all we can do is keep breathing

fourteen.

ix it, for it has only ever been yours.

||☤||

The next morning Louis wakes up feeling more refreshed than he has in days. He feels a bit lighter and he doesn't even remember falling asleep until he begins to register his surroundings. His legs are tangled up with Harry's and his head somehow found its way to rest on Harry's shoulder. One of Harry's arms are draped gently over him and Avery is partially twisted around in his arms and although it's such a tight fit, Louis feels so safe.

He can't believe he actually fell asleep. In Avery's hospital bed. With Harry no less. And it's odd, or maybe it's not so odd, but being with them seemed to be all the peace and comfort his body needed to relax enough to finally fall asleep after days of insomnia. It's not just that he fell asleep, but that he stayed asleep—all through the night Louis slept, not stirring even once.

Obviously Louis knows what the key difference is, but he doesn't really want to talk about that, especially not right now and if he waits around much longer that's exactly what is going to happen. Harry and Avery are still asleep, so Louis carefully untangles himself from Harry's limbs, adjusting the rest of Avery's body against Harry, before quickly making his exit from the room.

Louis heads to the attendings' lounge in hopes of finding food or something and for the first time in days, he discovers that he not only feels rested, but he doesn't feel so incredibly stressed out and panicked. Yes, he knows that nothing has been solved yet, but for whatever reason he still feels calm and centered.

He heads down the hall, choosing to take the staff staircase because it's faster and no one is ever there, but to his delightful surprise he bumps right into Niall and Charlie who definitely know how to take advantage of an empty stairwell.

"Just because it's 5:30 A.M. doesn't mean no one is here to see you suck face with each other." Louis smirks in amusement, crossing his arms over his chest as he watches them jump away from each other instantly. "You could at least get a room. They're free here."

They both blush immediately, turning their usual bright rosy shade as they always do when Louis catches them. Which seems to be a pattern as of late.

"Am I really the only one who ever catches you guys?" Louis tries not to start laughing, but he can't help the few giggles that escape his lips. "Why me?"

"Oh...Dr. Tomlinson—I was uh...just going to um...you know...prep for morning rounds so uh..." Charlie stammers, adjusting her glasses back into place as she tries to make herself more professionally presentable. She leans up on her tiptoes to press a short kiss to the corner of her boyfriend's mouth before bolting down the stairwell.

Louis is still smirking, biting his lip to stop his entertained cackles. He's probably acting like a child, but he doesn't really care. It's funny and it feels like he hasn't properly laughed in awhile.

Niall shoves him playfully as he turns to start walking up the stairs. "Shut up."

"I didn't even say anything!" Louis raises both his hands in surrender, openly laughing a bit more now that Charlie is gone. He slings an arm around Niall's shoulder, pinching him in the waist teasingly. "Fun night last night?"

But instead of laughing and swatting Louis' hands away like he usually would, Niall makes the weirdest face Louis has ever seen on him, like he's suddenly anxious and queasy.

"Wait, Ni?" Louis frowns suspiciously, looking at him seriously now. "What the hell was that? Did something happen last night?"

"I mean...no?" Niall starts shyly, avoiding eye contact and scratching the back of his neck. "I don't know—yes...I guess? Maybe no...yeah?"