mirrors (larry stylinson au)

3: If you ever feel alone just know that I'm always parallel on the other side

It was liberating, to finally cry everything out. He had got so used to the knot in his throat that he almost couldn't remember not having it. And it hadn't even been that long. Just five weeks since they had been told his dad was in critical condition, and three days since he had came back home from school and had found Mary, the neighbour, by the door, waiting for him, and had said "sorry, son" before driving him to the hospital, where his mom and Gemma already were.

He hadn't cried then, he almost hadn't believed it. It had been just now, getting dressed for the funeral, that the news had really reached the bottom of his brain. He couldn't come out of his room like that, it would just break his mom's heart even more. He had to be strong for her. The worst thing was it wasn't like they didn't know it was going to happen. Again, his dad had been sick for some time. But Christ, how do you get ready for such a thing, no matter wether you know it's going to happen or not?

Harry sobbed, trying to calm his breath down, opening his eyes.

That's when he saw the boy coming out of the mirror, and jumped back, hitting his back on the bed and getting to his feet as fast as he could.

"What the..."

At least he had stopped crying. But now he was hallucinating. Great.

"Oops."

"Hi?" Harry was shocked.

"Harry, I'm so sorry"

The other boy, a couple centimetres taller than him, had feathery brown hair and bright, sad blue eyes. He took a step closer, and Harry, still shocked, moved back. He was going crazy right?

Louis was faster and in less than one second was hugging Harry. Harry was so shocked at first, but it didn't take him much time to melt into the older boy's arms.

Louis mentally slapped himself. He had got through the stupid mirror. He was in a room, just like his, but with Harry, warm and wet from tears, next to him. And, stupidly, instead of moving in little by little, explaining where he came from, or why he had crossed, he had just jumped at Harry and hugged him. He was actually surprised Harry was hugging him back, had it been the other way round, he would have probably thrown a couple of shoes at whoever appeared out of nowhere into his room. Luckily, he hadn't been hit by anything thrown by Harry. Yet.

Harry was simply too sad. He knew he tended to get emotional. He hadn't known how it was to lose someone before that week: two of his grandparents had already passed out when he was born, and the two others were still alive. Therefore, the death of his dad, someone who he had been living with since he had been born, who had taken care of him always, who had accepted him and supported him no matter what, even when he came out as gay, had been an awful shot.

And now his brain was feeling so bad that it was creating beautiful older boys to hug him to make him feel better. Well, it certainly was an original technique, brain, good job. And it felt SO real.

Harry moved back and stared at Louis, flabbergasted.

"Hey uh... I'm sorry"said Louis, looking at his feet. Harry had stopped crying, and was now looking at him, frowning."For...what has happened and for uh... frightening you. It was not my intention to do so."

Louis looked up at Harry again. It was not good. He was still looking at him with his green eyes slightly red and his cheeks puffy, but he looked like he was coming back to reality. That probably meant the shoe shooting part was about to come.

"Oh! I'm Louis, by the way. You would never believe it, but I live in this same room but on the other side of the mirror, I have no idea why or how that thing works. I saw you crying and...well, I thought I could try and get through and uh... make you feel better?"