In The Still Of The Night

Mambo

Louis starts the record again and takes up his position in front of the mirrors. He's on his own in the staff quarters, Zayn's heat having started that morning, right on time. Liam is with him in his cabin, locked away until tomorrow morning when it should be over. Louis' confidence with the steps is increasing, even though he's practicing by himself while he waits for Harry to return from his private lessons. They'll have a couple of hours for a final rehearsal before Louis has to join his aunt and uncle for dinner and explain Liam's absence as they had agreed. He's going to have to rush through the meal, but will be able to use Liam's fake illness to excuse himself early under the guise of wanting to check on him, so he can sneak off and meet Harry and they can head over to The Clarendon. Maryanne and Lionel will be at the cards and whiskey night so he figured he should be able to get back in plenty of time, and he is even hopeful that he and Harry can fit in some alone time.

Harry had woken him up this morning with a blow job so overwhelming that Louis feared his limbs had turned to jelly, rendering him useless for their dance that evening. After Louis had regained the ability to move and form somewhat coherent thoughts, he'd returned the favor, much to Harry's delight. After they'd both recovered, they brought mugs of coffee out onto the deck, and they watched the sunrise bundled up in blankets, Louis back pressed to Harry's chest, wrapped up in his alphas arms.

Louis had been reluctant to leave, his omega even more so, but Harry had soothed him with more kisses and walked him to the edge of the tree line, watching him until he was safely inside the cabin. Louis may have swayed his hips back and forth a little more than was absolutely necessary just to be a tease and had to giggle when he turned back to see the scowl on Harry's face, arms crossed over his chest.

Breakfast had been somewhat of an ordeal, between trying to eat his weight in bacon and eggs to quell his hunger after his night with Harry, to holding in his excitement at having found his alpha. He's always shared everything with his aunt and uncle so it's an uneasy and foreign feeling, but he knows he can't, not yet, not until Zayn is through his heat and the exhibition performance is over. He doesn't really think his family would cause any trouble, but he can't risk it, not when so much is at stake for so many people.

He moves through the steps, watching his line and form in the mirrors, correcting and repeating the moves until they become so familiar he doesn't even have to actively think about what comes next. He's never going to be a dancer, that much is abundantly clear, but he's damn well going to give this his best shot; for Zayn, for the crew, for Harry, and for himself.

"Louis, mate, looking good!" Niall's happy voice rings out as he comes in and Louis turns to find him lugging yet another crate over toward the kitchen.

"Thank you, yeah, it's coming along. Feels good too," Louis says and wanders over to sit down at the table to take a well earned break.

"Who would've thought. From carrying a watermelon to dancing at The Clarendon. You've come a long way in a week."

"Hmmmm... I guess I have," Louis says and he realizes how true Niall's words are. He has come a long way in just a few days, and not just with his new dance skills.

"A little birdie mentioned you might've had a pretty good night last night too?"

Louis flushes, more with pride than embarrassment. "Oh yeah? They did, did they?"

Niall nods and glances up from his position kneeling in front of the fridge where he's stacking another load of sodas, a cheeky grin on his face. "Yeah. Something about Harry throwing you over his shoulder and running off into the forest."

Louis snorts out a laugh and leans his elbows on the table. "We had a very nice evening, if you must know. But I'm actually more interested in hearing about your evening."