From Everything That Was (Till Everything That Will Be)

Louis (Present)

Listen, listen, listen
I swear this won't take long
Cause if you think this is right
Then I'm fine with being wrong
- Hell As Well, We Three

There were shadows everywhere in the room. They were cornering in on Louis, he was choking on air. Hell was a sound in his ears as he heard that all too familiar voice. He was crying, shaking, and he could. Not. Breathe.

"Please, please, please," he whispered. "Please don't."

Laughter roared in his ears and his face got pressed down. He. Could. Not. Breathe.

Louis woke, screaming wildly. His limbs were flailing, and it took a few seconds for him to identify where he was. He was in his bed. At home. He was fine. His hands were shaking.

It was his first night without Harry in what felt like forever, and he hadn't remembered to take his medicine. Clifford came running through the door and jumped onto the bed. He placed his big furry head in Louis' lap.

Louis let out an exhale.

His hands were still shaking.

All of him was.

Tears were making their way down his cheeks.

He scratched Clifford behind his ears. Tried to soothe himself.

He exhaled deeply and reached for his phone on the nightstand.

He had dialled Harry's number before he even realised.

"Please pick up," he mumbled. "Please, please, please—"

"Lou?" The sound was groggy, but alert.

"Haz," Louis whispered. "Hi."

"Hey, baby. What's wrong?" Harry asked, his voice worried.

Louis swallowed. "I had a really bad dream."

The sound of sheets rustling was heard. "What? Like a night terror? Are you okay?"

Louis nodded to himself, then remembered Harry couldn't see him. "Yeah," he mumbled. "I forgot to take my medicine. I've gotten so used to you being here."

"Oh, baby. I can dri—"

"No," Louis said. "You enjoy your time with your family."

It had been a week since their date and it was now the night between Friday and Saturday. Harry's sister and her husband had come to visit from France for the weekend home in Doncaster. Louis didn't want to spoil that.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." Louis swallowed. "It was just a nightmare. It wasn't real."

A bit of silence. Then—

"What did you dream about?"

Louis wet his lips. "Darkness. So, so much darkness."

"That sounds awful, honey," Harry said. "Can I ask... why do you get night terrors?"

"I don't know," Louis said. "I'm fine."

"Are you?"

"I'm talking to you, how could I not be?"

"That's not what I meant and I think you know that."

"Yeah, I know, but really, I don't know." The words fell easily from Louis' lips. "I'm fine. But... can I perhaps sleep on the line with you?"