TWENTY-SIX

Louis' uncle had finally moved, Harry was happy for him, he really was, it was just, now that he lived with his mom and sisters again Harry's bed was empty and he wasn't around all the time anymore. Sure he still stayed overnight sometimes but not as much as he used to throughout the last weeks.

However, it was probably better that way. The finals came closer and closer and Harry needed to study which was way easier when he was alone. The door suddenly swung open and Niall stormed in scaring the shit out of him. "I swear to god Niall."

"Guess what this is!" He jumped excited and waved with a brown envelope. "I don't know Niall but if it's not important please hurry, I need to study," Harry answered annoyed and dropped the pen as he realized what it was. "No way," it was the notification letter of the University of Manchester.

"Yes way."

"Did- did you get in?"

Niall's smile got wider, "I got in." Harry jumped up right into his brother's arms. "YOU GOT IN" He had never been happier for Naill. "Did you receive yours by now?" There it was again, the reality and the reason why he needed to study.

He didn't get it, and it didn't bother him. Well, he didn't let it show, but now he truly started to doubt it because everyone had gotten theirs back over the last week. Louis, Liam, Zayn and Niall got in, Harry was the only one still waiting.

Maybe because he had sent his application later than everyone else? Hopefully. This college was his last chance. After celebrating with Niall, Harry got back to work, his head was already pounding so he decided to stop as soon as he passed midnight.

His ringtone was what he woke up to the next morning, he fell asleep with his head buried in his arms on the desk. He couldn't fall asleep knowing the time he would spend sleeping would be lost time to study which was why he went back to studying around one in the morning.

He scrunched his face as he looked into the sun shining brightly into his room. The phone was still ringing so he picked up, "Hello," he yawned and stretched out his arms. "Hey, you sound tired," Louis sang into the mic. "Yeah, because I just woke up."

"What? It's 3.45 pm." Harry almost dropped the phone as he checked the time, fuck. His sleep rhythm has gotten really unsteady since he was studying so much. "Haz!" Louis ripped him out of his thoughts, God he was so exhausted. Not just mentally, but physically.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, yes, sorry, I was in my thoughts. Why were you calling?"

"You wanted to come over today, and you didn't answer your phone," right, Harry almost forgot, he eyed the papers in front of him, his whole desk was so messy, it triggered him so much. "Yes, sure I'm sorry, I was busy-"

"Have you been studying again?"

"Just a couple of hours, nothing big." He lied, he didn't want Louis to worry, it was fine. Everyone was studying hard for the finals it's nothing new so, no reason to be worried. "I told you to take a break, just one day, Haz."

"And I will take it, as soon as I'm done with this unit. Don't worry."

Harry took a long warm, shower and ate his breakfast. The last thing before he left was to steal some of Gemma's concealer, she forgot back on his birthday, to cover up the dark circles under his eyes. They still shone through but they didn't look bad as before.

It didn't take only a minute of standing in the driveway of Louis house that the twins already ran towards his car. Harry got out and the two little girls jumped into his arms giggling happily. "Can you bake the cookies again?" Phoebe asked looking at him with her huge blue eyes.

The last time he had been over to their house, Jay had started to bake but then suddenly had a meeting and Harry tried his best to finish, it wasn't for nothing. And it obviously turned out pretty good.

"You are way better at it than Boo," Daisy added covering her mouth with her small hand as she giggled. "I can hear you." Louis stood in the doorframe Harry shut the car door with his foot and walked up to Louis. "Let's bake those cookies." He smiled carrying the two girls into the living room and put on their favourite show.

It wasn't unusual that Harry joined Louis babysitting, the girls liked Harry a lot and he liked them too.

"Why are you smiling like that?" Louis leaned against the counter smiling so wide his eyes crinkled up. "You are good with children," he grabbed the front of Harry's shirt and pulled him against his body and kissed him. He had always liked children and children seemed to manically like him. "I know," he smiled against Louis' lips.

Not much later, Harry and the two blonde girls lay on the floor, dying of laughter, while Louis was fighting the dough that was sticking all around his hands. "Haz! I get that it's funny but-" Harry gasped for air and wiped the tears out of his eyes. The situation wasn't even that funny but the laugh of the twins and the fact that they found this so hilariously. Oh, and the face Louis made.

He got up and helped Louis turn on the tap and took care of the rest of the dough, he just closed the oven when Louis hugged him from behind, wrapping his arms around him. "It already smells good." He rested his chin on Harry's shoulder at what he chuckled, because he knew Louis must have been standing on his tiptoes to do this.

-

The last few weeks had started and the boys tried to do as much together as possible, no one knew, maybe it would be the last time they were all together. If Harry wouldn't get into college and start a job instead, while the other lads went to university together, they would probably live apart.

Even though they promised to keep up but it always ended the same way. After a long day of spending time with the lads, he sat at his desk once again, as the last few days. He was totally done with his nerves already, all day, since he woke up this morning. He got more and more nervous the closer the finals came, with only three days left.

"Don't you wanna take a break, Haz?"

"In a minute." To be honest, everything he wanted was to cuddle up in bed, he was not concentrated at all anymore, his head hurt and every nerve in his body was tired but he needed to finish that stupid text. "It's already past 1 am, come on." Harry was, too exhausted to get his fingers to type another word.

He was just staring at the bright screen in front of him, his eyes burned from staring at this thing for hours. Feeling his muscles relax as Louis' warm palms run along them until they rested on Harry's tummy, Louis' chin leaned onto his shoulder. made him close his eyes, just a few seconds. No, no sleep before he wasn't finished. He knew he wouldn't get back into it if he'd stop now.

"I will just finish this."

"But you still have more than two thousand words left," Louis whispered next to Harry's ear, he was right, it was impossible to finish it since Harry had been stuck in the same sentence for two hours now. He hoped to suddenly get into a flow like usually around this time but it just didn't happen. "I can do this." Not even Harry believed himself.

"Okay, but at least drink your tea," Louis said and pulled the chair away from the table. If it was the only thing he had to do to make Louis happy. Harry took the warm cup and let himself sink into the pillows.

He took a few sips, feeling the hot liquid spread in his stomach. God, he lived for this tea. He drank it as quick as possible and got up again, he felt weird, the room started spinning and he felt his legs getting weak. "Harry, I'm serious you need a break." Harry leaned onto his palms on the desk and pressed his eyes shut until the room stopped spinning.

"I'm fine." He choked staring at his hands.

"I get that it's important for you to-"

"No you don't," Harry cut him off, he had absolutely no idea, "what do you mean?"

"You already got in, so the finals aren't as important for you like they are for me," Harry said in a louder voice as he turned to find Louis standing right in front of him. The exhaustion and stress turned into anger and the words just burst out of his mouth. "I didn't and if I mess up those fucking finals- I was meant to go to Harvard and now I probably won't even find a proper job!"

Louis' eyebrows shifted, "You will get in too."

"What if I don't? I work so hard, it was all for waste when I mess this up! I don't have time to do this tomorrow, Niall asked me for help then and the day after I wanted to go and buy a suit with my mom. I- everyone wants something from me! Why can't you all just leave me alone, huh? And then this stupid essay. I'm tired does nobody see that??"

"And those headaches," tears burned in his eyes as everything came down together. Usually, he could deal with stress pretty well but lately, he was just so out of energy. God, what was wrong with him?

"I just can't- this is all too much."

Louis cupped Harry's face with his hands and looked him deep into the eyes. "Listen to me, Haz. You will go to college, I know that for sure, there is no reason they wouldn't want you there." His eyes shimmered. "And now do me the favour and take. a. break." Harry looked at his laptop and the open text then his eyes flicked back to Louis'.

After a while, he gave in and sank into Louis' arms, and that was when he noticed how exhausted he was, he just felt empty and weak. His whole body started to shut down part by part.

Louis held him tightly as they lay down. Covered by a blanket Harry allowed his eyes to close, just for just a few seconds, he thought. "Can you wake me up tomorrow before you leave?" Harry mumbled but he wasn't sure if Louis had heard it because his voice was only a breathe.

Louis hummed as a yes and continued stroking through Harry's hair and along his neck, his eyes fell shut after only a few seconds and he slipped into a deep, deep sleep which he definitely needed.

-

Harry's eyes snapped open the next morning. Louis was gone and it was already 11 am. Fuck, he stood up, instantly regretting it as he got a little dizzy. Stupid iron deficiency. He took a sip of water and got over to the desk, he opened the Mac just as Louis came in. "Why didn't you wake me?"

Harry didn't wait for him to answer, just unlocked his Mac and opened the file. His jaw dropped at it. What? The essay was complete, a total of 16 pages. "What?" Louis scratched the back of his head. "I finished it for you, you only need to send it."

"But I thought you- you were at work?"

Instead of being in his work clothes, Louis wore some skinnies and of course one of Harry's shirts. "I took a day off." Harry exhaled and so much weight lifted off his shoulders, he felt so fucking relieved. "Thank you," He whispered and got up into Louis's arms.

"You know what?" Louis whispered.

"What?"

"Let's go on a date."

"But I promised Niall to help with...." Louis interrupted him by kissing his lips.

"I talked to him, it's fine."

Harry smiled.