thirty-seven: one last time

December 2020: 

"Mum, I don't... I don't think Dad's gonna wake up." Niall says, refusing to look at his mother as they sit in a hospital room on Christmas eve. 

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January 2021: 

"Harry, you've been with us two months now... why don't you share with the group your story?" Doctor Ferguson asks, looking at Harry from across the circle with his fancy ass clipboard sitting on his lap. Harry doesn't want to share with the group, he doesn't even want to be here... but he needed to get better. 

Liam was right. 

So Harry takes in a shaky breath, rubbing his sweaty palms against his sweats as he sits up. 

"I um... I started using so I could forget, you know? It was just a drink here or there at first, enough to where I got the buzz but eventually that stopped... and I started drinking to the point where I'd black out...but even that got to the point where it just... where it just didn't work anymore. There was always something that reminded me of what I could've had... That it is my fault that it's all gone... So I turned to the hard stuff and one night I just... I just couldn't take it anymore because every time I closed my eyes, I saw him... and I needed to forget him like he forgot me... and I overdosed..." Harry whispers, his hands shaking and he can feel tears springing to his eyes because that was the first time he'd admitted it out loud. 

He was haunted. 

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February 2021:  

"Hey, Niall... It's Liam Payne. I hope you don't freak out that I'm calling you, especially since it's been well over two years since we last spoke. I got your number out of Louis' phone and I honestly was going to call you months ago but things... things happened.  I'm just calling you because I thought you should know that Harry's... Harry's not doing so well and I honestly don't know what else to do... He's... I'm worried about him and I know that... that if there was any part of you that cared about him back then, you still care about him now. I know he made a mistake, I know he fucked up... but he needs you and I'm... I'm terrified that if you don't at least talk to him that he's... Look, I'm not asking you to forgive him, I'm not asking you to take him back... I'm just asking you to talk to him, explain to him that everything... that everything wasn't his fault. It's killing him, Niall." 

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March 2021: 

"I used to call him Princess cause he wore this bright yellow flower crown around all the time... He used to call me Prince, like Prince Harry... and I had this bike that never worked, which was really how I got him to actually talk to me for the first time. He was walking home in the rain and I just... I wanted to be the knight in shining armor because he was my damsel... My bike wouldn't start though and we had to walk it back to this mechanic shop where his best friend worked... Zayn didn't like me very much, I think it was because he thought I was gonna hurt Niall... which I guess in the end, I did. It's my greatest regret, letting him leave..." 

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April 2021: 

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Horan... We've done everything we could to help your husband but it's simply not working... We have two options in front of us and you can take as long as you need to decide... but basically we can either take him off the life support... or continue to keep him in his current state." 

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May 2021: 

"I'm doing better, Gem." Harry says, trying to keep his voice cheery despite the fact that he was feeling anything but that. He was having another bad day, but they weren't as frequent as they'd once been before he came here. 

"I'm so happy to hear that, H. We miss you so much, especially Tia. She really loved the teddy bear you sent her... sleeps with it every night. Maybe if you're still doing good next week, we can come visit?" Gemma asks, sounding hopeful and Harry didn't have it in him to tell her no. 

"Course, Gem. I'd... I'd really like that." 

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June 2021: 

"Say goodbye to Grandpa, Thomas..." Niall whispers, placing a soft kiss to Thomas' temple as they stand outside by the open grave. Amelia is holding onto Niall's free hand, not wanting to be held close like Thomas. Thomas just waves at the coffin before he's burying his face into Niall's neck. 

"Bye bye, Papa." Amelia says for her brother and Niall feels his heart breaking. 

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July 2021: 

"So I'll be picking you up first thing tomorrow, alright? It'll be after nine though cause I've got to drop Louis off at work before I head down there." Liam says on the other end, earning a nod from Harry as he packs up the rest of his things that he'd gotten with his stay. After eight months, Harry was finally getting out of here. 

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August 2021: 

Niall stands in the doorway of a familiar bar, his hands shaking and his breath catching in his throat cause he wasn't sure if he could do this... It had been nearly three years since he last stepped foot inside... He didn't know what was waiting for him on the other side of that door.

Especially when he told Liam the truth, about everything...

But he had to do it because he was coming home and he wasn't about to have a repeat of Zayn. 

So he walks into that bar, only to stop in complete disbelief as he sees a sight he never thought he would again. 

Harry Styles standing behind the bar.

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HAHAHA, THIS WASN'T A FULL YEAR BUT I WANTED TO STOP IT HERE CAUSE IT'S PERFECT AND A CLIFFHANGER CAUSE WHY THE FUCK NOT. 

shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit, harry's gonna flip. 

qotc: SHIT, WILL NIALL TELL HARRY OR WILL HARRY FIND OUT ON HIS OWN?

dedication goes to NarryNut1211

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connie xx