Through My Lens

Chapter 16

Louis stirred awake, feeling the bed dip beside him. Blinking sleepily, he slowly adjusted to the beige hotel room around him. When his eyes met Harry's warm, concerned gaze, he felt a rush of confusion and panic.

"Hello, sleepy head," Harry said with a soft smile.

"Hi, Hazzie," Louis mumbled, his cheeks flushing with a sudden surge of embarrassment. "How did I get here?" he asked, looking around the room, trying to piece together the last moments before he'd fallen asleep on the bus.

"You fell asleep on the bus," Harry explained, his voice gentle and soothing. "You looked so cute, I didn't have the heart to wake you up, so I carried you inside."

A wave of panic washed over Louis. The fear of what Josh might have seen and the potential repercussions began to spiral in his mind. What if Josh had noticed Harry carrying him? The idea of Josh taking his frustration out on Harry was unbearable. Louis felt a pang of guilt; Harry didn't deserve to be involved in his troubles.

"Baby, are you okay?" Harry's voice was filled with concern as he noticed the distress on Louis's face.

Louis looked up, tears welling in his eyes. "Oh hey, hey Lou, baby, I'm sorry if I upset you. I just didn't want to wake you," Harry said, cupping Louis's face and gently wiping away the tears with his thumb.

"I-I yo-you... I-I s-sorry," Louis sobbed, burying his face in Harry's chest. The warmth and comfort of Harry's embrace felt like a balm to his troubled mind.

"Sweetheart, why on earth are you sorry?" Harry asked, his voice tender.

"B-because I am so embarrassing. You had to carry me back to the hotel because I fell asleep on the bus. God, Hazzie, you deserve someone as great as you," Louis blurted out, his voice choked with emotion.

Harry's response made Louis's heart skip a beat. "You're right, I do deserve someone great," Harry began, causing a sharp pang of hurt to pierce through Louis. Despite knowing that he had just said something similar, hearing Harry's words still stung. "That someone is you, Lou. Baby, I really wish you could see yourself through my eyes. When we're ready, I will show everyone in the world just how much you mean to me."

Louis shook his head, tears flowing freely as he continued to sob into Harry's chest. "Lou, there's more going on here, and I want you to know that no matter what, I'm here for you, whenever you're ready to talk."

Louis looked up at Harry, his eyes searching those deep green orbs. With a small sniffle, he whispered, "Thank you, Hazzie."

Harry responded by pressing a soft, reassuring kiss to Louis's lips, then gently wiped the tears from his cheeks with his thumbs. "I'm taking you out on a date once we're home on Saturday, okay? 7 p.m., I'll pick you up."

"O-okay," Louis replied, a smile breaking through his tears. The thought of a special evening with Harry brought a glimmer of hope.

The two of them lay together in the bed for a while longer, wrapped in each other's arms. Louis allowed himself to bask in the warmth and comfort of Harry's presence, feeling a sense of peace that was rare amidst his usual turmoil. For now, he savored the simple joy of being close to Harry, letting go of his worries, if only for a moment.

"Where is Li?" Louis asked after a few moments of comfortable silence.

"He went with Niall and Zayn to pick up fruits and snacks for tomorrow. Coach allowed them to leave the hotel just for that," Harry explained.

"Why didn't you go?" Louis wondered.

"I wanted to stay and cuddle with my favorite boy," Harry replied with a playful grin.