Burning Skies » larry

Chapter 25

Louis hadn't slept in his own flat for a long time, so when he woke up in his own bed, he wasn't surprised that the first thought to enter his mind was to reach out to Harry and pull him closer to himself because he knew just how cuddly the boy was.

When his mind caught up to what he was doing, Louis squeezed his eyes shut and buried his face in his pillow. Harry wasn't beside him, and frankly, he didn't know until when he could take it.

The floor was cold against his bare feet as he padded out of his room. The kitchen was the same mess he'd left it weeks ago when he'd last been here. Pizza boxes were gathering up under the sink, all his plates and utensils were dirty, and his refrigerator was empty.

Louis bypassed the kitchen and went straight to the bathroom for a shower. The warm water cleared his head for a bit, but it didn't last long. His mind kept wandering back to the last time he'd seen Harry at the pub. The boy had been so drunk and could barely keep his eyes open. Louis had kissed his cheek before he walked away. When he'd glanced at Harry one last time from a distance, he'd looked so small tucked into the corner of the booth, his eyes already closed.

Louis wished he hadn't left his side. 

The only thing Louis could remember was the sensation of something sharp pricking his skin on the back of his neck. He was at the bar, calling for the bartender's attention, but then he felt it on his neck and reached behind him, pulling out a small dart. He could only stare at it for a few seconds before his vision blurred and his eyes rolled into the back of his head.

After that, it was too late.

Louis dried himself off and put on a shirt and jeans. His limbs felt heavy, so he had to drag himself around sluggishly like he weighed too much for his bones to handle. He received a text from Zayn, telling him he was already parked in front of his building with breakfast. Louis didn't respond and just pocketed whatever he needed and left his flat.

Sure enough, Zayn was standing there, leaned against his car, looking up when Louis approached him. Louis was quite grateful that he didn't have to drive today. He felt like his head was too overfilled with thoughts to even drive properly. The last thing they needed was to get into an accident.

"Hey, mate. Ready to go?" Zayn said.

Louis nodded before climbing into the passenger's seat. He rolled down the window as Zayn buckled up beside him and pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his coat. He lit the end up with a small flame on his finger and took a drag.

Zayn started the engine and turned to him with a sigh. "You should at least eat a bagel first." He tossed a paper bag towards Louis. It landed on his lap. "We can also get coffee along the way."

"I'm good," Louis muttered, leaning towards the window when he blew out a cloud of smoke.

Zayn didn't say anything else, but Louis could imagine his frown. Zayn turned on the radio as he drove, and Louis was only reminded of how Harry was always assigned to pick a good station whenever they drove to and from Abbington. Harry barely ever finished a song before trying other stations. Louis used to be quite annoyed at that, but right now, he'd do anything to get that moment back.

Zayn glanced at him several times before finally saying "I'm sorry about what happened."

After their fight in the parking lot last night, they hadn't really talked. They drove around the area, hoping desperately to find any sign of Harry, but their search had been fruitless. Zayn forced Louis to sleep at around five in the morning. Louis would've kept searching, but his body had given up on him, so he decided to give it some rest.

It wasn't like he even got a blink of sleep, either. He stared up at his ceiling while his head swam with endless thoughts. Louis guessed he probably slept for one or two hours, because his alarm was already ringing the next time he opened his eyes.