Hold Me Close (Sequel To Take Me Home and Keep Me Safe)

Chapter Twenty-Seven

The following day marked a week until Christmas as well as the last day of term at the twins school. Niall obviously wasn't fit to go in, and Louis clearly wasn't ready to return after his first attempt either.

The decorations didn't look as enticing as they usually did, they didn't bring so much joy. They just looked clumsy, and they made the living room feel smaller, more cramped and claustrophobic. At least, to Louis they did, and he was certain Niall felt the same way because he barely paid them any attention as he curled up on the armchair and watched the TV with eyes that seemed to stare straight through it.

He was relieved that they had all spent the day before being sad, and nobody was pretending today either. It felt a little easier, and he didn't mind the quiet so much as he stretched out on the couch and fussed Cooper absently.

Their Dad was upstairs, taking a shower, whilst Papa was in the kitchen, making them some lunch. It felt more like a Sunday than a Friday, but Louis liked it.

He was tired and his leg was starting to ache a little from the chill that had settled in their room overnight. He was supposed to be having his boot taken off after Christmas, and then physio would start. He wasn't excited per se - he would be glad to not have the weight of the boot on his sore limb constantly, but he also knew he had to be realistic.

Having the boot off didn't mean he could go back to normal, playing footie and running around. It meant he had to start physio, and he knew how painful that could be. He was trying to avoid thinking about it until it actually happened.

Papa had once told him that if he worried about things before they happened, he was making himself suffer twice.

The day moved by slowly, and soon enough, Papa joined them in the living room, allowing them to eat their lunches in front of the TV. Louis' was devoured in five minutes flat - he was a growing boy and constantly hungry. Even Niall seemed to eat pretty quickly, leaving his crusts off his sandwiches and chucking them to Cooper when their Papa wasn't looking.

At around four p.m, the door knocked and they all jumped at the intrusion. Dad was on his way down the stairs, and they all tried not to pay attention to the conversation at the front door.

Until Liam walked in with a soft smile. "Boys, you have visitors," he told them gently, before leaning in to whisper something to their Papa and the two of them left to enter the kitchen instead.

Louis frowned, craning his neck to peer over the back of the couch and feeling surprised when his gaze landed on their friends. Luke, Will and Holly, all still wearing their school uniforms, smiling at the two of them.

Niall sat up quickly, tugging his sleeves down self-consciously as Luke stepped forwards.

"Um, it was the last day today so we figured we'd come over. Will and Holly are going to see family over the holiday and we wanted to all be together before they leave," he explained, glancing from one twin to the other.

And Louis was well aware of how they looked - both tired and messy in their comfy clothes with red-ringed eyes, watching dumb cartoons made for little kids. But Luke didn't seem to care, neither did the others.

"We don't have to stay for long, if you guys are -"

"It's okay." Surprisingly, it was Niall who spoke up first, voice a little croaky with disuse and eyes tired as he scanned over each of their friends in turn.

Luke, with his blond hair scruffy as always, long and gangly as he towered over the entire group; his smile was softer than usual. More...careful.

Holly, brown hair tugged back into a ponytail held in place with a red ribbon, hands holding onto the one strap of her schoolbag that was secured over her left shoulder as her dark eyes scanned over her two friends.