Once in a Lifetime

Seventeen.

That Friday, when Louis scored his first goal in the final few minutes of the match, meaning his team won the game comfortably, Louis looked up to the stands to celebrate. Liam was cheering, Niall was clapping and jumping, and Harry was smiling like he'd won the lottery. He gave Louis a thumbs up, and Louis rolled his eyes and sneakily returned the gesture. He spent the last few minutes not being able to wipe the grin off his face until he eventually heard the final whistle blow. He ended up surrounded by his teammates, high fiving them all and laughing as he made his way back into the changing room. He heard Harry's voice in his head whilst he was in the shower, and although that was a little weird, it helped him to be gentle as he wiped the mud stains from his knees.

"Great game today, Tommo, nice to have you back in the team," his coach praised as he exited the room, his eyes instantly searching for Harry the moment he was outside.

"Oh my God, it's Louis Tomlinson! Can I have your autograph?" Niall screeched, Liam laughing beside him.

"Sorry, I don't do autographs, but I can offer you a picture?" Louis said, smiling along to Niall's game.

"Really? That would be amazing!" Liam laughed, dragging Niall to stand each side of Louis.

"Excuse me, would you mind taking our photo?" Louis asked the tall guy who was walking just behind Liam and Niall, he grinned at Louis, his curls tucked neatly into a bun.

"Sure, but only if I, um, get one too," Harry said, taking Niall's phone and snapping a quick picture. They then swapped places, Harry standing beside Louis and putting his arm around his waist. "You were amazing out there," Harry whispered into his ear, and Louis couldn't help but widen his smile as Niall took a picture of them both.

"So, Lou, are you ready to come home?" Niall asked, the four of them walking towards their car. Louis nodded, looking over at Harry who was deep in conversation with Liam already. Their eyes met, and Louis quickly looked back down at the pavement, his cheeks blushing in the darkness.

"Uh, yeah, I think so," he replied, getting into the car beside Harry. They were both in the back with Niall in the front and Liam driving them all to the house. It was time for Louis to go home, and as excited as he was to make a fresh start, he was nervous and sad to be away from Harry. He had become rather accustomed to waking up next to him every morning, driving to campus together, and eating dinner together every night. They'd become so close over the last week, but Louis knew it was time to figure out how to deal with this independently. When they arrived back to the house, Harry helped him carry his bags to his room before they all sat in the living room.

"Before Harry goes, can I talk to you guys about something?" Louis asked, snuggling further into Harry's side as the nerves creeped up on him.

"Sure, you can talk to us about anything, Lou," Liam answered, turning the TV down so they could listen properly. Louis took a deep breath before telling Liam and Niall everything that happened with Zayn. He told them all about the conversation over the summer and how he tried to help Zayn by spending countless nights in Zayn's bed as he cried on his shoulder. He told them about the chat he had with Zayn's mum the morning of his death, and how he knew Zayn was struggling but failed to act because he was so wrapped up in his exam. He told them about his guilt, and how he believed it was his fault Zayn had died. He confessed that he refused to talk to anyone through fear that they'd find out he was responsible for his death, how he basically killed him. He told them that he scrubbed too hard in the shower and struggled to eat. He told them that he was scared to leave the house and avoided people so they wouldn't know the truth. He informed them that sometimes he could still feel Zayn's blood on him, and he could still hear the piercing screams from that day. He cried as he reminded them of the night Liam screamed at him, and how going into Zayn's room would open up the wounds he was trying to close. He knew it was wrong to avoid his problems and not talk to his friends about it, but without Zayn he didn't know how to function properly. That was until he met Harry. He couldn't help but smile slightly when he talked about how important Harry had been, and how he was the first-person Louis had talked to since Zayn passed. He really was happy to have Harry in his life, and he wanted him to know how grateful he was that he asked Louis to accompany him to get hot chocolate. When he was finished explaining, he found himself with Harry's arm around him, pulling him closer.