I Want You Here When I Wake Up

1

Harry's POV

This chair can't be any more uncomfortable. I try moving in my seat but the only thing that happens is the snap, crackle, and pop of my back sounding like rice crispy treats. I try sitting up straighter but it only causes more crackling noise and a weird pain in my ribs. Thankfully the prissier is speaking into a microphone so nobody can hear the disagreement my back and I are having. I hunch over, leaning my elbows on the tabletop in front of me trying to act normal and release some tension that's built up in my shoulders. I think to the naked eye I did a pretty good job of disguising my pain, but as I turned my head I made the mistake of meeting Louis' eyes and he instantly knew.

So here's the thing, Louis and I met when I was 14 and he was 16 just when I started having major problems with my back. He has learned to read me inside and out. If I'm thirsty Louis will magically bring me a water bottle out of nowhere. Sleepy?
Boom he has a blanket. Angry? He allows me to punch his tiny shoulder. Sometimes Louis even knows what I'll feel before I feel it. Seriously it's kinda creepy. This is how he knew the moment are eyes connected that I was in a lot of pain. All of this can be good, except I hate having him worry about me especially when it's something out of his control, like my back.

I knew that he wouldn't dare say anything to me in class. He gets that I don't want the world to know what's going on with me. But I know as soon as the bell rings he is going to interrogate me. I send him my I'm okay smile only to receive his signature yeah right eye roles.

I turn my focus back onto the lecture in front of us and blackout as much pain as I can. I certainly don't look back at Louis for the remainder of the seminar as he would take that as a plea for oh my god I'm dying please help me, seriously I love the guy  but he can be a bit dramatic sometimes.

While I'm hitting down random notes I'm also starting to figure out a way to tell Louis I'm perfectly fine. That it's only just a little discomfort, nothing a little relaxation can't fix.

Louis POV

*crack* *bones cracking*
What is that? I know this stupid lecture is boring but I can't be possibly trying to compensate by making up random noises, can I? I look around the room to see if anyone else seems to hear the loud noise. Everybody is tuned into the professor speaking, taking notes but then my eyes land on him. Harry. My best friend.

I stayed there lost in a trance for who knows how long until finally my eyes met Harry's and that's when I knew. He was in pain. I could tell by the way he shifted his body, his pinky becoming restless, the way the tips of his ears would become pink. And his eyes. His bright green eyes would become almost a mossy green. Normally Harry would only have a few of these signals, but right now he had all plus the cracking I heard just a few seconds ago.

You see, I met Harry when he started having back troubles. I saw him disconnect himself from things he loved in order to keep his health in check. I saw his x-rays, his doctor's schedule ( and damn there were a lot of appointments), I saw his triumphs and victories. But I also saw his breakdowns. Those breakdowns caused me pain to just watch, I can even fathom going through them. That is why I'm so protective of Harry. I never want him to experience that pain ever again. And here was fifty feet away from me, and in pain.

I finally pulled my stare away from Harry and looked down at my notebook. I had no idea how long I was out for but I had absolutely no idea what the professor was talking about anymore so I decided to go through my checklist for Harry's pain.

I knew the moment I showed any concern over his back Harry always says he's fine. But eventually, He'll cave and tell me the truth. So I wrote down everything I saw, making a minute by minute record of every time Harry twitched in his seat, adjusted his posture so I could talk to him with evidence he couldn't deny.

If I know anything about being friends with Harry for over five years, it's that I can pretty much predict just much pain he'll be in. And I get the sinking feeling that this episode will be horrific.

*bell rings*

I shoved my books into my bag and walked fiercely over to Harry who was moving at a snail's pace. I picked up the rest of his things and dragged him by the arm to the outdoor commons. I threw our things onto the table and forced him to sit down with me. He knew exactly what was coming.
" Okay, so are you going to tell me what's going on?"

" dear god Lou, calm down, I'm completely fine."

Now, when Harry uses the word, completely, when describe his pain that's hour first hint that something is wrong.

" Okay, so your back cracking like glass and you twitching for the past 45 minutes is 'completely fine'?"

" yes, it's normal sometimes it just happens. Learn to deal with it. I do"

"  dealing with it isn't ignoring it, Harold, you know that"

And with that, I got a very rare eye roll from Harry who grabbed his backpack and started walking away. I could see something with a white cap poking out of his side pocket, it almost looked like the bottle cap to a medication.

" Harry! What's that in your bag, I white cap thing?!"

I saw a flash of nerves cross over Harry's eyes and he stumbled to give me a good answer.

" oh, it's nothing. Probably just trash. Gotta go see you around"

If Harry is taking pain medicine for his back, he is already so far down the hole. I have to figure out what is going on. If Harry is in pain he's not going through it alone, I don't care if he throws my body into a desert with a pack of hungry hyenas. I will be there to help his pain. Nothing will stop me.