Chapter Text
"You're in, Niall."
It was a simple statement but it was enough to make their lives change forever.
Louis and Niall had always been together since the moment they were born or maybe it was even before, when they were in their mom's belly. They always did things together and where there was one of them, there was the other one.
It was almost natural that they had tried out football together and it had been shocking that, for the first time, it was just one of them achieving something.
Niall had been glad to be the one who made it on the team, not even once he had wished it was the other way around, not even when he had seen Louis' heartbroken expression when Harry, the team captain, had told him he was too out of shape to be on the team. On the other hand, Louis had been happy for his brother, especially when he had seen his proud expression, he just couldn't join him in being so cheerful when he was the one who had been left out.
The evening after the tryouts they had spoken about it.
"You're in now."
"We have always done things together."
"So you are not joining?"
"Do you want me not to?"
"Of course not. You're in, that's great."
"We're still fine then?"
"Sure."
They aren't anymore.
Neither Louis or Niall could tell what happened, but something had cracked after that night.
It has been two years now and slowly they have grown apart to the point where they barely talk.
Louis hasn't been to one of Niall's games, he didn't even go today. He'd rather just stay at home and watch TV or drown in his sadness in his room. Right now he was sitting on his bed, his legs curled under himself, his back resting against the wall. He was talking on the phone with one of his friends, or even better, he was listening to his friend complaining about the new photographer of their school newspaper, when he hears voices downstairs.
Instantly he turns to the clock on his nightstand and he is pretty sure Niall's game wasn't supposed to end this early.
"See you tomorrow," Louis snaps, not caring about what Liam, his friend, is saying anymore. Liam knows too well that it's better not to ask when it's about his family, so he just says goodbye and lets him go. Louis sighs, slipping under the sheets and pretends to be asleep. Honestly? He doesn't want to hear his dad tell Niall how good he played. He used to have dinner with family after every match, but after a couple of months he had just stopped pretending he was okay with his dad always telling Niall how good he was and ignoring him. He quickly grabs his ear buds from the drawer next to his bed and shut the world away. If he's lucky, he'll wake up late next morning and he'll be able to go to school without talking to anyone.
Well, when has he ever been lucky?
Louis wakes up next morning with Niall still asleep on the bed next to him, so he slowly rolls out of bed, trying not to wake his brother up and makes his way downstairs, rubbing sleep off his eyes.
"Hi, Lou," his mom greets, placing a warm kiss on his forehead, "What are you doing already up?"
Louis blinks, his tired brain doing it's best to figure out if it's Sunday and if he forgot or maybe it was spring break, but no, he is pretty sure it's a normal day. "Going to school?" he asks shrugging.
"Oh, no Lou. I was sure Niall or dad had told you. You have to stay home today," she says and when she spots his confused expression she adds, "See, Niall hurt himself yesterday. You don't have to worry, it's nothing too serious, but he can't really walk right now. Your dad is already at work and I have to go soon. You have to take care of your brother."
Louis lets her talk, pretending to actually care about Niall being injured, but as soon as she closes her mouth he shakes his head, "I have a test today, I can't skip school."
"Come on, Lou," his mom whines, turning to the counter top and focusing on fixing breakfast, "You are a straight A student, I am pretty sure your teacher won't complain for missing a test. Your brother needs you."
Louis grunts, "I was sick last week and you left me here alone. Why do I have to baby Niall now?" He couldn't help his harsh tone, it has always been like this. Apparently their parents are sure Louis can take care of himself, while Niall always needs someone to be there for him. Louis would be glad to think it's his parents' way to show how much they trust him, but he is too tired to pretend. He needs them, more than Niall maybe. He just doesn't know how to show it.
"Louis, it's not up for discussion. Besides, you had the flu, your brother has hurt his knee. He can't walk so he needs help if he wants a glass of water or something," she explains, giving him a plate with two toasts and a glass of juice, "Now please bring him his breakfast and behave. I have to go."
"So basically I am his slave for the day," Louis states, loud enough to be heard, even if his mom pretends to miss his words. She kisses him again and goes away, annoyingly ruffling his hair with her gentle hand.
Fine. Maybe deep down Louis could actually worry for his brother if just for once someone would care about him too. But of course he is asking for too much.
So Louis puts on his brave face and heads upstairs, not even bothering to fix himself his own breakfast. He wasn't hungry anyway.
He pushes the door open without a word. Niall is awake and now that Louis focuses on him he can see that Niall's leg is bandaged, propped up on a pillow. Maybe he was actually asleep when they went upstairs, or the music was too loud for Louis to hear his brother coming in, he doesn't want to know really. He's glad he wasn't listening when his dad told Niall how sad he was and how much the school would suffer for him sitting out a couple of matches. Because surely his dad told him that.
"Here, mom said have a good day." Louis mumbles, placing the plate on Niall's stomach and leaving the glass next to the lamp before sitting on his own bed.
"Thanks?" Niall replies unsurely, trying to sit up without jostling his body too much "What are you doing here? There's math test today."
"Mom said I had to watch you and be your slave for the day."
"Look, Lou I don't want to argue with you right now. I am quite pissed off at the moment and I am in pain and-"
"Yeah, about that, what happened to your leg?"
Niall sighs, looking at the wall behind Louis' back. There is his name, written in a nice shade of green. Louis painted it years ago since Niall can't really draw and Louis had decorated it with a nice quatrefoil. Yeah, nice old days, Louis thinks bitterly. "I dislocated it, when number 13 knocked me down. The doc said there isn't really a chance that I can play the rest of the season, but I have to wait till tomorrow to see a specialist so I really don't know."
"I'm sorry," Louis mumbles and he is, honestly. The fact that Niall and him aren't on the best terms doesn't mean he can't be sad for him; the fact that he is glad that he won't hear his whole family talk about football anymore doesn't mean that he doesn't feel sorry for Niall losing the best thing he had. He would have been happy to know that Niall was off the pitch for a couple of matches... but the whole season? That's fucked up.
"Yeah, it sucks. Can't even stand on it and my wrist hurt so I can't use crutches," he explains, showing his bandaged left hand with a pained expression as he uses the right one to pick at his toast. "Where's your breakfast?"
"Not hungry," Louis replies, crossing his legs under himself and looking at his phone. They are done with their talk for now, so Louis focuses on Liam's whatsapp conversation, biting on his lower lip, unsure of what he is supposed to tell him. He doesn't want to complain about Niall but he has to talk to someone.
Niall just sighs, eating in silence, wishing he had his own phone next to him. He won't ask Louis to give it to him, he doesn't want to talk to his brother more than necessary, so he tries to busy himself with one of the books on the shelf next to his bed, the only thing he can reach from his spot.
The silence between them is rather uncomfortable, but it's nothing Niall wasn't used to. So he just pretends to read for a while, then he puts the book away and tries to sleep. His knee had been bothering him all night, he hasn't really slept and he feels impossibly tired.
At some point his phone rings and Niall grins inside, well aware that now Louis has a reason to bring it to him without Niall actually asking for it. In fact he slowly watches as his brother makes his way to the gym bag abandoned in the corner of the room, bringing it to Niall without a word and Niall just has to grab the phone from the pocket on its right side and check who is calling.
"'Lo?"
"Niall, you aren't in school."
"Really Haz? Hadn't noticed," Niall rolls his eyes, looking at Louis, still standing next to him. "Need something?"
"What? No. I'll be downstairs. Yell if you need me," Louis rushes out, leaving Niall slightly confused.
He talks to Harry for about ten minutes, but then he has to hang up since his friend has classes to attend.
By now he is well aware he needs to go to the loo and he also knows he can't make it on his own. "Louis?" he yells, but no one answers. "Lou?" he tries again. "Fuck you, you idiot." Niall quickly deals Louis' number and calls him. He still remembers it from when they used to call each other, even if he hasn't used it in years.
"Niall?"
"Could you please come upstairs?" Niall asks, stretching on the please and quitting the call before Louis has a chance to reply.
Two seconds and his brother is there. "What now?"
"I uhm I have to use the bathroom."
Louis blinks, wondering what exactly Niall wants him to do and Niall has to admit it out loud. "Louis, could you help me walk there? Come on, why do you always have to be so difficult?"
"Difficult? Me?"
"Seriously, it's not the right time, Louis. You can whine once my bladder is empty, okay?"
It's Louis' time to roll his eyes, but after a moment he approaches the bed and stretches his hand out for Niall to take it. "Let's go."
Niall sighs but in the end he manages to stand up on his own, quickly grabbing his brother's shoulder to balance himself. They hadn't been so close in ages and Niall finds it impossibly awkward. If he wasn't such in a rush he would have noticed how weird it is to feel the bone of Louis' shoulder under his fingers.
They try to take a step like that but Niall feels like he could fall in a minute. He doesn't know if it's just because he doesn't trust Louis at all, or maybe because he looks like he could break under Niall's weight. "Okay, this is not working." Niall sighs, pushing himself off his brother and sitting on the edge of the bed.
"What am I supposed to do?" Louis asks, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Just hand me the crutch," Niall sighs, pointing to the crutches next to their desk.
"If you had crutches why did you-"
"I can't use my left arm, idiot. You still have to help me, but I won't break you in half. Shit," he curses, trying to rub his sore knee. He should keep it elevated all the time and putting it down hurts. He feels like crap and why in the hell couldn't his mom stay at home today? Why did she have to leave him with Louis?
His brother shyly hands him the crutch and Niall finally manages to make his way to the bathroom, holding his weight between the crutch and his brother.
Dutifully, Louis waits for him out of the door and brings him back to the bed.
Once Niall is sitting again he can finally notice how tired his brother looks. He is actually panting. And fuck, Niall is the one who hobbled the whole way with his knee screaming in pain at the harsh movement, yet it's Louis the one who is desperately trying to catch his breath.
"Sit down before you pass out, idiot." Niall tells him harshly, almost mocking him for being so fragile, but before he has ended his sentence, Louis is already heading downstairs and at this point Niall decides he won't bother him for the rest of the day. He tries to find a comfortable position, deciding that no matter how many times he shifts on the bed, it will still hurt. It's not his fault that tears are slowly rolling down his cheeks. If anything he can pretend it's because of the pain, and it has nothing to do with how frustrated he feels at the moment.
Louis, on the other hand, sits on the couch, cursing at himself for being so weak. He checks with his hand under his shirt, trying to feel the bruise on his ribcage only to find out that touching it hurts even more. He shuts his phone off and falls asleep in a matter of minutes, only waking up when his mom comes back from work.
The only good news of the day for both boys is that tomorrow their mom is going to stay at home and take Niall to the doctor.
That means that Louis can go to school without having to take care of his brother and Niall can finally know what's wrong with his damn leg and spend the day without his brother around.
That's fucking great.