Young & Beautiful

Louis sighs, long and suffering, before finally meeting Niall’s firm gaze. “I’m serious, Ireland. I
have to study.”
“But you’re not actually going to study.”
“And what makes you say that.”
“Because you don’t wake up this early for studying. Especially if I haven’t even touched the
piano.”
Louis looks sharply to him then, eyes narrowed. “Wait. Are you telling me that you’re fully aware
that that bloody piano wakes me up? And yet you still continue to play it?”
Niall grins, easy and blissful. “I’ll never tell.”
“Of fucking course,” Louis breathes, rolling his eyes and walking towards the door, fully
intending to ignore Niall and just start his day, his mind only on one thing: seasonal lattes.
“I saw you chatting up with Harry a lot yesterday. And last night as we walked home,” Niall
suddenly says, and he’s still at the counter, peering at Louis with careful eyes and bold shoulders.
And fuck. He isn’t going to let this go, is he?
“You mean when you were running about like a madman?” Louis asks, begrudgingly halting his
stride and turning to face Niall, hands in pockets, the weight of his bag pressing into his shoulder.
“Yeah,” Niall grins. His eyes glint. “I don’t suppose you’re going to his rooms or anything right
now. Are you.”
“No!” Louis replies hotly and immediately, but the warmth of his skin feels incriminating, so he
looks away from Niall’s widening grin.
“Then where are you going to study? The library opens at ten on Saturdays.”
Fuck. It does.
“I’m going to Starbucks. Picking up a festive beverage,” Louis says truthfully, before untruthfully
finishing with, “I’ll probably just end up staying there.”
“Starbucks you say?” Niall asks, eyebrows raised. “Excellent. I could use a drink myself. I’ll go
with you.”
“No!” Louis rushes again, envisioning the unwelcome explanations he’ll have to concoct when
Niall witnesses his order for two beverages. “You’ll distract me.”
Niall just assesses him, quiet and amused, maybe a little hungover, his hands still on the counter,
before he shakes his head and thunders out a yawn, finally turning away. “Whatever, mate. I’ll see
you when you get back. Assuming you’ll be back.”
“Of course.”
He nods, and Louis begins heading towards the door once more, keeping his stride even.
“Say hi to Harry for me,” Niall calls one last time just as Louis is shutting the door.
**