Only a few days had gone by since Harry had woken up from his coma, and he was already easily falling back into the swing of things—as if he had never even been gone.

Niall was already telling him all about the new specials at Nandos that he had missed—and he reassured Harry countless times that he would, "make sure you don't miss out ever again." Harry always felt a sense of adoration when it came to Niall. Niall was always the jokester of the group, but he was also incredibly insecure, but the fact that he tried to make everyone else happy before himself always warmed Harry's heart.

Zayn, always the fashionista, was already discussing with Harry possible outfit swaps ("Well can I borrow that blazer? I'll trade you my pair of Jordan's for your Toms…").

Zayn also discussed with Harry some new harmonies he had been working on for the pair of them for their new album. Although Harry's voice was very weak, he was able to sing along with him. Sure, his throat hurt a bit afterwards, but it was then that Harry realized how much he loved singing, and how much he missed it without even really knowing it.

If anyone had made it seem like nothing had ever happened, it was Liam. Harry loved Liam like a brother, but sometimes he wanted to punch him as if he really were one. On top of making it painfully obvious that nothing was going to change, he was also as overbearing, if not more so, than his own damn mother!

At first, Harry didn't mind the excessive fluffing of his pillows, or the constant questions of, "Are you okay?" and "Do you need anything else?" and "Are you sure?".

But it had been four days, and Harry was tired of being babied.

"Harry, do you need anything—"

"No, Liam."

"Are you sure?"

Harry pinched the bridge of his nose, "Yes, I am positive." He snapped with an exasperated sigh.

Louis frowned and shot him a concerned glance, "What's the matter?"

Harry groaned, leaning back into his newly fluffed pillow, "I love you, Liam. But I am not a child—you don't need to keep treating me like I'm—"

"—Like you are what, Harry?" Liam snapped, surprising Harry with his annoyed tone. "Like you are sick? Like you've just been in a coma for three months? Sorry for treating you like something you are, Haz!"

Harry stuttered, "I'm not that sick, anymore, Liam."

Liam threw up his hands in slight frustration, letting them both drag down his face, "It's not that you aren't sick now, Harry. I'm trying to prevent you from getting sick again—"

"I won't get sick—"

Liam took a deep breath and exhaled, "I don't think you understand how bad it's been since you've been gone, Harry."

Harry cocked his head to the side, utterly confused. "W—what do you mean?"

Liam half laughed, half scoffed and he took a seat at the edge of Harry's bed, letting his hand rest on Harry's arm,

"The reason I'm so protective of you is because I don't want you to end up back in the hospital in a coma again. I want you to be healthy. The past three months have been dreadful. Niall got into binge eating, Zayn didn't talk to anyone, and Louis—"

At his name Liam stopped abruptly and looked down, shaking his head. Harry, who was startled by the quick pause in the conversation, bent his head to try to catch eye contact with Liam,

"Liam? What is it?"

Liam sighed and looked up from the spot he was staring at on the bed sheets and wiped a small tear from his eyes as he did so. Harry's look of annoyance turned into one of sympathy,

"Liam, what's wrong?"

As if he had never stopped midsentence, Liam continued, "Louis took it the hardest, Harry. I tried to keep his spirits up; I tried to get him to move on. But I couldn't. No one could. He wouldn't show up to rehearsals, he wouldn't be as enthusiastic as he was when you were around. He was…hallow. He was empty. It was so hard to watch, Harry. You gotta understand—and you know how Louis is! He's always so happy, so carefree. But when you were gone…he was a completely different person."

"So I guess the real reason I am so nurturing towards you, is so that way, I know you will be healthy, and if you are healthy, Louis will be happy. And then you two can be happy—"

"Us two?" Harry asked, the pit of his stomach flipping over. Trying to play stupid was hard when you knew exactly what was going on.

For the first time, Liam smiled and he gave Harry a knowing stare, "Oh come on, Harry. Don't play dumb."

Damn it.

"What are you talking about?" Harry said, still trying to keep up his act. To be honest, he really didn't know why he was pretending in the first place—he knew how he felt, and he was almost sure he knew how Louis felt. But knowing those feelings and actually acting on them were two completely different things.

Liam's eyes glistened as he spoke, "I can't speak for everyone, Harry. But I know. I know you and Louis are…obviously more than best friends." The smile that broke from his lips was evident, and also infectious. So much so that Harry too began to smile.

"I mean, we aren't anything right now...we just…I mean, I just—"

"You just what, Harry?" Liam asked.

Harry looked down at his hands and played with the top of his bed sheets, twisting the cheap material around his fingers, "I don't know what to say." Harry finally finished, letting out a light laugh.

Liam nodded, "If you're worried about getting our approval—you know you have it. We just want you and Louis to be happy. If it's with each other, or with other people, or boys, or girls, or both," He smiled, "It doesn't matter to us who it's with, as long as you are happy… so are we."

Harry let out a breath of relief and shrugged. He knew in the back of his mind that his band mates would be fine with the fact that he was bi sexual, and that he loved Louis very much. But hearing the words out loud comforted him. They were concrete, and he was very thankful that his best friends so understood.

"I know that, I just…I haven't had a moment to talk to Louis alone about it."

Liam laughed, "And we probably aren't helping you much with that, are we? Us all being here all of the time? Never giving you a moment alone?" He gave Harry an apologetic look, "Sorry mate."

"Well, I can't blame you." Harry said with an understanding tone. "And I do want you guys here, but I know I've been dying to talk to Louis alone." Harry said the last few words almost as an afterthought. It was true, he had wanted to talk to Louis, but with everything that had been going on, they never got the chance too.

And Harry knew he would be able to in due time, but he just hated waiting. Harry was impatient, and when he wanted something, he had to have it.

Liam stood up from the bed and ruffled Harry's hair, "Alright then. Well, I think my time with you is up—"

"What?" Harry asked, coming out of his daze.

"—Yeah. I, uh…need to go. To get food. Yes. I need to go get food…with Niall—"

"Liam..." Harry said warily.

"Well I must be off," Liam smiled and grabbed his jacket off of a sitting chair, "I think the next person to come is Louis. So I guess that means Zayn, Niall and I will be getting food. Far. Away. From. Here."

Harry shook his head, "Liam, you don't have to do this."

The singer shrugged in response, "I know, but I want to." He opened the door and walked out, shouting before swinging it shut behind him, "See you later!"

As the door shut behind Liam, Harry took a shuddering breath, letting his head lean back against his pillow. He allowed himself to smile, and his eyes began to droop closed as he thought of Louis, and how they were finally going to be alone.

Finally.

Louis briskly walked from the entrance of the hospital and down the hallway to the familiar room. From what he understood from Liam's frantic phone call, he and Harry were finally going to be alone. To talk everything out.

Louis thought it was a bit silly, to have this plan to get him and Harry alone. But at the same time, he thought it was almost necessary: he had only gotten released from the hospital four days ago, and since then, Harry always had two or more people surrounding him, making sure he was okay.

And Louis couldn't blame everyone for being so protective—heck, he was protective—but he had been wishing for a time when the two could finally be alone and now he had it.

He sighed.

He just had to make sure everything went perfectly.

He slowed his brisk strut to a slow walk as he approached the door, taking a deep breath as he turned to doorknob.

The open door revealed the same, mundane hospital room, only with hundreds of letters and postcards from fans, as well as a dozen bouquets of flowers and get well cards.

Louis' eyes darted from the gifts to the bed, and breathed as he saw Harry in a very deep slumber.

He carefully walked to the edge of the bed, sitting on it and letting his hand rub up and down the younger boy's arm.

After a few moments, Harry's eyes fluttered open, and he grunted as his orbs landed on Louis,

"Hi." He said sleepily.

"Hello. I'm sorry to have woken you."

"Don't you think, given the circumstances, I should be thanking you for that?"

"Good point."

Harry held out his hand to Louis, who graciously took his hand and squeezed it. Harry smiled down at their entwined fingers,

"I'm so glad I can do this with you now instead of just in a dream. I love that it's real."

Louis chuckled and took a seat at the bed, never letting go of Harry's hand. He stared at their hands, then back at Harry. His heart began thumping in his chest wildly; he knew Harry was right, and that everything was real. That everything he felt was real.

But he was still afraid.

Because what if what Harry had felt in his dream were just feelings that were to remain…in his dreams? He knew he couldn't blame Harry if that were the case, because it had happened to him before.

Many times Louis would dream of wanting something, or someone. And in his dream, it would be his greatest desire, but when he woke up, that thing or person he so desperately wanted didn't appeal to him anymore.

He was afraid that was going to be the case with Harry. The Harry wouldn't want him anymore.

And that terrified him.

However, he knew the only way to know how Harry truly felt was by doing something he wouldn't expect. If Louis were to ask Harry how he felt, he had a feeling Harry would lie to make Louis feel better, regardless if it made him happy or not. Because that was the type of person Harry was.

So Louis had to come up with something else—another way to get the truth out of Harry.

And in the end…he only came to one solution.

"Harry," He began slowly, letting his thumb run over Harry's knuckles.

"Hmm?"

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

"Louis, what are you—"

Harry was cut off mid sentence by Louis' lips placed softly on his own. At first, he was frozen, because he really didn't know what to do. It wasn't that he hadn't kissed anyone before (because trust, he had) but this was different. This kiss was different.

Louis' hand gently went from gripping Harry's hand to sliding over the younger boys back, and suddenly, Harry felt incredibly comfortable with Louis kissing him. At the same time, the kiss was so soft, yet so meaningful, that Harry was having a hard time breathing. He was also getting incredibly dizzy, and suddenly, the heart monitor that stood next to Harry's bed began to beep rapidly.

Louis pulled back immediately, his hands cradling Harry's face, and his eyes searching him wildly, "Haz, are you alright? What's wrong? What can I do?"

Harry put a hand on his chest, and then one to his forehead. And he shook his head,

"No, no I'm fine Lou. I'm fine…that's just what you do to me."

"So you're saying I'm giving you a heart attack?" He asked shaking his head, "Brilliant." He muttered.

Harry took his hand, "No, no. I'm not saying that. I'm saying…well…don't you know when you get happy, your heart beats fast? Or when you see someone you…you—ah to hell with it—when you see someone you love, your heart beats faster?"

Louis stared at him, shell shocked, and without blinking. He let out a shaky breath, "You—you love?"

Harry rolled his eyes and smiled, "Yes, you dim witted boy. I—I love you. Didn't you already know that? I told you in the—the dream. I meant every word I said. In every dream."

Louis couldn't help but shake his head and give Harry a small smile, and a look that showed his complete adoration for him. He no longer felt afraid, because his plan had surprisingly worked.

"I love you too, Harry. More than I can really put into words."

Harry let out a sigh of relief, "Well, good, because if not, my profession would have made me look incredibly stupid."

"You couldn't look stupid if you tried," Louis replied easily, letting his hand play with Harry's hair.

"Oh shut it and kiss me already."

"I would, but I don't want you to go into cardiac arrest."

Harry shrugged, "I'll take my chances." He wound his arms around Louis neck and pulled him in for another searing kiss.

Harry didn't know the correct word to use when it came to describing what it was like to kiss Louis, because it was indescribable. It might possibly be the easiest thing he had ever done, because it felt so right to him. Everything did. Louis, the dreams—it was almost as if everything that happened to them was supposed to happen.

Louis pulled away from Harry and he let his forehead rest on Harry's, both trying to catch their breaths.

"So," Louis began, nodding to the heart monitor, "How's your heart?"

"Never better." Harry replied with a toothy grin.

Louis sighed, "You think this is something you can get used to?"

"What? The crazy beeping from the monitor or…us?"

Louis gave him a knowing look, "Us."

Harry shook his head and grinned, leaning up and kissing Louis again, deepening the kiss and pulling Louis closer to him again. Louis easily gave him, opening his mouth and slipping his tongue into Harry's, a moan escaping his throat.

Oh yes, this was something Harry could definitely get used to.