number 12. (l.s.)

Chapter 46.

F O U R T Y S I X
-the sun and moon-

All 5 of them sat in the living room, Louis and Harry holding tea in their hands, while Dan, Scarlett and Gemma had a glass of wine. Louis just smiled, feeling in such a warm place, surrounded by people he cared about, and who seemed to care about him as well. He realized he had missed that place, and as he took in his surroundings, nothing seemed changed. There was only one thing he realized was different: a picture hung above the fireplace, centrally located in the living room. It wasn't a big picture, but Louis recognized it. It was one Harry took of a skyscraper just out of town. It was beautiful.

When Louis walked towards it to admire it, he also saw a small picture frame on the railing and as he gazed at it for seconds, memories of the moment started to return and race through his mind. It was the picture of him in the moonlight. When Scarlett walked towards him, smiling at the picture frame, she turned towards Louis doubtfully. "Is it okay if it's here?" She had asked. He nodded slowly, still looking at the way he was in a photo of Scarlett and Dan's house. "It's just... You once were a piece of us, and we wanted to be reminded of the good memories." She explained. Louis looked to the side, facing her, who was just a little smaller than Louis. He smiled softly as she smiled back.

"How are you, Louis?" Dan asked, as they sat on the couch, his eyes sparkling with joy, but a little worry as well, hoping he was happy in his new home. Louis smiled softly, which he forced, thinking back to those past three months. It could've been worse, was what he always told himself. However, he lost his strength for just a few seconds, and that is what he hated the most about the three months.

"I've been okay," Louis answered, making it convincing with a nod, "what about you?"

They nodded as well, "yeah, we're doing okay." It was quite ironic how Gemma knew Louis was lying and how Harry knew Dan and Scarlett were lying. He noticed how they missed Louis—the fact that they even mistaked his name sometimes with Louis, even after three months. He also noticed they still cleaned his room, and let everything the same in it. The fact they even listened to the music Louis liked listening to, and how often they mistakenly grabbed a plate too much, indirectly taking it for Louis. However, both Harry and Gemma didn't say anything.

"How are things there? Are your parents nice to you?" Dan asked.

Louis nodded with a silent smile, "Yeah, it's nice. They're nice too." But Gemma knew they hadn't even had a proper conversation yet. She felt a little bad for him, she saw how he tried to be the perfect son to them, like wearing everything they wanted him to wear or talking in the way they wanted him to. Gemma also felt like she wasn't really supposed to be there. She sat with four people who cared so much about each other, who finally saw each other again after months. She just wanted them to be together in the ambiance again, without her. That's why she stood up after about half an hour, smiling as she said she was going to meet up with her parents again.

When she left, they just talked and played games for hours until the clock struck 1. "Gemma messaged she's staying the night at our parents, if it was okay if Louis could stay here," Harry announced, reading from his phone.

"Yes, of course!" Scarlett said happily, missing Louis around all the time.

"Could I stay too?" He asked, just wanting to stay with Louis until he left, and they both nodded with a smile.

"Just like old times, huh?" Louis smiled, sitting on the bed where he used to sleep, Harry smiling up to him from the mattress on the ground. He snickered softly, looking up to him. "Are you sure you don't want to have the bed? I'll take the mattress, I don't mind."

Harry shook his head, "I'm okay." He nodded, silence filling the room. They had so much to tell each other, but somehow they kept ending up in silence, just gazing at each other when they could. Harry let out a sigh eventually, standing up from the mattress and sitting down on the bed across from Louis. "I can't believe how much you've changed."