The Ring Of Fire || L.S ✔

9. Aiden

Death was there, by their side
A whisper away from their lives.
His limbs weighed often by saddened pride.
He didn't judge.
He didn't decide.
For the guilty to lived
And the innocent to died.

TW: Adult content. Sensitive topics discussed. The decisions in this chapter were not taken lightly and have a reason behind them. Even fictional characters are personalities of their own. Strengths and weaknesses which makes them human.

And sometimes, the characters force the writers pen.

London, England

October 2017

The day Liam's Cheetah print tuxedo was assaulted and butchered by the dry-cleaning service, Liam had this look on his face. An expression which spoke of extreme grief and shock. An expression which made Louis want give him a big hug and make him some hot chocolate and actually stick to the plan of whatever mission they had planned for the day unlike his usual utter and complete disregard for rules and doing his level best to annoy the hell out of his partner.

When Louis walked into their bedroom with Harry curled up on the bed sporting an expression ten times worse than that of Liam during the Great Suite Tragedy of 2015, he knew something was wrong.

Terribly wrong.

Louis dumped his luggage on the doorway and dashed to Harry's side.

"Love? What happened?! Are you alright!?"

He spoke carefully as he sat down on the bed beside Harry's prone form. His heart beating out of his chest with worry. Countless scenarios, each worse than the previous one rushed through his mind. You can't really help it when you were a spy. But he tried not to let his panic show.

Some of the anxiety dropped when Louis quickly checked Harry for any kind of injury and came out with nothing. But the possibilities were still endless. Anything at all could have happened in the two days he had been away on another mission.

"Love?"

Harry didn't respond. He just curled up tighter against Louis and hid his face into the mattress. His shoulders had begun shaking now. And Louis could feel the dampness through his track pants.

"Harry..." Louis draped his arm around Harry and slowly started rubbing circles into his back. "Haz baby, please... talk to me...What happened?" He spoke softly. Hoping to coax out the answer from the bundle of sadness in his arms.

But Harry didn't budge and continued to try and bury himself beneath Louis' legs. It had to be something terrible to make Harry this anxious.

With a smooth glide, Louis repositioned himself on the bed so that he was lying face to face with Harry. Their bodies aligned and seemed to mold into one another like two perfect pieces. Harry certainly did. As soon as Louis was comfortably settled on the bed, Harry hid his face into his chest and tried to bury himself once again under Louis.

But Louis was not having any more of this. He needed to know what was wrong so that he could assist or protect Harry depending upon what was necessary.

Louis firmly pulled Harry out and genteelly connected their lips for a long and loving kiss. Once Harry calmed down a bit, he pulled back and looked him in the eye. "You're not foxing out of this one love. Tell me, what is it?"

Harry rubbed a sad tear out of his eyes and tried to blow off one of his wayward curls dangling over his eyes. It didn't work, the stubborn lock stayed in place. "I took a test."

"A test?" Louis was confused. "You failed?" Louis wasn't aware even college professors and scientists had to take tests. And even if that were the case, Harry was brilliant. Failing didn't make sense.