After the best sex we had quite possibly ever had we went together and picked up Freddie who was pissed at us for taking so long. We had lots of making up to do. Sometimes Harry was quite insatiable and I had to promise him another go later just to get him out of the bed.
The next morning I woke up to Harry snuggled against me and at first it startled me to see someone in my bed before I realized it was my Harry. I wrapped my arms around him and kissed his forehead.
Harry looked up at me from my chest. "G'morning my love." He said.
"Morning," I said. "You sleep well?"
"I did," Harry said. "Best sleep I've had in a long while."
"Me too," I said. "We gotta be at the studio at nine."
"Yeah," he yawned.
We were out of bed just before Freddie and he rushed into the kitchen just as he always had and jumped on Harry. Damn if he didn't love Harry just as much as me.
We dropped Freddie off at Lottie's and Freddie was fighting separation issues with Harry. He cried when we dropped him and he made Harry pinky promise over and over that he would be back for him. It broke my heart to see our son so upset with Harry.
"I've hurt him," Harry said as I backed out of Lottie's drive. "I just hope I can fix it."
"He will be fine," I told him and patted his leg. "He'll get used to you being around but you can't leave him again Harry. Even if you leave me you can't leave him."
"I won't ever leave you again," he cried. "I can't put him through that again either." He put his pinky out and I noticed the ring on his finger again. "I pinky promise Lou."
I laced my pinky with his and gave him a smile. "The ring?"
"I'm yours," he said simply. "Now stop sending me divorce papers." He chuckled.
I pulled my ring from my pocket and slipped it on. Call me crazy but I had been carrying the ring in my pocket since the last time I seen Harry, it had become as important to me as my wallet, and I never left home without it. "And I'm yours love," I said and pulled his hand up and kissed his ring and finger. "I won't send the papers again."
We walked into the studio together, not holding hands or anything like that and I held the door for him to enter in front of me. We both carried coffees from the same place so everyone would know we had come together.
"Harry, Louis!" Niall yelled and rushed to us and hugged each of us. "Larry has arrived! It's been way too long!"
"You're right," I told him.
Liam walked over to us giving me a sly smile and locking his eyes on my neck before extending his hand to Harry. Harry frowned at him and looked at his hand and frowned again but he didn't move to shake his hand. "No handshake? It's fine mate, it's good to see you," Liam said as be pulled his hand back.
Liam had done an interview a while back and said Harry's music wasn't his exact taste and he felt Harry would take it wrong. But, communication between the two of them had been just as bad as mine and Harry's so he never reached out to Harry to tell him he meant no harm.
Harry stepped to Liam and wrapped his arms around him. "I've missed you Liam." Harry said rubbing his back. "You don't care for my music and it's ok."
Liam glared at me and I shrugged. "You wouldn't talk to him so I told him for you." I told him. Funnily enough it was easy to talk to Harry about Liam. Communication about other people was easier than communicating our feelings to one another.
"You shit," Liam laughed and released Harry. "You're looking good mate." He said to Harry wearing his big toothy grin.
"You too," Harry said.
Liam hugged me quickly. He and I had stayed close through the years and I welcomed his hug. "You ready for this?" He questioned. Liam knew about everything, Harry and me, and the fact I'd be breaking my contract.
"Yeah," I said. "I suppose so."
The door opened behind us and we all turned to see who was entering. When my eyes met his I was stunned to see him. He looked at me cautiously and my smile faded.
Zayn.
"Hey guys," Zayn spoke first but quietly.
Liam and Niall went to him and both exchanged hugs with him. Zayn looked at Harry then walked slowly to Harry. "Hey Harry," he said and extended his hand to him.
Harry looked over at me and I gave him a small smile, I wouldn't stop Harry from being friends with Zayn. He hugged Zayn and spoke softly, "you look good mate."
When Zayn left the band he had been struggling with an eating disorder and his health was bad. He was too skinny and rarely ate. I knew he'd go days at a time without eating but I was helping him through it. We all were.
"Thanks," Zayn said. "So do you." He looked over at me again. "Louis." He said making no move to hug me or shake my hand.
"Hey," I said and turned from him.
All the lads knew there was animosity between the two of us and I was irritated with Liam for not warning me that Zayn would be there.
"Lou," he said touching my shoulder. "Can we talk?" I turned to face him. "Please? I think we're grown up enough to have the conversation now." He had seen my interview where I'd said we weren't mature enough yet to have that conversation.
"Are we?" I asked him and the anger came rushing back in. "Are we really Zayn?"
"Lou come on," Harry said to me and touched my shoulder gently. "Just give it a go, if it don't work out it don't work out."
"Fine," I said and walked out of the studio with Zayn and into the recording area. Microphones hung from the ceiling and we stood away from them. "Talk," I said to him and crossed my arms.
"First," Zayn said and touched my shoulder and I pulled away. "Sorry," he said pulling his hand back. "I want you to know how sorry I am. I'm sorry I left the way I did. I'm sorry for all the shit I said to you that day."
"You hurt me," I told him. "You don't call your best friend names like that."
"I was so messed up at that time," he said and I lowered my head to look up at him through my lashes. "I know that's no excuse for how I treated you but I didn't mean it. You and Harry were destined to be together and I know that. You both know that. The whole fucking world knows that. If there's one thing I'm the most sorry for it's that. But a real close second is not being there when your mum passed. God, Louis I'm so sorry." Zayn had tears in his eyes as he spoke and at the end of his apology one tear escaped and traveled down his cheek.
My eyes welled with tears at the mention of my mum and Zayn not showing up after he said he would. "I think it hurt me worse when you didn't to show up that night after telling me you'd be there, than you calling me a fag did, if I'm honest."
Zayn had called Harry and me fags on our last phone call. He had always been so accepting of our relationship, even pushing us together and going as far as to help hide our shenanigans from the cameras. So, to hear that from him hurt to my core. Then when he didn't show up for my performance after my mum passed it just put salt in the very open wound. I never told Harry about the comment Zayn had made. There was no reason to hurt him too; he considered Zayn a friend after all. All he knew was Zayn and I had an argument. An argument that ended our friendship. That was seven years ago.
Zayn and I had only had contact once since that day and it was a Twitter fight. It was a stupid childish argument that I should have never gotten involved in. At the time I didn't regret anything I said but looking back I knew we were both wrong and I was willing to admit that.
Zayn put his head in his hands. "God Louis, I'm so sorry. I know I can't undo it but I really hope you'll forgive me."
I still cared deeply for Zayn even after all the shit between us. He'd had a tough year and I cared about that as well. I never stopped caring for him; he was my friend. I just didn't like him much. But his apology softened me. "I think it'll take some time but I will try."
Zayn smiled up at me. "That's all I can ask for. You were my best friend Louis and I missed you once you weren't by my side."
"I missed you too mate," I said and wrapped him in a big hug. He put his arms around me and held me tighter than necessary. "You're killing me." I laughed.
"Sorry," he said releasing me and smiling at me. "Love you bro."
"Love ya Z," I said to him and I meant it. Zayn was a missing piece in my life. I truly missed my best friend.
"Are you two gonna kiss or do you wanna like record a song?" Liam said into the room.
"You'd just get jealous and I'd have to fight you. It would be an unnecessary mess Liam," I said and rolled my eyes at him and flipped him off, "creepers." I said knowing they could hear me.
"Piss off Lou," Liam said.
We walked back into the studio and Harry hugged me. "That was beautiful." He pulled from me and eyed Zayn. "Did you call me that too?" He asked Zayn.
Zayn nodded in shame. "I'm sorry." He said. "I didn't mean it."
Harry put his arm around him. "No worries. It's in the past. We were all fighting some demons back then."
"We really were," Liam said.
We all knew Liam's struggles. He performed most of our final tour completely hammered. He was good at hiding it. He also outed Harry and me a couple of times due to the alcohol removing his filter completely. But we didn't care and ignored it. The fans did not ignore it though and Liam became the second biggest Larry shipper, coming in second to Niall.
"You wrote the song didn't you?" Zayn asked me as we sat and listened as a group. It was the first time in seven years we were all in the same room.
"I did," I admitted.
"I've heard you and Harry say most of the things you put in the song," he told me. "It's a good song Lou."
"Thanks," I said.
"We'll have to change the pronouns to record it," Liam pointed out.
"Yeah I know," I said. I had written about a "he or him" when I wrote the song. It was about Harry and me and trying so desperately to find our way home. It was by far the most personal song I had ever written. It could also be interpreted as the way things went for us as a group and us trying to find our way back to each other.
"What's the name?" Niall asked. "The demo only says 'us' on it."
"Wish I was home," I told them.
Harry looked over at me and patted my leg then leaned over and kissed my cheek. "You're my home love." He whispered in my ear.
I laced my fingers through his. "And you're mine." I said with a a smile.
"Ugh," Liam groaned. "You two are still disgustingly adorable."
I smiled up at Liam. "Jealous?" I smirked.
"Absolutely," he laughed.
"I mean Zayn is recently single," I joked. "You could always make Ziam real."
"Very funny," Liam said.
"I mean we could," Zayn joked and threw his arm around Liam.
Zayn and Liam had been the second biggest ship during our band days. They were close and did a lot of flirting on stage. They were drawn to each other like Harry and me but not like Harry and me, if that makes sense. They didn't kiss or anything like that.
Of course people shipped Harry with Zayn as well. I hated that but I had to ignore it. Our management had gone as far as to make Harry use Zayn's mic during a show after Zayn had left. It was to take the focus off me and him but still it bothered me.
"Ok I've worked out who sings what," Niall said putting his notebook down. He had been quiet for a long while.
Niall was like a kid, if he was quiet too long he was up to something.
"What?" I asked. "I thought I would get to do that? It's my song Neil."
Niall laughed. "I think you'll like this Tommo," he said and handed me the notebook.
I read through the lyrics and he had a duet with Harry and me at the exact place I would have put it. We didn't have many duets in the band but now working with Liam's management team we could finally have a proper one.
Harry's team was letting him do the reunion and he had a lot more freedom than he had in the past. They weren't keen on it but Harry made it happen.
Niall's management team was a subsidiary of our old management and they weren't keen on him doing the reunion either but he was going to anyhow. The biggest stipulation was that they didn't let my management know.
Zayn was currently unsigned and able to do whatever he wanted. He had broken from his team and gone on his own.
My management didn't know about the reunion whatsoever. They had no idea I was doing what I was doing. I had gone rogue. They would drop me once they found out and I was ok with that. I would be in breach and I was ok with that as well. I was done being controlled by Simon and with this reunion I would prove it. I never cared about the money. It was nice, don't get me wrong but I wanted Harry more than I wanted money.
We recorded the demo and we sounded wonderful together. Our voices were more mature but we still fit perfectly together. One Direction had officially recorded a new song and we were proud of it.
We leaked the song. It was the only way to get it out there but still keep my management in the dark. The lads did it for me knowing I had the most to lose. It wasn't ideal but it was what we had to do.
"They love it," I told Harry as I sat on the sofa scrolling through Twitter two weeks after we leaked the song.
Harry stood in the kitchen cooking dinner wearing a big smile on his face. "I knew they would, you've always been the best writer of all of us," he said. "Hey Freddie!" He called.
"Yeah dad?" Freddie appeared from his room.
"Dinners almost ready get washed up," he told him.
"I'm in the middle of a game dad," he whined. "Just five more minutes."
"Nope," Harry told him. "Get washed up."
Freddie stomped into his room. Harry rarely told him no but when he did Freddie made it a big production.
"Freddie," I said.
"What?" He called to me using his sassy voice but he didn't come out of his room.
"Freddie Reign Tomlinson-Styles!" I said louder than the last time, using the dad voice I had perfected. "Get your bum out here now."
He came out and looked at me wearing a glare, a very Louis glare. I wanted to laugh but I held back. "You will get washed up right now just like your dad said." I told him holding his arms to his side.
"Fine," he sighed.
"Watch the attitude," I told him. "Now do as you're told."
Freddie retreated to his room and I stood and went to Harry. "That kid," I sighed.
"He's definitely yours," Harry laughed. "He acts just like ya."
"He does doesn't he?" I said. "We're in trouble."
Harry laughed and put his arms around my shoulders from behind. "I love it." He whispered to me. "Thank you Louis."
I turned to face him. "For what Haz?"
"Having me back," he said. "I don't deserve this."
"You deserve the world love," I told him and kissed him gently.
"This is my world now," he said and kissed me again.
I had a meeting with Eleanor a couple days later. Harry wasn't happy about it but it had to happen. He was happy she was coming to the house so he could be present for it though.
"We will officially end us in a week," I told her as we sat on the sofa.
She smiled a big genuine smile. "Really?" The first one I had seen from her in quite some time. I admit it felt nice to see her smile again.
"Yes," I told her. "You've been great to me El and I appreciate you putting your own love life on hold for me."
"I knew what I was getting in to Lou," she told me. "I guess if I had to fake date someone you were ok." She joked.
I laughed. "Thanks for everything Eleanor," I said and hugged her.
She released me and looked at Harry. "You know I never wanted to destroy what you and Louis have. It was work Harry. I hope you understand."
Harry softened the scowl he had been wearing since her arrival and smiled at her. "Thank you Eleanor."
She stood. "My pleasure. Now you two can finally be together?" She asked me as I stood with her.
"It's not that simple," I told her. "But we're getting closer to that." I winked at Harry and he smiled.
"Good," she said. "I hope it works out for you." She kissed my cheek then went to Harry. "I know you never liked me much, but I know how much he loves you. He drove me insane talking about you all the time." She kissed his cheek and he wrapped his arms around her.
"You had everything I wanted," he told her. "You were able to go out in public with him and the jealousy ate me alive. I'm sorry I didn't get to know you better."
"Well," she smiled and pulled back from him. "Louis has my number. Maybe sometime we can all get together... as friends."
"I'd like that," he told her.
My Harry was so understanding and forgiving. He had always been such a good person. Everything he did made me love him more.