Falling In Love (L.S)

Chapter 3

Louis feels fatigued by the time he enters his home with a large pizza in hand. His cell died on the way home and he can't be assed to care at the moment because twin girls are swarming him at the door—talking over each other as they grab for the food. Louis barely keeps his balance as the pizza gets taken from his grasp and a sheepish looking Niall is giving him a hug.

"You look so tired mate, I'm sorry." Niall says earnestly and then pats Louis on the back as the boy groans and leans his head against his friends' shoulder.

"I had to wake up an hour earlier to get the girls to school and it nearly made me late for work." Louis explains as he runs a hand up and down his face. He feels near to tears and like the best friend he is, Niall understands this. Louis then looks up and suddenly feels bad for Niall. When the boy agreed to be Louis' best friend, all those years ago, he didn't sign up to being a babysitter as well.

"Go take a shower and get changed, I'll watch the girls a bit longer." Niall suggests. Louis sighs, silently thanking the gods for placing such a great person in his life. He nods his head as he takes himself up the stairs and to his private bathroom.

He revels in the way the hot water seems to wash his problems away and he stays under the water until his finger start to prune. Once out, he changes into the softest pair of sweats he owns, along with a torn baggy shirt he had stolen from his ex a year ago.

The shirt no longer holds any value, it's just comfy.

He makes his way downstairs and knows something is up immediately when he sees Niall make a mild panic face.

"Hey Lou, I made you some noodles." Niall is holding a bowl of noodles in his hand and seems to have an apologetic expression on his face.

Louis rounds the corner, from the stairs, and heads further into the kitchen to see an empty pizza box and his mother laughing with his sister Lottie. Jay sees Louis is home and waves behind a pizza slice.

"Thanks for dinner boo." She says and Louis actually feels his face getting hotter with anger. That was for the girls. It was for his youngest two siblings who can't cook and it was for him. Not his mother.

Harry generously gave him that pizza, he's starving, and yet he hadn't even had one single bite. Anger doesn't even quite accurately describe what he is feeling. Furious maybe? Livid? As if on cue Niall is rushing to his side with the noodles in hand and is running a soothing hand and down his back whispering for him to calm down. It's not working.

"That pizza was for the twins and me. Why is it gone?" Louis questions as he pushes past his friend. Calmness be damned, he's out for blood.

"Well, I picked Lottie up from practice and we saw the pizza so we helped ourselves. We would have asked but you were in the shower so long." Jay responds with a nonchalant shrug. Louis sees red.

"So you just go and eat what you know you didn't buy and is not for you? I haven't had anything since lunch and that was a freaking salad. That pizza was not for you two." Louis shouts and Lottie looks a bit guilty as she slinks away.

Louis opens his mouth to say something else—something nasty—but then Niall is nudging him with his shoulder and pointing his head to the right where the twins are watching with round, wide eyes. Louis deflates at this and shakes his head as he takes the offered noodles. It's not the twin's fault his mother is the worst.

He turns his back and heads up to his room, where his friend is hot on his heels. They close and lock the door behind them and Louis slides down, on the floor, at the foot of the bed and holds back tears.

"I hate her." He whispers and Niall leans he head on his shoulder and doesn't respond. The best thing about Niall is that he knows when and when not to push.