I think this book has been going for years lol. Enjoy!

~*~

Harry knows that he was in hot water with Louis, to the point where the water is boiling and when Harry starts to get close enough then he'll get burned, skin turning black and into crisp.

That is how it makes him feel.

Usually, he enjoys coming to the orphanage to visit and get to know the kids but now after he must be more careful with his visits because he doesn't want to drive Louis away.

Louis volunteered for the kids and it would suck if he would leave just because he can't stand Harry but today was a different day, Harry actually has a scheduled activity with the kids, so he can't be late.

He went downstairs to get ready and start on breakfast. He wasn't in the best of moods to eat anything heavy, so he settled with a plain cereal and some milk.

He stared at his bowl of cereal solemnly but ate it anyway. Are this what people who pines at other people for so long eats? Or was it just him?

He was checking his emails while simultaneously wondering what Louis was eating today.

Louis did change a lot, far from the small feminine built that Harry knew about in high school. He wasn't going to act all innocent and lie about how he just wanted to dominate Louis and make that innocent face go crazy with pleasure before.

But now, Louis looked more rugged. He seemed to have started growing a beard and it made him look so attractive that Harry sometimes wanted to bang his head on the wall.

Louis had also grown some muscles and Harry wondered if he frequented the gym but knowing Louis all those years meant that the man wouldn't dream of it. He would only visit the gym to watch Harry but not do any physical activities with him.

He might not look like the same naïve boy from high school, but Harry had a lot in mind on what to with him now that they both have grown.

Harry knew it wasn't the wisest idea to start thinking about Louis early in the morning because there will be consequences.

"Yep, that's a boner." Harry muttered to himself.

He brought his dirtied plates to the sink and washed it before drying it out on the rack.

He quickly went to the bathroom to handle the 'consequences' and swore that he wasn't thinking about Louis.

After a quick shower, Harry quickly went to get ready because he knew he was already late.

He dashed out of his house and went to his car to get to the orphanage in time.

Harry quickly shook his head to erase anything that resembles a dirty though once he parked his car. He needed to have a clear head if he's going to face the kids, he really should have a tight grip with himself because this was beyond crazy.

He should have accepted long before that there might not be another chance with they way Louis have acted around him. There might still be this tiny bit of hope in the back of his mind, but it wasn't good enough to erase all the things he did to him.

It never fails to bring a dark cloud over his head.

The thought of Louis never forgiving him.

"Harry!" Someone shouted to catch his attention and he turned his head to the direction of the voice only to see Jade crazily waving at him to come over quickly.

He plastered a smile and jogged towards her.

"Hi Jade." He greeted before giving her a quick hug.

Jade hugged him back and immediately punching his shoulder playfully after they pull away from each other. It didn't really hurt much but it surprised him.

"You're late, the kids have been waiting for you." She said unapprovingly.

"I'm sorry, got held up at home." Harry apologized, scratching his head and avoiding eye contact because he knew exactly what held him up at home.

"Course you are." Jade snorted before pushing Harry to the room where 10 kids and teens were waiting for him. "Now get your ass in there before they get bored and start sneaking out again." She added before pushing him more, breathing a little hard because she knows how Harry was teasing her by making it more difficult for her to push him.

"What are you saying? Jake is an angel." Harry mentioned with a laugh.

He knows how much a trouble maker Jake was and how Jade adored the kid but he's driving her nuts with all his schemes.

Jade just huffed and shook her head before slapping Harry's back and walking away.

Harry chuckled before finally entering the room and flashing a bright smile to everyone in the room who looked bored out of their mind.

"Hello everyone!" He greeted a little too enthusiastically making a few unsuspecting kids jump in surprise.

"Harry!" they shouted and immediately stopped what they were initially doing to greet him back.

A few kids who were already too close to Harry came to him and hugged him while others stayed back and waved at him in greeting.

"Did you guys wait long?" Harry asked after the hugs have subsided.

"Ms. Thirlwall bribed as snacks if we waited for you for a few more minutes." Amy told him where she stood at the front, always wanting to be at front so she can lead other kids to follow her moves while she copies Harry's.

"I can't believe you guys needed to be bribed to wait for me, you should wait for me for free because I'm awesome." Harry sighed in disappointment as he started checking if all the safety mats were already in place before he starts his class.

"Eh that's debatable Mr. Styles." Rosa chimed from the back which made a few of the kids laugh.

"You all wound me." Harry pouted before going back in the front to see if anyone was missing in class.

He started the self defense and martial art class at the orphanage to help some kids struggling with their body and letting out a few aggression and energy to good use. Some of these kids came from an abusive family and he knew how much physical abuse can damage the wellbeing of a child.

He learned it from experience.

He was just lucky to have met Louis who introduced him to boxing, he always wondered what could have happened to him if he wasn't able to divert his aggression to the sport.

He was doing anything he can for the sake of the kids.

"Alright, how about we start with some nice long stretches, you wouldn't want to stay in bed forever like a certain someone I know." Harry

"Heeey, that was one-time Harry." Jake whined from his spot as the kids who already knew the story laughed at him, others were just staring at the blushing boy curiously.

"I'm not saying it was you Jake, but I appreciate you pointing it out for everyone." Harry chuckled before plugging his phone to the speaker and playing an upbeat song, so they wouldn't get bored easily flailing their limbs carelessly.

"Alright everyone in position and just repeat what I do alright?" Harry told them and they all replied with a 'Yes' in unison.

~*~

Harry watched in rapt attention as the kids tried a relatively pose. He can see that some of them already gave up and was lying face first on the floor.

He knew that it would happen, so he clapped his hands to get most of their attentions.

"Alright, let's have a few minutes break and then I'll teach you the right way to defend yourself if you are ever under attacked." Harry told them with a smile.

They all chorused with an excited 'Yes' before running to the table which was set up with foods that Harry made Jade to order.

"So how's everyone?" Jade asked while the kids settled in on the floor to eat, they supervised them to make sure they didn't make a mess on the training mats.

"The perfect angels of course." Harry answered her just as Amy started calling their attention when Jake stole her chicken.

Harry was quick to give her another piece and told Jake to just go and eat with Charles.

"You sure spoil them a lot Harry." Jade commented when Harry returned to their place.

"They all deserve to be spoiled once in a while especially with the life they had." Harry explained to him with a small smile.

"You're right." Jade nodded in understanding.

"I wanted to know more about her, she seemed a little distant with the other kids." Harry told her as he pointed at the little girl sitting at the far end of the room.

Harry knew better than to force her to cooperate during the stretching, so he let her sit that one out and just watch the other kids.

"Her name is Elizabeth, she only got in last week and refused to speak to anyone even to the counselors." Jade explained to him.

"But she's been checked and she's fine?" Harry asked her worriedly.

"Yeah, the hospital released her after treating her and the police suggested she stay here for now while her dad was on trial."

"I'll go talk to her."

"Okay but be careful Harry, we don't want to spook her too much." Jade told him, concern lacing het voice.

"Alright." Harry nodded and slowly approached her.

She noticed him immediately and cowered on the floor, hiding her face between her knees.

Harry noticed how she was shaking slightly so he decided to sit a few feet away from her.

"Hi." Harry greeted her softly as to not make her panic more.

She didn't lift her head to acknowledge him, but Harry understood.

He must have looked intimidating to her.

"Don't worry I'm not here to disturb you, I just thought you need some company." Harry told her as he settled on the floor, leaning back on the wall and continuing to watch the other kids talk to each other while enjoying their snacks.

"My name is Harry, I don't work here but I like hanging out and helping out with everything." He introduced himself.

"I teach them some basic self-defense, so they can have an outlet for their aggression, most of them were physically abused." Harry muttered still staring the kids, this young people who already had it rough at a young age.

"L-like me?" a small voice suddenly spoke, Harry almost didn't ear it but as he turned his face towards her, he was surprised and happy to see that she finally stopped hiding from him.

She was still shaking slightly but there was a new look on her face instead of the initial fear.

"There are a lot of evil people in the world, but you must not forget that there are still kind ones and people who will do everything they can to help you." Harry reminded her as he offered her the plate Jade prepared for her.

She still hasn't eaten because she was scared to get food.

She looked at the plate of food hesitantly before slowly crawling towards him and shyly reaching for the offered food.

"You don't have to worry about being hurt here because I will do everything I can to protect you here, I have a trophy to prove it." Harry told her as he watched her take slow bites of the chicken.

"Don't let my dad in here please." She pleaded as she stared at him tearfully.

"He will never lay another finger on you okay?" Harry promised to her and smiled when she nodded and took another bite.

~*~

Harry splashed some water out of his face and breathed out a long-suffering breath.

His hands were aching to hit something, how can someone hurt their own daughter, their own flesh and blood.

Elizabeth has post traumatic stress disorder and flinches whenever someone comes close to her. She doesn't seem to trust any of the kids and cries whenever any of the orphanage staff tries to get her for a quick check up.

Harry was really getting furious and just a few minutes away from storming to the prison where her dad was being held and just punching the living daylights out of him.

He glanced at his reflection on the mirror and jumped in surprise when his eyes landed on a familiar face staring right back at him.

"Well this is awkward." Zayn spoke from where he was leaning on the wall.

The very man himself which Harry couldn't possibly forget, those cheekbones will leave a mark to anyone who knows him.

"Zayn!" Harry shouted in surprised before quickly running towards him but stopped when Zayn raised his hands.

"Harry." Zayn nodded at him.

"Are we not allowed to hug right now?" Harry asked in disbelief.

The surprise upon seeing another close friend threw him off that he almost forgot that he was a right asshole to them, leaving them and not contacting for years end.

"People might get the wrong idea and think that we're friends." Zayn told him seriously.

Harry nodded in understanding but he felt his chest tightening when Zayn actually verbalized what he was thinking.

"Oh." He mumbled in embarrassment, not knowing what to do next.

Zayn watched him for a few seconds before he started cracking up.

"I'm kidding you idiot." He laughed and opened his arms, motioning for a hug from him.

Harry stared at him with wide unbelieving eyes before he threw himself at him, hugging him tightly.

"Shit I can't believe I'm seeing you." Harry muttered before patting his back, Zayn reciprocated the action wholeheartedly.

"Me neither but I had a hunch I might cross paths with you." He told him once they parted.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked in confusion.

"Louis mentioned doing a volunteer work at an orphanage, he was excited but just saw him last week and then he doesn't want to talk about it. I figured there might be someone involved." Zayn explained to him.

"How in the fuck can you still do that?" Harry exclaimed disbelievingly.

Memories from how Zayn always knew what was happening before Harry even knew it was happening came flooding into him.

"I wasn't 100% sure that it was you Harry, but I research the orphanage and there a few articles mentioning that it was being funded by a famous MMA Fighter." Zayn told him with a small smile.

"Are you a detective now?" Harry questioned him excitedly.

He once suggested to Zayn that he would make one hell of a good detective. The way he analyzes and figure out things so fast sometimes creeps Harry out and he knew what field was best for him.

"You aren't wrong on that." Zayn answered him with a smirk begore pulling out his wallet and showing his badge to Harry.

"Holy shit you are?" Harry gasped in astonishment.

He quickly took Zayn's wallet and skimmed through the details but froze when his eyes read the printed last name on the ID.

"Detective Zayn Malik-Payne." Harry read, and his eyes automatically landed on Zayn's left which adorns a silver metal band.

"You're married! To Liam??!" Harry closed his eyes and felt like hitting something out of frustration. He turned his back to Zayn to stare at the mirror instead. "Fuck" He groaned.

"Hey, are you okay?" Zayn asked in confusion, worried about the sudden change in Harry.

"Shit, you guys are married and I-"Harry trailed off and stopped because it was just too much.

Sometimes he forgets how much years have passed and how a lot of important events can occur through those years.

It wasn't hard to figure out that Zayn and Liam will end up together, Harry sometimes envied on how comfortable they both are to each other. They were the very definition of soul mates that people often wished to experience but are unlucky to have.

"You had your reason." Zayn told him with a soft pat on his back to try and calm him down.

"You knew?" Harry asked in bewilderment as he quickly turn around to face Zayn who had a knowing look on his face.

"I just knew you wouldn't leave Louis like that." Was Zayn's only answer.

"And you didn't tell him?" Harry questioned him, perplexed because if anyone would ask who Zayn was loyal to, it was to Louis.

They were far closer than Harry is to him and knowing that Zayn kept something from his friend was big news.

"I wanted to but it's not my story to tell Harry." Was Zayn's explanation.

"And Liam? How about Niall? Is he okay?" Harry threw a series of questions.

He was both curious and uninformed about what could have happened to his other friends, he felt a little guilty because all those years he only wondered about how Louis was doing.

He didn't think about the other people he might left behind.

He really was selfish in other people perspective, hence where the hatred from Louis was coming from.

"I'm the only one who knew, Liam knows that I know something, but he didn't force me to tell him." Zayn replied with a small shrug.

Harry nodded in understanding.

"Do you plan on telling him though? It's been so long Harry." Zayn asked when Harry decided to keep quiet.

"The guy loathes me, I feel like it will only make things worse." Harry chuckled without humor.

Louis does all the necessary precaution to not bump into or be in the same room as Harry.

"He deserved to know the truth though." Zayn told him.

Zayn was right just as any other people have said to him before, the only answer to their age old dilemma was to just straight up talk to Louis and explain things.

But there was a voice inside Harry's head who kept nagging about how his explanation wasn't enough for Louis to forgive him and maybe that was the real reason he was always trying to delay it.

Before Harry can utter his reply, the door suddenly opened showing none other than Niall Horan himself.

"Hey Zayn you've been in the bathro-" Niall spoke without actually looking as he was staring on his phone but instantly freezes when his eyes landed on Harry upon raising his head.

"Niall!" Harry shouted in glee, but the smile turned upside down when Niall glared at him menacingly.

"Asshole!" Niall shouted before barging inside and aiming his fist directly at Harry.

Harry was too caught in the moment that he didn't even blocked Niall's punch as it landed on his cheek.

"Hey! Calm down Niall!" Zayn quickly stopped Niall when he was readying another punch.

"What is he doing here!?" Niall struggled in Zayn's hold, demanding to be set free so he can beat Harry into a pulp.

"Wow, gotta give it to you Niall, that shit hurts." Harry groaned but felt like he deserved it.

Of course he deserved it, he was ready to receive another blow if Zayn permits.

"What's going on in here?" Another voice asked from the door and they simultaneously looked to see who it was.

"Hi Liam." Harry grinned but flinched when pain flooded his lips.

Niall totally did a good one on him.

"Oh my god, what is Harry doing here?" Liam whisper shouted as he watched as Zayn stopped an annoyed Niall from kicking Harry who was holding his cheek which was starting to bruise.

"You could have told me they were also here." Harry turned to Zayn to scold him.

He was delighted to see his friends but hopefully in a more decent place and not the orphanage restroom.

"Nah, I still feel like you deserved the punch mate." Zayn chuckled but didn't let Niall near Harry anymore.

"What the hell is going on Zayn! What is he doing here?" Niall demanded breathing hard.

"Calm down guys, he's not here because of Louis." Zayn sighed when Liam still refused to react as he stared at the scene wide eyed and in disbelief and Niall raging next to Zayn while Harry pouted next to the wall.

The air was starting to get thick with tension but was immediately cut by a small unsure voice speaking behind the door that Liam was currently blocking with his frozen state.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" the person asked followed by a knock.

Liam snapped out of his trance and quickly opened the door where a young boy peeked inside.

"Oh Ray, what are you doing here bud?" Harry said before going over and helping Ray as he was using crutches.

Harry tried to look if he was being monitored by a counselor, but he was all alone. He needs to have a word with whomever was assigned to monitor the kids with disabilities, knowing they couldn't do much activities on their own.

"I need to use the toilet Mr. Styles." Ray replied to him politely.

Ray knew Mr. Styles because he was nice man who gave him pizza earlier.

"Well let me help you buddy, can you guys wait outside while I help Ray?" Harry asked his friends who were watching his interaction with Ray curiously.

"Come on, we'll wait outside." Zayn ushered his gawking husband and his enraged friend outside.

"But-" Niall was about to but in but Liam helped Zayn from moving him out of the room when Ray cowered next to Harry. Ray gets anxious when people are raising their voices and Liam noticed so placed his palms on Niall's mouth to shut him up.

"Come on now Niall." Liam said before nodding at Harry in understanding.

The three left and Ray stared at Harry curiously.

"Who were they Mr. Styles?" Ray asked once the door was closed shut.

"My best friends." Harry said without hesitation.

"They look angry." Ray commented.

"They are livid." Harry chuckled.

"You're smiling even if they are mad?" Ray asked in confusion.

"I just missed them a lot now come here before your bladder burst." Harry joked before helping him up into an empty cubicle.

It was surely going to be a long day and Harry should be ready to get beat up, but he can't help but feel that something missing inside of him was slowly being found, like a puzzle who can't be solved.

The pieces where right there all along, just misplaced.

~*~

If only OT5 can come back, that would be great thank you.