Restore (Sequel to Purge: Larry au)

Chapter 8

Louis wakes up the next morning in a strange bed. Harry's lying practically on top of him, cuddled under the duvet. His head is resting on Louis's chest, curls splayed against Louis's bare skin. His green eyes are closed, eyelashes brushing his cheeks, and his lips are parted in sleep. 

Louis looks over to the door of the room to see it slowly being closed, Gemma's eyes disappearing from the crack.

"Gem?" Louis asks quietly, trying not to wake Harry. 

He hears a sigh and Gemma opens the door again. 

"Sorry," she whispers, sounding guilty. "I wanted to see if you two were awake. I'm heading to Starbucks. Was wondering if you wanted anything, but then you were asleep so..."

"Gem, it's okay," Louis chuckles. She's just like her brother when she thinks she's bothered someone. They both get all flushed and start to ramble, fidgeting with their hands. 

"You sure?" Gemma asks. "I didn't wake you up?"

"I'm pretty sure I woke up naturally," Louis assures her. "Just happened to be while you were here."

"Okay."

"You're taking Starbucks orders?" Louis asks then.

She nods and he grins. "I'll just have a breakfast tea, and Harry will probably want a decaf vanilla latte," he tells her. 

"Any food?" she asks. 

Louis thinks about that for a moment. Then, "I think Harry was craving their chocolate croissants the other day, so maybe some of those."

"Okay," Gemma says, and opens her mouth to say something else, but it's then that Harry shifts against Louis's chest, and the duvet falls away, exposing his back. 

Gemma sees it and gasps, covering her mouth with her hand, eyes wide and slightly horrified. Louis looks at her, confused for a moment before he realizes. 

Harry's burn scars. They'd never told Gemma about them. 

"What happened to him?" Gemma asks, tears forming in her eyes. 

Louis sighs softly, slowly running his hand up and down the bumpy ribbons of scar tissue on Harry's skin. "Yeah, um, in the final battle of the war, Harry and I were far too close to the base when it exploded. He shielded me from the explosion with his body, and the heat and fire gave him third degree burns all over his back and the backs of his legs."

"Oh Harry," Gemma breathes, looking at her younger brother sadly. 

"He's okay," Louis assures her. "They've all healed, they just look a bit scary."

"It's so terrible what you both had to go through," Gemma says. "I'm sorry."

"Thank you Gem," Louis smiles, not knowing what else to say. 

She nods and smiles back at him. "I'm gonna go get that Starbucks now," she says, turning to leave.

"Perfect," Louis chuckles, looking away from her and tangling his fingers in Harry's hair. He kisses his sleeping husband's curls, gazing at him fondly.

"Hey Lou?" Gemma's voice calls, just before she shuts the door behind her.

"Yeah?"

She smiles warmly at him. "I'm glad you're my brother-in-law now."

"And I'm glad you're my sister-in-law," Louis chuckles. "But I'm also hungry, so go get my Starbucks."

Gemma grins and gives him a mock salute. Then she turns and leaves the room, closing the door behind her.