How Long?

She could see a small red headed boy she knew so well running in a deserted field. There was no sign of anyone or anything for miles. It was just the two of them. They were playing hide and seek just like they use to do as kids. She closed her eyes and counted to ten.

“Ready or not here I come” She yelled opening her eyes.

He was always faster than her and always impossible to find.

The terrain was barren and empty. She looked around but he was nowhere in sight.

“Harry!” She yelled.

She heard his laugh “I am here Lou” He said.

She turned around but there was nowhere he could hide. There was nothing here.

“Harry!” She yelled again but she was panicking now. “Where are you?”

She heard his laugh again “Come and find me silly” He said.

Like a mad woman she ran searching for him but she found nothing only his voice telling her to find him.

“Lou, please come and find me” He said but this time the laughter was gone from his voice. He sounded scared and desperate.

“Where are you?” She asked again. She was sweating by now. The sun was beating down on her. She felt thirsty and exhausted. “Harry!”

“I am here” He called back. “Come and find...” His voice was cut in mid sentence with sound of bullets.

“HARRY!” She shouted at the top of her lungs.

Louise shot up in her bed sweating profusely. Another nightmare had snapped her out of her sleep. She was close to crying. She was unbelievably tired. Her head was pounding and she felt sick to her stomach. She hadn’t got proper sleep for the past few weeks. She had been getting nightmare since the time she heard the news of Harry’s deployment. They had been sporadic at first but since the past few days it had became a regular occurrence. The more she thought about him the more these nightmares plagued her sleep. A part of her brain knew she was being frivolous. He would be fine. They would make sure he came back home in one piece but then she would read about the war and how bad it was getting out there and it chilled her to her bones. What if something happened to him and she never got to see him again? What if he never knew she could never hate him?

“Lulu” Max said in a groggy voice snapping her out of her thoughts. He hugged her from behind.

“Another one?” He asked stroking her hair.

She nodded leaning back into his chest. She was glad to have Max here. He was a wonderful guy who had been here for her all through this, even though she hadn’t told him everything. As much as he hated not knowing he had been very understanding.

He wrapped one arm around her waist while placing another hand on her face caressing her cheek. She placed her head in his chest as they lay back on the bed.

“You want to talk about it?” He asked kissing the top of her head.

“No” She said shaking her head which was still buried in his chest.

“You sure?” He asked again looking down at her.

“Hmmm I just need some sleep” She said closing her eyes.

----

Ten fucking weeks, that’s how long his deployment lasted. Harry cursed as he looked out of the plane. After all the planning and secrecy even bargaining with UK press, his serving in Afghanistan still came out. It was once again the media that had done it. This time fucking international media had gone ahead and blown his cover. He hated those fucking bastards with every fiber of his body. He was gutted when his superior had given him the news two days ago. He was given a few hours to pack his bags as his replacement JTAC was already there to take his position. He was so disappointed. He wanted to see it through to the end and come back with the guys.

Soon, he will be home again. He will go back to being a prince. The same media that was calling him hero right now will go back to calling him the party prince or the playboy prince or whatever the fuck they come up with next. He will be followed by those vultures everywhere and any sense of normalcy he felt out there in that godforsaken place will be gone. It surprised him that to find some kind of normal life he had to go to a fucking war. How twisted was his life?

He knew he should be relieved that he was going home fit and fine because there were so many soldiers even in this plane that were badly injured. Some of them were even fighting for their lives but still most of them had a smile on their face and were joking about it. He felt proud to be a part of such a company, to call himself a soldier. He knew he was serious about his army career but now after serving in a war zone he knew for certain he was born to do this. He would go back out there in a heartbeat. Sitting and talking to his fellow soldiers. Sharing their experiences and stories he felt a little better about the whole situation.

Harry transport plane landed at the Royal Air Force's Brize Norton base. He and a dozen of other soldiers came out of the plane. Harry could already feel cameras pointed at him. He pretended not to care and made his way inside the base. He was not so surprised to see the faces of his brother and father waiting for him. His father seemed elated to see him.

“Welcome back son. I am so proud of you” Charles said patting Harry’s back.

Harry blushed a little. It was the first time that his father had said something along these lines to him. His chest rose in pride.

“Welcome back” William said embracing his brother.

As the brothers grew older they seldom hugged each other. It was not something lads don’t do after a certain age but right now there was no shame for such a gesture. William was so proud of his little brother and so very glad that he was back home safe and sound. If he’d be honest, he had been worried sick for the past ten weeks. They had easily been the worst weeks of his life.

“Wills you do realize I hadn’t had proper bath in ten weeks” Harry said with a chuckle as he hugged his brother.

“I was just wondering where that smell was coming from” William said trying to break the hug but
Harry didn’t let go. “Get off me you bugger” William said trying to push him away.

“Not letting you go, brother. I know how much you missed me” Harry said tightening his hold over his brother.

“Harry, this is not funny. You smell!” William said.

“Awww brother, I missed you too” Harry said now rocking William. Clearly enjoying himself.

“Fuck! Get off me!”

Charles cleared his throat “That’s enough boys” Though he was enjoying their silliness. He had to intervene because there were other pressing issues at hand. “Harry the press is waiting for you for an interview”

“What? Now? Why?” Harry asked breaking his hug.

“Yes, now” Charles said.

“But I am knackered, dad. I don’t want to face a fucking camera right now. I look horrible” Harry said in protest.

“Let me see” William said looking at Harry. “No, you always look like this” He said with a sly smile.

Harry flipped him.

Rolling his eyes Charles said “It will just take ten minutes or so. It’s important you do this now or they will hound you till they get it later” Charles said patting Harry’s shoulder.

Pouting Harry followed one of his father’s PR people who gave him quick instructions before he went in for the interview.

---

Harry was tired by the time they arrived at Highgrove. All he wanted to do was have a nice hot shower and get some sleep in his soft comfy bed. The staff welcomed him with smiles on their faces and adoration in their eyes. It was a humbling experience for the young prince. Harry had his hand on the railing wanting to get to his room as soon as possible.

“Before you go and relax there is something for you in the living room” William said.

“A present?” Harry asked.

“Of sorts” William said with a cheeky smile.

Shaking his head Harry made his way to the living room. His curiosity was spiked now. He has never been someone known for his patience. He stopped when he saw Albert in the hallway.

Louise stood up from the living room couch where she had been sitting for the last hour when she heard his voice. Getting up she peeped into the hallway. He was there, talking animatedly to Albert his back to her, his hands on his hip. Louise touched her palm to her chest, reminding herself again to breathe. He was here unharmed.

“Harry”

Harry turned around hesitantly. He was not expecting to hear her voice not that he wasn’t glad to hear it. She was standing there giving him a smile. His mouth twitched into a smile of its own.

“Harry!” She called his name louder this time, wondering if he could hear the relief she felt at seeing him. She ran towards him, needing to touch him just to be sure he was really here, safe. The hallway seemed too big now. There seemed too much distance between them. She couldn’t reach him fast enough.

Harry rushed forward and caught her as she flew into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. It had been so long since she had been this close to him.

“Lou” He said. There was nothing more wonderful than to have her in his arms after years. He lifted her in air and held her tight inhaling her familiar scent which he now noticed. She smelled like daisies. This was what he wanted for so long. One of these hugs of hers that he had missed for so damn long. Now it truly felt like he was home not only from the dreadful war but from their separation. Her arms still gave him the same comfort they gave all through his life. She was still holding him tightly.

“Are you okay?” She heard his concern.

She laughed as she hung on to him. “I am now”

She sniffed, aware that she’d become a blubbering mess in an instant. But that’s what these last few weeks had done to her. She had been so scared that she will never see him again. That she would not be able to tell him that she didn’t hate him.

“I don’t hate you” She whispered into his ear.

“Yeah?” He asked softly.

“I can never hate you. I wanted to for so long but I can’t”

He held her close while she rested her head on his shoulder, neither of them willing to let the other go. And with the way they were glued to each other, Harry knew that this was not like the last time she had hugged him. This was real. It was his Lou’s hug.

Louise forced herself to back away ever so slightly and looked at him. His expression was unreadable.

Harry looked down at her. Her hair was pulled back into a messy loose bun and some of the strands escaped and teased her nape. It didn’t hurt that those glasses of hers made her look so adorable. He was just admiring her when she raised her hand and smacked his arm.

“Oi! What was that for?”

“How dare to do that to me? You bloody wanker. I am going to kill you” She said hitting his chest this time.

“I didn’t survive a fucking war to die by your hands” Harry said rubbing chest.

“You didn’t even let me say goodbye, you twat. You know how fucking worried I had been. I haven’t
slept in weeks” She said smacking him again on the arm. He couldn’t bite back the smile from that
declaration.

“What the fuck are you smiling about?” She said throwing her hands in air. “I have been going out of mind. You aresehole” She said as her eyes brim with tears.

“Oi, come here” He said wrapping his arms around her. He couldn’t see her cry. He could never see tears in her eyes. Those just didn’t belong on her face.

“I was terrified. You didn’t even give me time to respond to your text. What if something would have happened to you? What if you…” She said burying her head in his chest.

“Hush now, I am okay. I am here aren’t I?” He said kissing her hair.

“I am sorry to bother you” Charles said interrupting.

Harry and Louise immediately let go of each other. Louise went crimson while Harry stood uncomfortably shifting from one foot to the other

“Grandma and grandpa are on their way here to meet you, Harry. I would suggest you get cleaned up for their arrival” Charles said.

“Yes, I should take a shower” He said scratching the back of his neck trying to avoid his father’s gaze.

“Yes, you should” Charles said.

Harry looked at Louise standing there looking down at her hands. She looked up when she felt his eyes on her. She pushed her glasses back up her nose.

“I will see you later” He said not wanting to go.

She nodded.

Harry was on cloud nine when he entered his room. He wanted to take a quick shower, change and go back down to spend time with Louise. His Lou. He opened his closet and fished out the first clothes he saw. When he turned to make his way to the bathroom he saw that big, soft, beautiful bed in the middle of the room. He gave into the temptation and dropped into the abyss of comfort. Telling himself he would just take a five minute nap. He didn’t even realize when he drifted into deep sleep. He woke up next morning still in his uniform and change of clothes lying next to him.

----

Louise crashed on her bed. Her day had been so long and hectic. She had arrived back to LA only this morning merely two hours before she had her big exam. She had somehow managed to get there in time for the exam though it hadn’t went all that well but she was okay with that. Going home meeting Harry was necessary for her health as well as her sanity. Knowing he was home safe had been a relief. It had eased her mind. And the proof was that she had managed to get the best sleep in weeks on the plane.

She flipped her phone open to see texts from Max, her friends and Harry. She replied to the texts. Her phone beeped back immediately.

Harry:: You left without saying goodbye.

Louise:: You were sleeping when I left.

Harry:: You could have woken me up.

Louise:: When ‘The Queen’ says you shouldn’t be disturbed than you shouldn’t be
disturbed.

Harry:: I wouldn’t have minded. You came all the way and I couldn’t even spend much
time with you.

Louise:: It’s alright maybe next time.

Harry:: Next time when I come back from Afghanistan?

Louise:: Ha! No, next time I see you.

Harry:: When will that be?

Louise:: Soon