Wednesday, 4th of July.
"Louis, why aren't you drinking?"
"I have to look out for Lottie," Louis shrugs.
They're out at a café, just the four of them. They were in the mood to do something active after another lazy beach day.
His mom asked him many times to look out for Lottie since she's only 17 and he surely won't be able to do it with alcohol in his system.
"I can do that," Harry proposes from next to him, "I don't really drink anyways."
"C'mon Louis, have a beer. Loosen up a bit," Gemma smiles, she's noticed the boy had been down a bit today.
He's still fighting with his sister so that might be the cause.
He looks over to Lottie who's looking at him with no emotion before he nods. Gemma orders them 2 beers each, obviously trying to get them tipsy while Harry orders them something Louis doesn't hear because Gemma's already talking his ear off about Manchester and how she will show him around when he arrives.
He throws a few worried glances to Lottie who's in a deep conversation with Harry.
"What's wrong, Lou. You've been kinda sad and not talking to Lottie, what happened?"
Louis sighs, downing his first beer with ease, ignoring the look Harry gives him.
"We had a bit of a fall out two days ago when I came over. Things were said. I have to fix it but she doesn't seem to want to talk to me."
Gemma hums, "It'll be alright, Harry and I have these kind of fall outs all the timen he still loves me."
"But that's Harry."
"What does that mean?" Gemma asks.
"Nothing," Louis shrugs.
Harry is the most loving person he's ever met. You could stab him and he'd apologize for walking into your knife. That's what he means.
"He just seems like the forgiving type of person."
"He is. I broke his arm as a kid by accidentally pushing him down the stairs. He cried and apologized a million times saying he walked into me."
Louis smiles, remembering when Harry told him he fell down the stairs because he was too clumsy.
Of course he lied.
He looks over to the curly haired lad. He got handsome over the years. He was cute when they were friends but now he's so much more than cute, he's drop dead gorgeous, hot even.
He found Harry hot in school with his normal clothes but his vacation clothes are just another level. His shorts are way too short, but like, way too short, his shirts are always open and his damn skin is tanned like a greek god's skin would be.
Maybe he shouldn't down his beers this fast.
Three beers later Louis realized he should've listened to himself.
He giggles when Harry speaks French to the waiter. If he weren't this drunk he would definitely be having a problem in his pants because fuck.
"Ils en ont assez, plus de bière, s'il vous plaît."
"Harold, didn't know you spoke French!"
"There's a lot you don't know," Harry answers in a flat tone.
Louis frowns a bit at Harry's tone but is drunk enough to forget it in 2 seconds.
"I'm gonna go pee, be right back," Louis tells them, more likely slurs out.
"I'll help you," Harry sighs, afraid that Louis might fall or something.
That would be hard to explain to their parents.
"Y'know Harold, you shouldn't be sighing so much. There's a climate crisis going on we have to spare the air, love."
Harry frowns while steadying Louis, "Don't call me that."
"Harold? I always used to call you that, silly."
Harry shakes his head and follows him to the bathroom, leaving him to do his business.
"Harold!" Louis yells from inside the bathroom.
Harry blushes a bit when a few people look his way but he goes in to the bathroom when Louis yells again.
"What?"
"This is how we met!" Louis giggles while washing his hands, "Remember? You peed on me!"
"I remember," Harry nods, smiling just a tiny bit.
"You were so tiny, even smaller than me. And you were scared I was going to lash out," Louis laughs.
Harry looks down, not knowing what to do with this. It's so so bittersweet to hear Louis talk about their past.
"How did you grow so tall? Did you take some pills? Should I stop eating meat like you do?"
"Louis- what?" Harry chuckles.
"I'm no giant, Harry. I stopped growing right after you peed on me- Holy shit did you curse me with your pee?!"
Harry laughs, loudly now, "Louis, what the fuck, no. You're just not tall, it's not in your genes."
"That's no explanation. Your pee, you cursed me with your pee," Louis stands there with his mouth open.
"I did not," Harry rolls his eyes, not able to stop laughing.
"Maybe I should curse you back," Louis trails, narrowing his eyes.
"No! No, Louis! You're not peeing on me!"
Louis scoffs laughing, "That's not what she said."
"What?!" Harry tries to ignore the tug on his heart caused by sheer jealousy.
He does not have the right to be jealous when it comes to Louis.
"It was a joke, a funny turn on the that's what she said jokes, c'mon Harry. You're always the one to make stupid jokes," Louis rolls his eyes.
"My jokes are not stupid."
"Sure, and your pee is not cursed either."
"Shut up about my pee!"
"Don't take away my freedom of speech!" Louis shots back.
Harry rolls his eyes and pulls him out of the toilets, "Shut up about that, our sisters don't know we knew each other before this."
"Yours doesn't," Louis scoffs.
"What?"
"Lottie knows."
"How-"
"Guys, hey! I found out why I'm not growing taller!"
"Why's that?" Gemma asks already laughing.
"It's because of H-"
"Louis, stop," Harry covers his mouth, "You're only saying bullshit right now."
"Isn't he always?" Lottie snaps.
Louis looks at her, sadness taking over. This time he's not too drunk to ignore the tone and sulks down.
Harry takes away his hand and pays their bill without saying much more, feeling the obvious tension.
It's kind of awkward but Gemma fills up the silence, or at least she tries.
Harry helps Louis stumble back to their lodge while he keeps a close eye on Gemma but she seems way steadier. Louis' size probably plays a role in how drunk he gets this easily.
"Drink enough water, Gems," Harry tells her when they reach their lodge.
"Don't puke though," Louis adds, raising his pointer finger.
"I should be telling that to you," Gemma rolls her eyes, "Thanks, H. I love you bro."
"Love you," Harry smiles before almost carrying Louis towards theirs.
"You're a good brother," Louis mutters.
Harry frowns, "Hm?"
"You're a very good brother to Gemma. I wish I was that good of a brother to my sister."
"Lottie loves you," Harry tells him.
"She does, but I don't deserve her," Louis chuckles dryly.
"Don't say that."
"It's true though, I'm a shit brother. And son."
"You're not," Harry tells him while opening the door and supporting him inside, "I remember all the things you did for her back then, you're an amazing brother."
"Back then."
Harry helps him to the bed and sits him down, "What do you mean by that? What changed?"
"Hm?"
"You're always saying you were different back then."
"I was."
"What changed?"
Louis opens his mouth to answer but he closes it again when he feels sick, he rushes past Harry, stumbling until he drops down on his knees in front of the toilet.
Harry sighs, patting Louis' back a bit feeling quite awkward.
"I hate throwing up," Louis whines between emptying his stomach.
"I know."
Harry can't help to say that every time he remembers something. He used to know Louis so well and it seems like little has changed since then.
It's weirdly reassuring to know that little has changed. It means his old best friend is still there somehow.
"You know everything, don't you?"
"I don't know why you changed," He whispers.
Louis throws up again, not knowing if he feels sick from the question or from the alcohol.
"Never let me drink again."
Harry sighs, realizing Louis won't answer the question. He doesn't want to, clearly.
He helps Louis in bed, giving him lots of water and closing the blinds so he won't wake up by the light.