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Soul mates were a troublesome thing. If both parties rejected the bond, things could go back to normal but there was always a sense of being incomplete. Few did this and the ones that did almost always regretted it later on. On the other hand, if only one party rejected the bond, the other would almost certainly die.
Soul mates were supposed to be this wonderful, magical thing. And they were, for some. For others, they were destruction.
~*~
Harry Styles had been rejected by his soul mate. And wasn't that just his luck? In all fairness Louis didn't know and had broken up with him in the first place because he wanted to find his soul mate.
“I'm sorry Haz. I can't love you the way you want me to – you'll find who you were meant to be with someday and you'll thank me.”
That had been six months ago.
Harry had known then that Louis was his soul mate but he couldn't bring himself to say anything, those words echoing in his mind “I can't love you the way you want me to.” It also occurred to him that perhaps Louis knew and this was his way of breaking things off before either of them could be seriously harmed. Thing was, Harry already loved him more than anything else in the world. And if he didn't know, he obviously didn't love Harry, either way, he couldn't do that to Louis.
So he stayed quiet and let nature, harsh, cruel, unforgiving nature, take it's course. And payed to whomever was listening, that Louis found love, perhaps thinking his soul mate had died a long time ago.
-:-
Harry became weaker as the weeks passed, barely eating or sleeping. Even then, he was thankful it was him going through it and not Louis. He hoped with all his heart Louis never found out. He had decided to take a trip around Europe, looking for his mate. Harry hoped all of this would be over by the time he returned.
-:-
Harry was in the last stages when Louis returned home, his and Louis' mum Jay had been friends for a long time, it was how he and the other boy had met.
“Don't,” He had begged Anne. “Don't tell her.”
“I can't let you die!” she had raged, tears streaming down her face.
“I can't force Louis to love me and I won't see him with me out of guilt, mum!”
“Maybe if we told him you had an illness, he would come home. Maybe him being here would... help. He doesn't have to know...”
“No, mum.” Harry had argued stubbornly. “This is a last request-”
“Harry!” she had sobbed.
“This is a last request, mum. Don't tell Louis what happened to me. Please. Let him think I caught tuberculosis or pneumonia, but I’m begging you, he can't know.”
-:-
Nothing Harry had said stopped Gemma from finding Louis and punching his lights out. “You selfish bastard!” she screamed while he had looked up at her from the floor, utterly shocked.
Not understanding what was happening Louis rubbed his jaw and asked, “What are you talking about?!” he had known Gemma nearly his entire life, why would she hit him?
“Did you even find your soul mate?” she asked venomously in return.
For some reason the words caused dread to fill him, though he didn't know why. “No.”
“That's because he's lying in a bed dying you fucking moron!” she screeched, advancing on him once more. Louis didn't notice, his vision was fading and he couldn't breathe.
No.
-:-
Someone was holding Harry, pressed against him tight. It was warm, soothing like cool water in the desert. He barely had the strength to open his eyes and when he did the sight he was met with broke his heart.
Louis was curled into a tiny ball on the bed beside him and he was shaking. Harry instantly hated whomever had told him. He didn't deserve this. Louis was brighter than the sun and he should be happy, not feeling guilty. Harry wanted to tell him that he didn't blame him and not to be sad but he couldn't even gather the strength to speak. Louis must have felt his eyes on him because he looked up, breath hitching.
“Oh baby, I'm so sorry.” he whispered thickly through the tears clogging his throat and reached up to caress Harry's face.
Blinking, Louis sat up quickly, removing his jumper and jeans, then his underwear, moving onto Harry's PJ's next. Harry didn't understand what was happening but he couldn't exactly protest. Once both boys were naked Louis crawled under the blanket with him, pressing tight to his side and began kissing him anywhere he could reach and stroking his skin tenderly.
“I love you,” Louis whispered, placing kisses over his shoulders, neck and face.
“I love you.” Kiss. “I love you.” Kiss. “I love you.” Kiss. “Don't leave me.” Kiss.
Harry was beginning to feel stronger and he couldn't believe it. When someone was dying from a rejected bond, once they reached a certain point nothing could be done. Harry could have sworn he'd passed that point weeks ago. He decided to try his voice.
“Don't...” he rasped, making Louis' head snap up. “Don't have to pretend Lou, just lemme go.”
Next thing he knew the boy was shaking with sobs. “How can... you even t-think I d-don't mean i-it?”
“I remember what you said Lou, please don't lie. I'm not afraid to-”
“Harry Edward Styles, don't you fucking dare finish that sentence. I love you more than life itself! I only said that because I didn't want to hold you back, Harry, if you had found your soul mate while we were together it would have killed me! Guess it didn't even cross my mind that we....” he gasped, dropping his head to Harry's shoulder. “And my stupidity nearly killed us both. I'm sorry you ended up with such an idiot for a soul mate.”
“Y-you love me?” Harry couldn't help but ask.
Louis exhaled sharply against his neck. “Fuck, more than anything.”
“Love you too, even if you are an idiot.”
Smiling, Louis kissed his lips, then his nose. “I'm not leaving this bed until you're better, always knew my body would do you good.” he wiggled his eyebrows and Harry let out a gasping laugh.
“Maybe now we can actually do more than just kissing?” he asked hopefully. Louis had refused to go any further, insisting he was waiting for his soul mate, but he realized now it was Louis' way of keeping some distance between them in case Harry found someone else.
Louis laughed softly and kissed him once more. “When you can move and speak without wheezing like my gran, yes.”
Harry smiled hugged the smaller boy closer. There never had, nor would there ever be anyone else for him but Louis Tomlinson.