Chapter Text
-A brave decision.
“Louis, I will not hear another word from you! You have to abide by my rules!” Father tormented after me, as tears were pooling around my eyes.
“For god’s sake, Louis, stop crying, be a man! It’s not like I’m sending you to war! It’s just a marriage, you have to do this!” Father said, coming close to my desk and roughly held me by my collar.
“Father, I can’t just marry him! I don’t-I don’t- “I faltered at my words.
“What you can’t, what? Complete your sentence, young man!” Father screamed, I hated when he did that, but it was a consistent thing in our relationship, resulting in nothing but heartache on my side.
“I don’t love him, father. I can’t do this to him. And to me! I deserve to be happy and he deserves to be with someone who loves him back! Why can’t you understand that!” I spoke in a bit harsher tone.
“I’m not hearing any of your excuses, get ready, in thirty minutes, Sam will fetch you, and come down with them, or I swear to god, Louis,” Father said, walking off my room with a huff.
~~
‘I can’t, I just can’t do this to myself, I deserve happiness, I deserve love, yes, that would be the best thing to do, I can do it.’ I thought to myself as I opened the window, a gush of wind kissed my tear-ridden face. I could see the full moon, it looked so exquisite among the stars. I smiled. The stars were aligned, for me.
I took the covers of my bedsheets, clean white, ready to be mudded, but I didn’t care anymore. Father couldn’t be mad at me, because I wouldn’t be here! Who would wed a young boy of 20 to someone twice their age just because of wealth?! I tied my bedsheets and covers, fortunately, the maid had given me longer bedsheets this time.
I took one end of the rope I made and tied it to the pole of my room, I tightened it, but the paranoid in me was not yet satisfied. I took some clothes out of my closets, trousers really, and tied it around the knot, this way the rope would not loosen up, I sighed and looked at myself in the mirror. The puffy white shirt and black trousers were not exactly the runway outfit but I couldn’t care less. I reached down for my drawer and pulled out the pearl necklace. My mum’s last souvenir, I dropped it around my neck and pulled out the bag I had always ready in case of an apocalypse from under my bed.
My room was three-story above the ground and the bedsheet rope barely reached the ground, I had to be careful and hope that it wouldn’t tear.
The legs seemed to move on their own as I saw myself out of the window, I blew out a kiss to my hotel room and started getting down, I could hear the leaves whistle and the rumbling of the river nearby. I felt hopeful. I had to make sure I wasn’t being spied on so I looked to my left, no one in sight, I giggled, this plan might just be perfect. I looked to the right, and OH!
“Oi, Oi, can you hear me?” I called out to the boy who was doing the same thing as I was.
The boy’s curls got in the way of his face and he jerked his head back. I could see his beautiful neck and an amazing jawline that could cut the sky and bring heaven down. I had apparently, stopped breathing.
“What? Oh, my god!” The boy called out and a hand slipped out of his grip. He let out a small scream.
“Look out! Just watch me!” I said as I showed him the way down.
~~
“What are you doing, lad?!” I screamed into his ear,” You could’ve fallen! Everyone would’ve seen it and I would’ve been caught!”
“Oh, shut up, you called out to me and I lost my balance,” the boy said with a hint of annoyance.
“I suppose so, I apologize, care to explain why you did what you did?” I chuckled.
He let out a hearty laugh. “Yeah, but let’s get out of here first, I don’t wanna be caught,”
“Yeah, that would be jolly,” I muttered to myself as I led the way to the river.
The walk to the river was peaceful, the insects were chirping, and the river's ripples were seeming to harmonize themselves with the insects.
“So, care to spill the beans?” I asked, looking at him. His pearly green eyes glowed in the moonlight. I looked down at him and saw that we were matching outfits. Well, my outfit was quite generic, but still.
“My mom wants me to marry me off to some twat that I don’t even know, so I decided to run off,” he said nonchalantly.
“Wow, well glad to say, I’m doing the same thing,” I scoffed.
“Your mom is doing the same thing to you?” His eyes lightened up and he stopped in his tracks.
“No, curly, my father wants me to marry someone twice my age for money, now, don’t stop,” I said, motioning him to keep walking.
“Hey, my name’s not Curly,” he said.
“Then what is your name?” I asked.
“Harry, Styles,”
“Louis, Tomlinson,” I said, sticking out my hand, he shook it.
“Pleasure to meet,” he said and hopped away.
“Hey, wait for me!?” I called out as I tried to catch up with him.
~~
“Where are you going? Seeming as you’re running away, you sure had a place in mind?” Harry asked as I caught up to him, at last.
“Woah, slow down, curly, my legs aren’t as long as yours!” I yelled.
“Sorry, but you still haven’t answered me,” he said.
“No, I don’t have a place in mind, I thought I’d just live in some of the motels this shite city has to offer and then plan. It was an impulse decision, Harry,” I explained.
“Oh, sorry to hear that mate, but I can tag you along with me if you want?” He questioned.
“Umm, you would do that for me?” I just met this lad and now he wanted to help me?
He giggled and said, “You and I are the same, Tomlinson, running away from the family for freedom, why not stick together? I assure you I won’t kill you,”
“God, I hope not!” I said dramatically.
And we laughed together.
~~
We reached the river and a boat was waiting for us there. “Hop in, Tomlinson,” Harry said as he plopped down his bag onto the boat.
“Is it yours?” I quizzed getting a closer look at the boat.
“No, but finders’ keepers, right?” He scoffed and let out his hand for me, I took it and jumped into the boat.
“Woah, easy there, tiger, wouldn’t want this to break now, would we?” He smirked, God! Who was this charming creature?
I blushed, “Okay,” I breathed out.
He lit up the torch with a black lighter and the flame seemed to enhance his fierce emerald green eyes so beautifully, I found myself shamelessly staring into them, but he hadn’t noticed. I pulled myself together and filled the silence, “Do you study stars?”
“Ha-ha, no, I don’t. But I like watching them. Studying them would take the wonder out of it. Why study something when you can soak in their beauty, hm?” He spoke with passion.
“I also don’t study stars, if you’re wondering,” I said, not looking at him but the water.
“Good to know, we can watch them together, then,” he smiled.
We sat there for a good fifteen minutes while the current and Harry’s oars reached us to our destination. I jumped out of the boat and lent him my hand.
“Your hands are awfully small, Tomlinson, but I must say, I admire them,” he giggled.
“Ah, don’t be cheeky, Curly,” I sassed.
He took my hand and I helped him get out of the boat.
“What about the boat?” I asked.
“What about it?” He asked.
“Well, the owner might be looking for it, don’t you think?”
“This boat was destined to us, Mr. Tomlinson, its purpose is finished, now it’s going to embark on a new journey,” he said and pushed the boat back into the river with full force, “Shall we?” He asked, I nodded.
The land was quite muddy but I couldn’t be more bothered about the mud sticking into my shoes as the green-eyed lad shared his excruciating story with me. Starting with how his mother died while giving him birth, the father, an alcoholic, married again but got betrothed to a lady with no maternal instincts. “She was after his wealth, I knew it,” Harry had said. And he was right, she fed him grapes and exquisite wines and rum and he mistook it for her love. Now bedridden, Miss Barbara had to wed off Mr. Styles Jr. to conquer the family wealth. “She either had to kill me or wed me off, guess she chose the wrong option, huh?” He joked.
“That’s not a funny statement, Styles, don’t joke about death. We wouldn’t’ve met if it wasn’t for your mother,”
“Step-mother,” he corrected. “I suppose you’re right, Tomlinson, many are in this case,”
“What is that supposed to mean?” I quizzed.
“Oh, would you look at that!” He beamed with joy as he ran off to a light emitting from the woods,” There’s a motel here, Louis Tomlinson, we’re saved!” He called out like a child finding candy in his school bag.
“Oi, wait for me, Mr. long legs, wait!” I shouted as I ran to him.
The motel was to put it nicely, a shitshow. There were spider-webs all across the door but a receptionist was sitting under dim light. “Are you sure about this?” I asked Harry. “I’m not, but oh well,” he sing-sang and pushed the door wide open. The bell at the top of the door jingled and the man, in his late 60s looked up from what I supposed to be an erotica novel, ‘great’, I thought to myself.
“Hey, gentlemen, what can I help you with this fine night?” He asked cheerfully.
“We would like to book a room for two people, if that’s possible, Mr…,” Harry took a look at his badge,” Addington,”
“Oh, why yes, Of course, let me just see the availability for that, if it’s not any struggle, please, make yourself comfortable,” he motioned us to sit at the chairs that were not dry-cleaned since the 18th century.
“Sure!” Harry exclaimed and went to the chairs.
“Take a seat, Tomlinson, what are you so afraid of?” He asked.
“Well for starters, bedbugs?” I whispered.
“You’re a runway, Louis, you have to loosen up a bit, you know, and if you don’t want to sit in the chair, you can always find a room in my lap,” he smirked. God, that cheeky devil.
“Funny, but I think I might be just fine here, thank you for the offer though, would use it elsewhere,” I said dramatically, but sat beside him. I had to be accustomed to these wrong-doings, I was, well a runway.
“I’ll be happy to oblige, Mr. Tomlinson,” he said and pulled out a book from his handbag and got lost inside it faster than the boat moving through the river.
~~
“Mr. Styles? Your room is ready, although I’m sorry for there is just one bed, there is a window seat, if that helps,” Addington cheered up.
“Ah, that is fine, Mr. Addington, I’m sure we will figure it out. And the business of cash? Let’s sort it out first thing in the morning, yeah?” This man was the blend of at least 10 charismatic men.
Addington laughed and nodded. This man could’ve asked for a free room and would’ve gotten it. But of course, I didn’t push him, I had manners.
~~
(The next morning)
“Louis? Louis? Oh, for fuck’s sake Tomlinson!” My ears bled out from the shrill noise, “Oi, tread lightly!” I screamed back.
“Wake up, princess, we have to go! This isn’t your home; we have to get going or else somebody’s gonna catch us!” He matched his tone with mine and went to make some coffee.
“Ugh, fine,” I groaned and pushed myself out of the bed which was feeling at least 100 times more comfortable than it did last night. Of course, as with Styles, the charismatic king of Hillington offered to sleep on the window seat, “I wanna look at the stars while I drift off, it makes me feel calm,” and I didn’t push because I was dying to get a good night’s sleep.
I rolled out of bed and looked at myself in the mirror. The classic bedhead and the crumpling of the shirt at my chest were the least of my concerns right now. I looked for my bag, took out a light pink shirt and some black trousers, and went for a quick bath.
Walking out the moldy bathroom door, I saw Harry making two cups of coffee. “Hey, morning, Curly,” I said as I managed to wear the shirt.
“Well, morning to you too, Tommo,” he said and laughed. I rolled my eyes.
“Want me to help you with the cufflinks?” He asked me.
“Uh, yeah sure, if it’s not too much to ask for,” I said cheekily, he just gave me a little smile and did a pretty good job.
“Pink suits you, Tomlinson,” he said and I stopped myself from blushing. He was wearing the same thing as mine, but his shirt was sky-blue and his top of curls seemed to be bigger than last night.
He motioned me to sit at one of the chairs, as he said, “I cleaned them out for you, my highness,”
“Aw, thank you, Henry,” I laughed and he joined in.
“So where are we off to now?” I asked as I took a sip of the coffee, it was exceptionally good.
“Well, I inquired with Addington here and he said that there is a small town just five miles down and we can catch a train from there to practically to London!” He beamed; the sunlight seemed to have worked its way to Harry’s eyes as they were beaming with such passion. And his pupils were dilated of course.
“Ooh, sounds lovely,” I whispered and finished my last sip of coffee.
~~
The train station was better than what I had expected. The tickets Harry and I discussed were to Wellington as if we could afford London. “Loosen up, Louis, let’s go to London!” Harry persuaded.
“NO, and that’s final, curly, we’re not rich. We can’t even afford the London’s milk!” I was persistent. I wasn’t just about to live on the streets. He understood but pouted all the way to the ticket station. I was okay with that. He looked cute while pouting.
The train was for not another half an hour and we decided to buy something to eat as we were just on coffee and my stomach grumbled as I saw a piece of cake in someone’s hand.
“Let’s get that cake!” I said to Harry.
“Oh, okay, Tommo, wait here, I’ll get it for you,” Harry said and disappeared into one of the bakery shops. I was mesmerized by the bookshops but the people of the town, wearing such boring clothes, had no pop in them. What did ever happen to fun clothing?!
Harry walked out of the bakery with two pastries and I jumped in delight. “Easy, there, milord!” He said as he handed me my piece and we ate it within bites. It would help us until we reached Wellington.
“I have to use the restroom, I’ll be right back,” I called out and ran out to the nearest restroom. I heard him giggled.
I must’ve taken long enough as I heard someone calling me and I ran out to see Harry at the train’s door and shouting,” Tommo, Tomlinson, here, get here faster!”
I contemplated my life choices there. I could just turn away and walk back to my father and marry the man I barely know or else I could take this chance the stars have given me to embark on a journey with a boy I hardly know but feel a connection with.
I chose the latter.
I ran up to the train’s door and saw the open hand of the curly-headed, green-eyed boy and trusted him with my life as I grasped it with all my energy and let him pull me towards him. Towards freedom, towards independence.
-thecoolkidyoulove