7up || larry stylinson au ||

Part V: Epilogue

Forever
does not seem
too far away.

Sometimes it is
after we lose someone
when we learn to love.

Where hope,
and dreams greet,
and everything is perfect
the way
it was meant to be.

So hear me,
soon enough
we will meet again
old friend.

I will carry your soul
in my heart.

The same heart you
helped me build.

-- RM Drake

Chapter Text

September
Age 84

"Hello, I'm Harry Styles, I'm 84, and this is my 12th interview. Jesus Christ."

Felicite giggles. "It's been a long time," Leah says, smiling.

"Indeed."

By habit, he talks about Lucy and Alex, about their jobs, spouses, and children. And of course, he talks about Louis. Each time he does this, it gets easier. It apparently shows on his face.

"It's so lovely to see you in this type of mood when you talk about Lou," Felicite says, her expression soft.

"I'm always in a good mood when I discuss Louis," Harry says, shrugging. "It took a few years to say that with honesty, but now, I feel good. I swear."

His joints creak when he stretches. He talks about his goals (both current and future, to spend as much time with his grandchildren as he can), his fears ("The last of my hair falling out," he jokes), and what love means.

"Love is the way my idiot best friends haven't left me alone once since Louis died. Give it a rest, guys, it's been 21 years."

The interviewer - still Ben from the past few years - laughs. "That's nice! They don't want you to be alone."

"That's what they tell me."

He raves about his still solid relationship with Ellis and James, whom he sees at more than just reunions, and puts his hands together like he's praying when he talks about Liam and Niall. "Honestly, I don't know what I would have done without them. Liam took over Louis' spot at the bar so Niall didn't have to sell, and it makes me so happy to see Route 7 still up and running, even though Louis isn't there. Niall and Liam don't spend much time there anymore, either, seeing as we're all old and can barely move..." He shudders and the crew laughs. "But, it's still in their name. And whenever we make our way there, we raise a glass to Lou. It's lovely." He smirks. "And don't even get me started on Zayn fucking Malik."

Ben shrugs. "Why's that?"

"He just... Fell apart when Lou died, yeah? But he never let it show, not if I was around, at least. He and his wife Grace took care of me. They kept me alive."

Leah nods. "I always knew you'd have an incredible support system."

"I do."

She pauses. "I never, uh, knew if this was appropriate to ask in interviews past but..."

Harry waves his hands. "Go on, love."

"Have you dated since Louis?"

He smiles. "I have."

"And?"

"Nothing really serious. I saw a few people, but none of them lasted more than a year."

"A year is a long time!"

He shrugs. "His name is Michael, and he was just lonely too, I think. Like me. We spent a lot of time talking about the Louis'. Funny, innit, that his late husband was also named Louis."

Felicite smiles. "So, single now, are you?"

"I am. Interested?"

She laughs. "Maybe 40 years ago I would have been. Or, you know, if you were straight."

"Rude!" he scoffs jokingly. They kid back and forth, a casual conversation more than an interview, and when they taper off, Harry crosses his hands in his lap. "I was really conflicted about dating again, and it took me forever to even agree to attempt it. The first date I went on was an utter disaster. When Zayn asked me how it went, I told him, 'It sucked. He wasn't frustrating enough.'" He rolls his eyes at himself. "Nobody is meant to be Louis, nobody could even come remotely close to being who he was, and even if I wanted to, I could never replace him. He is absolutely irreplaceable, many could attest to that. And that's what I've made peace with in the past 21 years."

After the crew leaves, he sits by the bay windows in the living room that Louis always raved about. Before, the windowsill was lined with pictures of Harry and Louis together, Lucy and Alex as babies, and a variety of group photos of their families and friends. Now, it's been limited to just Harry and Louis' grandkids (and pictures of Harry and Louis from their glory days, of course). Louis hasn't met his three grandsons and one granddaughter, but Harry knows he would be obsessed .

Harry looks out the window, loving the way the raindrops race down it. He refuses to sell the house because of he loves how the rain sounds when it hits the glass.

Well, that's not the only reason, he thinks with a smile, looking around the room at all of his memories that haven taken place inside these walls. Beautiful memories.

Year 84 is the last interview Harry will ever complete for The Up Series , and comfortingly enough, it's the first interview that leaves him feeling light with a genuine, weathered and dimpled grin making its appearance before, during, and after the taping.

He was wrong, though, wrong about himself and Louis; it's clear to him now: they have never been ordinary.

They are exceptional.

And that's the first thing he plans to tell his boy when he sees him again.