17BLACK

Chapter 30

If you chose to skip the last chapter for the TW, Will gets mad at Louis for not sharing parts of Aaron's past and Louis gets upset at Will's anger. Harry calms Will down.

Harry's POV:

Upon Will's hasty arrival, Louis and I left shortly after the couple was reunited in a desperate embrace. I could clearly read the longing in Louis' expression to speak with Aaron as we drove away, his friend's well being a detail that he feels the need to handle himself. Aaron and Will needed to talk alone and Louis knew that, but I can understand his reluctancy to leave his friend in another's hands, even if that other is his brother.

"He will take care of him Louis, you know that right?" I say as I flatten out various colored shirts on the white fluffy bed that Louis and I shared recently. I smile fondly at the memory. He was highly intoxicated and had demanded that I accompany him in the bed.

Louis sits on the plush rug on my floor, his black socks colliding with the white of the rug. His thin lips are curved downwards into a frown, his eyes glazed over with a solemn downcast. "Yeah." He answers simply.

I browse through my attire options. I have to choose something to wear for work in an hour and for some unexplainable reason I can't decide on an outfit. I instead divert my attention to Louis, who's fiddling with his hands and staring at the ground. The Aaron thing must still be on his mind.

"He's never been this mad at me," Louis whispers due to lack of energy. I give up on picking an outfit momentarily and sit on the edge of the bed, my attention diverted for the time being.

"He wasn't mad at you, he was just feeling a lot from all of it and felt anger as a reaction to all of his feelings." I explain carefully. Louis no doubt blames himself for this. It's ironic how the best people tend to take the blame themselves for the negative impacts of this world.

"Okay." His eyes are unable to focus on a single object in the room.

"Does it really bother you that bad? I could talk to him at work tonight..." I offer. I don't know what exactly I would talk to him about, but I'm willing to at least try to talk things over for Louis.

"No. It's okay." Louis' voice is quiet and innocent, holding something in it that I can't quite decipher.

"Do you want a hug?" That's one thing I can do. Louis doesn't respond for a few moments but then I see a slight nod.

He stands to his feet and I wrap him in my arms. Louis keeps his arms at his waist and I let him fall into me, his breathing irregular.

"You know I've been told my hugs are the best," I brag, trying to relieve some of the tension.

Louis finally puts his arms around me, pulling us closer together. He sighs, a long exhale of breath that loosens his muscles one by one. "They are."

He lets go of me to my dismay. "Thanks." His hands meet together behind him awkwardly.

I hold up two shirts. "The blue one or the red?"

✖

Louis stares out of the window as we cruise down the busy streets. He doesn't reach for my hand or even acknowledge that I'm in the car with him, and that worries me.

He choose the red shirt. The t shirt is just a plain bright red shirt, only with small holes on the sleeves. I bought it that way. I personally would have chosen the blue shirt but Louis' opinion wavered my decision.

I park at 17Black, Louis' car screeching to a stop. We had stopped by his house after I was ready to get his car, so he could leave as I was working. Louis said that he would pick me up and take me back to his house to get my car after work. I said that he could take my car instead and I would just drop him off but he disagreed with this for some reason.