A Pirate's Tale [Larry Stylinson]

5 - Progress

Louis sat in the corner by the door, with the difference that Harry was no longer towering over him. He was back at his desk, trying to scribble some sense onto paper, but he just couldn't focus. Louis' presence made him uncomfortable. He distracted him.

,,Have you eaten yet?"
Louis just shook his head.
Harry nodded with some kind of awareness, before he grabbed something out of a box, stood up and walked over to Louis. It was a piece of bread. Not that Louis was hungry or anything, but he appreciated the unexpected gesture from the captain.

His hands were untied and the bread left on his lap. This was all Harry did before he returned to the work on his desk, ignoring Louis once more.

Louis started nibbling away on the piece of bread. It was probably the first thing he got to eat since the apple he had before he got kidnapped by Styles. Which was probably over 24 hours ago. Yet, he had no rush eating and just chewed it with disinterest.

,,Have you even eaten anything since we last met?" Harry asked. He was trying to play it off as a funny, mocking joke but barely managed to keep the bits of worry out.
,,I have."
It got quiet again.
Harry had nothing to say and neither did Louis. He just watched the captain scribble while biting off tiny chunks of bread. His eyes were basically glued to Harry's figure. This was probably why Harry had felt so uncomfortable for the last couple of minutes. But Louis couldn't help himself. He hadn't seen him in so long and now, finally, he was right here in front of him. But he knew the person not far from him was nothing like the Harry Styles he had met in previous years. Because he wasn't. He had a different attire, a new style and a bunch of new dangerous weapons dangling from his belt. Yet, he still had those same damn beautiful green eyes, which could hold so much love and lust. Louis knew they were capable of expressing those emotions, but they probably haven't in a long, long time.

,,You look terrible." Harry finally said. He couldn't stand the look of Louis' tired eyes, his slumber body, his distorted figure, nor the penetrating stare he received from the smaller one.
,,Wow, thank you." Louis mouthed while munching some chunks or bread.
,,No seriously, you look like you barely escaped Death."
,,And yet I am back on his ship."
Harry smirked a little at Louis' remark, cause he was damn right. Harry had earned this title by now. He was the embodiment of Death. He caused it. He had inflicted it on so many, and he was so very proud of it.

,,Get up." Harry unexpectedly commanded.
Louis couldn't even react to the words. He just stopped nibbling on his bread and looked up at Harry like he needed to hear it again.
,,C'mon. Get up!"
And Louis did. God, he was thankful he did cause one minute more on this damn plank floor and his legs would have died. They already stood shaking and unsure by the time Louis had stood up.

Harry carefully looked him up and down, as if his gaze alone could break Louis.
,,When was the last time you held a sword?" Harry spat out snarly.
,,What- Are you trying to recruit me now?"
,,Well, you can't go anywhere, and you might as well make yourself useful while you're here. Now answer the damn question!"
,,I don't know. One year ago. Maybe two."
,,Oh lord." Harry mumbled in frustration. ,,Have you lost your ability to be a functioning pirate completely?"
,,I-I mean I guess."
,,God, Louis. Why do I even keep you on this ship?"

And at this point, Louis' heart skipped a beat. Harry had called him by his first name again. After three years. But the way he had said it, made his heart crack again. He sounded so disappointed and even though Louis had done nothing but answer the question, he still felt ashamed.
Normally he would have countered Harry's words with a sassy remark or something, but he didn't, cause Harry had said his name just like he would in Louis' worst nightmares.
Night after night, his own name would ring through his head, just like Harry had screamed it three years ago in that cave. When he had bagged him to promise that his death wasn't Louis' intention. Louis was in agony when he got those flashbacks.
Hearing his own name spoken by Harry, was like pouring salt into a fresh wound.