Labels || H.S. [#Wattys2020]

SIXTY-THREE

When under pressure or extreme amounts of stress, all four of the boys seemed to thrive. Harry by the end of that very week had finished penning his song, helped Louis with another, and had managed to stay out of trouble. Of course, late nights in the studio seemed to help, but Harry knew that soon enough he would be forced to face reality.

Hailey was a nice enough girl, never too clingy, knew when to leave him be. But then, it was only the beginning. She had only been in and out, conversing with Lydia and having small chats with Reagan. The next couple of weeks had them practically handcuffed to each other, and that's putting it nicely. But it was only one official date that needed to be in the books for all of it to be over. That was Louis' promise to Harry after all.

This is what Louis reminded him the other day, that it would just be one date. But they both knew that leading up to that was at least two weeks of being "linked" to each other. That he and Hailey would have to make it look as if the relationship didn't pop up out of anywhere, that it was something natural. That in and of itself was going to be enough to drive Harry mad. But all Louis kept repeating was that it was only a few weeks, then he would drop the bomb and PR would have a mess of a time attempting to cover up the baby scandal. Then Harry and Reagan would be free to truly be in love. After all, this whole mess would make her realize how much she truly loved Harry. Or, well, that's what Louis kept saying anyway.

So Harry reverted back to his old quiet self, spending long nights in the studio with the lads, and trying not to think how everything with Reagan seemed like it had gone to shit. It had been at least a week since they had had a real conversation. More than a week since the last time they had actually had some kind of physical contact. It was driving Harry absolutely mad. How Reagan could act as if nothing were wrong baffled him. It felt as if he were falling apart at the seams.

Yeah, he seemed like a wuss, but he could care less. He hated the fact that after everything had been going so well, all of a sudden it was as if he didn't even know her. It fucking sucked.

Speaking of Reagan, she had been rather annoyed that the album had yet to be named. Days had already passed, and although she understood the creative process was not something to be rushed, she had a deadline as well. And if she couldn't have the name of the thing she was promoting, then of what use would she really be?

It wasn't until Saturday night rolled around and the boys were slightly tipsy in the studio messing around with lyrics for probably the third night that week that they finally had a breakthrough though.

"Haz?" Liam asked, looking up from the sheet music Harry had handed him earlier that evening. Much before they had gone through the four cases of beers.

"Yeah?"

"Mate, this is bloody amazing. Pure gold is what it is!"

"You think so?"

Liam looked up at Harry, giving him his reassuring smile whilst nodding, "I love it." He then turned to look at Niall and Louis, "Listen, I know we said that Harry wouldn't be taking in part in naming the album but-"

"Are you drunk? You must be fucking joking, Liam." Louis said, putting his own notepad down with an air of finality, "Harry is not naming this album too."

"Well technically, I am." Liam said, a devious smile upon his face.

"What were you thinking?" Niall asked, trying to peek at the sheet music over Liam's shoulder. He stumbled a tad as he walked over and cracked a smile that was as big as his face as he read the lyrics, "We just sit around with our glasses, talking out of our asses."

"Ace, isn't it?" Liam said, cackling.

"Well you sure are talking out of your arse, Liam." Louis said, knocking back his third beer.

Liam smiled, "Lou, you know you want to hear the rest of the song, don't you."

Harry looked at Louis and raised his eyebrows expectantly. Louis rolled his eyes, "Whatever."

Niall started strumming the cords to the song on his guitar, attempting to sing the chorus. Harry smiled to himself, humming along, not even trying to correct the buzzed boys as they tried to sing his just completed song, which of course was a first.

All my favorite conversations always made in the am, yeah yeah.

Louis nodded along, realizing that god, the song was perfect. It was reminiscent of every night they had spent together, from the first album to this one, huddled together just like tonight, drunkenly attempting to make coherent sentences. Getting to that point of being just tipsy enough that they weren't afraid to write lyrics that came straight from their souls. He knew that perhaps it wasn't the best approach, but it made them find some kind of peace in the chaos that was their lives. To know that the empty studio, late at night, was the four boys' safe haven, was probably the best feeling in the world. Harry's song did that indescribable feeling justice.

"You and Julian did a fine job." Louis said, nodding towards Harry as Liam and Niall continued trying to sing.

"I'm sure you and Liam have got some songs that are much better than mine."

Louis shook his head, "Take a fucking compliment, Jesus Christ."

"Fine." Harry replied, "Thank you."

Louis chuckled, "I just think you got it perfectly."

"What?"

"That nostalgia. This is going to be the song we listen to when we're in four different parts of the world next year."

"Yeah?"

Louis nodded, "All we'll remember is how this, all of this, was made in the wee hours of the morning. How we didn't get any sleep, how Niall would be a bitch come rehearsals, how Liam would try to give us five hour energies and then try to make us go for a fucking run to wake us up?"

Everything just suddenly came flooding back to him, from mattress lined hotel rooms made to be studios where they were led in a sleepy stupor expected to perform their best, to drunken writing sessions that ran late into the night. If it hadn't been for the darkness of the night, for the peak hours of the morning, they never would have been able to make their last two albums. They wouldn't have grown as close as they had.

Harry smiled, but it faltered just a tad, "You think this hiatus...you think it'll-"

"No. It won't change a thing, mate. It's just a breather. I think you know more than anyone how much we just need to come up for air."

Harry nodded.

"Hey Payno?" Louis said, interrupting Liam and Niall's little squabble over which cord sounded better for the second verse.

"What?"

"I think you're right."

"About?"

"Made in the A.M.," He turned to look at Harry, "It does the last five years justice, doesn't it?"