Louis only continues to get worse, giving up on trying to work in favour of curling up into a ball of soft blankets and tissues.

His mum finds him like that, sweaty and pale as he shivers amongst his burrow of comfort. She coos sadly and strokes a soft hand over his damp forehead. Louis whimpers quietly while she strokes his hair and nuzzles into her touch, not registering what is really going on.

"Hey, baby," she murmurs quietly, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. Louis doesn't reply. "I think we should get you to the hospital."

Her voice is soft, like it is when she has to deal with frightened subs, as she talks slowly to him about what's going to happen even if he can't understand her right now.

Subsickness presents with physical symptoms, but the main issue is the sub drop that initially causes with it. Sub drop's main cause is neglect from their dominant, however it can be due to a quick drop in emotions.

Louis blinks his eyes open slowly, squinting as the bright lights add to the throbbing in his head. He groans quietly, throat dry and scratchy as he tries to get past the dryness of his mouth.

Everything he can see without sitting up is white and bland, the needle in his elbow stinging the skin.

"Lou," a low, relieved voice says somewhere from his right. Harry comes into view as he shuffles forward, awkwardly standing over him. "I'm glad you're okay."
"Me too," Louis smiles sadly, scrubbing at his eyes. "How did you know?"
"Your Mum called. She found out we were matched from the nurse. Apparently we need to have a talk," Harry tells him.
"Yeah, we do."

Harry sighs, lifting a cautious hand to brush an eyelash from Louis' cheek. Louis' breath leaves him and he leans into the touch desperately. When Harry tenses Louis frowns apologetically.
"Sorry, you don't have to-"
"You want more?" Harry offers, hand back from where he'd lowered it to the bed, stroking his cheek softly.

Louis' breath is shaky as it fans out over Harry's fingers, a small whimper leaving him as Harry's other hand strokes his greasy hair.
"Please," Louis mewls, though he's not sure what he's asking for.

Harry, though, seems to understand as he shushes him gently and scratches lightly at his scalp.

The nurse smiles warmly when she arrives and sees that Louis is awake. Louis tenses slightly when he realises who she is.

He did work experience in this hospital. This is a sub only hospital.

The nurse, Jan, closes the door carefully behind her as she enters the room fully.
"I just need to check Louis' vitals, ask him some questions. Is that okay, Mr. Styles?" She asks.

Louis gulps, tears stinging the backs of his eyes. Harry's hands don't falter, still stroking over his skin soothingly, and he rests a palm over Louis' heart. What does this mean for Louis? What does this mean for them? What does this mean?

Harry clears his throat, nodding his head.
"Harry, call me Harry," he says politely. Usually he'd offer a hand to shake, but right now he can't imagine letting go of Louis. He squeezes the small boy's shoulder gently.

"How long have you been sick for?" Jan asks, pen ready to jot down his answers.
"Nearly two weeks."
"Why didn't you tell me? Louis, you should've called," Harry reprimands. Louis tries to pull himself away from Harry's hands, glaring up at the tall man. Harry hurries to still him, apologising repeatedly under his breath as he starts stroking his hair until Louis sighs and relaxes back against the bed.

"I didn't want to bother you," Louis says weakly, shivering as Jan moves the blanket down more to untangle the tube coming from his elbow.

Jan continues to ask them questions, worry evident in her furrowed brows. She asks Harry to leave the room and sets a gentle hand on his arm.

"Louis, is he abusing you? Or neglecting you? Has he rejected you?" She asks, voice hushed.
"No. We haven't figured out our partnership yet," Louis mumbles with a shrug. "We have an appointment with my mum soon."
"Okay. You want him to come back in?" Jan checks before she opens the door.

She hasn't missed the way Louis' breathing has started wheezing since Harry left the room.

Harry thanks her quietly as she opens the door for him and closes it behind her. He tries to muster up a smile for Louis, but can only manage what probably looks like a grimace. Louis laughs lightly until it turns into coughing.

"Oh, Lou," Harry sighs sadly, sitting on the end of the bed. "Why has this happened?"

Louis ignores the little flip his stomach does when Harry says his name.

"Because we we're apart or something. Did Jan tell you to-"
"Keep touching you? Yeah. She um- she told me to keep praising you, too," Harry tells him, staring at his lap.
"You don't need to do that, I'm not a-"
"I'm going to do what I need to get you better," Harry says firmly and Louis is too tired to argue. That's what he tells himself at least as he nods his head.

Harry nudges Louis over so he can lie beside him, finding it far too easy to pull Louis into his side. Louis whimpers as he nuzzles his face into Harry's chest, hesitating with a hand about to wrap around Harry.
"It's okay, just relax," Harry soothes. Louis closes his eyes and let's Harry arrange them until they're comfortable.
"We never mention this again. Right?" Louis asks apprehensively.

He doesn't want Harry to feel forced into this.

Harry gulps, Louis really doesn't want this like he does.

"Right."

Once Louis is better, thanks to constant cuddles and murmurs of praise that Louis tries to ignore, he is cleared to leave.
"We're going straight to your mum's office," Harry tells him. "And we need to figure something out to make sure that doesn't happen again."
"I know. I just don't want to be a burden to you, just because I get ill when I don't see you for some reason," Louis murmurs.
"You're not," Harry says softly, eyes full of sadness when he looks at Louis. Louis ducks his head, Harry's stare too intense to hold.

Louis discovers that his Mum had driven them here in his car so he leans against it whilst Harry stands awkwardly, hands in his pockets, unsure of what to do now that they're out of the hospital.

"My car or yours?" Harry asks, toying with his keys to distract himself.

"You follow along in your car," Louis shrugs, knows he can't be trapped in such a small space with Harry. "I know this is all new and everything, so I can call you and connect it to the car so we can keep talking it out. Or not. Just, it's there if you need it."

Harry bites his lip, nodding his head.
"Yeah, that sounds good."

It's awkward at first, only the sound of Harry's fingers drumming against the steering wheel heard over the phone.

Harry breaks first.
"Are you sure you aren't a sub?" He asks, voice sounding doubtful. Louis splutters, stumbling over his words.
"Well, you've got my files if you need proof," Louis says shakily, scrubbing a hand over his face. Even he doesn't believe it anymore. "Are you sure you aren't?"

Harry laughs, actually laughs.

"You know that's not possible. Subs are small, like you, don't have much facial hair, like you."
"You aren't exactly growing a beard over there, Styles," Louis argues.

It's easy, this back and forth, like how it used to be.
"I'm like a foot taller than you, though," Harry reasons. "Plus, I had a beard for many years. She was awful."

Louis laughs properly for the first time since he and Harry got partnered together.
"So the girl you were on the front page of every magazine with wasn't your girlfriend?"
"No," Harry chuckles, running a hand through his hair. "My dad found a picture of me and you when..." he clears his throat and doesn't finish his sentence.

When the silence settles in again Harry hastens to add, "it was never released, but he wanted to ensure that if it did get out, the public would be sure I was still as straight as a ruler and I was just confused."
"My dad insisted on coming into my blood test, and my test a few months ago. It was weird, I didn't like it," Louis admits quietly. He hasn't told anybody that.

Harry inhales sharply, sucking his lip between his teeth, and his fingers stop drumming.
"I'm sorry," he says quietly. "That you had to go through that, it's supposed to be a personal thing."
"It is what it is," Louis shrugs, though Harry can't see it. "But because he's involved with the system, he was allowed to do what he wanted."
"That's-" Harry stops. He doesn't know what to say.

Louis hums his agreement.
"So how's the business? You still in line to take over?" He asks, trying to change the topic. Harry knows exactly what he's doing and let's him.
"I don't know if I want to," Harry tells him honestly. "I don't want to turn into my dad. He doesn't care about anything but the business. I always imagined working with my sub curled up in my lap, but if I am anything like my dad, I'll neglect my sub until they get sick."

Louis is silent for a moment.
"Looks like I won't have to worry about my sub after all," Harry mutters bitterly. Having a taste of what it is like to care for a sub while they were in the hospital has only left him wanting more.

Louis clears his throat.
"What about you?"
"I am looking into making my own thing that branches from my parents' company, either to campaign for sub rights or to help new couples. We are expected to have everything right straight away and are just left to it. I think we should have people to check in with, possibly a foster system for experienced couples to help couples that are struggling. Or to make safe spaces and - I'm sorry," Louis stops himself, blushing. "I didn't mean to ramble."
"That sounds great, Lou," Harry praises and Louis can't bring himself to reply; the shiver that runs down his spine stops him.

Harry curses himself for making things awkward by using a nickname. Louis must've been okay with it before because he wasn't thinking straight. Maybe the idea that they could be even friends again is too far a reach.

They both stay silent until Louis pulls up at the pairing headquarters.
"We'll be able to go right up," Harry says. "Your Mum had wanted to stay at the hospital, but something came up and-"
"Something always comes up," Louis mutters bitterly. "It's fine."

They walk side by side through the building, falling into step with each other. Louis smiles at the employees he recognises as he guides Harry up to his mum's office.

When Louis barges in without knocking Harry instinctively scolds him for being impolite. Louis grits his teeth and tries not to seem to bothered; all he wants to do is have Harry touch him gently like before and whispers words of praise into his ear.

"Louis," Mrs. Tomlinson smiles, standing from her desk to come and greet the boys.

Louis, thankful for the distraction, hugs his mum tightly and tries to ignore the stinging in his eyes as he worries about what is going to happen.
"Hi mum," Louis says, voice wobbly. She coos, pulling back to cup his cheek gently.
"Don't worry, baby. We'll figure it out. I'm so glad you feel better," she whispers soothingly, lips pressing to his forehead when he nods. "You go get comfy. Tea?"
"Please," Louis sniffles weakly, wiping at his eyes. She ruffles his hair fondly before she moves to Harry.

"Have you figured anything out yet?" She asks quietly. Harry shakes his head silently. "You think he might be?"
"Is it possible?" Harry questions, rubbing a hand through his hair.
"Well his results-"

Harry seems to perk up then.
"Let him do the tests again, on his own," he interrupts. Her forehead creases with confusion.
"On his own?"
"He didn't tell you. Of course he didn't," Harry mutters, more to himself, exasperatedly under his breath. "Your husband accompanied him to both."

Her lips press together and her jaw sets itself into a rigid line before she schools her expression into a more relaxed one. Harry assumes she has had a lot of experience with appearing calm when she isn't when dealing with any angry or scared couples.

She curls her lips into a tight, fake smile and smooths her skirt out again.
"Tea?" She asks, voice eerily level when her eyes are blank.
"Yes, please," Harry nods. He joins Louis at the desk when she leaves the room, sighing as he gazes at the smaller boy curled in on himself.

"Louis, come here for a sec?" Harry says casually, lingering by his chair. Louis shuffles over, raising a questioning eyebrow. Harry smiles softly and wraps his arms around him, pulling him to his chest. Small arms wrap around his waist, dainty hands clutching at the fabric of his shirt. An indignant noise comes from the boy in his arms as Harry noses along his hair. He pulls his head back to examine Harry's face, eyes lingering a little too long on his plump, pink lips.

"What are you doing?"
"Nothing," Harry grins, sliding a hand up from Louis' shoulder into his hair. He massages at his scalp until he relaxes against his chest.
"But you're-"
"You said we wouldn't talk about it," Harry murmurs. "Just enjoy it."

Louis does. He rubs his cheek on the soft material of Harry's shirt and as he sighs the tension leaves his shoulders.
"There we go. That's better," Harry praises. He smiles as Louis shivers in his arms.

When Louis' mum comes back in, an assistant is trailing behind her with three mugs of tea. They pay no attention to Harry and Louis embracing each other in the middle of the office, much to the relief of the couple. She thanks the boy as he sets them out on the desk with a bowl of sugar and jug of milk.

"How far away is your test now, Niall?" Jay asks as she stirs a spoon of sugar into her drink. The pale boy blushes. Even though she is his boss she is very involved and caring, something he's not accustomed to.
"Two weeks, Mrs. Tomlinson," Niall answers, head ducked to stare at the floor.
"And is anyone going to be waiting for you afterwards?"

Niall shakes his head slowly, ashamed.
"My family still aren't... I haven't made many friends in the area and-"
"Would you like me to be there?" Jay offers. She smiles assuringly at Niall as his eyes widen. "It's okay if you'd prefer to do it on your own."
"No! No, that sounds lovely," Niall is quick to agree. "But I don't want to be any trouble?"
"Oh, Niall, love," Jay says softly. "You aren't any trouble at all. In fact, you're very good."

Niall shudders and his ears turn red. He and Mrs. Tomlinson had quickly discovered that he needed a lot of reassurance when he started working there; his family had made it clear he wasn't welcome and he had trouble adjusting to the new area.

"Thank you. I would like that," Niall agrees.
"Okay, love. You know what you're doing now?" Jay checks.
"Lilly said I could do some home visits to neglected subs with her," Niall nods.

He hurries out of he door when she excuses him, smiling shyly at Louis and Harry who have observed his interaction with Louis' mother.
"Good luck in your test."
"Thank you."

Jay doesn't say anything as she pours milk into her cup, lets them decide what to talk about.

"You okay now?" Harry asks Louis quietly.
"Fine," Louis says coldly, trying to steady himself and regain any sense of his dominance that remains.

Harry bites his lip, nodding defeatedly and letting go. He thanks Jay for the tea as he pours in some milk. 

"Louis," Jay sighs. Louis frowns.
"It's me isn't it? I'm the thing that's wrong in this partnership?" He says, voice strained.
"The only thing wrong with this partnership is that you don't want it," Harry says sadly. Louis looks at Harry like he's grown two heads.
"I never said I don't want it, I just don't want to get to invested if you don't want it," Louis says shyly, looking back down at his lap.
"I never said that I don't want it," Harry tells him firmly.

Louis opens and closes his mouth as he tries to figure out how to respond, coming up with nothing. Harry's smile grows slowly until he's beaming at a very flustered, very pink Louis.
"So what do we do?" Harry asks Jay, clearing his throat as he tears his eyes away from Louis.

Jay smiles warmly at them from behind her desk.
"You will both take the tests again," she says easily. "And your father will not be joining you this time, Louis."

Louis gulps.
"Is dad in trouble?" He asks, voice small.
"Yes he is, both with me and with his job. That's not your fault, Louis; it's his. I don't want you to blame yourself for his mistakes."
"When will we redo the tests?" Harry asks.
"I'm sure we can get you in for tomorrow," Jay tells them. She sighs as she reclines in her chair, observing the boys in front of her.

Louis squirms under his mum's gaze, picking at a loose thread on his shirt.
"That okay with you, Louis?" Harry asks.
"Yeah," Louis agrees timidly.

They finish their tea in silence, Louis still fidgeting as he tries to figure out a way to excuse himself from such an awkward situation.

"Well, we should get going," Harry says after he puts his cup back on the desk, pulling his coat on as he stands up. "I bet you're tired after not sleeping in your own bed."

Louis smiles when Harry winks at him and helps him into his jacket.
"Yeah, I'm shattered. Thanks for your help today," Louis smiles gratefully, leaning over to kiss her on the cheek. "I'll text you later."

Harry shakes her hand politely.
"Thank you, Harry," she whispers as she lets go of his hand. "Take care of him."
"I will if he lets me."

Louis rocks back and forth on his heels when they get outside.
"So..." he breathes, shoving his hands in his pockets. Harry laughs lightly.
"Do you want to come for lunch before our testing tomorrow?" Harry asks. Louis' eyebrows shoot up into his hair line.
"Really?"
"Yeah."

Louis can feel the heat radiating from his face.
"As friends, right?" He asks nervously. Harry's face falls and he clears his throat.
"Yeah, sure," Harry shrugs.

They're both idiots.