In Front Of A Camera

• chapter fifteen •

TW//: Domestic abuse and eating disorders.

It was Thursday night and Louis was at the stove making some chicken noodle soup. Harry's cold had been getting worse, not better, which Louis figured was due to his malnutrition. He was just so weak.

When it was all ready, he scooped some up into a bowl and brought it to him. "Here love," he said gently as Harry sat up.

Harry smiled a little, but shook his head. "M'not hungry.." he said quietly. He'd done well with eating the last couple days, and he was really struggling today. "But thank you... I'm really sorry."

"Hey, don't be sorry." Louis sat down on the bed beside him, rubbing his small arm.

Harry got teary eyed, "I feel bad though. You made this for me... and I can't even put it in my stomach."

"Harry, it's not your fault and I'm not upset with you, you don't need to feel bad." Louis said quietly, tucking his hair behind his ear and kissing his cheek.

Harry nodded a little, and went quiet before speaking again. "I just can't have any extra weight on me when I go home to Liam tomorrow." He said, fiddling with his frail fingers.

Louis kissed his cheek again, Harry's words just breaking his heart. "I wish you could just stay."

"I do too Louis, so much." Harry said quietly, "One day it'll happen."

Louis really hoped that that day would come soon.

•

Friday morning arrived much too fast, and Louis was so scared about Harry going back to Liam. Especially with the condition he was in. He'd been up half the night with a raging fever, and woke up without improvement.

"I don't wanna goooo" Harry whined when he finally woke up, his head resting on Louis' chest.

"Then stay?" Louis grinned cheekily, making Harry let out a small giggle.

"Like I said," he coughed, wincing as it hurt his chest and he felt horrible, "one day."

Louis nodded sadly, kissing his curls. "When do you need to be back?"

"Honestly I should probably leave right now. I've got so much to do. The list he left was like a mile long I swear." Harry mumbled, sitting up. He was shivering and sweating like crazy, and was still in a lot of pain from being beat several days earlier.

"Harry, there's no way I can let you do that." Louis said worriedly, "You'd work yourself into the ground."

"I don't really have a choice though, I mean if I don't do what he asked, he'll only hurt me worse." Harry said, his eyes wide with fear.

"Let me come do it then, okay? I can be gone before he even knows I was here." Louis said, understandably very worried about Harry's health.

"I dunno if that's a good idea Lou... I don't want Liam to know. What if he finds out?" Harry asked, nibbling his thumbnail nervously.

"He won't. I'll hurry, and I'll be gone before he gets home. When is he supposed to be back?" Louis asked.

"Not until 10," Harry replied softly, and closing his eyes because he just felt so ill.

"10? That's like 12 hours from now, we've got plenty of time." Louis said, trying to get Harry to relax.

"I guess you're right," Harry responded, his voice all raspy and sick. "But you totally don't have to do this you know. I'm fine to do it myself."

"Harry, I don't want you exhausting yourself. That's the last thing you need right now." Louis said, trying to help Harry realize that it was important for him to just rest. "Now please, let me just help okay?"

Harry sighed, "okay." He finally agreed, he knew he needed the help. "Thank you.."

"Not a problem love," Louis said sweetly. "Let's get up and head out then shall we?"

Harry nodded, puckering his lips cutely for a kiss first, which Louis gladly gave.

•

Around 2 in the afternoon, Louis was in the kitchen scrubbing down the sink, when the front door opened.

"Harry!" Liam called out, "I'm home!" He headed for the kitchen and was startled to see Louis there, cleaning the sink.

"Louis? What are you doing here?" Liam asked, confused.

Louis froze for a moment, trying to quickly come up with a reasonable answer because he really didn't want to get Harry in trouble.

"Oh, I was just in the area running some errands and thought I'd pop in to say hello. But you weren't here, and Harry was cleaning, so I figured I could help out." He replied, knowing it was a horrible sounding excuse. He wasn't close with Liam at all, they just ran in the same social circles, but it was the best he could come up with.

"Oh," Liam nodded, putting on a friendly front, but internally he was boiling with anger at Harry for letting someone come and help. He was perfectly capable of doing it on his own in Liam's eyes. "Well thanks for helping out, it was good to see you." He said, as Harry came into the kitchen. His eyes were wide and afraid, but he was trying to appear calm.

"Yeah, good to see you too." Louis said, trying not to blow his top because he was so angry, Liam was being just nauseatingly fake and it disgusted him.

"Well," Liam said as he put an arm around Harry, kissing his cheek. "I actually just got back from Ibiza and I'm pretty tired. Mind if we catch up another time?"

"Yeah, yeah totally." Louis said, feeling so much guilt about leaving Harry here with him, but it was Harry's decision and he didn't have much of a choice.

Liam showed him out and then immediately stormed over to Harry who was in the kitchen, taking over where Louis had left off in the sink, despite feeling so sick.

"What the fuck Harry?!" Liam shouted, gripping the back of his shirt and yanking him into straighter standing position. "Why was he here? Helping with your chores!?"

"I... I just didn't... well... I.."

"Just shut up." Liam rolled his eyes. "I don't care what bullshit excuse you come up with. You know you're not allowed to have other guys over! And more importantly, you're supposed to do your own fucking chores! You had a whole week Harry! And this house isn't even close to what it should be."

"Well.. it would've been... you were just home like eight hours early..." Harry said quietly.

"So you just sat around all week until the last day? Waited for your pretty boy Louis to come save your ass?" Liam scoffed, "Fucking hell."

"Liam... please I'm sorry..." Harry said quietly, his voice all hoarse and broken from his cold.

"Yeah right. I'm going upstairs." Liam muttered, shoving Harry back at the sink and leaving the kitchen.

Oh how Harry wished he was with Louis again.

Hey guys!! I hope you liked this chapter:) feedback is always appreciated! Thanks so much for the support on the story 💛
-Stella