Rather Be ✅

Four

Louis woke up screaming for the third day in a row since being at the facility. Except this time he flipped Harry under him on instinct.

"It's me, Louis! It's me! It was just a dream!" He blinked at the person as his eyes got used to the dark. He could feel a light sheet of sweat covering his forehead. His chest was heaving erratically, but the other boy just squeezed his hands gently. "You were yelling in your sleep again," he said.

Louis nodded, out of breath. His mouth fished open and closed. "I- yeah, I'm..." He looked around the room nervously.

Harry moved his hand to Louis' forehead and sent something soothing to his head. "You're fine." He assured. "Can you let me go?" Louis nodded and fell off of his stomach to the side. He didn't stop the tears gathering in his eyes.

"I'm okay." His voice cracked. It had barely been three days, but the images, videos and excessive amount of information he had been exposed to just wouldn't get out of his head. And when he gains his memory he'll remember why he does whatever he does, but frankly as of now he doesn't want to go back to it.

Harry hesitated at first, but scooted closer and pulled him into a hug. Louis let out a sob in return to the gesture. His head on the younger mans chest, and Harry's chin on Louis' head. In a comforting manner, of course.

"It's okay." He whispered, letting Louis cry. He could feel Louis' sadness in the pit of his stomach. He couldn't imagine what he'd be like if he'd forgotten everything he'd known about himself. He just held onto the little ball of hope he had for Louis.

When he could tell Louis had calmed down, he pulled away. "Do you want to get something to eat?"

Louis wiped his eyes. "Sure. Uh, where are the toilets?"

Harry slowly stood, jerking his head to the side. Louis stood and followed, walking through the dim hallway. Harry lead him to a door with the little restroom sign on it. "Right here." He murmured.

Louis walked in, closing the door. He looked at himself in the mirror, his hands gripping the edges of the sink. He sighed, shaking his head at his reflection. His hair was matted down, the quiff from days before ruined and no more of. He scratched at the scruff he'd gained, and scrunched his nose. He wasn't quite a fan of the scruff, but he got the feeling that they wouldn't trust him with a razor.

Harry was waiting for him leaning against the opposite wall, and then walked on. He lead him to the elevator, and pressed the down arrow button.

"Where are we going?" Louis asked softly, standing uncomfortably with his arms crossed against his chest.

"Kitchen?" He raised his eyebrows.

"Right."

The door opened, and instead of another dark hallway the two boys are met with bright light. A large kitchen and lounge area, almost like a home. "I... I thought this was a facility?"

"It is." Harry reached up to grab bowls from the cabinet. Louis totally ignored the sliver of tan skin that peeked out from the bottom of his shirt. Harry was practically his "prison guard", right? That would be unprofessional.

"Huh?"

Harry smirked. "I said, but some of us still live here full time anyway."

Louis took a seat up at the counter. "You live here? What about your family and all? Just up and left to be an Avenger?" He didn't understand, but he was so tight knit with his family from going through what he had with them that he couldn't imagine leaving them. He did run away but he didn't just leave them there for good.

Harry frowned, and turned away as he put the cereal boxes away. "I didn't just leave my family." He spat. "Everyone knows who I am. Not all of us have hidden identities to keep ourselves away from the world." His eyes went the slightest bit red before he blinked it away. "I'll be back." He mumbled before storming off down the hall.

Louis was left gaping at where he once stood until a voice startled him from behind. "Harry's family died in an explosion. Him and his sister survived, but she later died fighting with us in Sokovia." Nat's voice out of nowhere made him jump.

"He's Sokovian?" It explained the accent, but the rest of it didn't register until a moment later. "Oh... Sokovia..." He let his head drop into his hands. "I remember seeing that on the news."

She crossed her arms. "Not everyone's a fan of him. They see what he can do, but they don't understand it and get scared and hateful of it." She purses her lips. "You didn't hear this from me, but he just wants to get away from it all. After all, he's here while he should be in college like a normal kid."

That makes Louis' heart sink. "Fuck, I'm a dick." He groaned.

Nat poured herself a glass of water and leant against the counter. "You didn't know." She shrugged. "Being ignorant about something and being a dick about it is different."

"Do I apologize or leave him be?" Louis gazed down the hallway Harry stormed down.

The red head shrugged again. "Whatever you think is more helpful to him." She sipped her water. "Although I will tell you that he enjoys company... And take his cereal to him. He's nineteen, it's like teenagers deliberately skip meals to drive the rest of us mad."

Louis furrowed his eyebrows, but nodded anyway. He lead himself down the hallway, two bowls in hand as he tried to determine which room- never mind. He supposed the one with a big rainbow H on the door was his.

Louis pushed the door open after getting permission. "I'm sorry for what I said. I had no idea." He closed the door behind him. "Also um... Miss. Romanoff told me to bring you your cereal." He stepped inside, bowls in hand.

Harry had his knees tucked to his chest. He looks up, confused for a second before nodding. "Thanks." He takes his bowl from Louis and sits back on the bed. "Um... you can sit if you want."

Louis sits in the fluffy chair set up at Harry's desk. A few minutes go by before Harry speaks up. "It's just Natasha." Louis raises his eyebrows. "Romanoff. Her name's Natasha. Don't think she'd mind if you called her by it."

Louis nodded, and the two finished their breakfast in silence. The awkwardness went away after a bit, but when they both left Harry's room a little wallet type thing caught Louis' attention. "What is-"

"No, Louis." But then Louis was gone, picking up what had fallen. He frowned at it. It was a S.H.E.I.L.D. badge.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Louis jumped and dropped it to the floor.

"It was-"

"You're a lethal criminal and you think stealing is a smart thing to do here?" The man growled.

Louis shook his head. "No-No! I found it, I-I just-"

"Don't even try." He scoffed, then looked to Harry. "Yo, Styles! Keep a better eye on the fuckin bastard," he said, turning and walking off.

Louis turned to Harry, a sad look on his face. He sighed, letting out a frustrated groan. He walked off, heading towards where he and Harry had come from earlier. "Lou- Bullseye," Harry called, jogging off after him.

"Don't call me that!" Louis exclaimed. "I don't care what the hell I used to be or used to do but I don't want that! I don't want to kill people! I want a normal life away from all these guns and gadgets and superpowers and fucking flying and the hero capes and everything." His voice cracks, and he turned around so that Harry couldn't see him. "Just take me to my room," he said. "Please."

Harry sighed, walking to him. He lead Louis back to his room, and let him sit and sulk. And God, was it a sad thing. Because Harry treasured that Louis doesn't like killing, but he knew that he was going to remember everything soon and that his thoughts would most likely go back to normal. And he just didn't feel like fighting Bullseye anymore, not after he'd seen the innocent side of him that hated guns and violence and liked helping people. He saw Louis as a person.