Through the Dark

Silent Cries

Morning crept into Louis's flat, the soft glow of dawn filtering through the curtains. The air was still, almost too quiet, as if the world was holding its breath. Louis woke with a start, his heart pounding from a restless sleep. He sat up, disoriented, the remnants of uneasy dreams clinging to his mind. For a moment, he forgot where he was, but then the events of the previous night came rushing back.

Harry.

Louis quickly got out of bed, his feet barely touching the cold floor as he made his way to the guest room. His stomach twisted with worry, imagining all the possible ways the night could have gone wrong.

He pushed open the door softly, not wanting to startle Harry if he was still asleep. But when he looked inside, he found the bed empty, the sheets rumpled but abandoned. Panic shot through Louis as he scanned the room, trying to figure out where Harry could have gone.

"Harry?" Louis called out, his voice laced with worry. He checked the bathroom, the kitchen, and the living room, but there was no sign of him.

It wasn't until Louis reached the small balcony off the living room that he found him. Harry was sitting on the floor, his back against the wall, knees drawn up to his chest. He was wearing one of Louis's old hoodies, the oversized fabric swallowing his frame. His head was resting on his knees, his curls hiding his face from view.

Louis's heart broke at the sight. He could see Harry's shoulders shaking slightly, the telltale sign of someone holding back tears. Louis had seen Harry like this before, on those rare occasions when the weight of everything became too much and Harry would retreat into himself.

"Harry," Louis said gently as he stepped out onto the balcony.

Harry didn't look up, but Louis could tell he knew he was there. Louis knelt beside him, unsure if he should reach out or give Harry the space he seemed to need. After a moment, he decided to settle next to him, close enough to offer comfort without crowding him.

They sat in silence for a while, the only sound the distant hum of the city waking up. Louis didn't press for an explanation; he knew Harry would talk when he was ready.

Eventually, Harry lifted his head slightly, his face streaked with tears. He wiped at them quickly, almost as if he was embarrassed by his vulnerability. But Louis caught his hand, stilling the motion.

"Don't," Louis whispered. "You don't have to hide this from me."

Harry looked at him then, his eyes filled with so much pain it took Louis's breath away. "I'm sorry," Harry choked out, his voice barely audible.

Louis shook his head. "You have nothing to be sorry for, Haz. You're going through something no one should have to face alone."

Harry let out a shaky breath, his voice breaking. "But I'm dragging you into it, Lou. I don't want to do that."

"You're not dragging me into anything," Louis replied softly. "I'm here because I want to be. Because I care about you, more than you know."

Harry's lip trembled, and for a moment, it looked like he might break down completely. Louis reached out, placing a gentle hand on Harry's shoulder, offering silent support.

"Talk to me," Louis urged gently. "Please. Let me in, Haz."

Harry closed his eyes, as if gathering the strength to speak. When he finally did, his voice was raw, laced with fear and guilt. "I did something last night... something that I'm not sure I can ever take back."

Louis's heart ached at the pain in Harry's words. He wanted to reassure him, to tell him that whatever it was, they could work through it together. But he knew he needed to let Harry get it out in his own time.

"What did you do?" Louis asked, keeping his voice calm, nonjudgmental.

Harry hesitated, his hands gripping his knees tightly. "The fixer... he wants me to spy on people, to get information he can use against them. He said it's the only way he'll help me get out of this mess."

Louis felt a surge of anger at the fixer, at the way he was manipulating Harry. But he kept his tone gentle, not wanting to add to Harry's burden. "And you agreed?"

Harry nodded miserably. "I didn't know what else to do. They're breathing down my neck, Lou. They've already threatened to come after you, after everyone I care about if I don't pay up."

Louis's breath caught in his throat at the thought of Harry facing all this alone, the fear that must have driven him to such a desperate decision. He wanted to punch something, to take out his anger on the people who had pushed Harry into this corner. But right now, Harry needed comfort, not more anger.

"I understand why you did it," Louis said softly. "You were scared, and they gave you an option, even if it was a terrible one. But you're not alone in this, Haz. We'll figure it out together."

Harry's eyes filled with fresh tears, and this time, he didn't try to hide them. "I'm so scared, Lou," he admitted, his voice breaking. "I don't know how to get out of this. I feel like I'm drowning."

Louis moved closer, pulling Harry into his arms, holding him tightly. "I know you're scared. But you're not going to drown, okay? We'll keep our heads above water, and we'll find a way out of this, I promise."

Harry clung to Louis, the tension in his body slowly melting away as he let himself be held. Louis could feel how fragile Harry was in that moment, how close he was to breaking. It made Louis want to protect him even more fiercely, to shield him from all the darkness that was closing in.

"We're going to figure this out," Louis murmured, rubbing soothing circles on Harry's back. "One step at a time. We'll talk to someone who can help, someone who knows how to deal with these kinds of people. You don't have to do this alone, Haz. We're in this together."

Harry nodded against Louis's shoulder, his grip tightening. "I don't know what I'd do without you," he whispered.

"You'll never have to find out," Louis replied, his voice firm with determination. "I'm not going anywhere."

They stayed like that for a long time, the morning sun slowly rising higher in the sky, bathing them in warm light. The world outside kept moving, but in that moment, all that mattered was the two of them, holding on to each other as if their lives depended on it.

Finally, Harry pulled back slightly, his eyes red-rimmed but a little less haunted. "Thank you, Lou. For everything."

Louis cupped Harry's face in his hands, wiping away the last of his tears with his thumbs. "You never have to thank me for being here. It's what I'm meant to do."

Harry offered him a small, grateful smile, the first real smile Louis had seen from him in days. It wasn't much, but it was a start-a crack in the darkness that had been surrounding them.

"Come on," Louis said, standing up and offering Harry a hand. "Let's get some breakfast and figure out our next move."

Harry took his hand, letting Louis pull him to his feet. "Sounds like a plan," he said, his voice steadier now.

As they walked back inside, Louis couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope. They were still in deep, still facing impossible odds, but they had each other. And that was a start.

Whatever came next, they would face it together.