Over the Centuries

Teil Sechs

Harry woke to the chirping of birds and sunlight on the windowpane. The curtain ruffled slightly from a morning breeze. It was peaceful and warm, strong and safe. Louis' arms were loosely wrapped around Harry's middle and he was mumbling in his sleep. Harry panicked momentarily because he was at loss of what to do. He didn't want to be in Louis' arms, yet he knew it would be awkward if he tried to escape them and the other lad were to wake up. If only Louis had woken first. Ugh.

Therefore he laid still and pretended, so once Louis opened his eyes he could go and make breakfast or something, and they could just avoid a very embarrassing moment. Harry tried to relax, he really did, but it was rather difficult with his heart jumping around as it was.

He eventually dozed through the morning until Louis stirred by half ten. He moved his arm from Harry's body and placed it over his eyes as he heaved a deep sigh. He peered at the window from under his elbow and eyed a bird, where it pecked at the windowsill. Then he looked at Harry's sleeping face and smiled gently. He couldn't believe he had finally found the lad he'd missed for such a vast passage of time. Louis wanted to kiss him, but refrained as he had no idea how he was supposed to explain away something like that, if Harry were to wake.

The younger was especially beautiful in this light. And not the usual crap about his shimmering eyelashes or the sunlight caught by his sleepy curls. In this light, Harry looked like he had escaped to another world. Not only did he look safe and protected, without any madmen after him, he also seemed strong, brave and exalted. Like he could take on the world and it'd be the easiest thing. He shone like a warrior and he wrapped Louis in his light. The brunette could literally stay like that forever, he was sure of it. But breakfast needed to be done so he reluctantly did not stay like that forever. He got up and went to the kitchen where he unloaded last night's grocery shopping on the floor. It consisted mostly of ready meals that were only in need of some heating. Louis... wasn't a very talented cook.

"What's all this?" came Harry's morning voice from the door when he saw all the packages spread about the kitchen floor.

"Uh, breakfast?" Louis felt like he'd been caught by a parent doing something he wasn't supposed to.

"But where are the things you bought yesterday? Eggs, milk, veggies? Healthy things?" Harry demanded.

"Well," Louis looked up at him sheepishly. "I'm not very good with those."

"But-but we can't eat these things," the younger of the two sat by the piles of cold meals and looked like he was about to cry. "Hey, hey. It's okay. I can buy those things next time I drive into town. Does that sound good?"

Harry looked like he'd been saved from sharks.

"Oh thank god, because I'm eating none of that."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying, you better hurry up. Before I starve please."

Louis gave him a blank look.

"Are you serious?"

"Deadly."

"Ah well then. Okay wow. Could you at least eat one for breakfast?"

"Never in a million years."

I can wait, Louis thought.

"Alright, suit yourself. But I'm going to take one because I'm not leaving on an empty stomach."

Harry nodded, satisfied while Louis produced a cheap looking phone from the bag on his lap and handed it to Harry.

"Call your mate while I eat so I can dispose of it while I'm out. Who knows, maybe I'll run it over," Louis chuckled for himself.

Harry walked back to the living room as Louis started making a ruckus for his breakfast. Harry hastily pressed the digits of Zayn's phone number and put it to his ear. After two signals Zayn's tired voice answered.

"Zayn speaking."

"Hey, mate," Harry greeted, which okay, he could've done that better. Zayn freaked out and talked faster than Harry had ever heard. "OhmygodHarry! Where are you? Why did you leave? Are the police correct about your being kidnapped? And- ohmygoodness are you with your kidnapper right now? Please tell me how to find you, Harry, please."

"Hey, take it easy, sit down. I'm fine and I wasn't kidnapped, the police are wrong. I just wanted to get away and be on my own."

"How could you even afford that with your salary? Harry-"

"No, I'm not at aunt Alberta's."

"What?"

"Haha, how could you think that? I would never return to the Tsaoc, not after the Nancy-incident."

There was a pause.

"Fuck, you're with him right now aren't you? That's why you're talking shit?

"I'm not sure if I'll stay in one place for long. I've always wanted to travel the world and really, there's no time like the present. So, I'm truly sorry Zayn, but we most likely won't be seeing much of each other."

"You're lying about all that, right? You're kidding? Please, if you are, then congratulate me, for becoming a father. That won't seem too suspicious, right? Then I'll know."

"Congrats to the lovely child, Zayn! Wow, I can't believe you're a father now. What's his or her name?"

"I'll try to find you, Harry," Zayn's voice sounded frail but determined.

"Clara is a beautiful name. I hope I'll see her one day. Maybe when I've finally said I've seen enough of the world. Goodbye Zayn."

Harry hung up before his mate had a chance to reply. He sighed deeply and slouched his shoulders, relaxing them from their earlier tense pose.

"That was very brave, Harry, I'm proud of you. You just saved Zayn from getting caught up in all of this. Might've even saved his life, you know," Louis said from the door where he stood, eating heated soup. A large boulder sank to the bottom of Harry's stomach, and he felt certain it was his heart.