Friends With Benefits (Larry AU) COMPLETED

Admission

"Hey, man," Liam says, walking into my bedroom. "Jesus, you look awful."

Mum has enlisted Liam's help to coax me from my obvious grief.

"I feel awful," I groan. "This is shit."

"Did you tell him?" He asks, sitting on my bed.

"No," I grumble. "I can't believe I've been crying for a week over one person. Me. Harry. Crying."

"You should've at least told him before you went," Liam plays with some of my sheet. "So he knew he'd meant something, you know."

"It would've been worse," I argue. "If I'd have said I loved him, and he completely threw it back in my face, it would've ruined anything I would've remembered about him."

Liam sighs, laying back next to my head.

"Niall hasn't heard from Louis for a week." He adds as if it's nothing.

"Really?" I chance asking. "They talk at least once a week on the phone."

"Yeah," Liam says, putting his arm behind his head. "And Zayn."

"Wait. You talk to Niall and Zayn?" I frown, actually realising that was weird.

"Yeah, we go out drinking sometimes," Liam shrugs. "Just sort of happened. I didn't know Niall was Louis' best friend until he mentioned something about him."

How weird.

A huge part of me hopes he's okay, and that me leaving hasn't upset him further. I couldn't imagine him being emotional over me. Not when it was an arrangement between us to not get attached.

"What do you guys even talk about?" I ask him.

"Girls, sex," Liam manages to chuckle. "Niall wants to find a place we can start wrestling. Zayn talks about tattoos. Him and Niall argue all the time."

I manage to smile, remembering how Louis and Zayn always argue. Just playful banter, nothing heated.

"Niall and wrestling," I say to Liam. "He's obsessed."

"He sure is." Liam chuckles.

A knock on my door makes me jump, before steeling myself because I'm sure it's my mother.

"Harry?" She calls in.

"Yeah?" I respond. I feel like shit.

She's got cancer and she's probably been worried sick for a week.

"Can I come in?" She asks too politely.

"Yeah."

She comes in then, an envelope in her hand, tears running down her face and I sit up so quickly.

"Are you okay?" I panic. "Is everything alright?"

She wipes at her eyes, not really looking sad but sort of confused and mind blown.

"Yeah. I just - I just received this in the post," She shakes her head, seeming like she isn't really with us at the moment. "It's a cheque. For £50,000. For me."

Me and Liam look at each other, obviously hugely shocked. That's a huge amount of money just to give to someone.

"What?" I gasp.

"£50,000?!" Liam all but shouts. "Who the hell has that lying around?"

"Just a cheque?" I ask her. "Was there a note?"