Let Your Good Heart Lead You Home (Zarry AU)

Part 7

Of course it makes the headlines. Bane returns is stamped on every imaginable newspaper. It's the name they gave him, like he belongs in some kind of movie. If this were a movie however, they'd catch him.

The name is an interesting choice, but Harry gets it. He's a bane to them. A ghost they haven't managed to catch yet. If anything, he just thinks he's lucky. What would happen if his luck ran out is something he'll think about another day, or preferably never.

Niall is perched on Harry's desk, munching on an apple and reading today's paper. "He's a right nutter, that Bane," he announces, folding the paper and laying it on the desk. "And that symbol's just another mystery."

"It is?" Harry muses, sitting back in his chair. He has to resist the urge to roll his eyes when Niall dribbles down his chin, wiping it away with his sleeve.

"I mean, it makes me think of water." He frowns, as if his thoughts are running up empty. Harry can relate to the feeling. "That's about it."

"Have you looked it up?" Harry suggests, tapping a rhythm on his thigh with his fingers - one of his tells. The subject still makes him somewhat uneasy.

Niall laughs, throwing his apple in a nearby bin and nearly missing it. "I'm not the research type." He crosses his arms, looking down at his jittering feet. "Rather let someone else do that and just tell me what's what."

"But anyone knows how to use Google," Harry reasons, swaying side to side in his chair.

Niall snorts, throwing him an indignant look. "Of course I know how to use Google. I'm not an idiot."

"Didn't say you were."

"Sure sounded like it," he grumbles, uncrossing his arms. "I can do research. I just choose not to."

Harry nods and tucks a stray curl behind his ear. "Fair enough."

"Still up for Friday?" Niall asks, changing the subject. "Louis has been dying to see Liam again, although I don't understand why he doesn't just ask him on a date, y'know?"

"Tell me about it," Harry sighs, recalling how last night's conversation on the phone too often strayed to Louis and how amazing he was. "I just want them to get it over with, but then I think about how much we'll have to suffer once they're actually together."

Niall cringes, a distressed look crossing his face. "Good point." He chews on his bottom lip, then adds, "You think they'll notice if we move to another state?"

"If we went from solid to liquid, maybe." Harry is thrown an incredulous look and he has to fight to keep a straight face.

"Did you just?" Niall asks, and knows enough when Harry wiggles his eyebrows. "For the love of- I'll see you Friday."

Harry frowns. "But it's only Monday?"

"Exactly." Niall offers no further explanation, but Harry can hear him muttering under his breath as he leaves: "That man and his bloody jokes. I'm surrounded by idiots."

Harry knows Niall will be at his desk again tomorrow.    

That was chapter 7 already! It's going faaast. Next one will be up on Tuesday!

Until then xxx <3