hero ➳ h.s.

chapter fourteen

Harry insisted on seeing Indigo home, through the rain, and to make sure that Lionel wouldn't do anything that both of them would regret. Niall ran behind them and asked if he might tag along, to which Indigo consented to and Harry grudgingly agreed. Niall waved a fake ID at the driver and went to sit at the back of the bus. Harry ushered Indigo onto a train and tried not to laugh as she fumblingly counted out spare change from her pocket.

"You don't get out much, do you?" Harry said as they finally found a seat -- two rows away from Niall, but he scooched over to join them soon enough.

"I drive my own car," Indigo explained.

"Oh, right. You're a rich kid."

Indigo frowned at him and then stuck out her tongue at him. "Excuse me? Coming from the proprietor of-"

Harry clapped a hand over her mouth. "We're in public, darling. Watch it."

"We're in public, darling," Niall mimicked from his seat behind the two. "Honestly, you two, get a room."

Indigo blushed, then regained her strength and pulled his hand away from her face. "Why do you call me that?"

"Call you what?"

"Darling?"

He shrugged. "My descendants were British."

"And that's your excuse?"

Her eyes were focused on his lips, wondering how his voice could smooth over the words so simply, but so beautifully at the same time. She bit her bottom lip, wondering- if, just maybe- one day-

"Yes, it is." He swung and raised an eyebrow at Indigo. "And you? What are you familial descendants?"

"Canadian."

"That explains it." Niall muttered underneath his breath.

"Explains what?"

"You." Harry smirked, trying to hide it beneath his hand. "Canadians were always a bit screwed."

Indigo hit him, and Harry giggled and tickled her ribcage softly. "At least I'm not British," she gasped for air. "Then I'd be expected to be smart."

"Ah-hah, that's correct, madam. But the truth is, most Brits only pretend to be smart."

Indigo rolled her eyes and then relaxed into Harry's molding grip on her torso. "So, what was your most shining moment of glory in the land of being smart, huh, Styles?"

"Easy. One year on April Fools, we all pranked Zayn and formed an 'I HATE ZAYN' club. Well, us and this guy who didn't speak English. But I don't think he knew what we were doing."

Indigo laughed, then asked, "So what was the purpose of this club?"

Niall laughed and leaned in, scooting forward on his vinyl seat. "We started a rumour. But it wasn't just some preschool, kindergarten rumour-- no, no."

Harry smirked, then leaned in as if he was about to tell Indigo a big secret. "We said that Zayn was secretly a unicorn, but had been transformed into a werewolf by a giant, marshmellow eating bunny."

Indigo doubled over in laughter- partly from the insane rumour the boys had started, and partly from the mock security the two were feigning to have. Once the laughter had died down, Niall interjected- "But then there was the time Barbara tried to get us out of being arrested."

As Harry laughed, Indigo's face drained of colour. "You were arrested?"

"Of course we were! We're part of the-" Niall clapped a hand over Harry's mouth and frowned. "We're in public, darling. Watch it."