Chapter Text
The house plant died. How could it die? Louis could look after anything and everything plant related, and yet the stupid little succulent in his room died. It mocked him. Sitting on his windowsill, in the perfect spot for sunlight and air, it got watered… not frequently but enough for it to not randomly drop dead.
Louis wasn’t being dramatic. The stupid plant dropped dead. A couple days ago it was green and flourishing. Today? Limp and… deceased.
Louis was a farmer for God’s sake! His entire livelihood revolved around keeping plants and animals alive. Yet, Cactus Everdeen, his beloved cactus died. He managed to kill a fucking cactus.
As he opened the maroon rustic looking curtains to let the soft cold morning light in, he shivered. The frost had collected around the base of the window, fogging the glass making it almost impossible to look out over the acers of farmland.
The winter was usually a quiet time for the farm. Autumn had just gone, the village fairs end, lambs and baby animals begin to grow up, and there weren’t hundreds and thousands of crops to tend.
Winter for the farm usually included cleaning, repairing, spending money, and recovering.
Budgeting isn’t one of Louis’ betrothed activities, but he knows it must be done eventually.
He moves away from the windowsill, making a mental note to remove the dead plant from his room later. He grabbed his phone off the old dark stained wooden bedside table and plugged it in the charge, happy to see the red battery icon turn green.
One slightly depressing side of living deep within the English countryside, is the lack of power, internet, and service. The only time he can use his electricity is in the day, the extortionately expensive solar panels are his only form of energy, and as soon as the sun sets so does the power.
Another shitty thing about the winter is that the sun rises later and sets earlier. Shorter days means shorter power eventually meaning Louis is bored out of his mind for the entire evening.
Louis could probably buy an entire cactus room with the amount of money he spends on candles, torches, and batteries every year. Then again it isn’t all his money.
The farm isn’t even ‘technically’ his, he just works here. The farmer, caretaker, light and heart of the farm and mother and father of many chickens, pigs, and sheep. He lives here alone, running the estate for a family he hasn’t really met.
Well, Louis and his father used to work for the household, which consisted of a couple too old to take care of the farm themselves. Louis and his dad worked and lived here. All Louis knew was the farm and he wouldn’t want it any other way.
Except, throughout the years, the husband of the couple died, old age, so it wasn’t a bad way to go. He lived a better life then Cactus Everdeen. When Louis hit the age of is early twenties, his dad died. Heart attack. Out of nowhere. And Louis had absolutely nobody apart from the little old lady and the farm. Martha, the woman took Louis in like her own, cared for him the best of her abilities and he did the same for her. They were a good duo. And they were happy that way, and they lived like that for a while, Louis looked after the farm, and she looked after Louis.
Until it was also Martha’s time. Leaving Louis in a cold dark farm by himself in the middle of nowhere, without anything but a fuck ton of plants and sheep.
What he didn’t know, was that the couple had planned on Louis taking over the farm. Shocking news for Louis when the lawyers came over and read him through the will. Louis, that day, found out he had been given 50% of the farm and land and a huge sum of money to survive on. It felt weird knowing the land was his, even though he had lived here and called the place home from the day he opened his little blue eyes, it was a different type of home when your name is on the lease.
It was his… well half his.
Louis hadn’t even really thought about who the other half was signed to. Why would he? He hasn’t met them. They don’t live here and have had absolutely no problem with what he was doing with the farm. Well, until later that very morning.
Late morning (which Louis considered to be around 8am… it feels like late morning when you’re up at 5am each day) Louis walked past the couple sets of chicken coops with his small wicker basket collecting eggs and checking in on the chickens. He planned on taking them down to the small village shop to give to the owner to sell, free of charge. The owner, and close friend Niall had been given daily eggs by Louis for years. Considering Louis had almost a hundred eggs per morning, he wasn’t really missing out on anything, and he loved to give back to the community he lived in. Even if it was by giving his friend free eggs to sell. It also gave Louis a reason to not hide in the farm by himself for days on end. Forcing to socialise with town folk.
It can get rather lonesome on the farm, especially in spring and summer when its nonstop all day and night, it can be easy to slip into isolation.
Louis isn’t proud to say that he probably speaks to himself and the animals more than actual people at this point. He doesn’t mind that though. There are only a handful of people around his age where he lives, and even though his getting on in years, he isn’t at the point of wanting to hang out with middle aged farmers.
‘’McNugget you are looking extra fluffy today’’ Louis speaks, eyeing his most prized chicken. The bar was pretty low, it was just the chicken which bit him the least and actually didn’t run away when he entered the coop. He smiled and picked up her egg before placing it in the now heavy basked.
As he stood up, stretching his back he noticed a small figure in the distance walking up his stone gravel driveway towards the main house.
Louis squinted to see if he could make out who it was, and after having no luck trying to see through the thick winter fog, he decided to leave the rest of the stray eggs and walk back to the house.
‘’Can I help?’’ Louis called out in the cold air, fog leaving his mouth in front of him. The man seemed to jump a little and turned to him. He was in a pristine black ironed suit, white shirt, and almost perfectly polished black work shoes if it wasn’t for the dirty walk up the pavement to the house.
He looked a lot more put together than Louis as he wore a pair of dark blue washed tatty jeans, thick enough to withstand the cold, wet muddy wellies from the grass, a grey fleece and a black gilet, which was also warn though and tatted. Lastly a knitted beanie which sat perfectly to protect his ears which Martha knitted for him a little before she passed.
As Louis scanned the man’s face, he wasn’t met by some old scary lawyer or taxman. He was young, fresh faced. He had a strong clean face, powerful jawline, and bright green eyes. He was pretty perfect to look at. He had a couple forehead wrinkles, which Louis knew was down to stress and not age.
It made Louis a little self-conscious on his own appearance, his hair had grown out to meet his shoulders, with no shape to it at all and his facial hair had gotten to an embarrassing length.
Louis watches as the man judgmentally scanned him from head to toe. He was taller than Louis and a little more built. Louis didn’t like his vibe immediately.
‘’Can I help you?’’ The man spoke right back to Louis. His voice snobbish and with a hint of disgust Louis wished he could slap off.
‘’What are you doing on my property?’’ Louis asked, all niceties out the window. If this man doesn’t start speaking in the next ten seconds, he won’t hesitate to pull out his rifle and threaten the man with it like he sees people do in movies. That always works right? Movies are just like real life… right?
‘’Your property? I think you’ll find that it is you who is trespassing on my property.’’ He says, standing to fully face Louis, crossing his arms over his suit to look more powerful. It would work if Louis was a pussy.
‘’I own the land’’ Louis stated, the man rubbed a hand over his forehead, looking between the basket of eggs and the patch of mud on Louis’ chin.
‘’This was my grandparents house, now my house. So why are you here?’’ He stated and Louis felt like he had instantly been slapped round the face with a fish, or a dead cactus.
Yet, after Louis clocking on to the realisation that the pristine prince in front of him must hold the other half of the property Louis frowned. Then smiled evilly, oh he was going to have so much fun telling this prick the one small detail he must have missed. That the property wasn’t fully his.
Louis stood in the cold. Basket on the floor as he waited for the man he knew as ‘Styles’ stood a couple meters away from him, on the phone to someone who obviously didn’t give him the answers he was looking for. Styles looked like he was having a toddler strop the second Louis explained and proved that the estate was also legally his as well.
Styles went off to call his family lawyer, who obviously confirmed what Louis told him. He eventually hung up and walked back over to Louis who he greeted with a smug look.
‘’Okay so maybe we do share the land’’ He muttered, and Louis loved that he had won against the lanky man. Who looked too pristine for his own good, his curly locks bouncing just off his shoulders.
‘’If I invite you in for a cup of tea and a conversation as to why you are here, will you promise not to kill me? Or any plants? There’s been to many deaths today’’ Louis muttered the last part, but the man heard and sent him a worried puzzled expression. Louis, as much as he hated it could see the man almost freezing to death in the morning frost and wanted to get him… and most importantly himself warmed up.
‘’Sure, and who died?’’ He asked a little stunned.
‘’Promise?’’ Louis shot back and the man just nodded, he turned around, allowing the man to follow him inside the main house.
‘’Who died?’’ He asked again, following Louis’ move as he took his wellies off in the small wreck room before getting inside. As elegant as Louis likes to believe he is… he didn’t quite cover up him almost falling over himself. He also pretended he didn’t hear the man behind him snigger. Because if he did, Louis might have room for one more death today.
‘’My cactus’’ Louis answered blatantly, opening the door to the small hallway which smelt of old wood, candles, and fresh bread. He couldn’t help but smile at the place he called home. It was old fashioned he will admit, and obviously not everyone’s cup of tea but he loved it. It had charm and character. The walls were wooden panelled painted white, and all the window frames were painted a dark olive-green colour, The floor was a dark wood, the original flooring. Louis would love some carpet, but he knew he would ruin it instantly with the amount of mud he trugs through.
He shows the man through the hall into the kitchen, it looked like your everyday cottage kitchen, with old, tiled floors and appliances, an AGA cooker instead of a stove and a massive pantry. It was light and airy, and Louis loves it.
Louis motioned to the small circular birch wood table as he walked to the tap, filling the kettle with water to make some tea. He could feel the eyes on the back of his head.
‘’You killed a cactus?’’ The man finally asked, and Louis turned around with a huff.
‘’Look Cactus Everdeen was beloved plant, and the death is still fresh so please don’t mock me Styles’’ Louis sighed and turned back around pretending he didn’t notice the small smile creep onto the mans face out the corner of his eye.
He placed two cups of tea down on the table before sitting himself down opposite the stranger.
‘’So?’’ Louis began, raising an eye at the man.
‘’So?’’ He replied, trying to challenge Louis which in all honesty, he didn’t have the patience for.
‘’Why are you here, after all these years.’’ Louis was going straight in with the deep questions. He cupped his tea, warming his hand up.
‘’I came to see the farm and sell it’’ Styles said, and Louis was so glad he hadn’t sipped his tea yet otherwise it would have been spat out all over the man.
‘’No!’’ He said a little loudly and defensively.
‘’Yes?’’ The man began. ‘’I have no use for it and in all honestly, I could do with the money’’ he sipped his tea smugly and watched as Louis panicked.
He couldn’t lose the farm. There was no way Styles could sell the farm without him, right? Like something about ‘mutual agreement’ and all that bullshit.
‘’This farm is my livelihood. My home’’ Louis couldn’t help but feel exposed and vulnerable. This man wanted to take away the last thing Louis had left.
‘’I think you’ll find it’s my family home’’ Styles challenged.
‘’Then where have you been all this time? Where were you when Gregory died? Who was the one who took care of the farm for Martha? Who was with her during her final days because I swear to hell it wasn’t you.’’ Louis snapped. He didn’t mean to, and he realised it probably wasn’t the best way to get through to the other man. He sighed, sat back on the old wooden chair, and sipped his tea.
‘’Look, I didn’t know there was someone even living here and running the place till ten minutes ago, let alone someone else owning the property alright’’ he said in defeat and Louis could agree there. He guesses both are at a loss.
‘’Look Styles’’ Louis began.
‘’Harry’’ He interrupted, and Louis turned his head in question. ‘’Harry, my name. My surnames Styles’’ He finished, and Louis nodded.
‘’Okay well Harry… I’m Louis by the way, I’m sorry but I will never agree to sell this place, so we need to come up with an alternative’’ He spoke calmly.
The conversation carried on just the same, bickering. Back and forth for ages. The tea had been drunk and the fog had cleared a little. Louis was tired. He hardly speaks to someone for a small conversation, let alone a massive debate.
The conversation ended by Harry giving Louis some hard facts. The truth of the farm. It wasn’t making any money. Not enough to make it worth investing in. It wasn’t completely new; Louis did know the farm wasn’t the best in the business and usually relied on the sum of money he had been given by Martha.
Louis was also told that if he didn’t agree to sell, Harry would take it to court to get full custody of the estate. And both him and Louis knew he would win, it was his family’s home, and the farm didn’t make enough money for the favour to be given to Louis. Afterall, in the eyes of the law Louis was only the caretaker.
The rug was being swept from underneath Louis and there wasn’t much ground left to stand on. He knew, that in a couple months’ time, the farm wouldn’t be his, and he wouldn’t have anything left.
The conversation didn’t really end. Louis’ old grandfather clock dinged at 10am reminding him he needs to head over to the shop to give Niall his eggs. And as much as he wanted to escape from Harry, there was no way in hell he would be leaving him alone in his house.