In Your Arms(ON HOLD)

Chapter 6

(Ziam's Anniversary-Part 3)

"I know but that does not stop me from doing what I did and you of all people, know that very well", Louis stated matter-of-factly and without waiting for Harry to reply, he made his way through the bubble of guests towards the kitchen of the flat. Not that Harry was going to reply because he knew that Louis was right.

Soon enough they were done with the cake-cutting event of the party. Much to his surprise, Zayn and Liam were ecstatic when they saw the bracelets and flowers Louis had got for them. Louis was glad and relieved that they liked it because he had never been good with gifts unless he was told what the person wanted. Niall nearly told them that Louis had forgotten about their anniversary, however, Louis made sure that he does not do so by kicking him on the ankle lightly but sternly.

The dinner was a three course meal and it was absolutely delicious. The cuisine was  a mixture of traditional Pakistani food and British food. The guests loved it and how they could not. Zayn and Liam were good at throwing parties even during their Uni days and now their skills had only  improved so much. Zayn, the creative one and Liam, the sweet one.

Louis did not see Harry anywhere. He knew he shouldn't be concerned but he was and he would never be able to deny it whatsoever. He did not eat much and he could feel Niall's gaze on his every movement. He had to pretend to be sick to escape Niall even though Niall was reluctant to leave him on his own. He was getting antsy about Harry by the time he got out of the house.

He saw a figure sitting on the short boundary wall around the house. He approached slowly so as not to scare the person away. The person was sitting as much away from the street lighting as they could to avoid getting spotted but the moonlight had planned otherwise.

Louis was a few inches away from the person when he noticed their long curls and immediately regretted his decision of watching out. Not because it was Harry but because he had never seen Harry look so perilous. He could have run away considering that the other boy had not noticed his presence yet, however, Louis chose to do it the other way.

He climbed the wall at the closest spot to the other boy and seated himself there. The surface was cold so it sent shivers through his body but Louis stayed in his place and looked at Harry through hooded eyes. Harry was sipping beer from a bottle. The three empty beer bottles lying close to his feet made it clear that he had been there for a long time now.

When Harry turned to look at him, Louis froze under his red eyed gaze. He had been crying? There were dried streaks of tears on his cheeks. This information only made Louis more guilty of his past actions and more concerned about Harry's well being. They kept staring at each other for a long moment, then Harry silently reached out to his left and offered Louis a new bottle of beer. Louis rejected the offer only to pull the half empty bottle out of the hold of Harry's right hand and took a sip from it looking straight at the dark road in front of them.

Harry stared with wide eyes from Louis' lips to the bottle in his hand. When Louis did not look at him again, Harry opened the new beer bottle and started chugging on it. They sat in silence for God knows how long, even after their beer bottles were empty.

Louis half expected Harry to scream at him but that did not happen and this only added up to his anxiety because he needed to hear Harry's voice even if it meant getting cursed at. In his peripheral vision, Louis saw Harry looking at the stars blankly.

Harry was the first to break their somewhat comfortable bubble of silence. He turned his face to look at Louis and asked, "What do you think these stars signify?"

Before Louis could even process Harry's voice, Harry was back at star-gazing as if he had not spoken at all. Louis thought for a few moments while looking at the stars twinkling in the moonlit sky and then said, "They signify that there is light even in the darkest of times only if we know where to find it."

"Yes, that for one is true but there is more to these sparkling balls of light than that. I expected a more diplomatic answer from you", Harry said, smirking at the sky.

Louis looked at Harry in question, a frown deepening on his forehead. Without looking away from the sky, Harry continued his theory, "Remember when we were kids and we used to think that these stars are following us everywhere we go? Only if we knew the importance of their company back then", Harry smiled sadly, "These stars signify lifelong companionship; there is nothing that can separate us from them, not even the light years of distance or the brightness of the sunlight during the day. They are always just there in the sky, never leaving us alone."

Louis wasn't a very emotional person but he could feel tears stinging at the back of his eyes for some unknown reason. He had always known that Harry was a deep thinker, even witnessed his rants but today was different as if all those words were meant to be known to him and him only. Louis could not bring himself to seek again afraid that those tears will spill out from his eyes so they just sat there staring at the stars which signified so much more than anyone could ever think.

After a few minutes, Harry picked up all the empty bottles around his feet, reaching out across Louis' body and taking the one from his side too. Then he got down from his place and started walking towards the direction of his home without uttering another word. Louis watched Harry dumping the bottles in a bin around the corner and then disappearing into the dark night like a phantom.