On The Horizon || L.S.

September

Thursday, the 1st through Friday, the 30th, 2022

Harry wakes to rain pattering on the window. He rushes to shut off his alarm and listens as the droplets tap against the siding. The drizzle is probably a bad omen, but it's calming. Or at least, it's calming for now. The minute he has to leave for work, it will be a different story. Sighing, Harry pulls his phone up to glance at his notifications.

He drops his phone on his face.

"Oh, fuck! Ow. Shit." Harry rubs his face and then tries to blink away the sleep because - is that what he thinks it is?

SUBJECT: RE: Checking In (This is Harry from the Cruise!)

Talk about 'Oh, fuck.'

Harry has to read the email three times before he can fully process it, mind sleep-slow as his eyes drag over every word. Missing you like crazy, love. Maybe sometimes. "You're addicting as fuck." When did he pass on? Surely a message like this is heaven-sent. Should dying in his sleep be added to his death percentages list...?

Of course, his eyes glue to the screen when Louis talks about the carved box. Because, like, come on. Would it hurt Louis to admit that he's embellishing?

A&E getting brought up makes him cringe. He needs to figure out how far into detail he should be going. Would it be alright to keep things high-level, skirt over the darker elements, and focus on the positives instead? Harry started making some friends, and no one has died at his hands since returning to work. Yay!

The picture Louis attached is simple, a shot of a no-frills side table featuring a lamp and what appears to be melatonin, with the wooden monkey Harry got for him leaning against the wall where the table hits it. For such a simple image, it transports Harry miles and miles closer to his pilot, a tiny insight into Louis' home life. Harry takes care to observe every detail he can: the cream-coloured duvet peeking in at the edge, the dark wood of the table, even the angle at which the photo is shot, like he couldn't decide whether to aim vertically or horizontally, so he chose the Tommo way instead. It's about as endearing as Louis' shit handwriting, and Harry eats up every ounce with a panging heart.

No part of Harry is upset that it took Louis more nudging to reach out. Things were already unsure for both of them; it would have taken a much more significant offence for Harry to hold a grudge. Louis is everything, and Harry's having trouble denying how far down this rabbit hole he's gone.

It hasn't even been three weeks since they met. Harry needs to get a handle on himself.

SUBJECT: RE: RE: Checking In (This is Harry from the Cruise!)

SENT 7:11 a.m. on Thursday, the 1st of September, 2022

Louis,

Yay! Hi. I miss you too. A lot. Very much. Come back, please and thank you.

Yes, the box is great, but please be honest with me? I don't know how you came up with some of these because I can't think of how they're warranted. You don't have to lie to flatter me, you know. Pushing past my anxiety? When do I ever do that?

Work... yeah, dull here too. Well, dull probably isn't the right word. Honestly, the hospital's been shit, but I expected that beforehand. I don't think it should surprise you that it's no fun. Perhaps fewer COVID patients, but it's around, even now. It will get super busy any day now that we are about to enter cold and flu season. I'm thrilled. Woo.

So, the picture - very cute, by the way - does that mean you're home now? I spoke to Liam, who mentioned you were doing some flights around Asia. How was that? Where were you?