"Cause this is the day that everything changes
And the world stops turning..."
Missy Higgins
Louis stood back and looked at the slightly lopsided tent to survey their handiwork. He had just finished helping Stan and Zayn erect the tent and it looked pretty good, if a little uneven.
Actually, "helped" might be too strong a word to describe his contribution to the process, truth be told. He was more like a foreman – the one who orders the others around and oversees the actual work, but contributes very little of the physical effort.
"Not bad lads – looks sturdy enough to contain us" he grinned.
"Yeah, only it seems to get smaller every year" Zayn frowned, tilting his head to the side and wondering how they were all going to squeeze into it. "Are we even going to fit this year?"
Stan laughed. "Don't worry Z – you and I may have grown, but Lou here is still pocket sized, so I think it'll do us one more year, yeah?" He let out an "oomph" as he hit the ground, Louis tackling him hard.
"I may be compact" Louis told him smugly "but I can still kick your arse Lucas!"
"Owwww" Stan groaned. "I think you broke my spine!"
Louis just chuckled, standing over him after he'd got to his feet and Stan still lay on the ground, pointing a finger and saying "think twice before you call me pocket sized again you twat!" Then he held out a hand and pulled Stan to his feet, both of them smiling.
The three of them shared this same tent every year – even as they grew bigger and the tent seemed to shrink around them. This camping trip was an annual event for their families, who had been friends since the boys were little, and they all looked forward to it each year – continuing to come despite being in their early twenties. Twenty three to be exact, which horrified Louis, because, when did that happen? All three of them were very close to their families and loved this chance to spend some quality time together.
The spot they now camped was one they'd stumbled upon by accident years ago while searching for a different camping ground altogether. When they'd pulled up next to the pretty clearing, with soft green grass and a flowing river, they'd immediately fallen in love with it and had claimed it, returning every year in the summer for five blissful days.
The tents were all set in a semicircle around the campfire pit on the riverbank – except for the one that was currently lying on the ground in a heap. Louis shook his head, smiling fondly as he walked over to where Lottie and Fizzy were arguing over the logistics of putting their tent up. Jay was calling out directions as she blew up mattresses for her, Dan, Daisy and Phoebe, who were in the next tent along – a slightly bigger one than the others. Trish and her girls were the next tent along and Bev and Rod Lucas were on the far end.
"Need any help girls?" Louis teased as he cocked an eyebrow at the current mess of ropes and canvas lying on the ground. When they both started talking at once, arguing commencing again, he just laughed and called out to Stan and Zayn to help him get the tent up. They took over and had it up in no time.
"Thanks lads" Lottie smiled.
"Yeah thanks" added Fizzy.
"No problem monsters!" Louis grinned, pulling Fizzy into a soft headlock as she screamed and struggled. He let her go and poked her in the side. "You're on your own with blowing up the air mattresses though!" he called over his shoulder as he and the boys headed over to the clearing to play football.
The game expanded as the girls all joined in one by one – it also became less physical, much to Louis' disappointment.
"Why couldn't any of us have had brothers? We are ridiculously outnumbered by females!" he complained.
Despite his bellyaching, he loved every minute of the game, teasing his sisters with his ball skills and letting Phoebe and Daisy get past him to score on purpose, just to see their grins. They even got a bit cocky and started teasing him, which he found beyond adorable and he just threw back his head and laughed. All in all, it was an afternoon well spent before they started to feel the chill of the evening air and all slipped into track pants and hoodies and set out some chairs around the fire pit, ready to make their evening fire.
When Louis emerged from their tent, slipping on an old green hoodie that had seen too many camping trips to mention, he wandered toward the group of people currently discussing how to set the logs for a fire.
"Step aside people!" Louis bellowed as he barged through to the centre of the group. "No need to stress about this, I've got it sorted – like always, we'll do it the Tommo way!"
Zayn rolled his eyes and Stan laughed. "The Tommo way usually ends in disaster mate!"
Louis gave them a mock lock of indignation. "How very rude! And I'll have you know that setting Zayn's jacket on fire was an accident – and I still maintain he was to blame and really, that was years ago, so let's move on and get over it, shall we?" There was a collective groan as Louis, once again, denied responsibility for setting Zayn on fire, when it was very much his fault.
He looked down at the haphazard pile of logs and frowned. "Well, we have a problem here already – or a start, you kids only have large logs here. We need smaller logs and some sticks for kindling. Better go for a walk and collect some smaller stuff or we'll never get a fire started."
"Can we come too?" asked Daisy.
Louis reached out and ruffled her hair, smiling fondly. "Of course bug. Let's go!"
He took Daisy's hand in his and Phoebe grabbed his other one. As they wandered around, collecting up small sticks for kindling, he chatted to his youngest siblings, asking them questions about anything and everything and simply relishing the chance to connect with them. His life was incredibly busy these days, being his first year out of Uni and teaching Drama to high school students. It was nice to have some quiet time to really chat with these two rascals in a way he rarely had time for at home with its loud chaos and busy schedules. It was one of the things he loved most about this camping trip each year.
Phoebe was the more boisterous of the two, talking almost non-stop and never being still – she reminded him of himself. Daisy was quieter, more reserved and the one he felt closest to – the one who brought out his protective instincts, as she had always seemed more vulnerable. She gravitated to Louis as well, always hanging around, looking for his attention, but not demanding it. They shared a special affection, although he loved all his sisters very much.
"Why did you become a teacher Lou?" asked Phoebe out of the blue.
"Well" he answered thoughtfully "because teaching kids makes me happy. I enjoy it."
"Mrs Robertson is our teacher" Daisy told him, frown between her little blue eyes "but she doesn't seem very happy to me. I don't think she enjoys it at all."
Louis chuckled. "Well, I guess it's not for everyone" he answered.
"I think you'd be a good teacher" Daisy smiled softly up at him, two front teeth currently missing, and Louis felt his heart swell.
"Thank you darling" he grinned down at her.
"I wish you were our teacher!" added Phoebe. "Then we would never have to do our homework!"
"Hey!" Louis protested "what makes you think you'd get away with that?"
Phoebe giggled. "Because, Lou, you can never stay mad at us for long! And besides, when do we ever do what you tell us?" she grinned at him.
"Cheeky monkey!" Louis laughed. "I'm glad I'm not your teacher then, you terrors! I'd have to give you detention every day – and your report cards? Atrocious!"
They giggled delightedly and Louis basked in the sound, letting it wash over him. He loved more than anything to hear that sound, to know they are happy. His family was so special to him.
When they'd gathered enough small sticks, they made their way back to the fire pit and Louis, Stan and Zayn proceeded to build a fire stack, putting paper in the middle, then smaller kindling and finally, larger logs. Jay, Dan, Trish, Bev and Rod were watching as they chatted and prepared the BBQ dinner.
After dinner they all sat around the fire and Stan pulled out his guitar, while Louis sang silly songs to entertain the kids, as well as some favourite requests. They toasted marshmallows on the end of long sticks and ate till they were stuffed. When the younger ones went off to bed, Louis, Stan and Zayn grabbed some beers and sat around the dying fire talking nonsense and reminiscing about previous camping trips. When the fire finally died out, they dragged themselves off to bed, squeezing into the tiny space of their tent and curling around each other, laughing at the absurd lack of room.
As they drifted off to sleep, Louis thought happily how much he loved camping.
***
He hated camping.
He was lying inside his sleeping bag, toasty warm and trying to ignore the fact that his bladder was going to burst, because he really, really wasn't going outside for a piss when it was barely sunrise. He was also studiously ignoring the fact that Zayn's hair kept tickling his nose and Stan had a knee in his back. The fact that his airbed had softened to a semi-inflated tragedy during the night was best left unacknowledged also.
Going back to sleep, however, became a complete impossibility when a bird started squawking, just outside their tent, like it was taunting them. Louis could just picture that smug son of a bitch sitting up in a branch above them, singing its little heart out and just laughing to itself.
He wanted to kill that bird.
"Th'fuck is that fucking noise?" slurred Zayn from beside him as he stirred. "What the fuck kind of demon bird makes a sound like that?"
"Apparently the one just outside our tent" Louis whined. "The one I'm going to put out of its misery if it doesn't shut up!" he added.
"I'll put you out of your misery if you don't shut up Lou" grouched Stan.
Zayn let out a low groan. "Great! Now I'm awake! And you lads know how much I hate waking up! I fucking hate camping!"
"You love camping" Louis replied blandly.
Zayn sighed. "Not at..." he looked at his phone and moaned "five in the fucking morning I don't!"
"Just go back to sleep!" Stan whined.
"I can't now!" Louis replied, groaning. "I have to bloody pee, don't I?"
So that was how the three of them found themselves sitting down at the riverbank drinking steaming mugs of tea and watching the sun rise at the arse crack of dawn.
The day was warm and perfect for swimming. There was very little current and the water was still as they swung off the rope swing into the water, floating around and laughing.
Zayn wasn't a great swimmer, but liked to paddle in the shallows. As he watched Zayn wade around, chatting to Daisy and Phoebe at the water's edge, Louis, not for the first time, took a moment to appreciate how beautiful Zayn was. He really was a masterpiece of aesthetic perfection.
Louis often wondered why he hadn't fallen in love with Zayn. He loved him, of course – they were best mates. But he'd never felt sexually attracted to him, despite the fact that he could absolutely appreciate how beautiful he was. They were both gay, got on better than most couples, and knew each other inside out. You'd think they'd be perfect for each other, but apparently it wasn't in the stars for them. He'd asked Zayn about it once, and Zayn had told him that it didn't matter how good he was in bed, it would still always feel like he was shagging his brother and that would be too weird.
What a shame, thought Louis. He'd be a way better boyfriend than any of the douchebags I've dated recently.
Dan and Rod threw a fishing line in off the weir a bit further down and Trish, Jay and Bev sat in camping chairs, watching the kids swim. It was peaceful and idyllic and Louis loved the feel of the cool, refreshing water surrounding him. Afterward, they lay on the bank, soaking in the sun's warmth and letting it seep into their bones. Louis couldn't have asked for a more delightful day.
***
"Harry, watch this!" Niall called out as Harry was emptying some fresh fish into a bucket in the Sea Lion enclosure. He looked over and watched as Niall lay on his back and put his arms and legs in the air. Almost immediately, Bart, the oldest resident sea lion and Niall's constant companion, lay down and put his tail and flipper in the air, mimicking Niall's movements.
Harry grinned as Niall cackled with glee, jumping up and throwing Bart a fish, which he caught with a grunt. Niall then stripped off his SeaWorld Shirt, leaving only his wetsuit, and jumped into the water, Bart following close behind and Harry just shook his head fondly. Those two were so cute – and Harry would swear that Bart was a human trapped in a sea lion's body sometimes, the way they interacted.
When Niall hopped out, he wandered over to Harry, big grin on his face. "Taught him that just this morning!" he chuckled, grabbing the bucket of fish. "Thanks for bringing this over, saves me hauling it from the feed rooms."
Bart came waddling over, the smell of fish drawing him.
"Oh no, you greedy thing!" Niall told him, waving him off. "You just had some fish – don't be a guts!" Bart let out a disgruntled huff, nosing against Niall and pushing him off balance. "I said no Bart, now go and have a swim – or better yet, go play with the ladies" he pointed to the two smaller female sea lions lazing on the rock on the other side of the enclosure "I'm telling you mate, Nala's up for it – and she's looking pretty hot today!"
Bart snorted at him and waddled away, diving back into the water.
"It's a bit scary that he seems to understand what you're saying to him" Harry told Niall.
Niall shrugged. "We're mates" he answered, like that made any sense at all.
"I was on my way to stock up at the Dolphin Pools" Harry pointed to the collection of pools behind them. "I'd better keep moving – Candy gets stroppy if she doesn't get her morning cuddle and a bit of fish!" He bid Niall farewell and wandered down to the pools, bucket in each hand.
He was walking along the boardwalk beside the pool, when Candy swam up and sped past him, sticking out a fin and spraying him with water.
He grinned. "You cheeky shit, Candy! No fish for you, then" he teased.
Candy came up beside him as he emptied the fish into the cooler beside the pool and squeaked out a greeting.
He felt the familiar thrill rush through his veins that he always got when she interacted with him. He had been at SeaWorld for the last four years and had grown to love these animals so much. He had moved to Australia and started as an intern at eighteen, around the same time as Niall, while he was studying Marine Biology at Queensland University and had worked under the head trainer, Ian, for most of that time. Niall had come over from Ireland to study the same course and had started at SeaWorld roughly the same time as Harry. They bonded instantly, forming a strong friendship that Harry knows will be for life. They moved into a share house with Liam, another British boy, who was working as a manager at the Hotel Versace, a very exclusive Gold Coast Hotel. Liam was one of the youngest Hotel Managers in the region and deservedly so, in Harry's opinion. They'd met through a mutual friend and all hit it off straight away. Liam was the friend Harry talked to about everything and went to for advice. Niall was always fun, immensely caring and completely loveable, but Liam gave the best advice and a more sensible perspective.
Harry now worked with the Dolphins full time and had even started helping Ian run the Dolphin Therapy Sessions. He worked with kids and Ian worked with the adults and Harry loved it. He'd taken extra classes for the last two years so he could become qualified after watching Ian and falling in love with the idea of helping people – especially kids. It was his favourite part of the job by far.
He sat on the edge of the pool and dangled his legs in the water, Candy swimming past and nudging his legs as he smiled and tossed her fish pieces. Eventually he stood and quickly pulling on his wetsuit, dived into the water alongside her. When he came up for air, she swam up and he grabbed her fin, making a hand gesture and holding on as she flew around the pool, taking Harry for a ride. When he let go, laughing, she sped past again, nudging him as she went.
"Harry!" called a small voice and Harry grinned as he turned to see his favourite therapy patient, Lux, standing and waiting for him, pudgy little hand waving in the air. He waved back wildly, swimming over to the edge and hopping out to greet her with a hug and speaking with her Mum, Lou.
She'd had an incredible fear of water when her parents started her on the program, but she'd come such a long way and now let Harry hold her in the water so she could pat Candy. Harry was so proud of her.
Lou went to take a seat while Harry helped Lux into her life vest, chatting easily as she bounced excitedly.
"Can I pat Candy today?" she asked, vibrating with anticipation.
"You sure can" Harry replied with a grin "she's been waiting to see you!"
Lux clapped her little hands and Harry chuckled, taking her hand and walking over to the shallow end of the pool. While it was chest deep for Harry, it was still too deep for kids to stand. There was a step just off the edge that connected to a shallow platform, so it didn't drop straight into deep water, and Lux sat herself on the step, the water to her waist, and placed her feet on the platform, just as she'd learned to do. Harry blew his small whistle and Candy appeared at his side. He fed her a fish and told her to roll over, patting her tummy. Lux squealed delightedly.
"Can I do that Harry? Please?" she asked.
"Of Course!" Harry replied, walking over to the platform's edge, which was about his waist height. "Now stand up from the step and walk to me here" he commanded. It was only about a metre and Harry wanted her to walk it by herself. She stood up tentatively and let out a small whimper as she looked at the space between them. Harry held out his arms, smiling at her and murmuring encouragement.
"You can do it baby" he said softly as she walked slowly over to him, throwing herself into his arms when she got closer. He held her tightly, so she felt secure, praising her bravery. She wound her arms around his neck and he walked backward in the water, signalling Candy to present herself for a pat, which she did.
As they stroked her belly, Lux giggled and Harry's heart flip flopped. He would never tire of these little joy filled moments.
When Candy rolled over and sped off, Harry asked Lux "while we're here, how about we walk around a bit in the deeper water – you can hold on to me really tight and I'll just go a tiny bit deeper. Candy can swim beside us. What do you say, shall we show her how brave you are?"
Lux squeezed Harry tighter and her face clouded over, but she didn't object, so he slowly waded a little deeper, just a few inches, so the water lapped around her waist. He kept signalling Candy to swim beside them, keeping Lux distracted. Once they were wading in the deeper water, Harry praised Lux in a soothing voice and felt the tension start to drain from her body.
"Look at you big girl!" he cooed. "You're wading about in the water, just like Candy. Are you sure you're not a mermaid?"
Lux giggled. "No Harry! Silly! I'm just a girl!"
Harry grinned. "So you are, and you are doing so great baby girl!"
When he placed her back on the platform, he kept hold of her waist.
"Would you like Candy to play a game with us?" he asked.
Lux nodded excitedly, so Harry signalled for Candy to come over.
"Now" he said slowly and carefully. "Candy is gonna splash us and we're gonna splash her back. We may get our hair a little wet, but it's a fun game. Would you like to play?"
Harry knew Lux still didn't like getting her face or hair wet, but he wanted to start pushing her a little more. He watched her face as she waged the war between wanting so badly to play, but being afraid of getting her face or hair wet. He let her have the space to think it over, petting Candy and feeding her small pieces of fish. He didn't want to pressure her, but he was tense, hoping for a yes.
When she said in a small voice "I want to play Harry", he thought he'd burst. He grinned at her and she smiled tentatively back at him, throwing her arms around his neck once more. He sat up on the edge of the platform and sat her on his lap, then signalled Candy to swim past and splash them.
As Candy sped past them and flicked up her fin, a spray of water flicked up to soak them, head, hair, faces and all. As the water hit, Harry held Lux securely, assuring her she was safe, and let out a chuckle. He felt her sharp intake of breath as the water soaked her, and felt her pulse quicken, but she didn't cry, just gasped and took several gulping breaths as she adjusted to the feeling.
"Well done sweetie!" Harry cooed. "Now it's our turn to splash Candy – are you ready?"
This seemed to distract her enough to look up at him and nod, a small smile curving her lips. Harry signalled for Candy to come and present in front of them. She squeaked out a noise at them as she bobbed in the water just a metre or so away. Harry grabbed Lux's hand and helped her run it through the water.
"Here we go!" he exclaimed as they threw a small amount of water at Candy, and then he signalled her to retreat, so she sped away.
Lux squealed and clapped her hands, her wet hair and face forgotten and Harry laughed as he placed a kiss on her hair, feeling like a proud parent.
When they were out of the water, Lou walked over and hugged Harry, a tear in her eye as she whispered "she got her face wet!"
Harry nodded, a lump forming in his throat. He turned to Lux, taking off her life vest and holding her hand as they walked over to the staff hut, going to the fridge for their usual ice block. While they sat outside in the sun sucking on their ice blocks, Harry said "That was so awesome that you got your hair and face wet today Lux. I think it deserves a special surprise."
Lux's face lit up. "A surprise?"
"Mhm" replied Harry. "Wait here." He walked over to the hut and returned with a small stuffed toy – a dolphin. When he handed it to Lux, she immediately handed off her ice block to her mum and hugged the toy to her chest, grinning up at Harry, making his insides turn to mush.
Could she be any more adorable? he thought – not for the first time wondering if he'll ever find someone to have a family with. He loved kids and wanted a gaggle of them – his only problem was finding someone to do that with. He hadn't had a proper boyfriend yet – he'd wanted to wait for someone special but hadn't had anyone really make his pulse race.
He was pulled from his reverie by Niall, who joined them holding a small bucket of fish in one hand and with a huge pelican waddling behind him.
"Hello there Luxy!" he called out. "How's my favourite girl today?"
"Niall!" she cried out "I got my face wet today and Harry gave me this!" She held up the toy for Niall's inspection. "I'm calling her Candy!"
"Oooh! She's beautiful!" cooed Niall, giving the toy a gentle pat before handing her back. "Now, I was thinking you might like to help me throw Mr. Peabody here some fish – what do you say?" he gestured at the Pelican behind him, waiting patiently for a feed.
Lux nodded happily. "Yes please!"
Harry watched with a fond smile as Niall crouched down and Lux stood between his legs, throwing fish to the Pelican, who gobbled them up, squawking and flapping his wings. They were both giggling and Lux leaned back into Niall's chest. When they'd finished, Niall wandered off to check on the Penguins while Harry bid Lux farewell for another week and wandered off to feed the other dolphins.
When they walked through the front door that evening, Niall called out "Honey, we're home!" which Liam answered by calling back "leave your shoes outside the door! They make the whole house smell like fish guts!"
"Yes wifey!" called Harry, he and Niall shedding their shoes and leaving them on the front porch. Liam entered the hallway, his girlfriend Sophia following behind. She greeted both boys, before kissing Liam goodbye as she headed off to the gym. Liam watched her go with a fond smile, before turning to the boys, his nose screwed up.
"I see it's not just your shoes that smell like fish guts today then?" he remarked.
"Oh it's not just fish guts" Harry happily replied.
"That's right" agreed Niall. "I'm pretty sure there are the added aromas of the rotted oysters I had to remove from the rock pool area."
"Ooooh! And don't forget the penguin poop you had to clean out of their enclosure" Harry helpfully provided.
"That's right!" Niall grinned "I knew there was that little something extra today!"
They both cackled as Liam made a disgusted face, saying "I don't know how you do it – I couldn't smell that every day and be OK with it. Now shower up before dinner so I can keep my food down – and throw those clothes in the machine!"
"Yes Dad!" they chorused back at him as they walked up the hallway, giggling.
As Harry sat on their porch that evening, drinking a cold beer and telling Liam about his progress with Lux, Niall quietly strumming a guitar next to him, Harry felt a sense of contentment settle over him. So he may not have met prince charming yet, but, at twenty two and a half, his life was pretty fucking great. He had an amazing job, great friends and no drama. He really was living the dream.
***
Day four of their trip brought with it some rain – bucketing down most of the afternoon. They had set up a large communal tarp to sit under and Jay brought out cards and board games to occupy them. Louis was, as usual, an extremely bad sport whenever he didn't win and cheating whenever he thought he could get away with it. The afternoon passed in a blur of accusations and retribution.
When their last day dawned beautiful and sunny, everyone was elated.
"We'll need to go down to the weir to swim, though" Dan commented. "All the rain has made the current run a lot faster. Too dangerous to swim in the deep water."
They all dragged their chairs and towels down to the weir and set up on the bank. The water running over the weir wasn't too strong and only came to the kids' knees, so they paddled around in the shallow water to cool off.
One by one they gravitated back to the bank to lay in the sun, warming themselves. Daisy and Phoebe were the only ones to stay in the water, brandishing sticks and playing swordfights.
"Be careful you two!" Jay called out. "You could take an eye out with those sticks!"
"We will!" they called out.
It was a mere matter of minutes later that a scream rang out in the quiet clearing, sending a chill through Louis' body. In the course of their pretend battle, Daisy had lost her footing and fallen off the weir, into the gushing water below, immediately being swept downstream in the fast current, her little frame being tossed about and bobbing up and down in the water. She was clearly panicking, which wasn't helping her to stay afloat and she was screaming out for help.
Within seconds Louis was moving, diving into the water without even a second thought to his own safety. He was completely focused on Daisy and his heart was pounding in his chest at the sheer terror he felt, seeing her swept away. He swam as hard as he could across the rushing water, just managing to grab hold of Daisy's ankle, pulling her toward him as they both travelled downstream, dragged by the current.
She was spluttering and gasping as he slid an arm around her waist, holding her up and trying to reassure her she was OK, that he had her. He could barely speak, the water dragging him down, overwhelming him, but his eyes were already scanning the bank for a way out. He saw Rod and Dan on the bank down a bit further, calling to him and tried to edge his way toward them. As he passed a large branch, he reached out and grabbed it, holding tightly against the current, his arm aching with the effort. He inched along the branch, bringing him closer to Dan, who was reaching out to take Daisy from him. When she was lifted from his arms, the relief was palpable and he let out a small whimper. He was about to swing himself up onto the branch, when a sudden gush of water made him lose his grip and he was swept down further at an even faster pace, barely able to keep his head above the water now. It happened so fast, taking him by surprise and making him struggle to breathe.
Stan and Zayn were running along the bank beside him and he could hear them calling out, but couldn't make out the words. He felt a rising panic as he was unable to keep his head above the water, his heart hammering in his chest now and his vision becoming blurred.
He felt a shooting pain up his leg as it caught a submerged branch, his shin becoming wedged. His leg was caught between two branches and it kept him in place, unable to get back to the surface as the water gushed over him, wave after wave with no reprieve from the onslaught.
He struggled in vain to free his leg, panic taking root, as he was no longer able to break the surface for air. His lungs were on fire, feeling like they were going to explode if he couldn't take a breath. His chest was taut and the urge to open his mouth and breathe was overwhelming. He thrashed about in the water, every cell in his body resisting as he knew he had to take a breath.
Just when he thought he couldn't hold on for another moment, he felt someone beside him, tugging at his leg till it was free and pulling him to the surface. As he breached the water level, he desperately gulped for air, unable to catch his breath, unable to stop the sheer panic racing through his body. Stan was holding him, telling him that it would be OK as he held tightly to the rope Zayn and Dan had thrown over to them.
Zayn and Dan pulled him up out of the water first and Zayn sat down, pulling Louis into his chest, sitting him between his legs. There were tears streaming down his face as he asked over and over if Louis was OK.
Louis couldn't answer, couldn't speak. He just kept gasping for air, deep heaving breaths as he fought to regain control of himself. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Daisy standing off to the side, distressed and crying as she watched. He held out a hand to her and she launched herself at him, climbing into his lap and winding her arms around him.
He clung to her, comforted, needing to feel the tangible proof that she was alive, that she was alright. He had been terrified he wouldn't be able to save her and as he hugged her trembling body to him, he felt himself calm down, his breathing becoming steady and his heart rate returning slowly to normal as he realised she was OK, they were both OK. Holding her in his arms grounded him, everything else just fading away as he focused on her.
Tears were streaming down his face, tears he hadn't realised he'd been crying till now. He looked up at Stan, kneeling beside him, breathing heavily.
"Thank you" he rasped out.
He slumped back against Zayn's chest, letting the chatter and fussing of his family wash over him and drawing warmth from Zayn's body, strength from his arms. He reached down and patted Zayn's shaking hands.
"I thought you were going to die" Zayn blurted out brokenly. "God Lou, I was so fucking scared." He was rocking them now, clinging onto Louis too tightly.
"But I'm OK, I didn't die Zayn" he replied, voice still hoarse. "I'm alright."