fearless/ [L.S]

16

harry ends up sleeping on alex's shoulder on the uncomfortable chairs of the hospital.

the six in the morning sunlight dance around the lobby of the hospital just when Harry wakes up to a kick to his shin. his head return to it's original place after being rested on Alex's shoulder, who is still slowly taking short buffs of air and curses his sore neck.

"Jesus, you sleep like a log"  Harry's eyes finally adjust to the white doctor coat matched with the blond hair and blue eyes framed with glasses. "Noah?"

he stands up and embraces his missed friend and allows a sense of comfort to wash over him for the first time in a few hours. Noah represents as his little brother. he and Alex take full credit for Harry's sanity, they've protected him from his thoughts and distracted him when his misery forced itself onto him. work schedules don't give their friendship too much justice but  every once in a while harry would send him a text, asking about his worries and sending him wishes for a goodnight.

when Harry sighs into your shoulder, Noah pulls back with a frown "are you okay?" harry barely spares himself a second to nod his head before something connects to the front of his mind causing "is Louis okay?" to Tumble out of his mouth.

Noah's brows stitch for a second before realization sparks in his blue eyes "Oh you're waiting for him?"

"yes I am, is he fine?" he urges his blond friend to continue his answer.

"yeah he's fine." harry releases a sigh of relief as the sound of his heart drumming in his ears fade out slowly "he's doing really well actually."

"Can I see him?" hope displays in Harry's voice and Noah smiles softly "I was just going to wake him up, you can tag along"

they stride through the long hall that connects the patients' rooms together, and Harry's heart jumps at the thought of seeing Louis again. halfway their walk to louis' room Noah stops walking and looks up at Harry.

"is he...is he your boyfriend?" the question sends a small spiral of electricity at the thought of people labeling him as louis' boyfriend.

the answer though creates a crack in his tired heart "No, I'm not" noah's lips turn into a tight line and by the gesture harry knows that his eyes are showing too much emotion that was hidden from his answer. if only he could rip his eyes out so they wouldn't queer from his lie of an answer.

"it's complicated"

Noah's gathers him in his embrace once more "I know. I'm sorry" harry soaks up in the comfort as much as he can before his s friend pulls away and smiles "come on, your lover's waiting."

they take a few more steps towards a certain room, louis' room, and stop infront of it with heavy hearts "are you ready?" Noah asks. harry nods, though he was sure he wasn't.

Noah cracks the door open and the sight of a white bed protecting louis' small body immediately connects to his eyes. he lets out a small breath and steps more into the room.  the room is spacious but harry feels trapped inside of his own chest, toying with the hem of his shirt to realize some energy.

"Okay" Noah snaps on a pair of blue gloves and adjusts the glasses that rebel against his nose Everytime he does the slightest bit of movement "I'm gonna wake him up now."

it requires little to no profession to wake someone up but harry still watches on warily as Noah rouses Louis up from his sleep. after a minute, Noah's eyebrows tug "is he a heavy sleeper?"

harry stays silent for a bit "can I try?"

Noah directs his gaze on harry for a second or two and steps aside as a wordless answer for the question that hangs around in the air. harry takes a shy step towards Louis almost as if he made a wrong sound, he'd wake Louis up which is exactly what he's aiming for, but he has something else in mind.

instead of calling his name or shaking his shoulders annoyingly until Louis snaps out of his sleep to pay him a glare, he kneels down next to Louis' bed and slowly runs his fingers through Louis' hair, stopping beforehand just to tuck a piece of loose hair behind louis' ear.

the scene goes unnoticed, but a smirk etches itself onto Noah's lips when he notices the change in louis' heartbeat.

"come on Lou, it's okay you can wake up now" harry whispers softly so the words could only verse into louis' ears, costumed words only for his Louis.  a nurse had entered the room and the 'oh god' that tumbles out of Noah's mouth doesn't go unnoticed by harry. he doesn't spare her the barest glance.

from her first greeting, harry already doesn't like her. "maybe he is a heavy sleeper, maybe all the 'soothing words' " she air quotes as she uses a mocking tone "isn't going to wake him up"

"Jesus Christ" Noah mourns quietly.

"No" harry refusing, keeping his eyes on Louis face and his hair in louis' hair "it always works" his voice is dimmed and slowly straining of hope, whispering to no one in particular, not asking to be heard either.

"maybe just let the doctor do his wor-" her sentence doesn't deliver instead it's replaced by her staring at Harry with parted lips when Louis' eyebrows tug softly and he releases a soft sigh.

"there we go" harry's hands drop so that he can caress louis' cheekbone, leaving tingles all over louis' skin as he tries rousing him up softly.

"honestly" Noah laughs out "you should start working with me"

harry smiles "sorry , dear, I only wake up a certain person that way" louis' eyebrows tug one last time before his eyes flutter awake, his gaze immediately dropping on harry.

a smile appears on his lips "nice view to wake up to" louis' own hand cups Harry's face, who's chin is planted on his chest.

"hi'' harry murmurs.  the room is silent, perhaps too silent for harry imagination, seeming as he forgoes Noah and the nurse and focuses on Louis, only Louis. his mind sets him up for thinking the world was just made for him and Louis, a soft bubble of delicate atmosphere and small subtle gestures.

his mind also snaps out of it's thoughts when the nurse scoffs.

"if you're finished with all the romantic gestures" she rolls her eyes, directing her speech to Louis now "are you in pain or something"

Louis twists his neck towards her for the first time, a small drop of sadness jolting through Harry's heart at the absence of Louis' eyes. "yeah no shit, if you couldn't tell there was a bullet in my shoulder a few hours ago"

her face flashes white and Harry can hear Noah quieten in his laugh. she stays silent for a while with her jaw open "Ash, get us pain relief" Noah snaps his fingers to snap her out of her daze. she looks back at him and scurries out of the room.

as soon as her presence is gone, Noah ignores quietening his laugh "I already like you Louis" Louis smiles though his eyes remain on harry. the room fills up with thick silence and Noah represents as a third wheel. he nervously taps his foot against the floor. "I'll leave you two alone for a while and I'll be back to give you pain relief.

they don't answer beyond a small hum from louis' mouth. Noah smirks knowingly and leaves the room to give them their own privacy.

"hey" Harry's brings his hand up to louis' hair again. his voice echoes in the delicate atmosphere that surrounds them "how are you"

Louis huffs out a laugh "shot I guess?"

harry doesn't laugh, instead his frown tightens and he leans in to kiss the area just underneath louis' lips, though it sends a burst of sadness through him, to not be able to kiss Louis like lovers do. but after all , they aren't lovers though, are they?

"don't joke about it" harry murmurs and lowers his hand to hold louis' own.

"I'll find him, and he won't be able to see daylight again"