Things Have Gotten Closer To The Sun -starseas on ao3

Five

"How long until we're there again?" Niall asks later on, his voice floating up like smoke from the backseat of the car. The sky is the pale pink colour of dusk as they drive, snowy pine trees bracketing the open road on either side of them, and Harry grins as Liam heaves an irritated sigh from the driver's seat.

"Subtract five minutes from my last answer, Niall." Liam answers.

Zayn smiles at that, and Niall rolls his eyes, tossing a piece of chocolate at the back of Liam's head. "Bloody smart-ass, you are. Pipe down."

Liam laughs, and then it's a moment later when the car becomes quieter again, hushed. Time seems to stretch on slowly, seconds bleeding into minutes and then stopping, just for a little while, before beginning again.

Harry isn't sure if he ever wants to get there, to wherever they're going. He's not sure where that is yet and he's not sure if he ever wants to know. It's strange, making the choice to face his past-it almost feels like he's heading for the sun straight on, like he's screaming come on and burn me, I deserve it.

And he does deserve it, whatever might happen.

Harry's breath is white in the air and all the windows are frosted except for the windshield, which looks out onto a road that seems to end at the horizon line, all tall snowy trees that canopy above their heads, casting shadows across their faces. Zayn and Niall are bundled up beneath a quilted blanket in the backseat, lit up by the weak sunlight slanting in through the windows. It strikes the dust in the air, setting it on fire.

"Liam, would you turn the radio on, please?" Zayn asks a while later.

Liam does, and Harry can't quite believe that Zayn just said please. He doesn't comment, though, resting the side of his head against the passenger window instead, eyes shut tight as he listens.

A familiar voice is speaking on the radio, and Harry realizes that it's the same bloke from the night of the crash, Nick. He's as loud and cheerful as ever, like the news he broke hadn't distracted Harry so badly that he got hit by a car. He knows it isn't the guy's fault, he really does, but it still makes him feel a bit removed, a bit disconnected.

"Alright, we've got a Katie on line two." Nick is saying, his voice spilling out into the car.

"Hello, darling? You there?"

"Yeah, I'm here." A voice responds, nervous and feminine.

"Great, great. This is Nick from GRIM Radio, I'm hoping you were hoping to reach me. What's your question, darling?"

"Hi, yeah. I was-I mean, I don't have cable or anything, so I was just wondering what's going to be happening nine days from now? I keep missing the details."

Nick laughs, condescending. "Well, the world is going to end, sweetie."

"Oh, yeah, of course, but I mean. Like, how is it going to happen? You said something about a solar flare?"

"Yep, that's what they're saying, Kitty. Solar flares happen all the time, really, but this one-this one is going to be massive." Nick laughs, like it's a subject matter that's somehow amusing, and Harry finds him quite annoying. "No getting out of it, I don't think. Sorry, doll."

"Oh, yeah, okay. Thanks." Katie says slowly.

"Great, great. Well, would you like us to play a song for you, darling? Any special requests for the end of the world?"

"Um," Katie starts. "Um, sure. Could you maybe play a song by the band One Direction?"

The atmosphere in the car shifts, becoming heavier, and Nick laughs loudly over the radio like he can't even begin to believe what she just said. "One Direction? Like, do you mean that boy-band from a few years back? Haven't gotten a request for them in a long while."