Changed [stylinson]

IM Exhausted

SO sorry for the delay between updates. i promise i won't let that become a regular habit. i know a lot of you have been waiting for this so here you go, tried my very hardest to make it good for youuuu. still short because the story is still just starting so im not creating any drama or anything (yet) 

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It's been a week and Harry knows he has to make a decision.

As much as he'd like to stay with Louis forever and hide away from the rest of his responsibilities, he still has a life back in Holmes Chapel. Gemma is still their surrogate, Paisley still has school (which she's been missing for long enough now), and he still has a business to run. They can't stay in Louis's mother's house forever. 

He sits Louis down after Paisley and the other girls have gone to bed one night, Lottie sitting on the sofa reading a book, and takes his hand. "So."

"So?" Louis cocks an eyebrow.

"I think... we have to go back soon," he says quietly, trying not to startle Louis too much; it's useless, of course, because Louis snorts as soon as the words leave his mouth. Harry can feel Lottie peering at them (in a manner he supposes she deems as subtle), "Louis, I'm serious."

"We can't leave. We have to stay. What if something happens and I'm not here? What if they... lose her and I'm not here? What if she wakes up-"

"I know." He does know, in fact, and he knows that things are going to get anything but easier over the next few weeks. It's not likely that Jay is going to wake up anytime in the immediate future, something that Harry knows Louis is aware of (but is too stubborn to admit). "So I was thinking. You stay here, and Paisley and I go back. And we can come visit you on the weekends."

Louis's face scrunches up even more. "No way. You can't leave me here."

"I don't want to, of course, but we can't just put our entire lives on hold for months-"

"Maybe it won't take months," Louis snaps, obviously fed up with the topic as it is, and crosses his arms over his chest. He looks so small, Harry thinks, his feet tucked underneath of his bum and hair falling in his face. "She could wake up tomorrow."

Harry bites his lip. He doesn't want to say it out loud, and he knows, he knows Louis knows. "Please don't make me say it."

"Say what?" Louis's eyes are almost daring him. He hates when Louis gets like this, but his mum is in a Seriously Bad Situation and he looks like he hasn't slept since their arrival, so he thinks Louis can be pardoned. For now. 

"She's not going to wake up anytime soon, Lou."

"Fuck you, you don't know anything." Louis turns his entire body away from Harry, who's rubbing at his temples with his fingers, and pushes his fringe from his face moodily. He's almost pouting, but Harry can feel the anger and sadness radiating off of him in waves, almost. Without thinking, he lifts a hand to rest on Louis's shoulder. His own fingers press into the skin of Louis's back gently, like a reminder, and Louis relaxes a little. "Look, I'm sorry I said that."

"I know," Harry says simply, and they sit in silence for a few minutes. Lottie hasn't turned a page in ages and Harry knows she's sitting there waiting for them to continue - he has half the mind to turn around and ask her to leave, but that'd probably just piss Louis off even more.

After enough time has passed for Harry to plan out a backup plan, Louis speaks. "Okay."

"Okay? You're okay with that?" He's a bit surprised, honestly. He expected a full on night of arguing back and forth, maybe a few angry words, and Louis's stony and petulant pout that could last for days. But he looks at Louis and it starts to make sense, truly, because he just looks completely and utterly defeated. His hair is limp and his skin pale, bags under his eyes,  and he's covered up completely with Harry's jumper and a pair of long trousers. "Babe."