We almost Had it

**

For a while, Louis' life followed a familiar rhythm.

Days were spent working on music, traveling between studios, balancing the chaos of his career with the responsibilities of fatherhood. He was a co-parent now, navigating the delicate balance of raising Freddie alongside his ex, figuring out how to be the best dad he could while still keeping a grasp on everything else.

It wasn't easy.

Some days, it felt impossible.

Louis and his girlfriend—ex-girlfriend now—had tried to make it work. They had built something steady, something safe, something that wasn't built on old wounds and unspoken words. But it wasn't enough.

Not for her.

Not for him.

Maybe it never had been.

So, they parted ways. It was amicable, as much as a breakup could be. They agreed to co-parent, to be civil, to put Freddie first. But it didn't make it hurt any less. It didn't make Louis feel any less like his life was crumbling around him all over again.

The band was gone.

His relationship was gone.

And once again, Louis felt like he was standing still while everything around him kept moving.

He wasn't sure how he ended up at the pub that night.

It wasn't like he was looking for anything in particular—just an excuse to be out of the house, away from the empty hotel room waiting for him. He had a few drinks, not enough to be drunk, but enough to take the edge off, enough to quiet the thoughts in his head for a while.

By the time he made it back to his hotel, it was late. The city outside was quiet, the streetlights casting long shadows against the pavement.

Louis kicked off his shoes, letting out a long sigh as he flopped onto the hotel bed, his body sinking into the mattress. His head felt heavy, his limbs sluggish, and all he wanted was to let himself drift.

Without thinking, he grabbed his phone and pressed shuffle on his playlist.

And of fucking course, it had to be Harry.

A song he hadn't heard before, something new, something he wasn't prepared for.

Louis exhaled sharply, closing his eyes as the opening notes filled the room.

Then, Harry's voice.

"You got a new life
Am I bothering you?
Do you wanna talk?"

Louis' chest tightened.

He shouldn't be listening to this. He knew he shouldn't.

But he couldn't stop.

"We share the last line
Then we drink the wall
'Til we wanna talk"

It was him.

It had to be.

Louis let his phone fall onto his chest, staring up at the ceiling as the song continued, Harry's voice thick with something that felt too familiar.

"I go 'round and 'round
Satellite
Spinning out, waiting for you to pull me in
I can see you're lonely down there
Don't you know that I am right here?"

Fuck.

Louis squeezed his eyes shut, inhaling sharply.

Was it about him? Maybe. Maybe not. It didn't fucking matter. Because whether Harry had meant it that way or not, Louis felt it.