Disappearace 2

5

Their so-called hiatus had been announced back in August and their fans were grieving.

They finished their tour, dropped the fifth album in November, and had to do some promo and talk about their hiatus. When it was finally over Harry went home to Holmes Chapel and slept for a week.

His mum convinced him to try therapy. It was the best thing he had done. Slowly he was starting to accept that Louis was gone. He could finally grieve the loss and the end of their relationship.

Even if Louis was alive somewhere things between them would never be the same as it was if he decided to return. Most likely he was dead even if Jay refused to believe so.

So he grieved him as dead. He grieved the end of their relationship. He grieved the love he had lost. Slowly he was getting up on his feet again.

Harry signed a contract as a solo artist and began the process of making his first solo album. For the first time in a long time, he was actually excited about something.

He flew to Jamaica to be by himself while he wrote songs. Most of them were sad songs but that was okay. Writing was very therapeutic.

He found a new band and released his first album, nervous about how it would be received. The fans loved it and they were still there!

When he got the opportunity to make a film he jumped right on. If Louis' disappearance had taught him anything it was that life was fleeting. Everything could change in a second so he would embrace everything life had to offer.

He went on his first solo tour and the love he felt from the audience healed him a little more. Louis was no longer the center of his universe even if he was always there in the back of his mind. The uncertainty of what actually happened would be something he carried for the rest of his life. He hoped he was alive and happy. That was all he could hope for.

Reality came crashing back when Louis' mother called him one night to tell him that she was ill. She was barreling leukemia. He went to visit her. Louis' family was still his family.

Jay had never given up hope of finding her son. She had done everything in her power. Interpol was looking for him, she called the police in Sydney every day and when she got sick she made sure that every paper wrote about it to let Louis know. She died and Louis wasn't there.

That was the last straw for Harry. The hope that Louis would be alive somewhere died with Jay. There was no way Louis wouldn't have been there if he had been alive. No way!

He grieved Jay's death and Louis' with her. Then he decided that enough was enough. He had to move on for real this time. He stopped paying the private investigators in Sydney. They hadn't found anything in the two years that had passed. It only cost him money.

Keeping busy was his way of moving forward. Filming Dunkirk was an amazing experience. He did talk shows and interviews and continued to tour.

Stunt dates were something he had to endure. His new manager Jeff wanted him to have someone that the fans would think that his future second album was about. He knew the drill. He didn't like it but he accepted it. With Louis out of his life, he no longer felt the same urge to come out publically anymore.

Time flew! In November he did a one-hour television special for BBC One. Nick Grimshaw presented the show. They had known each other for a long time. They met back in 2011 for the first time. When Nick asked him out on a date after the show his spontaneous reaction was to decline but he stopped himself. He was single. It had been almost three years since Louis disappeared. He needed to get back in the dating pool and he liked Nick as a friend. One date couldn't hurt.

Nick looked a little surprised when he said yes. They decided to go out for dinner later that evening.

He was nervous and almost called Nick a couple of yes to cancel while he got ready for the date but he didn't.
Instead, he dragged himself to the restaurant Nick had mentioned and met up with him. The dinner was awkward at first. Harry had only dated Louis and that was something else. They had become a couple from the start so there hadn't been much awkward dates in the beginning.
"Harry, I know how much Louis meant to you. If you're not ready to date yet that's okay." Nick said quietly half through the dinner.

"It's not that... This is my first date after... Let's just say I'm new to this." Harry chuckled a little embarrassed.

"Okay. Well, there's no secret that I've always liked you but let's not make a big deal of this. We can take this very slow and just try and have fun. No pressure!" Nick smiled.

"Yeah, I'd like that." Harry answered.

It got easier after that. Harry relaxed and they had a great time together. Nick didn't try and kiss him afterward and he was relieved. When he went to bed that night he couldn't get over the feeling that he had cheated on Louis which was both annoying and silly.

They texted a little back and forth but Harry wasn't in London so they couldn't see each other. He spent Christmas with his family and then Nick invited him to a New Year's Eve party so he went. They shared a quick peck on the lips when the clock struck twelve but nothing more.

Louis' sister Lottie called him the day after.
"Happy New Year, Harry. How are you?"

"Happy New Year. I'm okay. You?" Harry retorted.

"I'm okay. The reason I'm calling is to let you know that the authorities have officially cleared Louis as deceased. We're holding a funeral on the 9th of February, the day he disappeared." Lottie said.

Harry's world came crumbling down again.