The one where Harry and Louis are strangers sitting next to each other on a plane that gets delayed on the tarmac for hours...
to read the edited (and better) version find it on my ao3 acc
"Um, Harry?" Louis nudged the boy's shoulder. The flight attendant had just said they would be entering the runway in roughly thirty minutes and he wanted to give Harry a heads up. Harry however didn't stir and continued to breathe in and out deeply, his lips parted and his eyes closed. He looked so serene Louis didn't want to bother him anymore but he had asked to be awoken right before they were about to take off.
The storm had settled down now and there hadn't been lightning for the past couple of hours but there was still steady thumping of rain that could still be heard on the foggy oval windows of the aircraft. People were starting to wake up and the hushed chatter made for a dull sound in the background of Louis's mind. Families comforted their crying children, people made calls letting the person on the other end of the phone know they were soon to be on the way, and every now and then someone would walk past Louis on the way to get a snack or use the restroom.
"Harry?" Louis tried again and this time Harry shook awake, his eyes darting around frantically,
"Fuck off Niall, I'm up!" he muttered and then saw Louis's concerned and confused face, "Oh I forgot I was..."
"It's alright," Louis said softly and Harry straightens up in his seat, pulling one of Louis's sweatshirts up to his chin. Louis had left it on his seat when they traded spots and now Harry had taken possession of the forest green overgarment.
"I'm just used to my roommate Niall obnoxiously getting me up in the morning," Harry explains.
"Roommate?"
"I'm an art student at University of the Arts London and got roomed with this Irish bloke, Niall. Great guy, unbelievably talented sculptor, but kind of a twat sometimes."
"You would know all about that wouldn't you?" Louis quips and Harry grins,
"Touché."
All of a sudden the plane jerked forward, indicating that they were about to take off, and Harry reached out and clutched Louis's arm, his eyes wide.
"Is this first time on a plane?" Louis asks, amused at the previously calm and collected boy sitting next to him who now looked like he was about to endure a horrific medical procedure. His attractive features were now frozen on his face with fear, his breathing shallow and his large hand was about to cut the circulation off in Louis's wrist but he let Harry leave them there.
"Once when I was younger and I threw up." Harry gulps.
"Noted." Louis thinks for a moment and then hands Harry his little stuffed rainbow teddy bear that had been snuggly tucked in the crook of his other arm. "You can hold my bear if you want. They help me when I'm scared of things."
Harry shyly takes his bear and holds them tight in his tan inked arms. "Thanks, Louis. I know I'm being silly I just—"
"You don't have to explain," Louis interrupts him. It would have been comical for a passerby to see Harry, Louis thinks. With his sharp jawline, thick brown eyebrows, mysterious viridescent eyes, and arms that were graffitied with tattoos made for a peculiar contrast to the small fluffy rainbow-colored bear clutched firmly in his grasp.
"I mean everyone is scared of different things," Louis says trying to console him.
"What are you scared of?"
The plane was moving slowly now and the little ding above had just sounded signaling everyone should have their seatbelts on.
It takes a moment for Louis to answer. He hadn't ever really told his fear to anyone because he likes to come off as fearless to his peers, but since he didn't know Harry and probably would never see him again after their flight ended he decided he would share.
"Growing up," he said his voice a bit shaky. "Growing up is my biggest fear." An odd feeling rippled through him like an invisible weight had been lifted from his chest after revealing his fear to someone.
"How come?" Harry asked. He wasn't being judgemental or laughing which was what Louis had been expecting. Something about Harry made him feel safe or maybe it was just the sleepiness finally getting to his head.
"I don't know." Louis admitted, "The idea of having all this weight and burden on your shoulders when you're an adult just terrifies me."
"But you're an adult now."
"No, I'm still sixteen up here." Louis sighs pointing to his head. "I mean I know I'm twenty and I have a job and shit but it still scares me. I can no longer mess up you know? I can no longer have fun."
"That's not true." Harry contradicts, "Growing up doesn't mean you have to stop having fun. I mean your hobbies can still be fun. Falling in love can be fun."
"Been there did that." Louis winces, "And never again."
"What, did you get dumped or something?" Harry asks. The plane was moving fast now and the lady on Louis's right was snoring like a chainsaw fighting a grizzly bear driving a bulldozer. No wonder Harry wanted to trade seats.
"No." his voice shaking due to the impact of the plane now pelting down the runway. Harry grabbed Louis's free hand and squeezed it tight. "I—" but he was cut off when the aircraft gave one more lurch and everything started tilting up as it moved into the sky.
"Oh fuck." Harry muttered weakly under his breath. His eyes were screwed shut and Louis's rainbow teddy bear looked as if they were suffocating from where Harry held them.
"You're alright, just um, breathe," Louis said desperately trying to calm him down.
"Oh yeah, that fixes everything." Harry moaned and Louis could help but let out a small chuckle.
"Here, look out the window." he motioned for Harry to open the small window. The storm had cleared and the early morning rays of golden sunlight could be seen coming up from behind the clouds.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"Wow..." Harry murmured. "That's actually really beautiful."
"See there's nothing to be afraid of," Louis assured him and then without thinking, lightly put his hand on top of Harry's which rested on the armrest between them.
Both of them felt a spark of something new spread through their skin from the contact, though neither of them said anything. Harry just slowly looked down at their hands and a shy smile started forming on his lips.
"You know?" Harry said finally. There had been a brief moment of silence as they just looked at each other, taking the other in as if consuming an exquisite piece of art. "I think I'm rather alright having been assigned to be seated next to you."
"You read my mind." Louis's breath hitched uncontrollably and he swallowed, "This might be an enjoyable flight yet."
a/n
Ayo beautiful humans,
Not much to say other than thank you so so much for reading! WTCS12:00 hit 2.1k reads and I'm not quite sure what to say that will express my love for everyone who's supported my writing. I'm going to make this a/n short and sweet and I'll see you in the next chapter.
All the luv, Minzey ♡
Ps: Just a reminder that many of Harry's songs talk about loving someone unconditionally from a young age and would suggest the feelings of someone who has been in a long term relationship and yet, Harry has never publically been in a long term relationship. Yup, the Larrys keep on winning. <3
