✧ Bumps in the road ✧

Ｃｈａｐｔｅｒ ｔｗｅｎｔｙ ｓｉｘ

"Finally you picked up! I've been calling you all day!" The Irish lad laughed through the phone

It was now ten at night and Liam was finally taking off his shoes and shrugging off his jacket. "Sorry baby, I've just been busy." He apologised vaguely.

"What's wrong? You're not completely here with me." Niall said softly, concerned lacing his voice like honey.

"Just tired, S'all." Liam slurred as he found a hoodie to put on.

"Please, just tell me what's up." Niall hummed, his voice now sounded echoey, he must have been in his kitchen.

"Lou just had a rough day. It's really hard seeing him like this." The Wolverhampton sighed going out of his room.

"What happened? He didn't throw anything did he?" Niall growled protectively. Liam didn't snap at him because he knew he was trying his hardest.

"No,no." Liam chuckled slightly walking down the stairs. "His ED is just fighting him at the moment and yeah his BPD isn't going great either. He just has a lot of stuff going on at the moment and it's all piling up." He admitted truthfully making sure Louis didn't hear him. Liam knew Niall would know what all the abbreviations meant and he knew Niall would understand how challenging his eating disorder in the past.

There was some sort of timer that went off in the background. Of course Niall was making food at 10 pm. "It must be horrible for him. I'm sorry you had to see him like that. I remember how he use to be with his eating disorder and I remember how bad it use to get." Niall said sadly. "Do you want to come over, I just made popcorn and I'm about to watch a movie." He said happily trying to change the subject.

"No, I think I'm just going to have some leftovers and hit the hay. If lou is doing better tomorrow, I could see if you could maybe come over." Liam said as he looked through the fridge.

"If you don't think it's too soon, then I'd love to." Niall said happily. Liam could practically hear his smile beaming from the other side of the phone.

Liam let out a small chuckle as he pulled out some day old pasta. "Okay but no funny business! No making passive aggressive comments to Louis!" Liam warned.

"I'll be on my best behaviour." Niall promised.

- - -

"Niall is going to be here in five minutes, are you sure it's okay?" Liam asked the two boys that were sitting happily in the kitchen.

"Yes, I'm sure li." Louis chuckled as he took another sip of water. Surprisingly Louis was back to his old self by the next morning and so was Harry. It always shocked Liam how fast they could make up.

"Lou, did you eat last night?" Harry asked timidly looking at the blue eyed boy from across the kitchen. The Doncaster boy froze in his place. "Lou..." Harry sighed sadly before passing him a bowl of yogurt and fruit and stepped behind Louis. "Eat please darling." He said as he pressed a meaningful kiss to Louis' temple.

Louis just began to stare the food as if it would make it go away. Minute by minute the air got thicker .The bell rung just as Louis looked ready to burst into tears. Liam went to go get it, even though half his brain was still in the kitchen making sure Louis ate he couldn't help but be excited to see the Irish lad.

"Hey." Liam chuckled as Niall practically jumped into his arms. "So, Lou is eating. Don't say anything about it , don't look at him. You know the drill." Liam hummed quietly leading niall to the kitchen.

When they walked back into the room they were shocked to see Louis actually eating, sure he was chewing slower than a wet weekend but at least he was eating. They also didn't fail to notice Harry standing right beside him with a proud look on his face.

"Hey lou, hey Haz." Niall coughed awkwardly. The others heads shot up. Louis' spoon quickly being dropped as if he were shocked but everyone knew it was just the fact he found it hard to eat in front of people.

Harry seemed to warm instantly sending the boy a wide smile. "Hey Ni." He gleamed happily.

Louis just sent him a tight lipped smile. Liam sighed softly. It upset him how much Niall hurt Louis. They use to be such good friends.

"Okay." Liam said clapping his hands. "I'm going to get changed and then we can go. Wait here, yeah?" The Wolverhampton boy hummed to the Irish lad. Niall just sent him a curt nod. The brown eyed boy gave him a quick peck on the cheek and then skipped up the stairs.

There was silence for a few moments before Harry finally spoke to Louis. "Okay, so I called poppy yesterday. She said she can fit you in for twelve." Harry hummed before taking a mouthful of his own breakfast.

Louis seemed to be stunned that Harry would do such a thing. "I didn't ask you to do that." He grit between his teeth.

"Lou." Harry said with a sad look falling over his face. "I know you didn't but it's clear you need it, you don't need to go to your appointment later this week, just go to this one,please." Harry explained quietly watching Louis take another bite of the yogurt.

Harry kissed a quick kiss to the others temple hoping he would know how proud Harry was. "Then you agreed to go meet Lottie for lunch at two. Then I'll meet you back here and we can go out or cook, I don't mind." Harry recounted happily.

Louis sent the boy a puzzled look as he finished the last of his breakfast. "Aren't you coming with me to see Lottie?" The blue eyed boy asked quizzically.

Harry shook his head slightly. "I have to do something else. It's a surprise." He laughed softly as he continued eating.

"You know I hate surprises." Louis rebuked sending Harry his best puppy look.

Harry just rolled his eyes. Of course he knew that Louis hated surprises. "I know but you will like this one. I hope you like this one." The green eyed boy giggled nervously.

Now it was Louis' turn to roll his eyes. "Tell me baby." He hummed sadly as he took Harry's much larger hand into his own.

"Don't baby me." He snapped playfully snatching his hand away from Louis' "it's a good surprise, don't stress about it okay. I love you darling." He added gently kissing the other forehead.

"I love you too." The Doncaster boy grumbled angrily. Harry laughed slightly sending the boy a fake pout to impersonate Louis' own pouty look.

"Okay, ready to go bub?" Liam asked the petit blonde as he came walking back into the room. Now Liam was dressed in jeans and a hoodie instead of the tracksuit pants he wore to bed.

Niall nodded happily as he jumped up from his place at the round table away from the other couple. Niall hummed a nervous. "Bye." To the pair.

Liam quickly jumped over to Louis pulling him into a bone crushing hug. Almost pulling the small boy off his seat. "Thank you." He whispered into the boys ear before his eyes traveled down to the empty bowl. "Good job, I'm proud of you." Liam said kissing the boys temples almost as hard as the hug was, again nearly knocking the boy off his stool.

Liam called out another "bye!" As he walked down the hallway pulling Niall along with him.