Masked

I look at Harry. His eyes are red from crying and his neck and head are both bleeding. I touch his head and a clump of curls attach themselves to my hands. I feel tears in my eyes. What is Harry doing to himself?

“Harry,” I say, putting my hand on his shoulder. “You called me at 2 AM. It’s not like you to call that early. I knew something bad happened and I wanted to be there for you.”

“But you shouldn’t have!” Harry exclaims. “Look at me, I’m a mess!”

I look down and gasp. Images that I have never seen before meet my very eyes. Long, deep gashes, almost like tattoos, cover Harry’s arms.

“Harry…” I trail off. The first thing I want to ask is how long he has been self-harming, but he might not take the question lightly. Instead, I let him cry into my shirt for a while. Suddenly, he meets my eyes.

“I’m surprised you haven’t asked me about my arms yet,” he says, his eyes sparkling with a new light.

“I thought it might be inappropriate.”

“Ah no. You can ask me anything.”

I look at Harry, amazed. He seems unfazed, as if nothing bad has happened to him in the first place. His smile lights up his emerald eyes, adding a sparkle that seemed real. Either Harry is really good at covering up his pain, or he’s genuinely happy right now. I hope it’s the latter. I hate seeing such an amazing soul upset. Instead of asking him about his scars, I decide to ask him about the light in his eyes.

“Have you found your happy place, Harry?” I ask him.

“It’s more like my happy place found me,” Harry says, smiling hugely. “I like being with you, Louis. You always know how to make me smile.”

“I’d like to think there’s more in life than me to make you happy.”

“You’re lucky, then, that you can still see the light of the world.”

Harry’s eyes have gone back to being dark. I put my hand on his shoulder again, not wanting him to be upset.

“All I can see are demons. The angels are almost all gone.”

“But Angel Clearwater is alive!” I say, even though I don’t know if she is the “angel” Harry is referring to.

“That’s not the kind of angel I’m referring to,” Harry says. “I mean like a guardian angel. Someone you know will never leave you no matter what. There aren’t many people like that, you know.”

“But you’ve got so many friends! Look at Niall, he’s always there to make you laugh.”

“To be honest, I don’t think Niall would even go close to me if he found out what I’m really like.”

“But Harry, come on! There’s a reason to live! The world isn’t a demon hole, you know.”

“I know that now,” Harry says, his dark eyes meeting mine.

I want to smile, but all my body seems to know how to do is make my heart beat faster and faster as I stare at the mystery before me.

Notes

I'm broken, do you hear me? I'm blinded, 'cuz you are everything I see...

More Than This popped into my head as I was writing woo~

Is this a friendship or an admiration?


Read on~