St. Ambrose Mental Health and Rehabilitation Center //// AU LiLo

Chapter 6: The Football Pitch

When Liam regains consciousness, he's in his bed and the room is dark. He can hear light snores coming from across the room and figures it must be pretty late. Liam has an intense need to use the restroom though, so he sits up and has to steady himself from a sudden rush of dizziness. When he stands up, he hesitates a moment, remembering being slammed into the door of his room. Liam doesn't know who attacked him, or whether he'll be attacked again. He doesn't even know if his attacker is lurking in the halls waiting for him, a thought that chills Liam to the bone. He really has to pee though, so Liam takes a deep breath, takes a step, then two, and then falls flat on his face.

"Ughh," says a long lump on Liam's floor he obviously didn't see. Liam scrambles back as the lump sits up, stretching.

"Louis! What the hell are you doing here?" Liam scream whispers, not wanting to disturb Zayn, who'd already stirred from the loud thud Liam made when he hit the floor. Louis rubs his side where Liam tripped over and searches for something on the floor next to him. He seems to find what he's looking for and places a pair of glasses on the bridge of his nose.

"Was waiting for you to wake up, wasn't I?" he whispers back. Liam's breath catches in his throat as he takes in Louis's appearance. His blue eyes shine from the sliver of moonlight coming in through the window, his hair is even more of a tousled mess than it was during the day, and his shirtless chest is exposed as his blanket is draped only across his lap. It is too dark for Liam to make out the details, but he can see the tattoos scattered across Louis's chest and arms. Louis clears his throat, snapping Liam out of his daze and Liam is grateful that it's too dark for Louis to see him blush as he quickly averts his gaze.

"I didn't know you wore glasses," Liam says, a lame and terribly transparent cover up.

"Now you do," Louis says softly.

Liam nods, grateful Louis didn't call him out for being a creep, and then says, "I really have to use the bathroom."

"Don't let me stop you," Louis chuckles.

"D-do you mind maybe coming with me. I'm scared of, of getting hit again." Louis looks away. After a moment of no response, Liam thinks he's made the boy angry again, pushed too far after his horribly inappropriate gawking.

"I'm sorry," Liam whispers. "I know that was weird." As Liam gets up, though, Louis grabs his hand, stopping him.

"No," he says. "It's not weird at all. " Louis gets up, and they walk down the hall to the restrooms in silence, their paths lit by the dimmed nighttime hall lights. Liam is extremely grateful he doesn't have to do this walk alone, but he can't help but wonder why Louis was in his room waiting for him when he was so mad at Group.

Louis waits for Liam outside the bathrooms, and when Liam comes out and turns to head back to the room, he pulls him in the opposite direction. They sneak into the kitchen and Louis makes them a couple of sandwiches while he gestures for Liam to grab drinks and crisps. Then, Louis leads them outside. Liam is hesitant at first, he doesn't have shoes on and Louis is only wearing his pajama bottoms. Louis flashes him a challenging grin though, so Liam finds himself following Louis down to the football pitch. After they've eaten, Liam is in a significantly better mood siting under the starlight, despite the evening's events.

"Thanks for this," Liam says, breaking the comfortable silence they had lapsed into. "I needed this, and I hadn't realize how hungry I was."

"Well you missed dinner, I mean it wasn't much but it was food," Louis responds. "And you don't have to thank me," he adds after a moment.

"Sure I do. I upset you during Group. I didn't mean to, and I'm sorry that I did. You still waited to see that I was ok, though, and you came with me tonight. So yeah, I have to thank you," Liam finishes his little speech.