52 Birthdays with Lou

16

When Harry turns sixteen, and the cake is placed in front of him, he is a bit unsure of what to wish for.

He’s surrounded by family, a tamer party compared to the one his friends had thrown for him the night before, that had left him hangover and cranky for his actual birthday, so a small part of him wishes he could time travel back in time and avoid agreeing to the party, that had seemed like such a good idea at the time.

Unfortunately, Harry has realized, in his long sixteen years of age, that time travel isn’t possible, even with the magic of birthday candles.

So instead, he stares into the twinkling flames of the candle, his Mum snapping photos on the other end of the table, and wishes for one thing.

Love.

17

 

When Harry turns seventeen he’s just finished what is arguably the greatest adventure of his lifetime, and is feeling a bit down actually, as he realizes that his life has probably peaked at the young age of sixteen.

Now seventeen didn’t seem like such a big deal at all. 

He’s back at home for the day, after much insisting on his Mother’s part who had made it quite clear, that although she was asking, it wasn’t a question. He was to be home for his birthday.

And so there he was, at the same table he’d stood at the year before, looking at the same, melted candles, and facing the same dilemma.

Because what do you wish for when you finally feel like you have everything you’ve ever wanted?

And that is when an image flashes through his head, a single, solo image of Louis, and he remembers what his wish from last year had been.

Love.

And so he bends over and blows out the candles, the same wish lingering in the air as candle smoke wafted in the air and his close relatives clapped and cheered.

All he needed now was love.

18

 

When Harry turns eighteen, he’s working.

Well, working and playing, because you don’t bring five boys to LA, no matter who they are and expect them to spend the whole time filming a TV show.

It’s kind of shitty, not being home to have his first legal drink on the day of his birthday, but he can’t bring himself to care too much, because it’s not like he hadn’t drunk before, and he didn’t expect the experience or the hangover following it to be much different, just because he was legal.

Louis is the one who wakes him up in the morning, and the second the ‘Happy Birthday’ slips out of his mouth, as he throws a pillow at Harry’s mop of curls, Harry remembers his wish from last year.