It was okay at first, it really was. Louis was distracted by his classes, they were hard, and Jack and Alif are good friends. They took Louis out on the weekends because they knew he was sad and they brought him dinner on Tuesday and Thursday nights. Those are the nights that he Skyped with Harry.

And Harry was okay too. He texted Louis all day, every day, but he also befriended one of the new girls and a few of the guys from the football team still say hi to him in the hallways. Stan's little brother, who is two years younger than Harry, greeted him a few times in the hall which is nice. They talked about Stan once or twice.

Except then September ended and it was getting chilly, the sun began to set at five pm and some of the guys that beat Harry up the year before had figured out his class schedule and started to follow him between periods. Teasing and taunting him, occasionally shoving him.

And as much as Louis loved living in London and loved his new friends, new life, he missed Doncaster and the life he had there. He missed Anne and his sisters and maybe even missed his mum a bit. He missed Harry so much. He missed Harry even when they were on the phone together but he would never say a thing because Harry always looked like he was having a good time and his eyes were bright and his voice was happy.

Louis didn't want to bother him.

"Hi Lou," Harry greeted one night through the screen.

"Hi baby," Louis smiled at the boy and Harry felt better immediately, "How was school?"

Harry held back a frown. School had been shit. This one guy who was probably double his weight had pushed Harry into the wall, leaving a bruise all over the right side of his torso.

"It was good," He said after a moment. He doesn't want to bother Louis. "Syeda," She was Harry's new friend, "and I partnered up for this project in psych. Which is good 'cuz I don't wanna work with anyone else."

"Replacing me?" Louis said with a chuckle, glancing away from the screen when the door opened. "Hey Jack."

"Hey Louis, Harry."

"Hi Jack," Harry said loudly so Jack could hear. This is what happened most Tuesday and Thursdays. When Jack or Alif would stop by with Louis' dinner, they would all have a quick chat. Harry loved it, loved the way that he was able to throw himself into Louis' world, even if it was from 300 km away.

After Jack left and Louis had eaten his dinner, Harry doing the same on his side of the camera, they both took their laptops and lay down in their beds, turning off the lights and sitting under the covers so that all they could see was each other, illuminated by just the light from the screen.

"I miss you," Louis whispered, breaking their silence.

Harry frowned, "I miss you too, but it's not that bad right? You must be having such a great time in London."

Louis almost told Harry the truth. He almost told him that he wasn't able to go an entire day without feeling homesick, that he kind of hated going to class and that, yeah, his friends were great, but no one was as great as Harry.

"Yeah, I guess," Louis replied quietly.

"You're coming home next weekend, yeah?" Harry asked. Louis thought in his head, next weekend would be the first weekend of October. They had planned it before he even left Doncaster.

"Oh shit," Louis swore with realization, "I have a midterm on Saturday."

Harry's face fell immediately, Louis pretended not to see it.

"It's okay, Lou."

"I'm sorry," Louis said.

"It's not your fault."

"I'm still sorry, I really wanted to see you. And Anne."

"Next time," Harry said, staring down at his keyboard.

Louis sighed.

They talked for a while longer but then Harry wanted to sleep and Louis wanted to cry before Jack got back to their room so they said goodbye and logged off.

---

As Harry sat on the train he couldn't help but think that it was a bad idea.

He knew that Louis was sad about not being able to come home for the weekend, so when they got off Skype, Harry bought himself a train ticket to London. The only thought in his mind being of the expression on Louis' face when he realized he had an exam.

But sitting on the train, Harry felt stupid. It was Friday, right after school and the train was packed. Harry hadn't even brought anything aside from his wallet, phone, and keys. He had left his backpack in his locker and caught the bus right from school to the station so he could get the earliest train possible.

But now Harry was thinking about how he knew Louis often went out on Friday nights. And what if Louis didn't want to see him. And maybe he should've thought this through earlier. It was too late though. He was on the train and would be in London by 8 pm.

So Harry texted Jack. Harry had acquired his number the first weekend that Louis was alone in London. Louis had gone out with Jack and his friends and had ended up piss drunk, sobbing about Harry. Jack had called Harry who was able to calm Louis down and convince him to go back to his dorm. Harry wasn't sure if Louis even remembered, as neither of them ever mentioned it and Harry did his best to forget.

Harry: Hi Jack, it's Harry. I'm headed to London right now, surprising Louis, do you know his plans for tonight?

Harry only had to wait a few minutes before a reply came through.

Jack: sick mate, Lou's been missing you

Jack: we're heading to the usual pub tonight, same one we went to when you were here in August. you can meet us there, do you need the address?

Harry agreed and put the address into his phone, seeing it would be about a 20 minute walk from the train station. He told Jack he would probably be there around 8:30 and Jack confirmed that they usually got there around that time but to text him if he had any trouble.

Harry was grateful that Louis had people like Jack around him.

When Harry got to the pub, he was happy he had travelled the three hours or so to London. He opened the door, causing the bell to jingle and a rush of cold air to enter which prompted Louis, who was sitting in a booth next to Jack and his friends, to look up.

They made eye contact and Harry gave him a hopeful smile while Louis stayed frozen. After a moment, he whispered to Jack, "Jack, Harry's here," in complete shock.

Jack waved at Harry before turning to Louis, "Go say hi, mate."

Louis scrambled from his seat and rushed to Harry, pulling the boy into a tight embrace, coat and all. "I missed you so much," Louis said into Harry's neck, feeling the younger boy's arms come up and pull them closer, even.

After standing in the middle of the bar, wrapped in each other's arms, for far too long, Louis brought Harry back over to the table and introduced him to the few people he didn't know. It was much like when Harry had been there at the end of August. They got absolutely pissed, stumbled back to Louis' dorm and got each other off quickly, desperate as they had been apart for over a month. They fell asleep in each other's arms and spent Saturday lying in bed together, watching Netflix and pretending that they were back in Doncaster, that Louis lived with Harry and that they saw each other almost every waking moment.

Louis ran to the bathroom in the mid afternoon to cry and Harry let it go the minute Louis fell asleep that night. Neither of them wanted the other to see them cry, neither wanted the other to see how much it hurt for them to be apart.

On Sunday, as Louis drove Harry to the train station, all he could think was how hard it was. How hard living was when Harry was three hours away and Louis wanted him every single fucking moment. Louis had heard Harry crying as he drifted off to sleep and he knew that the younger boy must feel the same. How could he not?

So they stood in the train station just watching each other and after a moment too long, Louis reached forward and pulled Harry in for a hug.

"This is hard," Louis whispered, "Every time we talk, it makes me realize what we're missing."

Harry couldn't do anything but nod, biting his lip and pressing his face into Louis' neck.

"Maybe..." Louis trailed off, "Maybe it would be better if we - if we stopped."

Harry hated it but he knew what Louis meant. Loving and needing someone that you couldn't actually be with was the worst. And he would never want to cause Louis any pain. Harry pulled away from the hug.

Louis' eyes were wide and frantic and rimmed with red and sorrow. "Not, like, forever."

"I know," Harry whispered.

Louis was wringing his hands together and Harry could almost feel the nervous energy radiating from his -- not his -- boy. Harry stepped closer again and brought his hands up to cup Louis' jaw.

"Harry," Louis said, voice begging as he latched onto Harry's wrists. "Harry you are it for me, you're everything."

"I know," Harry said, shrugging with a small smile.

"Let's just try this for a bit. But, baby, I promise, one day, I'm gonna marry you." Harry couldn't hold back a giggle that quickly turned into a sob.

Louis embraced Harry again tightly just as they heard the call over the speakers, announcing that Harry's train would be leaving soon.

"Okay?" Louis asked after a moment.

Harry nodded and wiped his eyes with his balled up fist. Louis did the same with his sweater clad hand, Harry's sweater.

"I love you," Louis said before stepping away from Harry just the slightest bit.

"I know," Harry said with a frown, before turning around and boarding the train.