fall [harry styles//au]

two

❝butterflies can't see their wings. they can't see how truly beautiful they are, but everyone else can. people are like that as well.❞ -[anon]

[harry]

'How about we get a drink?' I forced a smile. Conscious that I was starting to resemble a leaf in the winter wind, I carefully held my hand held out for her to take. I couldn't decide whether it was the temperature or the situation that was making me shake, the only thing I was sure of was that I couldn't let her die.

She waited before she answered. For a second I actually thought she would agree. 'It's too late for that now.' Her voice loomed around my brain for a while. Her feet gracefully stepped off of the bridge. Other than that, everything became a blur. The sound of a splash brought me back to reality.

'No, stop!' I shouted, getting my head around what had just happened. Logic told me it was too late, yet before I realized what I was doing, had already followed her into the murky river that lay underneath the bridge. My heart pounded against my chest; my hair flying against the force of the wind. As soon as my body hit the water, I felt the chill against my spine - but the only thing I cared about was saving the girl. It's funny, I didn't even know her name, yet I was determined to save her.

The water's temperature made it almost impossible to move. Trying to get a glimpse of the surroundings underneath the water's surface, I swam through the waves. My eyes stung from looking underwater, and I knew I would have to go back up for air soon. My eyes wandered around, desperately trying to find her. I swam closer to the surface, gasping for air. My lungs filled and I returned underwater, knowing time wasn't on my side. I swam around, looking for any clues that she's near me. Bubbles started are appear just left of where I was floating. Looking down, I felt sick to my stomach. I spotted a lifeless body lying at the bottom of the muddy ground. I tried to swim as fast as I could, waves splashing into me. I was getting closer and closer but I noticed the bubbles stop coming from her mouth.

My arms started to wrap themselves around her body, trying to pick her up. I lent her head on my shoulders and began swimming to the surface. 'Please just hold on..' I breathed in as I felt the cold air hit my face.

I knew what I had to do next, and it was a daunting task to say the least. The side of the river was within eye-sight, I knew I had to swim there, and fast. There were wet curls in my face and I struggled to get them out of my eyes. The sound of coughing filled my ears, and I felt a gentle smile spread across my lips.

The only thought that raced through my mind was thankfully she was breathing. The closer I got to the edge, the more my arms and legs grew tired. Noticing the girl had become quiet, I managed to tilt her head to find that she wasn't breathing anymore. The fatigue that was growing inside of me came to a sudden halt as my brain processed the danger she was in. My leg suddenly felt a hard surface and I started to carry the girl onto land. Her hair stuck to her face from the water, but she still managed to look gorgeous. The light red vest top and black leggings that she wore clung to her curvy figure. She must have lost her jacket during the jump.

I gently placed her body onto a grassy patch of the land. Her skin was turning blue and she was shivering. I quickly ripped off my coat and put it around her. Even though it was soaking wet, it would still warm her up a little. I looked up at the bridge that loomed overhead, trying to think of what to do next. I didn't have a phone on me to call an ambulance, and even if I did, it probably wouldn't work after going into the water. I noticed some people on the bridge looking and pointing at us.

'Hey!' I waved my arms at them. 'Call an ambulance, quickly!' I shouted as loud as I could. They seemed to get the message and one of them grabbed their phone out of their pocket.

Looking back to the girl, I noticed how pale she was becoming. I walked back over to her and sat by her side, desperately trying to warm her up. I put her into the recovery position and whispered to her that everything is going to be OK. I felt tears prick my eyes, and asked myself why I cared so much whether she lived or died.

Moments later, I heard the piercing screams of ambulance and police sirens. I glanced up, not once leaving the girl's side. Only a few seconds passed before there were paramedics running towards us down the dirt slope connecting to the side of the bridge. Numb, scared and confused, I didn't even even notice the tiny patter of raindrops starting to cover my face.

*

The police clung to me like moths to light; asking me question after question. I could only half hear them, over the constant sound of a splash.

'Son, are you hurt in any way?'

'I think he's in shock.'

'We have to get him away from here as soon as possible.'

One police lady stepped forward, and placed her arm on my shoulder, the way I had touched the girl's before she had jumped. Another tear dropped past my emotionless face.

'Stop.' I managed to whisper. But somehow, the softest sound that I had ever made, managed to silence an entire police force.

'He's talking...' A police officer spoke into his radio. I was hardy 'talking', I had only said one word. But, I was hardly about to argue.

'It's OK. You're in safe hands now.' The police woman that had stepped closer before spoke.

'What do you mean I'm in safe hands?' I moved my head in her direction. 'I don't care about me, what about her? Is she going to be OK? Why won't you let me go over there?' I had a million questions rushing through my brain, and nobody seemed to answer any of them.

'It's a brave thing you just did.. But not everyone can survive something like that.' The officer with the radio mumbled to me.

'Is anyone actually going to answer me?' I stood up, anger seeping through my skin. 'Where is she?'

The woman police officer dared to answer my question. 'She's being carried into the ambulance now, but I'm going to have to ask you to remain where-' I started to run past the police officers before she had finished her sentence. 'Sir!'

I slowed down as I reached the ambulance, my heart skipping a beat. An oxygen mask was placed around her nose and mouth, and she had been put onto a stretcher. I could hardly comprehend what was happening. With the wires in the oxygen mask and all of the paramedics around her, she looked so fragile and small; the lump in my throat grew. I walked closer to them all, tapping one of the paramedics on the back.

I forced words out of my startled body. 'E-excuse me, is she going to be OK?' I dug my nails into the palm of my hand, waiting for an answer.

'We're trying to stabilize her breathing, but at the moment it's not looking too good.'

He noticed my face drop with worry. 'We're taking her to Bluebrooke Hospital for further analysis. There's still a chance she could fight through it.' He gave me a sympathetic smile. The irony behind the fact she had to now fight through something she had caused herself started to stab at my ribs.

I turned back to face the police officers who were all looking at me. With the action, a few edged closer.

'I'm going to have to ask you to come with us, we're going to need to ask you a few more questions down the station.'