Missing: The boy who disappeared

Chapter 5 - Found You

A/N

You are going to be happy at the end. That's all im saying. 🫶🩵💚

‘There are only four words that can carry more profound weight than ‘I love you.’ And those four words are:
‘I'm here for you.’

🚨

The police station doors swung open, and Detective Reign emerged, casting a serious glance towards Harry. There was just something about Reign's expression that hinted at an unwelcome revelation, causing Harry to brace himself for the impending bad news. With each step that he took closer, Harry found himself involuntarily losing hope.

As he neared, Reign's subtle head shake delivered the weighty news confirming Harry’s worst fear – Louis, didn’t remember him.

“ I'm sorry, but Mr Tomlinson has no idea who you are, now please, kindly return to the designated area alongside everybody else.”

"There must be some kind of mistake." Harry stammered, his voice barely audible over the ambient noise. Detective Reign maintained a stern expression, continuing to urge him to step back behind the barricade with the rest of the onlookers.

In what was beginning to feel like a nightmare of an emotional storm, Harry wrestled with the dilemma of whether to push forward or honor the constraints imposed by those in authority. The choice, like the threads of their past, lingered in the air—a silent plea for resolution in the midst of a heartbroken reunion that fate was sadly trying to orchestrate.

Resigned, Harry retreated, not daring to challenge the unfolding narrative. The sense of not meaning as much to Louis as Louis meant to him was a disorienting realization. It was as if the echoes of their shared past collided with the present reality, leaving Harry in a state of bewilderment.

Did he make this trip for nothing?
Had his intuition been wrong all along?

Standing behind the barricade, Harry faught with the haunting question of whether Louis had intentionally forgotten him, or if the sands of time had simply eroded their connection.

A huddle of people exited out of the door and then, there he was—Louis Tomlinson, the person he had desired to find for years. A flood of emotions surged through Harry as he laid eyes on Louis for the first time since their separation. The years melted away, and the world narrowed down as he focused in on the single figure who looked sad and somewhat lost as he manoeuvred forward.

Both Detective Reign and Louis were making their way to the mini temporary ‘stage’. The distant hum of the crowd merged with the ache in his chest as he observed Louis, a figure of mystery and nostalgia, amidst the chaotic backdrop of the police station.

Fuck, he can’t get over how much Liam had been right. This was hard on all levels. He doesn’t know if he can do this.

The crowd closed in around him, each person acting like a barrier between him and the one person who had ever made such a significant impact on his life.

Undeterred, right there and then, Harry decided to attempt to scoot closer to the front, but the press of endless bodies against him made it impossible to do so. Every inch gained was quickly lost as others hustled for a glimpse. Frustration and desperation etched on his face, but he persisted, driven by an unrelenting need to see Louis.

As Detective Reign ascended the podium, the atmosphere heightened. The crowd hushed, and Harry's breath caught in his throat.

Louis, oblivious to Harry's presence, listened intently to Detective Reign's words. Harry felt a mix of relief and longing, his gaze fixed on Louis, absorbing every detail.  Despite Louis standing directly before him, the distance between them, be it physical or emotional, remained the same.