The first rope belongs to the broken neck of the girl who spilt her drink over Louis, her bodyhanging lifelessly with no colour whatsoever to signify body warmth.
From here, Louis can see thatshe's been dead a long time. The next rope is the reason for Louis abusing the arm wrapped aroundhis waist.
Anthony.
*LOUIS' POV*
It's like someone placed metal clamps over my ears and made every sound I could recognise simplypass by with the heavy ringing of metallic echoing. My head felt blocked and stuffed with thingsthat made it heavier.
I'm pretty sure I was struggling to free myself from the beastly grip around me,keeping me restrained from leaping out the window.
Anthony!
There are tears rolling down my face before I'm able to stop them. Along with hurt comes pain,unimaginable pain at knowing you've done all you can to save the person you're least likely to save.I know I can't scream.
There's no voice to do it. I'm under an agonising amount of pressure that Ifeel braced at the seams.
"Do you like it?" Harry asked against the lobe of my ear, half the tone of a toddler telling a secretand half the mannerism of a sadist ensuring his victim is well shaken up.
I'm being tilted forward and I don't know why, but it's by the strong hand of Harry on my back. Isob at the blatant gruesome extent of this 'gift', hiding it behind my hand with blurry vision coatingmy sight. The bodies outside hung limply in the wind, swayed lightly from side to side as the ropetwitched from the breeze and tension.
The squeaks and squeals of rope grinding on drying skin is covered by own screaming. I'm wearingnothing but clutching some form of cotton to my naked chest with my left hand.
Harry is shufflingbehind me but I care very little because I'm just about tipping over the edge of grief mountain. I'mkeeping my watery and widened eyes on everything indoors so another attack of panic isn'ttriggered.Who knew breathing could be so hard?
"I hate it." I mutter angrily, the whites of my eyes turning red with strain and beginning to itch."I hate you."
Harry doesn't seem to grasp this and he spins me around to look at him, but I fight a short battle tokeep my gaze off him. I'm afraid I might turn murderous myself if I have to see his big green eyesthat are no more appealing than moss. Anthony's pale face haunts me and the ghost-like features ofa young woman accompanies him.
"I did this for you!" He exclaimed heatedly, green eyes narrowing into something mossier.I gasp from the grip he has on my shoulders, squeezing too tightly to allow proper blood flow. Iwince and try to shove him off.
"No." He shook his head at his inner demon but he looked at me. "No, stop! I did this for you, Lou!"Coals would burn simpler in my soul than the ash and flame of Harry Styles. "For us."
An easily understood grim expression of distaste and irritation must have spread onto my features.My anger was raw and I felt it like ice but also mercury through my veins.
"No, Harry." I manage to get him at arm's length.Harry cut me off with a hand curling stiffly around my neck, causing no restriction or pain.
"Forus, petal."I wrapped my hand around his wrist and matched the intensity of his stare. "You did this becauseyou're cruel and heartless. I-"
"No!" He slammed his fist into the wall next to my reddened ear that's prickling with heat. "It wasfor-"
"It was for you and your sadistic mind!" I spit. "You hurt innocent people, Harry!"
"Not innocent." He shook his head again, convincing nobody but himself internally. "He tried totake you away."
"From what?" I seem to be goaded on my the emotional adrenaline running through me andI push futilely at his torso. He steps forward again.
"From me."To an ignorant outsider or bystander those words alone are enough to make a hopeless romanticswoon. I sometimes wish I was one of said outsiders who knew nothing of the brothers' twistedways.
I make sure when I speak next it's directly to Harry. "I'm never going to be yours."Something clicks in Harry's bipolar shell and the chord connecting an average person'semotive responses to the physical features that condone it, is snapped.
He cages me into a tiny space with his arms. They close around me quite suddenly and the spookedgasp Harry pulls from me pleases him.
"Scared, petal?"I steel whatever reserves of probable sanity I have left, and pull on the least frightened expression Ican manage."You're my petal." Harry frames my face with both his ginormous hands. "You belong in my bed, inmy home with my name on your lips. I don't refuse to admit that I'm a tad more psychotic andsadistic but don't you know, petal? It's best to be the lover of the devil than his enemy."
"A 'love' is not what we have and it's not going to ever exist between us." I glare at him,hating the height impediment. Professionally, I'd never speak to any of my patients this way.
"You'relying to yourself and it's a cruel thing to do but I'm damn glad you're doing it because it's theleast you deserve."After all I learnt, I should have known better.
*NARRATOR'S POV*
You're either born a psychopath or you're lucky enough to be a functioning member of society.Regardless of whether you are in either category there's a thin film that coats the border betweensanity and raving lunacy in your brain.
It's not a single event that causes the break in that film, butthe pressure and prodding of a chain of events.Louis is unlucky enough to be that person in this moment.Harry is the first to act. He made stable Louis' neck by grabbing him by the hair at his hairline at theback of his head.
His fingers were soft but their motions made the act thrice as painful. He tuggedharshly until Louis' head was tilted up instead of ahead and his jaw tense with aggravation. Theirfaces remained angled towards one another for the moment it took Harry to exhale slowly and letthe dampness roll over Louis' lips.
"You're an infuriating little petal, aren't you?" He asks hauntingly with rhetorical undertones.
"Stubborn and ungrateful too." Louis dug his nails into Harry's wrist until the racing of the man'spulse stuck out against the bite of his nails.
"Yes." Harry smiles at the thump of Louis' head against the wall.
"Yes and you're about tostop."
"Am I?"That ticked off something in Harry, as did most of Louis' misunderstood quirks. He pried Louis'hand off his wrist and found red lines left behind, one ending in an actual bright red slit wherecartilage tore skin.
"Hmm, petal." He disapproved of markings existing on him and moved to pin Louis' handscompletely but Louis was minutely faster and his slap landed squarely on Harry's cheek.
Harry had him held against the wall with all of his body's strength by the time he registered thesting of Louis' abuse. His skin turned pink from the impact but failed to get more prominentbecause of the fierce bone structure he carried around. "You're so fucking-"
"Enough!" Someone else intervened, stern and boiling with a crooked temperament after watchingthe pair for such a while.Louis' head snapped towards the door in the tiny space he was allowed to breathe, nestleduncomfortably under Harry's chin. He broke free of the hold on his hands and neck, feeling greatstrain as he was freed from Harry.
"You've done enough." Edward took three large strides and hardly twitched at the sight outside.
"Goclean it up."Harry didn't budge for a whole minute and he did not fail at keeping his locked vision unstaggeringon Louis' face. Edward gripped his shoulder and jerked him backwards to get him to move. "If it's not done by sunset, brother, you'll have something far worse than Louis to deal with."
Harry was gone after that.
He slammed the bedroom door after yanking it open on firm hinges hisanger was nothing dramatic and all real, driving shivers down Louis' spine as his adrenaline faded.He was alone with Edward after that and he couldn't look anywhere but at the floor.
Louis felt something heavy being draped over his shoulders and he glanced up immediately atEdward. The man's impassive face gave nothing away as he covered Louis' naked top half with hiscoat and avoided all eye contact.
"You do this to yourself." Edward says to him, blatantly unhappy and waiting for Louis tounderstand that.
"I don't-"
"Come." Edward puts his hand in Louis' and pulls him away from the daunting scene just outside.Louis remains frozen in his position, face angled towards the window where his bottom lip wobblesat the sight of Harry cutting down the ropes outside.
Edward sighs deeply and doesn't wait for Louisto gather his wits about him, as he's never possessed enough patience. He has an objective at themoment and Harry returning before it's complete could hinder a few things.
He bends to Louis' appropriate height and hoists him up off the ground, sweeping the gravity outfrom under his cold feet. It's an over-the-top move that makes Louis gasp back his swallowed cryand stare at the side profile of Edward.
"What are you doing?!" Louis can't imagine the world of awful possibilities Edward could conduct."Stop! Stop please. You promised!"Louis couldn't take more of an attack, not from anyone and Edward is certainly first on that list.
Edward suddenly halts in confusion to ask: "What promise-"
"You said-" Louis has to wipe the fresh tears away from his eyes. "-you wouldn't touch me. Youpromised!"Edward doesn't know how to respond to the boy he's holding, that's crying to get away from himfrom gripping the expensive fabric of his shirt like he needs an anchor.
He doesn't set down thewriggling boy until they're in the adjoined bathroom. He ignores every squirm and protest he getsfrom Louis, setting the boy down on the counter by the rudely bright mirror to stare back at hisgaunt reflection.
"What- What are you doing?" Louis sniffles, clutching the coat he was given to cover as much ofhimself as he can.He watches the Styles other half turn on the shower and test the water, ideally wetting his sleeve inthe process. He's confused by all this and studies the environment of the bathroom to learn thenooks and crannies.
It's wide and spacious. A giant shower stands across one whole side with a glass wall blocking it outfrom the toilet and double basin. It's so elegant and updated in interior design that one would neverplace it in a manor like this.
"Jump down." Edward instructs like the elementary function and command of Louis' brain hasmalfunctioned.
He unhooks the one button Louis had in place at the very top of the coat, closest to the stiff collar.Edward sets the coat down and pretends so convincingly that the sight of a naked Louis does notaffect him in the slightest.
"Get in." He steps aside so that Louis can go into the shower.Louis looks at Edward and wonders why he's doing this for him. Edward himself looks hardlydifferent from when he'd slammed the Rover's hood metal in frustration. His hair has been rakedback many times and his shirt is unbuttoned at least four buttons down.
"Why are you doing this?" He forces himself to ask before it remains a mystery forever.Edward responds by remaining quiet and handing Louis the body gel. His entire shirt is drenched bynow with the back spray of water as he stood in the shower section too, shoes and all.
He wasunaffected by any of it and his unrelenting stare remained focused on Louis as if checking up on theboy.
"I'm sorry." Louis tried again to get words from Edward. He accepted the bottle of body gel andsponge but did nothing with them.Edward's curiosity makes his eyebrow quirk. Why is Louis apologising?"A-And thank you." Louis stutters, frowning at himself and appreciating the warmth of the watergliding down his sore exterior.
"For?" Edward takes his chances and asks.Louis' thin bottom lip is bitten down to a sore layer of skin and the steam from his shower is doinggood for a slight burn on it.
He doesn't exactly know how to phrase his thanks in words and doesn'twant to be touched.Coming to his solution is a rocky road, but nothing as hard or challenging as taking the step forwardand touching Edward. It's not something he'd set out to do yesterday or a few hours ago even, buthe's got no other way to express his gratitude. He closes his eyes tightly, squeezing out the water,and setting his cheek on Edward's shoulder
.The man is taken aback completely and goes stiff to the core when he witnesses this. Louis shakeshis head when Edward's hands brush his back.
"Don't." He won't allow himself to be touched even if he's bending that rule already.Edward understands and drops his hands back to his sides. He wants to know why he's being soaccommodating with Louis but he's got a fairly good subconscious idea. Louis' not their petal fornothing.
"I'll protect you." He blurts out uncharacteristically but not unintentionally.
Louis cues his quick withdrawal and stares up at Edward with glossy blue eyes of intrigue. There'ssomething masked in Edward's eyes too and it's something that's full of pain."From-"
"From everything." Edward presses the body gel and allows the blue substance to drip onto thesponge.
"Why?"With slow hands, Louis takes back the sponge and finds his answer leaving with Edward as the manexits the shower section.
"Wait!"Louis panics and forgets to grab hold of Edward in his hurry to keep the older male near so his morethreatening, scary sibling doesn't get to him.
He trips on the steel bar dividing the bathroom tiledfloor from the shower-fitted area, dropping the objects in his hands as he falls. His knee hits thesteel rod and Edward turns around in time to hear him shriek.
"Petal!" He is now uncharacteristically beside himself, seizing Louis by the arms to holdhim up even if it's halfway.
Coughing and sputtering, Louis let's Edward support him in a shaky stand again. His knees becomewobbly and the unkind thrills crashing into his concentration distracts him from the fact thatEdward is carrying him again.
"You have no care for self preservation, petal. None." Edward scorns with a rigid jaw.He slams the bathroom door closed without using his hands and Louis whimpers from the suddenbang.
Edward is overcome with something else now, and it drives him to a manic mind with frettingover Louis."Drive me crazy." Edward frowns deeply and opens the tap of the white porcelain tub. "Absolutelymad."Louis watches Edward carry on handling him and the things around them so easily.
He feels likehe's caught in a trance within a vortex and can't move his attention from Edward. The man waswetting himself entirely by holding Louis the way he way and it seemed only Louis took note ofthis.
"Fuck the fucking promise." Edward muttered in a harsh tone, kicking off his strange shoes andstepping into the filling tub with Louis.He sits down with Louis pressed against him like an overbearing vine wrapped around the boy'smiddle, in the form of his muscular arm.
Edward would never do this. He'd never even want to getthis close to Louis, or anyone. There was no gaping hole in his soul for intimacy, but he doesn't feellike he can physically let his petal go at the moment.It doesn't feel like Louis wants him to let go either by the way he curls his short fingers as theyspasm slightly on Edward's forearm. They're side-by-side in the tub with Louis slowly beingcovered by the warm water.
"You kissed me." Louis says softly, carefully. He's referring to days ago that felt like a lifetime priorto this day.
"I am aware." Edward watches Louis lean forward and drops his arm to admire from a shortdistance, the beauty in the curve of Louis' back.Louis doesn't meet Edward's eye and tightens his hand on the other's pant leg when the bedroomdoor opens outside the bathroom. Harry's back.
"He won't come in here." Edward silently promises. "I'm-"
"Why did you kiss me?" Louis bends his knees up to his chest and circles an arm around them. Helistens intently to the noises of the adjacent room.Edward grinds his jaw and his gums begin to hurt where the sharp ends of his teeth slot beside oneanother. It's a spell-binding pain that makes him want to cause more pain to balance the first dose.
"Because it must be obvious that I don't kiss people, you want to know what made you sospecial?"Louis nods cautiously and an involuntary wince makes his nose scrunch up and back shiver."You want to hear that I'll never hurt you-" Edward leans forward too, his sudden press againstLouis' back makes them both anxious. "-because my brother did and will again."
"You won't?" Louis curls his toes in the water.They both listen to Harry dashing about in the next room, cursing loudly and at one point smashsomething. Not once does he approach the bathroom door.
"I won't."Louis involuntarily launches himself at Edward when Harry does start knocking on the door. Itcould actually be twice as loud as when he slammed it earlier or just that Louis' ears are gonesensitive. He fears Harry walking in here and Edward allowing him to be taken.
"Must I still-"Knowing what Edward's asking before he fully does, Louis takes the man's arms and winds themaround him. He's hoping this becomes an incentive of sorts, to make Edward not easily give him up.Edward's arm become constricting bands around him and one shifts to stretch across his back."I will keep you safe from him, petal, if that is what you want." Edward offers with a slight lispfrom the conical shape of his teeth. "Is that-"
"Yes." Louis closes his eyes at the sound of Harry starting to talk through the barrier of the door.He sounded unbelievably desperate with his knuckles tapping a soft rhythm on the solid woodstructure.
"Lou? Petal?"Louis doesn't respond and rubs the cold tip of his nose on the silky texture of Edward's shirt.
Thelatter doesn't mind or at least doesn't seem to mind because he scratches the bend of Louis'shoulders with his short nails so they don't leave marks on the skin surface.Harry continues to talk while Louis hears very little of it. He gets bits and pieces of his pleas thathave no effect on his behalf.
"He's different, petal." Edward doesn't want to let go of Louis anymore than Louis doesn't wantHarry to touch him.Louis starts to feel the water getting cold and his muscles getting tighter so he stretches his bare legsout. Outside, Harry is caught between the storm in his head and the morbid reality surrounding him.
He's pacing around the bedroom and closet, matted in dry decay on his creased clothing and driedblood. His fingers crawl through his hair so many times that the weakening motion gets a fewstrands loose in his palms.He's pulling his hair out with frustration and a world of pent-up cruel emotions spitting words allthe same at him.
"Don't...-" Edward frames one side of Louis' face to make sure he's looking at the earnest hope inhis eyes that's curtained by emotional instability. "My brother has a fragile and broken mind, petal.He doesn't know the proper way to do things without help, and he's recently taking such a liking toyou that-"
"He hits me." Louis cuts across with a snap. "He screams at me and he raped me."
Edward flinches at the word with personal disgust and hate. "Be firm with him and he'lllearn."Louis shakes his head and starts to withdraw from their small cove. Edward holds him back.
"He'stoo dangerous for me."Edward listens to Louis' extremely low voice and sighs. He takes the new bar of soap from a metalrack and makes sure Louis sees.
"May I?"He gets a nod from the boy half asleep against him and begins the lathering process with a suitablewhite sponge."I will make sure he doesn't hurt you." Edward covers Louis shoulders and back with the whitefoam he's created. "You must promise to give him a chance."
"A chance?!" His voice cracks and his eyes run wild.
"Hush." Edward shakes his head and starts on Louis' arms. "You have to understand something,darlin'."Louis waits with narrowed eyes to be explained to because he cannot understand or begin torespect- He shuts himself down when the realisation dawns quickly.
"You're not crazy." He makes Edward drop the soap so he can look into his eyes without hindrance. Edward's been perfectly sane for the time that Louis' known him, save for the times when he actedout from anger and justifiable aggravation. He stares back at Louis like his biggest secret has beenrevealed and he tries to get out of it by shifting
."No, stop." Louis plants himself firmly in his spot and holds onto Edward's sturdy shoulders."Edward, why would you-"
"Give my brother a chance and I will tell you."Louis can't sacrifice that. He knows he can't.
"You went through.....all that he did even when youdidn't have to?"Edward doesn't reply."This." Louis feels no worry when he presses the pad of his thumb into Edward's cheek and theother examining the sharpness of the man's molars. "You did this to be.......more convincing.Why make yourself-"
"Because there's nobody else to do it for him, petal." Edward's unable to contain the truth he'sforced himself to keep to no credit. "He's my brother-"
"-and you're loyal to him." Louis finishes in a paraphrase. "You put yourself through all that andyou'd still have me give him a chance."Edward looks behind Louis out the small window put in place in their bathroom.
"I did it becausehe's never known how to be happy. You can make him happy, petal."
"What about you?" Louis moves his thumb to the Adam's Apple on Edward's throat.
"We can share."