The Ring Of Fire || L.S ✔

10. Broken Dreams and Dreamers

Silent screams, broken dreams,
Shards of glasses and mirrors.
Waves of darkness brightly gleams,
Graves of hopes and dreamers.

Sea of Okhotsk, North Pacific

Beginning of November, 2022

The first time Harry came through, he was entangled in a vail of darkness... He was hurting. And the pain the only thing he knew. He tries to bring his hands up to his head to ease the headache but his limbs weighed like a ton! They just wouldn't move!

"Hey. Relax love. It's going to be okay. You're safe with me here." A voice reassured him softly, but Harry simply felt so tired that he fell asleep. In his drugged-out state, he didn't even notice the warm body lying close to him and holding him to his chest, yet at the same time being a world apart.

The next time he woke, Harry was much more coherent. The room no longer spun when he opened his eyes and he could actually see his surroundings thanks to the light seeping in through the peep-window. He was cozy on the soft bed. The blankets smelled like forgotten home. His eyes lazily swept across the room, noticing how Louis was typing away on his laptop on the desk. The tapping of the key joined with the swaying of the boat made for a wonderful lullaby... Harry just felt so warm and comfortable that he wanted to close his eyes and go back to sleep. And so he did.

For a total of twenty-one seconds.

That's how long it took for him to process before his eyes popped open and he sat up straight.

Or at least he tried too. Harry then realized that he was buried under layers and layers of comforters and blankets which made any movement impossible. So rather than elegantly sitting up, he got tangled further and fell back down on his mortal enemies' bed.

Pretty embarrassing.

"Harry!" Louis jumped up and scurried over to the bed. "You're finally up!"

"I couldn't go as far as up." Harry grumbled as he unsuccessfully tried to sit up again. "Louis, I know you want get back to me for what happened in the lab, but burying me alive in blankets is not the right way to go about it! Let me OUT!"

Louis bit his lip to suppress his grin as he obeyed his command and helped him sit up. Harry was a little disoriented and a lot confused when he found Louis checking his temperature first. He was even more shocked when he discovered his right arm tightly bandaged from wrist to elbow and smelt like ointments.

"Uhm... Harry?" Harry looked up to see Louis looking at him with concern. But for the first time since their reunion, Harry didn't resort to inflicting bodily or verbal harm as his response. In fact, he could really do with the concern right now. Considering....

"You have no clue what went down last night, do you..." Louis guessed correctly.

Harry nodded as he looked around in a daze. He felt weird, and slightly off. Like something major was wrong, yet undetectable. But the truth was, Harry was afraid. The previous night was a complete blank. The feeling of not knowing, not being in control was scaring the hell out of him. And the fact that he was not wearing his clothes but someone else's was not helping either. Not to mention the bandages.

Louis suddenly looked sad, as if he had read his mind and was hurt that Harry could even think of him in that light. But what choice did Harry have. He didn't remember a blasted thing!

"We didn't sleep together like that." Louis said muttered. "I wouldn't do that to you, not without your consent. You know me."

"Do I really?"