Picture Perfect | Larry Stylinson ❀ [Mpreg]

Seven

There's a piercing beep that jolts Harry from his sleep, reminding him of another mundane day of school ahead. However, the delightful aroma of breakfast wafts through the air, serving as a separate reminder—it's his birthday.

He grumbles once into his pillow before rolling onto his side, gazing up at the dark ceiling. With a heavy sigh, he reaches over to silence the alarm, putting an end to its incessant noise. Mornings are always a struggle, birthday or not.

Once his eyes adjust to the awakening world, he grabs his phone and switches it on, momentarily blinded by the flood of incoming birthday messages.

Gemma: Happy birthday baby bro!! Stop growin up xxx

Niall: Hey brat. Wake up.

Niall: Helllllooooooooo?

Niall: I can't call you because then you'll whine I woke you up.

Niall: Happy birthdaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy to my frog looking best mate. Love you you curly headed goof.

Niall: I'll pick you up this morning. kay?

Harry chuckles as he responds to both of them. Then, he scrolls through a few more messages, replying to his aunts, uncles, grandmother, and father who all sent him birthday wishes. He soon notices a message from an unknown number and clicks on it to see who it's from.

Unkown: Hey, got your number from Louis. It's Zayn. Wanted to wish you a h appy birthday mate.

Wow.

Receiving a message from Louis's personal assistant was unexpected but somewhat heartening. It hinted at the possibility that Louis might have remembered his birthday as well. Harry couldn't help but feel a twinge of excitement at the thought, though he tried to keep his expectations in check. After all, it was just a message from an assistant, not directly from Louis himself. Still, the gesture sparked a glimmer of hope in his heart.

Harry scrolls through the plethora of birthday messages, replying to each one with gratitude. Despite the warm wishes from friends and family, a sense of disappointment gnaws at him as he waits, hoping for a message from Louis. He couldn't shake the feeling of anticipation, checking his phone repeatedly in vain for any sign from the footballer. With every passing moment, the absence of a message from him weighs heavier on Harry's mind, leaving him feeling a little dejected amidst the otherwise cheerful atmosphere of his birthday.

He tries to reason with himself that friends aren't obligated to remember birthdays, especially considering their relatively new friendship. Louis has a busy schedule as a professional football player, so there's a good chance that he is simply occupied with something else right now. With a sigh, Harry rises from bed and makes his way to the bathroom, stomach grumbling from the comforting scent of his mother's breakfast cooking downstairs.

As he showers and dresses for the day, Harry reflects on the positive changes in the dynamics with his mother. Gemma's presence during the holidays had helped mend some of the strained relationship, and Robin's proposal had been a significant step forward. Despite the challenges Anne had faced since the divorce and their past troubles in Cheshire, Harry harbored no resentment toward her. He understood that healing took time, and he was grateful to see that things were finally lightening up.

After getting ready, Harry descends the stairs to the kitchen, expecting to find his mother waiting to share breakfast with him. However, she had already left, leaving behind a note apologizing for her absence due to an unavoidable meeting. Harry feels a further pang of disappointment but knows there isn't much his mom can do about skipping a meeting. He settles in at the table, grateful for the meal she had at least prepared for him, even if they couldn't enjoy it together.