The Glass Chelsea Boot (A Cinderella Story)

e i g h t

Harry's head hit the gravel road when his legs gave out. 

It was dark. Almost black, but no. There. There's the light, a dot, getting bigger, brighter.

The light came to a stop, it's a car, Harry was drifting in and out of consciousness, just to try and stay awake a little longer, he read the number plate.

P R I N C E 2 8

"Prince?" he rasped out before going cold.

———

Louis took a drive that night before the party, he was too nervous, driving usually kept him calm, it was a dark evening, not a car in sight. 

He was singing along to a song on the radio, it was catchy, tapping the beat lightly on the steering wheel.

His headlights were on, if they weren't he might've missed the body lying on the side of the road.

"Holy shit!" He came to a quick stop, barely dodging the person in front of him. After catching his breath he jumped out of the car.

Running round to the front he saw it was in fact a boy. He ran over and checked his pulse, no heart beat! Oh wait shit yes there is- 

He seemed to have slipped unconscious.

"Ah, fuck... what the fuck..." he was whispering to himself, crouching over this 'lifeless' body. There was no one around, what do you do when someone goes unconscious?

He carefully picked him up and put him into the passenger seat of his car, fastening his seatbelt over him too. 

He started to drive again.

"Ok, ok. Shit. Shit. Shit... whatdoidowhatdoido. Mum!" 

Louis quickly whipped out his phone, fingers trembling and called his mum.

"Come on, come on, pick up, pick up, pick up..." it went to voicemail.

"Shit!"

He called Paul next. The same. Niall? No answer.

"Come on Liam..."

"Hey Lou what's up?" The boy answered nonchalantly.

"Liam!" Louis practically screamed and almost swerved off the road in his surprise and joy.

"Louis? Are you alright?"

"No! Wh-where's mum?! Give me mum! I need- I need to talk to mum!" Louis spoke frantically.

"What's going on Louis? Jay's in her room getting ready for the party. You know I can't... aren't you here?"

"I went for a drive." He spoke bluntly.

"Louis! You're supposed to tell us shit like that, come on mate!" Liam groaned into the phone.

"Liam, for god sakes, you can tell me off later but I really need some help here!" Louis spoke frantically, trying to locate the nearest hospital which could very well be the one in Doncaster, almost half an hour away.

"Ok. What's going on, where are you?"

"I'm going down the highway with an unconscious body in my passenger seat." Louis was shaking slightly.

"What!?" Liam cried into the phone.

"I found him on the side of the road, he's got a pulse but he wasn't moving and- and I don't know what to do!" Louis was on the verge of tears.

"Ok, Louis, you are in no place to drive right now, you're going to get into an accident, stop the car right now and call for an ambulance. Send me your location, I'm on my way." 

———

Louis could hear them coming, sirens wailing, people shouting, paramedics, palace guards, Niall, Liam, Paul.

He was so overwhelmed.

Just as he was being pulled from the car and the paramedics were placing the unconscious boy into the ambulance, he saw his face.

Cinderella.

Was his last thought before he too, passed out, his blood still pumping startling amounts of adrenaline through his veins.

———

Harry had to blink and squint a lot before his eyes finally adjusted to the bright white in the hospital.

He groaned.

"You're awake." 

A voice spoke from next to him and suddenly he noticed that his hand was enclosed in someone else's.

"What happened..." he asked to the mystery person.

"I found you lying on the side of the road, passed out, are you feeling alright?"

 The voice was worried and oddly familiar, but he couldn't place where he had heard it, mustering enough strength to turn to look at who was talking to him he was met with piercing blue eyes and a kind smile.

"It's you." Harry gasped.

"Remember me?" Louis smirked arrogantly.

"Barely." Harry teased and Louis mocked hurt.

"Oh woe is me! Slaving, by your bedside for hours on end and this is the thanks I get?" 

He turned away, most likely to accumulate some fake tears, before facing Harry again.

"You know, I'm yet to learn your name." Harry grinned up at the playful boy.

"Louis Tomlinson, pleased to make your acquaintance." He grinned.

"God, you sound like my stepfather. I'm Harry." 

"Harry." 

Louis seemed to test the name out for himself before he smiled back, possibly wider than before.

"So, what happened?" Louis asked, he looked genuinely concerned.

"You know how it is. Gotta live while I'm young, right?" He smiled and Louis looked about ready to punch him. He managed to compose himself before speaking again, still very quietly, as if he was worried about talking too loud and sending Harry back under.

"So... do you not remember anything that happened before you... you know..." Louis was rubbing circles into Harry's palm and he found it to be quite soothing.

"Not really. It's all a bit blurry..." 

"That's ok. The doctors think it was extreme exhaustion. That I was lucky to find you when I did or-"

He couldn't seem to find the words to finish that sentence.

"Well, you really are my knight in shining armour aren't you?" He smiled.

"Your prince Harry, I'm your prince. And you're Cinderella apparently." He smiled cheekily.

"I am not!" Harry huffed and folded his arms, pouting cutely.

"Harry, I have your glass slipper in my car." He poked the dimple in his cheek and Harry scrunched his nose a little.

"It's a Chelsea boot." He mumbled.