Fighting the Sunset

Chapter six, "I'll push you."

"Haz?" Louis asked from the couch. It'd been a week and he was on his second treatment, and he was able to be at home now.

"Yeah, what is it Baby?" Harry hurried in from the kitchen, thinking something was wrong.

Louis smiled, "we haven't been out in a while. Go for a walk with me?"

Relief flooded through Harry and his smile grew. "I'd love that Lou. Let's just make sure you've got your coat."

Harry bundled Louis up, it was only autumn and the sun was out and warm, but they weren't taking risks. Besides, Louis hardly had body fat.

"Such a nice day," Louis commented as they slowly strolled down the sidewalk. Harry hummed in agreement, taking Louis' hand in his own. Things felt normal again and it was nice. It was almost as if Louis didn't have chemo treatment tomorrow, and a surgery coming up because of cancer.

"Do you know what I feel like doing?" Louis whispered, pulling to a sudden stop. His eyes had gone all bright and excited.

Harry grinned and bopped Louis's soft nose, "no, I don't. Having ice-cream? Going into the city? Sleeping?"

Grabbing Harry's hand, Louis giggled and tugged him through the entrance into the park, "no!"

"Geez, slow down!" Harry laughed as Louis began to pick up speed. A fond smile crept onto his face as he spotted the swing set across the playground, still and tall.

Louis was puffing slightly by the time they pulled up beside them, "let's go on the swings Haz!"

"How about I push you?" Harry suggested, eyeing the swings wearily.

Louis didn't care, "okay."

He shuffled his butt onto one and held on tightly as Harry got into position behind him. A pair of warm hands circled around his waist and Louis chewed his lip, staring up at the sky as the swing drew back higher and higher. Maybe it wasn't that high, and maybe they looked like a couple of dorks messing about on a children's playground, but to him it was a realisation. This whole cancer thing didn't have to be the end of everything like he'd once thought.

He was still capable. He could still enjoy himself.

Harry let go and Louis swung forward, legs dangling. There were a lot of things that Harry wanted to say.

'Hold on tight Lou.'

'Tell me when you're tired Lou.'

'Be careful Lou.'

But Louis wasn't a five year old. He was smiling and laughing and Harry forced his lips shut. He wouldn't ruin it.

After a while, Louis grew tired. He tried to defend himself.

"I'm not even tired, Haz!" he whined as Harry yanked the swing to a gentle stop.

"You look like you're going to fall asleep and topple right off the swing," Harry said.

Louis pouted, stifling a yawn, "I'm not."

Harry stared into his eyes. Louis wasn't going to admit to anything any time soon. Or ever, he was far too stubborn and having way too much fun on the swing.

He decided to take a different path, "the sun's setting, it'll be cold and dark soon."

Louis giggled and rolled his eyes, but slowly slid off the swing nonetheless. He adjusted his loose jeans, "the sun doesn't set, Baby, we just turn away from it. We move and spin, but the sun doesn't go anywhere."