52 Birthdays With Lou

age: 42

On Harry's forty-second birthday, Zayn's in attendance, beanie covering his bald head, but grinning as he sits in Niall's living room and watches his son, Edward, Natalie, Michelle, and Niall's daughter, Mandy, run about the room.

"Hey," Zayn says suddenly, and Harry looks around to see who Zayn's talking to, but he's the only person in the room other than the four kids under the age of seven, so he decides it's probably him. "If I'm not around to see you reach 43-"

"Zayn-"

"Harry, just, promise me you'll still invite Mary and Edward. Edwards thinks of you as family and-"

"Don't be stupid Zayn," Harry snaps, and he stands up and leaves the room before Zayn can get another word out.

He finds Louis in the kitchen, laughing with Niall and Liam, and interrupts their conversation as he crashes into Louis, clutching onto him and not letting go, just like he had when they were teenagers on the X-Factor.

And Louis does the same thing he always did, and continues on the conversation, petting Harry's curls until Harry finally gets a grip on himself and joins the conversation, Liam and Niall glancing knowingly at each other.

That birthday he wishes again, for Zayn to see his next birthday, but apparently wishes can't be repeated.