Chapter 3
On the plus side, Louis woke up dry. On the completely terrible side, he peed himself on the elevator back up to his room after lunch. Thankfully he was by himself and able to be mortified in his solitude. He took a long nap that afternoon, knowing that he’d be out late with the boys.
He wasn’t sure why he was actually going out, it was something he only ever did if he was forced into it after an awards show or Harry begged him sweetly. He couldn’t help but fall for his eyes; he doesn’t think anyone can resist Harry’s charm.
He ordered room service, only spilling a few bites on himself and he was feeling quite proud of himself. Tired once again, he fell back asleep. He was getting more and more tired as the days dragged on; he was ready for a break. He had a week off after they left LA the next morning, and his bed was the only thing that was on his mind. 24 hours to go, it was the homestretch.
He woke up to a loud banging on his door, disoriented by the pitch black of the room. He looked at the clock, realizing that he’d slept for another 3 hours. 10:24pm.
“Let’s go Tommo! You’re not skipping out on us,” Niall yelled, laughing raucously.
“How could I ever do that to you, Ni?” he asked sarcastically as he opened the door, letting the gad in.
Niall was already dressed, wearing yet another pair of fake glasses. Louis and the others teased him incessantly about them, but Niall continued to insist that they were cool and trendy.
“I don’t know, Lou, looks like you’re ready for a night in from the way you’re dressed.”
“I fell asleep, just give me a minute.”
Louis walked over to his suitcase, beginning to rummage through. Lou Teasdale, the band’s stylist, was a blessing in disguise for Louis. She always picked out his clothes, making sure he looked as good as he possibly could. He’d always had trouble picking out his own clothes, not sure of whether or not his clothes suited him.
“Oi, what’s the hold up?” Harry asked, walking into Louis’ room.
“This one’s just digging through his suitcase like something new is going to appear if he tries hard enough,” Niall said with a lazy point towards Louis.
“Would it kill you to chill for half a second, Nialler? I can’t find anything to wear,” Louis said, looking up at Harry. He sits on the ground in front of his suitcase, seemingly giving up on the hunt for clothes.
Harry walked over, bending down by the suitcase. He looked at Louis’ clothes for all of two seconds before procuring an outfit. He hands it to Louis with a small smile, the smaller boy giving his arm a squeeze in thanks.
Louis didn’t need to look at the outfit to know that it’s what he wanted to wear; he just headed to the bathroom to put it on. He trusted Harry with his life, he was sure that he trusted him to pick out an outfit. He throws on his signature black jeans and a black and red striped shirt he didn’t even know he owned. He looked good; he looked like a gad that was ready to hit the town. A normal 21 year old, he could pretend, even if it was only for the night.
He stepped out of the bathroom after brushing his teeth, ready to go. The panic of not knowing what was to come that night was settling in the pit of his stomach, slowly creeping into every fiber of his being. He knew he couldn’t think about all of the things that could possibly go wrong, or his anxiety would cripple him. He tried to remain positive. He knew that his boys would take care of him. Zayn promised. And if they didn’t fulfill that promise, then Alberto would. He could honestly say that he didn’t want to look in Alberto’s eyes for a good 3,000 years, but he knew the man would be there to help him no matter what, just like he always was.
“Lads night out! Let’s do this!” Niall screamed, fist pumping the air. In the time that Louis was gone Zayn and Liam had made their way into his room, all of them now filing out behind Niall.
They headed to Bootsy Bellows, a club that Louis had heard Liam absolutely raving about before. He wasn’t really sure why it mattered what club they went to, but he trusted the man’s judgment. They were skirted to the front of the line as soon as they got there, the five boys being followed in by Paddy and Alberto. They made their way to the VIP section that had been curtained off for them, providing Louis with a sense of relief. The exclusivity of the section lessened his anxiety a bit, the sheer amount of people on the dance floor was enough to make him want to go home before the night even began.
There were quite a few people in the VIP section, some that he’d seen at award shows once or twice. They headed up to the bar, Louis standing awkwardly behind his bandmates as they ordered their favorite drinks with ease.
“You ready for this, mate?” Zayn asked him, handing over a glass with a reddish pink drink inside.
Louis looked at him uncertainly, shaking his head with a small smile. “We’ll see. What exactly is this?”
“Vodka cranberry, it’s tame. You’ll like it, promise.” Louis blushed at the drink’s name, transported back in time to the night he’d first truly conversed with Nick at the bar.
“Well, here goes nothing!” Louis said, feeling a rush of energy. Liam, Niall, and Zayn cheered loudly. If he were to have looked at Harry’s face he would’ve seen a look of concern. Harry wasn’t sure what had made Louis want to drink after five years of denying his bandmates, but there was nothing he could do to stop it. He knew he had no claim over Louis, he was a gad. He could hold his own. If he watched his eldest bandmate a little more closely than usual, then no one had to know.
Louis was delighted to find out that his drink tasted like juice, and nothing like the disgusting liquid that he thought alcohol would taste like. So he finished his first drink. And then he had a second. And a third. And a fourth.
It seemed like a good idea at first, the perfect way to forget his life, if only for a night. Dramatic, yes, but… he had always had a penchant for drama.
If he were to have had any sober thinking ability left, he would’ve seen the worried face of Alberto, sitting at a booth near where Louis was dancing. Every fiber of his being told him to go to his charge and take him back to the hotel and make sure he was safely tucked into bed. The club was no place for the boy sober, let alone as drunk as he was. Alberto was worried he was going to fall over any second, his dancing comprised of teetering from side to side like a piece of paper blowing in the wind. But no, he couldn’t take Louis away from the fun; he knows the small man would never forgive him. But he could go to Harry who was also giving Louis looks of deep concern. He got up from the booth, giving Paddy a signal that he’d be right back. He tapped Harry out of the crowd of sweaty bodies, signaling for him to follow him to the bar.
“What’s up? Everything okay?” Harry asked, brow furrowed as he leaned his body against the bar.
“Yeah, yeah, all good. Just watch out for Louis, hm?” That was all Alberto needed to say, Harry understanding where the man’s worry came from.
Completely oblivious to the conversation that was finishing up at the bar, Louis was feeling good. At least he believed that this was what feeling free and intoxicated felt like. He couldn’t be completely sure, all he knew was that he could barely feel his fingers and face. But he could feel his bladder, and it was about to burst. He was of enough mind to realize that having an accident here was not something he wanted to happen. He allowed himself the liberty of shaking Niall’s shoulder, as he was the closest of his mates to him.
“Ni,” Louis slurred into his ear, gripping his shoulder, “I need to go to the bathroom.”
Niall looked at him, laughing, “so go to the bathroom, Tommo! The VIP loo is right back there,” he said, pointing to an area behind him.
Louis looked at him again with glazed eyes, letting out a breath. “I need help, mmm I can barely stand, Nialler.”
“Okay, okay,” Niall said, looking around, “let me get daddy over here.”
He yelled for Harry, who was just making his way back to the dance floor.
Harry looked at Niall, who whispered in his ear. “Lou needs to go to the bathroom, reckons he can’t go by himself. Figured this was your domain.”
Harry nodded, needing no further explanation. He looked at Louis, who was swaying on the spot, looking like he was going to fall asleep on his feet. He moved over to him, grabbing his chin gently.
“Loulou, we’re gonna go to the bathroom now, okay?” Harry asked in a soft tone. Louis nodded, leaning into Harry’s side. Harry took that as his cue to start walking them to the bathroom, putting his arm around Louis to hold him steady. He signaled to Alberto to follow, wanting to make sure they had privacy in the bathroom.
“Hazza, I really need to go,” Louis whimpered into his ear.
“You can hold it for me, Lou, we’re almost there,” Harry assured him, simultaneously picking up the pace.
They made it to the bathroom that was empty, walking in while Alberto positioned himself outside of it.
“There you go, Lou, I’ll be waiting out here.” Harry jumped up on the counter, set to wait for his bandmate to finish up.
Louis stood staring at him, wide-eyed. “I-I… could you help me? Please? Need help with my jeans. Don’t wanna have an accident.”
Harry didn’t even have to think before hopping down. If it was anyone else he would’ve hesitated, but this was Louis. His little, innocent Louis. Harry would help him with anything he needed, because he knew Louis would never ask for something he didn’t need. That was how Louis was, a genuine and lovely person. Harry would do anything for him.
He gently guided the smaller man into the bathroom stall, gently unbuttoning his jeans. He pushed them down Louis’ thick thighs along with his pants, noticing a sizeable damp patch on his undergarment. He stands there, waiting for Louis to finish up, helping his bandmate pull up his pants and jeans once he’s done.
He wasn’t sure what he expected of Louis after such an intimate moment, but it wasn’t for Louis to wrap his arms around him, nuzzling into his chest.
“So tired, warm,” he mumbled sleepily into Harry’s chest. Harry let out small noises and combed his fingers through the boy’s hair, letting Louis know he was listening.
“I know, it’s been a long night for you, huh?” Harry asked softly, holding up a majority of Louis’ weight as he moved to get him out of the stall. He opened the bathroom door wide enough to signal Alberto to come in. The burly guard walked in, looking down at Louis who was leaned against Harry, eyes closed.
“I think it’s time to get him home,” Harry said slowly.
Alberto nodded in affirmation, taking out his phone and dialing the driver that’d driven them to the club to tell him to meet them at the back entrance. The upside of places that catered to celebrities were back entrances, making it possible for them to slip out with anyone seeing them.
“Louis, you’ve got to open your eyes bud, we’re headed out to the car,” Alberto directed, Louis shaking his head, disoriented. He mumbled a few apologies, not moving from where he was pushed into Harry’s side.
The three men walked through the dark club to the back entrance, Harry and Alberto sighing in relief when they saw that the escalade was already waiting for them. Harry climbed in first, helping Alberto pull Louis into the car. Alberto climbed in behind Louis, wanting to be back there in case Louis needed anything.
Louis almost immediately laid his head in Harry’s lap, falling back asleep within seconds. Harry’s hand went to Louis’ hair like a magnet, gently scratching his scalp.
The ride back to the hotel was silent, Harry feeling better when he saw the back alley of the hotel where they’d get out. Almost there.
Once arriving on their floor, Alberto thanked Harry for his help, letting him know that he had it from there. The bodyguard was carrying a knocked out Louis at that point.
Harry cleared his throat awkwardly, not sure of how to tell Alberto what he felt he needed to.
“Louis, um. He needed help going to the bathroom. And when I was helping him I saw that he had a bit of an accident in his pants. I just… wanted you to know so you could get him into new clothes before putting him to bed.”
Alberto thanked him for telling him, and carried Louis to his room. He felt bad waking him up, but he knew that the boy needed to go to the bathroom before sleeping if he didn’t want to wake up wet. The guard was almost positive it would happen anyways with the amount that he drank, but they’d cross that bridge when they came to it.
With an inebriated Louis in bed and a trash bin by his side, Alberto headed to bed, bracing himself for a frantic Louis the next morning.
Harry headed back to his room, mind racing with the events of the night. He tried to piece what he had seen and heard from Louis together, but he couldn’t do it alone. It was close to 10:30 am in London, so Harry called Nick up, knowing that he was probably just arriving back to their house after work.
The phone rang twice before Nick picked up. “Hi, love! A bit late to be calling, hm?”
“I know, I just… it’s Louis.” Harry started, unable to get a complete thought out.
“Louis? Could you maybe elaborate so I know what you’re talking about?”
“Yeah, sorry, sorry. I’m just trying to understand it myself. Well, we took Louis out tonight. It was his first time ever drinking and he was plastered, as you can imagine. Alberto, you know, his bodyguard came up to me to ask me to watch out for him. It was the strangest thing, Nick.”
“Darling, I don’t think it’s that strange that his bodyguard would want you to watch out for him the first time he drank? I’m sure Dale would do the same for you if your roles were reversed.”
“I know, Nick,” Harry said, getting irritated, “that isn’t the weird part. Niall called me over, told me Louis needed help getting to the bathroom, that it seemed like something that was up my alley.”
Nick let out a small chuckle at that, waiting for Harry to go on. He knew that Harry would be more than happy to help anyone out with anything they needed. He was as much of a d-dom as could be, always rushing in to help others, especially those he loved.
“So I took him to the bathroom,” Harry continued, “and he told me he needed my help going. He could barely stand, Nick, it was awful. So I help him take his jeans down, and his pants are soaked already. And that’s not the strangest part, I told Alberto when we got back to the hotel so he would change Lou into clean pants and pajamas, and he wasn’t even surprised. No emotion, nothing.”
The older man had to take a second to think of the best way to answer his boyfriend without invalidating his feelings or making him feel as though Nick wasn’t hearing him out.
“Popstar, let me start by saying that you’re a good friend. When Louis wakes up tomorrow I think you know he’ll appreciate that you were there for them, when it seems like Niall, Zayn, and Liam fucked off the second you got to the club. And I think that Louis was experiencing a typical first drinking experience.”
“But Nick,” Harry butts in, “you didn’t see the way he hugged me, he seemed so young. He needed my help, he needed me.”
“He was drunk, Harry, that is all there is to it. Nothing more, nothing less. He’s a gad, we know that. We also know that he’s always been a bit different than the average gad, and that’s just how Louis is. I know what you’re insinuating, babe, but Louis is not a little. I wouldn’t be this harsh if I didn’t care. I love you and don’t want you to get your hopes up. We know his classification, and that’s that. We’ll find a perfect little soon, I just know it.”
Harry agreed with Nick, letting out a yawn and telling the elder man that he’d talk to him tomorrow. He hung up, and took a seat on the edge of his bed, mind still moving at a mile a minute.
Nick said everything that Harry needed to hear to upend the conclusions that he’d come to, but the conversation didn’t leave him satisfied. He drove himself crazy every time he allowed himself to head down this avenue of thought. They’d all known from the beginning that Louis wasn’t the average gad. He was smaller in stature, insecure, innocent. But that didn’t change what he was, as much as Harry wanted it to. He’d voiced this to Nick often, but Nick shot him down every time, promising Harry that they’d find their little soon.
Harry believed him, he believed with his whole heart that the perfect little for the couple was out there. But… he couldn’t help but picture Louis’ face when he thought about their perfect little family even though he knew that their classifications didn’t match up. But a man could dream, couldn’t he?