Chasing Empty Spaces

Chapter 2

"Okay," Louis quietly said. His hands dropped from Harry's body, "Open."

Harry blinked his eyes open and he instantly clamped a hand over his mouth at the view that came into focus.

They were stood on a dock that extended into a small lake. Pine and maple trees aligned the water's basin, kissing the lip of the lake with their roots. A collection of boulders trailed along the water's edge, each rock glistening underneath the soft beams of the suspended sun. A songbird dipped into the enclosed space, the surface of the pond mirroring every flutter of her wings until she perched herself on a sturdy branch. Every organism was illuminated with lush greens and oranges. Harry supposed it was the purest embodiment of life that he would ever get to experience.

"What'd you think?"

Harry turned to face Louis and just shook his head, unable to formulate words that could possibly describe how he was feeling.

"Yeah," Louis huffed out a laugh, "That's kinda how I was the first time I saw it, too."

Louis carefully walked around Harry, stopping at the edge of the dock. He kicked off his shoes and socks before sitting down. His legs dangled off the last wooden plank and his back was arched over to get a look at the surface. Harry toed off his shoes and tugged off his socks, discarding them on the dock. He sat down next to Louis and cuffed the hem of his trousers before slowly swinging his feet over the water.

After a few moments of nothingness, Louis asked, "Do you wanna talk about what's going on with you?"

Harry rested his weight back onto his hands and kept his eyes on the horizon. He watched the songbird freely soaring through the trees, living untethered and unbothered by the world around it. A heavy exhale pushed itself from his diaphragm.

"I have to marry Faye."

"Marry her?!" Louis' eyes practically bulged out. "I thought you just met her yesterday?"

Harry humorlessly laughed, "I did."

"But - I mean," Louis shook his head, "Why d'you have to?"

"Her daddy is partners with mine," Harry quietly explained. He glanced at Louis to see him already looking back with a frown etched over his face. Harry shrugged, "Apparently. that makes us a good match."

"Romantic," Louis snorted under his breath.

Harry rested his back flat against the dock, "Innit?"

"Is it -" Louis started then cut himself off.

Harry lolled his head to the side to look up at the other man, "Is it, what?"

Louis looked down at Harry, "Is it that you're in love with another girl?"

"Christ, no," Harry's nose wrinkled at the thought. "Definitely not."

"Why d'you sound so offended at the idea?" Louis laughed out, leaning back to mirror Harry's position.

"Everyone here," Harry weakly gestured his hand in the air, "Is plain. And just, I dunno, generally horrible to be with."

"Jeez," Louis scoffed, "Tell me how you really feel, Stud."

"I didn't ," Harry turned to look at Louis, the corner of his lips turned downwards, "You're not like that." He lowered his voice, "You might actually be the only genuine person here." Harry instantly blushed at the implication of his words and cleared his throat, "I was just talkin' about girls. Like, romantically speaking." Harry wrung his hands together, "I didn't mean that in a - Well, you know."

Louis pushed himself back to a sitting position, "Don't worry, Harry, I'm not gonna call you a fruit."

"Right," Harry awkwardly mumbled. He fidgeted with the material of his shirt, "What about you?"