Have I forgotten how to love; remind me once again

Chapter Ten

A/N Hello, everybody. Here's another chapter for you with a little happiness, and a lot of not-happiness...

Harry and Liam return about an hour later, smiles plastered on both their faces as they take off heavy coats and shoes - Louis is pretty sure Harry left without one, so Liam must have brought him one, and Louis is only slightly jealous that couldn't be the one doing so, which is stupid considering he is the one who send Liam after Harry.

All in all, Louis is pleased with that decision, because the smile spread on Harry's face is genuine. And besides, he got new ammunition to tease Zayn, which is a pleasant bonus. When the two of them enters the living room where the rest is spread out, Harry's smile falters and he looks down to his fiddling hands.

"Umm", he begins, but no words follow, and Louis hums encouragingly, forcing all signs of awkwardness from his voice. "What's up, Haz?"

"I was just... Will you help me?" Louis is nodding and getting up from the couch before Harry finishes his request, but Harry insists on getting the rest out as well. "With the bandages, I mean".

"Of course," Louis smiles, already halfway up the stairs towards Harry's room - damn it, their room. Harry follows him a bit slower, but follows none the less, and opens the door into the room, Louis is waiting outside and only entering after Harry.

In silence, he finds the things the hospital provided them with, then proceeds to take off his shirt and sit down on the edge of the bed as he was shown yesterday. Louis has to force his eyes away from Harry's lean torso, years' habit of reaching out and touching is making that rather hard.

The good thing is that he has an excuse to look, as he is working in said area, and softly he removes the bandage with one hand, the other lightly touching the area around it. Harry winces above him, and Louis hums comfortingly, but apparently that isn't enough.

His heart flutters as Harry hisses a strained, "Please talk me through it. Like yesterday", and Louis swallows his sudden desire to shriek happily, instead beginning to murmur lowly. "You're doing great, baby. It won't take long, darling," and he preens as Harry visibly relaxes under his hands.

He continues his quiet murmurs all throughout the process and within fifteen minutes, Harry is all done, and they can both exhale a breath of relief. "God," Louis laughs, "It really isn't any less intimidating the second time." Harry huffs at that and they share a soft smile as Harry once again puts on his shirt, Louis doing his absolute best to not look disappointed.

The awkwardness from earlier is gone, and Louis hates to be the one to ruin the pleasant mood, but he doesn't really have a choice if Harry is going to get better, so Louis gathers his thoughts and seats himself on the bed as well.

"So", he begins, already seeing the alarm bells going off in Harry's head, so Louis reaches out, his fingers locking around Harry's wrist - not hard enough to leave marks, but tight enough to let Harry know he can't run from the conversation to come.

"I looked at the folder, we got-". Instantly, Harry is jittering about in his seat, telling Louis to let it go - both the topic and his wrist, but Louis holds on, trying his way with soft circles of his thumb against the inside of Harry's wrist. "Hazza, baby, I just want you to get better, and I think this is a good way to do it. We don't have to do much or all of them at all, but if you would just look at them, I think-".

"No no no. I'm not doing it. I'm not", Harry says, shaking his head furiously, almost panicked, and concern floods Louis' veins, this not being the reaction he expected at all. Sure, he figured Harry would oppose to the idea, that much Louis gathered from the morning's interaction, but his boy is headed into a complete frenzy at this point.