Prompt: Harry getting to go back in time and change something bad that happened in their past with Louis.
Title from The 1 by Taylor Swift

Hope you enjoy it!
Words:1.7K

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Harry couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe that he was given a chance to fix everything. To fix a stupid, stupid mistake he had made. To get rid of all the sleepless nights filled with tears and regret that had hollowed him on the inside. To get rid of the ache in his bones that increased with every crack of dawn. To get rid of all the bad memories,

And have his heart back.
His best friend back.
His first love back.
His sunshine back.

His Louis back.

His hands trembled as he wrapped a coat around himself and stepped into the dome that would take him back to the most unfortunate night of his life.

December 15th, three years ago

Harry gasped when he felt the ground under him jerk, but then realized that it had worked.

He was back on the streets of Holmes Chapel, Cheshire.

He had had only thirty minutes in hand, to fix everything and get back. And so, with a scarf covering everything but his eyes, he began to walk towards his old home.

He stilled at the front door. The oak door which he and Louis had painted blue during the summer the year before. Tears pooled his eyes at the 'Hario + Louigi' in a heart sloppily carved in the frame of the door, with several x-eyed smiley faces he remembered his mum and Jay had reprimanded them for. His fingertips grazed the indentation, and he wished he could pluck it out and hide it in his heart forever.

But there wasn't time to dwell over old carvings and shards of wood. He knew mum and step-dad were not at home. He was alone that night. And so, shakily, he brought his hand up and knocked.

His heartbeat synced with the hurried footsteps, heart hammering against his ribs like his feet against the wooden floors on the other side of the door.

A few seconds later, the door clicked open to reveal a much shorter, younger and confused sixteen-year-old Harry, who was squinting at him.

"Yes?"
"Uhm, hi, are you Harry? Harry Styles?" He inquired and tried to keep his voice steady.
"Yes. And you are?"
"Uh, I'm, uh, Marcel. One of Louis' mates?"
"What do you need?"
"I need to talk to you Harry, it's really important."
"Uh, okay, come in." He moved aside to let him in. He internally scolds his younger self for letting in strangers, but he was thankful for it at the same time. He needed that.
"What's up Marcel?"

Harry took in a deep breath.

"Okay Harry, so I know this isn't right, but I kind of overheard your conversation with Lucas from, uhm, yesterday."
Younger Harry's eyes widened.
"Harry I just need you to do one thing for me." He continued. "Louis is right, Lucas isn't a good guy. Even you know that, don't be with him for the sake of suppressing your feelings for Louis."
"How do you know I have feelings for Louis?! Who even are you?!" his younger self said, voice rising as he wrapped his arms around himself protectively.
Harry sighed.

"Harry, just, I can explain, okay? Just listen to me, please." He asked, voice desperate.

A beat of silence passed between them before younger Harry gestured towards the sofa, asking him to sit down. Harry sighed as he took a seat, his younger self following.

"What d'you wanna tell me? And how do you know I like Lou?" He mumbled.
"I just, know, okay?" He hadn't thought that part through. "Uh, the way you look at him, you two are so close, it's pretty obvious." He quickly adds. "But the other day, I heard what Lucas said to you. Louis isn't trying to distance himself from you, Harry, he actually likes you back." He said, scrunching his nose at his younger self's loud gasp.
"Does he? But he has-"
"He's just pretending to be with her, H, he really likes you back. He even has something to tell you, something really important. I just want you to do one thing for me Harry, one thing."
"What?" Sixteen-year-old Harry hesitantly asked.
"I need you to go to Louis' place. Like, immediately after I leave, before Lucas comes over." He cringed at the memory.

Lucas. The boy everyone fawned over. Also, the boy who smuggled alcohol into parties. Also, the Lucas known for being a jerk.

Unable to suppress his feelings for his best friend he'd grown up with, Louis had asked Hannah for help. Reluctant at first, she had eventually agreed, and the pair had started "dating" as soon as their final year began. He knew it was wrong, but he didn't want to lose his best friend.

Louis was about to move to Paris for University. Harry didn't know that. With Hannah in the picture for a whole year, the boys had drifted apart, and it was hurting the both of them.

And Harry had decided to be foolish and make a grave mistake on the last day of school, before summer break.

Louis had invited him that evening to tell him something.

But he wouldn't go to Louis' place. Louis didn't even want him any more, he had thought. Lucas would pick him up, take him to a party, where he'd forced him to drink. And when Louis had come looking for him, he'd pushed him away. Yelled at him. Beaten him as the wrong people cheered him on.

"Marcel?"
"Huh?" Harry was snapped back from vivid images of Louis' sad, betrayed face and bruised cheek to the confused face of his younger self.
"You were telling something-"

The watch on his wrist beeped. He had ten minutes.

"Look, Harry." He took his hands. "Louis has something to tell you. He's really sorry for what's happened between you two. Please, I beg of you, please go to his place tonight. Don't worry about Lucas and his friends. Please, please, please go to him. He's been so sad, Harr, he misses you so much."
"But he doesn't want me any more! It's been more than six months since he's stayed over, none of his video games are here like they were, he doesn't sit with me at lunch any more-"
"That's because he thinks you won't like him if he tells you that he likes you!" He yelled, probably a little to loud as he watched himself flinch. "He really does. He doesn't want to ruin our friendship."
"Our-"

He shook his head, heart skipping a beat at the slip-up.
"Your. Your friendship. Please Harry, I need to leave right now but if you don't go to him tonight, you'll regret it forever, Harry. Please."

His watch beeped again. Five minutes.

"Harry, I need to go now. But go to Louis'. Right now. Please, or you'll regret it. Please." He pleaded one last time before he got up, running out of the house with tears streaming down his cheeks.

He reached the dome with thirty seconds in hand, and as the ground jerked again, he clutched his chest, right above his heart, and hoped, prayed, begged that everything would be alright.
--
He was on a bed. Even with his eyes closed, he could sense sunlight flooding the room. He also felt a thin sheet over him and a tap running somewhere in the distance.

He was scared to open his eyes. What if it was all a dream? Just a desperate illusion? He'd rather not have it break-

"Baby?"

He snapped his eyes open. He could recognize that voice anywhere. He sat up on the bed, a little startled by the unfamiliar room.

"Louis?" He stood up.

Everything started spinning. He could hear footsteps, Louis running across the room, and a warm hand around his waist as he shut his eyes tightly. He was seeing glimpses. Little flashes of light and smiles. Warmth flooded his body, laughter ringing in his ears and head spinning as everything slowly clicked in place.

It had worked. It had worked. He hadn't lost Louis, they were in fact, together now. He was at Louis' place in Paris, where he was going to move into in three months. He had kissed Louis. They were boyfriends, he had his best friend back.

He slowly blinked his eyes open.

He was there. Louis was in front of him. He looked different, of course he'd changed. He looked angelic and so perfect despite his sleepy state. His face was contorted with worry, blue eyes boring into his own.

"Haz, baby, are you alright?" Louis worriedly asked, rubbing a hand on his back. "D'you-"
Louis was cut off by a loud sob as Harry threw his arms around Louis, grip on him painfully tight.
"Oh darling." Louis cooed as he tried to console him. "What's wrong love?" He asked as Harry's sobs got louder. "Love, darling, Hazza, what's wrong?"

Harry only shook his head and cried on his shoulder, refusing to let go of him. Louis turned them around and sat on the bed, helping Harry onto his lap, legs on the bed. He gently rocked him back and forth, hand rubbing soothing circles into his waist and pressing tender kisses on his shoulder.

"Shh, it's okay darling, it's fine." He murmured as his cries died down.
"'M so, so sorry Lou. I'm so sorry." He whimpered. "For everything, I'm so sorry. Never leave me like that again."
"Hey, hey, hey, what are you apologizing for? And I'm right here, love, I'm not leaving you."

Harry shook his head and cradled Louis' face with his hands, almost as though if he blinked again, Louis would slip underneath his fingers to dust. Louis reached out and wiped his tears, a hand playing with his hair. He leaned forward and brushed their lips together.

"I love you." He whispered. "I love you, so much. I'm so sorry."
"I love you too, darling. It's alright, 'kay? I dunno what you're apologizing for, but it's okay. I'm fine, we're fine. I love you."

Harry smiled. He grinned the widest he ever had. The blues of Louis' eyes filled the little cracks and an imaginary golden glow enveloped them as they kissed again.

And warmth of relief and love flooded him. He'd got a chance people wouldn't get how much ever they wished for. He was finally rid of the guilt haunting him. He would no longer have to spends nights alone wondering how if that one thing had been different, everything would have been different.