Two ghosts

28th of August 2013

Same lips red, same eyes blue
Same white shirt, couple more tattoos
But it's not you and it's not me

"Lou, what's wrong? You've been distant for a while now. Why?" Harry asked nervously when they were alone in their hotel room, getting ready for bed.

They had performed Best Song Ever at America Got Talent earlier that evening but Harry hadn't been able to fully enjoy it. Knowing that something wasn't right between him and Louis was eating him up inside, and it had been like that for a while now.

They were more than halfway through their Take Me Home tour in the middle of August and they were all exhausted. They had to fly to Australia at the end of September, getting some well-deserved time off until then. Even if they played their last show in Los Angeles on the 10th of August they had been to award shows and performed on talk shows every other day since then. Their next album was supposed to be released in September. They had a busy schedule as always and their record label wanted them to start writing new songs already.

Louis sighed and took a deep breath.
"I've been thinking a lot lately."

"About?" Harry asked, scared to hear the answer.

"Management, us, this whole situation." Louis sighed and dragged a hand through his hair.

"Oh." Harry said quietly and looked down at his hands.

"It's just...we're so young. It's too much pressure! They will never let us come out. Is it worth it?"

"You mean am I worth it?" Harry asked with a trembling voice.

"No! I didn't mean it like that. You know I love you, Hazza but it's not supposed to be this hard! I don't even know who I am anymore. I just...I need a break from it all. Maybe we should just be friends? Maybe that would be easier?" Louis said, eyeing Harry with a worried frown.

Harry tried to hold it together.
"You're breaking up with me?"

"Yeah... I'm sorry, Haz. I really am." Louis said.

"Right." Harry answered emotionless.

"Are you okay? I'm gonna go and crash with Niall." Louis informed. He tried to hold it together as well.

"You're leaving?" Harry questioned.

"I think it's better. I'll see you tomorrow. It's gonna be tough for a while but we'll get over it with time." Louis said and stood up.

Harry stared at him in disbelief. Get over it? He as hell wouldn't. He had lost the ability to speak. He just watched the love of his life walk out the door. If Louis didn't want to be with him anymore there was nothing he could say or do to convince him otherwise.

Louis closed the door behind him. That had been absolutely heartbreaking. He wasn't sure he had done the right thing. He wasn't sure about anything anymore. He just knew that he couldn't take their management's constant criticism regarding him and Harry or the stunts or the stupid rules. He sighed and walked over to Niall's room and knocked at the door. Niall looked surprised when he opened it.
"Louis?"

"Hi, Niall. Can I crash in your room tonight?" Louis asked.

Niall let him inside.
"Sure but why? Did you and Harry have a fight or something?"

"I broke up with him." Louis answered.

Niall burst out laughing but when he saw the look on Louis' face he stopped immediately and his eyes grew wide.
"What? Are you serious? Why would you do that?"

"It's just too hard with all the shit management are putting us through. It's better if we just go back to being friends like before." Louis sighed and ruffled his hair.

Niall stared at him like he had grown a second head or something.
"Uhm, remind me again, when exactly were the two of you just friends?"

"You know what I mean!" Louis huffed.

"I really don't. Come on, Lou! You two were never just friends." Niall argued upset.

"Yeah, well, we can be now!" Louis growled.

"That's just...wait! Oh my God! Where's Harry?" Niall shouted, sounding stressed out.

"In our room. He's okay. He took it well." Louis huffed and crossed his arms over his chest.

Anger shot through Niall's eyes and Louis took a step back in surprise. He didn't think he had ever seen Niall really angry.
"If you really think that you're fucking stupid, Tomlinson! Move it! I'm gonna go check on him. Are you gonna be okay here or do you want me to call one of the boys?" He asked, giving Louis a pensive stare.

"I'm gonna go to sleep, probably have a good cry and that's something I rather do by myself." Louis said to Niall's back. He was already on his way out of the room.

He turned around.
"Give me your key card."

"Oh, sure." Louis said and held out the card. "Niall, I hope he's okay. He'll get over it."

"Stupid." Niall muttered underneath his breath and snapped the card from Louis' hand.

He hurried over and knocked on the door before he unlocked it. He poked his head inside. Harry was laying on the bed staring into nothing.
"Hi Harry, how are you feeling?" He asked softly in a concerned voice.

"Numb." Harry answered quietly.

Niall closed the door behind him and went over to the bed and sat down.
"Wanna talk about it?"

"I...I think I'm in a little bit of a shock. Louis doesn't love me." Harry answered emotionless.

"Of course he does!" Niall immediately protested. He felt like ripping Louis' head off.

"Not enough. I don't get it. This is it for me. Louis is everything. We're like two kids that accidentally glued our fingers together, except I seem to have glued my heart to his. Oh, God!" The realization that Louis had broken up with him finally sunk in and he burst out crying.

Niall immediately laid down beside him and wrapped his arm around him. Harry was hysterical, crying so hard that he couldn't breathe. It brought tears to Niall's eyes. He had never seen his friend so broken down before. The sound of Harry's deep sobs would forever stay with him and he silently cursed Louis for breaking Harry's heart.