In Front of Them (L.S.)

Chapter 26

A/N: Y'ALL it's really be two fucking years and people still read this you guys make me so happy 🥺 so I know I've said "I'm back and I'm gonna finish it" like a billion times so I won't do that BUT I do have the next chapter already written and if I can work it out then I hopefully can finish this eventually, anyway thank you for reading and for sticking with me, I love you ❤
And now on with it

“So, the whole time?” James Cordon asked again, making the crowd laugh. “And there was no point where you thought ‘Hmm, maybe we should tell our good supportive friend James?’ I mean the whole time?”
“Yes, the whole time,” Harry laughed out.
This was their ninth interview since the boys had officially issued a statement on their relationship. Each day had been booked up and most nights they had shows. There was a lot of time spent on planes and on buses.
“How did I not know?” James joked out. He had not only interviewed the band several times before but he also had genuinely befriended them. Harry had even gotten a tattoo the last time they were on the show.
“Some people say we were pretty good at hiding it, I guess,” Louis winked at James, who was all smiles.
“Others beg to differ,” Niall laughed, safely cushioned in between the couple. The whole night was spent with them giving each other looks across the couch. Liam sat on the opposite end as Louis, next to Harry. Zayn was missing. He’d been gone for most of the week’s interviews with a family emergency but had always made it back in time for the concerts.
Harry felt good, still slightly dazed from this morning's medication, but good nonetheless. Louis had been watching him like a hawk, never letting the younger boy too far out of his sight, but Harry didn’t mind too much. He knew Louis was only looking out for him.
Backstage, after the interview had finished, the band was met by the new usual team. Jeza had joined on as the full time photographer, and welcomed them with a smile.
Garrett was still MIA but the boys had decided not to question why they were so lucky. That was until a knock came on the dressing room door and they were greeted by a man in a nice black suit, holding a manilla folder.
“Louis Tomlinson and Harry Styles?” The boys each nodded as he called out their names. He approached the two with an uncomfortable sense of authority before presenting the paperwork.
“You’ve been served.”
Harry felt his heart drop, and a dull pain in a now familiar spot in his head. Luckily, there was still enough medication running through his system that he was sure he could fight off the panic that was trying to take over. He hated having these attacks, partly because of the toll they took on his body, but more so he hated how much it scared Louis.
“That little shit actually did it,” Louis pulled the paper’s from the stranger's hands. “Garrett’s fucking suing us. This is bullshit; he doesn’t even own the company he’s just fucking securtity! It says for breach of contract and—” he cut off abruptly, his eyes flashing to Harry’s.
“What? What else Lou?”
“Harry he’s—” Louis hesitated, unsure how this news would affect his boyfriend. He lowered his head, and couldn’t help the broken tone of voice as he said, “He’s suing you for assault. It, um, it says he’s pushing for you to be charged with aggravated assault, and—” Louis stopped. He couldn’t bring himself to say the rest. Louis could feel the tears in his own eyes, and the quick pase of his heart, so he could only imagine how Harry was feeling.
To his surprise, Harry seemed rather unphased as he approached. Slowly, taking a deep breath, he reached and grabbed the papers from Louis’ hands. He had to tug a bit before he could get him to hand them over.
The older boy watched as several emotions flickered across Harry's face.
“It says um,” Harry announced to the rest of the dressing room, which Louis had forgotten wasn’t empty. Niall and Liam were both stood in the corner, along with both Jeza and Lou.
“It says I could serve up to 20 years in prison.”