Where It Went Wrong » Larry

21 - Explain It All

EXPLAIN IT ALL

"Harry, wait!" He shouted, wanting the boy to stop so he could carefully inspect the bruises. He had been so wrong, for so long and he was still hoping and praying that there was some twisted explanation. He didn't want it to be true, it didn't want to know that Harry has been abused, beaten -- and left like a plump because it would be too excruciating.

Harry stopped in his tracks but didn't turn around, his head still facing downwards and sobbing ever so silently so that you could hardly hear him. His chest was heaving up and down and he was trying to control himself, his arms wrapped around his body like the scars were hurting him with each moment. Louis doesn't remember the last time he had been so deeply affected by something.

"Come here." He pleaded but at the same time he was making his way over to the boy, gently turning him around and facing him. Louis looked into his bottle green eyes, finding nothing more than misery and he wanted to kiss the pain away. He ran his hands from his shoulders all the way down to Harry's hand, clutching it tightly and bringing it to lips, kissing it softly. "Come here." He repeated, pulling him into a hug and holding him lightly, like he was afraid of breaking the boy.

Harry was freely crying now, releasing loud weeping sounds and whimpering under Louis's hold. He was so tense, acting like Louis was going to hurt him and Louis tried not to take it personally. Of course, Harry had every right to act hesitant after all the torture he had been put through. Though, it was not confirmed that Dalton had hit him-- Louis knew. It all clicked into place now. All the awkward meetings at their apartment, Dalton being overly protective, slapping his hand down on Harry's laps too hard, Harry being hungry and weirdly thin. 

Louis felt stupid, felt like he was a failure because he hadn't realised this before. Instead, he had been so hellbent on how much Harry had hurt him instead, being cold towards him for the three years he had disappeared.

Damn, this explanation made more sense than anything has ever made sense in his life and Louis never wanted to let go of Harry. He never wanted to see another living day without the curly lad by his side. He felt a strange overwhelming sense of needing to protect the younger boy, holding him tighter  but he was afraid of squeezing his bruises too tightly.

Finally, they pulled away and Louis led Harry to the bed and sitting him down. He leaned down, crouching on the floor so he was knee level of Harry and looked him deeply in the eye. "I'm sorry Haz," he said softly, meaning each word sincerely and deeply, more than he could ever bring himself to admit.

Harry squeezed his eyes shut, breathing deeply and harshly. "Don't be." 

"No," Louis sighed. "Don't, I just want to be there for you now."

"You can't, I'm beyond that."

"Ssh." Louis refused to listen to any negative, bringing up his index finger and placing it over Harry's soft lips. "Baby, no."

Harry didn't open his eyes, too scared to see the light, too scared to see anyone. He was shaking, probably from his wordless confession and still holding on tightly to himself. "It was going on... for so long."

Louis definitely didn't like hearing that, exhaling sharply and realising he wasn't there for Harry-- he failed as a friend, as boyfriend. "Why didn't you tell me, Haz?"

He shook his head. "I could..." he paused, taking a deep breath. "I could only come here because he left town for two days to meet his parents. Normally, he wouldn't let me leave but... I had to, I had to make sure you're okay."

"You could've told me, I wouldn't of never let him touch you.." Louis didn't want to have add any threats yet, not wanting discourage Harry just yet. There was so many questions to be answered, so many words left to say and he couldn't scare him off just yet. There was a time for everything and right now, it was to comfort Harry.