Once Upon a Dream

Chapter 13

It's the day before Harry is discharged. There's a bittersweet taste in Louis' mouth as he looks at Harry's duffel bag in the corner of the room. Harry has fully recovered. His legs have overcome any and all dystrophy. His brain has full functionality without any signs of amnesia or bruising. Harry is well, but Harry is leaving.

Of course it's a happy ending. Of course there's reason to be ecstatic and celebrate the fact that Harry can finally go home, live his normal life as if nothing happened. But Harry is leaving , and Louis is in love with him. But Harry doesn't know that, and there's no way Louis can tell him now.

There's no way Louis can tell Harry that he'd fallen in love with him while he was his patient. There's something disturbing about it, something wrong and disrespectful. It leaves his heart aching relentlessly in his chest; sore from beating against his ribs whenever their skin touched. He just... Can't get over this guilt he feels. And while he could just lay it all out on the floor for Harry to see, he won't.

No.

Louis is not going to put any more stress on this boy.

Not after overcoming what he's been through.

So there they are: Harry sitting on the edge of the hospital bed, fiddling with a rubix cube, while Louis watches silently.

"We should do something special," Louis murmurs, "Since it's your last night."

Harry looks up from his cube. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." He answers. "Any ideas? Any big aspirations, goals, hopes you wanted to get out of this place?" He throws a few dramatic hand gestures.

Harry's mouth quirks into the cutest fucking grin Louis' ever seen. "I could go for one of those donut packs from the vending machine. Always wanted to get my hands on those."

"Ah, yes. A true delicacy." Louis snickers. He pats at his pockets to check for his wallet. "I'll head down to the good one on the third floor. I swear, they keep the good stuff down there. Should I send your compliments to the chef?"

"Wait, um," Harry mutters, looking back down at his fingers, "Can I go with you? I'm losing my mind up here."

Louis tilts his head in concern. It's a terrible idea, really. If Louis got caught sneaking a patient out of their room after hours?

"Liam would have a conniption."

"Please? I'll be good." Harry retorts, giving a little wink along with his argument.

Louis' stomach flips. He gulps, actually fucking gulps like he's in a cartoon. "Yeah, okay, yeah. Let's do it."

This time, they prepare to be caught. Harry sits himself in a wheelchair (even though can walk perfectly fine now). Louis drapes a blanket over Harry's head, adding a pair of the hospital's post-dilation sunglasses for good measure. They debate whether or not to put some lipstick on, but choose to just go with a hospital gown to finish the look.

The hallways are quiet enough that they draw little to no attention as they scoot into the elevator. A random visitor joins them on their journey down. The silence only makes it more difficult for them to stifle their laughter.

As soon as the stranger reaches their stop, their childlike giggles resume. They shush each other once the doors begin to open again.

The third floor is a little busier. They blend into the noise seamlessly.

After collecting as many sweets and snacks as they can carry, they make their way back into Harry's room without turning a single head. They're in the clear.

Propped up on the bed, Harry sorts through their loot with Louis sitting crisscrossed at his feet. They barter with each other like kids on Halloween. Harry pretends not to notice Louis staring at him, as if he doesn't feel his eyes burning through his clothes. He finally looks up to match his gaze.

It's like magnets clicking together.

At this point, they have both found some comfort in their covert intimacy. Moments like this float in the atmosphere unthinkingly. The little spark in Harry's chest ignites as Louis' hand reaches towards his, finally making contact. It's incredibly warm on his fingers. Louis has such pretty, petite hands.

Harry finds himself completely immobile as he watches Louis lean in closer. He didn't notice how close they were before. He's not panicked, but his breathing has definitely lost its natural rhythm. He unconsciously focuses on Louis' lips. They part slightly, and Harry just knows that this is all for him.

His eyes twitch faintly and his head tilts the littlest bit. He could watch this moment forever.

"I draw the line at the Skittles," Louis whispers. He snatches the packet out of Harry's hand and plops it into his own pile.

At least Harry can finally catch his breath.

"Oh that's not fair," he protests.

Louis rips the packet open and throws some candy into his mouth. That in itself has Harry sweating. "I don't play fair, Hazza. Shouldn't you know this by now?"

The way Louis sucks on the candy is mesmerizing. You can see it being tossed around by his tongue, a slick shine of spit glistening on his lips. It brings out the animalistic urges in Harry. In a heated turn of events, Harry shoves their treats onto the ground. He crawls across the bed until he's able to pin Louis down. He fixes his arms on either side of Louis' head so that he's hovering above him, legs straddling his hips.

A wicked smirk grows on his face when he sees the desperation in Louis' eyes. Pure lust digs into Harry through his stare. It's not Louis' fault that physical therapy has done Harry very well. It makes him wonder how much Louis would have crumbled had he taken ahold of his hands, pinning them above his head. After all, this is a part of Harry that Louis hasn't really met yet. The physically well endowed version that is just now resurfacing.

It takes all of his energy not to rip him to shreds right there. To lean down and demolish those pink ass lips. To really let his hands meander over Louis' chest, feeling every smooth bit of him. To grab Louis' pretty fingers and suck on them one by one. To hold them, guide them.

Any and all leverage Harry had flies out the window when one of those beautiful hands reach up and grab one of his curls. Louis twirls it in his fingers. It has Harry's complete and full attention. Eyebrows raised, he stares down with intense focus in wait for Louis' direction.

"Your hair really grew back beautifully," he comments. He smiles sincerely, eyes crinkling with it.

"Really?" Harry blushes.

Louis nods before he takes advantage of Harry's bashfulness, immediately finding his ticklish spots and attacking. His hands run wild over Harry's body as he relentlessly teases the parts of Harry knows will drive him crazy. His plan works and he manages to get Harry off of him. It triggers a reset for the both of them.

Louis hastily removes himself from the bed. He clears his throat and adjusts his clothes.

"Um," Harry starts, trying to comprehend what happened. Now the panic sets in. "Sorry if-"

"No, no, it's fine. You didn't- it's fine. I really should um," Louis' thumb gestures towards the door.

Harry nods. "Okay, yeah." He wants to cry, because he never ever wants to make Louis look that scared ever again.

They awkwardly talk over each other as they exchange goodnights. The room is suddenly too small for the both of them.

Once the door shuts behind Louis, Harry tidies their mess. He hides the vending machine paraphernalia in his duffel bag along with the rest of his belongings.

The empty Skittles package is definitely going up on his wall when he gets home.