Heaven Sent

A Bifurcated Chest

        Harry woke up and pushed his wet sticky hair off his face. As he lifted the blankets off the bed, he found the reason why he was sweating his ass off. At first, he was shocked to see Ludo curled on his left, Ghost on his right, then he saw Toothless sprawled out across his thighs.

    "Toothless." Harry calmingly said to him so that he did not startle him. "Hey buddy. I have to pee." Toothless looked up at him, sneezed, and closed his eyes again. Not going to lie. Harry was a little afraid of moving him, but he could not wait any longer. He picked up Ghost, who thought Harry was going to cuddle him, and put him between the other two then slowly inched his legs out from under Toothless. Earning him low growls from the not so happy fur kid being removed from his comforting warm spot. Ghost jumped on him though to try and play with him, and it gave Harry the opportunity to get all the way out of bed.
    "Get out and go get your breakfast, the lot of you." Harry yelled happily at them as he opened the door. Not needing to be told twice, all three jumped off the bed and went racing towards the steps and disappeared. Harry laughed at them as he pretty much ran himself to the bathroom.
   Making his way down the stairs he could hear the wolves barking and saying, 'Hi', to Brian and Louis. Harry ignored them all and went to get a cup of coffee and picked up a pancake and a few pieces of bacon to put on a paper towel. He then sat on the other side of the table as Alex and Lou, leaving Brian to have to sit next to him.
    "Nice eye. You two like it a little rough huh?" Alex giggled.
   The sound of slurping up coffee, breathing heavy, and silverware on dishes filling the silence that fell in the kitchen, just about making everyone want to scream.
   Alex sensing the tension around the table but not really understanding it, tried to joke it off.            "What's the matter Harry, condom, break?"
    "Shut up, Alex." Brian told him. Hoping he would get it.
    "Don't worry Louis will make a cute mommy." But Alex didn't get it and Harry went to lunge at him over the table. The wolves noticing the commotion, came running towards Alex. Who jumped out of his chair to get away from Harry.
    "SIT!" Louis hollered and everyone stopped dead and sat down, even Brian who got up to fill a plate at the stove. Louis looked at them and had to hold his laugh in. He went back to eating but no one else moved.
    "I was talking to the kids by the way." Louis finally said so everyone could go back to their food. He picked his coffee up and went to sit at the table next to the pool with his book, having enough of the drama. Brian followed him out with a plate full of food for himself sensing Lou may need to talk.
    "Don't like your own cooking?" Louis asked him, noticing he wasn't eating, just pushing the food around with his fork.
    "Did you do that on purpose to his eye?" Brian asked him raising his eyebrows when he looked up into the sad blue eyes next to him. Knowing he wasn't going to get an answer when Lou looked away from him. 
    "It's not that though, Lou. I was wondering if you asked him about his arms yet." Sighing heavily and changing the subject. 
   Lou turned to look at him again, not understanding the question this time. "His arms? What's wrong with his arms? He has gotten very skinny since the last time i saw him."
   Brian put his plate down next to him and scooted the lounger he was sitting on closer to Lou's.     "Both his arms have new scars on them. Like he has been cutting himself."
   Looking at him even more confused, Louis didn't want to believe him and went to jump up to go see for himself and confront Harry about it. How could he not have seen it? Brian did the only thing he could think of and instinctively sat on Lou's lap to keep him from getting up.
    "Not the time, Brian. Let me up." Louis went to push him off, but Brian fought him.
    "It is the perfect time. We are going to talk about this first before you go in there and make an ass out of yourself and say things you shouldn't say. If he leaves and goes home and does something because of that, you and i both know you will never get over it."
    "I have to talk to him though. Why the hell would he start to do that?" Louis was starting to panic thinking of losing Harry too, Brian again sensed it and did the only thing he knew to calm him down. Cradling Lou's head in his hands, he kissed him. Like every time before, Lou melted into him. Instant calming washing over him.
    Having had a deep conversation last night between the two of them about Lou's and Brian's "relationship", Alex watched as Brian did this through the window then looked to Harry. Harry looked like he was going to rip Brain in half.
    "Look, i am sorry about what happened before. I only know half of what is going on in this situation, but if you are acting like this over a kiss, then he must mean a whole hell of a lot to you."
    Harry not even noticing that he was quietly growling at seeing Brian and Lou together. "He is always throwing Brian in my face, nothing i do will ever change that." He said defeated.
   "Nothing? I am sure there is something. I am also sure that by doing shit like this, will not help anything." Alex said as he picked up Harry's wrist and let it flop back down again on the table.
   Harry forgot about his cuts and immediately folded his arms against his chest. "That is none of your damn business." He barked at Alex.
    "It might not be mine but i can guarantee you that that is what those two out there were talking about. So, you aren't going to have to answer me, but you will have to answer him." Alex said and pointed out the window towards Louis with his fork full of eggs.
    "Shit." Harry hung his head not ready to remotely even have that conversation with Louis.
   Alex unsnapped his leather cuff bracelets and laid his hands on the table palms up. "I've been there, love, i know how it feels."
   Harry winced as he looked at the dark scars slashed across Alex's wrists. "We all have our own stories, Harry. Mine was abuse. What do you think yours is?"
   Alex gave Harry a moment to think while he got up to sit in the chair next to him. "You are in love with him Harry. It is pretty damn obvious, even if you do not want others to know. Why do you want to hurt yourself over it instead of not giving a shit what others think, i just don't get. Who cares what strangers think of you? They are not in your bed. They do not know how much Louis makes you happy. Why deny yourself that? Love is hard enough to find nowadays. You had it fall right into your lap by means of a messed up situation but it happened. Don't take it for granted anymore. Go after what your heart wants, and you will not feel like you have to get rid of the pain by causing more."
   Harry looked up to Alex, pools waiting to overflow barely hanging on in his eyes. "He doesn't want me, Alex. I fucked up big time and do not deserve him."
    "I beg to differ. But hey if you already think that, then why are you here? You could have left last night, or hell why did you even come? Why even be here at all? Hell by the looks of some of them scars, just a little bit deeper and you could have just ended it. Right then and there. Why didn't you, Harry? Huh? Why didn't you just cut a little deeper? The pain would have all stopped and you would have no longer had to deal with any of it."
    "Because of him." Harry said under his hair with his chin buried in his chest.
    "I'm sorry, what was that? I could not hear you." Alex heard him, he just wanted Harry to say it again.
    "Because of him." Harry said it a tad bit louder.
    "Again." Alex encouraged him.
    "Because of Louis." Harry looked Alex right in his eyes and made sure he heard him that time.
Alex grabbed him up into a big bear hug as Harry lost it. His own wave of relief and calmness washed over him as the realization of actually what Alex was getting at, hit him.
   Giving him a few minutes to breathe, Alex pulled back from him. "Look if you want me and Brain can help mediate between the two of you, at least to a point maybe you two can be friends. Sound like a plan?" He asked Harry and Harry nodded his head in agreement. "Great but now we have a BBQ to set up and get ready for. We still have to go get some ice. Go get dressed so you can go to Walmart with me. I'll go let Lou and Brian know we're leaving. The guest will be here any moment now."
   Harry did not want to go with Alex, but he did not want to stay and have "that talk" with Lou or watch him make out with Brian anymore. Drudgingly he got up and did what he was told to do.
    They both ran up the steps to change and when they came back down Alex walked out to tell Brain and Louis that him and Harry were going to get ice to put in the plastic pools out for the wolves, the drinks, and all the other cold sides that were bought the day before.
   
   The ride there didn't take them long and Alex kept the conversation in the car light and on something else.
   Before Harry could get out of the rental, Alex stopped Harry.
    "I know you have no reason to trust me, and you really do not know me, but can you give me this one time. Just this one time, to trust me and to let me show you something.
   Harry became uneasy and wiggled around some in his seat, at the request, not knowing exactly what Alex wanted from him.
    "I really can go without seeing your dick, but thanks for the offer though." He said, trying to hide it.
    "Well, that's a shame, because it really is nice." Alex played along for a minute. "Harry i want you to give yourself completely to me while we are in Walmart." Saying it like it was no big deal.
    "You want to have sex with me in what, like the dressing room or the middle of the aisle in the auto department? Brian and Louis would be okay with this?" Harry was ready to bolt out of the SUV. He never even thought about being with another guy other than Louis, nor did he ever want to be.
    "Tempting, that is quite adventurous." Alex took a minute and tapped his finger to his chin like he was really contemplating it. "Maybe another time. Right now, Brian is really taking care of all my needs. I will keep you in mind for the future."

Harry gave him a look of disbelief and it made Alex crack up laughing. "What do you want from me then Alex?" Harry asked, making Alex stop and get serious again.