Hide & Seek (Larry Stylinson AU)

This chapter is being posted in celebration of 1D coming to my country I mean o.O I thought it would never happen! Anyway, thank u all for the tremendous support and love :) this story may need to pick up a little but seeing this many people already enjoying it is just a dream come true. Ily all :) xx I will protect you for what you are: mine Louis tossed and turned, his mind reeling; his sweat rolled in faint streams down his back and neck. He did not feel at ease while he slept, but an unearthly persistence kept him in this writhing dozing state. He could do nothing, because he could not see her. She was ashen and vengeful. She would not listen to Harry's reasoning, only peering out beyond into her own justification. Harry disobeyed her and for that, he would suffer the loss of his precious friend. Harry was frantic outside the door, for the first time his ungodly strength could not get the door open. Louis was asleep, he had been for several hours now. Harry knew Louis was defenseless against his mother, especially when she was raving mad like now. Harry wanted this one thing to himself, he felt he earned a friend - just one - after twenty years of solitude and obedience. Mother wouldn't see it that way. Harry's debacle with Gemma earlier cost him her defiance and support, though she too had a soft spot for the copper-haired being of innocence on the other side of this door. Louis didn't know half the truth about Harry, but Harry knew Louis better than anyone could testify. Harry would always go into town at the time he knew Louis would be out doing something unnecessary and foul, but he'd watch him do it from afar without protest anyway. "Mother!" Harry screamed from the useless side of the closed door. "Leave him alone!" He didn't know if she had heard him. He tries the door and it doesn't budge. He curses at it until the rumbling ends and he is certain that he'd lost his friend. The door opens without difficulty, and Harry steps into the dark room. Louis is asleep, Harry sighs in relief. His chest heaves painfully and for a moment Harry expects a climax of a deadly nature. Nothing happens. "Lou?" Harry stands at the door politely, not wanting to go in just yet. Louis would be mad if he did. Louis doesn't answer so Harry takes a step inside. The wood moans beneath his boots but Louis doesn't wake. Harry goes to his side, bending to catch a glimpse of anything nasty that might have overcome his companion. Nothing. Harry's eyes fall to Louis' arm. Bruises. Harry doesn't gasp, when he knew the normal response would be to. He stares coldly at the red three-finger marking below Louis' elbow. Hanayen is asleep in the corner of the room. One swipe. One swipe of Harry's blade and a pinch of his bandana, would rid him of the nuisance that is that animal. But he won't, because Louis would be upset. His fingertips brush the mark on Louis' arm, and he stirs in his sleep without opening his eyes. *LOUIS POV* I grumble turning on my side and punching my pillow to accommodate my head. My vision flutters until I can see the time on my cellphone. Woah. I sit up and grab the object from the bedside table. I thought I'd lost this gadget forever. I look up and my heart drops to my balls. Harry is standing against the open door-frame with his hands behind his back. "What the fuck?" I gasp from the surprise and run my hand through my hair as the upsetting rush of blood to my brain subsides. "I um, found this....in the kitchen." He holds up a jar of jam. I squint to see it through the beams of light that hurt my eyes. "Yeah. And?" I stand and decide what to do. He shifts to stand uncomfortably on his own two feet. His eyebrows furrow close to each other forming creases on his forehead. He opens his mouth but shuts it and walks away. Hanayen rolls - literally - out of bed while I fumble around for my toothbrush. Ugh. No toothpaste. I moan inwardly at my lack of ability to formulate a check-list. After several more hunts, all ending with the same results I decide to give Harry a little trouble. Hanayen waits in the room while I go into the kitchen, in search of the drastically peculiar young man. He is at the sink but the tap is closed, his hands wet and gripping the edge of the counter as he stares out the window. I clear my throat and he snaps out of the illusion, whatever he was observing outside has disappeared. He looks at me expectantly from across the room. "Do you have toothpaste?" I ask in a monotone. He frowns in confusion. "Yes. I'll get it from upstairs." Since I was forbidden from ever treading up those steps, I don't volunteer to get it myself. He goes and returns after a whole minute, with a tight white tube in his hand. "Here." He holds out the capped end for me. "Thanks." I nod in gratitude. After brushing my teeth and redressing in whatever's suitable for a day in town away from this house, maybe some radiance from life would return and I'd fail to accumulate suicidal thoughts. Two days, Jeff said, I just had to be 'friends' with Harry for two days. I splash water on my face and stare at my reflection. There's a knock on my door and I sigh. So it begins. "Yes, Harry?" I call from the basin. "You didn't have to buy those things, you know. I would have eventually." He says to me when I enter the room and start looking for a shirt. "You said you were fine with empty shelves, Harold. I took the liberty of filling them up." He scowls at the floor. "What did you call me?" "You don't like me calling you Harold?" I raise my eyebrow. He shakes his head. "It's fine. Will you.......go with me to the store?" I freeze with a shirt mid-air and clenched in my fist. What did he just say? I drop my jaw a little toying with my tongue on the inside of my mouth trying to make something of this request. "In town?" I blink. He shrugs. I think about it. Jeff told me not to antagonize Harry - in a way - and maybe if we just kept our communication to a friendly minimal, he won't add my initials to the list of homicidal cases. "O-Okay." I stutter in initial shock. He smiles a little, like just to himself and an inside joke. He leaves and I'm given enough space to change my clothes three times over just to stall. Why the Hell could he possibly want me to go with him to the store? Does he not know how to shop or something? I leave the room with Hanayen and find Harry seated on the second last step, tapping his foot against the wood and drumming his fingers on his thigh. I stand there awaiting an instruction of the next move. He looks up and rises. "Let's go." He goes to the door, opens it wide enough to let himself out and leaves without waiting for me. The bastard. *** Walking through electronic sliding doors has never been more tense than it was two seconds ago when I had to do it with Harry next to me. The guy looked like he was knocked up on OCD and was shaking in his hideous boots because a dragon would fly through the clouds to burn him. I almost laughed at him when he remained silent with his hands in his pockets while I was made to browse through groceries. "Do you have a list?" I ask trying to do something other than just stand there. Two days. That's all I kept telling myself. Harry shakes his head slowly, looking caught off guard by my question and is afraid of his answer. "It's fine. Just tell me if you.......Harry?" I snap my fingers at him when his eyes drift off to something behind me. "Yeah?" He answers not looking at me. I turn my head to see what has enthralled him like it has. Jeffrey's just walked in fully decked in his police uniform and a fellow officer flanking him. Jeff doesn't look at us, he approaches the counter and chats in whispers to the cashier. I leave Harry to his staring while I go down one isle looking - and hoping - for candy. I needed candy. And alcohol. Harry strides up behind me moments later when I'm deciding between mint or dark chocolate. He keeps his hands in his trench coat and I decide to find out a little about Harry. "You choose." I say offering him both slabs. His eyes widen in surprise before he composes himself. "Um.......I-I don't know." "You've never chosen between two chocolate choices before, Harold?" The corners of his mouth twitch before forming a line again and I can't decipher whether it was going to be a smile or frown. "Dark." He says. I frown. I hated dark chocolate. "What?" He asks somewhat concerned. "Let's just take both." I decide and Harry's faint smirk could pass for a chuckle. We're making progress. "Beer?" Harry frowns disapprovingly down at the case I've selected from the fridge. "I don't drink." I laugh. "Why not?" He shrugs and I roll my eyes. His jaw clenches and unclenches in reaction to my reaction, and I find it odd. "What?" "I hate eye-rolling. People who are arrogant and stupid roll their eyes." Now I'm shocked. "Really? So I'm arrogant and stupid then?" "No. That's why I hate it when u roll your eyes." "I've only done it once." "Then don't do it again." "Okay I'm sorry, Harold." I raise my hands in mock surrender. He just chuckles softly under his ragged breath and says nothing. I realise that I'd just had the longest conversation I've had with Harry, and possibly his longest conversation ever. Someone wheeling control of a trolley comes around the corner and into this isle. Mikky - the owner of Mikky D's and firm disliker of Harry - looks up and sees me. He masks his otherwise vagrant hatred before pushing his load over to us. Harry tenses in front of me, he looking in the other direction at Jeff who has just ended his business and started towards the door. "We should go. Leave the stuff." Harry suddenly says removing his hands from his coat, it immediately reaching up to his bandana to shift the material a little. I don't know why he wore it if it was uncomfortable. "Louis?" Mikky's gotten into hearing and speaking range. He eyes Harry angrily before he decides to step away from this uncomfortable scenario. "Hey, Mikky." I sigh pulling the beer case onto a shelf so I don't have to bear the burden for the duration of this conversation. "I told you not to be around that kid, Louis. Why don't you listen?" He scolds forgetting that Harry is just a few feet away gripping the chocolates tightly enough for them to melt. I knew the nutritional information of gummy bears didn't interest him. "I'm fine, Mikky." I had no intention of sharing any information about last night with Mikky. It seem to be hotter in here than it was when I walked in; I roll up my jacket sleeve. Mikky's eyes drop to my hand and he stiffens. "What's that?" "What's wha-" I cut myself off when I gaze upon the blue-purple print on my forearm. Its linear and thin like three fingers and faint like it was healing. Why hadn't I seen that before? *HARRY POV* Louis' sudden pause in speech granted me more agitation than most other things would. I didn't want to wait for his response to the owner of the fast food store I'd never dare step foot in, on the same coin but a different side I want to hear what he thinks. It wasn't my fault that he got that bruise, I'd have protected him from it if I could. "Probably bumped my arm somewhere." Louis says distastefully. "See you later?" "Wait, Louis!" He calls to Lou who is turned around to walk towards me. I clench my teeth is restraint, this man knew no boundaries. "Have you seen the news?" He asks Louis and I shift my weight to the other foot. "Everyone knows about what happened at the station last night. Rumors are that Jeff's calling in the white van." White van? I frown when I don't recall what that means. "People should mind their own business. Jeff can do as he pleases." Louis says and he had me up until the last part. "But Louis, you were at the station. Didn't he scare you?" "I can handle myself, Mikky." So Mikky was the rat's name. "Louis, they're coming up there tonight." Mikky says slightly on edge. "Up where?" "To that house. They had a real warrant issued to search that place." Louis says nothing. Does he need me to step in? "They can come. I haven't seen anything and have nothing to lie about." He finally mutters. Guess he does need me to step in. I drop the bag of gummy bears back into its box and take one large stride up to stand next to Louis. He takes heed of my presence but does nothing, just studies the beer bottle as Mikky scurries off like the rodent he is. Which reminded me, Hamster needed more food. "We can go." I say in the hopes that Mikky hasn't upset him. Louis was tough, but not that tough. "No." He answers. "We still need candy and beer and proper toilet-roll." I am taken aback by his response. Maybe he is tougher than I anticipated. I smile faintly at him, before following his back dutifully while he picks stuff up from the shelves that meet his degree of standard. We pay and leave. A solemn mood falls on both of us when we near his car - we took his automobile by his insistence. Hanayen was still sitting in the back seat like he hadn't moved the whole time we were gone. Lou's phone buzzes and he answers the call. "Yeah?" Whoever it is hasn't earned a formal greeting. "I don't think so, Zayn........no.......he wouldn't.......you ask him then........tonight?" He stares at his feet. "Oh fine........seven, yes....bye." I don't like the message behind that phone call. "What happened?" "Zayn's having a party at his place. He always does this when something remotely exciting happens in Middleston." He sighs. "You're going?" "Yeah. He's still my friend and I can't let him down, there aren't that many of us here." Oh. I stand awkwardly in front of him now. I'd never be invited to a party that normal kids attended, I just wouldn't fit in unless they needed a slasher or something. I still worried over what Mikky said about the cops coming up to the house to search it, maybe I could leave Mother to it. She'd finally do something for herself for a change. "He said to ask you to come." Louis adds. Even as he said it I heard the hesitancy in his tone. He didn't really want me to come with him. "Do you want me to?" I ask looking at him. "It doesn't matter whether I want you to or not. It's your invitation so decide." He snaps and gets into the car impatiently igniting the engine before I can get in. I decide not to push him any further now. Maybe he just needs to calm down, let his anger from his conversation with Mikky boil over. I'd go to the party, just to make sure no one else got to him again. I'd hate to see him internally battling with himself. If he'd let me get close enough, I'd never allow anyone or anything to bother him. "I'd like to go." I say when we're back home and in the kitchen. It feels as if the roles have been reversed in this instance, me being anxious over Louis' next move or statement. I hate it. "Where?" Louis replies digging in one of the packets. "To the party with you." He is expressionless. "I'll see you there then." "Lou." I sigh trying to get his attention. "I know this town hates me. I know you hate me. I wish I didn't do what I did but it's done now with nothing to change anything. I just wanted us to be friends, I'm sorry for whatever I did to upset you." He let's out a long breath after putting the beer away, the furrowing of his eyebrows seem to be indicative of him processing my confession. "Look, Harry, everyone in town doesn't always hate you, they're afraid of you. You gave them a reason to by........by taking those people. If the circumstances were different, us being friends wouldn't be a problem; but for now, you see the dilemma." He explains, slowly and truthfully so that the sting really hurts. "But I didn't want to hurt those people." I flinch at the words leaving my mouth, I'd never say them to anyone else. "Then why did you?" My bandana itches and I pinch the fabric between my thumb and index to move it away from my eyebrow. "I was told to." "Harold, I live here with you and I'm still lonely. Who the Hell told you to kidnap people?" "Mother." I choke rubbing my throat with all five fingers after feeling the tightness of my collar intensify. Lou is silent, his eyes set in a surprised frown and his lips slightly parted. "Your mother?" I nod and close my eyes to try to easen the arrival of a splitting headache. "She doesn't like some people and asks me to get rid of them." "Oh." His eyes widen. "Where is she?" "In this house. She doesn't show up during the day, just at night when.......when I'm asleep." "Is that the awful shrieking?" He asks but his voice is laced with disbelief. "Yes. I know you don't believe me. You don't have to, I know it's true." "What's she going to do about the police coming up here?" I shrug. "I won't be here to see." The color drains from his face and fear rises in my own heart - not the first emotion Louis' made me feel. "You can't tell anyone, Lou. Or she'll be mad at both of us." I insist. She nods stiffly and I open my mouth to say something else when he leans against a chair, looking so tired and resentful. I close my mouth and observe him. "I can't stay here, Harry." He clears his throat. "I can't live with all this fucked-upness. This town is too damn small for this." Not this again. "No, Lou-" "Yes, Harry. I'm not staying here and I don't think you should either if you really believe what you just said. Find a motel or something but I'm going home." He turns on his heel and leaves the kitchen with me stranded and baffled in it. I think about following him, persuading him to stay, but I saw it in his eyes. He didn't want to, deep down he despised living here and I wouldn't be a good friend if I forced him to stay. Hanayen follows Louis into his room, before I hear the door slam shut and I'm left to pick out the beatings of the wind against the side of the house. *LOUIS POV* I've been cooped up in this toxic room for two hours, my restraint to get the Hell away from here proving to be futile. I'd been made to act casual at the store, so as not to spark a violent outburst from Harry against the persistent Mikky. I couldn't afford another death, not anymore. I hated taking Harry's side especially since I knew it was wrong and unjust. The story he spun about a crazy mother commanding his deed is utter bullshit, he's psychotic and won't admit it because everyone's too afraid to point it out. Zayn's party tonight will be an interesting one now that Harry's attending it. It's 13h00 when I decide to do something other than swing my leg back and forth across the edge of the bed. Our town had an unspoken curfew, 22h00, that I never adhered to. Zayn wouldn't mind if I showed up early, I guess. Confidently, I slot my car keys onto my finger and my cellphone into my jeans pocket. "Where are you going?" My ears prick at the sound of Harry's voice coming from the living room. At least I didn't have the responsibility of cleaning this place up anymore. "To Zayn's." I answer briefly. He stands and I see that he's changed, now donning a tight black T-shirt under an open plaid shirt with skinny jeans. Damn those ugly shoes. "Now?" He pushes his fingers into his jeans pockets. "Yeah." "Can I come?" Even with all that I knew about Harry, when he spoke with uncertainty and nervousness I knew he'd fit in with us. A small brother. Yup, who kills people with a fucking bowie knife. What's wrong with me? I'm not supposed to be taking his side. "If you want to, but you're driving yourself." I say sternly and I'm out the door. Hanayen hops in the front passenger seat as soon as I open the door, and hear Harry's boots crunching the dead leaves behind me. I promise some action is headed your way. Chapter 9 will be posted when this story hits 1k :). Thank you for your support!!

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