Ghost. | l.s.

Are you real?

The first time when Harry saw Louis was, when they came home from the funeral. Harry was devastated. It was like the time stood still. He couldn't think of anything other than Louis. Everything reminded him of the older boy. The house was so empty without him. There was no one around anymore yelling and screaming around for the most different reasons. There was no arguing about the remote anymore. Nobody yelled at the TV anymore when football was on. No obnoxiously loud laughter were filling the halls like when Louis and Niall chased each other through the whole House. And all the things Harry had to do without Louis now. He couldn't believe he'd never see him again. Never hold him again, never talk to him, never laugh with him, never love him. It hurt so bad, Harry thought his heart would explode at any moment. He didn't want to go on without Louis.

Harry made his way upstairs, going straight to Louis' bedroom. He just wanted to hide under the covers turning off the world. When he opened the door his heart stopped. Louis was laying on his bed with his arms crossed under his head, smiling at him. Harry screamed.

Liam had never got up the stairs faster in his life, looking terrified. "What's wrong Harry? What happened?" He asked frantically, looking between Harry and Louis' bedroom. Harry was shaking with fear as he turned his head to the bed again, but there was nothing. Louis was gone. Again.

He thought he was losing his mind now. Ghosts, he just saw a ghost. God, he really should eat something and get a proper sleep.

"I just- I thought there was a spider." Harry mumbled, Liam could barely understand him, but he put an arm around Harry's shoulder, leading him to the living room after closing Louis' bedroom door, fighting with his own tears.

That's what they did most days. They were laying on the couch with some show or movie running on the TV and staring into nothing. Liam tried his best to take care of Niall and especially Harry, but it wasn't easy. He needed to be strong for them he knew that, but he didn't know how long he could last before completely breaking down. It didn't help that Simon wanted them to come to the Company to discuss their future as a trio.

"Boys, can you please go take a shower and put some clothes on? We need to go in an hour." Liam groaned, trying to get Niall and Harry up from the couch. It's been two weeks now since the funeral and Liam couldn't hold Management up anymore. They needed to discuss the things they feared most.

Reluctantly, Niall stood up, strolling up the stairs with slumped shoulders. He took a quick shower before grabbing some random clothes and going back downstairs on his spot on the couch. Harry did the same thing, but it seemed like he didn't even know what he was doing. It looked like everything he did was mechanically. Like a lifeless robot.

"Can we stop at Nando's?" Niall said lowly as Liam approached him with a cup of tea. He slightly smiled at him nodding. "Sure, after the Meeting, alright?"

Niall looked at Liam, his eyes became glassy.

"I miss him so much." He whispered brokenly. Liam could scream at the world why it was so cruel. A tear escaped Liam's eyes, but he was fast to wipe it away. He hugged Niall tightly, stroking his back as the ladder began sobbing.

"Me too, buddy. Me too." Liam whispered more to himself.

When Harry left the bathroom, he stood in front of his closet, deciding on what to wear. He didn't really care anymore how he looked, so he just grabbed a pair of jeans and a hoodie. This should be enough to please fucking Management. He grabbed his brush and tried to tame his curls, but it was useless. When he looked in his mirror one last time, he almost had a heart attack. Louis stood behind him, smiling at him through the mirror. It happened almost everyday that Harry saw him. He should be used to being scared shitless by a fucking ghost by now, but he wasn't. He was going insane, he knew it, but it wasn't like he could tell anyone. Maybe if he had a normal daily rhythm again, it would stop. It hurt to see him, even when he wasn't real.

"Why can't you leave me alone?" Harry whispered with teary eyes, looking through the mirror directly at Louis. He blended everthing out, not thinking straight as he made out a movement. Now he totally was going insane. He could see Louis lips move like he was saying something, but he didn't hear anything.

"What?" Harry breathed out, desparate to hear his voice one last time. He heard a chuckle, the most beautiful, yet scariest sound in the world, because, well, it came from a ghost.

"I said, because you didn't say goodbye yet." Louis smiled lovingly at his boyfriend. Harry just stared at Louis' reflection his mouth opening and closing like a fish. He turned around, being sure Louis was gone by now but to his surprise he stood face to face to him.

"You won't get rid of me that easy, curly." Louis smirked. Harry couldn't believe it. He was talking to a ghost. Yet it felt so real. Louis' ocean blue eyes scanned his face for an emotion and his hair was messy yet fluffy and every strand laid perfectly like they belonged on their spot. The stubble around his perfect thin lips looked like always and Harry wanted to touch it so badly, wanted to feel the tickle when Louis squished his face in his neck.

"That's not- how is this-? I can't be really talking to a ghost, right? Oh! You are still alive but faked your death? I should've figured!" Harry rambled trying to find a reason, but also slowly driving himself crazy.

Louis chuckled once again, sitting down on his old bed. "I am indeed dead, love. But as I said earlier, I can't leave before you properly said goodbye to me. I mean it didn't went that well at the funeral, did it?" He laughed like it was the funniest thing ever.

Harry just stared at him. "This can't be possible." Louis just nodded his head, telling him it was possible.

"You were there? Can you always see us? I have so many questions." Harry exhaled shakily. He tried not to cry so badly, but he failed. Louis stood up, cupping Harry's cheeks. Harry flinched for a second, but he literally could feel Louis' hands on his face. How was this possible?

"I was there, yes. I saw everything and damn my mum is a badass." He chuckled. "I can always see you and that's what I do most of the time. Sometimes I check on my family, but most of the time I'm here watching over you guys." He paused for a moment, letting Harry process all the information. "I try to answer every of your questions, but please stop crying. It hurts to see you like this everyday." Louis said sadly.

"It hurts that you're not here anymore." Harry whispered. "And I feel stupid because I'm talking to a ghost." He chuckled humorlessly. It sounded so insane.

Louis laughed at that. "Well, I'm here now, so suck it up." He winked playfully.

"How can you be so happy?" Harry asked out of curiosity.

"Dunno. Maybe I just want to lighten the mood. I can't stand seeing you like this all the time. On the inside I'm everything but happy. I'm fucking terrified of what will happen if you let me go, but I just try to enjoy the time I have here with you."

"I won't ever let you go, you know that right?" Harry stated. If he had the change to talk to Louis forever then he wouldn't let him go. No chance.

"Baby, my beautiful baby." Louis brushed a curl out of Harry's face. "Come sit with me for a second." He pulled Harry towards the bed, sitting down. "I would love to talk to you forever-" He smiled sadly wiping a tear on Harry's cheek away with his thumb. "-but I want you to carry on with your life. I would be so fucking selfish if I wouldn't let you, but you need to help me. I need you to say goodbye to me, otherwise you will never be happy. I only want the best for you. I want you to have a husband who treats you right, like I would have done. I want you to have a beautiful family to take care of and I want you and the boys to go on with the tour and living your best life." When Louis was done, both boys were crying.

"I can't let you go yet." Harry cried out. "Give me time, please! I just want to have a few days with you!" Harry looked at Louis pleadingly. "Please." He whispered. Louis just smiled and nodded, before there was a knock on the followed by Liam opening the door. When he saw Harry on the bed crying he rushed over to him.

"It's okay. It's going to be okay. I'm here." He tried to soothe him. He rocked them back and forth, Harry slowly calming down, clutching to Liam's now wet shirt from all the tears.

Louis watched them with a smile, like he always did.