Where I Am Without You [L.S]

Chapter Thirty Eight

A week later, he and Louis bundle themselves in his car and hit the road early in the morning. They're both still buzzing after spending several nights playing the O2, though he knows soon enough the adrenaline will fade and the true extent of his tiredness will hit them both.

Louis had insisted on going out last night to celebrate the end of their London shows which had all gone as incredible as the first - even when Liam had drenched Zayn under a full bucket of ice cold water right on main stage as revenge for drawing all over his brand new white shirt. They'd only made it back home, or rather Louis had claimed it would simply be much easier to both go back to his as it was closer and then they needn't take two separate vehicles. There was a lot of failed logic in his claims, considering that they were both multi millionaires but he wasn't going to turn down an extra night with Louis in his bed. Not that he'd spent a night away from him since they'd gotten back together.

That's how they found themselves at 8:30am the following morning making their way through London traffic to head north two days earlier than everyone else. All of their families had gone home after the second night of performing but when Anne had made the suggestion to spend some time with her and Gemma, who were both back in Holmes Chapel, he couldn't say no. Asking Louis to join him had been a simple task, especially when the promise of a traditional Styles family dinner was on the cards.

He'd originally planned to stay both nights with his family, but when Louis had said Lottie would be flying over to France for two weeks and he wouldn't see her again for at least a month he'd offered for Louis to go straight up to Doncaster to spend the time with his own family. Louis had laughed at him and they'd settled on spending the first night with his family, then driving to Doncaster the next to spend the second night with Louis' family. It would likely make them more tired than they already where, knowing from past experience from doing exactly this but neither of them were willing to not spend valuable time with their families when they would have such little opportunity in the coming months.

He wasn't sure how it would feel slotting back in with the Tomlinson – Deakin family, after so long away, despite catching up with them a few times now, going to Louis' actual family home was a whole different story.

"Hey." Louis said taking one hand off the wheel and reaching out for his hand, "I think we're both a bit nervous about this but we know our families love each other. We're literally psyching ourselves up for no reason."

"You're not wrong."

"I never am." Louis responds with a smile.

~~~~

"Still just as small as I remember it." Louis exclaims as they drive past the sign welcoming them into Holmes Chapel.

"Hey." He turns his head towards him, not hiding the smile on his face as they drive into the familiar setting.

"Nothing wrong with small towns, it's the people you need to be wary of."

"You can walk to Doncaster."

"I'd feel threatened except it's you making the threat so I'm not all that worried."

"You're not helping you case here love."

Louis' been here more than enough times by now to still know the way to his mum's house. Arriving here and not being greeted by both Anne and Robin is still a weird feeling for him, he knows how much his mum misses him and though she'd never want to leave this place he knows it pains her somewhat to stay in the place she has so many memories of him.

Robin had been such a fixture in his life for so many years that losing him had been hard. It's not as though he has many memories of his own dad before he'd left when he was four but Robin had become every ounce of the father presence in his life that losing him had been incredibly hard. He saw enough of his real father each year but they still weren't close, not like the connection he'd had with Robin and coming back here only brought those emotions to the fore front of his mind.