Chapter Text
October 26th 2006
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Harry's eyes snapped open the moment he heard his alarm go off. The 9-year-old rubbed his eyes, and grinned as he looked up at the glow-in-the-dark stars stuck to his ceiling.
He turned his head towards the clock, the bright lights of the numbers making him smile even more.
7:30am.
Louis would be over soon so they could walk to school together.
"Harry!" Harry heard his mum's voice coming up the stairwell, and into his bedroom. "You awake?"
She was probably in the kitchen, Harry thought, making him some kind of delicious breakfast, like she did every morning.
"Yes mum!" Harry shouted back, throwing the red blankets back as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood up.
"Louis will be here soon!" He heard his mum call out again. "Make sure you're ready!"
"Yes mum!" Harry answered again, this time through a yawn.
Harry stretched his arms above his head and switched on the lights before heading over to his dresser.
He looked in the mirror above it, the outside adorned with stickers and pictures. Some were of he and Louis, some of them with their other friends, some of Liverpool FC, his favourite football team, and the rest were just stars and other decorations he'd stuck there.
He ruffled his unruly curls a little bit as he pulled his pyjama top, blue and printed with a big fish on his chest, off and over his head.
He then took off the matching pants and threw them under his pillow, before making the rest of his bed, like his mum taught him.
He quickly went back to his dresser and pulled out some clothes to put on, running out of his room in his underwear and down the hallway to the bathroom.
The tiny little pitter-patter of his feet managed to catch the attention of his older sister, Gemma, who opened the door to her bed room and stopped her little brother just as he got to the bathroom and closed the door.
"Harry!" The 12-year-old grumbled as she knocked on the door. "It's my turn to go first!"
"No its not!" Harry giggled through the door, pressing his cheek against it as he smiled at his sister's anger.
"Harry!" She squealed again. "I have to get ready for school!"
"So do I." Harry retorted with a grin. "Louis' gonna be here soon!"
"Oh, so you have to look good for your boyfriend?" Gemma teased, making Harry opened the door and poke his head out.
"He's not my boyfriend." Harry stated, before going back inside and closing the door.
"Sure he's not." Gemma rolled her eyes. "Just hurry up."
Inside the bathroom, Harry rolled his eyes too and ignored her, pulling on his clothes.
When he was done, he looked in the mirror and splashed his face with some water before brushing his teeth.
Louis wasn't his boyfriend. He was his best friend. Besides, boys are supposed to like girls, and Harry was still at the age where he thought girls had cooties.
And it was still going to be another couple of years before he realized that it wasn't even girls that he was interested in.
Harry frowned as he looked at himself in the mirror. His hair was so poofy, he didn't like it. It had always been like that, and in the past year it had only gotten curlier and curlier.
Louis teased him about it sometimes, but Harry knew he actually liked it. Sometimes he petted it and called Harry his kitty cat and he liked the tickle on his face when they hugged and it got on his cheek.
So Harry cupped his hands under the tap and splashed some water onto his hair, trying to flatten it.
"Harry!"
Harry groaned when he heard his sisters moaning and incessant knocking on the door yet again.
"Okay!" Harry answered, ruffling his hair one more time before opening the door.
"Finally!" Gemma huffed, pushing past Harry before he ran back down the hallway to his bedroom.
He grabbed his Ninja Turtles backpack, stuffed his homework inside and put it on his bed. He went to his desk and grabbed his folder, decorated with silly pictures that he and Louis drew during class, and his pencil case, that had Louis' handwriting all over the inside.
The older lad enjoyed writing on Harry's school things, it was a way that he could publicly let everyone know that Harry was his best friend.
Harry smiled at the silly drawings, and put them both in his bag.
"Breakfast is ready, love!" Harry heard Anne shout from the kitchen.
"Coming!" Harry answered, slinging his bag over his shoulder as he grabbed his favourite jacket and headed downstairs.
When he got to the bottom, he rounded the corner into the kitchen to see his mum in front of the stove, cooking some eggs for her son.
"Good morning, mummy." Harry chirped, running up behind her and hugging her waist, his tiny head only reaching her stomach.
"Morning sweetie." She answered, hugging him back as she leant down to kiss the top of his head.
Then Harry went around to the other side of the bench, climbing up on one of the breakfast bench stools.
He dropped his bag and jacket on the floor as he settled into the seat, awaiting the food.
He had to kneel, but he didn't mind. It was worth having a delicious breakfast.
Anne smiled as she placed a steaming hot plate of food in front of him, and he smiled.
"Thanks mummy!" Harry clapped his hands before grabbing his knife and fork and beginning.
"Done your homework?" She asked as he placed her chin in her hand and smiled at him.
Harry nodded, his mouth full of eggs, making his mum laugh a little.
"Good morning, Styles!"
Harry heard the woman speak and front door slam closed and immediately looked towards the kitchen doorway.
Louis and his mum, Jay, had just walked in and were entering the kitchen.
"Hello, Jay." Anne smiled at her, before turning her gaze to Louis. "Hi Louis."
"Hello, Annie." Louis chimed, waving to her quickly before running over to Harry.
The little boy smiled at his best friend and climbed up into the chair next to him.
"Curly!" He greeted him with a hug, which Harry returned, his mouth full of food.
Curly was the name Louis had given Harry so long ago, neither could remember, because of his crazy curly hair.
"Hi Wouwee." He grinned before licking up some of the eggs hanging from the corner of his mouth.
"You're gross." Louis shook his head. "Eat properly, you loser."
So Harry made a show of eating like a caveman, shoving his food in his mouth as he chewed and stared directly at Louis.
The mother's didn't pay them any attention, they just let them be. It was better that way. No one could understand the two boy's bond, they were very close, so it was better if no one tried.
Louis giggled and tried to push Harry away as he made faces at him, that's when he felt his hair.
"Your hair's wet!" Louis exclaimed, taking his hand back.
"It was too poofy." Harry shrugged.
"So you wet it?" Louis asked.
"Yeah." Harry nodded. "It made it less poofy."
"Awh." Louis pouted, his bottom lip sticking out. "But I like your crazy hair."
"Harry," Anne scolded her son, interrupting their little conversation. "C'mon, finish up now."
Louis nodded along with her, crossing his arms as he tried to imitate her, making Harry roll his eyes.
"Yes mum." Harry grumbled, swallowing down one last mouthful before pushing the plate away.
So Anne took the plate and Harry jumped down off the chair, putting on his jacket as Louis did the same and they went to sit on the couch.
Harry turned on the TV and Louis jumped next to him, their arms and legs touching as they sat side by side.
"Please don't put on Ninja Turtles again." Louis smiled, and the other boy looked at him. "You've already made us watch all of them, Harry."
"Well." Harry poked his tongue out at him. "Since you asked nicely." He teased, handing the remote to him.
But right as Louis touched it, Harry jerked it back.
"HA!" He laughed. "There's no way I'd let you turn off Ninja Turtles."
"Harry!" Louis laughed, tackling him so he was on top of him on the couch.
Harry let out a shriek and started laughed as Louis put his knees on either side of Harry's hips and sat on him, trying to grab the remote.
The boys laughed and laughed as they wrestled, their chests pressed together
"Shouldn't you boys be heading off?" Jay asked them as she appeared, leaning in the doorway. "You'll be late to school if you don't head off soon."
Louis looked up at her, and got off of Harry, the both of them standing up as they giggled and shoved each other lightly.
"Yeah." Louis nodded as the two of them went back to the kitchen and got their bags.
"Bye mum." Harry smiled at Anne and gave her another hug, while Louis did the same thing with Jay.
Then, they rugged up and headed out the door, saying one last goodbye before the door was closed and they were outside.
"C'mon!" Harry eyes glistened as he took Louis hand and pulled him down the little steps.
They walked side-by-side down the front path and then out the little gate, onto the pavement where they walked past Louis' house, next door, and then onwards to their school.
"Did you read that book we were supposed to read?" Louis asked as they swung their hands.
"Yeah." Harry smiled and nodded. "I kinda liked it."
"You're so weird, Curly." Louis laughed. "Why do you like reading so much?"
"Because it's fun!" Harry answered with a smile. "Why don't you like it?"
"Because it's boring." Louis replied, shaking his head.
"Well I think it's fun." Harry commented, with a grin.
"Of course you do, you dork." Louis laughed, and Harry laughed along with him, knowing he was only joking.
Louis squeezed Harry's hand, and the curly headed boy smiled.
And that was how it went, LouisandHarry, HarryandLouis. Everywhere they went, they went together.
They were the best of friends, incredibly close and always had been. Since they day their families moved in next to each other, Anne and Jay had become close friends, and so had their sons.
Harry's older sister liked Louis' younger ones, and they played dolls together a lot.
Which meant Harry and Louis got to play together all the time.
They had sleepovers where they watched films, played make-believe in the tree-house and walked to and from school together where they talked and watched clouds and just enjoyed being boys.
And everyday was the best day when they were together.
Until it was all gone.