Rupture // h.s au

53. "Come here."

Harry

I didn't wake up to screams. I didn't wake up to ragged breaths, or pleas for help, or sounds of churning stomachs and excessive vomiting. I woke up to kind whispers, and soft laughter. I woke up to a bed that smelled of Autumn; not only the season, but the person that represented it with all its glory. I woke up to a blanket that I hadn't slept with.

I didn't want to be awake just yet. I wanted to fade away into that comforting sleep that I had only now just gotten, after weeks of restlessness. I wanted to dwell in her scent and the warmness she left behind, even after she'd departed the bed. I wanted to sink into this ocean of her and never resurface again.

" For a while there, I didn't know if it was real. I went to sleep, excepting to wake up to an empty bed. Even if I had, I know now, that in some other universe, in an alternate world, in a past or future life, it was real. Harry loved me, and I loved him too. And all of this hadn't happened at all. Or perhaps it had, only it didn't ruin us. But I woke up, and he was there. God, Liam. I had forgotten how it felt. I- I almost thought I'd forgotten how to love him. How to be loved by him."

" And did you?"

" No." A choked laugh, that could have been a sob, echoed through the surroundings, before her voice silenced all else again. " Not at all. As soon as I saw him, it felt like nothing had happened at all, except for me, falling in love with him. He was holding me down, and his hair was touching my face, and I knew. I remembered. That I loved Harry. I loved him so much, and- and I didn't remember what it had done to him. But then, he let go, and laid beside me, and I could see it all in his eyes. He looked so... so sad, Liam. It ripped my heart apart. And I almost pushed myself away from him, but I didn't. He didn't let me. And that was when I remembered that he loved me too."

I didn't know if I was smiling or crying or maybe I was still asleep, dreaming this entire conversation. If so, then it made me want to not wake up a bit more. Hold onto this version of Autumn and I, a bit harder. Because I was terrified that if I was thrusted back into the real world, then I'd have to hate her again. And I didn't want to. I was so tired of having to hate her.

" Stop squirming. And crying too, for that matter. You're making changing that bandage impossible. Now, sit still, and let me get this done, so that I can hug it better, alright?"

This time, I did smile, because she laughed and so did Liam, and everything seemed to have fallen into place. I realized that I was indeed awake, forced to take part in the real world. And I didn't hate her. I couldn't possibly. So I opened my eyes, only a little, and there she was; embraced into Liam's kind arms, holding onto him as he held her together, framed by the morning light coming through the holes in the door. She looked so small, so tired, yet, absolutely beautiful. She was always beautiful. And I always loved her.

Liam met my eyes that I hadn't known were visible, staring at me with something I couldn't quite decipher. It might have been; you broke my sister's heart, I can't believe I let you do that. Or maybe it was; she loves you so much, please don't do that again. Perhaps it was; I love her, and she loves you, so please, be in love with her too. It could have been all of that, or none at all. He didn't give me time to look deeper into it, as his head moved into a curt nod, pulling away from his sister's embrace, and pointing towards me.

" Oh Harry, you're awake." She rose to her feet, wiping at her cheeks to rid herself of all signs of her previous tears. Liam still had a hand on her back, as his eyes moved between us both.

" Liam just came by to check on my wound and-"

" Come here." I sat up, putting my arm in the air. She looked at my hand, then into my eyes, before looking away all together. I was overcome with a sudden wave of love and gratitude and need for her.

Hesitantly, she approached me, as if walking on thin ice. I hated how unsure she was of hitting my breaking point. I wanted to assure her that I wouldn't recoil, I wouldn't run away, not again. I no longer had it in me.

I pulled her by the hand, causing her exhausted figure to collapse onto me, as I held her. She smelled just like I had remembered her to. She felt the same too. She fit into my arms like she was meant to be there. And I wondered how I'd ever managed to survive without her there. I couldn't understand how my heart tolerated the distance, how my chest contained the pieces after it had broken. I couldn't understand how my thoughts towards her were once so hateful, so cruel, when it felt like all I could ever do was love her.

" I love you. I'm sorry it took me a while to remember." All her trembling ceased. Her figure completely stilled, that I feared she had stopped breathing all together, but then, her hands wrapped around my neck, and her face buried further into my chest, and she let herself be. I closed my eyes, taking her in, sinking and drowning and fading into her. When my eyes opened again, they met Liam's. He smiled a little, and I understood what he'd been trying to say all along.

Loving you has brought my sister back. Don't hate her and take her away again.

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A/N: Alright, so a few things to talk about here:

1) Two days ago I fell and ended up in the ER with torn ligaments and a cast so giving you this update has been quite difficult but I love you guys and I didn't want to postpone it any further so here you go

2) I just noticed that the story was ranked in Fanfiction which means the absolute world, so thank you, as always, you leave me speechless!

3) This was the last chapter I had pre-written so I gotta work on some new ideas and see where to take this story next, so bear with me, and tell me ideas you'd like to see happen or issues you want me to address through chapters

4) Please lets get this story to 70k reads before the next update? It'll mean the world :)

5) If you have the time and the patience, check out my other stories, they're in progress but I love them dearly and I'm quite proud of them, especially Scandal which is a harry au, and Gypsy which is a Zayn au. I want to see some common names in the comments over there please!

6) Let me know what you think of this (as always) and follow me on twitter if you'd like, we can chat and be friends, my username is waywardhes, see you there :)

Alright, that's about it for now, sorry for making it so long, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter, ily x