you're cold and I burn (on hold)

it’s definitely getting up there, <strong>and</strong> that’s a lot of fucking money to spend on food <strong>and</strong> he’s used to
paying a fourth of this.
When the total tops off at almost a hundred <strong>and</strong> seventy pounds, the guilt eats him alive, <strong>and</strong> he
can’t do it. So, he pulls out his own card, asking the cashier if she can split it between two forms
of payment. Because he’s not going to do that, he can’t do that, <strong>and</strong> it almost feels good that Louis
could contribute, even if it means that he could possibly be in the negatives from this trip alone.
“Why’d you split the payment?” Niall asks, <strong>and</strong> obviously pulling the speaker away was not
enough to keep Niall from hearing him. Boy hears like a fucking dolphin.
“Because it was a shit ton of money.” Louis responds, like it was the most obvious thing in the
world.
“Louis, if he gave you his card with no questions, it means he’s got more than enough on there for
groceries, y’know? You’re paranoid.”
“It’s not that I don’t think he has enough on here, his watch looks like it costs more than a beach
house, it’s just that it doesn’t feel fair. We’re supposed to be splitting things, not paying for them
alone, it’s all in the unwritten flatmate rulebook.” Louis bites his lip, watching the cashier slide his
card <strong>and</strong> praying to the divine that it doesn’t decline. When she wordlessly h<strong>and</strong>s it back, a flood
of relief washes over him, at least he’s not completely broke.
“You gotta invite me over one night this week, he better not try to weasel his way into the best
friend slot, because it’s well taken.” Niall warns, <strong>and</strong> Louis doesn’t stop the roll of his eyes, what
an odd thing to say. “Wanna make sure he’s a good suitor, y’know, make sure he’s not going to
be detrimental.”
“He’s a kid, Niall, couldn’t be detrimental to me even if he tried. Plus, it doesn’t proper matter, my
father is expecting me to make this work, I’m sure he’ll be less than pleased if I kicked out the
person he sent <strong>and</strong> brought in someone else.”
He can hear Niall’s scoff through the line, “Since when d’ya care what pleases your dad?”
“I don’t,” Louis argues, thinking about the struggle of getting everything into the flat <strong>and</strong> hoping
that Harry is there to lend a helping h<strong>and</strong>, “I just don’t care to listen to him bitch about it, is all.”
“Okay, I underst<strong>and</strong> that.”
“Good, <strong>and</strong> I should’ve probably thought this through.” Louis sighs, feeling like the stupidest,
most foolish person alive. “I have the largest load of groceries <strong>and</strong> guess what I don’t have?”
Louis pauses for good measure, “A fucking car, Niall, don’t have a fucking car to get it back to
the flat.”
“Fuck, mate.” Niall’s voice deflates, “Truck is in the shop, getting new tires, they won’t be on for
about an hour or so.”
“Niall,” Louis whines, “They’ll perish by then.”
And an idea pokes it’s way in, but it’s absurd <strong>and</strong> a stretch, the thought makes his stomach
instantly sour. “Call a cab or something, I’m sure they’ll get you there in time.” Niall offers, but
the wait times are never consistent <strong>and</strong> Louis is not going to let all the food go to waste, so he
mutters the next sentence as urgent but as polite as he can, “I’m gonna let you go, mate, I’ll call
you when I get back to the flat, yeah?”
“Yeah, okay, call me if you have any trouble.” Niall says, before the call is ended <strong>and</strong> he