Where I Am Without You [L.S]

Chapter Forty Nine

Moving on from their Asian shows, the Australian and New Zealand shows are just as much a treat as ever. Together they each drag the others out on wild adventures, ranging from late night, somewhat reckless game drives out into the Australian wildlife, to midnight rendezvous in Adelaide, Perth, Sydney and Melbourne alike. Australian burns in the spring weather, skin barely coping with the humidity and still overly warm temperatures.

They manage to catch a three day break in Caines and he steals Louis away up forty minute flight from Caines, to a remote, high class lodge nestled away in the middle of no where. They spend their days swimming lazily in the pool, basking in the sun sipping especially delicious fruit cocktails made by their favourite bartender, an elderly woman by the name of Melissa. The somewhat treehouse resembling rooms are perfect for escaping from the past month of touring. Spending long hours each morning wound tightly together, pressing kisses over every trace of the others body and grinning like fools all the while. It feels like a never ending honey moon phase between them. Each press of lips to the others skin leaving a burning trail behind, an act that's forever insatiable. Their time at the lodge, aptly named Bloomfield, ends in a whirl wind and before they both know it, they're piling back on the small fix wing back to Cairns.

New Zealand is special as always. From the raging mountains to endless blue lakes and wide open spaces, it's another place he's discovered he feels at ease in. One particular day, after a mid-day show in the capital, Wellington, he and Louis sneak off once more, boarding a flight to Queenstown and spending the nights hauled up together in front of the great blue lake. Watching as the busy tourist center comes to life all through the day and night. They dine together in disguise by the waterfront, watching as the boots drift around the small basin and further out in the depths of Lake Wakatipu. The following morning, as the dawn brings full clear skies, they charter a private helicopter. Flying over the ranges into Fiordland, landing on the Tutoko glacier high in the mountains before continuing down into Milford Sound. They don't have time for a cruise, as is most custom for tourists into the wonder that is the Fiord, though they do however take several pictures of Mitre Peak, the glorious mountain rising straight out of the water and are visited by a nosy Kakapo, vying for the sandwich Louis quickly stuffs down after a warning from their pilot about feeding the flightless bird.

They fly out from Queenstown that night, rejoining the rest of the boys in Hamilton for the remainder of the night, visiting the Hobbiton set the following day before driving up to Auckland.

From there everything begins to feel like it's truly ending. After months of touring, and everything before that which came along with it in the planning stages, it's surreal as they pull up to their hotel that night to realise this is the end. That this pivotal moment of his life is drawing to a close. If it weren't for Zayn's suggestion, they'd been finished already.

The five of them clamber out of the van, taking several long minutes to stop for the fans waiting for them. Signing a variety of items and talking briefly with as many people as they can manage before finally being shuffled inside.

"Doesn't feel right to end the night here does it?" Niall says as they trundle towards the elevator, voicing what they're all thinking. In the low light of the hotel lobby, Harry longs to simply fall into Louis and have him carry him to their room, but there's still too many prying eyes around and they can't risk it, not yet anyway. That part will come soon enough. They're all bone dead tired, but for their last night, it feels lack luster to end it here.

A hashed put together scheme later, the five of them sneak through the kitchens exit out onto the somewhat still active streets of Auckland just passed 1am. With their heads down and quick steps they quickly make their way towards Auckland's harbour, before long the sight of hundreds of small yachts and the likes coming into view.

"You think if we jumped aboard anyone would notice?" Louis says as they walk past a particular elegant, double hull cat. Harry smiles at the words though reaches out to playfully tap his lover on the arm.

            "Unfortunately I think the harbour master might have something to say about that, as well maybe as the owners?" Zayn offers.

They continue down the multiple walkways, carefully of any ropes or storage containers which line the decking as they continue to commentate on the different boats. Calling dips on the ones they spot and take a shine too before it turns into an all-out war who can find the fanciest yacht in the harbour. He'd have thought by now he'd be used to the way Louis reacts, especially now he's nearing thirty, but despite it all he still can't help the burst of laughter which races out of him when Louis shoves Niall aside and takes off into the night in search of victory.

He, Zayn and Liam take the much less taxing option of walking around the harbour, as the signs notably point out around them is the only legal way of going about doing so. Several boats catch his eye though it's not something he's ever been particularly interested in, by the time Louis and Niall make it back to them, puffing and panting. Niall is officially declared the winner after showing them all an extremely upmarket, mono hull roughly twenty four meters, painted in an iridescent dark blue with silver trimmings lining the exterior. He can't resist pressing a kiss to Louis temple at the frown which overcomes him, laughing all the while as the five of them continue to stalk off into the night.