Child Of Combat // Larry AU

Prologue; Fist Fighting With Fire

12.31.21
2 years later
8:00pm

Harry now 21, sat with brown curly wisp down to his lean shoulders, a lanky yet muscular build and emerald orbs still glinting. As if every fragment that was glued to the back of his pupils didn't take away from their shine.

He sat inside an interrogation room. A metal table separating him and a woman in a crisp white suit. A tape recorder rolled around to sweep his words into meaningless discretion.

"Hi Harry. I'm detective Jones. Happy New Years."

"Happy New Years."

"I'm going to ask you a series of questions. If it's too much for you than you may take a break"

Harry nodded his head slowly while the frigid air cooled his searing temples in waves. His head was heavy with memories and words dissolved into thick sludge.

"Who is Louis Tomlinson?"

"A man now. But when i met him he was a boy like me."

"How'd he look on your first encounter?"

"He was thin yet maintained curves and had a slight tan to his skin. He was quiet as a mouse but the crescent shaped scar above his eye was loud in anger. I almost didn't acknowledge his presence. But when i looked up he had sparkling blue eyes that.. that divulged everything including myself."

"When is the last time you've seen him."

"2 years ago."

"Do you miss him?"

Harry struggled to swallow around the lump that burned his throat. He sucked his bottom lip in between his teeth as his heart created a staccato rhythm.

"Alot."

"What was your relationship like?"

"It was a friendship at first but.. it.. we started to fall in love."

"How long were you two together?"

"2 years"

"Did you know he was going to do what he did?"

"No." Harry's jaw clenched recalling the event with a coherent front yet murky edges.

"Where'd he go after?"

"To the grave of his parents."

"As closure after the killing?"

"Yes." Harry said in a jagged breath to send rough points into her intrusive demeanor.

"Do you know where he is to this day?"

"I tried to go after him but he refused to let me come with him. I wasn't going to get angry at him. I just wanted to hold him."

"So you don't know?"

"No." Salty pearls created a film over his eyes as they threatened to spill.

"How does it feel to be the head of the Styles Empire now? You're rich and well off."

"What's a king without his companion to share it all with?" His glassy eyes made contact with her small brown ones as a tear slid down his pale cheek. His whimper shocked the cool stale air, he didn't expect an answer. He hasn't had answers for the past 2 years of his life thick with substance matter.

The detective had a sympathetic look on her round tan face. Harry didn't want sympathy, he didn't need it to fill the whole in his heart.

He was hollow.

"Okay Harry. That's all for now. Thank you for your cooperation. Go out tonight to celebrate the new year coming."

Harry swallowed a sigh as he rose up from his stiff seating position and walked out into the night sky of Holmes Chapel.

★-m