Rough Waters (Sequel to Falling Hard)

Rough Waters - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

            “Harry?” A voice pulls Harry from his unconscious state. “Hazza,” the voice was demanding, but it broke in the middle, as if the person were crying. Harry groans accordingly. Harry opens his eyes when violent sobs broke the bond that was holding him in blackness. “H – Harry…”

            Harry turns over in whatever he was sleeping on – a bed. “Louis?” Harry calls out weakly, coughing violently after choking out his words. Louis’ ever-changing eyes, brimmed with red from crying, meet his dull green ones. New tears well in Louis’ eyes as Harry attempts to smile at one of his best friends.

            “How long was I out, L – Louis?” Harry asks. “Wait, befo – before you answer ca – can I have a gl – glass of wat – water?” Harry says between his coughing fits. Louis nods feverishly before sprinting out the already ajar door. Harry tries to calm his coughing, but receives anything but good results.

             The door opens again. “Hey, Hazza! You feel better?” A distinctly Irish voice says to the left of Harry. Harry sneezes this time and Niall sighs. “Maybe not that much better, I presume,” he mumbles sadly.

            Harry smiles weakly again. Niall pats his shoulder, grinning sadly while walking out. Harry closes his eyes for a few minutes – or what feels like a few minutes but is shaken awake in no time. “Harry? I got you your glass of water two hours ago, but you fell asleep again before I could come back.” Louis sticks out his hand, a glass of warm – well, now warm water in his hand.

            Harry takes it happily, feeling a lot better. “Thank you, Louis!” Harry exclaims, contented again. Louis smiles at his best friend, happy that Harry is feeling like himself again. Louis takes in that his green eyes have their usual flirty glint and light in them. His skin is no longer green, or unnaturally pale, but his usual paler. His hair – yes, even his hair looked happier – had its usual bounce back, the brown curls flipped off his face in his usual manner instead of in his face with no life.

            “You’re welcome, Hazza,” Louis says. Harry takes a huge sip of the water and sighs contentedly. “Better?” Louis asks, laughing a little as Harry nods like a puppy receiving a bone to chew on.

            Harry chugs his water back, groaning a little when it’s finally in the short two minutes he’s had it. Falling back onto his halo of pillows, Harry says, “Lou, you never answered me before I passed out in fatigue again. How long was I out for?” Louis eyes widen. He’d completely forgotten about Harry’s request to know that piece of information.

            “Well, uh,” Louis mutters, sitting next to Harry. “You were out for a good two days, Hazza.”

            It was Harry’s turn to be surprised. Two days? It felt like two hours let alone two days to Harry. Harry meets Louis’ currently grey clouded eyes, like a storm is brewing inside him. All Harry sees is worry, concern, brotherly love.

            “Louis?” Harry asks. Louis acknowledges this with a nod. “Will you lie down with me for a while? It’s been a long time since I’ve fallen asleep with someone next to me.” When Louis hesitates, Harry sighs. “It’s okay if you don’t want to… I was just ask –”

            Harry stops mid sentence when Louis covers his mouth with his hand, lying down next to the curly haired boy. “Shut up, Hazza,” Louis says while pulling the covers up to his chin, “and go back to sleep. I’ll be right here when you wake up.”

            With a quick kiss from Louis on his forehead, Harry falls asleep almost instantaneously. Comforted by the feel and warmth of another person next to him, his best friend in the world; Louis Tomlinson.