Have I forgotten how to love; remind me once again

Chapter Four

A/N I'm currently visiting London with my sister, so this will probably be the only update this week. On a more depressing note, my brother got Covid so I can't go back home:// 

When the two of them return to Harry's room, it's with Zayn's arm around Louis' shoulder and Louis leaning into his side and forcing himself to breathe steadily and calmly. Neither Niall nor Liam are perched outside the room anymore, but the door is open and soft voices are flowing towards them as they enter.

Three heads look up as Louis stops dead in his tracks, only pushed forward by Zayn's strong arm around his shoulder, and Louis is debating whether he should run away and hide from the entire situation or sit down and patiently remind Harry that they're in love. He knows which one is the easiest, and which one is the right.

The decision is made for him as Harry smiles warmly. "Louis", he says, an instant warmth flowing through Louis' body, and he stumbles a couple steps closer to the bed. Harry must see the joyous expectation in Louis' eyes because he shakes his head with an apologetic look. "Sorry. I didn't remember. They told me". He nods towards Niall and Liam who are sitting beside his bed, and Louis has to swallow his disappointment and force out a smile, remembering that he needs to be patient, knowing that this must be even more frustrating for Harry.

"No worries, love. It will take some time", and even though he doesn't see recognition in Harry's eyes, Louis spots the immense warmth he was greeted with, and that will have to do for now.

It turns out that Niall and Liam were let in when Harry had rested for a couple hours and wanted some company. They had been instructed to let their friend lead the level of ambition for the conversation, but Harry had been insistent for them to tell him some of the things he was supposed to remember.

Reluctantly, the two of them had done so, careful not to overload Harry's brain in its fragile state and had therefore kept it to the basics: Louis, his fiancé. Niall, Louis and Zayn, his best friends. Their band, world famous.

It seemed Harry did remember his family for instance, but most things from within the last few years were totally blank. Retrograde amnesia, the doctor had said, Liam informs them. It had frustrated Harry immensely as Niall and Liam were telling him things he should already know, but eventually he found a bit of peace with the quiet and patient boys beside his bed. He had kept asking about Louis, though, feeling that there was a whole lot more there than Liam and Niall could tell him.

When Louis settles next to Harry's bed, not touching him nor the blankets around his boy as he has done for the past days, Liam sends Zayn a look. All good? And Zayn nods slowly before finding his place behind Liam's chair, arms draped over Liam's shoulders and resting on his chest, where the bigger boy grabs one of them.

Within less than an hour, Harry has fallen back to sleep, overwhelmed with new information, even though they've barely spoken in the past hour as either Louis or Harry would erupt in poorly hidden frustrations whenever Harry didn't remember something and then Liam had to step in with mindless chatter which in turn ended up with Harry mostly listening to the others' conversation until he nodded off.

Zayn has moved a chair next to Liam's and is now sitting with his legs splayed in Liam's lap, the two of them chatting lowly. Niall has moved to Louis' side of the bed and is currently playing mindlessly with his friend's dark hair in an attempt to distract Louis slightly. It works, but only a little, and Louis is simply staring at his boy, feeling just as nervous about reaching out and grabbing Harry's hand as he had been the very first time.

Louis can't help to think back, longing for simpler times than this and he smiles a bit as he recalls the insane jittery nerves he had back then whenever the two of them was near each other. He had been smitten with the boy since they first met on the X-factor, and the five of them ending up in a band together was a dream come true.