Tempest || l.s. ✓

Chapter 21

After watching a couple of episodes they had to stop, Louis having to visit Barbara's to pick up a couple of supplies for the pub.

Harry took the opportunity of the empty house, packing up his stuff and placing it neatly in the corner of his room before heading downstairs and placing the painting and letter on the coffee table with shaking hands.

Come to think of it, his whole body was shaking. Shaking with anticipation and fear.

He had been thinking about this for a long time. A long, long time. 2 or 3 years at the least. This was the reason he came to the island. To be away from everybody, to do this. And he would finally be gone.

He might be happier, perhaps. Or he might feel nothing at all. But either way, it was better than how he felt at the moment- how he had felt for the majority of his life. He would finally be free.

And so, as he took one final glance around the room, he pulled on his coat and tied his shoes. And then he left.

The journey to the cliffs was cold and dark, but Harry was hoping it would be lighter where he was going. So with that thought in mind he kept going, trudging through the slight rain and the harsh wind. Trudging to freedom.

At the edge of the cliff the wind was even harsher, whistling around him and nudging him forward, almost as if it was egging him on. Stepping forwards he looked around. This was it.

//

"Harry?" Louis called out as he rubbed his chilly, gloved hands together, stomping his feet to get the mud off.

With no reply he ventured into the living room, his brow furrowing at the painting and letter in the centre of the table.

The painting was of both the cats, sat in the garden in front of the flowers and Louis was stood in the background, smile so bright.

He allowed himself to smile at the painting, not quite as bright as he was in the copy of the garden due to the niggling sense that something was wrong.

Picking up the letter, Louis scanned over the first few lines.

Dear Louis,

When you're reading this I probably won't be here anymore. At least, I won't be by the time you reach me so please don't bother yourself.

He won't be here? Anxiety settled in Louis's stomach as he continued to read on.

I'll have been on the cliffs by the way, you know the ones where we first went? I'm sorry if this letter feels insensitive, I don't quite know how to go about it. But tell the police or coastguard or whoever you call that's where my body will be.

His body? Louis's blood ran cold and he immediately ran out of the door, letter and coat long forgotten. He grabbed his bike from the front of the pub, jumping on and peddling as fast as he could. When he reached the fields and it got too muddy he jumped off, sprinting as adrenaline coursed through his veins.

A wave of relief took over him as he saw a figure stood on the edge of his cliff, but he didn't stop. He couldn't stop. Harry wasn't safe yet. He was stood with his arms open, his back to the sea and Louis could just about see that his eyes were closed and his lips were trembling.

Tears glinted in the moonlight, adorning his cheeks like elegant strings of pearls. He looked hauntingly beautiful. If it were under different circumstances Louis would've stopped and admired him. But he couldn't stop.

As soon as he was close enough he called out, "Harry!"

Harry's eyes snapped open and his jaw dropped. "No, n-n-no. Louis go home. This wasn't meant to happen."

"Harry, please." Louis started with a strangled voice, "step away from the edge."

"No. I just want to be happy."

"Harry, please. Just let me talk to you." Louis begged, "please. Let me."

"What? What do you want to say?" Harry asked, his voice sounded choked and tears were still streaming from his eyes.

"Don't. Don't you dare do this." Louis held out a hand, "what about Gemma? What about Niall and Liam?"

"They'll be okay." He muttered.

"Would you be okay Harry? Would you be okay if Gemma did this? You haven't talked to her in months and then you're dead. She'll have missed out on all the conversations about your lives, about the new artist you discovered, about your new favourite TV series. She'll have missed out on your life, your life that will be over in a matter of seconds if you don't step away." Louis could hardly see through the tears that wouldn't spill, the tears that were filling up his eyes and clouding his vision.

He didn't know what he was saying. He didn't know if it was working. But all he knew was he needed to say something right. He needed Harry to stay alive.

"She'll be okay." Harry murmured, and it almost sounded like he was trying to convince himself.

"The last memory of you that Liam and Niall will have is when everything came crashing down. They'll hear about your death and they'll blame themselves for not realising." Louis knew he shouldn't guilt trip Harry, but he really didn't know what he was doing and all he needed was Harry safe.

"They won't. They'll be okay."

"Harry, please-" Louis begged again, wiping at his eyes aggressively. "Please come to me. Please just let me hold you. You can't go. You can't leave me like this."

"I need to go. I need this. I'm so fucking tired of everything." His voice was low and cracking in each sentence.

"Curly, you're the only one standing between me and those rocks. If you go I'm coming after you. I am not letting you leave me."

"What?" Harry looked almost betrayed, "no, you can't."

"Please H, don't fucking do this. Don't you fucking dare do this." Louis kept an arm outstretched as he inched forwards.

"Why must you insist on dancing in my storm?" Harry cried out, and just the way he said it sounded poetic and heartbreaking, "it's fucking poison!"

"Harry, fuck, please just come here."

Harry didn't respond, just letting out a loud sob as his knees buckled.

Louis lunged forwards to catch him, pulling him backwards and away from the cliff. Harry didn't struggle, he just clung to Louis's jumper, shaking violently.

Lowering the pair to the ground, Louis made sure to hold Harry tight and ignored the sodden ground beneath them. "We're going home." He spoke into Harry's shoulder. "We're going home right now."

"I-I-"

"Don't even say it. I'm not leaving you here." Louis's voice was thick and the tears had since spilled. "We're going to go home. Both of us."

Harry just shook against Louis with his eyes squeezed shut and heartbreaking sobs erupting from his mouth.