When The Smoke Is In Your Eyes (l.s.)

Epilogue

08.06.15

~*~

7 years, 5 months later...

A now 23 year old Louis stood in front of the mirror. He was in the dressing room behind the stage at his graduation ceremony. When he was 18 he'd enrolled at the university as an English major, studying drama on the side to be a qualified English teacher. Unfortunately for him he hadn't grown much more since he was 16, standing at only 5'7, 5'9 if he wore heeled shoes or went on his tiptoes. Although he had lost most of his baby chub, especially around his face, and now had growing stubble that he had a love hate relationship. Right now though it was a little prickly, having shaved it the previous morning. With a quiet sigh he smoothed down his blue robes and turned to his mother who was stood behind him smiling.

"Oh baby, look at you," she stepped towards him and put her hands on his shoulders, "how are you feeling?"

"A little nervous, I've been waiting for this day for the last years of my life. I wish Harry could be here though." He smiled, looking down sadly.

"I'm sure he wishes he could be here as well darling, but he'll be back by the end of August. I'll have him on FaceTime during the ceremony so he can watch."

Since leaving University Harry's photography had taken off and in the last four years he'd managed to set up an extremely successful photography company where he was called all over Europe to photograph big events. The previous September his agent had set up work for him in America, sending him off to New York at the end of the month. Unfortunately he'd had to stay there for the year.

In the seven years of the couple being together that year was the hardest. As much as Louis trusted him, in the back of his mind all he could think about was Harry doing things with people who weren't him. It was even harder in the evenings when he returned to the empty flat they'd live together in for the past four years. But he spoke to Harry every night and the distance made Louis realise just how much Harry meant to him and how much he wanted to be with him.

"Right, it's nearly twelve, I should probably go out and sit with all the other parents." Jay smiled, nodding slightly to herself and dabbing at her eyes so as not to ruin her make up.

"Yeah probably, make sure Lottie isn't trying to hit on any university boys. Don't want her getting involved with older men." Louis giggled, hugging his mum.

"Coming from you, cheeky."

He laughed and waved his mum off as she exited, then he went through the curtain and went to stand in the waiting room where everyone else was.

Stan came over to him, patting him on the back. They were the only two from school who had attended their university so they'd stuck together through the years, making a few new friends along the way.

"You good Tommo?" Stan asked, resting his head on Louis' shoulder.

"I'm good, we better go out there." Louis replied, watching the rest of their class move out of the waiting room and into the hall where they proceeded to sit on the first few rows of seats.

Louis sort of blanked out as all the names ahead of him were called. He was near the end of the list along with Calvin who was three seats in front of Louis and kept looking down the aisle to make faces at him.

When the last s surname was called out he began to get nervous, wiping his sweaty palms on his robes. No matter how old he got he still had nervous tendencies, not fully enjoying being up on stage in front of everyone.

"Louis Tomlinson." The dean of the university called out.

All eyes shifted to Louis as he stood up to the claps and made his way to the stage. As he walked across the stage he could see his mum and four younger sisters, along with the new twins and Dan, all sat in the middle row. When he looked to the back of the room he saw Zayn, Niall, Liam and Lex all stood clapping and the fact that they were there made his heart swoop a little. Although it wasn't the same as Harry.