Harry must have fallen asleep last night, because he woke to the smell of coffee the next morning. He smiled, briefly forgetting. Those first few after waking up were always so blissful, because then he could forget for a while before it all came crashing back to the surface. Then he bolted upright and looked around. Louis wasn't in bed. His veins filled with anxiety and he peeled the covers off of him and slowly ventured into the kitchen.
There he was. Standing in front of the coffee maker, badly buttering some toast in the same awful green hoodie. Harry approached him slowly, wondering how this was happening. There was even music playing from the speaker on the counter. How did Louis, who hadn't left the bed in days was suddenly in the kitchen making breakfast. He stood for a while, just watching him work. The bread was starting to tear in his hands, the butter he was using was too cold to be spread efficiently and he threw the knife down on the counter in frustration.
"Lou?" Harry said quietly, deciding it was time for him to intervene. Louis's body stiffened when Harry spoke and he looked at him over his shoulder. His blue eyes were bright and shiny, and Harry was idiotic enough to hope.
"I..." Louis looked from Harry to the coffee and shredded toast in front of him. His trembling hands gripped the handle of the coffee mug, the plate with the toast, and finally turned to Harry and held them out.
"You made this for me?" Harry asked slowly, slightly stunned. Louis just nodded. Harry smiled. His heart fluttered. His fingertips tingled. "And you?" Louis gestured to a plate behind him. Harry couldn't stop smiling, because somehow the world stopped turning, or they were thrown back in time. Because Louis was Louis again.
He smiled at Harry as he sipped at awful, awful coffee. Louis always made bad coffee, but that was okay. Because it was Louis. They stood in the kitchen, eating the bread that Louis forgot to toast and listening to the music when one of Ed's songs came over the speaker.
"Remember that concert?" Harry asked.
"Eddy." Louis nodded. Harry couldn't contain his joy. He thought he was going to burst and the walls would be splattered with his insides but he would be happy because Louis remembered. If he thought he was happy then, he about had a heart attack after the next few seconds. Because Louis started to sing.
And it was like Louis had never left, because he was smiling and singing in the kitchen. And he reached out to Harry and pulled him to his chest and they rocked back and forth just holding each other. The coffee was getting cold and Harry really needed the bathroom, but this was Louis, and the sun was rising again. Louis sang the whole song in his ear, and he didn't miss one lyric. The sun was rising again, because Louis was his sun.
