Five Degrees from Freezing - Larry Stylinson

Chapter ix - Earl Grey

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The breaths in Louis' throat got caught up when he heard the words, until they couldn't escape his lips. A layer of tears rimmed around the cold dead eyes. Harry had never seen Louis show any sign of emotion, he'd never experienced the lifeless slits turn into anything but anger and hatred. It felt strange to just kneel in front of Louis and look at him in that state. The man was a cold blooded bastard, never took or gave anything that was offered. Seeing someone so shut off from the world lying in such a fragile state was truly something peculiar. Harry raised his hands, setting one under his chin and the other on his elbow as he stared down at the man.

The silence was long and lingered in the room while they remained like that. Harry stared down at the cat ears on Louis' head, eyebrows furrowed with confusion, while Louis covered his face, not daring to move.

"Louis?" Harry finally asked, reaching a hand out to Louis' face. "Take your hands away."

He touched Louis' hands with the tips of his fingers but the man shook his head. He was trembling so Harry pulled the sheet over his body, even though he could tell the man was shaking through fear, not cold.

"Take your hands away." Harry said again, his voice sharper than before. "I'm the Prince, that is an order."

Louis didn't move. He lay on his back with his hands over his face. Harry backed away cautiously, stood up from the bed, and wrapped another sheet around his waist. He towered over Louis and peered down at him.

"If you don't take your hands away, I'll cut them off." He snapped in an even harsher tone. He grabbed Louis by the wrist and pulled him up into a sitting position. Louis' body was light and moved easily but the man still didn't take his hands away from his face. "What kind of freak are you?" Harry asked, backing away. He shook his head in disgust, watching the brown cat ears on Louis' head rotate slightly as they listened.

A soft hissing sound echoed out from where Louis sat, and his body shuddered again. His ears twitched and rotated themselves until they faced downwards. Harry watched him in part-shock and part-disgust. "Look," He snapped, stepping away until his back was against the door, "I don't know what you are, but turn back to normal. You're a freak, Louis."

The pointed ears pricked back up and a louder hissing sound rattle around Louis' ribcage. Harry pressed himself against the door, a look of fear on his face. He watched Louis pull his hands away from his face slowly. His head was down and Harry couldn't see anything until the man lunged forward. He landed on the floor, couched down, face looking back at Harry. The sheet remained on the bed, and Louis stood up slowly. Harry's breath hitched and he tried to close his eyes but he couldn't .

The cold narrow eyes that stared back were even more intense, pupils and irises retracted until they were no bigger than half a centimetre in diameter. The pupils had changed from a round shape to two long slits and the irises had turned from a dull grey to a blood-tasting red. They flamed at Harry, burning him with a dagger-look that Harry was sure would scar him for life. Louis hissed again and when his lips parted, Harry saw a row of pointed teeth beside a pair of razor-sharp canines.

Harry's eyes diverted from them when he saw a long tail appear. It flicked behind Louis, before curling around his body like a snake killing its prey.

"What the hell are you?" He asked with a voice that sounded weaker than what he'd intended. He tried to move back but there was nowhere to go. Louis' ears pricked up, his teeth clenched and glinted in the light, and his tail flicked around his naked body as he took a silent step forward.

Harry turned his face away, pressing his body into the door as he watched the feet approach him. He jumped when his back accidently turned the light-switch off, but the footsteps continued. They stopped, only a few inches away from Harry's, and a pointed finger touched his tummy. The Prince contracted his muscles in fear, goosebumps appeared on his skin as the finger drifted upwards where it stopped by his chest. He felt the finger move until a hand pressed over his heart. It stopped there. Harry could feel the loud thumps in his chest, compressed under the freezing hand that covered it.