Strings and Schemes

Chapter 15

"Louis, I am so sick of this uber," I whine, stopping dead in our tracks, still a good ten minutes from our end location.

"It's so slow and we're hardly getting anywhere."  I pout.

"Hey, I take my cardiovascular health very seriously, I'll have you know!" He laughs, "Alright love, hop on my back and I'll piggy back you. Just put the straps to the uber around your shoulders so they don't go flying."

I follow his instructions, and hop up on his back, just drunk enough to notice how nice his back feels against my chest. I try to distract myself from the feeling of being in his arms, but find myself coming short on distractions. All of those thoughts come crashing down remembering the whole scene the played out with Liam and Louis just two days ago.

"So, erm, not that we're talking about it - " I say to Louis, "- but whats going on with the Liam stuff?"

Louis laughs, "It will be fine."

"Yeah, but like...what happened once I left?"

"Truthfully, I just got back in the Limo and went home, Liam left out front and we didn't really talk the rest of the weekend. I was proper mad, and he was too. But, none of that is your fault, babes." He says warmly.

"Do you think he'll forgive us for the secrets?"

Louis scoffs, "What gives him the right to be mad at us for surviving in a world neither of us asked for? He has his own feelings about the diplomatic corps, and so do I. Its mental for him to think that you have had any amount of the agency we have in our lives," Louis sighs, "-but he's got to just get over it in time. He doesn't like that we didn't trust him with that information, but it was and still is private and even if I don't care what people know about me: I will always," Louis stops, plopping me back on the ground in front of the Raven's den, "- put your safety and security ahead of my own feelings. Liam just doesn't like that he was in the risk to your safety and security camp."

I accept his answer, "Okay, that's it - no more talk of this situation." Louis claps his hands together.

"Back to our regularly schedule programming: You've only got one more ridiculous Independence Day act tonight." He smirks, "I'm not sure if you're going to love me or hate me for it. But, I think you're going to feel, very... freed afterwards."

I furrow my brows at him, "What do you have in mind Louis?"

Louis smirks, "Don't worry, it's not another threesome scheme."

I laugh, because what even is my life that that needs to be said out loud.

"I know you're anxious about the attention," Louis catches my eye before pushing the door open, "- but enjoy it, it's only your close friends here and everyones just happy to have you get to have this freedom we've seen you wishing for for so long."

I smile, "Alright, I can let people be happy for me for an evening."

"Wait!" I say, "Your monocle!"

"Oh no, that's staying on all night, but I'll take that moustache from you once we get to the upstairs in this uber."

"Louis, you can't be serious that we are hiking up the stairs in the cardboard uber that's seen better days."

He smirks, "serious as a heart attack babe."

I roll my eyes and follow Louis lead. The pub is entirely empty downstairs with the lights off, as Louis turns to lock the door. But it's been entirely transformed into a new place downstairs.  Decor is hanging everywhere, streamers, sparkles, tinsel, and fairy lights hanging everywhere and I can hear a low buzz of people talking over music upstairs. Early 00's music is playing for the perfect throwback, and Louis and I stop quickly at the bar before heading upstairs to drink beer straight from the tap, Louis recording the whole thing and posting it on socials.