A Pirate's Tale [Larry Stylinson]

6 - Angry

It had become dark on the ship. Most everyone was already asleep. With a few exceptions of course. One being Louis.

Harry had allowed for Louis to sleep in a separate room. Pretty great, if it hadn't been for this one little issue. The captain had ordered for one of his crew members to guard him. And if this wasn't already bad enough, then it could possibly be made worse by the fact that it was Niall who had gotten the job. Great. One of the three who knew exactly what had happened back then.

Of course Harry would station someone close by who would mercilessly kill Louis if even the slightest bit of suspicion arose.
So instead of sleeping he tried to make conversation. He kinda felt like he had to, after what had happened years ago. Niall was owed an explanation and his apology.

,,Soo...how's life?" Louis asked casually while he was leaning against the door of his room. Niall sat a few feet away on one of the beds with his hand glued to the handle of his sword, in case he had to use it.
,,Shut up. No one wants you to be here."
,,Yap, thanks. I already heard."

That was harsh. But Louis tried to take his comment with a grain of salt. After all, Niall was more than justified to be angry at him.
,,Nevertheless, I'm here, and I'm terribly sorry for what I did."
,,Oh, tell it to the captain, why don't you? No one would believe you!"
,,I-I did tell him and I'm still alive, so I guess..."

Niall's brows visibly furrowed. His eyes were kept steady on Louis. The edge of his mouth twisted. ,,You do seem to be alive...still."
Niall could not really understand why exactly. But something within Harry must have thought it would be better to keep him alive. And who was he to question his captain. Styles probably had a good plan in mind which required for Louis to be here, Niall guessed. If it had been him though, he would have killed Louis the second he laid eyes on him. No words needed. Just reckoning what needed to be reckoned with. Regardless of plans. Yet, Louis was very much alive. Besides of the slender appearance and the almost dead looking expression on his face.

,,What did you tell him?"
Louis hesitated.
He didn't know what to say, or more likely, which parts to leave out of his story. After all, no one knew, even back than that he and the captain had a thing. So reasoning it with his love and desire for Harry wasn't the right way to go.
,,I-I.. Listen... I was in a bad situation back then. With my crew, with me. Just in general."
,,That doesn't sound much like a reason." Niall said skeptically.
,,Yea, I know. But you have to understand. My ego was down after being out-smarted by Styles and this entire thing with being teammates was slightly humiliating at the start. I mean I was just a pirate captain too. I had my own crew to lead, and I couldn't afford to lose my position of power.... Which is exactly what happened."

Louis recalled the events one by one, which lead up to why he was now desperately trying to apologize to Styles and everyone else, who had to endure this messed up day.
,,Basically multiple acts of humiliation and threats lead to why me and Zayn came up with that plan. And I'm terribly sorry we did."

Niall didn't have much of an expression on his face. Maybe cause he didn't believe his words or maybe because he had too much hatred for Louis. It was hard to tell.
,,What happened to him?"
,,Who? Zayn?"
Niall nodded.
,,Long story. Let's just say we haven't seen each other in months."
,,Did you kick him out of your crew?"
Louis chuckled a little at the suddenly more anticipated Niall, who just wanted to have his questions answered.
,,More like they kicked me out before we all split ways."
,,You're not a captain anymore?"
,,Nope. Just a peasant."
Niall was shocked. He was trying to hide it, but it was clear as day how much he didn't believe the news.
,,What did you do?" Niall continued, bombarding the tired boy with questions and Louis had a hard time keeping up with it.
,,I went behind their backs and stole half of the treasure we had found on that island and hid it somewhere."
,,Really?! Does the captain know where?"
,,He knows I did it, but he hasn't asked me about the location yet."
Niall's brows furrowed. ,,That's strange. We haven't changed the course yet. We're still heading for Spain."

,,We're going to Spain?"

--------------------

Meanwhile, Harry was having an equally hard time finding peace. He was laying in his bed with his gaze directed at the ceiling, as memories flashed past his inner eye. Thoughts of Louis. Thoughts of how everything had begun and how it turned into so much more.
His first fight on deck, the night they met. The agreement to be a team. The ships they fought off together. All the good things flashed his mind first, but then the bad things appeared. The images Harry couldn't get rid of. The freezing water when Zayn was stuck in that ship wreck and Louis stayed down there to help him.

Harry felt the chills creeping through his fingers and lips, which he hadn't been able to feel when he was in the ice-cold water to save them. Or how Louis fought him in this godforsaken cave. How he got knocked unconscious and later woke up to Louis, crying as he mumbled words which Harry could still not recall to this day. But he had the image of Louis' tear filled eyes on his mind. He remembered the last, rushed kiss and the dagger he had left for him in the cave before he had so abruptly left.
Harry had truly thought this would have been the last time he'd see Louis. But now he was back on his ship and Harry did... nothing.
He didn't know what to do with him. He didn't even know what to do with himself, really. He had repressed everything to do with the incident and instead focused more and more on playing his cruel, ruthless pirate role.

Harry huffed out air and turned onto his side. There were so many things he had pushed out of his mind after Louis had left. His feelings being the one thing which had no place in his heart anymore. He wanted them to go away, so he made them. And now he didn't remember how it felt to be happy or truly loved by someone. He remembered how it felt to be hurt though. And he never wanted to feel it again. But that's the risk of love, isn't it? Being hurt.

A bunch of old memories flooded his senses. This time, the images were of Louis and him alone. The kisses they had exchanged or their 'I love you's'. The two nights Louis had spent with him here, in his bed. In the very bed Harry was laying in.
It felt strangely cold now.

Harry closed his eyes to distract from it, but instead of the rest he was looking for, he got reminders of the love between them. The little things. The tingles and sudden nervousness or the tension that always filled the air when they were alone. He had felt those strange feelings today too. In a more quiet way, but he had noticed them.
Did this mean he still loved Louis? Surely not. He would never be able to forgive him for what he had done.