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This wasn’t supposed to happen! It really wasn’t and now Louis’ feeling to bad even though it kinda was the guys own fault. That doesn’t make him feel better though. Like the lad’s looking really poor, and probably needed the money more than him, but as everyone else would have done, or he think they would anyway, he fought for his wallet so he didn’t would end up getting robbed.
It’s not like the guy’s looking terrifying or anything like that, but Louis isn’t really strong at all, so he didn’t know that he would end up fainting because of one little punch at the jaw. Actually he’s kinda cute, if ignores the fact that he tried to steal Louis’ wallet. His hair is obviously dyed blond and right before he passed out, Louis saw that his eyes have a beautiful blue colour, much like his own, but more living and really like nothing he has ever seen before. He’s also kinda small, even smaller than Louis himself and that really says something, because if there’s something you can’t say, then it is that he’s a big guy, neither in high nor in weight. His skin is pale, almost white, except the places where he has a light pink colour like he’s blushing.
So like it really wasn’t on purpose, he just didn’t want the lad to steal his wallet from him, but now he doesn’t have any idea what to do, because he doesn’t want to leave the boy here passed out, but he doesn’t want to take him to the hospital either. Then he would just have to explain everything, and for some reason he doesn’t think the lad want him to do that either.
It wouldn’t really put any of them in a good position.
Then luckily the bloke stirs a little before opening his eyes and mumble: “Fuck... my head!”
“Sorry, but it was your own fault,” Louis says sassily, because although he still feels bad for punching him, then it’s just who he is, and besides he should have the right to at least be somewhat sassy. The guy tried to steal his money after all!
“Let me guess, now you’re going to call the police right?” The lad doesn’t even look at Louis while saying it, and he doesn’t sound all that worried about it either. Maybe he has tried this before?
“Well... no?” he says, but it comes out more like a question than anything, making the guy laugh slightly at Louis, who huffs annoyed. “If you keep that up, then I’m gonna call the police just to make that sly smile of yours disappear,” he threats, but that just really makes the guy laugh his lungs out.
Louis getting the idea that Blondie isn’t really afraid of him and his threats.
“Then do it, I don’t really care. I’ll be out again before daybreak. Not even the big and famous Louis Tomlinson can do anything about that, so please be my guest and call the police. I bet they have missed me since we last met.”
“You know who I am?” In some ways Louis is actually surprised, because he maybe had a tiny idea that the guy maybe was homeless and didn’t really have the possibilities to follow celebrities.
“Yeah, like who doesn’t? It’s not like I have lived under a rock the last five years. You and your band are quite popular, but if anyone then you should know that,” Blondie laugh, still laying on the ground, now with his arms under his head in a relaxed position.
Well it isn’t really hard to tell that he isn’t the slightest afraid of Louis, since he’s still there talking to him, and Louis really wonders. How can he act that way? Like nothing has happened, and maybe even like they’re the best buddies in the world?
Either this boy is the dumbest or the smartest person Louis has ever met. Unfortunately he thinks it option number two, and if he’s right about that, then he’s probably screwed.
“What’s your name then? I mean you know who I am, so isn’t it most fair if I know who tried to rob me?”
“You’re actually a funny guy, Lewis! And here I thought it was just something the media had made you out to be. You see that quite a lot actually, so I’m positively surprised. What about your band mates? Are they also like they’re made out to be, or is it only you?”
“Tell me your name, or I’m gonna hit you again!” Louis hisses angrily.
He doesn’t even know why it’s so important to him. It’s not like he’s ever gonna see the guy again, but he still wants to know. He isn’t even sure he wants to meet the lad again, because already now Louis knows he’s a sassily and sly idiot just like himself, and he isn’t sure he could cope with him in the long run.
The thing he likes the best about his bandmates is that they let him be the sassy and sly one. None of them could do it anyway. They’re all too nice to act like Louis, and he really likes that. He can give them all the sass he wants, and they’re still gonna be his best friends the day after, for none of them will give again like he knows Blondie would.
So no, he just wants his name, and then he never wants to see the bloke ever again. Nope, never, just no. Okay then, maybe he’s a little curious, and maybe just maybe he would like to see Blondie again sometime. Not that he would ever admit that to everyone, especially not Mr. Blond, hot and cute.
“Do it. You hit like a girl anyway,” he snorts spitefully.
“Well, if I hit like a girl, what does that make you then? It wasn’t me who passed out from a girly punch.”
“A guy with a very sensitive jaw. It’s not my fault my mother made me like this. You should be ashamed of yourself, Tommo. Didn’t you know that there practical is a law against hitting people who’s smaller than yourself? Maybe it’s me who should call the police after all.”
“You’re unbelievable! You keep insulting me, and it was you that tried stealing from me. Not the other way around!”
“You’re just mad you don’t have a comeback. You just don’t want to lose. Maybe you should work with your problems and not taking it out on other people who peacefully tries to walk past you. I mean it’s not my fault that you think you saw things that didn’t happen and thereafter hit an innocent for it. If I was you, I would get my head checked before something like this happen again. I mean maybe the next person isn’t as understanding as me,” Blondie teases with a wry smile.
“What?”
Okay Louis is really confused by now. Like really confused. This isn’t just something he has imagined! Blondie tried to steal his money, that’s the truth! He’s just trying to confuse Louis, and truth be told he has succeed.
“You look cute like that. Almost look like you’re an innocent child. Maybe the media is wrong after all. Maybe you’re just a young boy, who wants to be accepted, and has found out that if you’re funny and sassy then people will like you, but really you’re just like a child, who wants to be something he isn’t.”
“Stop pretending you know me!” Louis yells mad, but somehow also hurt. “You don’t know me! You don’t know anything!”
“Maybe not, but I think I’m right. You’re trying to be someone you aren’t, and it’s hurting you.”
At this point Blondie gets up from the ground, and takes a couple of steps closer to Louis. He looks completely serious, like it really bothers him that he doesn’t think Louis’ happy, but no matter what he says, he’s wrong. Louis is happy. He’s doing exactly what he has always dreamed doing, and he’s doing it with his three best mates.
Nothing could be any better than it is now, and he isn’t just pretending to be someone he isn’t. He would never! Ever since he actually was a child he has been a sassy motherfucker, and he has never been worried about what others thought of him.
Blondie his just trying to get to him again, and Louis doesn’t like it. Not at all!
“I’m perfectly fine, but thank you for your concern. Now I think I’m gonna go. I don’t really like you at all.”
“You just don’t like people pushing your buttons, but if you really want to go, then I won’t stop you.” He takes a step to the side, so Louis have the possibility to leave, and suddenly he regrets saying that, but he doesn’t take it back. Instead he huffs, and begins walking.
When he goes past Blondie, he brushes his shoulder slightly, but doesn’t really think all that much about it. When he’s about ten meters away, Blondie yells to him: “Niall. My name’s Niall, since you asked so nicely.”
“Bye Niall,” Louis yells back, but doesn’t turn around. He’s too damn stubborn to give in, but he’s still happy that he ended up getting the boys name. Niall. It doesn’t sound typical English, but then again when Louis thinks about it, Niall did have an accent, which definitely wasn’t British. Irish maybe? That doesn’t sound all wrong.
“If you ever want to be the real Louis, and want my help to be it then call me,” Niall then shouts which makes Louis stop immediately and turn around, but when he looks back, Niall’s already gone.
¤¤¤
Louis finds out what Niall meant when he reaches his flat. In the pocket where his wallet was before is now a piece of paper, with a phone number written on it. How Niall did it is the better question. He means one thing is that Niall ended up getting his wallet in the end; another is that he somehow had time to find some paper, write his number on it, plus put it in Louis’ pocket while stealing his wallet.
The worst is that he isn’t really all that angry. There wasn’t anything really important in there. A few pounds, that’s it. It’s a long time since Louis learned not to have anything important in his wallet while going around alone, because of the fans.
Maybe most of them respect their privacy, but there’s also those who doesn’t. Louis still remembers the time where Liam got his pants stolen on a balcony. See that had been funny, but not something Louis would ever want to try himself, therefore he’s careful with his things, and doesn’t carry around important things, when there isn’t anyone to make sure no one gets too close to him.
And today has proved that it was a very rational decision although it wasn’t exactly a fan who stole his money. Or he at least doesn’t think Niall was a fan of his. He did know about One Direction, enough to know Louis’ name, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s a fan of theirs. It could simply mean that Niall was right, and that they have become a really big thing over the last five years. Big enough for people to know who they are.
The next couple of weeks go fast, but not fast enough for Louis not to have time to think about what Niall said to him. He still hasn’t told the others about Niall, so therefore they don’t understand why he has been so quiet ever since the meeting.
They have tried to talk to him; asked if anything was wrong, but every time he has just told them off. Nothing’s wrong, not really. Just some stupid words that’s hunting him. Just a stupid Irish voice sounding in his head, and a couple of blue eyes following him everywhere. So no, nothing’s wrong. What make them think that? Just because he hasn’t acted up like he uses to, then suddenly something has to be wrong?
The worst is, that he doesn’t necessarily miss being bratty. It really hurt to admit, even just to himself, but maybe Niall was right. Maybe he isn’t really like this, and just wanted people to like him, even if they liked him when he was someone else.
What he has realised these last weeks since he met Niall, is that he isn’t as confident as he had made himself and everyone else believe, and every time he thinks of Niall he’s reminded thereof.
The piece of paper with the phone number on it is carefully hidden in one of his bags, but he hasn’t made any attempts on finding it, because he’s still not sure if he wants to call Niall, or what he would say if he ended up actually calling the lad. He can’t really just call him, says he wants to be the real Louis Tomlinson, when he still doesn’t know who he’s supposed to be. No not supposed to be, that’s the wrong way putting it, but he still doesn’t know who he really is, if that makes any sense.
The only thing he knows is that he doesn’t want to keep acting up. Not after this. Or he will from time to time, because it’s still a part of him, but from now on he doesn’t want it to be his whole personality. He’s more than just a sassy and sly arsehole; that much he knows by now.
“You alright?”
Louis’ been so occupied in his thoughts that he didn’t even notice when Harry came into the room or even when he sat down next to him on the couch.
“I’m okay,” he mutters without looking at Harry.
“Tell me what’s going on in the little head of yours. I could hear the hard thinking a mile away,” Harry says gently, with a little smile on his lips.
For some time Louis keeps quiet, and so does Harry, but only because he knows that sometimes Louis needs his time to gather his thought enough to share them, so he doesn’t take offence when he doesn’t get an answer immediately.
That’s one of the things Louis has always loved about Harry. He’s patient and doesn’t mind waiting when needed to, and right now, Louis really needs the time. He’s still trying to figure out if he wants to tell his friend about his meeting with Niall.
After half an hour of silence, he finally speaks up: “Remember a couple of weeks ago, when Paul scolded at me for running off without a body guard, right?” he starts hesitant. Harry nods a little, but still doesn’t say a word, and Louis’ grateful. “Well I told you all that noting happened, and that I just went out for a walk. I guess you know by now that it was a lie. Or I did go for a walk, but there also did happen something.
“Well to make it short, I bumped into this boy - gorgeous I tell you - or that’s really not the right way to say it. He actually tried stealing my wallet, and I ended up punching him in the face so he passed out. Well I stayed with him until he woke up, because I was really feeling bad. And well, when he did wake up, he said something that made me think, nothing else really. Okay there’s also the little detail that he actually ended up getting my wallet, but luckily there wasn’t anything else in there than a couple of pounds so it doesn’t really matter. He looked like he needed them more than I did.”
“What did he tell you that have made you think about it for two and a half week now?”
See this is something else Louis really likes about the boy. He has just been told the weirdest story, but doesn’t question it, and goes directly to the problem. Sometimes Louis wonder if Harry would believe him if he one day told him that he had been kidnapped by aliens. Probably not, but it could be fun trying it anyway.
“He said I’m pretending being someone I’m not and never have been. I’m slowly beginning to believe him, but the problem is that if I’m not who I have been pretending to be then who am I? I can’t figure it out, Haz, and it’s really frustrating.”
“That’s an easy question, Lou. You’re exactly who you want to be. That’s the amazing thing about you. You wanna be a pop star? Be it. You wanna be a superhero? No problem, just keep going and help who you can. You wanna have a family and be a dad? Some day that’ll happen too. If you want it bad enough, then I don’t doubt that you’ll get it someday. You wanna be it, and you gonna be it. Just believe in yourself,” Harry tells him soothing.
“Thank you, Harry,” he whispers. “This is why you’re my bestest friend out of the best friends. You always know how to make me less worried when I think too much.” Harry laughs at his choice of word, and Louis smiles wryly at him in return. It isn’t even just something he said.
Louis loves all of his bandmates, but his bond to Harry is just the strongest, and has been since the beginning in the x factor where they were put together as a band. They understand each other on a way the two others don’t.
“I love you, Loubear.”
“Yeah, yeah you goofy idiot, I love you too, although sometimes I really wonders why.”
“Oh, Boo, that’s because I’m a very loveable person. Don’t even pretend you don’t agree with me. We both know I’m right,” Harry huffs, but he’s still smiling big, which makes his dimples visible.
Louis has always been a sucker for Harry’s dimples, but somehow they’re less, well not less attractive because damn they’re still attractive, but maybe less stunning.
Right now the only thing Louis sees when he closes his eyes are some blue eyes and a sly smile. Plus Irish accents are just so fucking sexy at the moment. No! Bad Lou! You can’t think like that! You don’t even know the lad, he thinks irritated at himself, but honestly it doesn’t help one bit. He’s still head over heels for the Irish thief, and that’s even after the very same thief stole from him. Well what loves doesn’t do to you. At that he sputters. Love? It can’t be love! It’s a crush, nothing else. He doesn’t even know the guy!
¤¤¤
After that conversation, there goes exactly twenty-seven hours and twelve minutes before Louis becomes so desperate that he finds the piece of paper and dials Niall’s number on his cell phone. He pushes on the call button and put the phone up to his ear. It beeps a couple of times and just as he begins panicking and is about to hang up, he hears the familiar Irish voice on the other end of the line, and suddenly he can’t.
“Hello?” Niall says a little suspicious, like he’s thinks it’s someone malicious who has called him.
Louis breaths hard and he doesn’t know what to say. He can’t hang up either, because it feels like everything inside him has frozen from the moment he heard Niall voice.
“Who is this? Answer me, or I’ll hang up immediately!”
“No! Wait, don’t,” Louis yells without even thinking. He’s met by silence and then loud laughter.
“Louis? That’s you? And here I thought you had forgotten all about me. How’s it going? Have you had anyone looking at that pretty head of yours, yet? As I remember it wasn’t looking good when we bumped into each other,” he grins, and Louis can almost see the crooked smile, although Niall’s probably still in London and Louis’ now in Melbourne. Good old Aussie.
“Shut up!” Louis whines. “There’s nothing wrong with my head, and you know it. By the way, you owe me forty pounds and a new wallet.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I have seen neither money nor wallet. We’re back to the fact that you should get your head checked, but it’s good you’re talking to such a understanding person like me, or people could get all worried about the things you accuse them for.”
“Why do I even bother?” he sighs, and shakes his head a little.
“I personally like to think that I made an impression on you, and now you can’t get me out of your head, and that’s why you called. How close am I?”
“How do you do that?” Louis asks instead of answering, which in itself probably is answer enough.
“You’re just really easy to read, even when I can’t see you. That and then the fact that I’ve always found people interesting in so many ways. So many reactions, so much to consider. It’s probably not fair to you. You don’t have a chance.”
“You’re right; that’s not fair,” he complains, but he can’t help but smile slightly.
“What did you want to talk about, baby?” Niall asks surprisingly kindly. Louis thinks it’s the first time he has heard him talk without sounding sassy.
“I... I don’t know,” Louis admits with a sigh.
“Okay then. Tell where you are in this big, big world. Tell me what you have experienced since I met you. Has something interesting happened? Any good jokes told by your friends?”
And just like that, Louis a little hesitant begins talking. He starts answering Niall’s questions, and the longer he talks the more secure he becomes. He tells, and laughs with Niall when something funny is being said. It’s nice. There aren’t any sassy remarks from either of them. They just talk about everything and at the same time nothing at all. It’s like catching up with an old friend you haven’t talked to for a very long time.
“I want to see you again,” Louis suddenly mumbles and it even surprises himself. He didn’t exactly plan on admitting that, but now it has been said, he’s not going to take it back. He just has to see where it’s going from here on.
“Do you really, baby?” Niall smirks. “Not afraid of getting robbed again then?”
“No, not really. I’ll just make sure not to have anything of value on me.”
“Oh, you’re becoming smarter, aren’t you sweets? Call me when you’re back in London, and then we’ll see. Maybe you’re lucky and I have time to see you.”
“You’re an idiot, do you know that? I really don’t know why I even try to become your friend, when all you do is tease me all the time. And what’s with all the pet names, Blondie?”
“You like me that’s why you bother trying. And, Boo, I’m only just started with the pet names,” he says with a grin before hanging up on Louis, who just sits a little baffled, and looks at his phone.
When he sees what time it is, he lets out a small: “Fuck!” before hastily getting up. Within five minutes he’s out of the hotel, and on his way to rehearsals, where he should have been twenty minutes ago. In the minute he’s at the stadium, Liam and Zayn is all over him for being late, but luckily Harry shows them away, and looks questioningly at him. Louis just nods a little, to say: “Yes I did actually call him, and that’s why I’m late.” The little nod makes Harry smile like a mad man, and he mouths “You’re so gonna tell me later,” at him before turning around so they can begin the rehearsals.
That night’s show is incredible. Louis still thinks of Niall, but he doesn’t feel like he’s getting hunted anymore, so he’s much more relaxed, and for once in around two weeks he’s capable of just having fun while performing.
He really loves doing this, and even him trying to find himself will never chance how he feel when he stands on a scene in front of thousands of screaming fans.
He feels really mixed about the next couple of days, because on one side he doesn’t want this leg of the tour to end, but on the other he really wants to go back to London, so he can see Niall again. The closer they’re getting on the date they’re going home, the more fidgety Louis becomes, and because Harry’s the only one that knows why, everyone else is getting pretty tired of him.
He understands, he really does, but he can’t help himself.
The flight is terrible. He’s moving around so much that even Harry ends up hissing at him to sit still. It’s really stupid that he’s so happy to go home seeing someone he has met once, especially when he thinks about how that first meeting went for them.
Still, the first thing Louis does when he’s standing in the airport in London is finding his phone and calling Niall. The thing is; he doesn’t answer his phone, and even though Louis knows he shouldn’t he’s still feeling really disappointed. His happiness is subdued more than just a little, and he’s pouting when he leaves the airport with the rest of the lads.
The first thing he hears when getting outside id loud screaming from the fans who has gathered there together to get a glimpse of the boys. He writes a couples of autographs, and takes pictures with as many girls he can, and he sees the three others do the same, but it’s hard to do, when their body guards are trying to get them away as fast as possible. They’re just trying to do their job and keep them safe, but Louis sometimes wishes that they wouldn’t hurry so much, so they can make their fans happy. What’s a couple of pictures, when they can get the girls smile because of them?
When they get into the car, the driver doesn’t greet them like their drivers usually do, and he’s wearing sunglasses and a hat that covers his hair and does that Louis can’t see most of his face either. What he can see though is how small the driver is, and how young he looks. If Louis should guess he would say around his age, maybe a bit younger, which is weird because normally their drivers are much older than they are.
He also takes a really funny route, but that could be because he’s new, who knows? Instead of taking the fastest way, and drop of Louis first, the driver makes sure that he’s the last one in the car. At the point they reach Louis’ flat, the driver still hasn’t said a thing, and Louis is really begun feeling quite curious.
“Thanks mate,” he says before starting to get out, but the laughter from the driver stops him immediately. Wait a little... he knows that laughter! “Niall?” he asks disbelieving.
“That took you long enough, baby cake.”
“How should I know? It’s not like it was very obvious. How did you even do that? Our drivers are getting checked before they’re hired. You can’t impossible has been accepted.”
“That’s my smart boy,” Niall coos, making Louis blush for some unknown reason. “I’m not really been ‘hired’ to be honest. I just borrowed this amazing car from a very tired man, who fell asleep before having the possibility to go get you, and then I just thought I would do him a favour and take the drive for him, while he was sleeping.”
“What did you do to him?” Louis squeaks a little afraid of the answer.
“Nothing. Like I said he’s just sleeping a little.”
Niall laughs at the horrified expression on Louis’ face. Well he guesses it could have been worse, but still! This whole thing is just odd. How did Niall even know they were coming home now? Or a better question how did he know who their driver was and where to find him?
He doesn’t ask any of the questions though, because either he’s not going to get an answer or he’s not going to like whatever the answer is. Honestly he’s already begun regretting saying he wanted to meet up with Niall again. The boy’s not bringing anything else than problems really, and Louis doesn’t need that in his life.
Maybe, but you still want him in your life, a small voice whispers in his head, and he knows the voice is right. It’s clearly a stupid thing to want, but he still wants it.
For a couple of minutes they’re just looking at each other, but then Louis takes a step towards him and puts his arms around the smaller boy. He’s a little afraid of getting rejected, especially after Niall has been standing totally frozen, ever since he touched him.
Then Niall begins moving, and for a second Louis thinks he’s going to push him away, but then Niall lays his arms around Louis too, and Louis can’t help but beam happily. He doesn’t even say anything to the fact that Niall’s hands are awfully close to his bum, just keep hugging the younger boy.
“You’re lucky that I need you to have a phone, or else it would have been gone now,” Niall whispers in his ear, and for some reason Louis doesn’t even bother moving or anything. He just laughs lightly at Niall’s words. He doesn’t doubt it. Actually he’s surprised that the phone isn’t gone yet, because Niall couldn’t get it any easier than right now.
“Just admit that you’re not as heartless as you try to pretend,” Louis teases with a smile.
“Oh I’m totally heartless, plus I can steal anything I want,” Niall states cockily.
“Really? Anything at all?”
“Anything, babe. You have met me two times, and at both times I have succeeded to steal something from you.”
That makes Louis frown because he has no idea what Niall has stolen this time. For all he knows the only thing he has on him right now is his phone, and Niall has just told him he’s not gonna take it, so what is he supposed to have taken this time?
“What?” he asks a little unsure.
“Oh baby, you don’t even realise that I have already stolen your heart.”
And it’s then Louis figures out what he wants, and who he wants to be, or maybe not exactly but he has an idea. He wants to be with this blond angel. He wants to be happy without pretending, and he knows he can do that with Niall. Maybe not as a boyfriend just yet, but as time goes he’s sure that’ll happen too, but for now this is enough, because he knows that as long Niall’s here, then he can really be who he wants to be. No judgement, just accept.
“I think you’re right,” he whispers agreeing, and without thinking he let his lips meet Niall’s in a sweet kiss.