Young & Beautiful

Louis watches him, pressed on the other side of Niall in the back, and only briefly feels a stirring
in his chest before returning his gaze to the front.
“Let’s make tonight the best yet, all right, lads?” he says with an eyebrow raise and an easy grin.
Zayn grins out a, “All right, Louis,” while Liam claps like a dolphin and nods enthusiastically,
Niall swinging his fists into the air and Harry roaring wordless noise to the void of the sky above
them.
At least Louis can always count on distractions when his thought become too much. And tonight
he is in dire need of just that.
**
The party is one of the more wild ones, stuffed into a penthouse and emitting smoke, beautiful
people, and flashing lights.
There are trays of crystal glasses filled with absinthe and cognac, people in ornate, glittering
masks, a band whose members are clad in leather and body paint, and lines of cocaine lie between
scattered diamond jewelry and pocket watches on every available surface.
Perhaps on a normal day Louis would find it fun; today, it only serves to disgust him.
He spends his night awkwardly trailing after Niall since, once again, Liam carried Zayn into the
swirling masses and was never seen again. He bounces rather than walks, meeting girl after girl
and making them laugh in that pitching way that is nothing but forced.
Louis' aware that he’s salting Niall’s game, always peering over his shoulder cynically at the
newest hanger-on, and while at first he felt indifferent to his stunning lack of manners, he is
becoming increasingly uncomfortable.
“I should probably leave you to it,” he says as the sixth girl in a row wanders off after throwing a
steely glare his way.
“Probably,” Niall agrees, but shrugs. “But I don’t mind much. Fuck all that, I just want to have a
good time. Whatever that fuckin’ entails, you know? Don’t feel the need to leave if you don’t
want to. I mean it, Tommo.”
Louis smiles and nods (is Niall ever not blunt and completely uncomplicated?) and is so touched
by Niall’s loyalty and sun that he claps a hand to his shoulder and says, “I think I’ll let you take
this one, Ireland. Come find me when you’re bored, all right? I’m going to explore and see if
there’s anything I can steal.” With one last wink he sends a wave, calling out a departing, “Charm
the ladies and all that!” as he walks away, leaving a grinning Niall who shakes his head in
amusement.
Because maybe Louis does need to be alone right now. Because maybe this distraction isn’t
cutting it. Because he’s currently wondering, obsessively, where Harry is.
And it needs to stop.
**
Louis spends the rest of the night outside on the balcony, leaned against the wall and staring up at
the sky which does nothing but stare back.
He attempts to sing, hum, and drink, all with the intention to steer his thoughts into distraction, but