London Bridges

Chapter 37: Canines, Fractures, and Surprise Announcements

Louis wakes to a warm, wet tongue licking at his neck. He groans, because he doesn't mind being woken up for sex, but his knee is sore and he's still pretty tired from yesterday. Its not until the tongue licks a long stripe from his chin to his hairline that he really starts to protest.

"Liam, love," Louis says, eyes still closed as he wipes his face with the blanket. "That's a little much, yeah?"

"Don't call me Liam," he says, much too far from Louis' ear to be the one licking his face, a fact that is both relieving and unsettling.

Louis opens his eyes, rubbing them as he tries to adjust to the brightness of the room. An impatient whine and two paws coming up onto the bed greet the movement.

"Silver!" Louis cheers happily.

The dog barks, jumping at Louis in excitement and licking more doggy kisses to his face. Louis wraps his arms around the soft canine.

"How are you doing, lad? You know you don't belong on the bed," he gently admonishes, not making any move to actually get Silver down.

"I let him up sometimes," Liam says, his voice is still gruff from sleep but he's sitting up now, watching Louis and the dog. "He was the only thing left, you know?"

Louis doesn't respond, he just turns his attention back to Silver and wonders when, if ever, he'll stop getting that sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach whenever their time apart gets mentioned.

"Hey, I didn't-."

"It's fine," Louis says, except his joy at seeing Silver has been replaced by sadness and guilt.

"No, Lou, come on," Liam insists. "This can't be the elephant in the room, babe. We have to be able to talk to each other about this, I want to be able to talk to you. I want to know everything you've been up to, and I want to tell you about everything I've done."

Louis sniffles. "I can't just turn it off, Li. I was so lonely, and everyday I would tell myself that I was doing it for you, and that you were happy with her, you were moving on. If I was right, then I just blew up your life, and if I was wrong then I left you here on your own for two years, with that man who put you back in the closet."

"You were wrong, but so was I. I could've fought harder, I could've shown up, I knew where you were. I gave up after Doncaster, and I let my dad dictate my life again. It was easier for me, to just roll over."

"I would've come back," Louis says. "If you had tried again, I kept myself away but if you had come to get me I would've went with you."

"I know," Liam answers. "I thought I was doing the right thing, too. I couldn't help asking for you, but I thought it was right to leave it up to you to make the move. We both made mistakes, Louis."

"I forgive you," Louis says, a grin pulling at his lips, the light returning to his eyes.

Liam chuckles. "I forgive you. We have to forgive ourselves. It'll take some time, but we have to start working on that, so that we can keep working on us."

"When did you get so mature, Batman?" Louis asks, leaning in to press a kiss to his lips.

Liam laughs again, tackling Louis back into the pillows as Silver pounces around, excited to have both his humans again.

Liam winds up dragging Louis to the hospital after the man screams out in pain and falls over in the shower when he tries to put weight on his knee.