Made in the A.M

Epilogue

They had announced their hiatus back in December and their fans reacted badly to the news. Their last performance together as a group had been on Dick Clark's New Years Rockin' Eve on the 31st. They had gathered in the dressing room afterward. No one seemed to know what to say at first.
"So, this is it?" Niall finally asked with teary eyes.

"Yeah..." Liam answered and scratched the back of his head.

Louis looked up and realized that Harry was looking straight at him. He avoided eye contact for so long that it took him by surprise at first and then he teared up. Liam and Niall hugged and then Niall came and hugged him as well. He felt like he was frozen in place. He watched Liam, Niall and Harry all hug each other and Liam hugged him as well. Then it was only him and Harry left. Harry sighed and walked over to him and hugged him tightly.
"Goodbye, Lou." He whispered.

Louis didn't want to let go. He wanted to get down on his knees and beg him to take him back but Harry let go and walked out of the room without looking back. Louis broke down crying. He got high that night. Higher than he had ever been.

Harry had left him for good. Their house was empty of his things. Liam told him that Harry had gone to Los Angeles and was planning on staying there.

Louis spent a week being constantly high but then he knew what he had to do and he got himself admitted to a rehab center. All in the secret of course.

He spent a month in there getting clean. When he finally got home he expected to find divorce papers in the mail but there were none.

Just because they had broken up as a bandit didn't mean that he was off the hook. In February a baby boy was born and he had to do some stunts. He was officially a dad now.

He struggled to stay clean but he managed. He had to. Harry kept busy. He had read that he had started his own label and signed with Colombia Records. Louis was so proud of him. He would do amazing as a solo artist.

He tried to get by day by day. He was doing better. Then he got that awful call. His mum was sick. His whole world was turned inside down and he relapsed. Once. He realized that he had to be strong for once. His family needed him.

He watched her battle leukemia. He never left her side. His mum had been his idol for his whole life, the one he had turned to for advice. The one who had always been there for him, no matter what, and now he was losing her. Life wasn't fair.

It was progressing fast and the doctors couldn't do anything. He had so much money but they were useless. He couldn't buy her health. He spent as much time as possible by her hospital bed. They talked a lot. He cried a lot.

He had gone for a coffee round one day and when he returned to his mother's room he stopped in his tracks and stared at the man sitting next to his mother.
"Harry!" He gasped.

He had cut his hair. Louis missed his lovely curls but he looked really good.
"Hi, Lou. I came as soon as I heard about Jay." Harry said with a sad smile and squeezed Jay's hand.

Louis teared up immediately. He threw the coffee in a bin and hurried over to Harry who stood up. He threw himself in his arms and Harry hugged him back.
"I'm so sorry love." Harry mumbled against his skin.

Louis didn't know what this meant but he didn't care. Harry was here for him when he needed him the most.

His mum died in December, surrounded by her children and her husband. Harry was there too and he held Louis for the rest of the night, letting him cry with his head on his chest.

Louis had done a collab with Steve Aoki and he was supposed to perform solo for the first time in The X Factor. It was four days after his mother passed. He thought about canceling but his mum had asked him to do it and he wanted to honor her. Harry came with him for support and he was moved when Liam and Niall showed up as well to be there for him. He somehow managed to get through the performance.

They all went back to his place afterward and it was nice to be together again, all of them, well almost. Zayn hadn't shown up.

Harry hadn't left his side. He was there, making sure that he ate and cuddled him when he needed to cry. Louis was so grateful. He wouldn't have survived the first week without Harry. One evening Harry asked about his drug use.
"I went to rehab Haz. I'm clean now."

Harry smiled. He looked proud.
"That's wonderful Lou."

"I relapsed once when my mum told me that she was sick." Louis admitted.

"That's understandable. But you stopped. That's all that matters." Harry answered.

Louis hesitated but he needed to know.
"Why haven't you sent divorce papers? I've been waiting in agony for them to arrive."

"Why haven't you sent me divorce papers?" Harry retorted.

"I'm not the one who ended it Haz. I don't want a divorce but I'll sign the papers if you want one. I owe you that." Louis answered and hung his head.

Harry looked emotional.
"Maybe I don't want a divorce either."

Louis felt a flicker of hope.
"Maybe?" He whispered.

Harry sighed and dragged a hand through his hair.
"I didn't fall out of love with you Boobear. It was just an impossible situation that I needed to get out of otherwise I would have been absolutely destroyed."

"I know, and I'm so sorry. I'm doing better now." Louis answered with hopeful eyes and then he added, "I love you Hazza." His heart was beating really fast.

"I love you too." Harry answered softly.

"Does that mean that you are willing to give me another chance?" Louis asked, absolutely terrified of the answer.

"Yes." Harry answered without hesitation.

"Is this because my mum died? I don't need your pitty Haz, really..." Louis said, unsure of his motives.

"Your mum's passing is a tragedy, I'm so sorry that you lost her Boo, but no. I feel half without you. You're the love of my life." Harry answered truthfully with glossy eyes.

"Same, Oh God, same!" Louis said and got up from his seat and walked over to Harry so he could finally kiss him again.

Harry had to return to the States and Louis went with him. They took it slow, trying to find their way back to what they used to have, but at the same time, they didn't want to be apart from each other. Harry was writing his first solo album and they traveled to Jamaica together. It was exactly what they needed. They still had to hide their relationship but in Jamaica, they were left alone. They took long walks on the beach, talked and laughed, and made love under the stars. They were stronger than ever and this time nothing would break them apart.

The End