Count To Ten (Louis Tomlinson Fanfic)

Chapter 4

Zayn's P.O.V.

It wasn't everyday that we get to come home early. After the last show, the tour bus took us straight to the quarters without any stops. Harry and Niall went straight to bed, completely enervated. Normally I'd be the one to reach the top of the stairs. But you know how when your sleep cycle adjusts to sleep at one point it always wants that very time to get some sleep? Mine starts at around 11 so I just thought of watching some film to kill the time. Liam stayed up with me up to around an hour ago until exhaustion caught up with him as well. And Louis, well, the guy had that tiring expression for over a week. I didn't even see him when we got home. I'm guessing he went to bed before all of them.

By the time the film ended it was almost two in the morning. Good thing I didn't have anything scheduled for the next day. Turning off the Tele lazily, I picked myself up from the sofa. I quickly turned off the lights that were on downstairs before making my way up the stairs. The wonderful imagines of a good night sleep started making my walk a bit sloppy and slow. I reached the hallway to where our bedrooms were at, and the sight of Louis standing by my door scared the living hell out of me.

"Jesus, I thought you were sleeping mate" I commented while opening my door but the expression that he wore got me to pay attention a bit more. He wasn't like his usual self. He just stood there staring ahead and the minute I stepped closer to him he started walking past me as if he didn't even notice that I was there.

"Louis?" I called and it didn't take long for me to come to an understanding that he wasn't seeing me after all. I let him lead down the stairs. His walk was sudden. Like he knew exactly where he was going. But his eyes were focused ahead and barely had any movement.

The second he stepped down the floor I caught up with him and jumped in his way.

"Lou, are you sleepwalking?" I snapped my fingers in front of his eyes yet he didn't even seem to care. He walked past me and into the kitchen. This is the first time in life that I've ever seen Louis sleepwalking. He was never the type to roam around the house in the middle of the night. But then again, I am a very tight sleeper so maybe I didn't notice it? Following him into the kitchen, I watched him stop by the counter and turn around. Concern started to pile up behind my back as I tucked my hands in my pockets and looked up at him. His fingers slowly reached up to the handle of the first drawer and my jaw dropped open. The first drawer is where we keep all the knifes and forks. The clinging sound of the utensils banging against the four walls of the drawer made me gasp and take a step forward. Louis slowly dipped his hand in and grabbed a sharp end knife. Without even waiting to see what he was gonna do with it I jumped at him.

Struggling to get the knife out of his grip I grabbed at the wrist of his hand that was holding the knife.

"Let go" I heard him whisper lightly and I gave him a confused look. With the passing time his actions got a little violent.

"Drop the fucking knife you idiot!!" I yelled as he tugged on to the knife while pushing me away. Three years together I never knew him to be this strong. He wrapped his fingers tightly around the wooden handle until his knuckles were turning while.

"Snap out of it- LOUIS!" I shouted before showing an elbow to the side of his face. I'm pretty sure that wasn't what got him out of it. What got him out was how, when I hit him, he turned around and banged his head against the cupboard next to us. He got down to his feet with a yelp and the sound of the knife hitting the ground was ten times more irritating than it ever was. I quickly bent down and grabbed the knife before showing it back into the drawer.

"What was that?" Liam, Niall and Harry came rushing to the kitchen after the caos. Surely they've heard me yelling about.

"Gah..." I heard Louis slightly moan before sitting up on the floor and the rest of the boys looked up at me as if I just beat him up.

"He was sleepwalking!" I yelled defensively as Liam quickly rushed up to the counter and skidded on his knees next to Louis. He was holding his hand against his forehead and his expression spoke for how hard he hit his head.

"You alright Louis?" Harry asked as Liam and I got him up to his feet. He stumbled a little making us both put a steady arm around him without letting him fall back down again.

"I uhh...." His eyes were still shut tightly and I didn't think it was that severe until we noticed a small trickle of blood escaping through his fingers.

"Shit, you're bleeding"

~*~

"Okay. Sleepwalking? You were sleepwalking?" Harry sat down next to Louis on the couch as Louis sat there leaning to the front with his elbows resting on his knees and his head hanging low. "You never sleepwalked for life" He put down a warm cup of coffee in front of Louis. "What's gotten into you?"

"Do you remember anything that happened?" Liam questioned looking back and forth at me and him simultaneously. I did not do anything Liam. What the fuck?!

"No. None." Louis finally raised his head and lightly shook it. The bandage around his forehead made me wince a little. I know I did it to stop him from whatever he was about to do, but I couldn't stop feeling a little guilty over it.

"What do you think you were gonna do with the knife?" I asked lightly. It was obvious Louis was a little agitated over us questioning every step he took last night.

"I- I don't know. boys."

"We need to do something about this. We need to do something Right. Now." Niall said inhaling nervously and his words made Louis close his eyes and hang his head back down just like it was before.

"What can we do?" Liam asked and we all let out deep sighs at how true the words were. There was absolutely nothing that we could do to stop it.

"Did you take your pills last night?" Niall sat up on the side of the couch.

"Yes" Louis didn't raise his head but he answered.

"All of them?"

"Yes"

"Are you sure-" The second the words left Niall's mouth Louis snapped his head up at him.

"Mate, nobody wants this shit to end as much as I do okay? Believe me. I took the fucking pills." He yelled taking the cup of coffee in his hands and walking over to the counter.

"Maybe we should go back to Dr. Freeman-" Harry suggested only to get interrupted.

"No" All our heads turned to Louis. "I don't want to okay? All she's gonna say is that it's just a memory and that I'm the only one who knows to get rid of it. I'm tired of hearing the same crap from her."

"Louis, if one was not ten thousand miles away and moving in the speed of 50miles per second, anybody could notice those bags under your eyes okay? Believe me, you look awful" Harry said while walking over to the counter to pour himself some coffee. We all needed it. None of us went to bed after Louis' little incident. Speaking of which, I haven't slept all day!

"Thanks mate. Thankyou very much. I'm very greatful to have you in my life, you know that?" Louis said sarcastically looking up at Harry and Harry snapped at him slightly furiated.

"Louis, be serious!" He yelled and Louis' eyes widened a small fraction seeing how annoyed Harry was.

"I called Rose. She told me we should go to one of those erasure things" Louis said through an exhale, and I snapped at him. "Oh sure, when you hear it from your girlfriend, Yes. But when you hear it from your best friend for three year, hmmm" I said planing to bring a bit of humor into the conversation. Normally we would've laughed at that but considering how tired, restless and disturbed we were, the best reaction a joke can achieve is a slightly loud chuckle from Niall.

"We're just gonna go and see what we can do to get rid of it. I can't deal with this stupid insomnia anymore. It's driving me nuts"