FLOATING UP AND DREAMING // L.S

nine

"This place is so boring." Louis huffed, chewing glumly on his sandwich.

"I like the stillness of it all," Harry said contently, biting into a banana. "Very calm."

They had set off in the morning to a cliff overlooking the harbour so they could watch the boats come and go until lunchtime when Louis had to go to work.

"It's boring," Louis repeated, standing up off the bench and cracking his back.

"I like it."

"You're crazy."

"I'm simple."

Louis laughed sarcastically, clutching his stomach and wiping a fake tear away. "You make me laugh, Lillá."

"I'm serious," Harry argued. "Compared to living in New York where everyone is all in your shit and it's excruciatingly loud, this is like a paradise where I'm always floating up and dreaming in my own little quiet safe haven. I'm happy here.. with you."

Louis stared but soon smiled. "You've made it a bit more bearable, I'll admit."

Harry looked away, blushing slightly. "Good to know." He nodded slowly, bouncing his knee.

They both went quiet again, still eating their breakfast and watching the boats until Louis sat back down as Harry stood up, walking over to the cliff edge.

He continued to walk forward until the tip of his converse brushed the edge. He closed his eyes and spread his arms out wide, the wind tickling the hairs that curled around his ears.

"Harry," Louis called from behind him.

Harry ignored him and tilted his head back, his feet moving forwards more so his toes hung off the edge. He opened his mouth and inhaled so he could feel the smooth air tickle the back of his throat, before exhaling deeply and arching his back.

"Harry," Louis said sternly, his voice closer than before.

Harry continued to ignore Louis, sighing in bliss and stepping even closer so only half of both his feet were on flat ground, the other half hanging off.

"Harry, stop."

Still ignoring Louis, Harry lifted one leg off the ground, bending it at the knee.

"Harry, c'mon."

Harry then stood on his tiptoes on the one foot on the ground, which was when his foot slipped.

"Shit!" Louis shouted and grabbed Harry's underarms, pulling them both to the ground and away from the cliff.

"Dumbass!" Louis clutched Harry tightly to his chest. "You could've died!"

"But I didn't," Harry said flatly, leaning back into Louis' tight embrace.

"Jesus." Louis sighed into the back of Harry's head. "Asshole."

Again, they both went silent, only this time, Louis was holding Harry close instead of standing three meters in front of him.

"You see that?" Louis whispered, using one hand to point to a large cruise ship that just stopped moving, families and cars walking off and onto the island. "One day, I'm gonna get on one of those, and never look back."

Harry could see a family of a mother and father walking off the boat and two small girls running ahead of them and onto the mainland.

"Can I come with you?" Harry asked tentatively, playing with his fingers.

"If that's what you want."

***

During Louis' shift, Harry stayed at the cafe with Niall who was aimlessly scribbling down song lyrics into his journal whilst fiddling with something in his pocket.