Stranger

Part 38

*Harry's POV! *
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He what? He's going to die? Just like that, leave me and everything? He needs a donor? Shouldn't he already have a donor if he's been waiting so long?
A million questions flood my brain, all concerning Louis. I still haven't answered him, I'm still unsure what to say. How could I answer this? The person I love? Dieing? How could this be happening to me? God I'm so selfish, acting like I'm the one who has it worst.
"How long have you known?" I ask, tears bubbling up in my eyes. They drip down my face before I can wipe them clear.
"The day you visited me in the hospital a while back" He whispers.
"What? That long? Louis why the fuck wouldn't you tell me?" I yell, startling him. I usually never get angry.
This time he looks at me, crying.
"I thought I would have a donor by now, then I wouldn't have to put this heavy medical stuff on you. I didn't want to hurt you" He says.
"Hurt me? This time we weren't together these last months, don't you think I would have spent every second with you?" I insist.
"Yes, which is why I didn't want to tell you. I wanted you to have a normal life still" He says solemnly. His eyes have sunken in these past few weeks, why haven't I noticed? My body suddenly feels heavy, almost as if the blood pulsing through me has doubled in size. My head becomes nauseous, my limbs weak. I look at Louis, with tears on the bridge of collapsing down my cheek. My throat is dry, my lips suddenly chapped. I want to be angry, I want to punch and kick, but I feel like I wouldn't have the energy. I can't be upset, because Louis can make it through this. If I give up hope, he will too; then he'll be gone forever. I love him, and it's hard to watch someone you love struggle. I'd rather have myself struggle, be pushed to the brink and have him on the sidelines while I endure the brunt of pain. Love is like an ocean, it moves you. It has moved me. Moved me in a way I could never predict, I'm a wave and Louis was the wind. We were tied together, like an anchor and rope. Anchor and rope.....
"Louis, how would you feel about getting tatoos? " I ask suddenly, after catching myself when my mind wandered.
"Um... that's unexpected and not what I had anticipated you saying" He answers, brushing the sheets smooth above his legs.
I grab for his hand, and twine my fingers into his, I wish I never had to let go.
"I ask because, well I thought we could get matching tatoos. So if anything...ever were to happen...at least we'd always be forever tied" I suggest, trying to build my case.
"As young as we are? I mean matching tatoos is the ultimate bond, Haz" Louis says, but his eyes show promise, and I tend to fulfill whatever he wants, so if he says no, it means no.
"No yeah, it was a stupid idea.. sorry for bringing it up"
"No, love, I didn't mean that. Just...well what tatoos were you thinking?" He asks quietly.
I hesitate before answering, "An anchor and rope maybe? " I look up to see him with a small grin on his face. "But if that's stupid then just I don't know don't worry about it" I interject before I can embarass myself more.
"Angel," He starts, my heart melting, "that sounds lovely. So whose the anchor and whose the rope?"
A smirk creeps onto my face, my dimples prominent as I begin to speak. "Well, I say I'm rope your anchor Louis, how's that?" I suggest.
He contemplates it before answering, "well I veer off without you, and you'd sink to the bottom without me,... no offense... so I say you're anchor and I'm rope".
"It's decided then. Where on our bodies are we getting them?"
"I'm not sure, you come up with it" He forces. Where would we get it? Somewhere obvious, so everyone can see they're matching... what do Louis and I do a lot? Well, kiss. But lip tatoos wouls hurt, right? We hold hands a lot, maybe hand tatoos? No, Louis wouldn't like that. I grab his arm, and fond over his face, trying to find inspiration. I rub his arm until I hit his wrist, and it hits me.
"We should get them on the outside of our wrists" I suggest, but more demanding.
"It's chosen, love. When do we get it done? I don't think the hospital will just let me waltz out" He whispers, hurt that he doesn't have his normal freedom.
"Well, you're just waiting for a donor right? You can just say that you want to remain as normal as possible until you get too ill to move or receive a donor" I put a lightly as I can, I don't want to upset him.
"You're right, I could ask"
Hours later, Louis looks like Louis again. No more hospital gown, no more hospital bed. He looks just I like him. Scruffed up, but my Louis.
"What are you staring at, love? " Louis whinely asks me after he notices me blatantly staring.
"You" I answer, my face turning bright red.
"Well obviously, who wouldn't?" He says, even when he's sick he can manage to have the sass of every teenage girl out into one small boy. God I'm so helplessly in love.
I just laugh back at him, and I drive to a tatoo shop I had heard of in town. Louis grabs my hand, and squeezes it.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" I ask quietly.
"Without a doubt" He answers confidently.
We walk into the shop, the whole place is exactly what I had anticipated. The walls are black, the windows slightly tinted. Sketches hang off of every visible inch of the place. From animals to astronomy, the sketches cover about everything I could imagine. I gaze at sketch upon sketch until I find the perfect anchor and rope. But they are connected....
"Excuse me sir, but is there a way that I could just get the anchor and not the rope?" I ask to the gentlemen with the large beard in front of me.
He huffs as he turns my way, "anchor and rope always go together don't you know anything about sailing?'' He asks, looking at me as if I'm the dumbest person he's ever met.
"Exactly. They are always connected. Which is why we're getting them as a couple tattoo" Louis says, coming up behind me to my defense. The way he says it so confidently makes me think about the nasty things I'd do to him. But I need to focus, and not on that.
The man looks flustered, and he nods in agreement that he can tattoo them separately. He looks mortified when Louis pecks me on my lips right in front of him.
I pick up the sketch and hand it to him, and Louis is the first to sit down. We show the man our ID's and we begin to start the whole process.
"One final request sir. My rope, could it be kind of in the shape of the infinite symbol, because then it'd mean forever, ya know?" Louis asks, blushing. The man nods and takes the ink to Louis beautiful skin.