A/N: Hia, lovelies! How are you doing this fine morning? I am doing great today, and I am pleased to not only bring you this chapter, but to let ya'll know I have chapters 6-8 finished! I have been in a writing mood lately, don't ask me why, and I have been spewing out chapters like crazy. Haha. This chapter is a kind of a filler, unfortunately, but the next few chapters (which you should be expecting soon) will make up for it. They're full of drama and all that good crap, I promise. XD 

Well, I guess I should let you guys get to reading, yeah?

Much love, Xx

Note: Obviously this story doesn't really follow either of the characters actual lives at all, and I would like to let ya'll know I didn't change the name of his younger brother because I don't like his name. None of his other siblings are in the story except for Lottie, so I didn't want to add Ernest. And before you ask, Daniel Deakin will not be a part of this story. Don't ask me why, he just won't.

Louis stood in front of the double glass doors that opened with every step forward he took. His throat was dry and his stomach had twisted itself into knots the moment he had got the phone call from Lottie. He wanted to walk into that hospital, but at the same time he wanted to turn around and run home and hide under his bed, where he could pretend none of this was happening.

His hands shook at his sides and his vision kept on going blurry the longer he stared at the woman sitting behind the counter. He could do this, he thought, all I need to do it put one foot in front of the other. I just need to.. Go. But he couldn't go. He was frozen in place, stuck in an emotional turmoil that left him confused and dizzy.

"Come on, you can do this," and encouraging voice said next to him, sounding so far away yet so close. A warm hand closed around his and his entire body jolted forward as if it was an instinct. One foot fell in front of the other, and his eyes grew blurrier the closer the doors came.

"What if she doesn't want to see me?" he asked quietly. What if the woman sitting up in that room didn't want to see him, or want him to meet his new sibling? What if she demanded he leave at once, or have him escorted from her room the moment she seen him. "She won't accept us," he added as an afterthought, sounding both pained and panicked.

He heard a low chuckle from beside him, and before he seen where they were, Harry pulled him to a stop in front of the woman he had been watching. "There's only one way that we will find out the answers to your question," Harry said, fingers drumming on the counter as he told the woman the information to the room Louis' mother was in, doing exactly what Louis couldn't do.

Speak.

As Harry lead them down the hallway, Louis got lost in thought, completely relying on the taller lad to lead him right and not let him hit into anyone or anything. He was sure that Harry was wrong about them not having the answers. Louis already had the answers. He had got it eight months ago when his mother kicked him out on the street and told him she didn't care what happened to him, or if he had to drop out of school to support himself. The only answer he didn't have was if he actually wanted to see her.

Was he ready to forgive her after the hell she had put him through? Was he willing to put their past behind them and embrace the future they could have together? One where they could both be happy? The answer came rushing to him, pounding against his body like a ton of bricks the moment Harry swung the door open and he seen that small bundle right in front of him, securely tucked in his sister's arms.

He would do anything for that baby.

"And look, there's your brother Louis and your grumpy uncle Harry," Lottie said in a small, quiet baby voice, her body rocking back and forth without her even realizing.

Harry, completely oblivious to the puddle Louis was turning into the longer he stared at the new born baby, rolled his eyes and grinned at her. "You claim I'm grumpy, yet you're the one that threw a chair at me and Louis when we woke you up," Harry retorted, though he was secretly enjoying the sound of someone calling him an uncle. It sounded right, and oddly made him feel exhilarated.

"YOU WOKE ME UP AT SIX IN THE MORNING TO MOVE SHIT!" Lottie shouted, instantly cringing and looking down at the infant to make sure she didn't startle it. She found it still soundly asleep and sighed in relief before she looked back up at her brother that was standing in the door, looking terrified.

Glancing at her mom, she gave her a look she hoped was 'TALK TO HIM' and nudged her head in Louis' direction. The woman hidden behind the blue curtain pursed her lips in displeasure but leaned forward nonetheless and pulled the thin material back so she came face to face with her boy...

Her breath caught in her throat when she finally seen him and was able to take in how much he changed since the last time she seen him that rainy day many, many months ago. His body no longer slouched, like it was trying to disappear within itself, and his head no longer hung low. Instead, his head was held high, his back was straight and there was a light in his eyes he never had before.

Then her eyes drifted over to the man next to him, a man she had never seen but knew enough about from the many conversations she has had with Lottie. Her daughter had done explicitly well when she explained the dark haired man her son had taken to. From the long hair, to the piercing green eyes that looked as if a storm was brewing within them, to the strong jaw, to the smallest fact that he towered over Louis.

"You must be Harry," Jay quickly spoke up, internally kicking herself in the ass for not speaking up sooner. "I'm Johannah, Louis' mom." she noticed the slight hesitation in his eyes before he broke free from Louis and walked over to her to shake her hand. Instantly she took note of not only the size of his hand, but the ring she felt encircled around his fourth finger.

Smiling, and biting the inside of her cheek to keep from saying anything she could possibly regret, she retracted her hand and patted Harry's shoulder. "It's lovely to meet you," Harry said, words obviously forced to everyone but Jay, and nodded his head when she patted him. It was awkward, to say the least, and he had no idea what he was supposed to say or do. He hated the fact that he was the one making it awkward when he was only here for emotional support.

"Can I hold him?" Louis asked out of nowhere, eyes focused on the blue bundle Lottie held. Everyone turned to him then and watched as he carried himself with so much confidence as he strode across the room and stopped in front of Jay's bed, his back to her and his hands extended to Lottie.

"You bet," Lottie said, instantly transferring the infant into Louis' open arms. "Be careful, though. The kid has bad reflux and amazing aim,"

Louis giggled wetly and through watery eyes, he stared down at his new brother... The little boy he had once thought he hated, but was now possibly the only chance he had at having a future with their mother. "Hi..." he trailed off, eyes --for the first time since he entered the room- flicking up to meet his mother's.

"Noah Jace," Jay said, her eyes, as well as everyone else's, focused on the two youngest boys in the room. Everyone felt a certain something, and Jay instantly recognized hers as pride and love, but Harry couldn't put his finger on what he was feeling... He liked the way Louis looked holding the baby, and he got this certain sense of... contentment just staring at Louis as he stared down at the child with light brown hair.

A small part of him, and he didn't know how small that part may actually be, wanted to see Louis holding their child for the first time. He wanted it to be their child's hand instantly latching onto Louis' finger and his eyes popping open for the first time, giving them a chance to finally see his sky blue eyes that had all the blood rushing to Harry's head and made him feel like their family was finally complete, like this is where they were supposed to be after all this time they've spent together.

But he wasn't ready yet, he knew that. Neither one of them were. They were still in high school, both trying to make it through the stressful rollercoaster the last year of high school was, and a child was the last thing they needed. Still, with all of that in mind, Harry couldn't get the image out of his head... and it made his heart warm, especially when Louis' smiled big and cooed down at the baby,

"Hi, Noah Jace,"

Harry was so enchanted with the sight before him that he didn't notice Lottie sneaking up to his side until her shoulder bumped against his and broke the spell he was under. "He looks good, doesn't he?" she asked quietly, just loud enough for Harry to hear, and as if she could instantly detect his uncomfortableness at her question, she rolled her eyes. "Calm down, dude, it's only me. You can admit you like the idea of my brother having a baby. Your baby," she then shrugged and smiled, neither one of them correcting her on the fact that Louis couldn't have his baby. "Zayn admitted that when he seen me hold him for the first time. It wasn't until we were alone in a closet, sure, but he still admitted it."

Harry gagged, of course in a playful way, at the image Lottie planted in his mind and pushed her gently. "Thanks for that, Lots. It'll be the main thing that haunts my nightmares until the day I die," Harry said, snorting and completely becoming relaxed. To this day, it still amazed him that he was able to feel so comfortable around the big mouthed female with the snarky attitude.

"Come on, man, don't act like you haven't thought about getting with all of this," her arms waved over her body and she waggled her eyebrows in a suggestive way that had Harry laughing.

"Nope, never," he couldn't handle all of that. Then at the memory of the man he worshipped for being able to put up with her, he looked around the room and felt slightly disappointed when he didn't see him. "Where's Zayn?"

"Building a chimney in a stairwell,"

"Huh?"

Oh poor, poor Louis. How does he deal with him? "He's smoking in a stairwell, but knowing him and his chain smoking habits, he's probably made the enclosed area very smoky," she spoke slowly and faced Harry so he could watch her lips form each word just in case he didn't hear her.

"Ohhh. A chimney. I get it now,"

"Doofus,"

"And where's her... boyfriend?" Harry asked (ignoring the name she called him, which was very mature of him), and jerked his head towards Jay who was still staring at Louis.

"He had some stupid meeting to be at," Lottie said, voice dripping with annoyance, as if her face didn't give enough away. "Work was more important than being here with his newborn son," she hissed in his ear, needing to speak her annoyance and disapproval to someone she knew wouldn't go blabbing to anyone, except her brother. "He wasn't even here for the birth!"

Harry suppressed his sudden urge to hunt down the douche bag and instead let himself brew as he thought over his words and actions carefully, not wanting to make a scene when Louis was having a good time. "Bastards lucky he isn't here," he finally said a controlled voice, hands clenched into tight fists that had his fingernails digging into his palm.

"Damn right. You'd have to hold me back," and that made Harry laugh, because honestly? She weighed a hundred pounds soaking wet. It would be more of a struggle to hold back a chihuahua than it would be her.

The tension soon melting away, the two fell into a light conversation and soon forgot about the no-faced (to Harry, who has yet to meet him) douchebag.

~~~~

(Jumpy time skip to the next day.. But it's worth it)

Harry lurked within the shadows of the room, his back pressed against the wall and his breathing slow, almost non existent. He could hear them coming, hear their heavy breathing and the sound of their shoes scuffing against the floor. He didn't have long before they found him and both things attacked him. Bracing himself, he felt his back hunch and his knees spread ever so slightly.

A hissing noise, followed by a glass vase crashing to the floor has Harry's heart lurching and a smile slowly stretching his lips. "Harry, you can come out now. We won't hurt you" one of them tries to lure him out with the sweet purr of his voice, but no. Harry won't give in that easily.

"Much," he hissed under his breath as he ducked underneath the tv, his fingers gliding over the wall as he continued making his way towards the front door, towards freedom. "They can't find me," Harry reminded himself quietly. "God knows what they would do,"

Cautiously, he approaches the door but a screeching voice has him halting in place, hand extended and fingers barely brushing the cool, metal door knob. "I FOUND HIM!"

Without even thinking, Harry throws the door open and runs down the stairs. Temporarily blinded by the sun, he scrambles down the stairs and falls to his knees in the snow, his hands searching for the yellow piece of fabric he knew was hiding somewhere in the snow. "FUCK!" he shouted, heart beating erratically in his chest when he finally pulled it out, fingers red and freezing when he spun around and waved the flag. "I FOUND IT! I'M SAFE!"

Standing in the doorway, the smaller of the two pops his hip out and stares at him with a raised eyebrow. Harry could see his lips moving quickly, but the boy was whispering to the person next to him, purposely making sure Harry didn't hear a word they said. A small nod of the head from the other boy had both of them smiling mischievously, something dark skidding through both of their eyes.

"The rules have.." Swaying his hips in an enchanting rhythm as he makes his way down the stairs, the small one stops in front of Harry, fingers threading through his hair. "Changed," he finished in a rushed breath, and before the larger of the three could react, he was being shoved back in the snow and someone was straddling him while the other one began to cover his chest in snow.

Giggles surrounded Harry but he couldn't handle this, being trapped while the people around him could do whatever they wanted to him. He wasn't in control, and that thought alone had Harry blacking out. When he came to, he was hovering above the boy who had been straddling him, his small arms pinned above his head. Harry's fingers dug into his wrists and a twisted smile formed on his lips when he shot his free arm out and grabbed the other boy's leg, having him on the ground in seconds.

"You two," he panted, still smiling to try and cover the fact that he had just blacked out and could have really hurt someone. "Get to make dinner," leaning forward and nuzzling his nose against the small boys neck, he inhales his strong scent and makes this small whimper in the back of his throat. "On second thought, Niall can make dinner while I have my way with you in the snow."

The small boy beneath Harry laughs and two small fists begin to press against his chest. "We leave him alone in there with all that food and there will be nothing left for us to eat," the boy chimes, giggling when Harry's lips vibrated against his neck when he growled. "Come on, Hazza," he says, then drops his voice to just above a whisper. "You can have your way with me later,"

Reluctantly, Harry pulled back and stared down at the wide eyed boy with flushed cheeks and red nose, trying to see if he was lying just to be free but Harry seen the way his eyes dilated slightly and felt when he squirmed beneath him. "Fine." He sighed, giving in and standing up. "But Irish boy over here cock blocks me, and he'll be spending the night locked outside with no food,"

"You wouldn't," Niall gasped, eyes already watering with tears. He didn't give a shit about staying the night outside, but you bet your damn ass he'll put up a fight when it comes to food. "Lou, make him to take it back. Tell him he isn't going to take the food away from me."

Harry had actually made him cry... the amount of pleasure he got from that was quickly demolished when he looked down at Louis, to see if the boy had the same reaction he did, but instead he seen a stern look where there should have been a big grin and bright eyes. Frowning, Harry looked up at Niall and through gritted teeth, he growled "I won't take away your fucking food," but that wasn't good enough. Oh no.

He felt a cold hand sneak up his shirt and twist his frozen nipple. "And," Louis pressed, twisting just a little harder until he heard Harry yelp in pain and turn to Niall, face twisted in pain.

"I'm sorry," Harry rarely apologized, and when he did, he rarely meant it. This was one of those times he didn't mean it, but said it just so he could get feeling back to his damn nipple.

When Louis let go, Harry quickly stood up, glaring down at the brown haired boy that was still laying in the snow, and wiped the white powder off of his legs. "Now quit your fucking blubbering and go cook. I'm starving." He said, not even regretting it when he turned around to go back inside and felt a snowball pelt him in the middle of the back.

"Jokes on you. I can't feel my back." He then waddled into the house and went straight upstairs so he could change out of his wet clothes and into something more comfortable. He of course was worried about leaving those two alone downstairs, because since the day they met, they have been a deadly pair, but he figured if anything got broke he would in return break Niall.

But what the fuck was that crying thing about? Who in the hell would cry over the threat of not being able to eat for a night? For one single night? Niall Horan, that's who, the boy who cried when he dropped a piece of orange chicken.

Shaking his head from the annoying thoughts of the Irish lad, Harry made his way down stairs, now in a pair of grey joggers and a black, loose fitting t-shirt, and almost instantly regretted it the moment he walked into the kitchen.

Standing in the middle of the kitchen, surrounded by flour, cracked eggs on the floor, and raw chicken spread across the counter, was Niall and Louis, both covered head to toe in flour. Eggs were cracked in both of their hairs, making their usual quiffs stay flat against their head with egg shells cling in random areas.

"What in the fuck? How!? I left you two alone for five minutes!" Harry shouted, bewildered and angry beyond belief as he stalked further into the kitchen and seen, just beyond the island, was a pool of milk. "What the fuck," he said in a irritated breath, not knowing if he was supposed to laugh, cry, or scream.

He wanted to scream.

Instead, he laughed, and as he laughed, Niall and Louis both looked at him like he was going insane. Maybe he was, who knew? Spending longer than five minutes with these two was reason enough to send someone to the loony bin.

"It was Niall!" Louis shouted, finger pointing at Niall at the exact same time Niall pointed at Louis and said "It was Louis!"

Harry now felt like crying. "Just... Just go get cleaned up and go to the living room," Harry said, done with the two. He was afraid that if he stayed in here with them for one second longer, he would end up using Niall as a mop and Louis as a rag. That, or he'd snap and not only have a mess to clean up, but to crying boys to try and calm down.

Bowing their heads to try and muffle their giggles, Louis and Niall both scurried out of the room but didn't wait until they reached the top of the stairs to burst out in a fit of laughter. "It's going to be so funny when you both go to bed without dinner or dessert!" Harry yelled, feeling like a grown man that had two kids.

To hell with kids. He was stupid to have ever wanted one.

He fumed the entire time he cleaned up the mess, then continued fuming as he began to make the dough for pot pies. "Why was the milk even out? They didn't need milk. Or eggs," he continued talking to himself, reminding himself that they were both childish shit heads he could never leave alone again.

He cooked the chicken and shredded it before he cut the carrots and let those cook with the peas, onions and garlic. "They don't get dessert," he suddenly decided, grinning as he quickly finished dinner. They wouldn't laugh then. They would do the opposite when they seen Harry eating some ice cream on the brownies he planned on making.

While the pies were cooking, he threw together a simple, but delicious, recipe for brownies and let those cook while he cut the potpie into triangles and set up the table. His eyebrows furrowed when he walked to the bottom of the stairs and heard nothing. Absolutely nothing. There wasn't one squeak or the sound of the TV carrying through the hallway.

"Louis? Niall?" He hollered, fingers tapping on the stair railing. A few seconds passed with no response, and he was about to upstairs but then Louis appeared at the top of the stairs with Niall close behind him, both of them looking absolutely terrified.

"Are you still mad?" Louis asked in a soft voice, his lips just barely turned down in a frown that looked so wrong with his delicate features.

Harry's heart thumped wildly against his chest and even though he wanted to laugh and say, you bet your ass I'm mad, he instead swallowed the words and shook his head. "No," Lies! I wanna spank your ass for being a bad little boy. "I'm not mad."

Both of them looking relieved, they ran down the stairs and Louis jumped into Harry's arms. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he kept repeating, placing a kiss on every spot of Harry's face as he did so. "Niall pissed me off so I threw a cup full of flower at him and he cracked an egg on my head and well, you know what happened,"

Rolling his eyes, Harry grasped Louis' butt to hold him up and carried him into the dining room, where they found Niall already eating a piece of the pot pie. "Dude... What the fuck?" Harry asked, turning his head so he could see behind his shoulder, which is where he could of swore Niall was three seconds ago.

"Oh, Harry, we betta teach you some more words before we set you off into the world," Niall said around a mouth full of food before he proceeded to pet an invisible thing in his hand, place a quick kiss on what everyone was assuming was the head, then he threw his hands up and stared at the ceiling, waving at the non existent thing. "NOO! HARRY! THAT'S A WA..." trailing off, Niall turned to Harry with a cocked eyebrow and grin. "See, see what would happen to you? You will die the moment we set you free. Literally or figuratively speaking."

"And you will die if you don't shut up," Harry barked, the idea to stab Niall with the knife on the table all too tempting. He loathed this kid.

Louis laughed, patted Harry's head and mumbled, "Poor Hazza," before he climbed down and went to their usual seat. "When's Gemma and Anne going to be here?"

"Not soon enough," the eldest of the three mumbled, annoyed beyond belief when Niall and Louis begin to bicker about who got the biggest piece of pie, and who will get the bigger brownie.

Eyes closing when he set down, Harry counted to ten in his mind and he reminded himself that Louis won't be in prison before he lets his eyes drift open and seen... Louis and Niall trying to balance a spoon on their noses. Where the hell did this childish shit come from and what has he done to my Louis? Harry wonders for a split second, then that thought disappears and in its place is,

Dear god, kill me now.

~~~

The taped knuckles of Harry's right fist smacked against the plump punching bag swinging precariously from the ceiling. It was early in the morning, or at least that's what Harry thought. When he had woke up this morning, restless and unable to keep his mind from drifting to the memories of him blacking out with Louis straddling him, it had been four o'clock.

He had been working in here for hours, but he still hasn't tired. His fists continued to pound against the blue bag, a steady rhythm having been built hours ago that he kept up. His biceps hurt and his knuckles were screaming in pain, but he kept going, even when sweat stung his eyes and he was breathing scarcely, ragged breathes passing through his lips only when he remembered to breath and not punch.

His mind had went blank minutes after he started working on the bag (that has been hanging in Robins workout room for months, abandoned and not yet touched by anyone). It was a nice feeling to not have to worry about Louis or Niall or what mess they were going to make now, because he knew they were both asleep upstairs, Niall sprawled across their floor and Louis tucked safely in their bed with Zoey sleeping on the pillow Harry abandoned that was right next to Louis' head.

Here, in this room, all he had to worry about was not overworking himself and making sure he stayed hydrated, which meant taking breaks every once in awhile so he could chug the water that has long since gone lukewarm.

Despite having worked himself up, Harry's heart stayed calm in his chest and the knots in his stomach slowly began to work themselves out. He could feel as his break drew closer, so with one last hard punch to the bag, Harry took a step back and wrapped the swinging bag in his arms to still it before he walked over to the little bench that held his bottle of water.

"How long have you been in here?" a tired voice asked, making Harry jump and spill water all over him and on the floor.

Spinning around, Harry wiped the trail of liquid off of his chin and grinned at his mum. "A while," he panted, using the rag he hung on the shelves to wipe the salty liquid from his forehead. "Why are you up?"

"Couldn't sleep," she said with a shrug of her shoulders. Walking further into the room and covering her mouth, she asked around a yawn, "Are Niall and Louis still upstairs asleep?"

"Yes, thank god," Harry growled, throwing the towel in a random direction before he plopped down on the bench and took of his sweat covered tank top, only to pull on a new one.

"Niall is a.. He's a good kid. A little on the over energized side, but I think he'll do good for Louis," Anne said, obviously choosing her words carefully so she didn't end up hurting someone's feelings. She had meant what she said, though. Niall was a good kid, and she honestly liked him. Him and his energy was just something she was having trouble keeping up with.

"He's an annoying little asshole who has done nothing but piss me off. Him and Louis are going to be the death of me," he growled at the memory of the kitchen and stood up, readying himself for another round.

Anne, evidently smart enough to not ask why Harry had a problem with the boy, nodded and leaned against the door. "Why don't you come and have a cuppa with me? You need to calm down and pace yourself, Harry. Give the poor bag a chance," from the tone of her voice, Harry knew she wasn't asking.

Harry frowned and contemplated on whether or not it was worth it to put up a fight when he knew he would lose. "Fine. Make me a cup of..."

"Yorkshire, I know." she grinned at her son at walked out of the room, feeling somewhat relieved he had decided to take his anger out on something that wouldn't land him jail time.

Even though it was only eight in the morning, and she had went to bed later than she would have hoped last night, Anne was in a rather good mood. Unlike most mornings, she didn't have to fight two teenage boys to get out of bed, nor did she have to worry about making sure her kids ate before leaving for school. This morning was hers and hers alone.

When she woke up and realized how much time she had to herself, her mind immediately began to think of what she could get done. Sitting down with her son at the island drinking cups of tea wasn't one of them, but to a mother, it was the best possible thing she could do with her time.

As she filled the kettle, her mind drifted off to a time she rarely thought about anymore. One where she lived in constant fear. When her phone rang, her heart would lurch in her throat because she thought it was the school, or another officer calling because Harry had landed himself in jail yet again. She was always on alert too, and even though she wasn't intentionally doing it, she would look to see if any kid in her near her had gotten attacked and sent to the hospital when she looked at the news on her phone.

She had feared her son then. Well, not really him, but his choices. His life was spiraling down a tunnel nobody could pull him out of, and she was afraid that Harry would end up getting thrown in prison, or killed because he messed with the wrong person. The pain she felt those years was one that still haunted her to this day, and she hoped to god that Harry never know the pain she felt when he has his own kids.

"Mum..." Harry called out to the woman leaning on the counter, eyes glazed over and face neutral. He could see in her eyes that she was somewhere far away, how far he would never know. Turning off the hissing tea kettle, Harry took it upon himself to fill the two cups in front of his mother full of water. "Earth to Anne, anybody home?" he waved his hand in front of her face and smiled when she blinked a few times, the cloudiness clearing from her eyes, and realized what was going on.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry,"

Disregarding her apology with a wave of his hand, Harry fished her tea bag out of the murky water and put two scoops of sugar and a splash of cream before he slid it across the counter to the shocked woman. "Fly trap, mum, fly trap," was all he muttered. He found it amusing his mum was shocked he knew something as simple as what she liked in her tea, and he couldn't help but think about the heart attack she would have if she ever figured out how much he really knew about her.

He took a sip of his own tea, with lots of sugar and creamer, and sighed as the warm liquid slid down his throat. He missed Louis, and wished he was awake down here with him so they could share a cup of tea, but he doesn't say so. His attention is focused on the woman across from him that was starting to get little grey hairs and slight wrinkles by her eyes.

"What?" he asked, flushing a pretty pink color when he found she was already staring at him, her eyes scrutinizing. He squirmed beneath her gaze, something only her and Louis can get him to do, and bowed his head a little. "Do I have something on my face?"

"Are you happy, Harry?" Anne blurted. She knew the answer to that, but that still didn't prepare her for the look he got, the look that made had heart singing.

"Yeah, mum, I am," for once, he wasn't lying. He was.. Happy. Beyond it, really. "I'm in a good place right now. Louis.. He, I don't know.. He makes me a... a better person. He makes me want to be good... to do good." he admits, stuttering over the words no one has ever heard him admit out loud, not even Louis.

Louis was his weakness, his kryptonite, his drug. He knew being with him was making him weak and changing him into a man he never thought he would become, but damn it, every moment they share does more to him than any drug ever will. Louis is, and always will be, his big time high, his good as it gets, his one and only. But he was also the only thing that could ever hurt him.

"Love, deep down you've always been that person and you've always wanted to do that. Louis was just the shove you needed to realize how much potential you have." In no way was Anne discrediting Louis or denying all he has done for her son. She was simply rewarding Harry with some of the credit, because if Harry hadn't wanted to change, he wouldn't have, even if Louis was in the picture.

"No, mum, really... I don't think I would be here without him. I know I was a fuck up before, and I know I hurt you a lot, but I was hurting too. I didn't want to acknowledge any of that, though, so I fought and I fucked and I did everything I possibly could without actually hurting myself. And Louis, god, he made me realize that sometimes you have to let yourself hurt before you can ever get better, before you can ever feel anything else." he smiled slowly, dreamily, and finally looked his mum in the eyes. "Do you know what that feels like? To finally watch as the clouds in your sky clear and the sun begins to shine? Because I do, and my sun is upstairs sleeping."

It was cheesy, so much so that Harry had to swallow back the vomit, but he was speaking words from his heart. Louis may be a pain in the ass, even more so when paired with Niall, but Harry wouldn't trade him for anything in the world, even if it meant more cheesy shit spewing out of his mouth.

Anne was on the verge of tears. Her heart was at war with itself, half feeling like it was broken and half feeling happier than it ever had. She wanted to grieve for her son and realize what he had went through all those years, but she also wanted to feel what he felt now; happiness. "Louis--"

"Hmm?" someone hummed in the distance, having both Anne and Harry jumping out of their skins and nearly spilling their tea. "What? Is there a ghost or something?" the tired looking boy with sleep mussed hair asked, spinning in little half circles to see behind him.

Harry smiled and without asking his mother for approval, he dismissed himself from the counter and walked over to his boy. "Why don't we go back upstairs and go to bed?" he asked when he seen the light bags starting to form under Louis' eyes.

"I was having a bad dream and reached for you but you weren't there," Louis mumbled, words pulling on Harry's heart strings. Glancing at his mum on last time, the two shared a simple look that let them both know that what they had said, was between them, and that they were done. She shooed them upstairs and they both went happily, a half asleep Louis wrapped in Harry's arms. 

Louis stood in front of the double glass doors that opened with every step forward he took. His throat was dry and his stomach had twisted itself into knots the moment he had got the phone call from Lottie. He wanted to walk into that hospital, but at the same time he wanted to turn around and run home and hide under his bed, where he could pretend none of this was happening.

His hands shook at his sides and his vision kept on going blurry the longer he stared at the woman sitting behind the counter. He could do this, he thought, all I need to do it put one foot in front of the other. I just need to.. Go. But he couldn't go. He was frozen in place, stuck in an emotional turmoil that left him confused and dizzy.

"Come on, you can do this," and encouraging voice said next to him, sounding so far away yet so close. A warm hand closed around his and his entire body jolted forward as if it was an instinct. One foot fell in front of the other, and his eyes grew blurrier the closer the doors came.

"What if she doesn't want to see me?" he asked quietly. What if the woman sitting up in that room didn't want to see him, or want him to meet his new sibling? What if she demanded he leave at once, or have him escorted from her room the moment she seen him. "She won't accept us," he added as an afterthought, sounding both pained and panicked.

He heard a low chuckle from beside him, and before he seen where they were, Harry pulled him to a stop in front of the woman he had been watching. "There's only one way that we will find out the answers to your question," Harry said, fingers drumming on the counter as he told the woman the information to the room Louis' mother was in, doing exactly what Louis couldn't do.

Speak.

As Harry lead them down the hallway, Louis got lost in thought, completely relying on the taller lad to lead him right and not let him hit into anyone or anything. He was sure that Harry was wrong about them not having the answers. Louis already had the answers. He had got it eight months ago when his mother kicked him out on the street and told him she didn't care what happened to him, or if he had to drop out of school to support himself. The only answer he didn't have was if he actually wanted to see her.

Was he ready to forgive her after the hell she had put him through? Was he willing to put their past behind them and embrace the future they could have together? One where they could both be happy? The answer came rushing to him, pounding against his body like a ton of bricks the moment Harry swung the door open and he seen that small bundle right in front of him, securely tucked in his sister's arms.

He would do anything for that baby.

"And look, there's your brother Louis and your grumpy uncle Harry," Lottie said in a small, quiet baby voice, her body rocking back and forth without her even realizing.

Harry, completely oblivious to the puddle Louis was turning into the longer he stared at the new born baby, rolled his eyes and grinned at her. "You claim I'm grumpy, yet you're the one that threw a chair at me and Louis when we woke you up," Harry retorted, though he was secretly enjoying the sound of someone calling him an uncle. It sounded right, and oddly made him feel exhilarated.

"YOU WOKE ME UP AT SIX IN THE MORNING TO MOVE SHIT!" Lottie shouted, instantly cringing and looking down at the infant to make sure she didn't startle it. She found it still soundly asleep and sighed in relief before she looked back up at her brother that was standing in the door, looking terrified.

Glancing at her mom, she gave her a look she hoped was 'TALK TO HIM' and nudged her head in Louis' direction. The woman hidden behind the blue curtain pursed her lips in displeasure but leaned forward nonetheless and pulled the thin material back so she came face to face with her boy...

Her breath caught in her throat when she finally seen him and was able to take in how much he changed since the last time she seen him that rainy day many, many months ago. His body no longer slouched, like it was trying to disappear within itself, and his head no longer hung low. Instead, his head was held high, his back was straight and there was a light in his eyes he never had before.

Then her eyes drifted over to the man next to him, a man she had never seen but knew enough about from the many conversations she has had with Lottie. Her daughter had done explicitly well when she explained the dark haired man her son had taken to. From the long hair, to the piercing green eyes that looked as if a storm was brewing within them, to the strong jaw, to the smallest fact that he towered over Louis.

"You must be Harry," Jay quickly spoke up, internally kicking herself in the ass for not speaking up sooner. "I'm Johannah, Louis' mom." she noticed the slight hesitation in his eyes before he broke free from Louis and walked over to her to shake her hand. Instantly she took note of not only the size of his hand, but the ring she felt encircled around his fourth finger.

Smiling, and biting the inside of her cheek to keep from saying anything she could possibly regret, she retracted her hand and patted Harry's shoulder. "It's lovely to meet you," Harry said, words obviously forced to everyone but Jay, and nodded his head when she patted him. It was awkward, to say the least, and he had no idea what he was supposed to say or do. He hated the fact that he was the one making it awkward when he was only here for emotional support.

"Can I hold him?" Louis asked out of nowhere, eyes focused on the blue bundle Lottie held. Everyone turned to him then and watched as he carried himself with so much confidence as he strode across the room and stopped in front of Jay's bed, his back to her and his hands extended to Lottie.

"You bet," Lottie said, instantly transferring the infant into Louis' open arms. "Be careful, though. The kid has bad reflux and amazing aim,"

Louis giggled wetly and through watery eyes, he stared down at his new brother... The little boy he had once thought he hated, but was now possibly the only chance he had at having a future with their mother. "Hi..." he trailed off, eyes --for the first time since he entered the room- flicking up to meet his mother's.

"Noah Jace," Jay said, her eyes, as well as everyone else's, focused on the two youngest boys in the room. Everyone felt a certain something, and Jay instantly recognized hers as pride and love, but Harry couldn't put his finger on what he was feeling... He liked the way Louis looked holding the baby, and he got this certain sense of... contentment just staring at Louis as he stared down at the child with light brown hair.

A small part of him, and he didn't know how small that part may actually be, wanted to see Louis holding their child for the first time. He wanted it to be their child's hand instantly latching onto Louis' finger and his eyes popping open for the first time, giving them a chance to finally see his sky blue eyes that had all the blood rushing to Harry's head and made him feel like their family was finally complete, like this is where they were supposed to be after all this time they've spent together.

But he wasn't ready yet, he knew that. Neither one of them were. They were still in high school, both trying to make it through the stressful rollercoaster the last year of high school was, and a child was the last thing they needed. Still, with all of that in mind, Harry couldn't get the image out of his head... and it made his heart warm, especially when Louis' smiled big and cooed down at the baby,

"Hi, Noah Jace,"

Harry was so enchanted with the sight before him that he didn't notice Lottie sneaking up to his side until her shoulder bumped against his and broke the spell he was under. "He looks good, doesn't he?" she asked quietly, just loud enough for Harry to hear, and as if she could instantly detect his uncomfortableness at her question, she rolled her eyes. "Calm down, dude, it's only me. You can admit you like the idea of my brother having a baby. Your baby," she then shrugged and smiled, neither one of them correcting her on the fact that Louis couldn't have his baby. "Zayn admitted that when he seen me hold him for the first time. It wasn't until we were alone in a closet, sure, but he still admitted it."

Harry gagged, of course in a playful way, at the image Lottie planted in his mind and pushed her gently. "Thanks for that, Lots. It'll be the main thing that haunts my nightmares until the day I die," Harry said, snorting and completely becoming relaxed. To this day, it still amazed him that he was able to feel so comfortable around the big mouthed female with the snarky attitude.

"Come on, man, don't act like you haven't thought about getting with all of this," her arms waved over her body and she waggled her eyebrows in a suggestive way that had Harry laughing.

"Nope, never," he couldn't handle all of that. Then at the memory of the man he worshipped for being able to put up with her, he looked around the room and felt slightly disappointed when he didn't see him. "Where's Zayn?"

"Building a chimney in a stairwell,"

"Huh?"

Oh poor, poor Louis. How does he deal with him? "He's smoking in a stairwell, but knowing him and his chain smoking habits, he's probably made the enclosed area very smoky," she spoke slowly and faced Harry so he could watch her lips form each word just in case he didn't hear her.

"Ohhh. A chimney. I get it now,"

"Doofus,"

"And where's her... boyfriend?" Harry asked (ignoring the name she called him, which was very mature of him), and jerked his head towards Jay who was still staring at Louis.

"He had some stupid meeting to be at," Lottie said, voice dripping with annoyance, as if her face didn't give enough away. "Work was more important than being here with his newborn son," she hissed in his ear, needing to speak her annoyance and disapproval to someone she knew wouldn't go blabbing to anyone, except her brother. "He wasn't even here for the birth!"

Harry suppressed his sudden urge to hunt down the douche bag and instead let himself brew as he thought over his words and actions carefully, not wanting to make a scene when Louis was having a good time. "Bastards lucky he isn't here," he finally said a controlled voice, hands clenched into tight fists that had his fingernails digging into his palm.

"Damn right. You'd have to hold me back," and that made Harry laugh, because honestly? She weighed a hundred pounds soaking wet. It would be more of a struggle to hold back a chihuahua than it would be her.

The tension soon melting away, the two fell into a light conversation and soon forgot about the no-faced (to Harry, who has yet to meet him) douchebag.

~~~~

(Jumpy time skip to the next day.. But it's worth it)

Harry lurked within the shadows of the room, his back pressed against the wall and his breathing slow, almost non existent. He could hear them coming, hear their heavy breathing and the sound of their shoes scuffing against the floor. He didn't have long before they found him and both things attacked him. Bracing himself, he felt his back hunch and his knees spread ever so slightly.

A hissing noise, followed by a glass vase crashing to the floor has Harry's heart lurching and a smile slowly stretching his lips. "Harry, you can come out now. We won't hurt you" one of them tries to lure him out with the sweet purr of his voice, but no. Harry won't give in that easily.

"Much," he hissed under his breath as he ducked underneath the tv, his fingers gliding over the wall as he continued making his way towards the front door, towards freedom. "They can't find me," Harry reminded himself quietly. "God knows what they would do,"

Cautiously, he approaches the door but a screeching voice has him halting in place, hand extended and fingers barely brushing the cool, metal door knob. "I FOUND HIM!"

Without even thinking, Harry throws the door open and runs down the stairs. Temporarily blinded by the sun, he scrambles down the stairs and falls to his knees in the snow, his hands searching for the yellow piece of fabric he knew was hiding somewhere in the snow. "FUCK!" he shouted, heart beating erratically in his chest when he finally pulled it out, fingers red and freezing when he spun around and waved the flag. "I FOUND IT! I'M SAFE!"

Standing in the doorway, the smaller of the two pops his hip out and stares at him with a raised eyebrow. Harry could see his lips moving quickly, but the boy was whispering to the person next to him, purposely making sure Harry didn't hear a word they said. A small nod of the head from the other boy had both of them smiling mischievously, something dark skidding through both of their eyes.

"The rules have.." Swaying his hips in an enchanting rhythm as he makes his way down the stairs, the small one stops in front of Harry, fingers threading through his hair. "Changed," he finished in a rushed breath, and before the larger of the three could react, he was being shoved back in the snow and someone was straddling him while the other one began to cover his chest in snow.

Giggles surrounded Harry but he couldn't handle this, being trapped while the people around him could do whatever they wanted to him. He wasn't in control, and that thought alone had Harry blacking out. When he came to, he was hovering above the boy who had been straddling him, his small arms pinned above his head. Harry's fingers dug into his wrists and a twisted smile formed on his lips when he shot his free arm out and grabbed the other boy's leg, having him on the ground in seconds.

"You two," he panted, still smiling to try and cover the fact that he had just blacked out and could have really hurt someone. "Get to make dinner," leaning forward and nuzzling his nose against the small boys neck, he inhales his strong scent and makes this small whimper in the back of his throat. "On second thought, Niall can make dinner while I have my way with you in the snow."

The small boy beneath Harry laughs and two small fists begin to press against his chest. "We leave him alone in there with all that food and there will be nothing left for us to eat," the boy chimes, giggling when Harry's lips vibrated against his neck when he growled. "Come on, Hazza," he says, then drops his voice to just above a whisper. "You can have your way with me later,"

Reluctantly, Harry pulled back and stared down at the wide eyed boy with flushed cheeks and red nose, trying to see if he was lying just to be free but Harry seen the way his eyes dilated slightly and felt when he squirmed beneath him. "Fine." He sighed, giving in and standing up. "But Irish boy over here cock blocks me, and he'll be spending the night locked outside with no food,"

"You wouldn't," Niall gasped, eyes already watering with tears. He didn't give a shit about staying the night outside, but you bet your damn ass he'll put up a fight when it comes to food. "Lou, make him to take it back. Tell him he isn't going to take the food away from me."

Harry had actually made him cry... the amount of pleasure he got from that was quickly demolished when he looked down at Louis, to see if the boy had the same reaction he did, but instead he seen a stern look where there should have been a big grin and bright eyes. Frowning, Harry looked up at Niall and through gritted teeth, he growled "I won't take away your fucking food," but that wasn't good enough. Oh no.

He felt a cold hand sneak up his shirt and twist his frozen nipple. "And," Louis pressed, twisting just a little harder until he heard Harry yelp in pain and turn to Niall, face twisted in pain.

"I'm sorry," Harry rarely apologized, and when he did, he rarely meant it. This was one of those times he didn't mean it, but said it just so he could get feeling back to his damn nipple.

When Louis let go, Harry quickly stood up, glaring down at the brown haired boy that was still laying in the snow, and wiped the white powder off of his legs. "Now quit your fucking blubbering and go cook. I'm starving." He said, not even regretting it when he turned around to go back inside and felt a snowball pelt him in the middle of the back.

"Jokes on you. I can't feel my back." He then waddled into the house and went straight upstairs so he could change out of his wet clothes and into something more comfortable. He of course was worried about leaving those two alone downstairs, because since the day they met, they have been a deadly pair, but he figured if anything got broke he would in return break Niall.

But what the fuck was that crying thing about? Who in the hell would cry over the threat of not being able to eat for a night? For one single night? Niall Horan, that's who, the boy who cried when he dropped a piece of orange chicken.

Shaking his head from the annoying thoughts of the Irish lad, Harry made his way down stairs, now in a pair of grey joggers and a black, loose fitting t-shirt, and almost instantly regretted it the moment he walked into the kitchen.

Standing in the middle of the kitchen, surrounded by flour, cracked eggs on the floor, and raw chicken spread across the counter, was Niall and Louis, both covered head to toe in flour. Eggs were cracked in both of their hairs, making their usual quiffs stay flat against their head with egg shells cling in random areas.

"What in the fuck? How!? I left you two alone for five minutes!" Harry shouted, bewildered and angry beyond belief as he stalked further into the kitchen and seen, just beyond the island, was a pool of milk. "What the fuck," he said in a irritated breath, not knowing if he was supposed to laugh, cry, or scream.

He wanted to scream.

Instead, he laughed, and as he laughed, Niall and Louis both looked at him like he was going insane. Maybe he was, who knew? Spending longer than five minutes with these two was reason enough to send someone to the loony bin.

"It was Niall!" Louis shouted, finger pointing at Niall at the exact same time Niall pointed at Louis and said "It was Louis!"

Harry now felt like crying. "Just... Just go get cleaned up and go to the living room," Harry said, done with the two. He was afraid that if he stayed in here with them for one second longer, he would end up using Niall as a mop and Louis as a rag. That, or he'd snap and not only have a mess to clean up, but to crying boys to try and calm down.

Bowing their heads to try and muffle their giggles, Louis and Niall both scurried out of the room but didn't wait until they reached the top of the stairs to burst out in a fit of laughter. "It's going to be so funny when you both go to bed without dinner or dessert!" Harry yelled, feeling like a grown man that had two kids.

To hell with kids. He was stupid to have ever wanted one.

He fumed the entire time he cleaned up the mess, then continued fuming as he began to make the dough for pot pies. "Why was the milk even out? They didn't need milk. Or eggs," he continued talking to himself, reminding himself that they were both childish shit heads he could never leave alone again.

He cooked the chicken and shredded it before he cut the carrots and let those cook with the peas, onions and garlic. "They don't get dessert," he suddenly decided, grinning as he quickly finished dinner. They wouldn't laugh then. They would do the opposite when they seen Harry eating some ice cream on the brownies he planned on making.

While the pies were cooking, he threw together a simple, but delicious, recipe for brownies and let those cook while he cut the potpie into triangles and set up the table. His eyebrows furrowed when he walked to the bottom of the stairs and heard nothing. Absolutely nothing. There wasn't one squeak or the sound of the TV carrying through the hallway.

"Louis? Niall?" He hollered, fingers tapping on the stair railing. A few seconds passed with no response, and he was about to upstairs but then Louis appeared at the top of the stairs with Niall close behind him, both of them looking absolutely terrified.

"Are you still mad?" Louis asked in a soft voice, his lips just barely turned down in a frown that looked so wrong with his delicate features.

Harry's heart thumped wildly against his chest and even though he wanted to laugh and say, you bet your ass I'm mad, he instead swallowed the words and shook his head. "No," Lies! I wanna spank your ass for being a bad little boy. "I'm not mad."

Both of them looking relieved, they ran down the stairs and Louis jumped into Harry's arms. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he kept repeating, placing a kiss on every spot of Harry's face as he did so. "Niall pissed me off so I threw a cup full of flower at him and he cracked an egg on my head and well, you know what happened,"

Rolling his eyes, Harry grasped Louis' butt to hold him up and carried him into the dining room, where they found Niall already eating a piece of the pot pie. "Dude... What the fuck?" Harry asked, turning his head so he could see behind his shoulder, which is where he could of swore Niall was three seconds ago.

"Oh, Harry, we betta teach you some more words before we set you off into the world," Niall said around a mouth full of food before he proceeded to pet an invisible thing in his hand, place a quick kiss on what everyone was assuming was the head, then he threw his hands up and stared at the ceiling, waving at the non existent thing. "NOO! HARRY! THAT'S A WA..." trailing off, Niall turned to Harry with a cocked eyebrow and grin. "See, see what would happen to you? You will die the moment we set you free. Literally or figuratively speaking."

"And you will die if you don't shut up," Harry barked, the idea to stab Niall with the knife on the table all too tempting. He loathed this kid.

Louis laughed, patted Harry's head and mumbled, "Poor Hazza," before he climbed down and went to their usual seat. "When's Gemma and Anne going to be here?"

"Not soon enough," the eldest of the three mumbled, annoyed beyond belief when Niall and Louis begin to bicker about who got the biggest piece of pie, and who will get the bigger brownie.

Eyes closing when he set down, Harry counted to ten in his mind and he reminded himself that Louis won't be in prison before he lets his eyes drift open and seen... Louis and Niall trying to balance a spoon on their noses. Where the hell did this childish shit come from and what has he done to my Louis? Harry wonders for a split second, then that thought disappears and in its place is,

Dear god, kill me now.

~~~

The taped knuckles of Harry's right fist smacked against the plump punching bag swinging precariously from the ceiling. It was early in the morning, or at least that's what Harry thought. When he had woke up this morning, restless and unable to keep his mind from drifting to the memories of him blacking out with Louis straddling him, it had been four o'clock.

He had been working in here for hours, but he still hasn't tired. His fists continued to pound against the blue bag, a steady rhythm having been built hours ago that he kept up. His biceps hurt and his knuckles were screaming in pain, but he kept going, even when sweat stung his eyes and he was breathing scarcely, ragged breathes passing through his lips only when he remembered to breath and not punch.

His mind had went blank minutes after he started working on the bag (that has been hanging in Robins workout room for months, abandoned and not yet touched by anyone). It was a nice feeling to not have to worry about Louis or Niall or what mess they were going to make now, because he knew they were both asleep upstairs, Niall sprawled across their floor and Louis tucked safely in their bed with Zoey sleeping on the pillow Harry abandoned that was right next to Louis' head.

Here, in this room, all he had to worry about was not overworking himself and making sure he stayed hydrated, which meant taking breaks every once in awhile so he could chug the water that has long since gone lukewarm.

Despite having worked himself up, Harry's heart stayed calm in his chest and the knots in his stomach slowly began to work themselves out. He could feel as his break drew closer, so with one last hard punch to the bag, Harry took a step back and wrapped the swinging bag in his arms to still it before he walked over to the little bench that held his bottle of water.

"How long have you been in here?" a tired voice asked, making Harry jump and spill water all over him and on the floor.

Spinning around, Harry wiped the trail of liquid off of his chin and grinned at his mum. "A while," he panted, using the rag he hung on the shelves to wipe the salty liquid from his forehead. "Why are you up?"

"Couldn't sleep," she said with a shrug of her shoulders. Walking further into the room and covering her mouth, she asked around a yawn, "Are Niall and Louis still upstairs asleep?"

"Yes, thank god," Harry growled, throwing the towel in a random direction before he plopped down on the bench and took of his sweat covered tank top, only to pull on a new one.

"Niall is a.. He's a good kid. A little on the over energized side, but I think he'll do good for Louis," Anne said, obviously choosing her words carefully so she didn't end up hurting someone's feelings. She had meant what she said, though. Niall was a good kid, and she honestly liked him. Him and his energy was just something she was having trouble keeping up with.

"He's an annoying little asshole who has done nothing but piss me off. Him and Louis are going to be the death of me," he growled at the memory of the kitchen and stood up, readying himself for another round.

Anne, evidently smart enough to not ask why Harry had a problem with the boy, nodded and leaned against the door. "Why don't you come and have a cuppa with me? You need to calm down and pace yourself, Harry. Give the poor bag a chance," from the tone of her voice, Harry knew she wasn't asking.

Harry frowned and contemplated on whether or not it was worth it to put up a fight when he knew he would lose. "Fine. Make me a cup of..."

"Yorkshire, I know." she grinned at her son at walked out of the room, feeling somewhat relieved he had decided to take his anger out on something that wouldn't land him jail time.

Even though it was only eight in the morning, and she had went to bed later than she would have hoped last night, Anne was in a rather good mood. Unlike most mornings, she didn't have to fight two teenage boys to get out of bed, nor did she have to worry about making sure her kids ate before leaving for school. This morning was hers and hers alone.

When she woke up and realized how much time she had to herself, her mind immediately began to think of what she could get done. Sitting down with her son at the island drinking cups of tea wasn't one of them, but to a mother, it was the best possible thing she could do with her time.

As she filled the kettle, her mind drifted off to a time she rarely thought about anymore. One where she lived in constant fear. When her phone rang, her heart would lurch in her throat because she thought it was the school, or another officer calling because Harry had landed himself in jail yet again. She was always on alert too, and even though she wasn't intentionally doing it, she would look to see if any kid in her near her had gotten attacked and sent to the hospital when she looked at the news on her phone.

She had feared her son then. Well, not really him, but his choices. His life was spiraling down a tunnel nobody could pull him out of, and she was afraid that Harry would end up getting thrown in prison, or killed because he messed with the wrong person. The pain she felt those years was one that still haunted her to this day, and she hoped to god that Harry never know the pain she felt when he has his own kids.

"Mum..." Harry called out to the woman leaning on the counter, eyes glazed over and face neutral. He could see in her eyes that she was somewhere far away, how far he would never know. Turning off the hissing tea kettle, Harry took it upon himself to fill the two cups in front of his mother full of water. "Earth to Anne, anybody home?" he waved his hand in front of her face and smiled when she blinked a few times, the cloudiness clearing from her eyes, and realized what was going on.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry,"

Disregarding her apology with a wave of his hand, Harry fished her tea bag out of the murky water and put two scoops of sugar and a splash of cream before he slid it across the counter to the shocked woman. "Fly trap, mum, fly trap," was all he muttered. He found it amusing his mum was shocked he knew something as simple as what she liked in her tea, and he couldn't help but think about the heart attack she would have if she ever figured out how much he really knew about her.

He took a sip of his own tea, with lots of sugar and creamer, and sighed as the warm liquid slid down his throat. He missed Louis, and wished he was awake down here with him so they could share a cup of tea, but he doesn't say so. His attention is focused on the woman across from him that was starting to get little grey hairs and slight wrinkles by her eyes.

"What?" he asked, flushing a pretty pink color when he found she was already staring at him, her eyes scrutinizing. He squirmed beneath her gaze, something only her and Louis can get him to do, and bowed his head a little. "Do I have something on my face?"

"Are you happy, Harry?" Anne blurted. She knew the answer to that, but that still didn't prepare her for the look he got, the look that made had heart singing.

"Yeah, mum, I am," for once, he wasn't lying. He was.. Happy. Beyond it, really. "I'm in a good place right now. Louis.. He, I don't know.. He makes me a... a better person. He makes me want to be good... to do good." he admits, stuttering over the words no one has ever heard him admit out loud, not even Louis.

Louis was his weakness, his kryptonite, his drug. He knew being with him was making him weak and changing him into a man he never thought he would become, but damn it, every moment they share does more to him than any drug ever will. Louis is, and always will be, his big time high, his good as it gets, his one and only. But he was also the only thing that could ever hurt him.

"Love, deep down you've always been that person and you've always wanted to do that. Louis was just the shove you needed to realize how much potential you have." In no way was Anne discrediting Louis or denying all he has done for her son. She was simply rewarding Harry with some of the credit, because if Harry hadn't wanted to change, he wouldn't have, even if Louis was in the picture.

"No, mum, really... I don't think I would be here without him. I know I was a fuck up before, and I know I hurt you a lot, but I was hurting too. I didn't want to acknowledge any of that, though, so I fought and I fucked and I did everything I possibly could without actually hurting myself. And Louis, god, he made me realize that sometimes you have to let yourself hurt before you can ever get better, before you can ever feel anything else." he smiled slowly, dreamily, and finally looked his mum in the eyes. "Do you know what that feels like? To finally watch as the clouds in your sky clear and the sun begins to shine? Because I do, and my sun is upstairs sleeping."

It was cheesy, so much so that Harry had to swallow back the vomit, but he was speaking words from his heart. Louis may be a pain in the ass, even more so when paired with Niall, but Harry wouldn't trade him for anything in the world, even if it meant more cheesy shit spewing out of his mouth.

Anne was on the verge of tears. Her heart was at war with itself, half feeling like it was broken and half feeling happier than it ever had. She wanted to grieve for her son and realize what he had went through all those years, but she also wanted to feel what he felt now; happiness. "Louis--"

"Hmm?" someone hummed in the distance, having both Anne and Harry jumping out of their skins and nearly spilling their tea. "What? Is there a ghost or something?" the tired looking boy with sleep mussed hair asked, spinning in little half circles to see behind him.

Harry smiled and without asking his mother for approval, he dismissed himself from the counter and walked over to his boy. "Why don't we go back upstairs and go to bed?" he asked when he seen the light bags starting to form under Louis' eyes.

"I was having a bad dream and reached for you but you weren't there," Louis mumbled, words pulling on Harry's heart strings. Glancing at his mum on last time, the two shared a simple look that let them both know that what they had said, was between them, and that they were done. She shooed them upstairs and they both went happily, a half asleep Louis wrapped in Harry's arms.