Fine line (Larry Stylinson)

Chapter 26

TW: MLM SMUT

My heart stops for a moment as my eyes fall to the ground. Louis's words have pierced me with the sting of a thousand blades, and I feel as if I've been left bleeding out. A chill rides up my spine and a shakey breath escapes from my throat as if it had been held captive for years.

"Before?" I manage to choke out.

Louis looks at me for a moment before jerking his eyes from mine. I can see tears welling in them, and in any other moment I would rush to wipe them from his eyes. In any other moment I would yearn to whisk the pain away from him and place it on myself. But in this moment, this time I can not stand to bear the pain for him. For him.

"Yes, Harry, before. Well before. I should've told you, I know that. And it shouldn't have happened but you have to understand-"

"Leave." I feel the words leave my mouth before the thought enters my mind. I mean it all the same. My eyes are still on him, watching, waiting for the next blade to strike.

"No." Louis speaks softly, carefully.

"Leave." Heavier, louder now, I plead. I stand as I speak, motioning to the door but he remained still, his expression unchanging. I try to read him but I cant quite grasp his intentions. It's funny how you spend years studying someone's face down to the lines only to find out you can't read them at all.

Louis stalks toward me and i allow this against my better judgement. He goes on calmly and quietly. "No. I'm staying."

I let out a dry laugh almost involuntary.

"Out of all the times I begged you to stay," I rasp, " this is the time you actually choose to?"

He takes a step closer to me and my heart tightens, constricting my chest. I plead my body to align with my mind but it is useless. I am as pathetic as ever.

"It's my turn to beg, Harry."

A lone Breath hitches in my throat. I want more than anything to back away, to lengthen the space between us. Everything inside of me screams. I am yearning, hurting, blazing. I can not decipher my wants from my needs and it is intollerable.

"Please," he goes on to my torture. "Please just let me explain."

I look at Louis plainly. I won't allow the tears to come. I wont allow myself to spiral as I had so many times before. I will just look at him, not giving him the satisfaction of my vulnerability.

"Fine then. Talk, and then you leave."

Louis sighs and i feel his breath on my face. Spearmint, same as always. He smells so familiar yet feels like a stranger.

Louis takes a breath in before continuing. "It was after the band split but before we did. Like I told you, I was scared. I wasn't like the rest of you, I didn't have the fan base you did."

My head shakes in disbelief. "First of all," I started, "that's bullshit. And second of all even if that were true that doesn't constitute-"

"There's more," He interrupts. I blink slowly, irritably creeping into my veins.

"Syco approached me. They knew all of those things already. They knew it'd be harder for me to start a solo career so they used that to their advantage."

A sour taste fills my mouth as Louis went on. They would do that, the sick bastards.

"As if that werent shitty enough, they had something against me as well, and they threaten to leak it if I didn't sign with them. They gave me a week to decide."