Chapter Text
“See you tomorrow, Mister Tomlinson!” shouted Aaron happily, smile missing one front tooth and waving happily while still holding his mum’s hand.
Louis smiled back, heart warm in his chest.
“Have a good night, Aaron.” he said, tidying up the room. “I’ll see you tomorrow, lad.”
The boy nodded happily, skipping outside and to the school playground.
Louis watched him leave, his smile leaving his face slowly.
Because behind the smile, Louis had a secret.
He was broken.
He was a sad, broken man.
Had been broken for exactly 6 months and three days today - not that he was counting, he was getting used to it.
(No, he really wasn’t.)
(But that wasn't even the point.)
He was learning to live with his heartbreak, that empty spot in his chest where he used to have a heart.
That empty spot in his life where someone else used to take all the room, their love burning and all encompassing.
(Now Louis’ life was empty and his heart a deserted place.)
Louis sighed again, refusing to think about him for too long, and as he went to close his classroom door, he froze.
The black car was still there, parked on the other side of the road.
And just like that, Louis got angry again.
Of course.
Of fucking course.
Of fucking course he was keeping an eye on him.
Again.
It had been 3 weeks now that wherever Louis went, that car went with him.
He scoffed and slammed the door.
Harry fucking Styles.
(The loss of Louis’ life.)
(The love of it, too, probably.)
Louis shook his head.
No.
No thinking about Harry.
It was over.
Whatever they had…
Whatever Louis had thought they had…
It was over.
His eyes fell on the car again, on the other side of the road.
Louis felt a flash of anger cross his heart.
Of fucking course.
Of fucking course Harry didn’t want him anymore but still had him followed!
The blue-eyed man groaned and finally moved away from the door, going back inside to get ready to go back home.
(When he left the school twenty minutes later, the black car was nowhere to be seen on his rearview and Louis wasn’t sure how to feel about that.)
In the mess that was his life right now, if there was one living thing Louis could still count on, it was his beloved dog.
(As long as Louis didn’t dwell too long on the day he had adopted him and what that had brought him.)
(Or rather who.)
(But Louis wasn’t thinking about that.)
(So it was fine, really.)
“Here you go, you giant baby.” Louis chuckled instead, leaning in to give Sparkles - his black lab, his food.
Sparkles was the absolute love of Louis’ life.
He had adopted him 6 years ago at the pound where he had met Harry-
Nope.
Not thinking about Harry.
Not happening.
He was not thinking about that man who shall not be named.
No.
Louis shook his head, trying to clear his mind and his heart at the same time.
He could do it.
Easy.
He’d focus on work.
Like he had been for the past 6 months.
EASY.
Louis sighed and went to work.
He could do this.
He could.
He had his dog and his friends and his job.
He didn’t need anything else.
(He didn’t.)
🖤
Louis had been grading papers and getting ready for class the next day and had not even realized it was so late.
Almost 1 am.
Louis stretched and petted Sparky quickly before walking to the window, ready to close his blinds and go to bed.
Not that he would be sleeping.
Louis had not been sleeping in months.
(It was okay.)
(He was getting used to it.)
(What he wasn't getting used to though, was his new lonely bed in his new lonely apartment.)
And then he froze as he reached the window.
The van from earlier…
It was parked on the other side of the road.
That had never happened before.
Weird.
Louis rolled his eyes and closed his curtains.
Fucking Harry.
He could decide he didn’t want to be with Louis anymore but couldn’t leave him alone.
Typical.
Typical of his type of men, used to decide everything from everyone.
(Exactly like he had decided it was over when Louis had been begging to be taken back, his heart in pieces in the middle of their stupid garden.)
(Not that Louis cared anymore.)
(Because he didn’t.)
(Really.)
Fuck Harry, really.
Even if somehow, Louis felt safe knowing Harry still cared enough to have him watched.
Was it stupid?
It felt stupid.
(It was most surely very stupid.)
Harry was the one who didn’t want to take Louis back.
He didn’t want to stay together.
And Louis…
Louis had begged.
(He still felt stupid about this, to this day.)
Louis sighed and grabbed his cup of tea, walking sadly to his couch.
And he allowed himself to think about Harry.
(Just a little bit.)
Was he married to another heiress of another mafia?
Was that why he had rejected Lou, in the end?
Was it because no matter what, Louis didn't fit his way of life?
(And Louis used to think it didn't matter as long as he fit with Harry but apparently he had been wrong.)
Louis sighed again and fought against himself for a minute - or two, before he lost the battle and walked up to get something that was lying around his bedroom.
Harry’s burgundy sweater.
The one Louis had refused to give back after their awful breakup.
(The one he would never admit he was still wearing almost every night.)
(Louis would never admit something else, too…)
(He missed Harry.)
(Badly.)
(Very very badly.)
(Was Harry missing him too?)
(Even a little bit?)
Louis couldn’t sleep.
It was now 3am and he couldn’t sleep.
(He knew he shouldn’t have allowed himself to think about Harry.)
(It always ended like that.)
Louis had not been able to sleep for a little while, now.
He used to sleep like a baby, knowing he was loved and protected.
He got up from his bed, checked Sparkles was still in his little bed and kissed his head quickly.
“Love you, you big baby.” he chuckled and the dog kept sleeping but his tail wagged.
Louis’ heart was full of love.
His baby.
At least he still had his dog.
At least he wasn’t completely alone.
Louis sighed and walked to his kitchen, not bothering to put the light on as he drank a glass of water and then peeked at the window again.
He frowned, laying the now empty glass of water on the sink.
The van was still there.
Weird.
The driver door was opened.
Even weirder.
And there was something else now on Louis’ chest…
He felt uneasy.
And then he gasped.
A man wearing a hood had walked toward the building.
Louis was almost sure of it.
He didn’t feel safe anymore.
(He felt in danger.)
It wasn’t funny anymore.
It wasn’t-
Louis hurried to walk to his bedroom to pick up his phone, dialling the number he still knew by heart but had promised himself he wouldn’t call ever again.
(Would Harry even answer?)
Harry picked up immediately.
“Louis?”
Louis' heart did a painful lurch in his chest at this voice he had been missing for weeks.
He forced his heart to keep beating, opening his mouth and ignoring the tears already pricking at the back of his eyes.
“You have to stop doing that.” he said, praying his voice was stronger than he felt.
A silence settled.
“Doing what, Louis?”
Louis.
Fuck, Louis hated his own name right now.
“You have to stop having your men follow me all day and all night.” he said stubbornly. "You made your choice, Harry."
A longer silence and Louis didn’t even have time to rejoice in the fact that he was able to corner Harry to admit he still cared when-
“I’m not having anyone following you, Lou.”
A gasp escaped Louis at the nickname.
It felt like a punch in the gut.
He almost missed his answer because he was desperately trying to breathe again.
“Don’t lie to me, right now.”
“I’m not.”
“It wouldn’t be the first time you’re lying.” he said bitterly, unable to lash out a little bit.
(So hurt.)
(He was so, so hurt.)
Harry exhaled shakily, sighing sadly.
“I’m not lying.” and then, “Lou, I said I was letting you go and I am.”
Ouch.
Louis’ heart took the blow, bleeding out in his chest.
And then he frowned.
“It doesn’t make any sense.”
“Louis, we talked about this-”
“No, not that.”
(Even if that didn’t make any sense either.)
A silence.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, someone has been following me.” When Harry didn’t answer, Louis kept going. “For weeks, actually.”
A tense silence during which Louis could almost see Harry’s frown.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.” he said, frowning as he walked to the window. “I’ve got a van parked in front of my place right now. A van that’s been following me for at least two weeks. Everywhere I go.”
"Is it the same car?"
"Yes. And the same men, as well."
Another silence.
Longer.
“Describe it to me, please.”
And there was an urgency in Harry’s voice.
It set Louis off immediately.
“I don’t know, Harry!” he said, agitated. “ It’s a black van and-” his voice broke.
“And what?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Louis. Please.”
“I think a man wearing a hood walked out of the van a few minutes ago.”
A silence settled.
“Louis.” and there was something in Harry’s voice…
An urgency that made Louis panic, for some reasons.
"Maybe I made it up, I don't know ! I got up and looked by the window but it's late and I'm tired and-"
"Did you see someone?"
"Harry..."
"Tell me."
“H-” he whispered.
Because this would not go well.
He could feel it.
He heard Harry get up, heard him open the door quickly.
“I need my car.” he said to someone, “Now.”
“Harry…” he whispered again.
Because he knew that voice.
It was his business voice.
It was his mafia voice.
(What was happening?)
“Baby, you have to listen to me very closely, okay?”
Baby.
“What-”
Louis’ head was dizzy by the use of baby and by the fear in Harry’s voice and-
And it got even worse.
“They’re going to take you.” Harry said and then, “But I’m going to get you back.”