the royal family of the music industry

21. Half A Heart

Harry Styles, 2021

Louis breaks all of his promises.

He doesn't come back after two days. He does send a picture of the tower bridge but after that, all of Harry's text stay on delivered.

It's been four weeks now and Harry is done. Because Louis texted him that things are complicated and that Simon is really mad. He had to spent two weeks on a yacht with Eleanor and Harry had to endure a daily load of pictures on social media. It is so much, that he actually threw three phones against the walls and had to buy new ones.

Of course, he's not mad at Louis, and not at Eleanor either. He just hates that he sits there, in Niall's room and wastes his time while Louis has to go through many confrontations with Simon and has to act like someone he isn't.

"I'm so sorry, Niall." He groans and pinches the bridge of his nose.

"Harry."

"What?"

"You're not supposed to apologize."

"But I just freaking killed you and I feel so bad."

"God Harry we're playing among us. That's like the whole thing of the game."

"I don't like that game." Harry huffs, laying on Niall's bed on his stomach.

Olivia and Conan sit in an armchair together, phones in hand while Niall sits crossed legged on his desk and Taylor and Liam lay on the floor.

They've been playing this stupid, new game everyone is making a big fuss about for hours now, to get Harry distracted.

"You only don't like it, because you're so old mentally." Niall counters.

"What's that supposed to mean? You're older than me."

"Please." Niall divas. "You don't know how to post an instagram story, you don't know what brb stands for, you never touched a fidget spinner, you still have Facebook-"

"What is wrong with Facebook?"

"Oh my god." Niall buries his face in his hands while the others just laugh at Harry.

Liam gets up and looks out of the window. "Harry I think I see your hat in the mud there. The dark green one."  He says alarmed and Harry peaks up.

"My ha- my Gucci fedora?"

"Chillex mate, no one wears stuff like that anyway." Niall assures him.

It's an insult at the same time.

Harry groans and lets his head fall back against the softness of the duvet.

His tea is long forgotten about on Niall's nightstand while Olivia and Conan share an iced latte.

Americans.

Harry lifts his phone and opens messages again, hoping to find unread text from Louis.

No new messages.

Why?

He texts him again, spamming with stickers and caps lock while listening to the other's conversation half-heartedly.

"Should we get Nandos for dinner again? Imma call Brandon." Niall says and already picks up his phone.

It's two in the afternoon.

"Who's this Brandon?" Liam asks and sits down next to Niall, glancing at the screen of his iPhone.

"He's a babe. Makes the best cheeseburgers in the world and knows my order by heart."