Against One's Wishes

Chapter 33

Harry's waking the following morning, his hand instantly feeling in the bed beside him for Louis. When he feels the sheets are empty, he's instantly opening his eyes and sitting up.

He looks around the empty room for any trace of Louis. He's throwing back the covers and getting up at once.

"Louis?" Harry's calling as he's slipping on his pajama bottoms, his eyes glancing out into the hallway through the open bedroom door. He picks up a small fleece blanket from the end of the bed and wraps it around his shoulders before making his way out into the hallway.

Harry reaches the bottom of the stairs, his eyes still searching around the house for any trace of Louis.

"Lou?" He calls again rather quietly.

Then, his eyes see him; Louis sitting out on the dock next to the water. Harry's immediately grinning some and walking out of the house to join him.

The sun is trying to peak through the clouds overhead as Harry makes his way to the dock. He can hear the birds chirping around him; somehow, he's still overwhelmed by these peaceful sounds of nature that surround him.

"You alright?" Louis hears Harry's voice and he's instantly looking up from the stack of papers in his lap. He sees Harry wrapped in the fleece blanket, his curls falling into his eyes as he's glancing down at him. And instantly, Louis is grinning from ear to ear.

"I'm... brilliant, love," Louis whispers and reaches up for Harry's hand.

Harry's dimples show as he's taking Louis' hand for a moment. He sits down next to him, his eyes running over Louis' face once more.

Harry slowly leans over, giving Louis' cheek a gentle kiss as his hand softly caresses over his back. He sighs before saying quietly, "I hope that you slept alright. Didn't think you'd wake before me."

Louis is smiling again at once, still completely beside himself that this is his actual reality; Harry Styles is his reality. And this reality is all Louis has ever really wanted.

"I don't think... I will... get used to this, you know," Louis manages to admit, his eyes finding Harry's. "Getting to spend... my life with you. Getting to hear your voice every morning; see your smile. You have... such an impact on me, Harold..."

Harry smiles for a moment, then his face falls serious again. "If you only knew the deep impact that you have on me as well."

Louis closes his mouth as he and Harry just stare at one another, completely lost again in each other's presence... as if nothing else around them matters.

"What time did you wake?" Harry finally asks, his eyes falling on the papers in Louis' lap.

"Maybe about 3 hours ago," Louis replies with a small shrug. "I... was wide awake... and... I felt like sitting out here by the water... to write."

"May I ask what you are writing?" Harry whispers.

"Uh... I don't... really want to spoil it yet," Louis blushes and Harry's immediately noticing. He can't help but smile to himself as Louis carries on, "but... it's a story... that... my mind couldn't escape from. Figuratively... mentally... even realistically..."

Louis stares down at the words on the page as Harry only sits watching him.

"It's... about a boy who has this friend... that is a mermaid; he's the most beautiful, mesmerising mermaid imaginable," Louis answers, his eyes meeting Harry's again. "And... the mermaid boy becomes his best mate in the entire fucking world..."

Harry's grinning instantly and nodding some.

"But... he's different, obviously... and the boys' father doesn't approve of what's different," Louis continues, his voice fainter now while his eyes are watching the small ripples in the lake. "So... in the end... the boy is told that his mermaid friend, along with all of his kind, must be killed... that they pose too much of a danger to him... and to all of humankind..."