Over the Centuries

Teil Drei

He was still; completely and utterly frozen in position. His behind was aching yet he dared not to move, not with the blue eyes fixated on him in such intense focus. His every breath felt like another sin as it stirred him slightly, and that way he could hardly suffice for his lover's brush and canvas. Harry felt inadequate under the man's gaze, unworthy of such divine observation. He frowned when he noticed how tense Harry was, laying down his paintbrush gracefully.

"What is the matter, love?" He spoke daintily, approaching Harry with concern in his oceans.

"Er, I just- I just don't understand- I apologise, I must be such a bother," Harry cast down his eyes, feeling ashamed of causing his love any trouble in his crafting. Harry knew how much concentration was essential in the creation of such masterpieces. Yet he still managed to ruin that rare focus. He was despicable.

"What, no, Harry. Thou mustn't ever apologise to me. I can see when thou art sorry. It is all displayed in thine eyes,"

"But how can that be? How can one read emotions from another's eyes?"

"Why do thou not try it?"

"I doubt I will succeed."

"Try it," his lover smiled encouragingly, then gazed into Harry's unsure expression.

"What do my eyes tell thee?"

For a long moment everything was silent, save their breathing and their hearts' beating. The look he received from his lover was intense and the beauty of his eyes made it hard for Harry to concentrate. It was determined, beautiful... and eager to convey?

"Thou want me to sit more still for thy painting?"

"What? No. Look deeper, love. What do thou see?"

Another long silence passed, this time it was amply charged, as Harry was making an effort to understand. He scrutinised every lash and every tense muscle around the pretty eyes, he searched deep in those oceans, set on tasting their depth, and let that pervade his very soul with love and joy.

Harry, in that exact moment, realised something big, something wonderful. Harry's concentrated expression fell to the floor and crashed into a million pieces, leaving behind a face of disbelief and astonishment. His lover grinned in that way, the way Harry had become so infatuated with, and asked:

"What is it Harry? What do thou see?"

"Thou- I see, see that thou- thou loveth me, thou loveth me, Louis!"

Inhale.

The inside of Harry's eyelids were painted brightly red; strong lights shining on the other side. A frequent, insistent noise from a ventilation system and the ache of needles through skin.

Exhale.

He was regaining a type of consciousness of his surroundings; a certain awareness for every whiff of air he breathed.

Inhale.

His brows reached to hold hands with each other as pain made itself present in his skull's frontal area. He groaned softly in the plastic air, readying his eyes for opening.

"About time, mate. You were out for almost three hours."

The first thing that greeted his droopy eyes was the faded image of a pretty man.