Sorry for disappearing for a few years. A lot happened in life and things changed but here I am trying to finish what I started a few years ago. Enjoy!

***

After reconsidering Zayn's offer to take him out and talking with Louis and Harry about it, Liam decided to say yes. He wanted to see how things would go with the guy because the raven-haired boy seemed to be a nice guy. 

"Hey, Liam. Have you got an answer for me yet? No pressure, of course, take your-" Zayn's rambling was cut off by Liam. 

"Yes, Zayn. Let's go out and see where it leads us." Liam responded shyly. Zayn felt like jumping around the hallways because he was so nervous, thinking Liam would say no. 

"Yes, yes, of course. Let's see where we go and I would like to take you out sometimes. When would you be free?" Zayn asked, barely containing his excitement.

"How about this Friday?" Liam asked. 

"I'm free. Do you want the date to be a surprise or do you wanna plan it with me so we can select a place we both are comfortable with?" Zayn asked because he didn't want to plan something Liam wouldn't like. 

"I would like the second option. I don't like surprises that much." Liam chuckled and Zayn nodded in understanding. 

"Okay. I'll text you some ideas of mine and you text me yours. Let's choose the most exciting one for us. yeah?" Zayn suggested. 

-

Louis was getting bored of today's session and Harry could feel it. 

"Lou, how about we stop this for a while and play FIFA or something? You look bored and I don't think anything I am saying is going into your head." Harry suggested. 

"Yeah, thank fuck. I'm so bored and the fact that Li and Zaynie are going out toning is not helping either." Louis groaned as he jumped into Harry's bed. 

"Yeah, I figured." Harry closed their books before getting into the bed next to Louis. 

"I mean, I love that Li and Zayn are happy. It's just, it would take a little while for me to get used to it. I'm so happy for Li though." Louis explained and Harry hummed in understanding.

"What about you curly? You still don't want to tell me if there is anybody you like?" Louis asked because Harry refused to answer the question very early in their friendship because they were not that close back then, but now they are best friends and Louis doesn't think it's fair that Harry is keeping that secret when he knows everything about Louis. Of course, it's Harry's decision.

"Well, there is someone I like. I have liked them for a very long time." Harry said shyly. He was freaking out inside though because he was not ready to tell Louis that it's Louis that he likes. What if Louis doesn't like him back and they lose their friendship too? Harry won't be able to bear that feeling. 

"For a long time, eh?" Louis nudged Harry's side with his elbow teasingly. 

"Yeah, for 3 years." Harry almost whispered. 

"Wow, curly, that's a long time. Why don't you ask them out? If you tell me who it is, I can help you ask them out." Louis suggested. 'If only you knew that it's you' Harry thought as he let out a sigh.

"Well, it's stupid and it's not gonna happen, I think. He likes someone else anyway." Harry mentally facepalmed for revealing that it's someone who identifies as a 'he'. Louis can easily make deductions based on that because he doesn't interact with many people in his life. 

"A  he, eh? Well, I'm gonna guess who it is and you are to tell me if I'm correct, and if I am not, I'm gonna leave you alone and never ask again, okay?" Louis offered a deal and Harry took it gladly because he knew that Louis was never gonna guess that it was himself. 

"Is it Liam?" Louis asked and Harry couldn't help but laugh. 

"I got it wrong, didn't I? It's just I thought, since you are only close with me and Li, you know." Louis explained why he thought it was Liam. (I'm listening to 'Girl Crush' cover by Harry while writing this. The feels!!!)

"No, no. It's not Liam." Harry chuckled again. 

"Well, it can't be me, of course. Who is it, Harold?" Louis chuckled with Harry. 

"No more questions, remember the deal." Harry quickly avoided the question.

"Okay, okay." The smaller boy put his hand up in surrender. 

-

3 Years Later

Years passed and Harry kept his crush on Louis to himself, never having the courage to ask him out. What he feared the most was losing whatever time he had with Louis as a friend after asking him out. He did not want to lose the friendship they had because it was what had Harry waking up in the morning and losing it would mean losing all hope in life. 

Louis and Harry both got into prestigious colleges in the county but that meant that they had to move far away from each other. It was Harry's third year in college and he could feel himself slipping. There are days he doesn't feel like getting out of his dorm room to go to the classes that used to excite him the most. Studying was Harry's hobby but he didn't want to do any of that some days. He just wanted to lay in his bed and think about how miserable his life was. 

These episodes only happened about twice a year in the last three years and he thought they were just him being stressed with med school because it can be overwhelming sometimes. However, now he is not happy, even when there is nothing to be sad about and this is becoming frequent. His roommate, Niall, tries his best to cheer the curly-haired lad up and it works some days but not every day. 

"Don't you have any classes today?" Niall asked as he got ready for his classes. 

"I do." Harry almost whispered, cuddling further into the covers.

"Okay, Harold, I think you should get ready and get out of this hole, man. It's been what, 3 days now." Niall said seriously worried about his roommate and best friend. 

"I know but I don't want to." Harry groaned as he sat up on the bed. 

"Don't you have some test in a few days? Why don't you at least study for that?" Niall asked because he knew that studying made Harry happy. 

"Yeah, I'll just do that. Don't wanna go for lectures." Harry dragged himself out of the bed, dragging the covers with him, and sat on his desk chair. Niall counted that as progress and smiled to himself before bidding goodbye. 

-

***Warning: Suicide attempt***

"Harry, what the fuck?" Niall screamed when he saw Harry standing on the windowsill of their dorm room's open window. Their room was on the 4th floor of the building and if Harry jumped out of that, it would definitely be the end of him. 

"Oh, Hi Nialler." Harry said, turning around still standing on the windowsill. Niall could see that there were dried tear tracks down Harry's cheeks.

"Get the fuck down from there before you do anything else." Niall was freaking out but he feared if he moved, Harry would do what he was about to do.

"I just don't want to do this anymore, Niall. I'm so tired and he doesn't call me anymore. Not that he has a reason to call me or anything but he could send a simple text saying that he is okay." Harry poured his heart out, seconds away from his death if he misstepped. Niall knew all about Louis and his crush on him. No matter how many times Niall tried to get Harry to ask Louis out, he never did. Maybe that's because Louis was dating someone every time Harry was ready to ask him out. 

"Please get down from there and then we can try calling him again." Niall tried to reason. He was not sure Harry would be willing to try again but he had no other way. Surprisingly, Harry agreed.

"Okay, one last time. I already called him 3 times today." Harry got down from the windowsill, making Niall let out a sigh of relief. He rushed to the window and closed it quickly. Harry grabbed his phone from his desk and dialed Louis' number.

This time the chestnut-haired boy picked the phone up. Talk about luck. 

"Hey, Harold! I'm sorry I was in practice. I just saw your calls. How are you?" Louis' warm voice calmed Harry's nerves. 

-

2 Years Later

When Louis stopped responding to his texts, Harry tried calling him multiple times and he could tell that Louis was busy and didn't want to listen to Harry's ramblings. Therefore, he reduced the calls to once a month but eventually, Louis stopped answering calls or calling Harry back when Harry left voice messages. He would eventually send a message saying that he was busy as hell with life and that text would be enough for Harry for a while until he started missing Louis again. This continued for a while and eventually, Harry started hallucinating Louis, and that is how Harry's mental health started going down the drain once again. Unfortunately, he didn't even have an idea that he was falling into the deep pit of depression and schizophrenia.

He was happy that he could hear Louis talking with him whenever he missed him and he was glad that Louis was always there standing next to him whenever he performed his surgeries or when he lay in his bed. Louis has been with him for a while now and he didn't have to call him to talk to him because he was always there right next to Harry.

Harry came home to his flat in London after his 18-hour shift at the hospital. He was one of the best surgeons in London and it can be exhausting sometimes but he loved his job.

"Honey, I'm home!" He called into the empty flat, except it was not empty for him. He only talked with Louis when he was securely inside his flat because when he did that once in the theatre while performing surgery, the nurses and the other doctors gave him weird looks.

"Yeah, I brought dinner." He responded to Louis asking if he brought dinner as he put the takeout he brought for two on the dining table. He went up the stairs to 'their' bedroom and grabbed some night clothes before getting into the shower. 

When he came out of the shower, he saw his phone flashing on the bed with some texts and then a call. The caller ID said 'Nialler'. 

"Hi, Nialler!" He said cheerily to the phone. 

"Hello! You sound too excited for someone who just finished an 18-hour shift." Niall chuckled. He knew that because he texted Harry this morning and Harry told him that he would call when his shift ended. 

"Well, what can I say? I love my job." Harry chuckled, lying on the bed. He looked down when Louis laid his head on his belly and smiled at the smaller boy. 

"So, anything new these days?" Niall asked. 

"Well, no, same old. Just bought takeout and came home." Harry responded, running his fingers through the smaller boy's hair. "What about you?"

"Well, we started touring America, so exciting times." Niall is pursuing his career as a singer and he is breaking records. Harry couldn't be prouder of his best friend. 

"It's about time I come for another concert of yours. It's been a while since I have been to one. When are you coming back to London?" Harry asked because he really wanted to take Louis to one of Niall's concerts. The last time he went to one, Louis and him were not 'together'.

"Well, you couldn't make it to the concert we had this year so not until next year. This album's tour ends with the American leg." Niall explained. 

"Alright, let me know the dates, so I can book the tickets for us." Harry said and saw Louis sitting up immediately when he said 'us'. 

'Don't mention me, Harry.' Louis mouthed, and Harry nodded with his eyes wide. Louis didn't want Harry to mention him to anybody and Harry obeyed that even though it was weird because they were together and people could literally see them together when they walked the streets or down the hospital hallways. 

"Us? Did you find somebody?" Niall asked excitedly. 

"What? Oh no, I meant my mom and Gemma." Harry quickly covered up and Niall luckily bought it. 

****

A/N - I hope y'all enjoyed the chapter.

I love y'all! Have a nice day/night! (: xxx

-Ash