*NARRATOR'S POV*
The early morning dew started to pick up outside, dropping sparse water on the filthy ground and onthose who still had to go home. Three of those occupants were covered up indoors nestled betweenthe warmth of their bodies at dawn. One could hardly hear the rain that was slowly getting heavier,more greedy for attention.Louis smiled against Edward's lips and bit the other one, tugging on it between his teeth as heframed the man's face with his small hands. Edward had the thin and practically useless blanketwrapped all the way around the boy on his lap, feeling especially warm and at peace withthe softer presence.
"I could declare this the best morning ever." Edward returned Louis' enthusiasm in the kiss as hesmirked and tried to devour what he could from such a simple connection.
"But?" Louis' fingertips tapped the hollow nature of Edward's cheekbone, teeth clashing in wetharmony as Edward's mouth wasn't ready to release the boy.
Edward merely shook his head and went back to their kissing session. It's been going on for over anhour they both believe and it hasn't escalated or degraded, just stayed at this lovely slow pace wherethey could enjoy each other's sweet gestures with a sweep of their tongues or nip of teeth.With a heavy intake of air, Edward held Louis by his buttocks with both firm hands as he lifted hima little higher and lot closer. The boy laughed and curled his fingers on Edward's clavicle, theirswollen lips meeting in a ravenous union one more time.
"Sweetheart." Edward's arm crosses over Louis' back from his hip to his shoulder, their foreheadspressed together. "I want to marry you."
Louis doesn't bat an eye at such a sudden confession and tugs a little on Edward's frosty hair. "AndI'd like to wash your hair."
"My baby brother told me you washed his. Isn't that enough?" Edward really shouldn't be as startledas he is by the idea of Louis washing his hair."
Aw baby brother." Louis pushes some starch white hair back over Edward's forehead, cheeks alittle more pink than usual.
"He is my baby brother." Edward raises an eyebrow of his and turns Louis around, nevermind their fully nude state.Edward adores his other half, glancing momentarily at Harry's dozing shape as a lump of humanmass amongst the thin sheets with puffy lips and pale skin.
"He was my pup before you." Edward says insightfully, making Louis guffaw quietly.
"Really?" Said he with widened eyes.
"It's so cute."His partner chuckled and flicked some hair out of his eyes, bending his knees under Louis' body. "Isuppose I shouldn't take that away from him."
"Aha." Louis bumped their noses together. "I'll always be your petal."
Louis settled down between Edward's legs and got locked in by those muscular thighs around him.He rested the back of his head on Edward's shoulder and breathed out sleepily. His one hand stillreached up behind Edward's head and twirled the spineless curls at the base of his hairline.They both looked forward at the muted television as meaningless images flashed by on the staticscreen, Louis' twitching fingers soothing the goosebumps on Edward's skin. The man wouldsometimes kiss his wrist where the pulse was strong or his temple with wet lips.After two minutes of blankly observing the wall or Harry's sleeping form sprawled out on his frontwith the sheets just barely covering his behind as he softly snored into his pillow, Edward nudgedLouis' jaw back towards him and connected their lips because being apart was primitive. He smileswhen Louis grins and their kiss turns into little pecks that mould into a more hungry motive.Louis' hands squeeze Edward's tough knee caps and he arches his back to give themselves a betterangle, their tongues fighting for a lazy victory of dominance.
Edward's sharp dagger teeth tugsstrongly at Louis' lips fiercely. The latter moans in his throat while flipping back around to straddleEdward, earning a proud smirk and massage on his posterior.Both hands of his boyfriend kneaded his bum in an eager fashion. Those plump red lips moveddesperately against the cushions of Louis', sucking viciously until the thin flesh ripped and bloodfiltered through their kiss.
"Maybe your hands on me won't be so bad." Edward pushes Louis' knees further apart forcefully,rubbing two fingers over where his lovely boyfriend was sticky and glistening from late last night.
"Daddy." Louis cupped Edward's cheek in his palm, fingers sliding behind the man's ear. He rollshis hips back and forth, feeling the inflation of Edward's manhood between his thighs.
"Come on, baby."Louis giggles, a loud near shriek falling from his voice box when he's hauled over Edward'sshoulder.
He's being carried towards the bathroom that's positioned differently to the one they hadon their forward trip. He lightly slaps Edward's bare bum when he's hanging over the man's rightside with an arm strapping him close.
"Behave, petal." Edward punishes Louis not by swatting his back but by wriggling his fingers fromLouis' cheek to his hole.
A loud gasp followed by a high-pitched whine when Louis gets the pleasure of two long fingersentering his body. He scratched down Edward's back with his blunt nails, squirming on Edward'sdamp skin where muscle hid beneath taut skin.The two fingers inside him work their way to be as deep as they can make it. Edward let's Louisslide a little down the length of his body so that he got knuckle deep and could scissor his fingersopen. Louis dug his nails into Edward's nape and shoulder, his jaw falling open with his eyes screwed shut. By the time he's made it into the bathroom, he's shamelessly rounding his hips againstEdward's torso with kisses being peppered over his chest.
"Greedy baby." Edward secured Louis' waist with both hands pressing into the soft flesh andtouching bone, the boy's legs around his hips.
Louis' arms turn into a cage around Edward's neck while the latter male keeps him safely perched.Their size difference is so ideal, so perfectly designed that Louis could simply hold onto Edwardwith all his limbs wrapped around him. Edward chuckled as he found and pulled on a fresh pair ofblack boxer briefs.Edward pulled a chair soundlessly in front of the basin and seats himself in it with Louis getting hisperch situated comfortably on the man's lap. He kisses Edward one more time up on his knees and asuggestive grin.
"My Daddy." Louis tapped his forefinger on Edward's upper lip, just before it's caught betweenthose very lips.
His finger gets sucked in and Edward's mouth closes around it, creating obscenely loud noisesaround the appendage while Louis tries not to combust on his lap. Edward groans when Louis knotsthe other hand of fingers in his hair and takes advantage of the man's willingness to let himoverpower his body.
"Baby." Edward removes his mouth and latches onto Louis' neck. "You wanted to wash my hair. Getto it."
Louis now knows that Edward actually wants him to, since he's brought up the task of washing hishair after Louis forgot. He wiggles his hips to get more comfortable with bare skin on bare skin,rough cotton sometimes grazing his sensitized skin.
"Head back." Louis really doesn't need Edward's mouth off the artery in his neck but he's willing tosacrifice it.
Edward leans his head back as much as he can and when he meets Louis' eyes, smirks with adevilish wink. Louis blushes and kisses Edward's red nose tip. He yawns into his fist rightafterwards and blinks away the possible tears, before picking up the shampoo bottle to squirt someonto his palm.
"Maybe make this more entertaining for me, petal." Edward's thumb rubs over the flesh of Louis'hip where a few of his possessive bite marks remained visible from the previous night.
Louis caught a humoured and enamoured sparkle in the man's eye when he looked his way, rubbingthe shampoo between his hands before lathering up Edward's hair. Such a faint but stark hair colourand none of his washes off as Louis rubs his fingertips into the man's scalp, massaging in perfecttandem to the fast pace of his heart.
"I've only got only one way to do that." Louis spoke into Edward's cheek, planting a wet kiss righton that spot. "I don't believe it's a method that most would approve of."
Edward's undeniable lip quirk tells of the message behind it, the stewing implication of idealsuggestiveness. Louis could only return with a cut-off burst of sweet laughter before he's being raised up onto his knees and Edward is rewarding - or punishing - him with a slap on his left cheekjust below the curve of his back.
"Fuck those people, petal." Edward bit his lip and said, adding to his overly masculine andsex on legs persona. "I do what I want with what is mine."
Louis looked down at him a little scandalised and whole lot more hot between his legs where hisbody alluded the need for friction at where he was swelling up. He stared down into those eyes thatcarried emotions to soar freely through his body, a sharp inhale coming as a result to Edwardpositioning his body to hovering over his aching c*ck.
"I can certainly attest to the fact that I'm yours." Louis' head falls back between his tenseshoulderblades as he's lowered, the action harmoniously timed with his erratic heartbeat.
He licks his lips and curls his fingers tightly in Edward's hair under the running water, spendingminutes to allow his body to adjust. It's no longer a new sensation for his insides to work towardsaccommodating such a wild, arousing feat of their lives. Becoming whole felt like becoming oneand that meant being inexplicably torn apart at the seams in the best possible way. It was the oldestcomfort and newest pleasure to be connected physically.Louis' throat became scratchy at his phenomenally low mewl. He gets that part of his kissed andpraised by the lips of one of two most eager worshippers, leaning over Edward to fully seat himself.His hips shifted and wiggled until he'd taken all of Edward into him, opening his stinging eyes onceit was done.
"Good. Good boy, petal." Edward's dry and calloused hand bridged the gap between shoulders andbum with continual sweeping of his palm. "Don't move, baby. Be still for me."
This was always the hardest part for Louis to tolerate. The twins seem to have a strong liking forkeeping Louis sitting happily on their laps for no sexual reason. It was difficult only because one ofthem always made him lose his underwear to take in the girthy length. They also had norequirements for how hard they were, or how whiny it could potentially make Louis.Both twins just loved greatly the thought and thrill that came with having Louis keeping theirbodies warm by being inside him, not for sex. Louis was not one to object because it wasimmensely gratifying for himself when he got to be extra close to his Daddies.
"Are you going to get started soon, petal?" Edward teased with a banter-like pinch to Louis'posterior.
In response, Louis found an opportunity to whine and briefly nibble on Edward's ear lobe. "Bepatient, Daddy."
"Patience is not on the table when it comes to you, darlin'." Something rattles on the bathroomcounter as Louis reaches for it.
Edward never lifts his hands from Louis' full, curved hips even when the temptation got undeniablyraw and made his mind flood with thoughts - possibilities - of things to do to his petal. He groanedat any hot, wet friction on his c*ck from Louis shifting in the slightest or bit the boy's neckharmlessly. Louis got to humming the song from last night while he made every effort to do a good job onsoaping up Edward's hair. He can't say it made much of a colour difference as the white locks nearlymatched the white foam. It was a little easier compared to Harry's hair because of a shorter lengthand layered style at the base, but that wasn't his top concern as he sneakily rounded his lower halfcontinuously to taunt the man who gave him this throne.
"What did I say?" Edward cleared his throat after his pitch got deeper and fastened Louis' sides withboth arms.
"Sorry, Daddy." Louis blushed and inwardly screamed because his own length has fattened up to asemi and he's so uncomfortable with leaving it as such.
He does a thorough sweep of Edward's hair with his fingers and conditioner so that it's all greasy tothe touch and he's satisfied. He even spends a few minutes massaging the hairline above Edward'sforehead with his thumbs where his brother's was receding.
"I should put a hair-net on you." Louis mindlessly comments, sitting back after drying his hands.
Edward straightens his back and neck, cracking the air bubbles that have knuckles and knots wherethey shouldn't. "You can try, petal."
Giggling, Louis' eyes light up the way they haven't in the absence of the twins for over two monthsnow and Edward steals a kiss or two from this splendour before it's gone.
"Move now, petal." Edward puts his face in its rightful resting place of Louis' neck, guiding his hipsin an increasingly frantic slide. "C'mon, petal. Do you want to come, baby?"
Louis nods enthusiastically and his body is raised a couple inches higher with Edward's warm puffsof breath against his throat. His jaw is agape in a frozen cry of pleasure, getting a clear view of it inthe mirror. He makes a choked little noises unintentionally as his chin rests on Edward's head andhe's left to carry on alone.His fingernails gather remnants of hair conditioner under them as he desperately buries his hands inEdward's hair to have a hold on something as he builds up a rhythm of greater speed and morenoises from them both.
Edward's mouth was open and pressed to various spots on Louis' neck,boiling his skin where it lay simply heated before.Louis keened when the swollen head of an entirely hardened erection pushed past the tighteningresistance of his muscles to discover his prostate. He all but screamed at a brutal collision against it,getting more urgent in his rhythm as Edward thrusted upward into the folds of him.Edward growled appreciatively at Louis' nipple in his mouth although the boy's libido was hackedto pieces by it.
He felt fully functional but hanging by a thread as his body was used so harshly.Being sore from last night held no meaning when he was bouncing the way he is, his walls rubbingagainst tough skin and getting beaten red with such impacts.He felt stuffed full of Edward even when he'd been retracted. He silently screamed with his fingersgetting more stiff and his mind emptying of all things around them. His body fitted ideally onEdward's and his thighs quivered as they tired out from his eager bounces. The man took pity onhim and slid off the chair to back him up against a wall.
"Shh." Edward's hand overlapped on the hinges of the doorway. "You're going to take it, petal."
Louis' head hit the wall and his muscles ran like gooey substances, relying on his lover to hold himup completely. He was going to take it. Always will. He gasped and panted in shreddedbreathing patterns, his body slipped as it dampened with sweat but Edward folded him in half andheld him secured.
"Open your eyes." Edward held their hips flush against one another's, his length buried to the hiltinside his petite boyfriend. "Open those eyes for me, petal."
It was a battle but he managed to lift his eyelids and look at Edward with maddening intensity. Hefound emotions in those emeralds that could only exist there when they were compromised in thiselicit manner. Edward's lips found Louis' in a fury and they balanced each other out with the boy'slegs pulled apart at a near impossible angle.Louis ran his hands down Edward's form and stopped at his shoulderblades, digging his short nailsin as the man's pelvis started to move. He wanted to shut his eyes and savour this divine experienceof being enjoyed by the man he loved, but was caught by the bark of an instruction to pay attention.
Edward's fingers pressed into the under-sides of Louis' thighs, holding them apart and up until theknees were nearly braced near his ears. The stretch was cruel but Louis undoubtedly loved it aspassionately as he loved the man who initiated it. His own hands found where Edward held him andreinforced the grip.No further time was wasted as Edward grew unbelievably eager to pound into the opened body hehad surrendered to himself, releasing little grunts and moans as skin slapped skin and turned it red.He bit Louis' lower lip and anchored himself to the boy, liquid from the slit of his length dribblingonto the throbbing walls of his other half. Louis shook and shuddered with riveting pleasure, his assexposed for Edward wreck maniacally.
"Close, baby?" Edward let Louis lower his legs and cross his ankles behind his back, his hand takento holding the boy open where he could.
"Y-Yeah, Daddy." Louis whimpered and was sure his insides were bleeding now from how unkindEdward was being.
Edward squashed his form against the cold tile wall and pivoted his hips with inhumane speed. Hebreathed raggedly and thrusted wildly, occasionally jerking Louis' faltering body upward into hisarms more securely. Louis loved when he did that and awaited another round when he could betossed into the air.The world started to tilt off its axis and onto theirs, spinning rapidly and ruining Louis' self restraint.He couldn't get out from there little corner where Edward slammed into him repeatedly withmonstrous precision that could split him right open, his large size and athletic prowess contributingto the destruction.Louis was always so small against either twin and he truly took joy in the reality. Knowingthat he could be pinned against a wall or carried without much muscle strain made him turn red andhis gut twist. Right now the pit of his tummy deepened and his insides knotted to alert him of animpending orgasm that will leave him blinded.
"Come with me, petal." Edward's voice was broken too and Louis clung to him a little harderbecause of it.
Involuntarily, Louis' body caved to obedience and when Edward suddenly stilled inside him hewrapped himself around the man let go of any prohibitions. His body suffered a mild earthquakewhen he climaxed and he couldn't control any of his senses until after the ringing in his ears gaveaway.Edward had emptied himself into the boy and it left a seared mark on the bruised tissues of hisinsides. Louis sighed, content with the rough treatment, and nuzzled Edward's shoulder sleepily.Sex always tired him out but with the twins it utterly dried him up.
"Petal?" Edward's conditioner scent wafted through Louis' nostrils. "Sleepy, baby?"
Louis nodded but swallowed his yawn when it threatened to escape. He still had to wash outEdward's hair.
"I'm going to put you in bed with Harry, petal." Edward informs the weakened boy in his arms,giving him a little kiss behind the ear just because.
"M'kay." Is Louis' sugary sweet response coming from a soft place where he's floaty and calm.
As is only natural with either twin, Harry accepts Louis under the fold of his arm while he's stillvaguely asleep. Edward gently lays Louis down beneath the covers and Harry finds his forearmweave its way onto the curve of the boy's back. He was instantly comfortable with another warmpresence in his bed, pressing half his face to the delicate skin of Louis' scapullas.
Edward covers both parties with the indecent sheets before withdrawing himself. "Sleep tight."
He goes out to get them a well-earned breakfast meal that probably shouldn't cost as much as it didbut he'll splurge any day on them together. In the time that he does, Harry gets to wake up to thefestive and heartwarming sight that is Louis asleep on his front.Harry doesn't make a move other than draw odd doodles on Louis' back with his finger, his mindgravitating towards where the perfectly rounded cigarette burn was.
It's healed into a light pink scarnow and Harry is in love with it enough to kiss it now at this dreadful hour.Louis doesn't stir in his slumber while Harry traces over the burn injury, peppering it with kisses allaround just to treasure it.
He scratches at the skin around it fondly and his nails get a little deeperthan necessary but it doesn't bother him very much. Louis is accustomed to the pain they inflict intiny dosages and so fails to do more than whimper.Harry's red lines that are left behind serve as a wonderful work of scattered art around the mainattraction. He stops to stick to one spot and clears his throat softly, feeling the frail layer of skingive up to reveal pinker and more sensitive surfaces. Louis twitches and moans, the pain rocketingup his spine becoming enough to wake him up.
"H-Harry?" He croaks drowsily, arms folded under his head on the smashed pillow.
"Morning, petal." Harry sets out on one hard grate of his nail on Louis' skin to the left of thecigarette burn and the harsh stroke gets it to bleed in tiny red spurts.
Louis looks back over his shoulder with a bitten lip and the dried taste of an absent man on it,hissing through his gritted teeth when Harry holds him down.
"Are you ready to go home today?" Harry doesn't allow Louis to see the ugly scratch on his lower back but stretching out and curlingaround the boy like a mould. He sucks on his index finger to clean it of the blood that's gottencrusty there.
"Yes and no." Louis welcomes the arm over his side, the hand flatten over his chest, slipping hisfingers through those. Their legs are messed up in a tumble and Harry's lips were on Louis' head."You?"
"What choice do we have, darlin'?" Harry offers his bicep to substitute Louis' pillow.Louis closed his eyes again, relaxing like it shouldn't be allowed.
Their naked bodies were slottedinto one another's in perfect fits, Harry's covering the distance Louis' couldn't while the latteroccupied the middle space. Harry spied some more red droplets sprouting from Louis' skin and hecovered them up by pressed his abdomen to that area.
"We have a choice." Louis tickles Harry's forearm by tracing over the expanse of it with hisfingertips. "There's always the option of abandoning every responsibility and running away."
"We'd never do that." Harry kisses Louis' nape. "I'd never allow it."
"Oh really?" Louis giggles.
Harry's hum of acknowledgement sets a course for unobtrusive vibrations through Louis' body fromthe source point of his sensitive neck. Louis' mewl leads to a fussing sound as Harry rolls his weighton top of Louis' to pin him down effectively.
"Harry!" Louis' loud laughter and half-hearted resistance is futile because Harry is excellent atensuring Louis can't move.
Finding their current situation more amusing than dangerous, Harry releases his petal to turn overonto his back. He doesn't miss how Louis flinches and arches his back a little to ease the pressureon his back when the newly opened injury touches something.
"Do you think-" Harry lowered his lips to Louis. "-I could take you with me somewhere alone?"
Louis rounds his lips and makes a sound of both awe and an amount of thrill that turned cute.Harry's grin set into his features and Louis got to admire those notorious dimples freely. The manabove him patted his hip twice and Louis knew to set a cradle around him with his spread legs.
"Where would that be?" Louis asks, his mouth curving with his blush as Harry captures theattention of his lips.
"A cemetery." Harry replies, biting Louis' bottom lip when the boy closes his mouth.Louis goes easily when Harry pulls them both up into a sitting position, the boy's thighs thrownover his hips and knees bent in the air. Louis squirms at the unpleasant trickle exiting his body,come dripping out of him and onto the sheets or Harry's legs.
"Why would you like to take me to a cemetery?" Louis pulls an abandoned cover with him to lieacross their laps.
"Always wanted to fuck in one." Harry simply states in response.
If Louis had been eating, he'd have choked. "Why?"
Harry's throaty chuckle is both evil and endearing. "I won't fuck you cemetery, petal. You deservebetter."
Louis has to disguise his admiration with childishness and for a fleeting moment, sticks his tongueout at Harry. The reaction he gets is a crushing embrace and so hugs Harry back.They both hear the keys to unlock the door being handled outside and watch Edward soon walk inwith two brown paper bags of what smells like the best possible breakfast to be anticipated. Louisdoesn't feel like moving yet as most of his muscles below his belly button is either sore or stiff.
"What's this then?" Harry peers into one of the bags when it's dropped off at his side.
"Feast of peasants." Edward tells him with a bit more than pride, giving Louis' awaiting lips a hardkiss. "Enjoy, petal."
Preening, Louis gives him an innocent grin and upholds their kiss for a little while longer. Edwardfolds a leg under the other as he picks a spot on their messy, unorganised bed. Louis gets himselfcomfortable nestled under Harry's chin while he extracts the containers of food. He dug into thechoice of chicken and mushroom pasta before anyone else could.
"Petal, about your return to Seattle." Edward pries off the transparent lid of something that smellsspicier than what Harry is eating.
"Yes?" Louis has to set his container on his lap because Harry is eating around him.
"When will that be?"
"Two or three weeks." Louis answers, spearing some of the raviolli with his fork. "Why?"
"Where will you live when you get there?"Louis knows he can't go home in the sense that means return to where he grew up becauseof his sisters. Despite their loneliness but also strong lack of need for him, his father bought him aflat not too far away and he intends to finally move in.
"I have a place." He is allowed to steal one of Harry's dumplings. Just one. "It's big enough for thethree of us."
Louis is concerned that Edward may be reconsidering the opportunity to go while the latter istroubled by the possibility of Louis denying them that when he changes his mind. Harry can seeboth their doubts and decides to flatten it.
"You still want us to come, petal?" He asks to the boy on his lap.
"Of course." Louis says confidently without over-selling it.
"And we still want to accompany you." Harry looks at Edward. "Everything is settled."
* * * * *
"How is he?" Louis first asks the doctor he knows was left in charge of his father at Middleston'sGeneral Hospital.
"He's been stable so he's fine." The doctor of thirty or so responds, unclipping his pen as he givesLouis a polite smile.
They've been back in Middleston for less than a day and Louis came alone to the hospital after Niallpromised to meet him here and the twins had business to take care off. He didn't ask what businessbut he has a nagging suspicion it has something to do with the boat he was promisedaccommodation on.
"I'd like to talk to you about moving him up to Seattle." Louis forces himself to be blunt about it,careful not to look right where a window into his father's room stood.
The doctor slots his pen back into the pocket of his white coat and nods. "May I ask why?"
"I'll be moving there in a few weeks and it would be easier for me to keep an eye on him."
"Okay well, does he have a doctor in Seattle?"
"Yes." Louis laces his fingers together over the front of his ironed hoodie that was much too big onhim. "I will give you the details as soon as I have them."
"Good." The doctor takes up scribbling across a small piece of paper. "Give me all these details aweek before you leave and I'll organise the move. Will you move him with our transportation oryours?"
"I would think yours will be a little more convenient."
"Okay." The piece of paper is torn off and handed to Louis, which he reads and holds back. "Getback to me, yeah?"
"I will."Louis can't stop staring at the ten digits written beneath four requirements for the lifting of his fatherto Seattle, biting his lip unnecessarily hard.
The doctor is gone down the hall to attend to otherpatients while Louis looked at his phone number dumbfounded. Louis didn't find the doctorattractive enough to be worth engaging the wrath of his boyfriends. He also loves his crazyboyfriends.
"I would not call him." Niall pitches up on Louis' immediate left with his hands in hispockets and lower lip jutting out as he read the phone number.
Turning his head to look over his shoulder, Louis laughs at his best friend as he envelopes him in ahug. "Hey, Ni."
Niall grins and hugs him back with a tight squeeze, snatching the paper up to mock Louis with it."Hi. How's your father?"
Louis rolls his eyes and squashes up the paper before dropping it in the pocket of Harry's hoodiehe's got on, sobering as they stand side by side outside his father's room. "He's doing fine."
Nodding cautiously, Niall leans slightly against Louis' side. Louis chews his lip as he looks at hisdad, comatose and sleeping silently with such a gentle slope caused by his breathing. His scars werehealed over completely and his scanners were monitoring what progress his vital signs weremaking.Louis crosses his arms over his narrow chest, the much too wide sleeves causing bulges over hisbiceps with excess fabric and sweater paws for his dainty wrists.
He can see his own features thatcame from his dad reflected back at him in the form of the man himself. It makes him smile verysubtly to know he's got his better parent alive and close to being fully healthy.His mother's death no longer has a fatal effect on him. He doesn't go into a fit of panic or terroranymore because he's recovered from it, and learned how to cope.
"I have to tell you something." Louis clears his throat and briefly glanced at his father beforelooking down at his shoes.
Niall mirrored his posture with a concentrated frown, his slightly dusty jeans showing the open slitsat the knees. "Yes?"
"I'm going back to Seattle."Uncrossing his ankles, Niall's knitted brows relax before twitching into something confused. Herepeats the motion again as he struggles to retain the information.
"What?"Niall had followed Louis from Seattle to Middleston, although he took a little longer - a monthprecisely - to do so.
He had needed his best friend's support for the time and Louis had willinglyoffered up a place in his home because he could afford it.Unfortunately now, Louis wants nothing more than the chance to whisk away everyone he lovesback home. He's telling Niall in the hopes that he'll make a decision too, considering besides theirmovable jobs there aren't ties here.
"Yeah." Louis scratches the tip of his nose and smiles weakly. "I decided I'd go back whenuh-.....when we were coming back."
Niall listens but still has a round of frustrated creases above the bridge of his nose. "Okay well.....Iunderstand. I won't be coming with you."
Louis sniffles as the bleached scent of the hospital's corridors made him uncomfortable due to hisallergies. This time his own frown screws up his face. "Why not, Ni?"
"Because-" Niall shrugs and rubs his own bicep like its a region where he felt chilly. "-I havereasons to stay."
"Zayn and Liam?" Louis couldn't help a little smile of support. He's so glad that he can safely statehis friend is secure and content with two people he loves.
"Yeah." Niall slips three of his five fingers into his pockets on either side, his shoulders stiffeningby his ears.
Louis' mood darkens a little in concern at the minutely bored tone of his best friend. "Youdon't sound so excited, Ni. What's up?"
Niall instantly caters to the gap in his outward personality, his lips being tugged into a broader smileand chuckle of reassurance. "I am! I'm just....tired right now."
"Oh." Louis is fairly good at examining body language but he knows how erratic Niall can be anddoesn't take any of this to heart. "Well we're all back in town now so everyone can get some sleep."
"Yeah." Niall agrees in a cross between overly enthusiastic and forced. "Yeah, definitely. So you'rereally going? When will that be?"
"Two weeks most probably." Louis watches a few unknown people enter and exit through theelectronic emergency room doors. "Are you, Liam and Zayn going to stay for a bit?"
"I think so." Niall steps aside when a gurney is being rolled past them and nudges his chin in thedirection of a nearby vending machine, indicating that Louis should follow. "We've talked aboutnothing serious so far but Liam likes it here and Zayn already filed for a transfer."
"Really? Wow." Louis sheds a few dollars to pull two Vitamin Water bottles from the iced machine."That's a big step."
"Pretty big." Niall echoes, twisting the grey cap open to a snap. "I just got a more solid job and nowthey do too so I don't really see a reason to leave."
Louis won't deny that he's saddened by this news of Niall not coming with him back to Seattle butit's one of those things he'll learn to overcome emotionally. His best friend is happy here and thatmakes him evidently thankful, as said friend also expresses no discontent at him leaving it amplifiesthat emotion.
"We still have two weeks, Lou." Niall throws an arm over Louis' shoulders and reels him in with abold laugh. "Don't get teary on me."
"Nah." Louis squeezes back around Niall's hip, then his eyes happen to land on his neck and he'sshocked. "What is that?"
"What's what?" Niall swallows and inadvertently tries to see what Louis is gawking at. "Lou?"
"Your neck makes it look like you've been bitten by a Cullen." Louis' cold and damp fingers touchthe painfully reddened spot, earning a wince from Niall.
"You're one to talk." Niall scoffs, not offensively and even allows Louis to observe the monstrousmark with a little pride in his chest. It may have come from a source the boy won't like to knowabout but it makes Niall smug.Louis stops antagonising the mild wound and keeps walking.
"Yeah but my boyfriend gave memine."
"Boyfriend." Niall reaches over and pinches Louis' cheek. "You sound so cute when you sayit like they're not crazy."
"It is what it is, Ni." Louis shrugs, taking another sip of dragon fruit vitamin water. "So which oneof the rangers gave you that?"
"Whichever one you think-" Niall pauses for Louis to think of Liam. "-it isn't him."
Louis breaks into laughter at the thought of Zayn causing such a brutal mark of territory oranything. Marks like that, love-bites or not, usually indicate grave possessiveness and Louis hasnever gotten that vibe from either Liam or Zayn.
"Speaking of which." Niall obstructs his train of thought. "Where are your boyfies?"
"Boyfies?" Louis raises an eyebrow of amusement. Where on Earth did he hear such an absurdname?
"Yup." Niall and he come to a halt just outside Louis' dad's room as he plans to go in soon.
"I don't know." Louis takes out the phone of Edward's he has in his pocket, checking the time of18h43. "They'll be here in twenty or so minutes."
"Alright. Want me to wait with you?"
"How did you get here?"
"Took a cab from work." Niall caps his drink. "Have you eaten in the past-"
"No." Louis can answer that without hesitancy and laugh when Niall's eyes grow a bit wider.
"I'll go get us some grub then." Niall hugs Louis once before departing, squeezing the boy's handwhere he held on.
Louis goes into his father's room after Niall is a good distance away, not intentionally of course. Hecloses the door behind him and takes a seat away from the monitors that look especially susceptbleto his clumsiness. The chair is tough plastic on his behind but he leans forward to ease the pressureand grasp his father's dry hand.Mark is in a different position from the moving of the nurses to prevent bed sores. A sincere floodof dreadful guilt washed Louis clean with regret whenever he thinks about this and how he is thecause of his father's coma. It gets easier to think that one day he'll wake up and Louis can apologiseto him with heartfelt words.
"Hey, Dad." He pulls his chair closer and sets the unit of their hand connection on the mattres.
"I'msorry I left town. I just had to get away for a bit, you know? It sometimes becomes too much andyou, of all people, know how awful I am around pressure. But I'm back now and I'm never leavingagain. Promise." He leans over to give the warm forehead of his father a gentle peck before reclining.
There's a faintunsteady beep from the ECG monitor and it sparks some hope in Louis' chest but the line soonreturns to its regulated pattern and the spark is subdued.