Harry's POV
"IS EVERYONE ALRIGHT?"
I felt Louis squeeze my arms that were still tightly around his body.
Two people, a man and a woman came crashing into our campsite, a long hose in their hands and a couple other people behind them.
It took a moment for my eyes to adjust and realise that they were in fire fighters uniforms and that they were, in fact, fire fighters.
"Uh, yeah." Liam said. "We're okay."
"Are any exposed flames in the vicinity?" the girl asked. She was short and very small though strong and had piercings all over her ears and one through her nose. She had purple red hair and looked very sweet, though intimidating at the same time, despite her stature.
"Um, I don't think so." Zayn replied, looking to me nervously.
"Someone reported a fire in the forest in this general area." The man announced. He had dark spiky hair and piercings to match the girls.
"Yeah, there was a small one." I explained. "But I put out everything I could see."
"Alright guys, it's all safe." The girl turned and called behind her to the other people in suits. They nodded and turned away, taking the hose with them.
"I'm Michael and this is Erin." He told us, slowly walking closer. Niall and Zayn left the cooking table so we were all standing together.
I stepped away from Louis, knowing that I would have to explain and I helped him sit down.
"I'm fine, Harry." He protested under his breath so the others couldn't hear.
I just chuckled and let him go.
"I can do it." He said, sitting on the log and taking another drink from the water bottle.
"So we need to ask you a few questions." Michael said as he approached and stopped next to me. "There were reports of smoke?"
"Uh, yeah." I began. "A couple of the chairs caught alight and one of the tents. It must have produced a lot of smoke but it wasn't really that bad."
"Was anyone hurt?" Erin added, joining the conversation.
"Uh," I looked down and Louis who looked back with a glare.
"I'm fine!" He mouthed to me as he rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, we're all good." I said, looking away from him. He clearly didn't want me to baby him, even though I couldn't help but worry.
"Okay," Michael turned to Erin. "We're gonna have to file a report, since this is a national park."
"Okay," Erin replied. "You talk while I'll scope, yes?"
"Yep," Michael replied as she started walking slowly around the site. I think she was just checking everything but I didn't get long to think about it before Michael was asking me questions again.
"First of all, do we know how it started?"
I looked around at all the others.
"Um, we think it was from the fire that we left burning." Niall offered.
He shuddered. He obviously didn't like hearing about carelessness around fires. "Okay," he said, writing something on a notepad he produced. "And you put it out?" he asked, turning to me.
"Yeah. I just chucked water over it." I told her.
"Mmhm. And no one was hurt?"
Louis stood up and put an arm around my waist. "Nope. We are all fine." He said with a smile.
I turned to look at him with a worried expression. "Stop worrying," he whispered in my ear. "I'm fine." He added, kissing my temple to reassure me.
I smiled and leant back into his embrace, just like he had been before. It was nice.
Michael stopped scribbling and looked up. "And what kind of damage was there?"
"Uh, we lost," Zayn answered, stopping to count the charred chairs. "3 chairs and a tent. That's it."
"We received reports of a large amount of smoke. Are you sure that was all?" he added.
"Yeah. We're sure." Liam snipped.
Michael huffed at him, clearly not believing that such a small amount of fire could cause that much smoke.
"May I see-" he began but Erin cut him off as she returned to the group.
"Everything seems to be in order." She said with a smile, finishing filling out the report she was carrying. "The site is safe enough. How much longer were you planning to stay?"
"Just until tomorrow." Gemma told her.
"Well you're right to stay if you want to." She told us before turning to Michael. "I have a report filed out for the damage." She told him. "We're right to go."
He looked a little ticked off. Maybe he was expecting something big and dangerous and is upset that he's wasted him time.
I didn't dwell in it and couldn't bring myself to care. All I care about is that my Louis is safe. I squeezed his arm that was resting on my hips just to remind myself that he was there.
He squeezed my waist in return and a smile crept onto my face.
"Enjoy the rest of your trip and be safe. This was a close enough call. We don't want to be called out here again." Michael reminded us before he and Erin bid us goodbye and left.
"Well," Liam interrupted the silence we were left in. "That was...nice."
"I'm still hungry." Niall announced. He turned to walk over to the food bench and snapped his fingers over his shoulder. "Zaynie." He called in a sing-songy voice. "Come help."
"So what have we got to sit on?" Louis asked.
"Uh, well there's 3 chairs left." Liam said, looking around. "There's a couple of logs around too."
"Shotgun a chair!" Gemma shouted and jumped out of Liam's arms to claim one, leaving her boyfriend chuckling in her wake.
"Oi!" Niall called out from where he was cooking some pasta on the gas stove. "Do any of you wanna move the burnt shit?"
Louis rolled his eyes and let go of me. "Demanding little shit, isn't he." Liam joked as the three of us walked over to the fire pit.
"Always has been." Louis added as he reached down to grab my hand. I smiled as I let him.
"My book!" Gemma cried, bending down to grab a charred object from the mud.
"What's wrong, babe?" Liam asked her.
"My book's ruined." She sighed. "Damn, I was really enjoying that."
She turned it over, realised there was no salvaging it and put it in a rubbish bag hanging from the cooking bench as the rest of us moved some logs around and started a new fire in the pit before sitting and waiting for dinner.
"Oi!" Niall called out again. "Anyone got any music? It's too quiet."
"That's because you weren't talking," Louis retorted, making Niall gasp in mock hurt and hold a hand to his heart.
"Well," he snapped. "I-"
"Yeah, I do," Liam interrupted before anyone could insult the blonde kid any further. "I'll be back." He announced as he got up and walked to his tent.
Louis sat down in one of the chairs and pulled me onto his lap. I giggled as I moved around to get comfortable.
"C'mere," He cooed in my ear, making me smile as I snuggled into his chest and his arms wrapped protectively around me.
Even though I loved being able to take care of him earlier, I loved him taking care of me even more. It made me feel special, safe, loved.
"I love you." I whispered, not expecting him to hear.
"I love you." He leant down to whisper back.
No matter how many times he said it, I always got a weird feeling in my chest as my heart fluttered.
I hummed in content and kissed his chest through his t-shirt before closing my eyes to relax.
After a minute, I was bored.
"Louuuuu," I complained, opening my eyes and looking up at him. "I'm bored,"
He chuckled and was about to reply but Liam came back and interrupted him.
"Here we go." Liam said, placing the dock on the end of the cooking table and plugging in his iPod.
The first song to play was 'Love Today' by Mika.
"I love this song!" Gemma exclaimed, jumping up out of her chair and hopping over to Liam. "Everybody's gonna love today, gonna love today, gonna love today" she started singing along.
She grabbed his hands and pulled him into an open space before she started dancing with him.
Louis turned around as I sat up to get a good look at them. They looked like they were having such a good time, jumping around like lunatics.
"What kind of gay ass music do you have on your iPod Liam?" Zayn called out to his best mate.
"It's Gem's!" He exclaimed as he twirled Gemma around. "Did the hot pink, bedazzled case not give that away?"
"Well, I always knew you were girly, so it could have been yours!" Zayn defended, making me laugh. They reminded me a lot of Niall and I, making me look over at him. He gave me a knowing look back and I sighed, smiling. My best friend was the bestest best friend in the whole wide world.
Then I had an idea.
"Dance with me!" I asked Louis as I stood up and held a hand out to him.
"Ha. No. I don't dance." Louis replied as he tried not to laugh at our friends. My smile faltered a little.
"Please?" I asked him, sticking my bottom lip out to help persuade him.
He shook his head defiantly. "Nope."
"Fine." I stood up straight and walked away to join Liam and Gemma.
"Harry!" Gemma cheered when I joined them. All three of us held hands and jumped around in a circle, not caring that we looked like complete idiots.
Liam looked visibly uncomfortable but it was sweet that he would still dance with Gem. Eventually, Zayn joined us too as Niall watched the pasta cook.
After the sauce was finished, Niall put it all in one pot with the pasta and turned the heat off before covering it to keep it warm.
Just as the song was coming to the final chorus, Gem, Liam, Zayn, Niall and I were all dancing around while Louis watched and laughed at us.
Party pooper.
Why won't he come dance with me?
"Everybody's gonna love today
Gonna love today, gonna love today
Everybody's gonna love today, gonna love today
Anyway you want to, anyway you've got to
Love love me, love love me, love love"
We all sang along, half shouting half singing as we has a great time, jumping around to the beat.
"I'm gonna check on dinner." Liam told Gemma before he stopped and walked over to the pan.
"Okay," Gemma replied. "I'll grab a jacket, it's getting cold."
So Liam hurried off to finish off dinner and Gem left to grab a jacket, leaving me, Niall and Zayn dancing to the end of the song.
When it finished, I let of a sigh of happiness and relaxed as the next song began.
Heart beats fast colours and promises
My smile fell from my face as I realised what song was playing. Zayn grabbed Niall's hand and spun him around before pulling him close and beginning to dance slowly with him.
Even Gemma came back and wrapped her arms around Liam's waist from behind as he stood in front of the stove. They began to slowly sway side to side and he turned around to give her a quick kiss as he stirred the sauce around.
And I was left standing like an idiot watching two perfectly in love couples be adorable while my boyfriend sat and laughed at us.
I knew it didn't mean anything and I knew it shouldn't matter but I couldn't help but feel a little hurt.
Boyfriend?
I don't even know anymore... our relationship was so on again off again that nothing was certain.
We had said 'I love you' but that didn't mean we were together.
Did it?
I gulped and turned around to go sit back down by the fire, trying to hide my small frown but I bumped into something.
I lifted my head to see Louis smiling down at me as he stood before me.
"Dance?" he asked, his eyes sparking as the sun began to set behind him.
How to be brave
A smile slowly spread across my face and I nodded. He held his hand out and I took it before he led me back towards Zayn and Niall's ridiculous spinning.
I stood awkwardly for a second, not sure what to do but Louis just smiled and grabbed my waist, pulling me close so I could rest my hand on his shoulder while he held my other one clasped against our chests.
"This is only because I love you, you know." Louis told me. "Otherwise, I don't dance."
I rolled my eyes and smiled at him before leaning up to kiss him.
"I love you." I said after I pulled back.
Louis hummed and pulled my head down onto his shoulder before he started to hum, and then sing along to the song.
"Watching you stand alone, all of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow." Louis sang along in my ear. It sent shivers down my spine and I closed my eyes, listening to his voice fill my head.
"I have died everyday waiting for you, darling don't be afraid I have loved you for a thousand years. I'll love you for a thousand more." he sang softly, his voice lilting with the rise and fall of the notes.
I looked up into his eyes and as he spun me out, I saw that Niall and Zayn were back to cooking while Liam and Gemma were cuddling in a chair by the fire.
Louis and I were the only ones dancing.
He lifted his arm and spun around under it before pulling me back hard against his chest and in one swift movement, he connected our lips.
He kissed me passionately, pouring so much love into it that I knew exactly what he wanted to convey. His soft touch held so much innocence. There was no tongue, nothing especially sexual about it, it was just beautiful.
"I love you." He said as our foreheads rested against each others' and we caught our breaths. "I'm sorry it took so long to say."
"Don't be." I reassured him.
He hummed and we swayed to the rest of the song, slowly turning in circles.
I was about to speak again but of course, Niall's loud mouth had to interrupt us.
"Dinner's ready!" he called out. "Sit your asses down!"
I blushed and Louis laughed as he held my hand and lead us back to the fire so we could eat.
After dinner, we just talked and hung out and soon enough I felt asleep on Louis' chest to the sound of his steady heartbeat lulling me into a peaceful sleep, full of dreams of my blue-eyed angel.