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“Faster, old man,” Harry giggled, tapping his foot as he waited for Niall to catch up. As much as Harry had loved every second they’d spent in Bali, the Night Safari was what he was looking forward to the most, and now that they were finally here, he absolutely couldn’t wait.
The fancy hotel in downtown Kuta had been great, a lot better than what he’d thought they’d be able to afford at their budget. And the cheap seafood by the beach every single night? That and unlimited Guinness was all Niall needed. They’d been here for almost a week, trying out all the touristy things- Diving, visiting the coffee plantations, tanning on the beaches at Nusa Penida (mostly sunburning on Niall’s part, but he hadn’t really seemed to mind).
Niall had taken the responsibility of planning the whole trip as soon as they’d gotten the dates of their graduation, having talked about vacationing in Bali all throughout Uni. And while Harry had loved him for taking on the responsibility then, right now he wasn’t so sure. They only had three more days left, and Niall had made several suggestive comments about how he wanted Harry to himself for the remainder of that, and while he’d loved that, he’d also been nervous that Niall had forgotten the zoo altogether.
But when he got secretive when Harry asked him of their plans over breakfast, brushing it off and saying they had nothing to do, Harry had a suspicion of what was up. He asked if they could head to the pool if they had nothing planned, but he protested, insisting they get ready and wait in their room for a while.
Niall asked Harry to dress comfortably, foregoing his usual floral shirts and boots for shorts and walking shoes. And then filled up a bag with mosquito spray and water bottles. His suspicions only got cemented when their car arrived. The windows were tinted, as the norm seemed to be here, but Niall tried extra hard to keep him occupied, always changing the topic when Harry brought up the surroundings or tried to just drink in the view. When after having driven for nearly half an hour, he’d made to ask the driver where they were heading, the driver had shot Niall a look, to which his boyfriend simply shook his head.
Harry could’ve kissed him right there.
He watched the clustered city melt away, and then the sparse village houses too. When green pressed down on both sides, Harry had rolled the windows down a little, despite the sticky, oppressive heat. The smell of chlorophyll filled his lungs, and even in the morning sunshine, the cicadas seemed to be chirping. Not to mention all the birdcalls.
Harry jiggled his knee impatiently as they turned into the Safari Park, getting just a glimpse of the huge reception area before the driver peeled off to park. Harry jumped off as soon the sliding gates opened up, excited to finally be here after having scrolled through videos on Instagram for ages.
Niall jogged a little, trying to keep up, but then fondly shook his head, falling back and letting Harry run ahead. They’d already booked tickets, and their slot wasn’t for a while, so they had time to kill.
When Niall reached the reception area, he accepted the welcome drinks from one of the guides, who was dressed in the traditional Balinese attire, and took a glass for Harry as well. It was hibiscus tea, he noticed appreciatively. Harry would like that. He couldn’t see his boyfriend anywhere though, and drew his phone out to call him when he spotted Harry crouched by one of the pillars, seemingly studying something at its base.
“Babe, there’s a dissected rattle!” Harry exclaimed as soon as he saw Niall, beckoning him over. “And a lion’s skull! Well, I think it’s a lioness, judging by the size, but it’s the same species anyway,” he rattled off and Niall crouched beside him, smiling as he held out the drink.
“Thought I’d lost you there, for a second,” Niall said, brushing his hair back. It wasn’t even 9 am and the heat was already getting to him.
“Slowpoke,” Harry teased as he accepted the glass, “Try to keep up,”
“Hey,” Niall chuckled, fake-offended “Don’t blame me. Blame my janky knee,”
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A few minutes into waiting, Harry had run off to the souvenir shop and returned with two bags in hand. From one, he’d extracted a giraffe-patterned headband and the other bad he’d thrust at Niall, eyes already widened, ready to shoot him his best puppy face if the need arose.
Niall had shook his head fondly and accepted the bag duly, getting a glimpse of something brown and fuzzy in it. Harry tilted his chin at him and Niall pulled it out. It seemed to be a stuffed toy of a… Lizard? It had a cute little forked tongue, but Niall was just guessing.
“‘S a Komodo Dragon,” Harry prompted, “They’re endemic to the Island of Komodo, yeah? It’s one of Indonesia’s islands. We’ll see them today! And I thought, since they aren’t found anywhere else, the least we could do was get a keepsake,”
“He’s lovely,” Niall had laughed, reaching for Harry’s hand, ready for a day of watching his favourite boy talk about his favourite topic. Niall was no stranger to this side of his.
Nearly all their dates had had something to do with wildlife. Harry’s love for it was why he’d taken Zoology as his major in the first place. Their first date had been to the aquarium. When they’d moved in together, they’d celebrated by binging Planet Earth. They had also made the most of living near the sea. As corny as it sounded, it was during the walks they’d take along the beach when they’d truly gotten to know each other.
Niall loved watching this side of Harry, unbothered, completely focused on the nature around him. He’d never considered himself the outdoorsy type before, but three years down the line, and several hiking dates later, it had grown on Niall too.
He’d turned to see Harry smiling, a glint of mischief in his eyes. When he reached into the first bag and pulled out a matching headband for Niall, he'd already known there was no point in protesting.
So that was how he found himself trudging up a light slope, in matching giraffe headbands with his boyfriend as the younger man rushed off to a long meandering mosaic-covered building.
“Is the whole day going to be like this?” he huffed out when he finally caught up to Harry, who was waiting by the entrance. He bent over with his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. “I was just followin’ the giraffe horns and hoping it was you,”
“I’ll try not to get out of your sight, hm? And what’d I say, old man? Just do your best to keep up, yeah?” Harry smirked, “And they’re not horns, Ni. They’re called ossicones. We’ve been over this. I swear, first your knees, and now your memory,” He giggled, looping their arms together and pressing a kiss to his cheek.
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“Okay, so poisonous is what I eat?” Niall asked, blinking against the sudden sunlight as they came out of the reptile house. They’d spent way more time than he’d thought they would, but he’d never have asked Harry to hurry up, especially not when he kept cooing at even the largest, most terrifying of snakes. It was one of the cutest things he’d seen. Not the snakes, Harry. Not that Niall was afraid of the snakes per se, but the dim lighting and the eerie jungle music playing did not soothe him.
“Well, yes, but not necessarily,” Harry explained patiently, “You could try thinking that venomous is what eats you. Like it bites you, and injects the venom into you. Poisonous could also be something you touch, y’know? Like a dart frog. Or something you breathe, or eat,”
Niall stared back, trying to figure out who was eating what and how he ended up in this conversation with Harry. “I’ve got an idea,” He deflected, shooting him a wide smile, “We’ll go see the dart frogs, and we won’t touch them, yeah? Or eat them. Or inhale them, however that would work,”
“You were the one who brought up biting tho-”
“Nuh-huh,” Niall interrupted, “No more venom-poison. Avoid both, I got it. Shall we get a slushy? I’m burning up. We’ll get one of those refillable elephant cups,” He offered, taking Harry’s hand in his and striding over to the little booth before he could answer.
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“And the whole structure’s living,” Harry said in a hushed voice, not quite sure why he was whispering, but in the mostly empty, dimly lit aquarium halls, glowing blue, with no sound except for the gentle hum of the water filters, it just felt right. “The Great Barrier Reef? Remember that documentary we watched?”
“I do,” Niall hummed, placing his chin on Harry’s shoulder, his heart racing a little faster at how the words sounded, as silly as it was. “We’ll go there someday too. Wanna dive there with you. Dive in all the places with you. Hell, I’d dive in that enclosure with you,” He pointed his thumb over his shoulder to a corridor winding away.
“Enclosures are for land animals, babe,” Harry swatted his arm lightly, turning to kiss Niall softly, “And while I appreciate the sentiment, that tank’s mostly great whites. And stingrays. Not to mention all the other smaller sharks. I need you to have all your limbs if we’re gonna go diving in Australia,” He pecked Niall again before rushing off towards the tunnel, calling back over his shoulder, “Now come on, slowpoke. We’ve got, like, three more classes to go through,”
Niall had been expecting sharks above him, and beside him but sure as hell not under him. He yelped out of surprise when he took the first step, then caught his breath when he noticed the lines of the double glass under him, taking a moment to appreciate the fish that was lying on the ground below him, which had a long snout with serrated teeth at the edge.
“Can’t believe I got that on camera, this is hilarious,” Harry gasped from a few steps ahead, holding up his phone “You look terrified, babe,” Niall squinted and saw himself, one foot up in the air, mouth open in what looked like a scream as he stared down at the glass, which was obvious in the glare of the overheads. In his defence, it had looked transparent from his angle.
“I was not that scared,” he insisted, “You caught me at the wrong moment. I just- Wasn’t expecting water underneath me. And a huge… Whatever that is,” he pointed down at the fish, shuddering a little at its sheer size.
Harry walked over to him, phone angled down as he crouched and took a snap. “It’s a sawfish,” he said, fiddling with the settings on his phone before taking another picture. “And no, before you ask, the saw isn’t literal. It’s like… A sixth sense. Like sharks. They just sense electric fields with it, and water currents. And they won’t hurt you. No you won’t, will you, sweetheart?”
Niall gulped thickly at that, unsure of why Harry talking to a shark in a baby voice would make him emotional, but it did. “I love you so much,” he said, voice slightly husky as Harry scrolled through the pictures, pausing to show him the ones he liked.
“Don’t move,” Harry said, suddenly serious and Niall paused, stomach dropping. Nothing was cracking, right? He didn’t want to be part of Jaws whatever-part-they-were-on-now. He sure as hell wasn’t going to die in an aquarium in Bali. That would make a ridiculous story to tell, he thought a little numbly.
'How did it happen?’
'Sharks ate him in an aquarium.'
'Rest his poor soul, at least he was with his boyfriend-’
“Look up, Ni,” Harry whispered, breaking Niall out of his reverie and he obliged, a smile creeping onto his face. Another sawfish was lying on the glass above him, gills flapping away, close enough that Niall could see the texture on its skin.
“He looks like he’s smiling, aww. He’s gorgeous,” He whispered, glancing back at Harry to see him with his phone raised. Ah, so that’s what the not moving was about. Trust Harry to be dramatic about it.
“Isn’t he just?” Harry agreed, “So pretty from down here, all the sunlight filtering through. And the water. All the water makes his eyes so much bluer. So so much bluer, Ni,”
And suddenly Harry was right there. And it was no one but them, and all that mattered were his lips on his, and the feel of his tshirt in his fists and the firm press of their bodies and the silence of the water pressing down on them. He wanted this forever.
A few moments later, Harry pulled away, smiling at Niall widely enough for his eyes to crinkle up, letting the older man wrap his arm around his waist as they crossed the tunnel, pausing every so often as Harry pointed out some fish or crustacean, telling him facts about them, his hushed voice echoing in the tunnel.
Niall stopped in his tracks when the tunnel opened up to the next room. He was completely in awe. It was bigger than he could’ve imagined, the entire place bathed in a deep blue glow. It had sets of stairs descending to three platforms, most of them empty.
This had to be the biggest tank he’d ever seen. The glass in front of them seemed to stretch out forever on all sides, the handful of people standing in front of him looking tiny and framed, like a tableau, full of movement and energy.
“Sit, babe?” Niall whispered, and waited for Harry to nod back before climbing down the first three sets, pausing when he was at the bottom and curling up against the carpeted back wall with his knees bent. He patted the place next to him and Harry sat down, a smile still plastered to his face.
“D’you like it?” he whispered, placing his head on Niall’s shoulder, exhaling deeply and taking in the familiar smell of his perfume. Niall hummed in reply, head turning as he followed the paths of the various fishes across the length of the glass.
“Never thought I’d want to sit and look at fish but, fuck-” he breathed out, “I could stay right here for ages,”
The ‘with you’ was unsaid but Harry felt it. He felt it in the satisfied sigh of his breath, in the firm press of his fingers against Harry’s waist, in the thumping of his own heart against his ears. He didn’t really have the words to answer that. Harry simply tilted his head to press his lips against the skin behind Niall’s ear, watching the manta rays.
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“Not mammals, Ni” Harry teased, standing in front of the glass covered enclosures. He could feel the cold radiating off the glass, half of it filled with water, penguins swimming around.
“It was one time, Haz,” Niall groaned, “You can let it go! That was before I knew you, wasn’t it? Birds. Feathers, nesting, eggs etcetera. I know,” He crouched, eyes following a nestling swimming across the entire length of the pool before waddling back up, to where Niall assumed his nest must be.
“You knew they laid eggs even back then, but you had somehow convinced yourself they were a mammal,” Harry laughed, raising his phone to take a picture of Niall, his face in profile as he studied the penguins with a small smile on his face. He didn’t seem to even be aware that he was smiling and, god- Harry was in so deep for him.
“Oi, I never tease you for thinking seals and sea lions were the same, do I? I just got them mixed up with monotremes, alright. It can happen,” Niall lightly poked him in his ribs, causing Harry to squeal and stick his tongue out at him.
“Can’t intimidate me into stopping, Ni,” He took a few steps away, then broke into a light jog when Niall made to follow him, hands held out.
He wasn’t sure when it turned to them running full pelt, but they were giggling wildly the whole time, making the most of how they practically had the whole place to themselves.
He let out a little ‘oof’ of surprise when Niall finally caught up, wrapping his arms tightly around him, Harry’s back pressed against him. “Behave,” Niall said, leaning close enough for Harry to feel his warm breath against his ear, the set of his voice sending a delicious little shiver through him. He nodded, just realising he was out of breath himself, the beginnings of a stitch uncomfortably apparent in his side.
“ What is that smell?” Niall exclaimed, letting Harry go as he pinched his nose, looking about with realisation sinking in. “When did we reach the aviary?” He asked, nose crinkled up and Harry had the ridiculous urge to kiss him again, the smell of guano be cursed.
“The aquatic aviary,” Harry said, pointing at a pair of pelicans who seemed to be nesting in the rafters. “Look- A spoonbill! Oh, he’s gorgeous,” he sighed happily, holding up his phone and clicking a couple of pictures in quick succession, then going over them. “But as I was saying, they have two aviaries. Must’ve crossed the other one when you were running after me,” He shot Niall a fake-dirty look, to which his boyfriend just grinned back smugly.
“That’s on you for starting it. But, H, I don’t want you to miss any of it. You’d been waiting for this ages and- We can go back, if you want?” he offered, but Harry just shook his head.
“It’s nearly one already. We’ve got the herbivores and the carnivores still left. And the komodo exhibit. And the butterfly garden. Not to mention lunch. I don’t wanna be late for the actual safari, babe. And they said they hold a special performance after dinner, too. So if we want to make it to that, we’re gonna have to time ourselves on this,” Harry said with an earnest smile, “Besides, we’ve seen the tropical aviary back home, haven’t we? Promise it’s okay,”
Niall was sure his cheeks would be aching by the time they got to the hotel. He just couldn’t stop smiling, taking his phone out to take pictures of Harry, absorbed in his own phone as he photographed
the birds.
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“I don’t get it,” Niall said, shrugging apologetically “They’re not even doing anything. And don’t you tell me it’s because they’re nocturnal. They don’t even have, like- Scary teeth or anything. They’re just lying there. And eating,”
“ Niall James Horan ,” Harry exclaimed, “Don’t let me hear you say that again! They’re amazing! Don’t mind my boyfriend, love, he can be a bit of a Neanderthal sometimes,” he said to the komodo dragon currently dozing, pressed up against the glass wall.
“I am not,” Niall said firmly, talking to the lizard too. If anyone had told him a couple of years ago that he’d be standing in a zoo in Bali, with his boyfriend, talking to a fucking lizard, of all things- He chuckled lightly to himself. It was crazy, how life had turned out. There was nothing else he could’ve asked for.
“Yes, you are,” Harry insisted, “And komodos are cool, Ni. They’re the biggest lizard on the planet! And sure, they don’t have ferocious-looking teeth, but they can kill you with one bite. Won’t even have to chase ya. She’ll just sort of- bite you and wait for you to run out of steam, eventually,” he shrugged, then turned back to the komodo. “Please don’t kill my Niall, though. I love him very much, and I’d miss him terribly,”
“I’m sure she won’t,” Niall chuckled, reaching for the water bottle hanging from his bag and taking a large swig, handing it to Harry.
“You’re not all that different, really,” Harry continued, still talking to the lizard as he took a sip. “He loves food too. And sleeping! He’s just saying that because he sees a piece of himself in you,”
“Oi,” Niall protested, smacking his arm lightly, “Watch it. I’m not above-”
“It’s a zoo, Niall,” Harry said, dramatically fluttering his eyelashes, “What’s the word I’m looking for… Didn’t you just tell me- Oh, yeah. Behave,” He honked out a laugh at his own joke, then promptly slapped his hand over his mouth. It was all so cute that Niall didn’t even find it in himself to pretend to be offended, pulling Harry down for a kiss instead.
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“My knee hurts,” Niall whined, “And I’m hungry. It’s lunchtime already, Haz. Even the deer are eating, look,” They’d been walking for nearly five hours at the point, and all the trudging about with the bag had made Niall even hungrier.
“We’re almost done with all the Cervids, Ni,” Harry pouted, falling into step with him, linking their fingers together, “They’ve got a great Indonesian restaurant after this zone, I saw it on the map back at the aviary, we’ll have that Nasi Bebek you wanted to try. Just a few more minutes, I promise,”
And when Harry made that face at him, they both knew Niall could never refuse.
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It took more than just a few minutes. Nearly half an hour, and more species of deer than he’d ever dreamed could exist later, they finally reached the restaurant, a ‘trying to look like a village eatery but very much a fancy place’ called Warung Nia. It was a bamboo building at the top of one of the hills in the zoo, made in the native Balinese style, with a small brook flowing through the restaurant. Niall couldn’t figure out if it was real or not, but it arguably added to the aesthetic of the place.
It was a warm earthy green on the inside, decorated with splashes of beiges and browns. With the smoke from the table barbeques hanging in the air, it did feel like the authentic family-run warung they’d stopped at when they’d gone to Canggu.
They were seated by one of the tables next to the windows, a birds eye view of the entire zoo from their seats. Harry ordered for them, and Niall watched fondly as he talked to the waiter, insisting on calling the foods by their Indonesian names. They sipped on their iced teas as they waited for their order, Harry going over the rest of the day’s itinerary.
When the waiter arrived, two huge trays in either hand, Niall sat up, excited. His jaw fell open when he saw what was on it. A sauce boat filled with a thick, brown gravy-looking sauce, and a variety of cut vegetables around it.
“This isn’t duck,” Niall stared at his plate and then at Harry’s, which had a bowl full of yellow curry and a pile of rice. “Is yours duck?”
“Nope, thought we’d try out the vegetarian options for now. Don’t want you getting all sleepy on me through the Big Cats exhibit, now, do I?” He teased, raising a shoulder slightly “Yours is Gado-Gado , and mine’s Oleh-Oleh . Peanut sauce and veg,” he pointed at the dishes in turn, “And veg curry and rice. And sambal. Go light on that, babe, they said it’s quite hot,”
“Says the one who was in tears over some tea,” Niall chuckled as he doled out the food into their plates, recounting how Harry had sweated over one of the teas they’d tried at the coffee plantation a few days ago.
“It was ginger , Ni. Stung like hell,” Harry protested, frowning in concern as Niall pulled the pot of sambal towards him.
“Don’t worry, Haz. I’ll go light on it, yeah?” Niall assured.
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He did not go easy on the sambal. It hadn’t been so bad at the moment, but the heat seemed to have built up the more water he drank. They missed a fair chunk of the tiger feeding in the big cats exhibit because Niall kept insisting on getting refills for their slushies. Harry pouted over it for the next few hours, and Niall promised him he’d make it up as he took his hand, checking the route on the map by the road before they headed off.
“You’re gonna love this so much,” he whispered, pulling Harry along when the building came into view, the glass dome glinting in the brilliant afternoon sunshine.
“Oh my… God,” Niall breathed out as he pushed the door open and stepped inside, his jaw hanging open, feeling a little overwhelmed by all the colours around him. The air was heavy with humidity, and warm enough for him to feel his skin begin to stick slightly. But the flowers… They were in bloom all around him. Hibiscus flowers the size of his fist, bougainvillaea cascading down the walls, jasmine climbing up trellises all around and so many more Niall couldn’t even identify.
Harry was having the same reaction, a look of wonder on his face as he took photos of all the flowers. And then it hit Niall. Not all of them were flowers. They were butterflies. Practically covering the bushes and-
He couldn’t breathe. Harry against the backdrop of the beautiful glass dome, an explosion of flowers around him and- He looked like an angel.
“Um, Hazza?” Niall said, taking a deep breath when Harry turned towards him, phone still held up, poised to take pictures. “Will you marry me?” he blurted out, everything seeming to move in slow motion. He heard the mechanical snap of a photo being taken. Was intensely aware of how a butterfly came and landed on his head at the very same second. And of how Harry’s expression went blank for a moment, and a flash of confusion passed before he bit his lip.
“I just- Love you so much and- God, this isn’t how I meant to do it- I have- The ring’s in my bag, I’m so sorry, Haz, sh-”
Harry’s lips shut him up, eyes staying open in surprise for a couple of seconds before he relaxed into it, hand instinctively creeping to cup his jaw. His lips were soft, and so insistent, and Niall thought he’d have fainted if Harry hadn’t had him pulled flush against him. He felt so lightheaded, the tips of his fingers almost buzzing with anticipation. His heart thumping was the only sound he could hear, and he could’ve sworn he could feel Harry’s heart barrelling against his chest and- This was yes, wasn’t it?
Harry pulled away and Niall inhaled deeply, still holding Harry’s jaw tenderly. “Is this a yes?” he asked, feeling a little numb.
“What do you think, Ni?” Harry sighed, leaning in for another kiss. “It wasn’t even a question, I love you so much. Yes. Yesyesyes,” he repeated giddily, peppering kisses all over Niall’s face.
“Shit- the ring, I’m-” Niall mumbled, placing his bag on the ground and kneeling next to it. He fumbled for a while, Harry anxiously toying with his lip. “Babe,” he whined.
“Just a sec… I’ve- Got it,” he exclaimed, pulling out a small, black velvet-covered ring box. Still kneeling he turned to Harry, popping it open. “Wanted to do this properly the first time round, but… Here goes,”
He gently took out the ring, and took Harry’s hand in his. “I wanted to write you a lot of things, H, but- God, I knew I’d never be able to say it all in front of you, even if I could find the words to tell you how I feel. I love you, babe, so so much. I just wanna be with you, and go everywhere with you. To do this forever. Harry, will you give me the honour of becoming my forever?”
Harry nodded, eyes welling up as Niall slid the ring on. Niall pulled him into a hug, resting his head on his shoulder. “Is that… A seashell?” Harry whispered against his ear. He drew his head back, wiping away the tears collecting at the corner of Harry’s eyes with his thumb.
“Yeah,” he exhaled shakily, “From one of our first dates. Remember? You were collecting shells. And you found those matching ones?”
“You kept them this whole time?” Harry said, voice quivering as he remembered that day. One of the first times they went to the beach together. An early morning walk before breakfast, salt hanging heavy in the air as he ran about excitedly, photographing the tiny crabs burrowed in the sand and… Collecting shells.
“Hey, hey, no more tears, babe,” Niall cupped his jaw, ignoring how his own eyes were definitely watery. “But yes, of course, I kept them. I kept them all, actually. The jeweller told me I’ve got quite the collection when I went there,”
“My fiance got me a custom seashell ring,” Harry breathed out, as though he was testing how the words sounded. “My fiance, shit,” He dragged his hand over his face, a small chuckle escaping him. “Shit, I’m gonna marry my boyfr- My fiance. Niall,”
“Yes, love?” Niall smiled, hoisting his bag up.
“How’m I supposed to function now?” he said with a disbelieving chuckle, “I knew you were planning some thing, but I… God, Ni. I love you so much,”
“Love you too, babe,” Niall smiled back as he brought Harry’s fingers up to his lips.
“My fiance,” Harry breathed out, smile still plastered to his face.
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“Can’t believe we could’ve missed this,” Harry said as they climbed onto one of the buses queued by the road, ready to take them to the actual safari park.
“Only because you insisted on taking a million photos,” Niall quipped as he slid in next to Harry.
“Only because my boyfriend proposed,” Harry quipped back, “I wasn’t even given a warning. Could you blame me for wanting to take as many photos as I could? He didn’t even wait till the day was done so that I could have a meltdown in peace about it. There was a butterfly on your head , Niall. And the wall behind you was covered with flowers. It was like something out of a movie- I could’ve fainted or something,” he said, pouting dramatically.
Niall was about to reply but Harry got distracted by a huge bat he spotted and then by what he swore was a fox.
By the time they got to the loading bay, it was already dusk, and the crickets had started chirping again.
“The Horans, party of two?” One of the guides called out and Niall raised an arm, ignoring the look Harry gave him as their car trundled into view. The entire back of the truck was a wire cage, with two railings inside to keep them away from the sides, and loops hanging from the ceiling for them to hold on to.
The guide and the keeper climbed up after them, and Harry waited till they’d finished giving the instructions and the truck had started moving to whisper excitedly to Niall. “Why’s it just the two of us! Did you book the whole thing? Niall!”
Niall shrugged, holding on to the railing tightly as the truck climbed up a slope. “Wanted you to be able to take as many pictures as you want,”
Harry looked like he would’ve kissed Niall right there, but they slowed down, and he gasped when he saw what it was for. His gaze fixed to their left, just a few feet away, on a rock. Where a lion was resting. The keeper whistled sharply and the lion perked up, and Niall could see Harry gnawing at his lip as the cat came closer. The keeper speared a piece of meat on a skewer and held it by the bars of the cage.
The lion stared at it for a while, and the keeper whistled again, two short ones this time and he opened his jaw, then pressed up against the bars before circling back and eating the proffered meat. Niall could feel his heart thumping loudly as he exhaled disbelievingly at the sight. The guide explained how this training allowed them to conduct a check on the lions and made for a good show.
A couple minutes later, the truck started up again, veering away from the lion. Harry waved at it as it went out of sight. The keeper chuckled fondly as he came up to them, holding a bucket full of carrots, telling them that they could feed the rest of the animals if they wanted. Harry accepted graciously.
The paths were dark and curving, and Harry was absorbed in a conversation with the keeper about how they kept the herbivores separated from the big cats. Niall didn’t catch much of it, but in between the times they were feeding elephants, and giraffes and zebras and many more he’d forgotten, Harry kept holding up his hand in the dark, grinning and talking about how pretty his ring was. He wouldn’t have caught much of it even if he did understand what they were talking about.
The rest of the safari was a bit of a blur for him, even the part where two tigers jumped onto their cage. Even then, the only thing on his mind was how he could feel the ring on Harry’s finger from where he was holding his hand tightly.
They got back just in time for the doors to the banquet to open. It was open on three sides, the safari park visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Harry went with the maitre’d, and Niall veered off to heap a plate with all the local delicacies they still hadn’t tried. When he came back, he saw Harry seated at one of the tables by the window.
As he reached the table, he saw one of the cage-trucks they’d been in come into view, and a lion stalk in from the left.
“Best seats in the house,” Harry grinned at him as Niall set the plates down. “The maitre’d was asking me about the trip and I told him how we’d just gotten engaged. He was so taken with the idea of being proposed to in a zoo that he insisted that there be a proper celebration and that we take these seats. Reckon they’ll be bringing out the champagne soon enough,”
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They did indeed bring out champagne for them. And special seats for the African Dance show Harry’d been so keen on.
Before they left, Harry gave his polaroid camera to one of the staff members who was nice enough to get a picture for them. They had taken quite a few, but as Niall sat in the car, Harry dozing off on his shoulder, the one that stood out the most to him was one where he was cupping Harry’s face, staring up at him. Harry was grinning, dimples at full, his hand resting on Niall’s shoulder, rings glinting in the flash.
He could see it in his mind’s eye. An album full of candid polaroids like this. Nothing but the place and date scribbled on the bottom. Pages after pages of them being silly all over the world. He simply couldn’t wait. He’d follow him to any place.
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