The Hour of Paranoia

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--"What you long for is always buried beneath your subconscious mind. It haunts you and keeps you stumbling in its shadow, unaware of its presence and reality. Will you see who you never knew? Will you hear who you've never seen? Will you miss who you've never heard? Will you... forget me?"--

 "L...Lou..." I whimpered again.

The grip on my wrist released before grabbing onto my shoulders and roughly shaking me.

Tears dripped down my cheeks as I tried to grab for the back of Lou's shirt. The boy I loved was only a small foot away, trying to make sense of the mess before us.

"Harry..." Oliver's childish voice reached my ears painfully. He continued to shake me as I closed my eyes tightly trying to block out the fear and realization of what was occurring.

"Stop please..." I begged as the tears dripped down my cheeks. "Please, please, please..."

The shaking grew a bit rougher.

"Harry!" 

I shot up quickly in our bed. Sweat dampened my hair as my chest heaved strangled breaths. A pair of firm hands tried to hold me still as I shook frantically. "Let me go...! Let me go please...!" I whimpered as I tried to pull away in the dark of our room.

The hands released me and were replaced by a pair of familiar arms wrapping tightly around my torso. "Harry... Harry shh..." Louis whispered as he pulled me into his chest. "Shh... It was just a nightmare... I've got you... Deep breaths love..."

I clung to his shirt as weak cries left my lips. Lou was here. Oliver was not. There wasn't broken glass and there wasn't a terrifying message. I was alone in this house with the boy I loved. 

His cool fingers ghosted through my curls as he whispered softly, "Are you okay love...? What was that about...?" 

The soft beating of his heart against my cheek relaxed me ever so slightly, "J...Just a dream... It's nothing..."

"Harry..."

I buried my face further into his chest and kept my mouth closed tightly. It was just a nightmare, nothing real, and nothing to fear. Oliver was gone, his soul finally passed on and resting peacefully. "Sing to me Lou..." I begged softly. 

He nodded softly as he ran his other hand softly in circles over my back, letting his cool fingers soothe my skin. "Settle down with me... Cover me up... Cuddle me in... Lie down with me... Hold me in your arms..." he breathed the words out against my curls. "Your hearts against my chest, lips pressed to my neck... I've fallen for your eyes, but they don't know me yet... And the feeling I forget, I'm in love now..." 

The chorus was soft against my skin and warm in my ears, calming every shaken nerve. I kissed the exposed skin just above his collar bone to assure myself that he really was still there. 

"Settle down with me... I'll be your safety... You'll be my baby..." he continued quietly, his voice unwavering and warm. His head dipped down as his lips pressed gently against mine. "I love you Harry..."

"I love you..." I whispered against his lips as his baby blues met mine.

He bumped his nose against mine as a smile warmed his lips, "Your birthday's today Harry..."

I frowned at the thought, letting my eyebrows furrow beneath my curls as my mind drifted to the nightmare that my birthday could entail... Oliver. Broken glass. An end that I wasn't aware of. 

A soft chuckle brought me out of my thoughts, "Don't like your birthday anymore?"

"N...No it isn't that..."

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