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Harry was depressed. How could he not. He lost the love of his life and the bundle of joy they created. From their happy, almost perfect lives ruined after one fatal night. 10 months before, their life was normal. Harry and Louis were still in shock after the birth of their 2 year old after almost 3 years of trying.
It was nearing 10 o'clock on a Saturday night and they had both had just put their son, Tommy, to bed before putting on the latest Batman film. The bottle of wine they shared sat empty on the coffee table in front of them along with the empty bag of sweet popcorn (Louis' choice) as the end credits began to roll. Louis was starting to nod off on Harry's shoulder with a content smile on his face when Harry jolted up, waking Louis once again.
"What is it?" Louis grumbled sleepily, rubbing his eyes.
"I forgot to go to get Tommy's Weetabix, we ran out this morning and he wouldn't stop crying when I gave him cornflakes" Harry explained as he pulled on his worn out converse and wrapped himself in his or Louis' jacket.
"Just get it tomorrow morning, babe. It's late, I'm sure he can wait in the morning" Louis said watching Harry stumble around for his wallet and phone, which turned out to be out of battery.
"Just because you work early in the morning and don't need to deal with our grumpy son in the morning" Harry grinned at his dozing husband, "I'll only be ten minutes babe, Tesco's just down the road" He said kissing Louis on the forehead. Louis groaned and grabbed on to Harry's neck and pulled him into a fierce kiss.
"Or," Louis whispered seductively in Harry's ear, "you could fuck me into next week and forget about breakfast until the morning" he smirked as Harry's pupils dilated at the thought.
"I'm sure that can wait ten minutes, Lou" Harry smiled. "I'll just be a minute, Lou, try not to miss me too much" Harry winked, walking over to the front door of their apartment.
"Fine, but don't be surprised if I start without you" Louis winked. Harry's filthy grin widened even more.
"I won't be," he smirked, "I love you" he called opening the door.
"Love you too" Louis called out before Harry shut the door, not knowing that would be the last time he would hear Louis say it truthfully.
***
Louis sighed as he stepped out of his car grabbing the stack of papers and walked to the horrible old building that his soon-to-be ex-husband lived. One police car sat in the car park, parked along with old and ratty cars parked haphazardly all around. Louis rolled his eyes and he walked into the building, scoffing at the lack of security.
He quickly ran up the few flights of stairs to the flat, believing if he stayed too long his expensive suit would get dirty. He got to the last flight of stairs and walked to the flat where, two police officers and his soon-to-be ex-husband stood wearing only a worn out white with more than a few suspitsion stains on it, and a pair of flannel pajama bottoms hanging low on his worryingly thin hips.
"I really hope this is the last time we have to meet, Mr Tomlinson-Styles" One of the balding officers said stiffly. Louis' disgust grew more, if it was even possible as Harry mumbled a "me too, officer" before catching Louis' eye.
The police officers gave Harry one last strange look before giving a curt nod and walking away, past Louis.
"What the fuck was that about!?" Louis exclaimed when the police were out of sight.
"It's non of your business Louis" Harry said shortly.
"As much as I hate it, you are still my husband and I have the right to know" Louis pointed out trying not to scoff when saying husband.
"Well, if I remember correctly, Louis, you said you don't want to have anything to do with me any more, and as much as I hate to admit it, I will agree with you on that" Harry explained, moving his arms to show the scar covering half his stomach, around to his side. Louis couldn't help but stare at it; remembering the dreadful nights where he begged and pleaded with Harry trying to tell him what happened with no success.
Harry cleared his throat, catching Louis' attention once again.
"Why are you hear anyway?" He asked roughly, one arm leaning above his head, avoiding eye contact with the older man. Louis cleared his throat as well and held out the papers.
"You need to sign these, so we can get over this divorce and so that I get full custody of Tommy" Louis explained in a monotone voice.
Harry's brow furrowed. "And if I don't?" he asked, "don't you think I want some custody of my son as well, seeing at my sister carried him for nine fucking months for us?" Harry demanded, his voice raising slightly at the end.
"Well, I don't want my son living with a fucking drug addict" Louis snapped. "Just get them signed by Friday and dropped them off at my house, and remember that you're going to have to pick up Tommy from nursery tomorrow and looking after him for a few hours. No one else can do it, and you're only a last resort. If I had the choice you wouldn't be anywhere near him" Louis said harsh-fully, taking one last look at the man who he used to love- and still does before turning around and storming away.
***
The next day Harry was startled out of his sleep by a sharp knock at his door. He stood up from the couch, pulling a jumper over his head and pulled open the front door.
A furious Louis stood there, holding Tommy on his hip. He was chewing on a teddy bear, that Harry recognized at his favourite one when he was a baby, and his face clearly showed he had been crying, and Harry immediately felt guilty.
"Where the hell were you!?" Louis hissed, trying to keep his anger at bay in front of Tommy.
"I forgot, sorry" Harry mumbled, rubbing his hand over his face. He heard Louis sigh harshly before looking at them again. Louis had set Tommy on the ground and said to him "Go and sit on the couch and put the TV on, baby, me and dad just have to talk for a minute then I'm going back to work, OK" Louis said softly, Tommy looked at him with his wide green eyes, that began to fill with tears, and silently pleaded with Louis to take him with him and not leave him with Harry. Louis gave an encouraging smile and nodded before Tommy tottered to the old battered couch and found the remote. He put on the cartoons and immediately brightened up. Louis looked back to Harry with a harsh glare
"What the fuck do you think you're playing at!?" He whispered forcefully.
"I had other things to do, Louis, I was busy and I forgot, OK!" Harry exclaimed.
"The only thing you would be busy about is getting your drugs from your dealer again" Louis snapped.
"Just fuck off, Louis" Harry snarled. Louis rolled his eyes once again before swiftly leaving the flat. Tommy looked up at the door slamming and he began to cry silently when he realised Louis left and he was alone with Harry.
"What's wrong, bud?" Harry asked sitting next to Tommy, himself trying not to cry from Louis' harsh words.
"Where's daddy?" He asked quietly, clutching onto his teddy, his nose running.
"He has to go to work for a while, so I've got to look after you, but he'll be home to get you soon" Harry explained with a soft and hopefully and comfortable smile.
"But I don't want you, I want my daddy" Tommy said more tears falling. Harry tried to stop his heart from tearing apart reminding himself that Tommy was only three and hasn't seen a lot of Harry, so he has every right to feel uncomfortable around Harry, especially in his home.
"Well, sorry but you're stuck with me for now, bud," Harry chuckled, "do you want to watch cartoons?" He asked and Tommy immediately nodded and began watching them intently. Harry couldn't help but look at him. He was Louis' double, apart from his big green eyes and plump pink lips, inherited from Harry's side.
"Dad?" Tommy asked after ten minutes of watching Spongebob.
"Yeah?" Harry said. "Why don't you live with me and daddy?" He asked innocently, his green eyes filled with curiosity boring into his.
"Well, um..." Harry racked his brain for an appropriate answer, "me and your daddy, we used to love each other and that's why we had you but a lot of things happened and we, um, we thought it would be better for you and us if we didn't live with each other any more" Harry responded, hoping that Tommy understood.
"But you love each other, right?" He quizzed a frown making it's way to his face. "I don't know about you're dad, but I still love him" Harry smiled sadly.
"But he loves you too!" Tommy exclaimed.
"No he doesn't, Tommy" Harry said softly as he could, ignoring his breaking heart.
"But he does, dad! He has a picture of you and him in his room, and I can see him looking at it and he starts crying, he thinks I don't see him cry but I do, and I don't like it. He always looks very very sad, but he looked happy in the picture!" Tommy exclaimed happily.
"How many pictures does he have?" Harry asked, not daring to believe him.
"Not a lot but he has a few. He has that one but!" Tommy stood up and ran over to the window edge picking up the photo frame, leaving his teddy on the couch. The photo was of Harry and Louis at the hospital, the day Tommy was born.
Harry stood behind Louis, who was holding baby Tommy in blue blankets, Harry's arm resting on Louis' stomach, under where Tommy lay in his arms. It was clear that they had both been crying with joy, the tear marks streaked down their faces. They were grinning at the camera like Cheshire cats.
You could see clearly that they were happy, like nothing could burst their perfect bubble that they created, which took the physically form lying in the blue blankets. Harry smiled at the picture, not realising he was crying until a tear hit the ground. Tommy put the picture down and wrapped his tiny fat arms around Harry's waist. Harry placed his large hands on his back, they stayed like that for a few minutes before a loud knock interrupted them.
Harry frowned and told Tommy to stay where he was. He walked to the door and looked through the peep hole before turning around to Tommy in panic.
"Tommy, I need you to be a big boy for me, can you do that?" Harry asked franticly and Tommy nodded.
"Go to my bedroom and phone you're daddy OK. Tell him he needs you to pick you up now. And tell him not to come up to the flat, just to wait in the lobby and he'll get you there, OK? Make you sure you do that and do not come out unless I tell you too ok." Tommy nodded fearfully.
"I love you, bud" Harry whispered before directing him to his room and shut the door. Harry walked to the front door and opened it.
Nick Grimshaw smirked at Harry and pushed through into the flat.
"What the fucked are you doing here!?" Harry snarled at him.
"Can't I pay Hazza a visit?" Nick asked fake sweetness, pouting.
"No! You can fuck off!" Harry snarled at him. Nick's face changed completely in a second to fury. Before Harry realised what had happened, he was pinned between Nick's body and the wall.
Nick's hot and disgusting breath filled his nostrils as he remembered the last time he was in this possession.
Harry's teeth chattered as he made the cold walk to Tesco's.
He could see the lights of the shop before he was grabbed around the arm and dragged into an ally way. A blindfold was put over his eyes so he could only see darkness. He could feel two solid bodies at both his sides and he began to panic.
"Don't worry," A horrible rough voice, whispered in his ear. "We'll make sure you'll be all right, only if you follow the instructions and not one curly hair on your head will be hurt" the voice growled again and Harry felt himself be hauled into a car.
He thought of Louis, what he would be thinking when Harry didn't return home that night, what if he will never be able to go home again what if they kill him. What would happen to Louis and Tommy, will they be able to cope on their own.
These thoughts ran through Harry's head until a blunt object smacked him on the head sending him into even more darkness.
"Daddy, daddy, are you there?" Tommy whispered urgently down the phone to his father.
"Yes, Tommy, I'm here," Louis' tired exasperated voice said, "Why are you phoning me you know I'm busy right now" He sighed.
"Daddy, told me to phone you," he whispered, "daddy, said I had to hide and phone you to come and pick me up from his home now!" Tommy whispered fearfully.
"Why did he ask you to do that, baby?" Louis asked, not in the mood for Harry's jokes. "There was someone at the door and daddy looked to see who it was and he told me to hide and phone you to come and get me now!" Louis sat up now, listening at the possible danger his son was in.
"Tommy, you better not be playi-"
"I'm not daddy," Tommy interrupted as he began crying, "please daddy I'm scared and all I can hear his daddy shouting and banging and I left Cuddles on the couch. Please save me, daddy" Tommy cried. Shit. Louis thought and took a deep breath before grabbing his jacket and running to his car.
"Don't worry, baby, I'm coming to save you"
***
Nick kept his vice-like grip in Harry, despite his struggles. "Please let me go, Nick" Harry pleaded. Nick only laughed cruelly.
"I thought we'd be able to have the same fun we had last time we got to do because of all your struggling," he teased, Harry only struggled more. "Don't you remember what happened the last time you didn't listen to instructions or do you need to be told again?" He asked. Harry's eyes widened in fear not wanting to relive the night ever again.
When Harry woke up again he felt disoriented.
He lay on a concrete ground in a large room that looked like an abandoned warehouse. He sat up to look around only to find to people, one staring at him, the other looking through his wallet.
"He's up," The one staring at him said in a gruff voice. He had jet black hair, put into a slick quiff with a blonde highlight going through it, he was tanned and had very define cheek bones. The other one, also had a quiff but wasn't as perfect as the other one, he looked quirky. They both smirked at him before standing up and walking over to him. "Harry Tomlinson-Styles" The other quirky looking man with the non-perfect quiff smirked. The other one rolled his eyes and looked at the other one. "
Can we just get on with it, Nick?" He asked impatiently.
"You start, Zayn" He said and the boy, Zayn, punched him across the cheek, then again, and again and again. Harry then felt more pain being inflicted to his body. He was being kicked in the stomach over and over until he began to cry out.
He tried to fight back; with no success but he didn't give up. His fist shot out and landed right on Nick's jaw.
Zayn stopped and watched, Nick glared at Harry.
"You stupid little fag!" He hissed, "Get me the weapon, Zayn, now!" He spat. Harry's eyes widened as Zayn came back over with a knife.
Louis' car skidded outside the building. He stumbled out of his car and began to bolt up the stared to the flat. He stopped outside the door and listened for a few moments, and he paled.
***
Nick had somehow pinned Harry to the ground and was attempting to pull of his sweats but Harry kept up his fight. His legs were thrashing around trying to prevent him from hurting Harry but it never worked.
"Stop it, please, stop it" Harry cried over and over again.
"Shut. Up" Nick growled prying Harry's legs apart when the front door crashed open.
***
Louis couldn't listen to what was happening any more, he had to do something knowing that Tommy was in there, along as Harry.
After hearing Harry's cries he pushed opened the front door to a sight he would never be able erase from his memory. The man on top of Harry quickly looked round to see Louis. Harry lay beneath him, his curls ruffled all over. His face flushed with tears streaking down, he noticed Nick's distraction and lifted his knee up aiming for Nick's groin.
He hit it, hard.
Louis grabbed hold of Nick and pulled him away from Harry and shoved him to the ground where he lay clutching and groaning in pain. Harry quickly stood and pulled his sweats up before kicking Nick again and again with Louis' help, until he passed out.
Harry slouched down the wall and placed his head in his hands and began to cry.
"Harry?" Louis asked cautiously. "Harry" he said again stronger this time. Harry only looked at him and started bawling. Louis sat down beside and pulled Harry onto his lap where he sobbed. Louis began to cry as well, seeing Harry in so much pain secretly caused Louis pain.
"Tommy!" Harry gasped.
"Where is he?" Louis asked getting up quickly.
"In- in my bedroom" Harry pointed with shaky hands. Louis ran over to the door and pulled it open. Tommy stood, tears and snot over his face. He looked up at Louis and ran to him. Louis lifted him up and wrapped his arms around him. Tommy nuzzled his face in Louis' neck, his body shaking as he sobbed.
"Shh, baby, shh. It's OK I've got you, baby" Louis cooed softly in his ear. Louis glanced at Harry who was still curled up against the wall, his arms wrapped around himself. He started walking slowly to Harry after picking Cuddles up from the couch, trying not to startle the curly haired man.
"Harry?" Louis said softly and Harry looked up. "Do you um-do you want to come home and stay with us? I mean you- I don't think it's safe for you to be here alone any more" Harry hesitated before nodding, smiling slightly.
"Thank you" Harry said, nodding tiredly. "I'll just go and um- get a bag ready" and he got up and awkwardly walked to him room.
***
Almost two hours later, Tommy was asleep in his bed after giggling as both his dads read him his bedtime story and kissed him goodnight, the somewhat scarring day been forgotten. Harry and Louis sat on the couch facing each other with their legs crossed, in the apartment they had first bought together. They sat in silence too scared to say anything.
"Are you going to tell me what happened today, then?" Louis asked cautiously.
"It's quite a long story, I guess" Harry mumbled.
"I've got time" Louis encouraged, taking hold of Harry's hand that was playing with the hem of his worn out t-shirt.
Harry sighed and began to talk. "It started that night when I had to go out and get Tommy's breakfast for the morning. I was almost Tesco's when I was grabbed and pulled into some alleyway. I was blindfolded and- and I could feel two people beside and they started saying that if I just done what they said I- I wouldn't get h-hurt." Harry began to choke up as told his most haunting memory for the first time. "We were in a car and all I could think about was you and Tommy before they knocked me out." At this point Louis hadn't realised he began crying until Harry wiped a tear away. "When I woke up I was in this big massive warehouse and two guys were there, one of them was the one who was at my flat today. Th-they- they started b-beating me so much I could hardly breathe. I somehow managed to- to," By now Harry had started crying and choking up, "punch Nick in the face and-and he w-w-wasn't happy." His head dropped into his hands and Louis' hand rubbed up and down his arm, Harry sat back up at the Louis' touch and took a deep breath and continued. "He then told the other guy, Zayn, to get the-the w-weapon and he came back with a kn-kn-ife," Harry began to sob into his hands, "then-then they st-st-stab-bed m-me" and he lifted up the side of his t-shirt showing the long scar and Louis gasped in realisation. "b-but after th-that, they-they r-r-r-aped m-me. "And I-I was bleeding s-so much. I-I thought I was going t-to d-die. Th-they then forced me dr-ugs and g-got me addicted to them. They then l-left me f-for d-d-dead. While I was lying there all I c-could think about w-was you and what would happen t-to you and Tommy. B-but someone found me and took my to the hospital and th-they kept me for a week. They stole m-my wallet so they didn't know wh-who I was and I was in a c-coma for a few days, they tried to get me to tell them my name and if they could phone anyone but I didn't. I c-couldn't. I w-was so ashamed of m-myself-"
"Why?" Louis asked, tears streaked down his face.
"Because, I'm a grown man who just got r-raped by two men and stabbed and stolen from. I'm pathetic. I couldn't l-look any of the doctors of nurses in the eye without feeling their pity and judgement. They had to realise me the next day and I had to come home. When we started arguing I s-started taking the drugs again and when you kicked me out I realised I had lost the love of my life and my son, so I started going to help groups, that's why I didn't pick up Tommy today. I'm so sorry, Louis" Harry cried, looking Louis in the eye for the first time.
"Wh-what happened to them?" Louis asked his voice cracking. "One of them, Zayn, was found about a week later. But Nick, who was at my flat, went missing and the police keep me informed where he is, that's why they were there yesterday. They told me that they've lost track of him and that I needed to be extra careful, and I guess I wasn't" Harry said guilty.
"But, you're OK, now if Tommy hadn't have phoned me, god knows what would have happened" Harry chuckled, "I told him to tell you to stay in the lobby so he could get out safe"
"Why did you tell him to tell me to stay in the lobby?" Louis asked.
"I didn't want to get you into any danger, but I'm now kinda glad he phoned you know. No matter how horrible it sounds" Harry grinned guiltily.
"I love you" Louis said, looking Harry straight in the eye. Harry's breath hitched as he stared back to the beautiful blue eyes he feel in love with all those years ago, that he never stopped loving.
"I love you too" Harry smiled still looking at Louis, his dimple showing for the first time in months.
They weren't sure who moved first but they were now only a centimetre apart after moving together slowly. Their lips touched each other softly before becoming more demanding and deeper. Harry picked Louis up, who had wrapped his arms and legs around him like a koala and took them to the bedroom...
***
The next morning the men woke up to banging in the kitchen. They were both covered in love bites and bruises, making up for the past ten months. The bed sheets were stained with cum and the bed close to colapsing. Harry couldn't help but smirk in satisfaction as he watched Louis waddle to the kitchen, wincing with every step. They reached the kitchen to find Tommy standing in the middle of the room holding a box of cereal.
"I don't want cornflakes!" He screeched. "I want my weetabix!" He stomped his foot as Harry and Louis looked at each other before sharing a laugh and pulled their son into a tight hug knowing that everything was going to be all right soon.
Harry's glad he's come home.