Her Neverland [ Louis Tomlinson]

Chapter 21 : "I Need You"

Sᴏɴɢ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ sɪᴅᴇ - Lᴏᴏᴋ Aғᴛᴇʀ Yᴏᴜ ʙʏ Tʜᴇ Fʀᴀʏ




Chapter 21

LOUIS' POV





"Louis calm down, mate." Harry whispered to me as I stared towards Kyra with my anger bubbling up rapidly. "If you make a scene, you know that the first thing management will do is get rid of Harmony." His voice held a warning but nothing harsh like expected.



"There must be some truth behind it." I heard Kyra continue. "For example, is she really crazy?"



There was an amazing hush throughout the building and I couldn't help but feel my anger rise again.



"Harmony suffers from bipolar disorder, that's it. She isn't in the slightest sense crazy." I stated simply, hopefully hiding my anger behind some sort of calm.



"Oh Louis, come on. She is unstable. All the stories floating around on the internet, whether they be true or not, are a clear warning." She lectured and I felt my hand clench. Was she seriously talking about this?



I could hear the hushed whispers now moving around through the seated audience watching intently, waiting for something heated to happen.



"That's not fair, Kyra. The stories are done up by people who don't personally know Harmony. They probably don't have anything better to do with their time." I was beyond thankful that Liam had spoken up and was even defending Harmony. These are the moments when I realize how much I appreciate having the guys as friends.



What Liam said had caused Kyra to shut up on the subject of Harmony and we spent the rest of the interview on less sensitive matters. But if someone asked me what they were, I wouldn't remember. I'd spent that time thinking about Harmony.



"Louis, we're back." Zayn stated as he nudged me with his elbow, trying to get me out of the van. The drive from the interview went faster than I thought it would and I didn't notice that we were already back to the hotel. Sprinting out of the van towards the doors, I ignored all the people that had managed to surround the entrance of the hotel asking for pictures and autographs.



Quickly whipping out the room key, I gently opened the door and called out to Harmony. In the dim light of the room it was hard to see anything, but I could make out the shape of Harmony's small frame under the bed sheets. I silently took a deep breath, unsure what was about to come, and pulled back the covers the slightest bit to expose her tear-ridden face.

"Hey." I said quietly and smiled the smallest bit, hoping to lighten the situation. Needing to feel her warmth, I leaned forward and pecked her on the forehead before going to wipe away those senseless tears falling from her bright green eyes.



"Hi." She finally mumbled.



I pulled the blanket up higher so I could nudge Harmony over for more room. "What was with the quick exit, speed racer?" I asked as I moved under the covers.



Harmony didn't reply. She merely shook her head fiercely and snuggled closer to me. But I wasn't going to let this go. She wasn't there when the interview was over and Paul wouldn't tell me what was going on. Harmony has me worried. What happened, what was said, why did she leave?



"Seriously, Harmony. What's wrong?" I could hear the desperate edge to my voice but I couldn't stand to see her like this. Even with the thought of the carnival and the way she looked so happy couldn't help this.



She stared me down before taking a deep breath and speaking in her tiny voice. "I don't know how many more times I will have to say this before it gets through your thick head." She stated and continued before I could even ask what she was going on about. "The odds are stacked against us. We aren't meant to be. It's as simple as that. Your fans are worried about you being with me, which is understandable. Even your band mates are worried. They may not be as verbal about it but I can see the way they look at me." I couldn't take that answer because we always seem to disagree on this topic. Rolling my eyes, I replied.



"Jesus, this again? Harmony, you know I don't care and neither should you. If people have a problem with us than that's there problem, not ours." I explained exasperatedly. "Please understand that."



Harmony nodded her head weakly and I sighed while reaching for her petite hand that was wound up tightly in the blanket. Wanting to see it relaxed in my hands, I smoothed out her fingers and played with each individually to distract myself. Eventually I brought my gaze back to hers. "Can we just forget about today? Forget everything and just pretend." My voice had gotten so quiet it was merely a whisper.



My plan was to help Harmony forget everything that hurts her or causes her emotions to contradict each other. She needed a break and well, so did I.



"Pretend what exactly?" She inquired as her eyebrows pulled together in confusion.



"I don't know. Just pretend for a while that everything is normal and we don't have anything to worry about." I said and was thankfully met by a small smile playing on Harmony's lips and nod of her head. And whenever Harmony smiles, I have to.



I jumped from the bed and yanked the covers off of Harmony as I smiled down at her. Thinking up a plan, I reached my hand out towards her to help her up, but she stared at my hand apprehensively.



"Come on." I begged but she still didn't grab my hand so I sighed, maybe a little over the top. "We're going for a walk."



She kept her gaze to me but finally held her hand out for me to take a hold of and tugged her up beside me. Pulling her spaghetti strap shirt down a little bit from its place laying gently above her waist, since it inched up when she was laying down, she tangled her fingers in mine again as we moved out of the room. A single wink was sent her way before we got outside getting ambushed by fans and paparazzi that we skillfully ignored, like plan.



A content smile was spread across Harmony's features and it brightened everything about her. "Louis, I think this is more of a run than a walk." Harmony specified as I continued to tug her along at a rather fast pace. She laughed as I made a face at her smart aleck remark.



We continued on until we were far away from anything. I didn't have a clue where we were but I could honestly care less, as long as Harmony and I were together then everything was good.



Walking in silence, we edged towards a park that held resemblance of the one from the night after the carnival. The feeling of Harmony's hand held in mine seemed to be the only thing I was focusing on as we made it to the end of the park and stopped on the outskirts of a dimmed forest. I looked over towards Harmony and was greeted by a warm smile that was much different than her attitude before we left the hotel. It was something I could easily smile about.



Pulling her into the forest, we started an adventure where there was nothing to worry about and everything was normal.

















Harmony's POV



I willingly let Louis tug me through the thicket of the budding forest to be welcomed by a familiar glow.



__________________________________

Running through the filed of small yellow flowers, I kept looking back to make sure that he was a good distance away from me. But when I neared a tree I stopped abruptly behind it to take a deep breath. My chest was rising unevenly from all the running. Peering around the thick tree, my eyes darted animatedly searching for my one enemy.



A snap of a branch to my left caused me to swiftly turn my head in that direction. I was expecting the worst but no one was there. So I began pushing away ever so lightly from the tree and treaded quietly towards the outskirts of the forest. Taking each step at a time, I got so close to exiting the eerie woods but was stopped short my a maniacal laughter. The exact thing I was trying to get away from.



Whipping around to get a good look at the boy with flaming red hair, too many freckles, and green eyes to match mine. He looked quite wild with his hair catching the light making it look almost literally aflame and the jagged fake hook on his left hand.



"My dear Wendy, what luck I have found you." His spook to me in his childish voice that wasn't quite matured yet. He had a brilliant smile spurring on his thin lips.



I stayed quiet as I waited for his next move. Each step he took I felt my heart leap. My eyes flicked down for only a second to look at my bruises that littered my small knees. But when I looked up I realized it was the wrong move because the hook attached to the boy was now a mere three inches from my face.



"Wendy, Peter Pan should have never brought you here. Neverland is no place for a girl." The boy whispered as he slowly lowered the shiny hook from my face to his side. His words sparked anger throughout me and I tackled him to the ground covered in leaves that crunched under our impact. Drawing my wooden dagger, I lied it near the boys neck ever so gently.



"Take that back Hook!" My voice rang loud and clear in the hushed forest.



"Harmony, I was only joking." My brother, whose voice once held a harsh tone, now sounded timid. I guess I had a tendency of getting lost our make believe world.



I began to laugh at our ridiculousness and move off of Ben to reach my dirty hand out towards him. As I pulled him up, I put back my wooden dagger.



"Gosh, Ben. I was only playing. No need to freak..." I replied, nudging Ben's shoulder.



"You're bloody murderous, Harmony." He stated but laughed softly. Ben's stubby hand took mine and looked towards me before tugging me along. "We should probably go home. Mom and Dad said we had to be back before dinner and it is getting dark."



As we made our way out of the forest I began to feel an overwhelming sadness. I brought us to a halt and Ben turned to me questioningly.



"Ben, I don't want to go home. I want to stay in Neverland forever and never grow old! I don't ever want to grow up." I said a little desperately.



"Harmony don't you want to get a job, get married, have kids?" Ben asked me with honest curiousity. But I truthfully couldn't make sense of his question.



"Kids? Get married? A job? Of course not! That all sounds so boring!" I exclaimed as I stuck my tongue out at the idea.



"Well I do. So we have to leave "Neverland", at least for now." Ben supplied as he pulled me back home with him and I merely huffed in defeat.

_________________________________





"Harmony?" I heard my name being called through the funny haze of my flash back. My eyes adjusted to everything around me and I came to see Louis' blue eyes looking worried, yet again, into mine. The eerie feeling that something is to go wrong again started to dissipate as I stared into Louis' eyes. Why does he have that comforting hold over me?



"You okay?" He asked once he knew he had my attention once again.



I nodded in reply and gave his hand a squeeze. "I'm fine."



"You seem to say that a lot, Harmony." Louis mused but returned to our walk that had been halted thanks to my strange behavior. My head tilted to the side at what he said as I tossed the words around a bit before pushing them away and examining everything surrounding me.



After a little while, Louis brought us to a stop and plopped down to the ground sitting Indian style. I quickly followed suit. Sitting beside Louis, I noticed that the slivers of light escaping the leaves and branches were laying shadows in splotches on us. So only bits and pieces of his skin was in light and the others a little dim, making him look speckled. I assumed I looked about the same.



With all this staring I was doing anyone would think me strange but the thing was that Louis stared back about as much as I did, so I took up every opportunity to look at him. Each passing opportunity I came to realize something. I didn't just want to look at Louis but I sort of needed to. To make sure he was there. He was like a form of life support. With Louis close, I didn't feel so far from myself. I didn't feel depressed.



"What are you thinking?" He inquired after a few minutes of silence. I smiled a timid smile.



"Just how much I need you." I stated simply and that was a good enough answer for Lou because he nodded his head and shut his eyes. He laid back and began to hum something ever so quietly, and I just listened. Eventually Louis started to sing the words that went along with the hum but it was just a hushed noise, only loud enough for me to hear.



"If I don't say this now I will surely break

As I'm leaving the one I want to take

Forgive the urgency but hurry up and wait

My heart has started to separate



Oh, oh,

Be my baby

Ohh

Oh, Oh

Be my Baby

I'll look after you



There now, steady love, so few come and don't go

Will you won't you, be the one I'll always know

When I'm losing my control, the city spins around

You're the only one who knows, you slow it down



Oh, oh

Be my baby

Ohh

Oh, oh

I'll look after you

And I'll look after you



If ever there was a doubt

My love she leans into me

This most assuredly counts

She says most assuredly



Oh, oh

Be my baby

I'll look after you

After you

Oh, oh

Be my baby"



I listened intently to his voice that sent shivers down my spine. He stopped but it seemed that his singing still surrounded us in the silenced forest.



"I love you, Harmony." He stated with a content sigh. I felt myself stiffen at his words. Harmony, he has told you this before. Why are you so surprised?



Honestly, I wasn't surprised. It was more the fact that I was one hundred percent sure that I felt the same way. I was scared. Scared shitless.



"I love you, too." I surprised myself by whispering those four words. Unable to grasp why I said it back, I felt my eyebrows pull together in confusion and worry. But all contradicting feelings began to wash away when Louis brushed his hand on top of mine on the green grass. My eyes flicked down towards him to see that his eyes were still shut tight but a ghost of a smile played on his lips.



I knew immediately that I shouldn't be scared nor should I worry. I shouldn't worry anymore because I have Louis. And Lou is all I should need.



With those comforting thoughts in mind, I laid back beside Lou near his comforting warmth. We stayed in silence for a long while and I felt as if I could fall asleep, my eyelids drooping slightly. But a whisper to my right had a shiver running up my spine, waking me up completely.



My eyes snapped open and I looked to my side, my gaze searching. I didn't spot anything until I saw a flash of red hair out of the corner of my eye. Red hair I hadn't seen like mine for a while.