Louder Than Sirens ➳ Larry

day seven

day seven

To Louis's complete surprise, his boss was pleased to hear about the audio evidence. He even agreed to pay him a visit the following day to review his case. After a week filled with stress, confusion, and frustration, maybe things were finally looking up.

The next morning, Louis walks into the asylum with a bittersweet feeling settling in his gut. Part of him feels happy because he knows he might be able to save hundreds of patients from neglect and abuse. That's something to be proud of. But at the same time, he's going to miss seeing Harry on a daily basis. He's going to miss wandering around Whittingham Asylum with a briefcase in hand, searching for a head of messy brunet curls and piercing green eyes.

He's going to miss a lot of things about Whittingham Asylum, most of which revolve around Harry Styles.

The overwhelming scent of maple bacon swirls through the air as Louis walks in the front door. The temperature feels colder inside. Above him, a vent in the ceiling blows out a steady stream of frosty air.

Bright sunlight filters through the windows and glistens on the polished tiles in the main lobby. Around him, lifeless patients in white gowns move around sluggishly like brain-deprived zombies. Despite the sunny weather and intense heat outside, the interior of the asylum seems gloomy and cold. Louis can't help but feel a bit uneasy.

He immediately walks towards Harry's room, in fear of bumping into Susanne. If he saw her, he wouldn't be able to control himself. He'd probably scream in her face and call her every obscenity imaginable. Just thinking about her, his fists curl with anger.

He casts his gaze downward as he maneuvers through the maze-like hallways. He doesn't want to draw too much attention to himself and, more importantly, doesn't want to come face-to-face with Susanne. He needs to be calm, cool, and collected. This is his final day of investigation and he can't lose his temper.

Louis tries to ignore the burning feeling of protectiveness in his gut. He tries not to think about Harry's pained whimpers on the recording. Harry doesn't belong to him, after all. He shouldn't feel this defensive, but it's like an incurable itch under his skin. In his mind, anyone who threatens or jeopardizes Harry's safety is an enemy.

The detective clears his throat before pausing in front of Harry's door, number 238. He raises his hand to knock and takes a deep breath of courage. He feels awkward and nervous, like a little kid speaking to his first crush. He taps his knuckles against the door three times, soft and gentle, lest he accidentally startle Harry.

"Just a second!" Harry calls from inside. His voice is as sweet as sugar and as smooth as syrup. Louis wants to drown in it.

He opens the door a few moments later. He has a cute smile on his face, dimples and all, showing a row of pearly white teeth. His lips are a light shade of pastel pink, like chewed bubblegum. A faint dust of red covers his blushing cheeks.

He's wearing a white hospital gown, as per usual, with the oversized sleeves scooping down his exposed shoulders. The gown falls just below his knees with faint ruffles in the paper-thin fabric. On his feet, he wears a pair of white socks.

"Hi," he greets, tucking a few stray curls behind his ear. "I missed you."

Louis's heart jumps in his chest. "You did?"

"Yeah. It gets pretty lonely around here," Harry admits with a shrug.

Louis bites his lip. "You know today is my last day of investigation, right?" he asks, raising an eyebrow.

Harry pauses for a few seconds before nodding. "Yeah, I know," he murmurs, scratching the back of his neck. "That's why I wanted to do something special."