Guardian Angel [Larry Stylinson]

Chapter Seven

It had been a week since Harry had disappeared. 

My chest was empty. Lethargic and depressed, I could barely pull myself out of bed. My body was heavy and felt terrible, and I found myself getting dizzy every time I stood.

"Oh baby," Mum sighed, brushing the fringe off my forehead. She thought that I had gotten sick in Holmes Chapel. "Your friends are downstairs, do you want to see them?"

I nodded, fighting the tears that were ever-constant since he had left. Mum stood up, shushing the twins who had been waiting for her to make lunch. The thought briefly passed about getting up myself and playing with them, but it made my bones ache to even think about it. 

Footsteps rising the staircase brought me up onto my elbows- as far as I could get without getting light headed- and watching as the door swung open. Zayn smiled as soon as he saw me, Liam and Niall in tow.

"Mate, what happened?" Ni asked, his face tightening as he caught glance of me. "You look dead."

They sat on the edge of my mattress, running their hands across my leg. "Are you okay, Lou? Your mum said you were sick. Didja catch something in Holmes Chapel?"

A small shiver blew down my back, and I realized just how empty I felt. "Harry's gone," I whispered, putting my biggest dread into words. 

"What?!" 

After explaining, I laid back down and fought the tears stinging at my eyes. Why did I miss him this much? 

"Oh baby," Zayn sighed, holding me tight. He and I had a unique friendship; knowing each other since cradle days and spending most of our time together. "He won't even come when you call?"

I shook my head, biting my lip to choke back the sob. Harry. Harry please. 

"I hate to say this- I know you aren't overly religious like your mom- but maybe you could go pray at the church?" Liam offered, rubbing circles into my ankle. "He is an angel, if nothing else."

My shoulders shaking in despair, I shrugged cautiously. "I-I..."

"Hush," the brunette frowned, running his fingers through my hair. "I'm so sorry, Louis."

"Uh-" Niall started, quieting down to think about something. "Why don't we ask?"

"Ask who?" Li raised an eyebrow, turning to face the blond.

"Mine," he whispered, closing his eyes and mumbling a name. We all watched as a tall ginger boy appeared, smiling over Niall's shoulder. "Guys, this is Isaac, he's my Guardian Angel. I wanted to meet mine and well, uh, here he is."

"How-ye?" the ginger smiled, his accent thicker than the blond next to him. "M'name's Isaac."

I shot up into a sitting position, suddenly excited with the idea of hope. "C-Can you help me get Harry back?"

He eyed me over, squinting just a little. "Oh dear, y'really did love 'im, didncha?"

The blush crept into my cheeks and I finally let the tears flow.

Yes. Yes I did.

----

I found myself in the church every morning before school and every evening after dinner. 

Harry, Please. Can you hear me? Are you here? Harry...

"My child-" I heard an older voice say from my left. "Is there something you wish to talk about?" Turning to see who there was, I was face-to-face with the priest of the church. 

"Ah, Father," I exclaimed, standing up slowly. My body had recovered only slightly, but wasn't back to full strength. "Am I a nuisance? I can go-"

"No, no," He smiled, sitting me back down. "You have something that's bothering you, my child. Is it a disease? A death in the family?" His slightly-tanned skin crinkled as he furrowed his eyebrows. "Or have you sinned, my son?"

"A-ah," stuttering my words and pressing my hands into my lap. "Actually, Father, do you believe in Guardian Angels?"

His eyes searched me for a moment, pondering a proper response. He strolled over to the altar, grabbing his Bible and crossing back over, sitting next to me. "Psalms, 34:7. The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. The Lord protects us, my child, and each of our Angels protect us. Do you need help connecting with yours?"

"Father," tears stung my eyes once more. "My Guardian Angel was taken from me."

I explained my story, including the rules and happily excluding the feelings I had for him. His face went from confusion to disbelief to pity to something I couldn't read.

"My child," he whispered, cleaning his glasses on a small rag from his pocket. "This lad- Harry- is an Angel?"

"Yeah, I didn't believe it either," I whispered, digging my nails into my jeans. "But he proved it to me."

"I don't understand why he was taken, my child."

"Louis, call me Louis," Finally getting sick of the nickname, I wiped my eyes briefly. "He broke his governing rule- to not act without my wishes. Even if he was protecting me."

"But, Louis, You wished him to have his own free will. Does that not cover this incident?"

I went quiet, thinking.

----

"--iam He shouldn't have been taken I gave him free will-"

"-Yeah but-"

"-No buts-"

"-Ay mate-"

"-No!" I cried, falling back on my bed. Zayn, Liam, Niall, and Isaac were over, trying to help me calm down. That, of course, had turned into an argument between Li, Ni, and I, while Zayn read through his books- looking for anything that could help- with Isaac thinking out loud. 

"Look, Louis, I'm sorry," the blond sighed, running his hand through his hair. "I really am. But he's gone, and there's no evident way to get him ba-"

"-Right here," the quiet one burst out, his finger pointing to a paragraph in his mother's book- Guardians of the Supernatural- and started reading. "Towards the love of your Angel's Saint, you might find yourself alone. It happens rarely, but there are times when your Angel may be taken from you. The process is painful and causes a lack of energy. To regain your angel, it takes only the purest of intentions- sorry, Lou, no sex for you- and a strong will. Accessing an alter at midnight of an anniversary of your Angel's deathday, you will have to pray not for your angel but to their Saint, see figure below, and convince them your Angel was taken unfairly. We found it, Louis!" 

I threw my arms around him, giving him a big kiss on the lips, earning myself indignant huffs from Liam. 

"So, December 24th at midnight, in the church," Niall sighed, laying his head onto his Angel's lap. "How are we going to do it?"

Anything for my Angel.