Sober - An Exclusive Modest Series Novella (Larry Stylinson AU)

Chapter 2 - Winter is coming

Winter is coming

All the lights turned on, Harry groaned as he opened his heavy eyes. His head was foggy, his thoughts a mess and when he realized where he was it took all his strength not to cry. Then as he sat up his body began to protest, he looked down at his pillow. It was soaked in sweat, his head was thumping and he moaned as he raised a hand to clasp the side of his face.

He blinked back sleep and tears as he took in his new home, how long he would be here he didn’t know. How long he would go without seeing or talking to the ones he loves? Well, it pained him even to think of it. A whisper of his name, an echo of a laugh and his eye’s shot up.

He frowned, he knew it was impossible but that didn’t mean he didn’t hear Logan. He looked around, wishing he would see his friend again. It didn’t take long for the pain of reality to wash over him, every time he woke up he was forced to feel again. Forced to know again, know that his friend was dead. Know that the one he loved most put him in this retched place, his friends and bandmates abandoned him. I can’t blame them.

His addiction was a nightmare, now he had no access to drugs. Harry didn’t need to talk to anyone to know this was a rehabilitation clinic, to know that as the world turned slowly on without him he didn’t have the freedom of drugs to ease his burden. He wasn’t sure what scared him most, being without Louis or being without the drugs.

Harry punched the wall, body doused in a sheen of perspiration he stood up and slammed his fist into the white stone wall. He let out an anguished cry as the pain shot through his body, “Fuck!” he screamed.

“You know,” A voice startled him, it was deep with a strong accent. “If you keep screaming they’ll just lock you up.”

“Fuck off,” Harry mumbled, hair hanging in his eyes as his chest rose and fell. The searing pain in his wrist made him gag, he probably broke his wrist during his fit of rage. “I don’t want an audience.”

“No?” The guy was still standing there, a lazy smile on his face. His hair was a mess, standing in every direction and a little too long, he was in desperate need of a haircut. “What about a friend?”

“I have friends,” Harry spat.

The guy laughed, his voice a little high pitched and Harry gritted his teeth. “Where?”

Harry spun around, glaring at the tall, lanky guy holding up his long arms and looking around. “Get out.”

“No can do,” he smiled, his eyes were red as if he had been crying, the circles under his eyes were black. “I’m your ‘buddy’ until you get settled in.”

“I don’t want one,” Harry grimaced, “I won’t be here long.”

That caused the guy to laugh as he shook his head, he ran a hand through his messy hair and it stood up on an angle, “We all say that at the start.”

“What the fuck do you want?”

“You always seemed nicer on the telly,” he smirked. “Not so nice anymore?”

“Get out.”

“I saw you on the news, before we were paired up,” The guy said, he was playing with the string in his blue hoodie. “You didn’t know they were handing you over?”

Harry glared at the ground, staring at his grey socks and blue tracksuit pants.

“It hurts doesn’t it?”

Harry swallowed, don’t cry, don’t you dare cry.

“I was involuntary too,” He said. “It feels like they’ve betrayed you and-“