For Our Eyes Only

8-The Good & The Bad

Louis' life was still filled with doctor's appointments, PR stuff, and working on music when he had the time.

For three whole weeks however, he got to add Harry in the mix.

As awkward as it had been to begin with, Louis and Harry easily slipped back into the comfort of each other's presence. It was far from being as comfortable as where they had been, and whether it would ever be like that again was simply up to fate. For the time being though, it really felt like home.

There was something nice about coming home to your close friend reading on the sofa or cooking dinner. It was a large change compared to coming home alone to a cold, dark, empty flat.

Not that he would admit it, but there were definitely a lot of different feelings that Louis had to be extra careful to ignore with Harry's presence, but it was nice all the same.

As Louis walked in the flat and shut the door behind him he noticed how nice it smelled. He figured Harry was in the kitchen cooking, seeing as it was starting to get later.

He dumped his keys and wallet on the small table near the door and his bag by the couch before heading toward the kitchen to greet Harry.

He realized that Harry had cleaned again. Louis felt bad that the other had cleaned so much while he was here, but then again Harry had insisted.

Louis walked in the kitchen, stopping at the entry way and watching silently as Harry, back turned, stirred whatever it was he was making.

"Hey," he said softly.

Harry turned around, then smiled upon seeing Louis, "Hi".

They smiled like fools at one another before deciding to speak again.

"How was the visit with your Mum?" Harry asked.

Louis sat down at the table nearby. "It was pretty good actually. I helped her out with some things and we just sort of talked about some stuff. It was nice."

"That's good to hear," Harry said, finally turning back to what he was cooking, "Was she doing good today then?"

"Yeah actually today was pretty good I think. She was in a really good mood and it seemed like she was in less pain than she has been."

"That's good," Harry replied.

It got a bit quiet then, neither really knowing what to say. Harry added something, probably salt to the pot.

Louis looked down and played with his hands for a minute, lost vaguely in thought. "What are you making," he asked finally.

Harry turned around again, facing Louis "That mushroom potato soup you like," he said, smiling a little.

Louis looked up again, smiling in return. "You remembered?"

"Well of course," Harry said, still smiling. Then, almost like getting back to business, "and it's almost done too so you should probably go wash up."

Louis grinned and did as he was told.

The food was amazing. It seemed Harry was still a wonderful cook. As they sat on the sofa watching TV that evening, Louis found that even with all the things life had thrown his way in the last couple weeks, this was the most content he had been in a long time. He did his best to keep his most complicated feelings shoved deep down inside, but he knew that he was incredibly grateful for Harry's presence.

"Harry?" Louis asked, glancing almost nervously toward the other.

"Hm?" He mumbled in response.

Louis took a deep breath, still trying to contain some of his nervousness hoping he did not say the wrong thing. "Thank you for staying with me. It's been a bit lonely and having to go with my mum to doctor's appointments and all," he rambled out finally, looking at his hands once he was finished. He wanted to point out how Harry's presence filled a gap he didn't even know was there to begin with, but he felt like that was a bit much to drop all at once.

Thankfully, Harry smiled. "Of course Lou, thank you for letting me stay." Harry panicked a little inside when he realized he had allowed the 'Lou' to slip out, but he kept his smile in place and Louis took no notice. Secretly, Louis melted inside a little before he shoved that feeling deep down with the rest.

-

Harry left for France again a few days later, but Louis did not let it hit him too hard. Instead he filled his schedule, visiting Freddie, working on music, seeing his mum, and the like.

He had to keep himself focused on something as much as possible, because he knew he could not face any of the truths at the moment.

Louis' life became quite mundane for a while, but he knew that this simple routine was likely for the better.

Summer turned to fall and then slowly into winter. The weather in England remained dull and fairly gloomy, but in a way this kept Louis fairly grounded.

His mum had a lot of good days, and of course a fair amount of bad. He knew the worst was yet to come, but this kind of thing is not something one can exactly prepare themselves for, so he would just have to continue playing the waiting game.

It was November now. Where all the time had went Louis could hardly tell you. As long and exaggerated as this year had been much of it had managed to go before he had realized it. Harry had called him a couple of days ago to let him know he had gotten home from France. They stayed at their separate flats this time.

As entirely cliché as it was, it really was another mundane afternoon when he got a phone call from his mum. It startled him a little, but calls from his mum were hardly unusual.

"Hello?" He asked, picking up the phone.

"Hi Lou," Johannah started, "I don't want to frighten you or make you panic or anything...,"

"Mum what's going on?" Louis did start to panic a little.

"I've been transferred to the hospital."