Louis wakes up in a warm bed. It's not as comfortable as his own, but it's okay. The walls are painted white and a few people are next to his bed.

"Hey, Lou." Zayn smiles softly. "Are you okay, buddy?"

"Hm..." Louis nods. "Tired." He pulls the blanket further over himself after he has looked at the people that are standing around him. Zayn, Perrie and Liam.

No Harry. Of course not...

Just as Louis is about to close his eyes again, he hears a deep voice.

"Lou? Is Louis here?"

He slowly opens his eyes to be immediately met with Harry's green ones, filled with worry. Harry's hand touches Louis' cheek and Louis automatically leans into Harry's touch, until he hears another voice.

"Louis!"

And there is Taylor, wearing high heels and a short white dress that looks incredibly cute on her. Louis immediately turns away from Harry's touch, remembering the pain he was going through.

"I just want to sleep..." Louis' voice is hoarse and he turns away from all the people. He can't deal with them, not with Harry and Taylor at the same time.

"Is everything alright here?" a doctor enters the room as well and at this point Louis wonders if maybe the queen wanted to come over as well. Why the fuck is everybody here? He wants quiet, he wants peace, not every single person on the planet here in his room. "Oh, I see you are awake mister Tomlinson."

"I was about to sleep again." He yawns. "I'm tired. Can I go home?"

"Is there someone at your place that can take care of you?" the man asks.

"No, but-"

"Yes, I will take care of him." Harry interrupts the boy. "Why? Is he okay? Does he need special care?"

"It's not that bad but Louis needs rest. He has been overstressed and he hasn't eaten enough the past couple of days. Mister Tomlinson needs to rest a lot and have proper meals. Also avoid stress. If you can't provide that, I suggest to keep him a bit longer here in-"

"That's not a problem." Harry interrupts the doctor. "I can take care of him, he can stay at my place and I make sure he will eat enough."

Zayn and Liam look at each other, not sure if this is a good idea but both of them are too busy during the day to actually take care of Louis.

"I'll help him." Taylor buts in. "If Harry is busy, I can take over. Louis isn't comfortable in hospitals."

Honestly Louis is too tired to discuss this so when the doctor asks him whether this is okay, he just nods.

--

Louis is led out of the hospital, Harry and Taylor helping him. He feels a bit weak and is still very tired.

Immediately paparazzi runs their way again and Harry feels anger flowing through his body. They were the final drop the first time, can they just leave him the fuck alone? He carefully helps Louis in the car and Taylor sits in front next to Paul.

"Come here, baby." Harry whispers, hand stroking through Louis' hair. "It's okay, you can sleep again." And Louis' head is resting against Harry's shoulder, drifting to sleep again.

He opens his eyes again, feeling at ease in the king size bed. He knows the room, doesn't even need to look around to recognize it. Louis knows the smell, mix of strawberries and expensive cologne.

"There are my favourite pair of blue eyes." Harry coos. "How are you, baby?"

"Better." Louis says honestly. "I'm sorry I'm a bother to you. I could have stayed in the hospital."

"No you couldn't. You're not a bother, Lou you are literally my boyfriend."

"My tv says something else though, Harry." Louis can't help but sound snappy.

"Is it something that you want to discuss right now? The doctor said to avoid stress and-"

"Do you really think I'm peacefully lying here while the whole world thinks my boyfriend is dating my best friend? Because then you're stupid, H."

"I'm sorry, you know that I'm not with her for real, right? That I love you?"

"Of course I know." Louis nods. "But you could have warned me. A call or a text would have been nice, Harry. Now I got fired and I saw you making out with Taylor on the same day and I was so fucking confused and hurt. You kept ignoring my calls..."

"I am so fucking sorry. Taylor told my management about the two of us and-"

"She what?"

"Jeff freaked out and Taylor suggested to be my beard again, to cover it up and of course he agreed. While you left for work, Jeff called me I had to come immediately and then everything happened so fast and then I saw you in the office and all I wanted to do was take your hand and explain everything but I couldn't, Lou. They just dragged me there, made me sign that I no longer represent the company and then right after they called paparazzi to make sure there were enough snaps with me and Taylor together on them. I am so sorry, Louis. I wanted to tell you, I promise but I didn't even know it myself earlier than that."

"'s not your mistake." Louis swallows the gulp in your throat. "I'm sorry I was so harsh on you, it just really hurt me, a lot. I thought that- I asked you to be my boyfriend because you told me there weren't any beards anymore..."

"Louis, no-"

"I love you, H." Louis sobs. "I love you very much but I'm not sure I will be able to just watch you be with someone else, with Taylor."

"Don't do this, Lou. We will find a way, yeah? We're strong, aren't we?"

"We are..." Louis sighs. "But I- I feel like I'm losing everything and everyone around me and it scares the fuck out of me."

"But I'm here, I'm here to stay. I made us something." Harry grabs something out of his pocket. It's silver, the sunlight shining on the piece of jewellery.

"What is it?" Louis asks, studying the silver in Harry's hand.

"It's a necklace of a cabbage, because I'm your cabbage right? And I have this one." Harry's hand goes under his shirt and there appears the same necklace, but a shoe. "Because, you are my shoe and it's just... Only the two of us know about the meaning and every time things get hard, I know that you are here Lou. Please stay..."

"Put on the necklace then, Curly." Louis tries to sound teasing but tears are rolling down his cheeks. This is so romantic, so emotional and he is quite sure his heart is going to burst from love. He gasps when the cold silver makes contact with his skin and then he feels Harry's lips on his cheek, the younger boy kissing him from behind as he closes the necklace.

"This won't be easy." Harry breathes out, foreheads touching each other. "But, I love you Louis and losing you really isn't an option."

"This won't be easy." Louis agrees. He takes the cabbage necklace in his hand and connects his blue eyes with Harry's green ones. "But you are worth the fight, H."