Chapter Text
Louis smiled to himself and picked up one of the shards of glass. His smile widened as he looked at the sliver of his reflection in it. "Louis," Zayn's voice floated in from the door, it was overly cautious. "What happened?"
"I don't know," Louis giggled and dropped his head into his bent legs. Zayn walked slowly into the room, wary of the glass bits everywhere.
"Alright well I'm going to take you to Liam and, uh, I'll see if Josh can get your room fixed up again okay." The dirty and cold floor was littered with glittering glass. As Zayn stood behind the boy, Louis threw back his head to stare at him with a dopey grin.
"Why? It's nice in here." Zayn attempted to control his facial expression. Louis sighed and stood up, and it's then that Zayn noticed what he was wearing. His attire consisted of a long, tattered, and faded shirt and thankfully a pair of underwear. He didn't even have shoes on.
"Let's go then." Zayn figured saying nothing would be better. Then he turned and had Louis follow him. He was never good at the constant cheer Niall always seemed to have. So Zayn and Louis walked down the dimly lit halls until they reached the door to Liam's office. They were quite a sight for the poor doctor as Zayn had a terrified expression and Louis was happily staring at the ceiling with blood dripping down his left leg.
"Ahem, thank you Nurse Zayn. Why don't you send over Niall and then take your lunch break?" Zayn nodded and quickly left. "Hello Louis, why don't you take a seat?" The chair was a nice arm one, or at least it once had been. Now the stuffing was falling out and the leather had been shredded and picked at. "So what happened this morning, hmm?"
"I was only trying to show him," Louis said quietly, he feared another punishment. He didn't understand why he was in trouble, but when Liam used this tone of voice it meant he'd have to go with Eleanor.
"Show him what?"
"He said I looked pretty today, but I didn't believe him. He told me to go look in the mirror because I was stunning." Louis stops for a minute. "I did but when I went to touch my reflection, it fell over. It was an accident, but Harry said you wouldn't mind. A few hours later he went back to his room and said he'd let Zayn know to send Josh over." Louis lets his eyes flicker up to Liam who has his serious face still in place.
"Sounds like a little slip up then. I'll make sure Josh fixes that, and make sure Harry is okay." Louis brightens at this.
"Could I-" he's interrupted by a knock at the door.
"Come in Niall, it's fine." The door swings open revealing the blonde with a first aid kit tucked under his arm.
"Oy what'd you do to yourself mate?" Niall bent down and had Louis stick out his petite leg.
"Mirror broke, cause Harry's a twat." Niall laughed and began cleaning the cut.
"Makes sense. And how is your boy by the way, he's been skipping lunch and I'm not on rounds anymore. Can't check on the sneaky bastard." Now Niall puts a sticking plaster over it.
"He's good. I hope it's okay he visited me?" Louis worriedly glances at Liam.
"Ah it's fine Louis." The smaller boy smiles and stands up.
"I'm good to go then, yeah? I'm gonna go see how Harry is."
Niall and Liam tell him goodbye and he steps out into the dark hall. He turns left towards Harry's rooms and smiles at Cher when he passes her in the hall.
He peeks past Harry's doorway. "Harry?" Louis scans the seemingly empty room. Just when he's about to leave Harry's head pops out from behind the door with curls flying about.
"Hey Lou," he throws his long arms around the smaller boy. "You look even prettier this morning." Louis laughs and gives a half hearted shove at Harry's chest.
"Oh shut up, quit taking the piss." Harry kisses his forehead and drags him back into the room before shutting the door quietly.
"'M not, I love you." They sit back on the skinny bed and Louis rests his head on Harry's chest, near his heart.
"Sometimes I want to be everything." They're both silent for a minute, the only sound is both boys' even breaths. Louis continues to listen to the increasing beat of Harry's heart.
"But you are everything. At least to me." Harry gives him a little half-smile.
"No 'm not." Louis doesn't move. "I think I'm gonna sleep now." Harry nods and they both let their eyes close. Needless to say Louis doesn't fall asleep for a while.
Meanwhile in Liam's office...
"What are we supposed to do with him?" Liam's face seems even more stern than usual in the harsh lighting of the lamp on his desk.
"It's not like he's overly violent. Can't we just keep him here? You know the places in America would be worse." Liam considers this.
"I guess you're right, Niall. Keep a close eye on him, I don't want another...incident." They're both quiet for a minute.
"Okay, I'll let everyone know." Niall turned to leave, but before he did he gave Liam's hand a reassuring grab. "It'll be okay. We can deal with him, whoever he is at the moment. I haven't seen his bad side in a long time."
"Which one?" Liam chuckles darkly.
"I'll see you later." Niall leaves Liam alone in his dark and dank office.
In the Gardens
"Leave me alone Nick." Nick Grimshaw smirks and continues to throw blades of grass and leaves into Louis' hair.
"Why should I, Tommo? So you don't have another 'incident'?" His fingers come up to air quote it.
"I said fuck off," Louis hisses from gritted teeth with clenched fists. The sun is soft in the cloudy sky as it often is in England.
"I think I'll stay here. It's more fun now that Harry never feels like playing." Nick's nonchalance gets to the shorter boy because suddenly there's a slow smile spreading across his face. His eyes crinkle up in sick, twisted mirth.
"You know Grimmy I never threw that knife away." Nick's face goes paler than pale instantly. The September winds whip around them.
"You remember?" It's not really a question. Nick's hands are now idle and hanging at his side. Louis begins swinging his legs back and forth from the bench he's sitting on.
"Still can't get the blood off my sheets." At this Nick simply runs inside leaving a content Louis to pick dandelions and blow their seeds into the wind. He wishes for people to leave him alone.
The Modest Asylum for the Mentally Insane reads the sign
The entire town pretends it doesn't exist
The year is 1949
It's futile to resist
The patients are slightly off the deep end
The staff ignores the scars and screams
But there is one boy who they can't mend
He's never the same, except around the boy of his dreams
They've tried to electrocute the personalities out
But it doesn't work you see
They have figured without a doubt
That Louis Tomlinson indeed has MPD
