Animal

27

"Sorry, Lou." Zayn apologises absentmindedly and begins the trek towards the door.

The airport terminal is buzzing with people and Louis finally gets a glimpse of the time and date. March seventh, 15h56. The information depresses him. March seventh? Has it been that long? It's a crushing thought and reminder.

"Can you see him?" Louis wants to distract himself and asks both Harry and Zayn if they've spotted Niall yet. He's anxious to be reunited with his best friend.

"Is that him?" Zayn points to an individual by the juice bar. His back is to them and he's got a grey golfer's hat on.

"It's Niall." Louis confirms. "He loves that place and his mother got him that hat."

Just knowing these things about Niall is making Louis giddy, and he forgets about Harry's hand in his when they're close enough to the juice bar's still mascot. Niall turns around first after placing an order and is struck dumb by Louis rushing towards him.

"Niall!" Louis traps the boy in a bear hug, arms around Niall's neck as he rests his weight on him.

"Louis!" Niall cackles, mimicking Louis' ecstatic tone, before welcome the embrace and holding his best friend. "I missed you."

Louis wants to cry but he tries to be a big boy about this. "I missed you too."

He has to pull back when Harry and Zayn both make it to the front counter of the juice bar, silently astounded by Louis' ability to move through a crowd to gracefully. Niall hugs them too even if Harry goes rigid and Zayn seems shocked.

"How you doing, Psycho?" Niall releases Harry - even a man as bold and intimidating as him is not immune to Niall's hugs - and beams up at him.

"I'm changing my pin number." Harry frowns, not at all in tune with all this affection, and pushes Niall away. "Get off me."

"Haz." Louis chastises him. "Don't be mean to Niall."

"He makes me uncomfortable."

Niall has laid claim on Louis, as he has worsened his security regimen now. He keeps an arm looped through Louis' while he talks to Zayn, the poor lad looks sick to his stomach with something foul.

"You look constipated."

Niall stands in front of Zayn, peering up into dusty brown eyes under long lashes. He's forgiven Zayn for almost breaking his heart a long time ago, because he doesn't believe in holding grudges.

"Thanks." Zayn's frown lightens but Niall can see he's fighting to maintain it.

"When's your birthday?" Niall glances at Louis when his name is called, nodding to indicate that he's coming.

"Why?"

"Because I want to gift you lots of fibre. When is it?"

Zayn chuckles at this strange person's responses, amusing and very peculiar. "January twelfth."

"I'm September thirteenth." Niall smiles kindly up at him, having to bend his neck at an angle to do so. "My juice!"

The exclamation startles Zayn enough to have him stepping back and gasping, quickly covering it up with a cough to clear his throat. Niall takes the two rather impressive smoothie's and smiling at the counter person.

"Come on, Malik." Niall blows out an exasperated breath and nudges Zayn along a path to the electronic sliding doors.

"Where's the car?" Harry asks Niall once they've paid the little ticket fee and he has his Dodge keys back.