"I-​ ​thank​ ​you,​ ​I​ ​know​ ​I​ ​should​ ​hate​ ​you,​ ​I​ ​really​ ​should,​ ​after​ ​all​ ​you​ ​are​ ​the​ ​reason​ ​I​ ​am​ ​here​ ​in​ ​the first​ ​place,​ ​but​ ​god​ ​am​ ​I​ ​thankful​ ​that​ ​I​ ​even​ ​am​ ​here​ ​at​ ​this​ ​moment,​ ​but-​ ​just​ ​thank​ ​you.​ ​I​ ​don't know​ ​why​ ​you​ ​would,​ ​but​ ​you​ ​saved​ ​me,​ ​I​ ​would​ ​have​ ​been...​ ​dead,​ ​I​ ​guess,​ ​if​ ​it​ ​wasn't​ ​for​ ​you."

I​ ​ramble​ ​to​ ​his​ ​sleeping​ ​body.

"Just​ ​thank​ ​you."

"Wha?"

My​ ​face​ ​turns​ ​whiter​ ​-​ ​in​ ​fear?​ ​-​ ​when​ ​he​ ​slightly​ ​turns​ ​in​ ​his​ ​bed,​ ​his​ ​frown​ ​becoming​ ​deeper, thick​ ​bushy​ ​eyebrows​ ​casting​ ​dark​ ​shadows​ ​over​ ​his​ ​eyes,​ ​his​ ​nostrils​ ​flaring​ ​wide​ ​open.

"Good-​ ​good​ ​afternoon."

I​ ​whisper,​ ​standing​ ​up​ ​from​ ​the​ ​edge​ ​of​ ​the​ ​bed,​ ​where​ ​I​ ​had​ ​been​ ​holding​ ​the​ ​washcloth​ ​to​ ​his wound​ ​all​ ​this​ ​time.

"Louis?"

His​ ​voice​ ​sounds​ ​so​ ​soft,​ ​so​ ​unlike​ ​him.​ ​The​ ​way​ ​my​ ​name​ ​rolled​ ​of​ ​his​ ​tongue​ ​was​ ​like​ ​honey melts​ ​in​ ​steaming​ ​hot​ ​tea,​ ​slow​ ​and​ ​sweet.

"Yeah,​ ​it's​ ​me.​ ​Are​ ​you​ ​feeling​ ​alright?​ ​I​ ​could​ ​probably​ ​get​ ​you​ ​something,​ ​anything,​ ​wai-"

"No,​ ​no​ ​I'm​ ​okay,​ ​stay.​ ​I​ ​mean,​ ​if​ ​you​ ​want?"

This​ ​time​ ​his​ ​frown​ ​isn't​ ​harsh​ ​or​ ​scaring,​ ​it's​ ​adorable,​ ​as​ ​if​ ​he's​ ​a​ ​confused​ ​puppy.​ ​Wait,​ ​I​ ​don't think​ ​he's​ ​adorable.​ ​He​ ​is​ ​not.

"Are​ ​you​ ​sure?"

I​ ​get​ ​back​ ​to​ ​the​ ​bed,​ ​softly​ ​pressing​ ​my​ ​hand​ ​back​ ​on​ ​his​ ​arm​ ​over​ ​the​ ​cloth,​ ​making​ ​him​ ​gasp in​ ​pain.

"I'm​ ​so​ ​sorry,​ ​this​ ​is​ ​all​ ​my​ ​fault."

"No,​ ​Lou,​ ​it's​ ​okay."

"It's​ ​not,​ ​it​ ​really​ ​isn't.​ ​I'm​ ​so​ ​so​ ​sorry,​ ​and​ ​grateful.​ ​Thank​ ​you...​ ​Master?"

"Harry.​ ​You​ ​can​ ​call​ ​me​ ​Harry."

"Harry?"

I​ ​test​ ​his​ ​name,​ ​tasting​ ​the​ ​sound​ ​of​ ​it,​ ​deciding​ ​I​ ​like​ ​the​ ​way​ ​I​ ​say​ ​his​ ​name,​ ​I​ ​simply​ ​like​ ​his name.​ ​It​ ​fits​ ​him.​ ​At​ ​least​ ​it​ ​fits​ ​his​ ​eyes.

"Harry." ________

"Oh​ ​don't​ ​be​ ​a​ ​whiney​ ​baby,​ ​we​ ​got​ ​to​ ​clean​ ​it,​ ​it​ ​won't​ ​ever​ ​heal​ ​this​ ​way."

"I'm​ ​not​ ​a-​ ​ah!​ ​Louis!​ ​I'm​ ​not​ ​a​ ​baby.​ ​It​ ​just​ ​stings​ ​like​ ​a-​ ​fuck!​ ​Bitch."

I​ ​giggle​ ​at​ ​his​ ​shouts​ ​while​ ​cleaning​ ​the​ ​wound​ ​with​ ​running​ ​water.

"Uhu,​ ​is​ ​this​ ​the​ ​castle​ ​of​ ​the​ ​big,​ ​bad​ ​beast?​ ​'Cause​ ​all​ ​I​ ​see​ ​is​ ​a​ ​big,​ ​bad​ ​baby."

"Lou-hou!"

He​ ​bumps​ ​his​ ​hip​ ​into​ ​mine,​ ​making​ ​me​ ​almost​ ​fall,​ ​but​ ​he​ ​grabs​ ​onto​ ​my​ ​arm​ ​before​ ​I​ ​can​ ​hit​ ​the ground.

"You​ ​just​ ​keep​ ​saving​ ​me,​ ​don't​ ​ya?"

We​ ​chuckle​ ​and​ ​giggle​ ​some​ ​more.

______

We​ ​are​ ​settled​ ​around​ ​the​ ​living​ ​room​ ​of​ ​the​ ​castle,​ ​seated​ ​by​ ​the​ ​big​ ​fireplace.​ ​I'm​ ​fixated​ ​on​ ​a book​ ​I​ ​found​ ​in​ ​my​ ​room.​ ​I've​ ​already​ ​read​ ​it​ ​about​ ​a​ ​thousand​ ​times,​ ​it​ ​used​ ​to​ ​be​ ​my​ ​favourite book​ ​in​ ​the​ ​big​ ​library​ ​in​ ​the​ ​village,​ ​Romeo​ ​and​ ​Juliet.

"Lou?"

"Mhm?"

"What​ ​are​ ​you​ ​reading?"

"Just​ ​some​ ​book,​ ​I​ ​found​ ​it,​ ​you​ ​don't​ ​mind​ ​do​ ​you?"

"No,​ ​no​ ​not​ ​really.​ ​Love​ ​reading."

"You​ ​do?"

I​ ​smile​ ​up​ ​at​ ​him.

"Wouldn't​ ​have​ ​taken​ ​you​ ​for​ ​a​ ​reader."

"So​ ​the​ ​big​ ​bad​ ​beast​ ​can't​ ​read​ ​sappy​ ​novels,​ ​how​ ​stereotypical​ ​of​ ​you,​ ​Louis."

He​ ​jokes​ ​and​ ​I​ ​giggle.

"Tell​ ​me​ ​more​ ​about​ ​you,​ ​Lou.​ ​What​ ​do​ ​you​ ​like​ ​to​ ​do?"

I​ ​close​ ​the​ ​book​ ​after​ ​folding​ ​the​ ​corner​ ​of​ ​the​ ​page​ ​and​ ​think​ ​for​ ​a​ ​bit.

"Well,​ ​I'm​ ​Louis,​ ​Louis​ ​Tomlinson.​ ​I​ ​like,​ ​well​ ​love,​ ​my​ ​mother,​ ​photography​ ​and​ ​arts.​ ​I​ ​like​ ​music and​ ​conversation​ ​and​ ​just​ ​any​ ​sort​ ​of​ ​soft​ ​sounds​ ​that​ ​can​ ​comfort​ ​you.​ ​But​ ​most​ ​of​ ​all​ ​do​ ​I​ ​love the​ ​sound​ ​of​ ​silence,​ ​the​ ​sound​ ​of​ ​only​ ​my​ ​thoughts,​ ​like​ ​when​ ​I'm​ ​reading.​ ​I​ ​love​ ​reading."

I​ ​sigh​ ​softly,​ ​looking​ ​down.

"A​ ​book​ ​can't​ ​judge​ ​you​ ​by​ ​the​ ​cover."

"I​ ​want​ ​to​ ​show​ ​you​ ​something."

"Oh​ ​okay,​ ​where​ ​to?"

"Tomorrow.​ ​Okay?"

_____________________

Hello everybody!

questions:

- Like the character development?

- Should I add more drama or let it be like this?

- Should I add the news articles again? (like in the first chapters)

x Emma