Through My Lens

Chapter 36

The familiar smell of Heathers office hits him the second he walks through the doors later that day. It makes him almost nauseous as he thinks back to where he was mentally when he first started coming here.

The walls in the waiting room are still the same dark cream, lights dim low, deep brown leather couches on the back wall. Potted plants lining the layered shelf's, books stacked sporadically  throughout the shelf's and plants.

It's a calming environment, warm and inviting. The coffee table littered with magazines of all varieties, soft plush throw pillows in the corner of each couch. Heather and her fellow colleagues have gone through a lot of trouble to make sure that the place felt welcoming and comfortable for all the enter.

Louis walks the 15 steps across the room to where the receptionist is waiting letting her know that he is here for his appointment before taking a seat on the couch. He pulls out his phone, thumbing through his photos he downloaded onto his school drive from the trip.

His fingers stop when the third one he swipes to is a picture of Harry laughing, his head is tipped back, mouth open looking beautiful as ever. Louis remembers this photo, it was from the first practice they had when they arrived at the tournament. Niall had just said something that sent Harry into a fit of hysterics. Louis instantly had brought the camera up to his face to capture the moment.

Harry was his favorite subject, the way his curls fell softly just above his shoulders, how his bandanas fit so perfectly on his head and never seem to move. The way his emerald green eyes sparkle in the sun. It's just a few of the reasons why Louis loves to capture photos of Harry. But his most favorite reason of all is Harry's smile. The way his dimples appear so prominently and his bright white teeth captivate your focus. It's intoxicating to see.

"Louis?" A voice calls breaking him from his intensive stare. He looks up to see Heather standing at the edge of the corridor that enters into the waiting room, a calming smile on her face.

He takes one more look at Harry's face before pocketing his phone and walking up to meet Heather. "Hi" he whispers once he is close enough. "Hi Louis, good to see you again." She smiles fondly at him before she guides him down the long corridor that is lined with different paintings and photos.

Heathers office is the last one on the right, as they walk in Louis notices that the layout is different than the last time he was here. Her desk is now moved under the window that spans the back wall the view overlooking the town, the bookshelf beside it is filled with different textbooks. There is now two armchairs, both a light wooden frame with deep blue cushions. They are angled towards each other a circle coffee table in the center of the two chairs.

His favorite change is she now has fairy light strung around the room with greenery twisted between them. "You changed the room around" he mumbles as he settles into a chair pulling his feet up so he is hugging his knees.

"Yeah, decided I wanted a view while I work." Heather chuckles, settling herself into the arm chair closest to her desk. Louis takes a few moments to look around the room a little while longer, not quite ready to jump into the conversations yet. Heather doesn't press Louis, she just allows him to take all the time that he needs before he is ready to sit down.

He examines the plants that hang in the corner of, the room, the long vines slipping over the pots, his eyes then shift to the painting on the wall, it is one of those inkblot photos, Louis has only ever been able to see a wolf when he looks at it. He isn't sure what it means, too scared to ask Heather for fear it's not good.

With on last scan of the room he breaths in deep and sits down in the empty chair, pulling his knees up to his chest in protective instinct once again. He has a shield up, though he knows that in the back of his mind he can trust Heather, the idea of being vulnerable once again has him crawling into himself, wanting to put up that wall.