Calm after the Storm

Just hold on

TW: violence, blood, hospital
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My hands, your hands
Tied up like two ships
Drifting, weightless
Waves try to break it
I'd do anything to save it
Why is it so hard to save it?

My heart, your heart
Sit tight like bookends
Pages between us
Written with no end
So many words we're not saying
Don't wanna wait 'til it's gone
You make me strong

I'm sorry if I say, "I need you"
But I don't care, I'm not scared of love
'Cause when I'm not with you, I'm weaker
Is that so wrong? Is it so wrong
That you make me strong

(Strong - One Direction)

[Louis]

While Harry is still sound asleep, Louis gets ready for work, comfortably smokes a cigarette on the balcony with a cup of tea and decides to let Harry sleep in. He certainly has a little hangover from last night and while Louis feels uneasy about going to work without the security of Harry, he can't be that damn dependent on him for the rest of his life. The last few days have been good and he just hopes Jake has given up and it's been really quiet for almost a week and that gives Louis hope. He sneaks quietly through the apartment, grabs a hoodie from Harry and gives him, who is curled up in bed, a gentle kiss on the head.

With the hood pulled over his head, he sits in the tube a short time later and then makes his way to the Café. Relieved to have arrived without incident, he unlocks the door and locks it again from the inside. Sharing his shift today with Dan, he can't wait to finally tell him that he was right from the start and that he loves Harry and they're so much more than friends. But he has to wait another hour before his shift starts, so Louis quickly checks whether the Cafe's stock is still full or if he needs to pass something on to his bosses to order.

Then the time has come and he opens the Café on time. As every morning, some of the regular customers are already waiting and he keeps a little small talk with the mainly pensioners while he takes the orders and prepares them in a good mood.

'You little minx. Why didn't you wake me up? All is well? I love you more than anything!'

Louis quickly reads Harry's message and grins at it. As soon as Dan gets here he will answer him but the Café is getting full and Harry can wait the ten minutes left before he has time for him.

The bell above the door rings repeatedly, announcing a new rush of guests and Louis sighs softly. As he is about to bring the finished order to a table before he serves the new guests, his gaze wanders over the Café and he falters in his movement. He almost drops the tray but pulls himself together at the last moment. There Jake stands in the middle of the Café and grins at him. Louis immediately sees that he is drunk, he sways and Louis wonders how that is possible at almost 9 o'clock in the morning. Taking a deep breath, he tries not to let his inner turmoil show, but grins a little wider and makes his way to the table with their order. Like a mantra, he prays to himself that everything is fine, that Jake will definitely not harm him in the middle of the Café and that he needs to calm down. His hands are shaking as he puts the order on the table in front of the guests and he smiles apologetically at them.

"Louis, bean, one word," Jake suddenly slurs next to him and Louis has a reflex to flee that he has to resist in front of the guests. Jake's breath smells like a whole brewery standing so close to him and he wraps an arm around his waist.

"Jake, leave me alone," Louis hisses softly, edging past him and quickly behind the counter. All of this under the partly irritated looks of the guests who were close enough to notice.