Wings Like Blades {L . T}

PART 1: BUTTERFLY

Louis had always wanted to be a butterfly. He wants to be one with the flowers. He wants to be the lead of beauty. He wants to be what a garden longs for.

Even today, he still does. And even in a coat not thick enough to walk through the cold breeze, he still daydreams - like wings have already grown out of his back.

He fixes the coat hanging loosely over his shoulders and stuffs his hands deep into his pockets, staring into the distance. He wants to take a moment to let the city absorb him, but then he figures that it's too cold to stand there and do nothing but look pretty. So, he lets out a quiet sigh before entering the museum.

The noises from outside stop ringing in his ears when he walks inside. The first thing he sees is a fossil replica of a dinosaur, glaring down at him. "That's a start," he whispers to himself, a soft chuckle slipping out of his mouth. He tilts his head slightly, looking up at the replica, walking towards it.

He's about to study the details on the replica. He's about to admire what Mother Nature once had. He's about to-

"Sir," a guard in uniform stops him, "Have you got a ticket?"

Louis' eyes widen. Being the man he is, he obviously doesn't have a ticket, "I'm here to see Astrid Connors."

"Mr. Connors will come to you. Please, wait outside-"

"What?" Louis says, almost too loud. He crosses his arms, "Oh? Outside? In the cold? Look at me! Look at this coat! Do you think I can survive out there? Do you-"

     And he's waiting outside. He finds himself sitting on the stairs, wrapping his arms around his body, his knees pressed against his chest. He has a garden waiting for him at home and as much as he wants to return to his neighbourhood, he's here with no choice but to bathe in misery instead of warmth.

He almost flinches when he feels a light tap on his shoulder. Astrid Connors, the man who was once the quiet boy in Louis' class, is offering a downturned smile of greeting, his square-framed glasses being used as a headband to block his curls from falling over his freckled face.

"Tomlinson," Astrid says, as if whispering.

Louis gets up to his feet, his arms still folded tightly against his body, "Connors."

Astrid can't help but smile wider. "You actually showed up."

"You're my friend," Louis grins, "And also someone important at a museum! Why wouldn't I show up?"

Astrid can feel his cheeks hurting from how much he's beaming. He's glad that Louis hasn't changed. Louis had always been a butterfly to him - a master of his own soul, a beautiful heart in a beautiful place.

"We'll take the back door," Astrid says, keeping his voice casual as always. Louis has questions and most importantly, he wants to bring up how long he waited outside in the cold but he eventually shrugs it off and follows Astrid around the building to the back door.

The air is moisty and Louis keeps tugging at the collar of his coat, discomforted by how his damp skin is forming sweat.
When they reach the alley that leads to the back door of the museum, Astrid glances over to Louis.

"I've... missed you, you know," Astrid says in a hushed tone, looking away to the door, busying himself with the keys in his hands.

Louis just smiles, clicking his tongue, "I'm not ashamed to admit how much I missed the nerd from school, yeah. Nothing about you has changed. I'm glad you kept being yourself." He lowers his voice at the last part, not wanting to sound too forward.

Astrid chuckles, unlocking the door. "Nothing much has changed about you either. Except for you hair." He turns to face Louis, his hand on the knob.

Louis lets out a small laugh, running his fingers through his sunkissed chocolate hair. "Oh, this? Yeah, well I-"