Missing: The boy who disappeared

Chapter 4 - Welcome to Doncaster

‘Courage isn't having the strength to go on, it's trying to move forward when you don't have the strength to.’ 

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Niall's eyes widened in shock, his normally easy going demeanor momentarily frozen in disbelief. He took a step back, his casual posture giving way to a more alert stance. A subtle tension gripped his movements as he shifted on his feet, his gaze fixated on Harry. "You wanna go back to the UK? It’s so late, why do you want to go to Doncaster all of a sudden?" His voice carried a mix of curiosity and concern, emphasizing the unexpectedness of Harry's declaration.

With no answer as of yet, Harry's frenetic search continued, the bedside table bearing the brunt of his urgency. Drawers were yanked open and shut in rapid succession, the metallic clang of objects colliding echoing in the room. The drawer slammed shut with an unrestrained force as Harry muttered under his breath "Where the hell has my passport gone?"

In the midst of this chaotic flurry of movements, Harry's revelation finally spilled out, each word charged with a sense of urgency that refused to be contained. "Niall, it's Louis. The man whose kid is missing, It's him! The one I spent so long looking for, it's him, Ni, it really is. I need to go. I have to help him. I need, I just need to go."

As Harry repeated the same words, Niall's initial disbelief transformed into a hesitant acknowledgment of the gravity of the situation. "Oh, oh shit, okay." Niall's movements mirrored the whirlwind of emotions, his brows furrowing as he tried to comprehend the sudden twist of fate that now demanded immediate action.

"As your best friend and the resonant voice of reason, I strongly recommend letting this simmer overnight. You don't want to dive headfirst into this without weighing in all the information and potential scenarios. Hastily plunging in could prove to be a misstep. And, of course, there's that crucial meeting with the TV producer looming on your schedule tomorrow, Liam said that was tomorrow didn’t he?”

But Harry was unravelling, the pieces of the puzzle falling into place. "Niall, I can't wait. I can't let him go through this alone. I think... I think the missing kid might be mine."

“ What?” Niall, now even more convinced that Harry was not thinking rationally, urged him to reconsider.

"Harry, please, just take a second to stop and breathe. If what you're saying is indeed true, then this is monumental, and you need to be absolutely certain. Don't go rushing into something you might regret later because… look, I don't want to be the downer here, but what are the odds the kid is yours anyway?”

However, the urgency in Harry's eyes and the ache in his heart overpowered Niall's advice. The unresolved emotions and the possibility of a connection to the missing child had ignited a fire within Harry, pushing him to act before it was too late.

Harry looked up, his eyes a mix of desperation and determination. "Ni, I can't wait. I have to find him. I can't explain it, but I know it's him. I can't just sit here."

The room gleamed in a soft glow, the tv still casting its colors like a warm hue around the room as Niall flicked on the bedroom light. Niall's grip on Harry's upper arms was firm yet comforting, a stabilizing force in the midst of turmoil. "Harry, stop, you are acting like a madman." he urged, his concern etched in the furrow of his brow.

Niall sighed, torn between understanding Harry's words and the practicality of the situation. The room seemed to shrink as the weight of the decision hung in the air, leaving them both suspended in uncertainty.

As Niall tried to reason with Harry, the room felt like a pressure cooker, the atmosphere crackling with tension. Harry, his eyes wild with perseverance, continued to ransack the room in search of his passport.