When Darkness Strikes | ls au

Epilogue. One Day, I Am Gonna Grow Wings

It takes an entire month for Harry's injuries to heal completely. In the comfortable weather of June, London is a mixture of cloudy and sunny days, and eventual drizzle that coats the big city's streets lightly.

Louis' presence in Harry's apartment is still surreal; watching him hop in between rooms, pacing into the kitchen, and bringing him tea at random times during the day. Waking up beside Louis feels like the first sunray that bleeds into the room. Warm, and it makes Harry want to stay in bed for as much as he manages. Which, giving his straining injuries, is a lot of time. Louis is insistent with taking care of his wounds and doesn't skip any steps during the long scarring process.

When the cuts eventually turn into pinkish, thick scars, there's the lingering questions in the atmosphere again. Louis jokes about losing his excuse to stay with Harry, and Harry always says that he doesn't need an excuse. It could be his home, too.

"Love?" Louis sweetly calls across the kitchen. Harry looks up from the counter's surface, distracted. "You alright?" He questions to the frown in Harry's face.

"Yeah, just thinking about how I'll have to go back to work soon." He replies with a small grin, sipping his tea. It's sweeter than he's used to making, since Louis' high sugar consumption has taken over his routine. He would never complain, though.

Louis nods, leaning against the oven, his shirtless torso calling out for Harry's eyes. Distracting. "Oh, yeah, me too," The detective frowns. "I don't even want to think about it, to be honest. My boss is going to ask too many bloody questions," He mumbles.

The negative side of everything doesn't escape their lives. Some days are harder than others, some nights Harry can't sleep, and Louis has nightmares so horrible that it makes him shake.

The concept of PTSD didn't come around until a few weeks after they had arrived in London, and Harry couldn't seem to stop sweating and hyperventilating whenever he looked at his own chest. They don't talk about Stan often. Harry doesn't even like to think about Daniel, or where his body may be. That secret died with Stan. In fact, Harry is certain that the woods must swallowed him, too.

It feels as if years had been compacted into that one month. So many steps had been taken and everything has changed, unquestioningly. The only thing that didn't change was Louis' presence, his support and patience. For that, Harry is eternally grateful.

"I could go with you," Harry says, the quiet apartment cradling his tired voice. "To Manchester, I mean."

Louis' smile is beaming, completing the morning sight. He approaches Harry, circling around the counter, and embraces him from behind. "I'd love that. But what about your job?" He questions, breathing into Harry's shoulder blades. His fingertips quickly find their way to the scar on his lower back, caressing it as if it could go away.

"We'll figure it out." Harry responds, turning to kiss him. "Everything will be alright, isn't that what you always say?"

"Yeah, it is." Louis nods, their noses bumping, and smiles against his lips.

Then, there's silence.

It's something else that they easily learn to deal with; the quiet, the lack of noise that won't be filled by talking about a case or throwing questions at the investigation. Harry used to dread the silence, before Louis. Now, is in the quietness that he can visualize the trueness of his feelings flooding through his blue eyes.

He can see the words before he hears them.

"Haz," Louis calls, always gently, his face cradled in Harry's palms. "I'm in love with you, do you know that?" He whispers. "I do, I really do. I love you." Louis repeats, as if the words taste so sweet that he wants to speak them over and over again.

Harry's chest tightens, strains with emotion, in the best way possible. "I know. And I do too. Love you." He mumbles, his tone resonating smoothly in the space between their lips. They kiss, passionately, hearts thundering in their ribcages, audible enough for London to hear.

Whatever concerns the future may hold, Harry ignores it for a moment. In the present, he embraces his person, loves him, and refuses to forget that everything will be alright, as long as he's by his side.