Young & Beautiful

“I don’t agree.”
Niall snorts. “Course you don’t. But all the same.”
Louis shuts his eyes. He listens to the melody, the sound of the keys.
It reminds him of Harry.
“You okay, Tommo?” Niall asks, but it’s softer, a softer sound than Niall usually makes, and
Louis swallows at that. Because that pings him for some reason.
“I’m incredible. Perfect, even,” he says, but his voice is scratchy and he doesn’t open his eyes.
Niall doesn’t say anything after that.
Eventually the piano stops, much to Louis’ sadness, and he’s just about to open his eyes and
resume his game, when suddenly arms wrap around his shoulders from the back of the couch,
warm skin pressing against him, hair tickling his cheek.
“Love you,” Niall says sincerely, pressing a kiss to his cheek.
It shouldn’t prickle Louis’ eyes. But it does.
“You’re not wearing enough clothes to hug me,” Louis manages, but his voice is doing that thing
again. It’s cracking because it hates him. And he hates it back.
Niall laughs, the sound deep as it rumbles against Louis’ back, before he finally lets go, mussing
up Louis’ hair as he walks away.
“I’ll text you the address,” he says again, and Louis can’t help but smile as he finally opens his
eyes, staring fondly as Niall shuts his door.
At least he has Niall.
**
Niall texts Louis a couple of hours later, after Louis' just finished a sappy romcom and an
embarrassingly large bag of crisps.
He texts him the address first. Then.
‘Forgot my keys FUCK’
‘b awake when I get back?’
Louis sighs. He was planning on wrapping himself in a cocoon of despair, but. He supposes he
can stay awake all night. Sure. How fun.
‘Yea’
So he puts on another movie and opens another bag of crisps.
**
The knock on the door eventually comes, far later than Louis had planned on staying up.
It’s 4:25 am.