Missing: The boy who disappeared

Chapter 6 - Reunion

A/N

A shorter chapter this time.
4.5k words.
Also just a reminder, I am in no way affiliated with law enforcement so some things will not be factual and will be made simply for the story only.

'Let the dreams of your heart become your reality.'

🚨

Sometimes life hands you something so amazing that you insist it must be a dream, but no matter how many times you pinch yourself, you just don't seem to 'wake up.'

Even when times are tough, destiny sometimes grants you a small miracle that will help lift you back on your feet. The intention is to hopefully restore your hope and strength, but for Louis, seeing Harry in front of him is a mixed blessing. He doesn't know if Harry has been sent here to heal his wounds or to reopen them. Was Harry just an obstacle put in place to make him suffer more?

Why? The answer to that is coming later on, but for now, he can't take his eyes off of Harry. His curl that keeps slipping over his forehead, his emerald eyes that sparkle in the light, his dimples that deepen as he smiles at him...it's all too much to bear as all Louis can see... is a complete reflection of Saxon.

" H-Harry?"

The tremor in Louis' voice, barely more than a breath, was like a fragile acknowledgment that had resonated due to years of pining.

As Harry caught that whispered utterance, a wave of nausea gripped him-years of anticipation and relentless pursuit converging into this pivotal moment. The realization hit him hard; he never imagined he would find himself standing here, the reunion he'd prayed for actually now being answered. In a brief moment of hesitation, he observed the subtle furrow on Louis' forehead, a mirrored reflection of the nervous tension affecting them both.

With each small step that he took towards Louis, it felt like he was navigating along the edge of a dream that was at the cusp of becoming reality.

"Hi, Louis." Harry says softly, walking in. He sets the flowers he was holding down on the bedside table and smiles nervously.

"How are you feeling?"

Louis doesn't know what to say. He hasn't seen Harry since that night they spent together, years ago. The very night that changed everything. The same very night that gave them a son.

A son... that Louis had lost.
A son...that Harry didn't know anything about.

He feels a surge of guilt and fear come flooding in. He wonders what Harry thinks of him. He wonders if Harry hates him for being a bad father. He wonders if Harry still cares for him at all after seeing his bad parenting plastered all over the news.

He tries to smile back, but it comes out as a grimace. "I'm fine." he lies. "I've been given the all clear to go soon. How... I mean, what are you doing here?"

Harry nods, but he doesn't look convinced as Louis doesn't appear fine at all.

Harry just stood there awkwardly trying his very best to conceal the overwhelming desire to bridge the emotional chasm that separated them. Liam's cautious words echoed in his mind, urging him to tread carefully.

The inner turmoil intensified as Harry wrestled with conflicting impulses. A surge of protectiveness battles with the fear of overstepping boundaries. He hesitated, unsure of the right course of action. But the sight of Louis, tears now slowly streaming down his face, proved to be too much for Harry to bear.

A sudden resolve seized him. 'Fuck it' he thought, dismissing the internal debate. With measured steps, Harry approached the hospital bed, driven by an instinct to console him. The gap between them closed as he sat on the edge of the bed at a distance and extended a tentative hand, hovering between the need for caution and the urgency to provide comfort in the face of Louis' evident distress.