Letters to Harry

Chapter Seven

It was Monday afternoon when Liam found himself grabbing his keys and his wallet, checking to make sure that all of the windows were locked and all of the lights were turned off in his apartment. He wondered vaguely how he had gotten himself into this situation, but immediately stopped thinking about it. It didn't matter how he got there, it mattered what he was going to do when he arrived where he was going.

Sending a quick text to Zayn, saying that he was leaving, Liam picked up the envelopes off of the stand next to the door and exited the flat. He walked swiftly down the stairs, struggling to carry everything in his left hand without dropping something. When he got to his car, he took a seat behind the wheel and pulled out of the car park smoothly.

He wasn't going far, but it seemed like he was traveling light years away. The drive was relatively quick, and Liam had kept the radio on so that his mind would be occupied with the noise, forcing him not to think about what he was about to do.

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"I thought you were going to visit Harry." Louis bit out sourly from his place on the sofa, where he sat in a pair of sweats and a plain v-neck shirt.

"Lou…" Niall said exasperatedly, sending a pleading glance towards Zayn, who was otherwise occupied with his mobile.

"Don't Lou me, Niall. Why didn't you go and visit him? I have a fever, not cancer. I don't need a babysitter, let alone two." Sunday morning, Louis had come into Niall's room shaking and sweating profusely. When the blonde had checked his temperature, he immediately put him in an ice bath and called Zayn and Liam for help. Liam hadn't picked up, but Zayn was up and assisting Niall within minutes.

"You had a fever of 39 degrees, Louis. I wasn't going to leave you alone just so I could visit him. Your letter will get to him though. I promise." Niall prayed that Liam had remembered to take it, along with Zayn's letter, on his way out.

"So? I can fend for myself. I'm twenty years old, for christ sake." Zany, annoyed with Louis' petulant attitude, spoke up.

"Louis. You're sick. Stop acting like a child and look at yourself. You're not fit to take care of yourself in your current state." Zayn sighed, lowering his voice so that only Lou could hear. "I'm not here to babysit you, for your information. I'm here to support Niall. He's going through a terrible time, just as much as you are. You're not the only one, Louis. You were just closer to Harry than the rest of us, so it's effecting you more. He needs someone to be there for him too."

Louis looked down guiltily. "I'm sorry for acting like a spoiled child, you guys." he said. Honestly, he just missed Harry. He was frustrated, confused, tired, and lonely. Niall was a wonderful caregiver, but he wasn't Harry. And that's what Louis needed to get better, Harry.

"I'll be better."

"No worries, mate." Niall said happily, trying to lighten the mood and pretend that their mini argument hadn't happened.

"Yeah, all is forgiven." Zayn wrapped his arm around Niall's shoulder, and led him into the kitchen to speak with the Irishman privately. "We'll be back in a minute, Lou. We're going to make some popcorn. You pick out some movies and we'll have a marathon."

"What's up?" Niall asked once they were alone.

"While we were in the living room, Liam texted me saying he left for you know where." Zayn replied, lowering his voice a bit to ensure that they weren't overheard.

"Oh good. I hope everything goes well. I was a little hesitant when he said he was going…" Niall didn't know how he felt about Liam at the moment. There were a lot of unresolved conflicts between the two, as well as some unfamiliar feelings developing.

"I'm sure everything will be fine. Just stay positive." Zayn smiled softly and began to rummage around the cabinet to his right, looking for the popcorn.

"I've picked a movie, you two. Why don't I hear popcorn being created? Hurry up, Slaves! I'm starving out here!" Louis called from the other room. Niall snickered to himself and Zayn snorted.

"We'll be right there, Queen Lou-Lou. Hold on to your britches a moment." the Bradford boy replied as he pulled a bag from the cabinet and shoved it in the microwave.

"Well, we better do what he says, or it'll be off with out heads." Niall joked, bending over with a gleeful laugh that hadn't passed his lips since Harry had left.

Zayn smiled brightly, maybe they would be okay.