Until they tear us apart. | l.s.

48

During dinner both Harry and Louis noticed that Jay was rather quiet unlike when they watched the movies before where at some point they didn't focus on them anymore and talked and joked around instead. Now she was mostly staring at her plate, not acknowledging what the boys were talking about.

"Okay." Louis sighed. "Mum, what's wrong?" He asked when he had enough of seeing her so dejected.

"Hm?" Jay looked up and put a smile on her face. "Nothing. Everything is fine, honey."

"You're sitting at a table with two liars so don't even try it." Louis said with raised eyebrows making Harry snort, but he quickly pressed his lips together not to make fun of the serious situation.

"It's nothing noteworthy. Don't worry about it, okay?" Jay said appeasingly, but Louis just looked at her uncomprehending.

"It's because of dad, right?" Harry guessed now and Jay's look gave him the confirmation.

"If it was just another day it would only be half as bad, but it's Christmas and last year was so horrible already and now-" She broke off when the lump in her throat prevented her from talking properly and she took a deep breath wiping her eyes. "-I know this is neither of your faults, it's just...I know you're not speaking well of him at the moment and I understand that, but I just want us to be a family again."

"Mum..." Louis breathed out and got up quickly to hug her when she welled up and hid her face in her hands.

"You should talk, mum." Harry said quietly and grabbed her hand on the table when she let it drop from her face feeling sorry for her.

"He doesn't want to hear anything about it. I tried to." Jay sniffled and leaned back, but shot Louis a grateful smile when he crouched down next to her and took her other hand.

"He's a stubborn ass, but I'm sure he's just overstrained with everything and when he sees how much it bothers you he will listen. He loves you, mum." He said insistently.

"I don't want to hear him saying bad things about you." Jay argued weakly. "I can't take it. Thinking of how-" She welled up once more and squeezed their hands. "-how badly I let him talk about you and how much of failures as parents we were..."

"You weren't that bad." Harry rolled his eyes jokingly and actually managed to elicit a chuckle from her.

"Talk to him, he will listen. And don't worry about us, we can take a few insults and shit." Louis shrugged.

Jay looked at him first and then at Harry unsurely who nodded at her assuringly and she sighed.

"Okay. You're right with everything. I'll talk to him." She agreed eventually. "You're not mad when I leave now?"

"No, of course not!" Louis said instantly. "Get that grumpy shit back home and if he still has a problem by then we can throw punches. Haven't done that in ages."

"Louis!" Jay scolded half-heartedly.

"I'm just saying." Louis shrugged innocently.

"Okay, I hope it won't take too long. I love you, boys." She got up and kissed both of them on the head just like she always did and neither of them even flinched, calling 'I love you too's back before they were left alone.

"So..." Harry pursed his lips as he looked at Louis with big eyes and his bottom lip bitten and Louis raised his eyebrows expectantly, not sure what Harry had in mind now. This could go into two completely different directions and anything was possible with him.

"So?" Louis helped when Harry didn't make an attempt to talk further.

"We could skip the rest of dinner and get the cookies instead because I know where mum hid them and watch a movie." Harry grinned.