The Switch (l.s)

9. Make A Break For It

(A/N: Late update but I had a horrific end of term at university & also experienced something extremely traumatic and now suffering with PTSD and my panic disorder is elevated more than ever. I hope you enjoy this chapter. It is very dialogue focused because it's important to start focusing on them trying to scramble at finding a /friendship/. anyway. comment away :) i love reading everything you guys say. as always, love you. - ash x )

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The following days and the concept of time dissolve into itself, becoming shapeless; with no structure or distinctive pattern. All Louis can recall is that Harry doesn't really speak much, in fact, he spends a lot of his time disappearing with his moleskin journal in tow. His disappearances are sporadic, never at a set time. Louis does his best not to stick his nose in Harry's business, and he most definitely refrains from asking any intrusive questions that might set off a chain of nasty responses. They've managed to avoid any sort of disruption to their daily lives and also miraculously have not bickered, which is genuinely surprising to Louis.

Until the fifth day, when Harry returns from one disappearing stint which leaves Louis reeling with a million questions that are better off unsaid. It's on that day when Louis finally finds some sort of breakthrough from Harry's blasé demeanour, which in return leaves his mile-high walls threatening to tumble. It's midday and he's curled on the couch wrapped in a knitted blanket with the aircon blasting at almost sub-zero temperature when there's a loud thud in the direction of the back door. It's loud enough for his attention to jolt from the television and towards the source.  And once Louis' gaze falls on the doorframe, he immediately registers Harry's presence; shoulders slouched in a radiating sadness. Louis didn't even need to look at his face to understand. In fact, he wishes he hadn't.

Louis automatically sits up straighter, back arching to for a better view to assess the damage. Which in return might be in his list of biggest regrets of his lifetime; because Harry's eyes flicker towards him for the slightest second but it's all slow motion for Louis. Immediately he is aware of Harry's eyes; a fern green mixed with a soulless grey that has his heart lurching in his chest. But Louis momentarily loses grip on sanity when his vision focuses on the slight swell of his eyes, and the tinge of redness framing his irises. Louis grips the blanket, desperately focusing on the feeling of the fabric to distract his brain, lips parting as his breath silently fans outwards.

The entirety of that interaction lasts no longer than 5 seconds, but to Louis, it may as well have been 60. The reality of the speed finally catches up to Louis once he blinks and tries to look back towards Harry. Except now he's already disappeared down the hallway without a single word or noise. In the last four days, they had managed a simple routine of Harry using the shower as needed, and Louis doesn't even question it. Except he does question Harry's sanity when he continuously sleeps on the hammock every night. It doesn't make sense, especially considering there's a perfectly functional, and very soft, couch. A couch that would be twice as comforting as a bloody hammock. But Harry Styles will do what he wants, and supposedly he wants to spend his nights sleeping outside.

As Louis works through his loud thoughts, mind whirring and conspiracies popping up in every corner of his brain, he eventually finds himself completely frozen. The second a horrible intrusive thought enters his brain Louis briefly shifts his position, eyeballing between the television and the direction of the bedroom. He's mentally at war with himself. Should he check on him or should he give him space? The inner professional screamed at him to go ahead, check and decode the root of his issues, but this wasn't his job. Harry Styles was not Louis Tomlinson's job to fix.

Louis spends a considerable amount of time debating breaking his moral code, and in the end, he decides it's not wise to stick his nose in others business. Instead, he turns his attention to Haunting of Hill House. Which, in fact, was moderately terrifying and Louis really wasn't good with the horror genre. But it offered a genuine distraction. A full half an hour passes of Louis watching, partially hidden underneath the blanket, eyes peering over the edge when Harry finally appears.