52 Birthdays with Lou

They’re in America again for his twenty-first, which is kind of nice, because although Harry wasn’t able to have a celebratory ‘coming-of-age’ drink when he turned eighteen, he’s able to have an American one at twenty-one.

It isn’t anything special, just their hotel’s bar, surrounded by the boys and their security, which might as well have been family.

Liam’s finds that cupcake place, that has it’s own TV show, and there are five cupcakes, each with one of the boys’ face on it, modeled with fondant.

Harry can’t really take it seriously, staring down at the edible cartoon of himself that’s melting under the heat of the candle Louis had hastily stuffed through his cartoon’s eye, but he grins anyways, blowing out the candle.

Wishing for things to always be this happy.

22

 

When Harry turns twenty-two, he finds himself on the very top of the Eiffel Tower, looking down at the city of Paris, a familiar hand wrapped around his own.

“Happy birthday Harry,” Louis whispers into his ear, his breath warm against his cold skin. Harry turns around and grins, looking down at the cupcake Louis was cradling in his hands.

Harry rolls his eyes, “Really?”

“It’s tradition,” Louis insists and with a sigh Harry leans over the cupcake, biting his lip as he stared down at the flickering flame.

“Can I wish for you?” Harry whispers, staring down at the cupcake and Louis laughs.

“You already have me!” he says, before his smile drops, “But you can’t say what you wish out loud, or else it won’t come true.”

So Harry silently blows out the candles, this time wishing to keep Louis.

Forever.

23

 

When Harry turns twenty-three, he and Louis have been drifting apart for a long while. Harry can’t pin point the exact day it happened, or even why it happened, but he does know that since October, he’d seen Louis less and less.

There’s rumors of them breaking up, which haven’t exactly helped anything. The band hasn’t done anything new, so the fans speculation could just be from lack of seeing the boys out in public promoting anything together.

They had no way of seeing behind closed door, but if they did, Harry is sure they would think the same thing anyways.

Louis calls him the night of his birthday; Harry has spent the whole day at the flat, waiting for Louis to surprise him with a party, or sex or even just a cupcake.

                 

 “I won’t make it home tonight,” Louis says, and Harry thinks he hears a distant giggle on Louis’ end of the line, but he might just be imagining it. “I’m sorry.”