"I still don't understand why I have to stay longer than necessary, Liam." Louis huffed. He sat in one of the comfortable leather seats of their private plane on their way to England. It wasn't that he hated the country; it was the opposite, but the chances of running into unpleasant things were a bit too high for his liking. And by a bit too high Louis meant that there was a tiny possibility instead of there not being one. Louis folded his arms over his chest and looked through the tiny window at the clouds underneath them. He had made it big the last few years, so he understood that he was shackled by some responsibilities, but having to return to England and stay there an extra few days as a 'much needed holiday for the workaholic he was' - as Liam and Zayn put it - wasn't one of them.

"You can't keep running," Liam replied. He hadn't even looked up from his phone, but they were having the same conversation on loop for the last couple of hours, so Liam switched to autopilot whenever Louis opened his mouth to complain again, "Jay will be happy too that you're staying. And if you never take a vacation, your personal team will feel uncomfortable when they do, so be a good son and boss and give up."

Zayn - who was seated next to Liam - rolled his eyes at the two. He had loved Louis, as a friend, from the moment the two of them met, but he agreed with Liam on this one. Not that anyone was really surprised that Zayn sided with the other man. When Zayn had met Louis and Liam in a club, it was true that he immediately got along with Louis, but when his eyes met Liam's... It sounds cliché, but Zayn had felt fireworks. He stills feels them when they are together, but the feeling had now evolved into something else; something deeper and more meaningful. After a few trials, Zayn had almost cried when Liam got down on one knee. Almost. He managed to save the little pride he was trying to hold on to when it concerned his man.

"Can the both of you shut up? We're almost landing."

[***]

When the three of them arrived to the airport, Louis' family was there to pick them up. His siblings tackled the brunet into a giant group hug and even Johannah and her husband joined together with Zayn and Liam.

After everyone had welcomed the men and drove to the Tomlinson's house, Jay announced that dinner would be served in less than an hour, which was enough time for Louis' younger siblings to attack their brother and demand the latter to play with them. Although Louis prided himself with being in shape, he didn't even last ten minutes before he threw Liam and Zayn under the bus with a 'hey, why don't we ask them to play with us too'. With yells of betrayal, the adult men succumbed and ended up swinging around the youngest while having one of the other siblings plead to them for a piggyback ride.

[***]

Miraculously someone had yet to claim Louis' room. When the man opened the door to drop off his single bag of clothing, he was surprised when he realized that everything had remained the same. The mixture of blue and green decorations that adorned the white walls and the photographs that littered a small part of it near his desk made a series of emotions flare up, but Louis held tight control over his facial muscles. The books that he used to read were still piled up like an ill-balanced tower near his bed and the flashlight he used to secretly read them was half-hidden under it. A light breeze ventilated the room and Louis realized that it wasn't by some miracle that his room was still untouched; his mum probably forbid the others from claiming it.

"Wow," Liam stepped out from behind Louis with a smile. His eyes fell on the pictures and he grimaced, squeezing Louis' shoulder as a sign of non-verbal support, "Need any help taking these down?"

"No." The small brunet let a finger hover over one of the pictures. It was one that was taken about twenty years ago. Two young boys beamed towards the camera, posing as superheroes while the tablecloths they used as capes tried their best to move with the wind to give them that 'flying effect'. "I'm not angry at the memories."

"You're not? But I thought-"

"Oh, absolutely, I hate the person, but I'm not angry at these." A sad smile tugged at Louis' lips, "I'm not going to regret everything that happened just because of one person. I still cherish the past, but I loathe what happened after.... And the present."

"... Right."

Louis sighed. He knew that Liam didn't understand him, so he racked his brain on how to simplify so his cousin, who could sometimes be a bit daft, could understand, "They're precious memories. He has tainted them, but I don't mind looking at them. It's a nice reminder. A reminder of simpler times."

With that, Liam nodded his head. It didn't sit well with him that Louis had to be surrounded by pictures that reminded him of the past, but if Louis said that it was okay then there was nothing else Liam could do.

"You know," Liam started, "Zayn and I could handle the business here. Of course, we would miss you and we would probably have to bust our asses to finish it all on time, but I rather pull several all-nighters than have you go through painful memories again. I know I said that you needed to come and that you needed the vacation, but I don't want to force you if it is too much."

Louis stood back up from where he was bent over his luggage and looked at Liam with an expression that clearly said, 'are you serious?'. How in the world could Louis, as a co-owner and CEO of the company Liam and he build up, not show up at an opening of one of their new branches in Doncaster? It would be even weirder because everyone they worked with knew Louis loved the events that came with the introduction of new shops or a new branch; the afterparties, meeting with clients and important people, organizing events to gain some popularity, and so much more.

"Are you kidding me, Liam? Are you trying to write me off?"

"Nothing like that." The older of the two laughed, "I know you're strong, Lou. But everyone got a limit. I just don't want to see you break like that ever again. It's good that you managed to pull out, that you jumped into this with me, even if it meant putting the last bits of your money into something that was uncertain and even risking debt for it."

"I've earned that, and more, back."

"I know you did," Liam laughed again, "Just make sure that the people here don't pull you back under, yeah?"

"I'd like to see them try." Suddenly Zayn's voice came from the hallway, "If they dare so much as touch Lou, I'll ruin their lives personally. I mean, what would we do if Louis starts slacking off because of his drama and I am forced to work? Horrible!" He grinned and effortlessly dodged the cushion that Louis threw to him.

The banter got interrupted by Johannah calling them all down to eat dinner together. They were going to eat pizza in a pizzeria to celebrate Louis' return. Afterward, Liam, Zayn, and Louis were going to a pub to drink and discuss the planning for the next day. Liam and Zayn would be sleeping at their own place nearby -the two of them bought a house half an hour away from Doncaster a few years ago as an excuse to visit England more often. Though Louis suspected it was so the two of them had more alone time as lovers.

[***]

"'Pot of Gold' Never heard of that name before. Not like I would know a lot of pubs, but I didn't think they'd rename this one. Is there new management? Where did The Alehouse go? I loved their drinks when I was younger."

Zayn laughed, "You're talking like an old guy, Louis. 'When I was young', give me a break."

"Oi, I'll have you know that I'm still only twenty-six."

"Sounds like an old man to me." Zayn shrugged but busted out laughing soon after and Louis followed suit.

Liam shook his head at the two of them. He really did love it that his fiancé and his best friend got on so well, but sometimes it would feel as if Liam was the third wheel in the relationship between the three of them. The door opened, but when Liam took a step inside, he held his breath. Louis, who was right behind him, bumped into his back and let out a curse, but Liam almost didn't notice. His eyes were strained on the bartender. With Louis cursing and telling Liam to 'fuck off or start moving', there was no way that he had realized and Liam wanted to keep the man's view blocked. The taller of the two wanted to turn around and make their escape when a loud cheering stopped them.

"Welcome! Look, Harry, I told you that I was gonna be lucky tonight!" A thick Irish accent echoed through the establishment, "Costumers! That means; I won the bet."

Harry. The green-eyed boy that had stolen Louis' heart when they were young. The same boy that had stood beside Louis in that old photograph on his wall. The one that was the reason for the green and blue decorations because 'Look Lou, those are our colours. Now it looks like we're always together even when we are apart'. He was the one. If years ago, you had asked Louis who Harry was, the answer would've been 'everything', but currently, although the answer might be the same, Louis wouldn't smile. Eight years ago, that reply changed. Although it was still that Harry was 'everything', Louis looked ready to kill. He looked a little how he was looking at the bar at that very moment. Anger clear on his face. Louis' eyes were narrowed, his jaw clenched and he tried his best to keep his breathing normal by pressing his fingernails into the palms of his hands.

Behind the bar was Harry Styles. The reason Louis knew what love was and the reason of many sleepless nights in the past. Those green eyes that still seemed to captivate Louis and the annoying warmth in Louis' chest that grew with each second that he spent in Harry's presence.

Harry Edward Styles. The brunet that ripped Louis' heart out of his chest and trampled over it before setting it on fire. The reason Louis knew how it felt to hate someone so much that his whole body would shake under the emotion and the reason of many sleepless nights contemplating how the older man could've ever been so foolish. Harry's green eyes and long, curly hair were now traits that would ignite disdain in the other and along the warmth spread a coldness, even faster than the previous emotion and much more destructive. Louis' resentment, hate, and anger overpowered every other emotion that he could've felt with their reunion. He wanted to punch Harry, kiss him right after, and then kick him in the balls. It was a very complicated feeling, but most of all, Louis wanted something else.

"Fuck off Niall, can't you see that the first one is about to leave? You're chasing them away."

Harry's eyes finally met Louis. An expression one has when he sees someone or something familiar but can't place from where or when he knows the person or scene, takes over Harry's face. After a few seconds though the expression shifted to a darker one, though it was only a split second before the man's face lit up.

"Liam! It's been a long time, mate. How long are you staying this time? I heard that you're opening something here, that means it must be more than a quick visit to see your family, right?" Harry smiled, skilfully avoiding Louis' stares.

Everyone in the room could see the tension dripping off of Liam when he turned back around to face Harry, "Yeah, we'll be here for a few months, maybe a year. Just to lead everything in the beginning and to see how it goes. Louis and I can't be gone from our main seat in Los Angeles for too long."

Finally, Harry faces Louis again. They just stare at each other; no words being spoken. After a few seconds, ones that feel like minutes, Zayn sighs and drags both Louis and Liam off to the bar. He knows what went down eight years ago between the CEO and the bartender, but he wasn't going to allow it to spoil a perfectly fine evening. Louis and Harry had to deal with it and had to act civil. It was eight years ago, after all, maybe it was all water under the bridge by now.

"A whiskey, some black tea, and a coffee. Liam doesn't drink anymore." Zayn ordered his voice monotone.

Niall, who was smiling like a mad man -the many bottles of beer may or may not play a leading role for his current behavior, clapped in his hands after he heard what Zayn said, "They ordered! That means they're costumers! Harry, you got to take me to a gay club now. You promised to take me with you if I won the bet. I don't understand why you refused to take me there, I might be straight, but I can still have some fun. It's a club like any other, the only difference is that you see more gay people than straight ones there. Besides-"

"Alright, you can shut up now, Niall." Harry glared at his friend.

It might look as if Harry was acting cold or dismissive, but if you could see the inside of his mind, you'd see that the man was freaking out. Before him, on the other side of the bar, sat Harry's first love. After the eight years they spent apart, Harry had been sure that he was over Louis Tomlinson. The person whose picture stood next to the definition of 'perfect' in Harry's mind. The one person that thought him love and acceptance. The one that stood beside him no matter what and who made Harry feel like there was a heaven on earth as long as they were together. Though Harry should've known that, when he said that he was over Louis, it was a lie. It was utterly ridiculous that Harry could have ever thought about being over Louis William Tomlinson. And if he was, then Harry must've fallen for him again the moment he saw the short brunet appear behind Liam.

Harry had fallen for Louis in an instant all those years ago, but now... Now it was like love at second sight.