I believe in us | l.s.

Chapter 32

Update again for all my lovely readers <33

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On the first of January, as the evening settled in, Louis had a sharp pain in his stomach. He tried to dismiss it as an easy stomach bug or something, but the discomfort was still there. As the night wore on, he found himself unable to spoon Harry, as he usually did when they cuddled in bed.

Concern crossed Harry's face, he gently touched Louis's arm, whispering, "Are you okay, love?"

Louis forced a smile. "I'm fine, Harry, just a little stomach ache. It'll pass," he replied, trying to sound nonchalant.

But Harry knew Louis well enough to sense when something was wrong. He nodded, accepting Louis's response, but his worry lingered in his eyes. He stayed close and made sure Louis was as comfortable as possible.

The next day, Louis woke up with the stomach pain still bothering him. He tried to brush it off as nothing serious, not wanting to ruin their time together.

As the day wore on, Harry couldn't shake the concern for Louis. He noticed every wince, every time Louis's hand would subconsciously rub his stomach. It was evident that Louis was in pain, but he continued to put on a brave face.

As they settled down on the couch to watch a movie, Harry couldn't hold back any longer. He reached out and gently placed his hand on Louis's, making Louis glance at him with a forced smile.

"Hey, Lou, are you sure you're okay?" Harry asked, his voice filled with genuine worry.

Louis nodded, trying to dismiss Harry's concern. "Yeah, I'm fine, just a little off today," he replied, hoping to brush it off.

But Harry wasn't convinced. He could see through the facade Louis was putting up, and he knew something was wrong. "Lou, you don't have to pretend with me," Harry said softly, squeezing Louis's hand gently. "If you're in pain, we need to talk about it."

Louis sighed, feeling a mix of frustration and vulnerability. He didn't want to burden Harry with his pain, but he also didn't want to keep it a secret. "It's just a stomach ache," he said, trying to downplay it. "I'm sure it'll pass."

Harry frowned, not satisfied with Louis's answer. "It's been bothering you all day," he pointed out. "And you've barely touched your food."

Louis looked away, feeling his emotions building up inside him. "I told you, it's nothing major," he snapped, his frustration getting the better of him.

Harry's heart sank at Louis's defensiveness. He wasn't trying to push Louis, but he couldn't stand seeing him in pain and refusing to acknowledge it. "Lou, I just want to help," Harry said gently, trying to keep his tone calm. "You don't have to handle everything on your own."

Louis's emotions were running high, and he couldn't hold back the anger that was bubbling beneath the surface. "I know that!" he exclaimed, pulling his hand away from Harry's. "But I don't need you hovering over me, acting like I can't take care of myself."

Harry was taken aback by Louis's outburst, hurt by the sudden anger. "I'm not trying to hover or make you feel incapable, Louis," he replied, trying to keep his own emotions in check. "I just care about you, and I want to be there for you."

Louis stood up abruptly. "Well, maybe I don't want you to be there for me," he said, his voice wavering with emotion. "Maybe I just want to be left alone."

Harry felt a pang in his chest, his concern turning into hurt. He didn't understand why Louis was pushing him away when all he wanted was to support him. "Louis, I don't understand why you're shutting me out," he said, his voice breaking slightly.