Louis' hand. Everyone hates how they have to say a this time. They wish there didn't have to even be one time.
Johanna holds out a bottle. “I caught her with my headache medication.” She sniffles and wipes her eyes. “I'm taking her to the hospital. Do you want to go?”
Louis looks at Harry, who is giving him encouragement with his expression. Louis loves his sister, but he doesn't want to just send Harry home when all he'd be doing at the hospital is waiting for Lottie to get put into a room for three to seven days. He shakes his head no and brings Harry to his side to cling to.
“Okay,” Johanna presses her lips together and tries to hold in her tears. “We'll talk about this later, okay? Zinnia's awake, as are Fizz and the twins. Can I send them in here?”
Again, Louis shakes his head. “Can Harry and I have some privacy, mum?”
“Sure,” she replies. “I should get going. I'll be home in a few hours.”
“Okay,” there isn't much for Louis to say. “Bye, I love you.”
As soon as Johanna has left, Harry nuzzles up under Louis' arm and tightly wraps his arm around his waist. He doesn't know what to say, just that Louis needs comfort and that he needs to be the one there for him.
“Is there anything I can do?” Harry asks, squeezing Louis' hip.
“No,” Louis responds, his voice croaky and souding like he's trying not to cry. Harry wishes he would so he'd look at least a little human. Right now, Louis just looks dead, but Harry knows him enough to be braced for the explosion. Judging by how cold Louis looks, it's right around the corner.
“Okay,” Harry falls quiet, locking his hands around Louis' waist and trying to rock him. Finally, Louis pushes him away and blows up.
“Everything is falling apart. Lottie is probably going to kill herself, your mum will probably win that court case and drag you away to who the hell knows where and I'll never get to see you,” he rants. “Liam and Zayn still won't speak to me and Niall hasn't called me since that one time. I've been thinking about calling him but I don't know if he wants me to.” Louis' shaking now, tears rapidly falling down his cheeks. Harry strokes over his arm and back and does his best to be soothing. “And we're going to graduate in two months and prom is in the next month and I'm really fucking scared.”
“Louis,” Harry pats him to get his attention. “Lou, listen to me, okay?”
“Okay,” Louis sucks in a shaky breath and nods.
“Maybe things aren't the way you want them to be right now,” Harry begins, “but that doesn't mean they won't be eventually. Addressing the court situation first, I'm eighteen, so no one is getting custody of me. I'm out as soon as I graduate, that was the deal. I'm considered an adult, and custody cannot be won over an adult. As for the Liam, Zayn, and Niall situation, I don't know who they are, but I'm guessing they're your friends. Maybe you should call them. They could be wanting to call you but don't know what they should say and are hoping you'll be the first one to reach out. If they don't answer the first time, try again. You don't know the outcome of Lottie's life. It isn't certain that she will commit suicide. With a bit more therapy and more support, she'll be okay. Now, I'm nervous for graduation and prom, too. We're going to have so much fun at prom, and that's coming from me. If I can say that, you should believe it. Just think about dancing together, especially at a slow song. My head on your shoulder, your arms around my waist. It's that image that gets me through the nerves. Now, onto graduation. It's going to be a special night for all us seniors. It's normal for you to feel scared and anxious about it. I am. If it helps, our names are really close together on the list. All you have to do is accept your diploma and get your awards if you win any. Does that help?”
Louis wipes his tears and smiles. “Did I ever tell you you're amazing?”
“Once or twice,” Harry breaks out into a huge grin.
A/N: I have a few stories to tell about my last C.I.T. day, but I have a few things to say first. Okay, so, I'm thinking about making Homicidal/Slayed into a trilogy. For me, it's pretty much set in stone, but it'll be confirmed in the epilogue. Next, this chapter is important because it shows that Louis isn't always the strong one, that he breaks down, too. Now, onto my stories! We did a haunted tour of the school (it's called Trafalgar Castle School and was built in the 1800's) and a few paranormal things happened to me and the rest of the C.I.T.'s. If you're a doubter, I used to be right there with you, but it's honestly so life-changing if something ghostly ever happens to you. Alright, so there is a picture of a lady with blood on her neck in the main hall by the stairs and the cafeteria, and as I was walking, something whispered "hi" in my ear. I could feel the breath inside my ear and the prickle you feel when someone is right up and close to your skin. Two other C.I.T.'s heard it, too, so I know I wasn't imagining things. It also wasn't any of the others because we all had quite a distance between us and this was right up in my ear. Next, we were in the costume room in the basement and four other C.I.T.'s and I saw a shadow in the corner before it darted across the room. I know it wasn't any of the others moving because they were up ahead and it wasn't us because we were all standing still. The same thing happened to two of the C.I.T's in one of the residence rooms. They were sitting on the floor and they saw a full body shadow across the room before it darted across it. When my friend and I were in the bathroom, we both felt someone breathing on our necks and a hand touch our shoulders. It happened at different times within five minutes and it wasn't one of us touching the other because we were both in seperate stalls. All in all, it was a very, very creepy but cool experience. This author's note is getting long so I shall end it saying that my time as a C.I.T. is up so I can update as much as I please now.