Life Inc.

“Harry,” Louis called gently, his hand squeezing the younger boy’s arm slightly. He had only watched the teenager sleeping for a minute or two, mesmerized by his soft, nearly flawless skin and the way his lips were parted ever so slightly, drawing in deep breaths and exhaling quietly, chest rising and falling. Then Louis realized he was being creepy and set about waking the sleeping boy.

Harry gave a small groan of disapproval, subconsciously leaning into Louis’ touch. Louis gulped, his breath catching in his throat, finding himself staring at the contact between them again. Harry’s skin felt almost searing against Louis’. His face scrunched in an adorable way as he was dragged back into consciousness.

“Harry, come on, it’s time to wake up.” Harry’s eyelids fluttered open, exactly as they had the first time and once again, Louis’ breath was taken away.

“Louis,” Harry registered with a small smile once the initial, post-sleep confusion had passed.

“How do you feel?” Louis asked, remembering to remove his hand from Harry’s arm, instantly missing the feel of Harry’s skin against his palm.

“Much better,” the curly haired boy smiled, tiredly rubbing his eyes.

“Come on then sleeping beauty, I made food,” Louis chuckled, standing up and resisting the urge to hold out his hand for Harry to take.

Harry pushed the blanket off, stretching and heaving himself up, standing a little taller than Louis. Harry’s head swam a little again once he was upright but it passed after a minute and the pounding had receded enough not to bother him much anymore.

He followed Louis through to the kitchen, looking at his house in more detail than he had previously. It had a certain warm quality to it, but seemed rather empty, which made Harry wonder exactly what it was that made it feel homely and a place of love.

In the kitchen, he sat down at the wooden table, watching Louis with a small smile as the elder bustled around, flustered for a reason unbeknownst to Harry. Harry knew that everything that had happened was starting to overwhelm him, but he suppressed it for now. He would save that for when he was on his own, when he didn’t have to worry this near-stranger who had been so kind to him. But eventually he was going to have to face the fact that if Louis was right, his friends, his family and his girlfriend would never see him again, and the thought crushed him.

“I’m sorry in advance.” Louis broke the thick silence first, grimacing as he handed Harry a bowl of the pasta he had cooked. “I’ve never made food for anyone else before so I don’t really have any idea if it’s okay.” Louis chuckled quietly, but it was laced with a sadness that made Harry frown.

“I’m sure it’s fine,” he reassured him, nodding his thanks as Louis offered him a glass of water. “And well...if you’re right about the chip then I could always stay and take over kitchen duties because I’m not bad. If you want I mean, you don’t have to. I get if I’d be intruding. In fact, forget it, of course I’m be intruding. You don’t need me coming in here and messing everything up. I...” Harry trailed off awkwardly, realizing he was rambling and staring determinedly at him hands on his lap. Louis sighed quietly, knowing he was about to make life a whole lot harder for himself.

“Harry, of course you can stay here. I know what it’s like to be alone in this situation and I could never, ever do that you.” Harry glanced up in surprise, wanting to ask why Louis even cared and what right he had to that sincerity in Louis’ tone, but he refrained.

“Everything just feels a little confusing right now. My mind’s trying to catch up with everything,” Harry sighed as he began to eat, not realizing how hungry he was.

“I understand.” Louis wasn’t sure how else to reply, so they lapsed back into silence, both wrapped up in their own thoughts as they began to eat. Louis didn’t dare look up at Harry for fear of not being able to tear his eyes away again.

When Harry knew that Louis wasn’t looking, his eyes focused on his face, studying his features properly for the first time. Harry’s eyes raked over his defined jaw-line, his smooth skin, his soft hair and those captivating dead crystal eyes.

Harry wanted to find out more about the man who had saved his life and yet accidently destroyed it as well, but he had absolutely no idea how to go about it. Louis was a mystery to him, a puzzle he couldn’t work out how to solve. He did know that, despite his own situation, he felt an immense amount of pity for Louis. He couldn’t help it; those eyes were so lifeless and once or twice already, Harry had caught a glimpse of complete loss and desperation written across Louis’ features.

“So...” Harry started quietly. Louis glanced up from his food, surprised that Harry had spoken.

“So?” Louis prompted gently when Harry didn’t carry on, but simply stared at one apparently fascinating spot on the table. Harry looked up, their eyes meeting again, an unexpected blush rising in Harry’s cheeks.

“You’re on your own,” Harry stated, breaking the eye contact to look anywhere but Louis face, not wanting to see the reaction to his words.

“For as long as I can remember, which is about eight years.” Harry squeezed his eyes shut, the thought unimaginable to him, suddenly unsurprised that Louis’ eyes looked so devoid of life. Louis watched him carefully, cautious to not let their eyes meet again when Harry reopened his. He was tired of his stomach doing somersaults.

“No human contact at all? For eight years? How did you stay sane?” Harry asked, working on the principle that Louis was sane, given that so far he had no evidence to suggest otherwise.

“I...I guess I’ve just learnt to occupy myself. I read some, I keep the house tidy, I explore, I go running a lot. I like expanding my knowledge. I go to school as well, just to learn things, even if I can’t interact with the teacher or the other students and I’ll never be really able to use the things I’ve learnt. Actually, I...it’s...it’s your class I’ve sat in for the last five years,” Louis chuckled awkwardly, picking up the two empty bowls in front of them and dumping them in the sink, returning to his seat.

For a reason that Harry didn’t want to even begin to try and understand, this new information acted like a trigger for the flood gates. Louis was like a ghost, always there and yet not at the same time. Harry tried to think back and remember if he had ever sensed an invisible presence in the classroom, but his head was just a churning mass of noise and information as he tried to take in everything he had learnt in the last few hours. His fingertips subconsciously strayed to brush along the slightly raised scar on the back of his neck that Louis had pointed out to him.

He, Harry Styles, along with the nearly rest of the world, was somehow controlled by a computer chip that was planted in his neck and controlled by a corporation. Louis was the ghost that had been in his life for five years who had saved his life and in doing so, had accidently caused him to hit his head so that his chip malfunctioned and now he was just like Louis – a ghost.

“You okay there?” Louis asked quietly, eyes scrutinising him. Harry nodded, trying to fight the sick feeling that rose from his stomach into his throat.

“I think I need some space to think for a while,” he managed to choke out, roughly running his hand through his thick curls.

“Have my room for the night. I’ll crash on the sofa,” Louis told him calmly. Harry would usually protest at kicking Louis out of his room, but he could feel his panic rising. He needed to get out and be alone. “Up the stairs, first on the left. Bathroom’s opposite. Please don’t go in the room next to the bathroom.”

“Thank you,” Harry mumbled, pushing his chair out and standing. He made for the door but paused, briefly turning back to Louis on an afterthought.

“Why did you save my life?”

“I don’t know,” Louis lied unsurely. Harry’s eyes narrowed suspiciously, knowing there was something Louis was keeping from him, but letting it slide for now. He nodded slightly and then escaped as fast as he could to the solitude of Louis’ bedroom.