"Harry, hold up." Louis rushes from around the corner and grabs Harry's arm, gently turning him around so they can face each other. The smile on his face is blinding, and it hasn't gone away since Louis drove up to surprise him for his final performance.
Things have been rocky since Harry passed through bootcamp of the X-Factor. He's forced to stay on site with all the other contestants, and he doesn't get much free time to go home and visit his friends or family. Often times he's doing something with the competition, and the schedule that they have him on keeps it very hard to ever get on his phone. He and Louis haven't talked as much as they would like, as much as they are used to. They usually have face time calls in the middle of the night because that's the only free time Harry gets, but even then it's difficult because they're both so tired to even keep on the call.
So, these past few months have been tough on them. Harry's gotten to visit once, but he was strictly told to be near his family. Louis saw him in passing, and it was hard to hold back all his urges when there were cameras following his boyfriend everywhere. Now that Harry is in the finale, Louis figured he would come up to surprise his boy. It's a big night for him, and he wants to be there when Harry wins it all. His mum and sister were able to attend, and it took great effort for them to sneak him through. The competition is very strict on who they let back stage with the contestants, and they typically only allow direct family. Not even Liam, Niall, or Zayn were allowed to come up.
Amongst Harry, there is a boy band and a female solo singer. These three contestants have remained the most popular throughout the whole competition so it's not a big surprise they are the finalist of the show. However, there's not a lead on who could possibly win. All of them are great, and they each have something unique they bring their performances. The boy band has great vocals, able to range their voices from high to low and know how to put on a stellar performance. The female singer is lovely, voice so angelic and soft like honey. Harry always thought she was the best one out of everyone, and he has high expectations of her taking home the title.
And then, him. Harry.
He thinks he's a good singer, but he's still not so sure what it is that got him to the end. He's seen tweets and post about his looks and curls getting him all his votes, that his voice is too young and lacks the development to be an X-Factor winner. Then he sees some fans defending his vocals and the thick, rasp to his voice, how he's able to expand his range and hit a lot of the high notes that not even the guys in the boy band could. It's a bunch of mixed reviews, but he hopes that his looks and his smile aren't the only reasons why he's still here.
"How are you feeling?" Louis asks once he gets Harry close to him. His hands are shaking a bit so he gently laces their fingers together, cautiously scanning across every feature on his boys face. The smile is still there, but he's nervous. Louis can feel it.
"I think I might throw up."
Gently, Louis presses a hand to the side of Harry's cheek, caressing him softly. Harry relaxes in to the touch, eyes slipping shut. "You know you have what it takes to win it all, right? You're so fucking amazing. A voice that is meant to be heard across the world."
Green eyes open up, and they shine underneath the light. "You have to say that to me," he chuckles weakly.
"No, I don't. I say it because I mean it." Louis smiles as he squeezes the hand he's still holding on to. "The hard part is already over, love. The performance tonight doesn't matter. It's just for fun."
Harry blows out a big puff of breath past his lips, chest expanding slowly. "I wish you could stand on that stage with me. It sucks being alone out there."
"I'll be right here where you can see me. Just as close I can be."
Harry blinks, a stray tear building up in the corner of his eye that slowly rolls down his cheek. "You promise?"
"I promise." Leaning in, Louis presses a kiss to his lips, savoring the way they so easily connect. It's been months since he's last gotten to do this, but it feels so natural to have their mouths slot together, like they're meant to be. Two puzzle pieces that slide together perfectly, a lock and key. Louis loves kissing Harry.
After they pull apart, Louis lets go of Harry, ushering him to get ready for his next performance. "Good luck."
"I love you, Louis."
His lips tilt up. "I love you, too, baby."
Harry blows a kiss his way and then turns around to head on to the stage for his final performance on the show.
As the hours pass, Louis remains off to the side watching Harry run on and off stage. He has a solo performance and then one with all the contestant. A few old competitors that got kicked off weeks prior make a guest appearance, and it's a long drag of entertainment until it finally boils down to who's winning the show. Everything passes by in blur, and then Harry is standing in the middle of the stage with a spotlight shining down on him. The boy band is to his left, and the female solo act to his right. Louis can see enough from his spot off the side of the stage, but he occasionally glances at the television in front to catch a better view of Harry's features whenever the camera pans in on him.
Anne and Gemma are in close behind him, and they all huddle in as the host of the show makes her way to the center of the stage.
"Good evening everyone, and welcome back to the X-Factor," she introduces, the cheer of the crowd echoing behind her. "We now have our last three finalist up on the stage tonight, and we are moments away from seeing who you guys voted for to win it all." Stepping off to the side, the hostess angles her body so she can present the remaining three, starting with the band. "We have our Australian boyband, Connection. Then we have two solo acts in the finale, Mr. Harry Styles and Amelie Grayson."
The crowd continues to applaud for the contestants, and the buzz of the third place titlement is on full swing. From afar, Louis can see the small twitch in Harry's smile that only appears when he's holding back on his nerves His foot is tapping anxiously to the ground, and his hands are pressed behind his back and toying with the ends of his shirt as to keep his mind distracted. He looks around the arena like he wants to focus on one thing, but the blinding lights and the loudness of the audience prevents him to remain calm. He's breathing shakily, and small droplets of sweat line the top of his forehead.
Louis wishes more than anything he could run out there and comfort the boy. It's hard being up there all alone, especially when he's the youngest contestant in the finale.
"Alright," the hostess says once the crowd calms. She walks to the edge of the stage and keeps her body open, angled both towards the contestants and to the judges ahead of the stage. "Now, in third place - " the lights dim low, and there's a low thrum of a beat playing through the speakers. The stage turns a dark red hue, and everyone holds their breath while the few seconds of the dramatic pause passes.
"Connection," she eventually answers, and the light focuses on the boyband who are now hugging one another.
A huge breath relieves its way out of Harry, and he bends over just a little so he can catch his breath. It's a fifty-fifty chance at this point. He'll either come in at second, or he'll be announced the winner. It's all so surreal as he remains on the stage while the boyband is being guided off, taking their third place title in pride and wishing the last two contestants good luck. Harry's ears are ringing at this point, and he's not so sure he knows how to contain the mix of emotions inside his body. His heart is already racing in his chest, beating at an uncontrollable rate.
The hostess is currently talking to Amelie, trying to gauge how she's feeling and having her answer a few questions. Harry uses the moment to focus on his breathing, trying to shift the weight between both his legs so he can keep the blood flowing in his body. His head is quite woozy, chest tight with a pressure he's not familiar with. Briefly, Harry glances off the stage to catch his family. He easily spots Louis in the crowd of people that are bustling around, and the softness of his blue eyes and the brightness of his smile is enough to calm him. Just in time too as the hostess focuses her attention on to him now.
"Harry, you are one of the last two remaining contestants of this competition. How are you feeling right now?"
Harry blinks, follows Louis' advice of taking in a deep breath, and then chuckles nervously. "Speechless."
"You are the youngest contestant to have ever made it to the finals in the history of the X-Factor," she comments, and the crowd follows with cheers. Harry blushes pink. "What does this mean for your singing career?"
Taking another deep breath, Harry calculates the thoughts in his mind. Glancing ahead, he spots the judges looking directly at him. "I definitely think this is just the start for me. I never imagined myself making it this far with how young I am, but I will forever be grateful of the guidance from all the judges. Age shouldn't matter when it comes to chasing your dreams, and I'm glad that I never let that affect me. No matter what happens tonight, I'll continue to sing. This won't be the last of me."
"Sounds wonderful." The hostess returns to her spot at the edge of the stage. "Now, the moment we have all been waiting for. The winner of this season's X-Factor competition is ... " the lights dim low again, and the pause this time is much longer. Harry's eyes slip shut, and he counts slowly in his head to keep his breathing leveled at a steady pace. He's got a bright light shining down on him, and not too far away is Amelie. The silence between announcing the winner is long and deafening, and Harry's about ready to collapse to the ground from the build up of waiting when finally, the winner is announced.
"Harry Styles!"
It's all a blur when it happens. The confetti shooting off. The balloons falling from the ceiling. Amelie coming over to hug him. There are tears running down his face, but he can't even process what it is that's making him feel emotional. Everyone is cheering and clapping, and he's soon getting bombarded by his family and Louis. His ears are ringing inside his head, and all he can make out is the static sound of white noise. People are talking and congratulating him, but the adrenaline pumping through his veins right now keep him from actively focusing on one thing around.
There is a big celebration that passes by as quickly as it appears, and Harry is eventually being ushered off the stage when the credits of the show have rolled. He's already being told a million and one things about what winning the competition means, but none of it sticks to him when all he can see are his boyfriends blue eyes staring at him. It's been a long couple months of being apart, and finally, they can be together again. He can have Louis' arms around him, be suffocated with his smell and love. It's all Harry has been looking forward too since bunking at the X-Factor house, and that's the first person he goes to when he's freed from the stage.
Mindlessly, Harry walks right too him, burrowing deep against his chest and snuggling his nose against Louis' neck. It's instinct the way Louis' arms encompass his body, tucking in tight around his waist. There's a lot going on right now, too many people talking in his ear and offering things he's not ready to listen to. But standing there in Louis' arms is what he needs. This moment of just the two of them, hugging, being together alone, that's his real prize.
"I'm so proud of you, baby. You know that?" Louis whispers against his ear, pressing a kiss there.
Harry smiles as he pulls back, eyes glossy and wet. Louis smiles as he dabs away some tears that have rolled down his cheek. Gosh, he's missed Louis' hands on his body. Could have them somewhere on him for forever.
"I can't believe I won, Lou. I didn't think I would."
Rolling his eyes, Louis scoffs. "As if, love. You're a star, remember?" Harry giggles when he leans in to rub their noses together. "I got you something."
"A present?" Harry perks up, grinning widely.
"I knew you were going to win tonight and what it means moving forward so I - " Louis pauses as he draws back out of Harry's hold so he can reach in his jeans pocket. A black box, square and velvet, he pulls out and hands it over to Harry. Carefully, Harry opens the lid of the box up, unveiling a silver ring with a blue zircon gemstone attached.
Harry pulls it out and twists it around between his fingers, awing at the piece of jewelry. "Louis. It's so beautiful."
"It's pretty cheesy, but that's my birthstone," Louis explains, reaching out gently and helping slide the ring on Harry's finger. "I figured that with everything that's about to happen, you can always have a piece of me with you. At all times." Harry sniffles, and his shimmering green eyes blink up. Louis smiles as he cups the side of his face, fingers brushing through his curly hair. "It's also like a promise of sorts. That I will always be with you. No matter what happens, it's you and me against the world, darling."
"This almost sounds like a proposal,'" Harry teases, biting his lip.
"Well, call it a pre-proposal then."
Again, the sharp sound of the front door opening up and slamming back against the wall jolts Louis from his nap. He really should consider changing his locks if his friends are going to keep coming over unannounced.
Groaning, he lifts his head off the back of the couch, turning to glare at the figure in the doorway. "What?"
It's Liam who is standing there, waving his phone in the air. "Been calling you for about ten minutes now, mate."
"Okay?"
"The concert, Louis. Did you forget?"
Louis lets out a big huff and reaches for his phone on the coffee table. Sure enough, he's got plenty of missed calls and unread messages from his friends. The most recent one reading that the limo is out front of his apartment complex.
"I did not forget," he mumbles under his breath, slowly rising from the couch. His anxiety had been running high all morning, and he's actually been dressed and ready to go for the past three hours. Falling asleep was on accident. Dreaming about Harry was just plain rude.
"Don't tell me you're still in a mood?"
Louis rolls his eyes as he grabs his wallet and keys and walks past Liam out the front door. "You know I'm always in a mood after a nap."
"I mean in a mood still from yesterday."
Ah. Yes. The lovely venue tour that ended with playing a game that involved very sexual questions. A great thing for two exes to participate in.
Louis didn't think it through when he stormed out the venue only to have to call a cab to come pick him up since he rode with the other guys. Even worse when he had to text them saying he left, without giving them any further explanation. They probably put the pieces together fairly fast.
"Let's not talk about it. I'm going to the bloody concert, right?"
Liam lets out a breath, but he does nod in agreement. Without pushing any more, he locks the front door of Louis' place and leads the way out the complex.
The limo is waiting alongside the curb when they walk up, and Louis is already making a face as he gets inside the vehicle. Everyone else is already inside, waiting, ready for the concert - Gigi, Sophia, Hailee, Niall and Zayn. Louis slides in to the middle bench of the limo, and Liam follows behind and takes a spot next to Sophia. They all get comfortable in their seats, and the driver takes off towards the concert stadium. Louis doesn't hesitate to pop open the closest bottle of wine he can reach, doing his best to keep the annoyed expression on his face.
He knows he failed miserably when Zayn catches his expression.
"What's on your mind, Lou?"
"You looked thrilled to be here," Gigi teases.
Louis finishes off the rest of his glass and sets the bottle into the holder on the side of the limo. "I'm still trying to figure out why we have to ride around in a bloody limo."
Zayn shrugs. "It's classy."
"Free booze, too," Niall calls out happily, raising the glass of wine he's already drinking from.
Louis huffs.
"So, I see you're flying solo tonight then?" Hailee questions, eyebrows raised in interest.
Louis takes a long sip of his drink. "I am."
Hailee hums, trying to seem passive. She's not fooling anyone. She's definitely a pryer. "What, did Luke turn you down?"
"He probably didn't want to deal with Harry singing love songs about Louis on stage," Niall whispers into the next sip of his drink. Louis narrows his eyes at him, hoping that his stare can be enough to shut him up.
"I didn't bother to ask him," Louis responds, slowly dragging his eyes from Niall.
"So, let me get this straight," Zayn jumps in, his lip curving up. Louis is already dreading what he's about to say without knowing what's about to come out his mouth. "You chose to hang out with Harry every single day this week, even had a secret little rendezvous with him - agreed to come to this concert, and decided to not bring an old flame with you to the show?"
Louis nods his head slowly.
"And you want me to believe that you're not still in love with him?"
Gigi smacks her lips together. "Zayn, come on."
"For the record, you lot dragged me everywhere with him this week," Louis clarifies.
Zayn actually laughs loudly. "I don't remember threatening you. It was your choice."
"S' not like you ever listen to us with anything else. You have a mind of your own, I swear," Liam adds as an after thought.
Louis' features harden, but they did make a valid point. If he really didn't want to go to all the plans they had with Harry, he probably could have easily found a way out. Which, he didn't. He went to everything - complained a lot, but he still showed up. His friends pestering normally does not affect him like this. He's good at ignoring them. Typically. What the fuck is he supposed to do with that information?
"Guys, stop meddling," Sophia cuts in, voice soft as ever. "They're broken up. Clearly for a reason. Every time we all get together, nothing good happens between the two of them. Can't we for once try to keep things civil for a change?"
"There's no way things will be civil tonight. You're right, nothing ever good happens. Remember when Niall outed Louis and Luke in front of Harry," Hailee notes, nudging Niall next to her. Louis groans.
"Or when he shouted that he's single and he could care less about how Harry feels," Liam adds with a shake to his head.
"My favorite is when Louis turned off the scary movie for him," Zayn admits with a wicked smirk.
"I liked when Louis snuck away with Harry and took him to the foundation for his new label," Gigi comments with a laugh.
Louis looks appalled. "How do you know about that?"
"Oh," Niall joins, jerking up. "How about when Louis and Harry had to answer questions about their relationship?"
Liam groans. "Gosh. That was horrid. He brought up Luke again."
Hailee purses her lips together. "Is that what happened yesterday?" she glances over to Louis. "I heard that you two had another row."
Louis huffs, now getting frustrated. "You know, you all are starting to piss me off with Harry. I'm not the bad guy here. He's the one who left me. I shouldn't have to listen to you all try to get us back together because it's not going to happen. Fuck off with that thought, okay? I'm single. Whoever I fuck around with doesn't matter. If I hurt Harry's feelings, it doesn't matter. I could have brought Luke to piss him off, but I didn't, okay? And it's not because of whatever the bloody hell you think is the reason why. I'm just over it. I'm done with seeing him, and I'm done talking to him. After today, fuck Harry. I could care less what he does after this. I tried to power through everything with you lot, but I'm done. This is it."
The silence that follows is tensed and awkward, and Louis is sitting right in the middle of it. He knows he's causing a scene and creating a bad mood before the show, but he's tired of listening to all his friends act like Harry leaving him didn't mean anything. It did. It fucking meant everything to him. They were in love. They were going to get married, but it all went to shit when Harry won the X-Factor. Everything still hurts to this day, and his friends pretending like this sucks.
Louis is single. He and Harry are broken up. They are not friends. They are not lovers. If Louis wants to have a boyfriend or find someone to fuck around with, then he should be able to. His friends shouldn't be looking at him like he's doing the worst possible thing in the world. There is no longer a HarryandLouis. It's Louis, and then there is Harry.
"I'm sorry," Louis says after awhile. He sets his glass in a cup holder and runs his fingers through his hair, brushing away all the stress that suddenly crashed in to him. "I didn't mean to throw a fit. I just - I swear you guys forget how much it hurt me when Harry left."
"No, you're right," Liam speaks up, eyes softening. "As much as we loved seeing you two together, it's a different life we're living in. Harry chose his bed, and now he has to lay in it."
"You had every right to act like a tit to him this week," Hailee tackles on, smiling. Louis snorts. "I am happy you're here though. And not for any reason that involves Harry."
"Let's just try to have a good night," Louis suggest with a heavy breath. "I'll stay away from Harry and keep my mouth shut. I don't want to ruin it for you guys."
They all grab a glass full of wine and clink it together in the middle. The tension dissipates, and they're back to having a good time together.
The drive towards Wembley is shy under an hour from the traffic. They cycle through all the different songs Harry released and pop open another bottle of champagne to loosen their bodies a little more. By the time they arrive through the back gates of the arena, there is a steady buzz going around, the awkwardness and tension from before long forgotten. Louis feels good and he's having fun, not so much worrying or thinking about Harry and all the complications that surround their relationship. He's hoping he can keep this up as they enter the building and actually see him. It's already going to be a long night, and Louis actually doesn't want to make it any more complicated than the previous days have been.
Their group is led by a security guard through the private lot and inside the building. Fans and paparazzi are surrounding the entire area and screaming loudly when they arrive. Everyone is asking them questions, taking pictures and videos - definitely not anything they are ever used to. The amount of attention they are drawing to the group is discerning, and the strong level of discomfort only dissipates once everyone is finally safe inside the building, the door closing silencing the roar of all the fans outside.
They get led into the break room that Harry showed the day before. It has two sections, one area where the mini bar and buffet are set up, and the other with lounge couches. Anne, Gemma and Robin are inside when they enter the said room, passing around champagne flutes and cheering when they notice the group. Even Harry's grandparents and direct relatives are there. Louis has a tight lipped smile as his family circles around the group and offer everyone hugs, welcoming them with warm smiles and champagne flutes to join in on the celebration. It's awkward when Louis gets his round, but everyone acts friendly enough to where he doesn't necessarily feel like bolting out the room. At least there is no resentment in the family.
"I'm glad everyone could make it out," Anne says once everyone has been greeted. She raises her flute in the air, and the rest follow. There's a bright smile on her face as she scans the room. "Tonight is a special one, and I'm glad all of Harry's loved ones can be here to see him off before he's on a break. I know he's just over the moon to perform in front of everyone."
"To Harry," Gemma follows with, eyes dancing over to Louis. She winks, lips curving in to a smirk. Louis rolls his eyes away, sipping his champagne, the liquid warming his bones. Of course, when the chatter takes off after the toast, she steps away from the crowd, idly walking her way towards Louis with a certain type of gleam in her eye that he is already dreading.
"So," she hums as she gets closer, bumping him on the shoulder. Louis makes a face, unimpressed, and chugs down the rest of the champagne. "What happened to bringing a date?"
Louis groans, leaning his back against the wall and hoping that someone would come save him. For gods sake, this is his ex-boyfriend's older sister, crowding him in the corner, surely about to interrogate him in to oblivion. It's always been one of Gemma's favorite pass time.
"If there's one thing I've learned this week is that bringing up our past doesn't work well for us."
Gemma raises an eyebrow. "How so?"
"Well, I'm sure you heard about Luke."
She snorts, taking a sip, head shaking. "Got an ear full, mate."
"Figured," Louis snorts. He needs a refill, but the bottles of champagne are near Anne, and she's going on and on about how proud she is of Harry. That's the last conversation he wants to walk in on. Better to stay stranded here with Gemma. "You heard about the dinner we had then?"
"Of course."
"And yesterday?"
"I hear it all." Gemma smiles, eyebrows wiggling in a teasing way. "Even when you dodge a scary movie for the sake of my brother."
Louis' cheek flush, but he tries to play it off. He knows he fails when Gemma has a knowing look on her face. "I try to play nice and then I fuck it up. Typical. You know?"
"Oh I know. It's been an ongoing three years of your fuck up."
"What?" Louis cocks his head towards her, not sure where she's going with this. "My fuck up?"
"Hey, Lou," Liam calls out, huddled with the rest of their group, distracting him from Gemma. There's shot glasses being passed around, and Louis sees a bottle of tequila in Sophia's hand. Thank god, he can finally escape this dreadful conversation. "Come take a shot with us."
Louis smiles at Gemma and then proceeds to join his friends. The liquid of the tequila runs through his body a lot smoother than the champagne.
Soon, another security guard is stopping by their room, and they get escorted through the back stage corridors. In passing, there is a room with a bunch of cheering, probably where Harry and the band is preparing to go out on stage. The opening act is just now finishing up, and the group is lead over to a special area of the arena, a secluded VIP section away from the crowd and up on their own private platform. It's off side to the stage, where they have perfect view of the performance and where fans can easily glance up at them. Everyone cheers when they walk out, lots of flashing lights and screaming in their direction.
Upon sitting in the box, there is a waitress already taking orders and getting them cared for. They start with another round of shots and then settle with a drink to nurse throughout the beginning of the show. The arena continues to chatter loudly and cheer at the anticipation of Harry coming out any minute. When it comes time, the lights go out for a moment, everyone screeching, and then the spotlights are flashing like strobe lights. There is the first strum of a guitar that echos into the building and then the tinkling keys of a piano following behind. Fog erupts from the ground, and the strobe lights settle into one spotlight center of the stage where Harry is walking out, all shiny boots and flashy outfit that shimmer under the light.
Then he starts to sing, voice so raw and raspy, deep and angelic in a way that Louis has almost forgotten.
Counted all my mistakes and there's only one.
Standing out from the list of the things I've done
All the rest of my crimes don't come close
To the look on your face when I let you go
The energy in the stadium is at an all time high. The fans jumping around and singing just as loud as Harry, almost drowning his voice in light of their own. Harry on stage is a sight to behold. He's so energetic, dancing around carefree and interacting with the crowd like they're his personal friends. Louis knew Harry was famous, but he never considered just how famous he actually is. The entire stadium knows every lyric to his song. Everywhere he looks or points, they go ballistic. People calling out his name, holding up signs, recording him or dancing just as silly as he is. It's wonderful to watch, and there is this moment inside of Louis where he's filled with pride, happy that Harry has done well for himself - that he's overcome all the fear and insecurities of being on stage and now performing without a care in the world.
Louis remains in his seat for the first song, not entirely sure what else he's supposed to be doing. The lyrics and the tune are catchy, and Louis is pretty content nursing his pint and enjoying the company of his friends. They seem to know the song more than he does. Gigi and Sophia are up on their feet dancing together, swaying their bodies and singing out with the crowd. Liam has his phone out recording, and Zayn is doing what he is with sitting and enjoying his beer. Hailee is talking with Gemma, but they're both standing and nodding their heads to the beat. Anne and Robin are wrapped around each other, swaying, hugging one another.
Only the first song in, and everything about the show is already something they have never experienced before. Louis has watched many concerts in his life. It's what he does with his job and catching on to new acts. But none of them, not even the ones who have years of experience ahead of Harry, can put on a performance like this.
It takes about two hours for Harry to perform through the majority of his songs, in mixture of his silly comments and goofy jokes. About midway, he gives a shout out to his friends and family sitting in the VIP box, and they get the spotlight shone down on them for all the audience to see. He even introduces the band as well, praising himself for being the one to get Mitch and Sarah together, his proudest accomplishment. There is a small break before the Encore where Harry and the band run off stage. The roar of the crowd doesn't silence at all, they continue to scream and sing one of Harry's songs that he didn't perform tonight. It's not one that Louis is familiar with at least, but it must be a popular one if the crowd is chanting and singing it, almost like a request for him to play it.
Once the break is over, the band is rushing back on stage. The music doesn't start just yet, and if Louis remembers correctly, this is supposed to be the debut of the new song Harry's been working on. The one he's used the recording studio for. Louis is quite interested to know what it is. It's the only one on the set list that didn't have a name so he didn't have any chance to interpret what it could possibly mean. So far, he feels pretty fifty-fifty about what he assumed the songs would be about. After hearing the lyrics of a few, he definitely was surprised about how far off his interpretation could be.
"We're back," Harry announces into the microphone, giggling when everyone cheers. The spotlight shines on him, everything else dimmed low. "Since tonight is a special one, my last show before break, I wanted to introduce a new song I've been working on. It's personal, and I hope you like it. This is If I Could Fly."
In the midst of the speech, there is a piano rolled to the side the stage, and Harry walks over to it once he announces the song. The spotlight follows him and shines down on his body as he takes a seat on the bench. Relieving in a big breath, Harry's eyes shut, a brief moment of pause before he's tapping the keys on the piano.
For a second, Louis holds his breath, heart racing in his chest when Harry's voice echoes through the arena, all pure and soft, like a whisper of a secret he's been holding in for so long.
If I could fly
I'd be coming right back home to you
I think I might
Give up everything just ask me to
Pay attention I hope that your listening
Because I let my guard down
Right now I'm completely defenseless
For your eyes only
I show you my heart
It's a masterpiece. The openness of the lyrics. Straight from the heart and raging with emotion that Harry is willing to present for the world. It's overwhelming to listen to, and having all of their friends looking directly back and forth between him and Harry on stage is causing Louis' body to tingle. The song is about him. It's about the want and the pain that Harry has felt because of him, because of their three year long separation. The spotlight is on stage, centered on Harry's body, but somehow, Louis feels like it's on him, stripping him bare in front of all these people. Does the crowd know that this is about him? Do they have any speculation to the kind of love that he and Harry once had that would emit him to write a song so powerful?
Louis feels like he's gonna be sick.
His friends are murmuring all around him, even Anne and Gemma. Like putting two pieces of a puzzle together. When Harry's voice cracks mid song, mid lyric, Louis' eyes water. The emotion swarming through him, the influx of all the memories he and Harry share invade his mind, and it's too much. He can't sit there and listen to Harry sing this song about him, about their love, like it doesn't bother him. It does. More than anything. All eyes are on him, or it feels like it is - like he has a sign plastered above his head that screams ex-boyfriend right here.
He's panicking, and when Zayn leans in to press a hand to his back, he flees. Jolting up out of his chair, nearly spilling the beer on his pants and running back through the corridors.
Sooooooo. What do you think Louis freaked?
So dramatic asses.