Louis stayed in England for a week before he travelled back home to LA. His sisters had been thrilled to have him there and Louis found that he quite enjoyed the company of his mother's new boyfriend whom she had been with since New Year's.
But at last, he got on a plane and flew home to his responsibilities. Home to the broken heart of the man he loved. He just hoped he could fix it.
He landed at the airport at five p.m. on March 10th and was greeted by Niall and Amelia.
"Good to see you again, Lou," Niall grinned and pulled Louis in for a hug.
"You too. Sorry, I was a bitch last time we spoke."
"It's okay." Niall patted his shoulder and leaned away. "It's been some rough days."
"Yeah, but I'm gonna make it better," Louis said. "Do you guys wanna help me? I have a plan."
"Of course," Amelia said. "Anything for you, Louis."
* * *
It had taken Louis a while to come up with the idea. He needed to do something worthy of a rom-com, as his mother had put it. Louis should be a master at this, he had after all starred in many movies of that sort by now, but still, it took a while.
In the end, he settled that they needed to redo their failed night at the Hollywood sign, and he needed the help from majority of his friends. First, he sought Liam. He needed to know if there was even a chance that Harry would be willing to take him back.
Liam looked at him angrily when Louis came knocking on his door.
"What do you want, Tomlinson?" His words were harsh, cutting through the crisp March air.
"I take it Harry has had a rant?" Louis said, scratching the back of his neck.
"Rightfully so." Liam crossed his arms and leaned against the doorway. The anger on his face turned into disappointment. "How could you say something like that to him? He's Harry."
"I know," Louis said, softly, "and I regret it so much. I wasn't thinking, it was fear that was talking, and I'm so, so sorry."
"I'm not the person who needs an apology, Louis," Liam said. "And you know it."
"Of course I bloody do!" Louis said. He exhaled. "Can I come in?"
"You're lucky I just made tea." Liam stepped back and Louis followed him back into the house.
He hadn't been there since Harry's birthday party and then it had been decorated in such ways it was unrecognisable. Now, it was back to its ordinary look. White walls, family portraits, paintings, books...
Louis followed Liam into the kitchen where Liam poured two cups of tea.
"How do you take it?"
Louis told him and minutes later, they sat down at Liam's dining table.
Louis steered his teaspoon around in his teacup. "Is he really bad?"
Liam ground his teeth. "You hurt him. Badly."
"But..." Louis didn't know what to say.
"Listen, Louis, as I've understood it, Harry was under the idea that you love him, so he put himself out there, even though you aren't in a relationship, even though none of you had said you wanted one, and yet he was ready to tell you, and then you go tell him you think he'll be worse than your ex who cheated on you."
Louis' shoulders slumped. "I know."
"How would you feel?"
"I didn't mean it!" Louis said. "It... It wasn't me, or it was, but it was pure fear talking! I know Harry isn't like that."
"What fear?"
Louis huffed. "I'm just scared that he'll find someone else, because I'm me, and for years I have told myself I didn't want another relationship. It's just... everything."
"And did something change?"
"I... I talked to my mom." Louis sipped his tea. "And she made me realise I should go for it, even though I'm scared. Terrified, really."
"Louis, this is Harry, why are you scared?"
"Because I'm me!" Louis said. "Everybody bloody leaves!" Not everybody, but important people. People that were supposed to be there.
Liam hummed. "Harry has been left before, too, thrown out, and he isn't afraid to be with someone. Quite the opposite." It wasn't an accusation, simply a statement.
"And?" Louis quipped.
"You're more alike than you think," Liam said.
Louis sighed. "Whatever. Do you think he can forgive me? That's why I'm here. I need to know if there's a chance."
"He loves you."
"Yeah, I bloody love him, too."
A smile touched Liam's lips. "And you're not gonna run away with your tail between your legs?"
Louis shook his head. "No, I'm gonna confront my problems."
"I suppose he could forgive you, but as it is right now I'm not sure he'll open the door for you unless if he absolutely has to."
"Aha!" An idea popped into Louis' mind. "I need to call Henry! Also, I need to ask you a favour."
"I'm all ears."
* * *
He was beautiful, sitting there inside the café, a coffee in front of him. His brows were furrowed, even Louis could see that through the window, his lips pursed in a pout, his skin slightly paler than usual. Louis felt like a right creep and decided to step inside the café before Harry caught him looking.
The bell chimed above his head and he instantly caught Harry's eyes. Harry looked at him with a cold, regarded look, his jaw tight, fingers clenched in his lap. Louis wet his lips.
It hadn't been that long since Louis last saw him, but just then he realised how much he actually had missed the other man. Harry was like his other, better half, and Louis was willing to try, even though the idea of Harry leaving one day made his heart break.
'Each time I loved them, I took a risk.''
Jay's words rang in his ears. He was ready to take a risk with Harry because Harry was not like Jacob. Jacob had been a man who only had been with Louis for the fun of it and, quite frankly, looking back hadn't been a great match for Louis. But Harry... God, Harry was soft mornings and cheek kisses. He was lovely and he loved the colour orange for some reason Louis didn't quite understand but now every time he saw the colour it reminded him of his love. His baby. His Harry. He would fix it. He needed to fix it. Because life was worth so much more if Harry held his hand through it. Louis should've realised that sooner instead of taking it for granted.
He was going to risk it.
Louis beelined for the table by the window where Harry was sitting and pulled out the chair opposite Harry. Harry said nothing.
"Hey," Louis tried, softly.
Harry mumbled something in response, his eyes cast down.
"What?" Louis asked. "I couldn't hear you."
Harry looked up, his eyes cold. "I said hi."
Even though Harry looked at him like that, Louis' heart couldn't help but skip a beat. "I missed you," he let out.
Harry grunted. "I'm only here because Henry said he needed us to do a papwalk."
Yeah, thanks, Henry.
"Yeah, we have to get moving soon. He told me where we are supposed to go," Louis said.
"Mhm."
"Is it a good coffee?"
"Yeah." Harry was fiddling with the corner of his sleeve.
"I'm glad," Louis stupidly said. "You look great."
"Louis, stop," Harry said and now Louis noticed his eyes were wet. "Don't... Don't say that. You don't mean it."
Louis swallowed. "Of course, I mean it."
"Fuck you, Louis," Harry practically spat. "You think you can come here—"
"Harry, I'm sorry," Louis said. "Can we please talk about it? Elsewhere, please? Just the two of us?"
"What, you think getting me naked will make everything go away?"
Louis leaned back, his heart twisting in his chest. "That's... That's not what I meant."
"Oh, I was just beginning to think that was the only thing I could be used for." Harry spat the words, harsh and cold, but regret quickly washed over his features.
"Harry—"
"No, I'm sorry, I didn't mean that. I know you're not like that." Harry ran a hand over his face. "Yeah, I suppose we can talk. After we've gone wherever Henry wants us to for pictures."
"Harry, Henry doesn't want us to do anything. I made him arrange this meeting."
"Oh." Harry's lips parted. "You didn't have to do that."
"I wasn't sure if you'd talk to me otherwise. With good reason, that."
"Louis, I could never not want to talk to you," Harry said, softly. "I was just really, really hurt."
"And you had every right to," Louis said, "I was a prick. Can... Can we leave now? I have something I wanna show you."
Harry nodded silently and they left. Harry had already paid for his drink. They began walking down the street, an awkward distance between them. Louis didn't know quite what to say. He didn't know what he could say. Louis was quite sure he could say sorry in any possible tongue and yet it wouldn't grasp the meaning of with which he meant it. He would just have to show it.
The café was close to the planned location and it only took them fifteen minutes to reach it.
It was an apartment building.
Amelia's apartment building.
"What are we doing here?" Harry asked, confused, as Louis pulled out the borrowed key from his pocket. He inserted it into the keyhole and twisted it.
"A redo," Louis replied, mysteriously.
"Huh?"
"Exactly. Follow me."
Harry followed Louis into the building.
"Stairs or elevator?" Louis asked.
"How high are we going?"
"Roof."
"Elevator."
They walked over to the elevator and Louis pressed the button. It was a bit awkward as they waited. Neither seemed to know what to say.
The elevator arrived and they stepped inside. Louis pressed the button for the roof and the doors slid closed.
"I guess this is a bad time to say that I once got stuck in an elevator for three hours?" Harry conversationally said.
Louis let out a surprised laugh and something between them broke. "Really?"
Harry chuckled. "Yeah. I was ten. Was visiting my nan at the hospital and, well, she was on the top floor..."
"Did you panic?"
"Nah, I had my sketchbook with me. Just sat and drew for three hours."
"I can see you do that. In my head."
The elevator stopped and the doors slid open. They stepped out and a small gasp fell from Harry's lips.
On a normal day, the roof would be grey and boring with a few antennas here and there, but today wasn't a normal day. Today, there were fairy lights everywhere. There was a small table on which there was a picnic basket standing and then there was the tent. Almost identical to the one Harry had gotten put up days ago by the sign. And somehow, soft music was also playing from a speaker somewhere. Must have been Amelia's doing.
"Oh." It fell from Harry's lips with a deep breath. "What... What's this?"
"A redo, I told you," Louis said, fiddling nervously with the sleeves of his shirt. "I... I need to explain myself, just so you know why I acted why I did, and I've really put thought into it, and I'm not telling you to be okay with what I said, but I hope you can see where I'm coming from."
Harry swallowed. "Alright."
Louis wet his lips and talked. He said the same thing he had said so many times by now and Harry listened intently. Listened as Louis told him about his fear of people leaving, his rule he had had for years to not get romantically involved with people, and how he had tried to allow himself to like Harry, but the confession of 'I love you' had scared the living shits out of him.
"Are you not scared anymore?" Harry asked, breathlessly.
"Oh, I am terrified," Louis admitted. "But... I'm also terrified of what life will look like without you."
A small smile touched Harry's lips. "I... I'm also terrified of what life would be like without you, but... I was also really, really hurt."
"I know," whispered Louis. "I'll work on it. I'll show you every day how sorry I am."
"We all say things we don't mean sometimes, Louis," Harry said, "and I knew, even when you said it, that you didn't truly mean it. I know you, you idiot. It's okay."
A grin touched Louis' lips. "Still, I'm sorry. And I wanna redo it. If... If you're up for it?" He gestured to the tent.
Harry chuckled softly and moved closer to Louis. "Do we still have to wait till sunrise to say it?"
"Say what?" Louis dumbly asked.
"God, you're so thick," Harry mumbled and in two strides reached Louis. He cupped Louis' face in his hands and kissed him.
Louis let out a surprised yelp but kissed back eagerly. He placed his hands on Harry's waist and pulled him closer. He had missed this, Harry's lips on his.
Harry drew away, panting. "I bloody love you, you imbecile. About damn time I got to say it."
Louis grinned and squeezed Harry's hips. "I love you too, Harry." He wet his lips. "So much."
Never before had Louis seen a smile so bright it could be compared to the sun.
"So..." Harry drawled and ran his fingers along Louis' waistband. "Wanna redo everything from that night."
Louis let out a loud laugh. "I bloody love you, Harry Styles."
"Oh yeah?" Harry grinned and brought their lips together once again. "Show me, then."
THE END
I hope you guys enjoyed this fanfic. I've never written anything so quickly in my life, good God, but here we are. I know it's far from the longest, but I hope you still liked it.
All the love,
Sofie
PS an epilogue is on its merry way