Hearts Like Ours

Two

Harry wasn’t sure at which point he fell asleep. The rest of the ride had been steady, soothing even, and he wasn’t surprised when he awoke after a short slumber. It was the sudden ceasing of movement that caused him to wake. He rubbed the numbness from his face as he sat up, glancing out the window. They were parked outside an upscale resort of some sort. Harry, not surprised, grabbed the journal from where it had fallen beside him on the floor, tucked it back into its rightful place in his jacket, and stood to make his way toward the exit.

The boys were waiting in the front cabin area when Harry poked his head out from the back.  Liam was missing, having gone inside to check in, but the rest were there, laughing and throwing glances out the window every few seconds. Harry sat down beside Niall, who stared longingly out the window. Following suit to see what the fuss was about, his eyes found a crevice beside the resort and the hotel beside it, through which a beach could be seen.

“Harry, are you… smiling?” Louis gasped dramatically. “Can’t stand for that, mate. So unlike you.”

Without bothering to turn around, Harry grabbed the nearest pillow and chucked it in Louis’ general direction. Only after he heard it thud against Louis’ frame did he turn and grin at his best friend. Zayn watched amusedly from beside him.

“Things are looking up, boys,” Harry stated softly, returning his gaze to the beach. Only a few more hours of sunlight were left in the evening and his body ached for the white sand. 

“A nap fixed you up right quick,” Zayn mused. Harry nodded absentmindedly, suddenly anxious to get off the bus and into the salty air.

“I don’t know about you lads, but I’m feeling a bonfire coming on tonight,” Niall said, smiling toward the beach. The rest of the group nodded in agreement.

The boys were silent, all shifting anxiously in their seats. A small group of girls had already begun to gather in the parking lot. There was restlessness in the air, and Harry found himself wanting out there among them, something he hadn’t felt in a while. 

The journal was lightly weighing against his side and he felt glad to have found it. With a few pages, he’d found a world of distraction to slip into. It was surprising how much lighter his heart felt, and he wasn’t sure if it was mostly due to the book, the nap, the night off to look forward to, or a combination of the three.

Unable to take it any longer, Harry stood. The rest of the boys looked up at him, startled by this sudden movement.

“What are you doing?” Niall asked, puzzled.

Harry shrugged, crossing the small space to the doors of the bus where he could see a group of girls. Their eyes widened, his appearance eliciting excited screams.

“I want fresh air. Might as well make some days while I’m at it,” he responded before pushing open the door. Louis, Niall, and Zayn stared after him, bewildered. Through the tinted windows, they watched with a slight awe as Harry posed for photos with the girls, smiling wider than they’d seen him do in weeks.

“What the hell just happened?” Louis questioned, turning to his bandmates for an answer. He was met with an empty couch, Niall already half-stepping off the bus and Zayn following behind him. Louis sighed, setting down the pillow he’d had in his lap and standing up.

Outside, the air was humid, hitting Harry’s face like a wave of salt water. He responded to the girls questions for him, taking photos with those asking and signing as much as he could in between. He glanced behind him, hearing more excited gasps and screams as his bandmates stepped off the bus, following Harry’s example. He smiled, genuinely happy for the first time in a long time. It had been a while since he and the boys had simply interacted with a small group of fans, no barricades or security warding away fans. It felt different without these obstacles around, inarguably better without the stern faces of police officers and the cold metal standing as a barrier between them. Fans always reacted so much better when it was just the two of them; the band and the fans.