Fake It Until You Make It Real

Eight

"What are you cooking for Halloween this year?" Liam asked as he and Niall sat beside him in the break room.

"If it's Shepherd's Pie count me in." Niall said eagerly digging into a mushy microwaved meal.

"Actually, you two are not invited." Harry said without looking at them as he dug into his own meal.

"Wait...what." Liam said confused, "we always come over for Halloween."

"I invited Louis to invite his family over so we can all meet and spend a day together."

"We're family." Liam pouted making Harry roll his eyes in amusement.

"Fine how about this I'll tell him Zayn can come as well and you guys can be there. You can be on babysitting duty."

"Perfect. So, what are you making?" Harry shook his head as he pulled his phone out, it was currently three in the morning and Louis was asleep, but he wanted to tell him before he forgot.

****

"Hi mama." Louis said answering the facetime with an eyeroll and a smile,

"You send me a cryptic text asking about my plans on Halloween and then you don't respond to my five texts."

"I was busy." Louis defended as he dumped the contents of his third junk drawer out and stared at everything, "God I'm a mess...how the hell am I a functioning adult with a child?"

"You can't be nonfunctional with a baby Lou. Do you need help? What's wrong?"

"What's wrong is that somehow every drawer in this apartment has turned into a storage junk drawer combination. How did this happen!? I'm an adult."

"You're in your early twenties."

"Exactly an adult."

"Debatable." Louis rolled his eyes grinning at his mother, "why are you worried about your drawers?"

"I'm not worried about them I'm cleaning them out." Louis defended.

"What for?"

"It's October and my rent contract ends in November. Need I say more?"

"So, what's with the Halloween question?" She asked.

"Well Harry suggested we all get together at his place for a dinner and trick or treating. He usually makes a big dinner anyway with his family and he thinks it will be the easiest way for us all to meet." Louis explained.

"All of us as in his family and us?"

"Yes. Also, Zayn, Liam, and Niall. The last two are his best friends they always come for Halloween too and he thinks they and Zayn could be potential ice breakers if we need them to be."

"It sounds lovely Louis, what time should we be there."

"Anytime. Harry says it's an all-day thing at his place. He also has guest rooms if it gets too late since you have a long drive back home."

"I'll talk with the others, but I think we can make it. Keep me posted about it all and let me know if I should bring anything."

"Nothing except yourself and the others."

****

Saturday morning Louis glared at Harry as he climbed into his Murano passenger seat at eight in the morning.

"Good morning handsome." Harry said brightly, smiling wide as he looked at Louis which pissed him off more.

"Don't talk to me Harold." Louis grumbled, "when I agreed to this, I thought I'd be waking up at eight not at six on a Saturday. I hate you so much right now."