Tell Me When it Hurts 2

> T W E N T Y F O U R <

Cradling Trenton to his chest, Louis inhales deeply closing his eyes as the two sit in the garden.

It had been two weeks since the Eleanor break-in, and while the submissive constantly felt unsafe at the house, he could feel a bit of ease knowing there was a newly hired guard standing watch at all times, as well as Harry resigning himself to work from home for the foreseeable future. 

Watching the birds fly over Louis chews his bottom lip wishing he too could just fly away. He saw Eleanor be shot, he saw the blood, the bullet hole, it triggered every emotion he felt with Stan.

The day he pulled the trigger.

The echo made off the walls.

The way Stan's body flinched even after he fell to the ground.

The metallic smell that filled the room. 

Crimson blood filling in the grout lines on the tiled floor, Louis sitting next to the man's body spilling apologies for the rest of the night.

Feeling the baby thrash as he turns in Louis' arms, bringing the man back to reality, he takes notice of the tears coursing down his cheeks. Sniffling, he smiles gently towards Trenton bringing him closer pressing his lips to his forehead.

"Hey,"

Glancing over his shoulder he greets his husband that has Tallulah in his arms with a grin, "Look who woke up," Taking a seat next to Louis, Harry frowns seeing the tears tracks on his face, "What's wrong?"

Louis sniffles once more shaking his head, he truly didn't want to speak about it anymore, he felt he and Harry had spoken about nothing but Eleanor and what happened.

She was dead, Louis didn't want to keep bringing her up.

Harry takes notice of the younger one's reluctance to bring up the obvious, he nods leaning over to hold his hand in assurance, "It's just us now," Louis meets the man's eyes, "Us,"

"Just us," Repeating the fact, Harry gestures to the garden, "What should we plant next?"

Louis wanted to take the bait, he knew this was an attempt to change the subject, but he wasn't ready to quit mulling over it. He didn't want to discuss it, but he didn't feel comfortable trying to force it from his mind either.

Tears prick his eyes once more as he thinks back to his phone call that morning with Luke.

"I-I go,"

Harry's look flickers to the man, "Go where?"

""Z-Zaynie and-and Luke-" 

"Lou we can go on vacation, say the word we'll leave tomorrow," Rising from the chair, Harry moves to kneel in front of Louis shifting Tallulah in his arms taking Louis' hand in his once more. Louis scoffs at his own tears shaking his head with a whimper, "I-I no-no go wi-with you,"

Admitting that he was still wanting distance from his husband, Louis braces himself for the return of Harold. 

Chewing the inside of his cheek in thought, Harry rises from the ground with a nod, "That's okay, you need time, and I think going away for a week will be good for you,"

Louis furrows his eyebrows at the statement wordlessly peering into the man's eyes waiting for the catch. Surely Harold was tricking him and would strike when Louis least expected it.

"Are you taking the twins?"

"Y-yes sir,"

Harry frowns bending down to retrieve Trenton from the man, "It's daddy or Harry to you, no sir. I'm your husband," Pressing his lips to Louis' forehead he steps away with the twins heading inside to leave Louis outside with his thoughts.

Exhaling sharply at the absence of not only Harry, but the complete non-existence of Harold, Louis can't help but feel a grin spreading on his features.

He'd begged for Harry to go see a doctor for years to help tame Harold, and clearly, it had been the right thing to do considering the change of the man.

Standing from the chair, Louis crosses to the flower beds smiling at the blooming daisies, gently he brushes a hand over the petals sighing in content.

"It's just us now,"

No Harold, no Eleanor, no Stan, just us.

>Small, but happy, chapter. Expect another update next week! :) All the love, Emma :)