Fading

Chapter Fourteen

Louis wakes up way too early, but he knows there is no way he'll be able to get back to sleep. He groans, trying in vain to stretch out the aches that plague every inch of his tired body. He runs a hand through his hair and sighs, he hardly slept last night and the bits of sleep he did catch weren't restful at all. He sits up and slips on a pair of slippers before padding down the hall to the kitchen. He busies himself making breakfast for the boys, trying to ignore the string of HarryHarryHarryHarry running through his mind. His stomach twists at the smell of the bacon in the pan but he quiets it with a few sections of an orange and two glasses of water while he cooks.

When the breakfast is ready he puts the eggs and bacon on two plates and pours two mugs of coffee before throwing the remainder of his orange in the bin. He sets the food on the table and goes down the hall to Zayn's room. It's pitch black inside because of the dark curtains and it smells a bit like oil paints and a lot like Zayn. Louis can just barely make out Zayn's sleeping form in the dark, wearing only boxers and sprawled out across his covers. Zayn sleeps like the dead so Louis goes right to his bedside and gives his shoulder a gentle shake.

"Zayn wake up love, your breakfast is on the table, it's getting cold," Louis says gently.

Zayn slowly opens his eyes and smiles up at Louis blearily, "thanks, love you, be up in a second," he murmurs.

Louis leaves the door open on his way out and crosses the hall to Liam's room. Liam is laying in bed, face first in the pillow and wearing his rattiest old t-shirt.

"Li," Louis calls softly from the doorway, because Liam is a light sleeper.

Liam groans and stretches before raising his head, "morning babe," he breathes, flipping onto his back and stretching again.

"Your breakfast is on the table, make sure you drag Zayn with you when you get up so it doesn't get cold. I'm going down to get the mail," he says.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Liam asks, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

"I did already while I was cooking; some toast, some bacon and a bit of an orange. I was too hungry to wait for you guys to wake up, sorry," the lie falls smoothly off his tongue.

"Oh okay. Don't forget to check the big package slot because I'm expecting that shipment of protein powder," Liam says dragging himself out of bed, "thanks for making breakfast," he adds shuffling over to Louis and planting a kiss on top of his head.

"No worries," Louis says, going to his room to put on some trousers while Liam wakes Zayn.

Louis switches his pyjama pants for a pair of sweatpants in case he runs into someone on his way down to the lobby of their apartment complex. He can hear Liam prodding Zayn as he goes to the front door and slips on a pair of espadrilles. Louis makes his way down the stairs and to the wall lined with little numbered letterboxes. He opens the box for their unit and fishes out Zayn's monthly art magazine, their bills, a letter addressed to him that is probably another acceptance notification for one of the internships he applied for, and the key that the mailman put in their slot so they could open the large mail box. He uses the key and grabs the cardboard box containing Liam's protein powder before leaving the key in the large letterbox for the mailman to retrieve.

He makes his way slowly up the stairs, his heart fluttering in his chest and his knees aching. He almost makes it to the top but his head starts spinning a bit. It's nothing he isn't used to but he sits down for a second anyway because he can't afford to fall down the stairs backwards and have to explain to the boys. When he's feeling a little steadier he hauls himself up and carries on. When he gets back to the flat he can hear Liam and Zayn in the kitchen. He sets Liam's protein powder on the counter and hands Zayn his magazine, Liam takes the bills because he's their money manager, and Louis sits down with his letter.