They heard the carnival before they could see it. The loud, energetic, upbeat music that was being blasted through the speakers was audible across the street and Harry clutched Louis' arm in excitement.

"We're going to the carnival Lou? How did you know I wanted to go?"

"Maybe because you mentioned it to me a couple of hundred times?" Louis said, his eyes crinkling while he smiled.

They walked closer and the vibrant tents and colours were now in sight. The carnival was a blend of colours and noise, people shouting happily as they won something at a stall, others screaming as the roller coasters and other rides took a steep plunge downward.

The smell of popcorn and candy floss drifted up to Harry's nose and he sniffed eagerly.

There were stalls at one end with various games and a large variety of stuffed animals while the rides were on the other end, a huge carousel with horses on, a couple of huge roller coasters and some swings and such.

Harry's eyes widened as he took everything in.

"Look how beautiful, Lou." Harry said excitedly looking at the lights and lanterns twinkling as the sun set.

"Beautiful." Louis agreed...but he was looking at Harry, not the lights.

They stood in the long line to buy their tickets, arms linked together without even realising it.

"You guys make a cute couple."

Harry and Louis looked up to see a girl standing ahead in the line, not older than 16 or 17, smiling at the two them.

"Oh no we're not.." Harry began flustered.

"We're not dating.." Louis said, biting back the 'yet' that he had desperately wanted to add.

"Well then you'll should be a couple." she said winking at them as she bought her tickets.

Harry and Louis looked at each other, a shy smile on their faces while they bought their tickets and headed towards the rides.

***

"HARRY THE ROLLER COASTERS FIRST" Louis yelled, trying to make himself heard over the loud music and sounds of children screaming everywhere.

Harry groaned," I don't really like roller coasters Lou." But the seeing how disappointed Louis looked, he hastily added, " I mean,I don't hate them either, let's have a go."

Harry held onto Louis' hand tightly when the ride began, feeling like he had left his stomach far behind when it did a loopty-loop.

When the ride was finally over, Harry felt like he was going to throw up wile on the other hand, Louis looked flushed and excited, eyes shining brightly.

They were still holding hands.

Harry hurriedly pulled his hand away. Louis looked at him a little puzzled, but didn't say anything.

The trees were strung with fairy lights, that glowed bright and beautiful in the purple-black sky that had begun to set in.

The two of them sat down on a bench below one of the trees, Louis holding a tub of popcorn for them to share.

"Loubear?"

"Yes Harbear?"

"I'm going to miss you, you know?"

"I'm going to miss you too." Louis said, his eyes sad.

Harry rested his head on his shoulder, then softly, very softly he whispered, his voice cracking, "I hope the nightmares don't come back"

Louis felt like he was being stabbed in the heart with a thousand knives.

His heart went out the boy beside him who did nothing but good for others, who deserves so so much more than the way he had been treated in the past.

Slowly he stood up and pulled Harry up beside him, walking towards the arcade centre.

Harry watched in fascination as Louis won him a giant rainbow coloured teddy bear and walked back towards him, his small form almost hidden behind the bear.

"Here, now of course I'll be calling you every night and talking to you until you fall asleep but in case you feel lonely at night, you can cuddle this bear okay? We'll sleep with it tonight so it smells like us and reminds you of home."

At this Harry teared up and he didn't even care that he was crying, he didn't care that he was sobbing in the middle of a crowded fair, he hugged Louis, tight, the bear squeezed in between the two of them.

***

At around 8 pm, Harry suddenly realised, horrified, that he had to still begin packing and they rushed back home, Louis mumbling about how he didn't understand why packing was such a huge deal.

Harry began packing, fussing around how everything had to be perfect and neat while Louis sat cross legged on the bed, looking at him with a fond expression on his face.

"Louis, give me your shirt."

"What?"

"Your shirt, the black one? That I like? I want to take it with me."

"But it's not going to fit you Harry, I'm um a little smaller than you."

Harry blushed and shuffled around nervously. "Erm I wanted to smell it while I was away."

Louis burst out laughing, clutching his stomach and rolling around the bed.

"Do you realise how creepy that sounds Haz? If you had said it to anyone but me, they'd have thought you were a crazed fan or stalker or something."

Nevertheless, he pulled out his black nirvana shirt from where it lay crumpled in his cupboard and handed it over to Harry who carefully smoothed out the creases and folded it neatly in his suitcase.

"Here read this list out and I'll check if I packed everything."

Louis rolled his eyes, reading out the names of all the items on the list, fetching those that Harry had forgotten to pack.

By midnight, they were done packing and lay down together, tired but happy, each having a confession to make but neither saying it out loud..

Author's Note

I hope you guys liked this chapter :)

Happy reading xx