The Water Boy (Narry)

Chapter 44

Harry laughed as his hands ran down his legs, his body leaning forward as he stretched in his seat. "Just about. I didn't think I'd be this tired after playing only part of the match." He turned his head and looked at me. "Did you want to go?"

I answered him by letting out a yawn. "Does it look like I want to be some sort of party animal for a match I didn't even play in? Then again, I ran warm-up drills with you practically twice. I'm spent." I closed my eyes and pretended that I also meant that I was done talking to him as well. After a few moments I opened one eye to look at him before I sat up. 

"You know, I pictured this moment for you and I envisioned you much happier. Is all your energy drained from you or something?" I asked him curiously. After the initial toasting to Harry at the restaurant, I had noticed as the hype of it all gradually slipped away from him. "Or are you back to thinking what you could have done?"

He shook his head. "I am happy and, no, I'm not thinking back on it. I really just am tired and would like to ice my knee."

It was understandable. "How did it feel during the game? You didn't go see the field medic at all to check it out." I sent him a pointed look. He really should have gone to do that and Coach should have made sure it was done before he let Harry play tonight. 

"It felt good, real good. Then, once I figured that it wasn't hurting, I pushed myself more because I thought everything was back to how it should be. I guess I was wrong about that." He explained as his hands began to rub at his knee. "I didn't want to limp off that field. It's a pride thing."

"I know." I said once the bus started moving. 

For a boy with such pride, he still had much to hide. 

The rest of the ride back was silent for the most part. At the start there were only a few quick outburst and I was startled each time. I decided to stay up and look out the window. Neither of us talked to each much and when we did it was in a whisper. 

We got back to the hotel and the boys unpacked their bags from the bus, hushed words of where the party was going to be was passed between each boy once they figured the coach couldn't hear them. The coach was a smart man, so he probably knew before the boys did that there would be more celebration of tonight to follow once he had gone off to his room. 

I offered to carry Harry's bag once he met up with me again. He said that he had it at first but I could tell he needed my assistance, his walk seeming stiff. Liam was with him but he said he was going to hang around the party with the others for a bit, after he dropped his bag off in the room. He told us that he had a key so he would let himself in when he was done. Harry told him that it was fine and that we would probably be asleep by the time Liam came back.

The team went up the lift in small groups with their bags. Harry allowed everyone to go up ahead of our group, which consisted of me, Liam, and Baker. I didn't know the boy's first name and the rest of the team just called him Baker. The four of us rode up the lift last. It was silent until the very end when Liam said Baker could wait for him and then they'd go off together. 

"Do you mind fetching me a bag with ice when I take a quick shower? I'm gonna go solo on this one." Harry asked me once Liam unlocked the door for us. He told Baker to just wait outside here and as we walked in he shouted a "good job tonight," to Harry. 

"You couldn't wait for that comment until I left could you?" Liam asked as he shook his head, throwing his bag down. "Harry, can you wait just a second? I want to change my shirt before I head out." 

Harry nodded. "It's all yours. And, no, I had to make sure Niall knew that we don't have to take every single shower together." He laughed, raising his arm to protect his face once Liam removed his shirt and threw it over at Harry. Then Harry looked over to me with a sly grin.