I Love You But I Can't Breathe

Chapter Twenty Four

Louis' phone was blaring with incoming calls by the time they got to the cove.

"Are you going to get any of those?" Niall asked, settling down on a smooth spot on the rocks.

"What am I supposed to say?" Louis asked. "My husband may or may not have morphed into some mythical creature?"

"It's not mythical," Niall muttered.

"You've seen them before then, have you?" Louis asked bitingly.

Niall nodded. "Briefly. I think. I was young. Everyone else was freaking out and they made me wait inside. I didn't really piece it all together until recently."

"Great," Louis said. "I'm glad that's the expert knowledge we're going off of here."

His phone rang again.

Louis sighed and decided to answer this one.

"Hey, Liam... I know, I know, I'm sorry. Yeah, Harry went off on his own... No, I know... yeah Niall's with me, we're trying to find him..." Louis' voice softened. "I don't know, Liam... I'll call you if we need anything... Yeah, I guess if you can call Anne, that would save me a billion... Just tell her we've got things under control... Love you."

Louis turned to Niall. "So..." he said. "How long are we planning on waiting here for?"

"The tide was pretty rough last night," Niall said, dangling his feet into the water. "He should wash up by tonight."

Louis sighed with a mixture of impatience an anxiety.

"Look, whatever happens, it'll all be over soon, alright?" 

It was meant to be reassuring, but Louis just felt nauseous as he surveyed the water, waiting for a sign, waiting for Harry to come back to him. 

* * * * * * * * * 

Niall was asleep and Louis was humming a song to keep himself awake when he first saw the glimmer in the water. The moon wasn't quite full tonight, but it was full enough to cast a glow across the water.

Louis scrambled closer to the water, trying to ignore the migraine he'd been developing all day. His whole body felt achy and he didn't know if it was from stress or not eating, but none of it mattered when he saw the flash of pale skin in the water.

"Harry?" he called out, feeling more ridiculous than he ever had, yelling at the ocean for his boyfriend who may or may not have transformed into some sort of sea creature.

His dignity was less important than finding his husband.

It was definitely Harry coming toward him with the current- Louis could tell that much as the pale outline came closer. What Louis wasn't sure of was whether he was alive or not. Louis' stomach churned as Harry's outline bobbed closer to them. 

"Harry?" he called out again, quieter this time, his voice shaking like he wasn't sure he wanted the answer. 

"Louis?" came the hoarse reply. 

"Right here, baby," Louis said, practically in the water at this point, with his desperation to get closer to the edge. He peered over the edge of the rock and saw his Harry looking up at him curiously, green eyes glittering under the moonlight.

"Are you mad at me?" Harry asked quietly. His voice was raspier than Louis had ever heard it. "I wasn't trying to... you know... I swear! I just needed to get to the water. I would never leave you like that. I'm sorry." 

"I know, baby," Louis said, laying down on his stomach so he could be face to face with Harry. 

"I'm guessing Niall figured things out?" Harry said, gripping onto the edge of the rock so he could be as close to Louis as possible. Their faces were inches apart now, but the distance was still palpable. Louis wasn't sure if he should kiss Harry or not, didn't know where the new lines were drawn, not sure how much of Harry was still Harry and how much was this new different being. He cast his eyes down, struggling to keep eye contact with Harry.