dysfunction ➳ l.s ✔

17. Take Me Home

Note: Listen to Breathe Me by Sia

Harry and Louis' immature bliss didn't last long. Niall being true to his words to Zayn, texted Louis two days after the initial runaway. The boys were eating crisps on the hood of Louis' car when he got the text.

"Liam's hurt," Louis gasped at his phone. Niall had sent him a simple message regarding Liam's health or lack thereof. Niall figured it wasn't much of a lie considering the events that took place with Greg only days before. Though, Louis was unaware of it all.

"We need to go home," Louis cursed himself in a rush of mumbles and incoherent babbling of frustration that caused Harry to frown.

"But you said this was our home," Harry crossed his arms, Louis already starting the car in a worried panic.

"Harry, now is not the time to be so damn childish. My brother is hurt!" Louis groaned as he waited impatiently for his boyfriend to get into his seat.

Harry held back the tears, barely buckling himself in when Louis began zooming through the empty streets at sunset. Harry felt empty. He peered at the boy by his side and felt as though he'd been watching a stranger. A stranger who drives twelve miles over the speed limit. A stranger who truly sees him the way everyone else does — as a  child.

Within three minutes, the two arrive in front of the Tomlinson-Payne home. Louis doesn't seem to notice the extra cars parked out front.

"Babe? Wait," Harry ran after Louis in a rush.

"Not now, Haz." Barging through the door, Louis doesn't expect to see Niall sitting with a-seemingly-unharmed Liam.

"Liam! Are you alright?" Louis fell to his knees in front of his visually impaired, younger brother.

"Well, I'm not injured." Liam shrugs.

"What?" Louis frowns. 

"I'm still a bit shaken up by what happened with Greg."

"What are you on about? Did the two of you have a row?" Niall gulps and Liam sighs in defeat. Harry felt his facade suddenly being torn apart. His fantasy was slipping through his fingers and there was nothing he could do to save it. 

"Greg and I were on our date, but he wan- he wanted to you know- do it," Liam's head is positioned towards the floor as he speaks. By this time, Harry is standing over Louis' kneeled figure in concern.

"I told him that I wasn't- that I'm not," Liam gulped, "I told him to stop,"

Louis is shaking, he's shaking in a mixture of emotions. Disgust fills his stomach, worry in his lungs, fear in his heart, and pain in his throat. He prays that Liam's story doesn't lead to his initial thoughts.

"Oh God, did he stop?" Louis' voice comes out in raspy croaks with each syllable he utters. Liam nods and Louis can feel himself breathe again.

"But he got mad at me for crying-" Liam's lips begin to shake and he grips his knee for stability. "He hit me."

"Then what happened?"

"Harry came in an-and he helped me-"

"Wait, what?" Louis wasn't scared anymore.

"Harry he kicked Greg out," Liam almost smiled. Harry trembled, he knew Louis would be mad. 

"You knew?" Louis turned on his heel to face his boyfriend. Harry tried to smile. He took a step forward, clearing his dry throat before stuttering out what he thought to be a reasonable explanation.

"Lo-Louis, I did it so we could runaway. Me and you against the world, babe," Harry didn't know what to expect. Louis was staring at him with a blank face, one that resembled the face of a man who just lost his family while away at war. The next few moments were surreal. 

"I can't be your boyfriend anymore, Harry." Louis spoke clearly, locking eyes with the green eyed boy. 

"No, babe, If I told you, we wouldn't have left. I was trying to keep us in the right direction. It's just a huge misunderstanding. He's OK, right Li? You're OK." Harry was crying, he needed the elder to hear him but all he saw was Lou shaking his head.

"You need to leave, I can't even look at you right now." Louis opened the door. Harry fell to the floor in front of him in tears. The younger began gripping Louis' jeans, pleading to be heard.

"Please, Lou, please!" Harry was hysterical. The sight pained Niall and he began pulling Harry off the floor.

"Just get out, Haz. Don't make this any harder," Louis took a pause, "I can't believe you could do something so fucking selfish. Liam's first," he took a few steps back forcing Harry to let go of his legs.

"Don't give up on me, I'm sorry," Harry sobbed, Niall pulling him out the door. "I can't live without you!" 

Louis closed the door with tears in his eyes, the feeling of emptiness washed over him. There was nothing left, he didn't utter a word for the rest of the day.