Protect Him L.S. (Slow Updates)

Chapter 2

Harry -

"We warned you that this would happen. You just didn't listen."

"Hit him!"

"Cut him!"

"Go harder! He probably likes it rough!"

"Aw, is the gay boy gonna cry now?"

"Make him choke on it!"

"You going to pass out on us now?"

"Where's your little boyfriend, huh? He isn't around to save you this time."

"Give it to him harder!"

"Harry, wake up!"

Suddenly the voices are gone and I'm being shaken awake.

It was just a nightmare. A nightmare that can true.

"You're crying. What's wrong? What happened, baby?" Louis voice pulls me further out of the world of nightmares, and I open my eyes to see him hovering over me with a concerned look on his face.

I do the only thing I can think of, and throw my arms around him, holding him as close as I can get him. If he's holding me no one else can hurt me. I'm safe in his arms.

I feel his arms tighten around me and I'm suddenly being pulled up, into his lap and burying my face in his t-shirt. His hands running through my hair in an attempt to calm me down. It does.

"I've got you. You're okay. You're safe." I only cry more knowing that I've woken Louis up in the middle of the night when he's got classes tomorrow. I'm bothering him.

"Hey, calm down. It's okay Harry, but you need to calm down. You're breathing is a little erratic, Hazza. Just breathe." His voice and his touch calm me down to the point I can breathe a little more normally. But even I know it's still a little shaky.

"You want to go back to sleep?" No. But knowing that Louis is going to need his sleep, I lie and nod my head. I just won't go back to sleep.

Louis lays me back down, and lays by my side, both his arms still wrapped tightly around me, and I snuggle against him.

"You're okay." He whispers before closing his eyes and falling asleep again. I wish I could just close my eyes and sleep peacefully like that.

But once the room is silent other than Louis occasionally muttering something in his sleep, my mind can do nothing but go back to my nightmare. More like memories. Bold, unforgiving images from that day. I even feel the pain in my dreams. I feel it when I wake up from them, and it takes quite a bit of convincing myself before I realize it's my mind playing tricks on me.

But I still think it's there.

I slowly remove Louis's arms from around me and carefully climb out of bed. I can't stay here in this dark room, it's making the perfect atmosphere for those memories to vividly flash before my eyes.

I sneak out of the room, my legs, stomach, and bum still feeling like I was attacked moments ago. It's not real pain, but my mind is screaming that it is.

I walk downstairs to the kitchen and flip a light on, hoping I don't wake Louis up upstairs. I stand against the kitchen counter, hands spread against the cold countertop to support my weight.

I hate this. My breathing getting erratic, my heart rate speeding up until I think my heart will leap out of my chest, my head spinning, my hands shaking, my eyes shutting tightly hoping that the memories flashing before them vanishes. I can't take it.

I wish I could tell Louis these things. But I'm already such a burden to him.

After what happened and I woke up in the hospital, Louis was right there with me. He never left my side. I hate it that I'm so clingy, but I'm so afraid that if I let him go he'll walk away and never come back. I love him, and I can't let that happen.

I wonder if he hates me because I don't talk to him. I wish I could. But the things I want to say, I can't put them into words.

I've written my thoughts down as best I can, in that old journal that I've had since I was 16. I write them down in case something ever happens to me. If that happens, Louis will find the journal and one day be able to read all the things I didn't say. I keep it hidden from him because if he reads it...I don't know what would happen. All I do know is that right now we're okay. And that's all I want.

I sit down at the kitchen table and immediately feel pain. Maybe I wasn't imagining everything? But Louis and I didn't....wait, I take that back.

I ignore the pain and just sit and stare into space. I don't want to go to sleep, I don't want to wake Louis up, I don't want to sleep. I won't.

*********

Louis -

I feel around for Harry, thinking maybe he'd just pulled away in his sleep, but I jolt up fully awake when he's nowhere to be felt.

"Harry?" No answer.

I jump out of bed and check the bathroom before hurrying downstairs and nearly tripping over the last stair. But when I get my footing corrected, I notice the kitchen light on and rush into the room.

But a refreshing sense of calmness washes over me when I see him sitting at the table, still dressed in only a t-shirt ms his boxers, shoulders slumped and his head buried in his arms as he sleeps.

I walk over to my sleeping boyfriend and kiss his forehead. He jerks slightly in his sleep before stilling again.

"Hazza, come on let's get you back in bed." I whisper to him and his eyes flutter half open and he looks at me tiredly.

"Bed. Let's go." I instruct as I help him slowly get out of the chair and start for the stairs. He stops at the first stair and shakes his head no, before turning and walking into the living room.

"Harry, it's late. We need to sleep..." He throws himself down on the couch, wrapping his arms around himself and instantly falling back asleep. He's so cute.

So, not being a cold-hearted man, I grab a blanket and lay it over him before I lay down on the opposite side of the couch, so I can be close to him. I glance at the clock on the wall and see it read 3:57 am.

I look back at Harry, sleeping soundly on the couch and just wish that he could always sleep that soundly. He never tells me what his nightmares are about. He simply wakes up crying, or I wake him up because of him thrashing around. I hate it. I can only guess that they're about that day he was attacked, but I don't know for sure.

I hope one day Harry will be able to tell me. And I can protect him from that too.