FINGERTIPS ║ Larry Stylinson

Epilogue

☼☼ Special thank you to @cnbfloofy for always voting so quick on each chapter, you always made me smile! So thank you !! ☼☼

Two years later, December 24th

When Louis heard the knocks on the front doors, he tightened his grip onto the soft blanket and the teddy bear he had been holding carefully against his chest for the last hour. He looked down at the light pink teddy, it was not the smallest, about fifteen inches tall. One of his arm was wrapped in a fake white cast covered in small colourful little scribbled hearts. It was holding a blue heart on which was embroidered "Get well soon". Bebe had given it to him when he was at the hospital. He now had a full shelf devoted to those kind of teddy bears. They had been given to him either when he was in the hospital after the accident, or when he had spent two months in the clinic to try and heal his eating disorders (and the full package of mental healths "complications" he had had to encounter). He had to face them all the time. Yes, they were adorable and they apparently translated people's love for him, but he didn't like being reminded of those hard times so much. Fortunately, the balloons had deflated a long time ago.
He closed his eyes tightly when he saw the door of his room open. Harry entered the room slowly. He knew the place by now, but he couldn't deny he could still fall over or stumble over some clothes that would have been left on the floor. He walked closer to the bed and sat down on the edge.

"Louis, they're here."

The blue eyed boy didn't want to do this. He refused to face his family. They hadn't really seen each other those last months. Most of the time, his siblings were busy at school, his mum and step-father busy at work and himself was busy trying to stay constant at university as well as tutoring high school students and working week ends as a receptionist in a motel. At the end of the day, he was always incredibly exhausted. They called, of course they did, a lot, at least once a week, just to make sure everything was fine on both sides. But he knew they would look at him, stare at him. They would try and see if he had gained more weight or lost any. He did lost some pounds, he was not back to the horrendous state he had been trapped in two years ago though. He was far from it. Of course, he was still very insecure. There were still days he would shower in the dark, not to see his body, his flaws. But that was so much better than before. He had gained more than 30 pounds, he was now about 125 pounds and he felt pretty bad about it, in all honesty. 30. That just sounded like so much, like too much. But was it really? He knew he needed them, to be healthier and less in pain. That was what they had repeated to him endlessly. He had worked a lot, Harry had worked a lot also. He had always been there. He had been pretty passionate with the cooking classes he had started, since then, Louis had the opportunity to taste Harry's incredibly skilled meals. He had made it funnier for Louis to feed himself, promising him reward if he managed to finish his plate, like a back massage or a full evening watching Gone With The Wind. But all of this couldn't take away the hints of guilt swimming through Louis' veins. He managed to shush it sometimes, telling himself he was the only boss here, the only one to have a say on whatever he would allow himself to eat. But sometimes, it was harder. It was almost like the heavy anchor was back on his chest and he couldn't eat a thing.

"I don't want to go." he whispered, trying not to be heard.

Their bedroom was pretty close to the living room in the apartment and he didn't want his family to hear him. They would probably think he felt bad, that he was ill, that he needed help. That was the last thing he needed, for them to worry about him, while he was trying his harder to get better, to be a better person. He was motivated, he simply had lower days, like everyone. Harry slid his hand onto Louis' arm and wrapped his fingers around him. There were days where he would only do this to make sure Louis' body wasn't all scrawny anymore, just to make sure it hadn't been a dream. He took Louis' hand, detaching it softly from the blanket and teddy he was holding on strongly, and he brought it to his lips and kissed his fingers gently.