You're the place my life begins. [l.s]

Part. IX

The day has finally arrived, and everything is so chaotic that Harry has to pull at his hair to suppress a frustrated scream from time to time. It is their anniversary, and there is a signing and they have a show in Dublin and he is on the edge of a mental breakdown.

 They wake up early and Louis barely talks to him. Since he came back from Doncaster, Louis has been avoiding him and their few conversations are awkward and hesitant. It is so unbearable that there is a moment, when they are on their way to the signing, that Harry reaches for his satchel bag, and almost takes out the box, determined to propose right then and there. But he has worked so hard to make it special, and he thinks that that is the only way to make it up to him for everything he has put him through, so he shakes his head and hides the little box further into the bag.

When they are at the venue, Harry makes countless phone calls; to their families, to the guys, to everyone involved in his plan. And he wants to bang his head against the wall when Niall tells him that he is stuck on traffic because of a huge accident and he is not sure if he is going to be able to make it in time. A staff member informs him that soundcheck is about to begin and that he is needed on stage. He waves her off, and keeps yelling at someone on the phone, until she glares at him and threatens to call Big B, -Bobby, their bodyguard who is about two hundred feet tall and has muscles like a professional wrestler- so he sighs loudly and heads to the stage.

When soundcheck is finished, Harry hurries backstage, pulling out his phone on the way. Louis sighs, defeated, and pulls out his own phone, too. He dials Zayn’s number.

“Hello, Lou?” Zayn says on the other side of the line, while making signs to make everyone who is with him shut up.

“He did not remember, Zayn.” Louis says lowly, making sure to keep eavesdroppers from catching it.

“C’mon, Louis, acting like you don’t remember an important date is the oldest trick in the book.” Zayn is now running out of things to say, and he starts to feel a little exasperated. 

“You don’t understand, Zayn, I know him… if he was preparing a surprise or whatever, he would be all cheesy and eager and… kind,” Louis pauses. “But he has not even said a single word to me.”

            In that moment, Zayn feels like going out of the dressing room where he is hiding with the others, run towards Louis and smack him until he realizes how wrong he is. But he cannot do that without ruining Harry's plans, so he plays along.

            “Okay, Louis, do whatever you think it’s the best thing to do, but wait until the concert is over, at least.”

            “Yeah, I will break up with him, but I’ll wait until we’re home.” After he hangs up, Louis wonders how Zayn knows they are having a show. But, lacking of the energy to think or care about anything at all, he shrugs it off and goes to his dressing room.

The show is possibly the most uncomfortable show they have had since they were in One Direction and their management told them to keep their distance. They do a massive job at avoiding looking at each other and definitely don’t touch or hug. And obviously, fans notice and start sending concerned tweets.

When the moment for the last song arrives, Harry disappears from the stage. Louis looks everywhere; sending questioning looks to their band members, but all of them shrug, mouthing ‘I don’t know’.

“Harry? Where’s Harry?” His voice is panicky, and the fans are all silent and look at each other as they search for answers, flabbergasted and maybe as confused as him.

Suddenly, the lights go out. And he wonders if something has happened and the concert should be ended early. Panic starts to make its way up his throat when he wonders if something has happened to Harry and that is why he is not on stage. He is about to run backstage when hundreds of small lights around the venue go on. Puzzled, he looks around, and in the darkness, the lights look like stars flickering in the distance.