hero ➳ h.s.

chapter twenty-five

Indigo came back from visiting Lionel and found Sophia and Liam sprawled out across the couch, trying to take some pictures of the momentous occasion. Niall kept photobombing the two. Louis was talking to a beautiful girl at the other couch. She had long brown hair, wavy, with a bit of blonde dipped on the ends. "Indigo!" he explained as he stood. "This is Eleanor Calder - Eleanor, this is Indigo." And, for the first time since she had met him, Louis blushed. "Eleanor's my girlfriend."

Indigo smirked and hugged Eleanor. "It's so nice to meet you," she affirmed, then asked where they had met.

"We met in the attack on Kernthaven. I'm in espionage for the West, and I saved his sorry butt from being captured."

"You did not! If it weren't for my chivalrous actions, you would still be hanging around with that good-for-nothing General Clifford! Hah! Who has a last name like Clifford?! What is he, a big red dog?"

Indigo rolled her eyes and moved away from the good-naturedly arguing couple and embraced Zayn as he spotted her. "I've got something for you," he whispered into her ear, and she followed him to the cabinet.

"Every time a member has joined the OT5, they've had to perform a simple but special routine." Zayn dug around in one of the drawers and produced a clear, small vial filled with a clear liquid.

Indigo watched as all the boys, including Eleanor and Sophia, gathered around Zayn. He ceremoniously gave the vial to Indigo. "We've had to drink the water."

Indigo stared into Zayn's eyes, smiling a little bit and thanking God- if there was one- for him. He was the big brother she'd never had. She looked around at the circle of friends she'd come to know and love - Niall, with his love of food and wide smile. Louis, with his sarcastic sass and love of life that made Indigo so very happy. Liam, with his intelligent spirit and kind heart, always willing to help.

And Harry - who was still being treated - wherever he was, with his bright eyes, popping dimples and half of Indigo's heart.

She locked eyes with Zayn and smiled, nodding. Zayn put his hand in the middle of the circle, and everyone else followed suit, piling their hands together in one big pile. "Yedi kez düşmek, sekiz ayağ," Zayn proudly proclaimed.

"Yedi kez düşmek, sekiz ayağ," the others chanted back. And with those words - the words that had changed her life - Indigo tipped the vial back and drank the water.

As the clear liquid ran into her throat - as she consciously made the choice to live forever - faces flashed through her mind. Her father. Her mother. Harry. Lionel. Richard. Maxwell. Harry. Elsie.

Everyone who had made a difference.

When the vial was done, she handed it to Zayn, while everyone hugged her and clapped her on the back, congratulating her endlessly and welcoming her into the family. Amidst all the confusion, a young man with curly hair and a clipboard approached them, clearing his throat.

"Hey guys, sorry to break up the party," he explained in a clear voice with an Australian accent. "But I'm here to see Indigo Evans?"

"Yes?" she stepped forward.

"Hey, I'm Ashton Irwin. I'm here to get you for one of my patients - uh, Harry Styles?"

--

Indigo followed Ashton down endless hallways until Indigo didn't know if she even knew where she was anymore. They finally reached a room marked 239B, with Harry's name written in bold letters on a dry-erase board beneath it.

"Go on in," Irwin motioned. "He's all yours."

Indigo peeked through the door, and there he was. Propped up on multiple pillows. She let out a little cry of relief, approaching him and then falling into his arms. He let out a little grunt of pain, and she shot back in alarm.

"Oh my gosh, I am so sorry," she exclaimed, wiping away her tears and backing away. "I-I can come back later-"

"Are you kidding?" Harry spoke - finally - in a raspy voice. "C'mere." She laid down gently beside him, resting her head on his chest. "I missed you."

"I missed you too," she sobbed - only happy tears, I'm sure - and then grasped his hand. "I love you."

"I love you too," he responded, kissing her slowly, and softly, and dangerously and beautifully - all at once, and that's when Indigo knew that this was their happy ending. This was when everything finally made sense. When everything finally collided and everything was finally okay.

"You're not an angel or a demon, Harry," she said softly after a long time. "You are a hero."

Harry smiled, burying his face in her hair and smelling her sweet smell. "I'm your hero," he said slowly, kissing her collarbone. Indigo laughed, and then nestled into his side, because that's where she belonged.

All of a sudden, Indigo's lips moved, repeating the words she had found in her mother's journal. Soon enough, Harry joined in with her - two beautiful messes colliding into a beautiful supernova called love.

"I promise you

I will try harder

to be better.

I have battled

with things

inside me

for longer than

you know;

I do not know

what they are

or why they

are there,

I only know

that they feel

manageable,

defeatable,

when I am

around you.

because I

have heard it

said that

men can only

be a lover or

a fighter.

but then I

always think

to myself,

"I am both."

for what good

is love if it

isn't worth

fighting for?"

--

ohmygoshhh only the epilogue left.

WHERE DOES THE TIME GO