Sick Minded || L.S. ✔️

1

There is a slight breeze in the air, causing the trees to sway and for the old, wooden swings to gently rock, but, even as the clouds darken and cover the precious sun, Louis doesn't alter his afternoon routine. Instead, he continues his walk over to the oldest standing tree in the town's park and allows a small smile to appear on his delicate face as he takes in the state of today's weather. He enjoys all sorts of days: sunny, cloudy, chilly, scorching hot, and, possibly his favorite, rainy. He likes to think that weather is simply Earth's mood and, today, the world is just a little sad.

Therefore, instead of going home and leaving the world to grieve in peace, he sits firmly on the grass covered ground and leans his back against his oak tree before patiently waiting for the first drop of rain to fall. It doesn't take long and as soon as he feels the gentle splash of water against his skin, he pulls out his almost finished book and begins to read.

He scans each and every word his eyes land on, allows for his mind to be clouded with imagines of a fictional life that is no where near close to being his own, and has his thoughts taken over by only the world each new sentence helps create. He consumes himself in the life the author paints and simply leans on the earth as it offers him its tears, thus, being a friend for the only thing that's ever been there for him. However, as he wraps himself into the fictional story and into his desperate need to comfort the world, he fails to notice the curious green eyes studying every detail about the pixie looking boy.

The green eyed stranger thought that the park would be empty on a day like this and was actually looking forward to spending time with only himself as he was surrounded by nature at its most beautiful. But, as he sits on the park bench, only mere feet away from the boy sitting against the oak tree, he thinks that, perhaps, this is better. He thinks that maybe fate brought him to this park, so far away from his home and to this beautiful, brown haired boy for a reason. So, naturally, he listens and nervously stands up from the damp wood.

He cautiously begins walking over to the preoccupied stranger, completely ignoring the fast falling raindrops landing vigorously on every part of his body, and instead studies the man that is one step closer every passing second. He takes in the way his fringe falls cutely over his right eye, the way his tongue is hanging, only slightly, out of the corner of his mouth, the way his sweater sleeves are rolled up to his elbows because of it being a few sizes too big and, most importantly, he notices the way the man refuses to leave the park even though his paper book is practically drenched by the raindrops soaking through the pages.

He finds everything about the older stranger to be entrancing and he can barely keep himself from touching the boy in some way when he is finally seated next to him on the wet ground. He does though and, instead, simply clears his throat in a way to get the other lad's attention. Unfortunately, Louis is too caught up in his make believe world to notice, so, Harry just leans back on the thick oak and hums quietly to himself as he waits for the man to finish reading.

Neither boy knows how long it takes for Louis to finally turn the last dripping wet page and read every last word on it, but, as Louis soaks in the emotional aftermath of the story and Harry simply stares at his shock covered face in awe, neither really care.

"Was the book any good?" Harry curiously asks after several moments of Louis' facial expression staying the same. Louis doesn't answer though, he simply jumps at the sudden sound of Harry's deep voice before turning to look at the boy with the same shocked expression on his face as before.

"W-what?" Louis nervously stutters out, not knowing how long the stranger has been sitting next to him. Louis' not used to nor comfortable with sitting so close to someone he doesn't know and this beautiful stranger is no exception.

"I asked if that book you just finished was any good?" Harry repeats in a gentle and patient voice as he awaits Louis' answer. He doesn't want to scare the fragile looking boy away, he actually wants quite the opposite.