"Love is life. And if you miss love, you miss life."
- Leo Buscaglia
~~~~~~~~~~~

"Okay..." Adele takes a bite of her biscuit then pouts thoughtfully. "Have you ever tasted chocolate?"

We're laid on her bed. The sunlight coming through the window illuminates her pale skin and I smile as I watch her.

This is our new way of communicating, it was Adele's idea. If I make a white orb it means yes, green means no.

I make green orb and she smiles.

"You've never tasted chocolate?! Its amazing." She giggles then bites into the sweet again, thinking about her next question.

She loves this. As soon as she gets home from work every night she lays on the bed and talks to me.

I'm in bliss.

She's happy and I'm the reason for it, I never imagined that I could make her feel like this.

It's the highlight of my day, of my existence. At the back of my mind there is the worry of Harry and all the stuff about it starting... But it's been weeks now and I've fallen into this routine with Adele every day. Harry isn't stopping me so I guess it's ok.

"Hmmm..." She thinks carefully as I watch. I love the way she pouts her lips as she thinks. "Have you worn the same outfit for 300 years?" She asks suddenly.

I laugh at the random question then make a white orb.

"That's gross!" She giggles.

It's not like I can sweat Adele

She's in a playful mood. She's always so happy these days, she practically glows and she talks to me constantly. I don't think anyone has ever known so much about me.

Suddenly she rolls over to where I'm laid. Her glossy hair falls across her face and she brushes it away impatiently.

"Show me Niall again."

She points to the mirror and I project my memory of Nialls face there. He's giving me a huge grin after we'd pulled some prank. His hair is ruffling in the wind and I can almost hear that manic laugh he does.

The image wavers slightly then fades away. I don't want to look at it.

He's trapped somewhere in this house too, but it's worse for him. He's spent three centuries searching for me and I'm right here.

"Louis?" Adele's soft voice stirs me from my thoughts. "Are you ok?"

White.

She looks at the little orb.

"Do you miss Niall?"

I hesitate before creating another little white light.

I have to be careful. Sometimes she tries to ask questions about ghosts and death and I daren't answer in case Harry intervenes again.

"Did you ever have a girlfriend?" Adele asks suddenly.

I create a little white light.

"Oh." Her slim fingers pick at a loose thread on the duvet. "Was she your girlfriend when you, you know, passed on?"

I laugh at the way she never just refers to me as dead.

Green light.

"Were you together long?" She asks causally.

Green.

Only a few months. It wasn't like now Adele... I couldn't even take her anywhere without her brother coming along with us

Of course Adele can't hear any of this and she's pouting thoughtfully.

"Show me."

This one's hard. I've barely thought about Emily in centuries but somewhere in my memories I find an image of her. She was small and blonde, nice enough but nothing about her excited me.

Adele stares at the image.

"She's really pretty."

I watch her carefully and it hits me.

She's jealous.

Her full pink lips are pulled into a little pout and she's trying to act causal.

It seems so funny. She's jealous of a girl I dated 300 years ago.

I begin to laugh, so hard that the bed shakes slightly and Adele looks around, alarmed at the movement.

After a minute I get myself under control and make the image of Emily disappear.

Adele keeps her eyes on the picture until it's gone.

"Did you love her?"

Green.

"Have you ever been in love?" She asks innocently.

I pause.

I should say no.

That's what I should do.

But I can't lie to her so I create a feeble white light.

"You have been in love?" She says softly.

I make the white orb glow stronger.

"Show me." She points to the mirror.

I hesitate, waiting to feel if Harry's going to stop me. There's no sign of him and I wonder why.

It's not just that... Somehow this is crossing a line. Once I've told her there's no going back.

She's waiting expectantly and courage fails me.

I can't do it.

"It's ok... That was a bit personal I guess." She says quietly.

There's an undercurrent of rejection in her tone... She doesn't know it's her but she's let me into her life completely and she thinks I don't want to do the same.

I study her profile as she looks down at the bed, blushing slightly.

I wonder how many times in her life someone has told her they love her and actually meant it.

I'm willing to bet she's more open with me than she's ever been in her life before. She's not scared to be herself around me.

Nervously I focus on the mirror and it slowly begins to change.

I show her my favourite image. The way she looks on a morning just before she opens her eyes, when the trickle of sunlight glows in her hair and a small smile plays across her soft lips.

I daren't look at her so I focus on the mirror. I hear her gasp and there's the longest pause. Finally she speaks.

"Me..." She whispers. "You love me..."

In all my years on this earth I've never met anyone like you Adele... If I had to wait another three centuries to see just one of your smiles I'd do it gladly

I think back to the night when she told me about her childhood, the way she always felt she had to hide away or be something different to be loved.

I concentrate all my effort on making golden letters appear on the mirror.

I love you Adele

Just as the way you are

Her eyes are damp with tears as she reads the words.

Just as I'm beginning to think this was a really bad idea, I see a small smile flutter across her face.

~~~~~~~~~~

I'm in the back bedroom with Mr T.

I'm not sure if girls are supposed to cry that much when you tell them you love them, but she seemed happy.

I think.

Suddenly there's a loud clapping noise and I jump.

"Oh bravo!"

Harry stood in the corner of the room grinning madly and clapping loudly.

"That was beautiful. Really, really stunning."

I scowl up at his perfect face and he grins.

"That was a private moment." I mutter.

"Nothing's private with me." He grins cheekily. "Seriously though, I felt quite emotional watching that. Beautifully done Louis."

He's still clapping like a bloody seal or something so I throw a cushion at him.

"Hey, don't get aggressive with me! Gabriel told me to step in but I couldn't, I just love those little human moments too much. I'm a stickler for a love story."

He pauses and I can see that he's wanting to say something but he's not sure if he should. Finally curiosity wins and he speaks.

"What does it feel like?"

"What?"

"You know..." For the first time since I met him all those years ago he actually looks a bit shy. "Being in love?"

"I thought you loved everything Harry?" I roll my eyes and lean back.

"Of course I do, all of gods creatures equally. It's a bit of a pain in the arse actually, imagine having to love everyone equally all the time." He sighs then looks at me expectantly.

"What?" I sigh.

"Well what does it feel like, to love one person more than anyone else? Why them and not someone else?"

I think for a minute. It's probably the first time Harry's had a question rather than an answer.

I look at him and wonder how I can possibly explain how complex human emotions are to someone who'll never feel them.

"It's kind of like... A feeling." I begin.

"Well duh Einstein." He quips, grinning cheekily.

"Do you want me to bloody tell you or not?" He nods quickly and leans back, pressing his wings against the wall.

"It's painful almost. It hurts. You'd do anything, anything at all to make them happy. I guess it's worse for me because I can't be with her, but the thought of someone else with her hurts me, like a deep ache in my chest."

Harry's listening attentively.

"It doesn't sound like much fun. Can't see what all the fuss is about." He frowns.

"No it's not just like that... Its just that when she's here everything is perfect. I think about her constantly, my heart aches when she's not here. I never feel more happy, more alive than when she laughs , if she's sad it's a like teardrop in my soul. I'd give anything to make her happy. If you told me I had to stay in this house alone for another ten thousand years and you'd give her a happy life, I'd do it without a seconds thought." I shrug.

"Why Adele?" Harry asks.

"I don't know... Its little things and big things. It's like sometimes when she laughs she scrunches up her nose.. And I could watch her do it a thousand times and it wouldn't be enough.
And she believes everything, she's so naive and trusting, it just makes me want to protect her. She's not even scared of me in any way, she just sees the good in everything-"

"You're not exactly scary Louis. You're a pretty crap ghost to be honest." Harry says causally.

"Yeah I guess." I laugh. "I don't suppose you have many ghosts fall in love with the people they're meant to be haunting."

"I wish I could fall in love." Harry says suddenly. For the briefest second a wistful look flashes across his face and he looks almost human.

"Why are you letting me talk to her?" I ask.

"Because I made you a promise."

"What? When?"

"I told you that one day you'd be able to speak to Adele. Everyone upstairs-" he points upwards and rolls his eyes "Is annoyed about it, but I promised you."

"I don't remember."

"Bloody marvellous. The amount of effort I put in for you and you don't even listen to what I say."

"Why are you here tonight? Is something going to happen?"

"No... I just... You know." He shrugs.

"No I don't..."

"Well you'll be moving on soon." He shrugs awkwardly and my stomach sinks at the reminder.

"What and you came to remind me?"

"No. I just... Well I'll miss you." He blurts.

"What? Won't I see you on the other side?"

"Yeah but it'll be different, we won't be able to just chat so much. Plus I'll only get chance to see you every hundred years or so. And you know, you're so different to my other cases. I like talking to you. I don't feel towards you the way you described about Adele-"

"I should bloody hope not." I mutter.

"But I think..." He carries on, ignoring my interruption "If I was allowed friends you'd be my best friend." He grins at me.

I look at him in surprise. For a split second he's dropped the whole 'Archangel Haniel' act and he looks almost shy.

"I always thought we were best friends Harry." I smile and he grins back before suddenly he's back to his usual self.

"Look, Louis, there isn't much time, you'll know what to do when the time comes." He watches my face. "There's no way out of it I'm afraid. You might think you'll decide not to do it, but you won't. I can promise you that." He says sadly.

And suddenly I know he's right.

Whatever it is... I will do it. I just know it, They wouldn't keep me here if I wasn't going to do it.

"Bollocks." Harry mutters suddenly, looking up. "I'm late for choir practice."

He glares at me as I snort with laugher despite myself.

"It's serious business up there." He says pompously.

"Harry!" I call him as he walks towards the blinding gold doorway that's just appeared.

"What?"

"Please... I'll do what you say... But I need a favour..."

"What now?" He sighs.

"Let me keep talking to Adele."

"Louis..."

"Please Harry."

"The amount of trouble I'll get in.."

"Please..." I beg.

He looks at me then sighs again.

"Fine. But no mention of me or any of this stuff."

I watch, grinning to myself as he walks away muttering about people taking liberties.

I appear the the bedroom next to Adele and wait for her to wake up and start talking to me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AN- I'm dedicating this to @maramellouis thanks for all of your comments and votes love x

Just putting it out there... If any ghosts like Louis are available, I'm totally down with being haunted

Super long update there, hope you liked it ;) Barcelona here come!! :D x x