Always, Forever (Larry)

Chapter Twenty

The girl at 28.

By the time Harry came to the end of the letter, Laura was reaching for the door handle and he caused her to pause with his question. "I don't understand?"

She sighed before answering, eyes glazed across the white floor shyly. "Look, Harry. She is saying that what you think isn't true. You got the wrong end of the stick. You wouldn't believe Niall yesterday when he told you the truth."

And with that she slipped out of view, leaving Harry to collect his thoughts. The letter found its way into the top drawer of the dresser as he pressed a pillow into his face to muffle a scream.

A few hours had passed, and Harry had sorted through a lot of things. He got distracted a few times, tangents of chocolate fondue and a story about a flying pig interrupting his trail of thought. The most important things, however, were smoothed over and he was finally able to speak aloud to himself.

"So... he doesn't love her?" he breathed the words from the bottom of his lungs into the freshly found air before him.

"Of course I don't, Angel." Louis was leaning against the door frame to the right of Harry's bed, smiling widely in the knowledge that the boy finally understood. He wasn't sure what had changed his mind, but he didn't care. He was going to get his Harry back.

Harry burst into tears at the realisation of how Louis must be hurting. His mind had made him imagine some pretty awful things, and he was sure Louis had been thinking them too. He had almost died. In Louis's arms of all places.

"Shh, it's okay baby. Please don't cry." Louis hushed the younger boy as he reached out and wiped the tears from his cheeks. Harry's hand lifted the blanket covering his legs, inviting Louis to crawl inside with him, and he watched the older boy's face light up with happiness. Louis's arms were soon wrapped around the crying boy as he pressed delicate kisses to his temple until he stopped crying. "You're okay, H. That's all that matters."

Harry had closed his eyes against Louis's chest, allowing the boy's warmth to radiate against his cheeks. His half-sleep, however, was soon interrupted by a bellow that echoed towards them. Only a few feet from the edge of the bed stood a small, plump, elderly lady. She was clearly a nurse by her choice of attire, but Harry hadn't seen her before. Must be new, perhaps?

"What do you think you are doing?! You don't have permission to be in here. Harry gave specific instructions this morning that he didn't want any visitors! Get OFF him!"

Louis instantly pulled away from Harry's body, slightly intimidated by the wrath of this woman. The closer she came, however, the quicker she noticed the way Harry was holding Louis and his large left hand latched onto the older boy's bicep.

"Stay." Harry whispered to Louis, clearly hurt that he had moved away from him. The nurses clearly didn't scare him half as much as they did Louis. Hesitantly, the boys looked towards the nurse, both pleading with their eyes. "Please," he spoke again, this time directed at her.

She nodded agreeably, a wide smile reaching her ears. "Of course." If Harry wanted Louis to stay, then so did she. "But you will have to jump off the bed for a second so I can hang another drip into Mr. Styles's arm."

Louis turned to face Harry, smiling warmly, before kissing his forehead fondly. He followed instructions and emerged from the blanket, pulling his phone from his pocket and sending a quick text to Liam whilst the lady completed her task.

Can you bring the duvet off Harry's bed to the hospital please mate? These blankets are giving his legs rashes and they're itchy as fuck.

Louis waited patiently until the nurse exited the room, thanking her as she left, and snuggled back into the bed. They laid silently together for a while before Harry announced he needed the toilet. Louis sprung to his feet, supporting Harry's waist as he shuffled into the bathroom opposite the bed.

They stood staring at each other aimlessly once they reached the toilet and Harry coughed twice, raising his eyebrows as to why the older boy was still there. He took the hint and left him to it, walking back into the room to find Liam stripping the covers.

After lending his mate a hand, Louis tucked the duvet neatly into place and the bathroom door opened to reveal a slightly shocked boy staring at them. "What?" Harry stuttered, trying to think of what to say. "Why have you changed them?"

Louis smiled, reaching his arms around Harry's side and helping him back across the room. "They were itchy, and I could tell they were making you uncomfortable." The older boy pushed the covers around Harry's legs to ensure he wouldn't be cold, waving to Liam as he left, before climbing over to the other side of the bed. Harry happily embraced Louis's body as he took a deep breath. "Vanilla and cinnamon?" he asked in surprise.

"Just for you." Louis whispered back.

Harry reached his hand under the privacy of the duvet, stroking his fingers softly on Louis's hip. He pressed his warm lips into the older boy's chest, sucking faintly on his skin. Louis laughed, "Don't tease me, mister."

Harry giggled as he pulled Louis's body closer to his, slipping his hand under his shirt and resting it on the dimple at the bottom of his spine. "My angel" were the last words he heard before he fell asleep safely in the arms of the person he loved.