"So many people are shut up tight inside themselves like boxes, yet they would open up, unfolding quite wonderfully, if only you were interested in them."
Sylvia Plath
"Hey, wake up." There's a nudging at Harry's shoulder. He groans, batting the hand away. "Wake up, Sleeping Beauty.
"Sleeping Beauty needs a kiss to wake up."
"Then it looks like I'll be the one meeting Louis. You can stay on the train." Niall says, making Harry open up his eyes to look at him.
"I can't kiss you again once we get off this train."
"Finally, some sense." Niall smirks. "The man in a relationship draws the line somewhere."
"Please?"
"If you give a pig a pancake, he's going to ask for some syrup to go with it." He grins, and Harry sits up and stretches.
"I swear I only need one kiss."
"I don't need any, how do you feel about that?" Niall asks, and Harry pouts.
"I feel sad."
Niall laughs, tugging on Harry's arm to get him to stand. "We need to head out."
"Alright." Harry sighs, submitting to his kiss-less fate. He grabs his backpack, and Niall grabs his luggage. The pair exit their train car and find their way inside the train station.
"Are you hungry?" Niall asks, and Harry shakes his head.
"No, not really."
"Okay, then head that way." Niall points in a different direction than Harry had been walking. Listening to him, Harry turns and starts walking that way. They reach the exit doors quickly, and once they're outside Harry decides that he's in love. The architecture reminds him of the older buildings in Boston, and he thinks he could stare at the station for eternity.
"Oi, Tourist. Keep walking." Niall calls to him from thirty feet away. Harry moves to catch up, still glancing back at the building every few seconds. "Take a picture, so you can remember what it looks like."
Harry nods, taking his backpack off of his back and pulling out his camera. He snaps a photo of the station and puts the camera back. The two men walk down the sidewalk, Niall directing the both of them, because he seems to know where he's going. They make small talk, and Harry can't stop thinking about how after today, he will never see Niall again.
"Harry." Niall's voice brings Harry back into the present.
"Hmm?"
"I asked you what kind of restaurant you wanted to get reservations for."
"Actually..."
"What now?" He asks.
"What if you gave me a miniature tour of the city first? Before we did anything else. I mean, I'm here aren't I? I should explore."
"Suppose." Niall shrugs. "We can walk around or something. I don't know how well of a tour I can give."
"You seem to know exactly where you're going now." Harry points out, and Niall bites the inside of his cheek.
"So?"
"Does your family live here?"
"Why would you think that?" Niall scoffs, walking a little faster making Harry struggle to keep up at first.
"You said you had nothing against the city, but you obviously do. Yet you know the streets. You used to live here." Harry puts two and two together as he speaks. He's confused as to what happened that made Niall leave such a lovely, vibrant city, but he knows better than to ask right now.
"We're here to get you engaged, not to analyze my life." Niall states, a bitter tone in his voice. "So, let's just do what we came to do."
"I'm sorry, you know."
"What?"
"Whatever happened." Harry says. "I'm sorry that it did."
Niall scoffs, running a hand through his hair. "It has nothing to do with you. There's no need for you to be sorry."
"Still. It's obviously messed with you. Your family must-"
"Don't talk about it, Harry. Okay? You don't know what you're talking about, alright? So just stop. It doesn't concern you." Niall is coiled tightly, and Harry can feel him about ready to snap in any moment. He takes the opportunity to remain silent. Words have yet to help a single thing, anyway.