This Road Has Been Putting Miles On My Heart

2

Chapter 2:

It was Thursday morning when Harry was leaving to New York. It was also 4 bloody o'clock in the morning and Louis was very, very tired. It all seemed so surreal when he helped Harry pack the last of his bags, flinging them in the trunk.

"You sure that's it?" he asked, closing the top shut and leaning against it with his hands shoved in his pockets.

Considering he was sending off his boyfriend to a university filled with interesting, arty people for four years, Louis was doing fine. The lack of sleep made it feel like he was hallucinating but he was more than fine with it. It helped lessen the pain actually.

"Yeah," he replied, mirroring Louis.

They stared at each other for a while. Harry was smiling so softy it made it seem like Louis was in a dream. He brought his head out of the sky and into reality. He raised his eyebrows, shrugging.

"Off you go then."

"Oh." Harry opened his mouth, surprised. "Right."

"You don't wanna be late."

Harry was stunned. He nodded to himself, walking reluctantly to the driver's seat of the car. Before he could hop in however, Louis tugged his arm back and enveloped him in a tight hug. Harry wrapped his arms around his waist and lifted him up into the air, Louis' muffled giggles coming somewhere from his chest. He set him down, his smile relaxed and easy.

Louis thumbed his cheek, smiling sleepily. "You'll tell me when you get there, yeah?" Harry nodded, smiling softly in the quiet dark. The sun hadn't come up yet.

Louis kissed him on the cheek and walked backwards. Harry got his cue to leave and opened the car door, smiling to say, "You can still tell me the words."

"Alright, then." Louis shrugged, his sleepy eyelids closing and opening to joke, "Stay."

Harry laughed bright and loud in the silence. He shook his head and climbed in, starting the engine. He waved at Louis as he backed out of the driveway, blowing him kisses and making ridiculous faces. Louis was too sleepy to return the gesture and merely waved. Before Harry left, he turned around and walked right back inside their, his, empty flat.

He missed when Harry's smile stopped at his lips.

He didn't make it to his bed however. Instead, he grabbed his phone, wallet, and keys and jogged down to the stairs outside. He climbed in his car and revved out of the driveway, fixing his rearview mirror.

Harry was gone.

The first night without Harry seemed the hardest, so Louis drove the quiet streets until he arrived at his destination. He climbed out and jogged up the short steps to the door. His hand was stuck on the doorknob, locked. He pursued his lips and started digging through the near pots of plants until his fingers caught on a silver key. He smiled and twisted the key in the lock, opening the door.

He threw the keys in a small blue bowl by the entrance and shrugged off his coat. Whereas outside was starting to get chilly due to the lack of sun, inside was warm and cozy. He toed off his Adidas trainers by the door and padded quietly to the closed bedroom door. He nicked it shut behind him and climbed on the bed, a tuft of blonde hair peeking through the top of the duvet.

He rested a hand to his warm, pale skin, gooseflesh prickling under his touch. The boy jumped and spun around, his big blue eyes bewildered. As soon as he woke up and realized it was only Louis, he knocked out instantaneously, his breathing resumed to deep breaths. He shifted in his sleep, Louis tucking his legs around his ankles and pulling the duvet to his shoulders. He decided on being the little spoon and turned around, slipping his hand underneath the cool pillow.