To Be Loved and To Be In Love

Chapter 8 (Epilogue)

“Guys, it's starting!”

Niall turned up the volume on Louis' television as Louis quickly pulled the warm popcorn from the microwave, pouring it into a glass bowl and returning to his place on the couch between Harry and Liam. As soon as Louis sat down, Liam reached out and tried to take a piece of buttery popcorn, only to have his hand slapped away. When Harry attempted the same, Louis smiled sweetly and held the bowl up to give him better access.

“Hey! How come you didn't slap his hand away?” Liam snapped.

Louis looked at him pointedly, “Do you really need to ask?”

“This favoritism is just plain rude,” Liam pouted, “what happened to bros before beau's?”

Harry chewed on his popcorn, blissfully ignorant to the argument he'd just caused.

“Would you guys shut up? It's starting!” Niall said from his place on the recliner.

“Niall, you've been saying that for five minutes! It's still on the adverts,” Harry said.

“I know, but if you guys don't stop talking now then I'm going to miss the start trying to get you all to shut up!”

Harry turned to Louis and whispered, “Niall's more excited about this than we are.”

Louis laughed, “I think Liam and Zayn are the same. They've been asking me what night it's on for two weeks now, just to make sure they don't miss it.”

“Can you blame us? Not often our friends are on the TV!” Liam said, leaning over to glance at Zayn, who was way at the other end of the sofa. “You're recording this, aren't you Z?”

Zayn nodded, elbowing Harry in the rib as the gangly man shuffled into his space. Harry found it hard to understand boundaries.

“Yeah, and they have us to thank for it,” Niall chirped, then hit the side of his chair as the familiar Channel 4 prelude flashed up on the screen, “It's starting! It's starting!”

They all fell into silence as Fred Sirieix's face filled the screen, talking about how there's no greater feeling in the world to love and to be loved.

“What's he like in real life?” Zayn asked, keeping his voice quiet so as not to annoy Niall.

“Really nice, actually, nice bloke,” Louis said.

Harry nodded, “He smelt nice.”

“You were smelling him?” Louis frowned.

“Jealous?”

“No. Disturbed, mostly.”

“I can't help it if someone's smell invades my nostrils without my permission,” Harry shrugged, grabbing another handful of popcorn from Louis' bowl.

“Are you quite sure it was without your permission?” Louis raised his eyebrows.

“I may have inhaled deeply on a few occasions,” Harry grinned.

“Ha!”

“Oh my GOD, shut up!” Niall snapped.

Louis and Harry giggled, like two children being scolded by their mother. However, when Louis' voice began emanating out from the screen, their heads snapped up.

“It's you!” Niall cackled, pointing at the screen and turning to face Louis. “This is nuts!”

Sure enough, there Louis was. His hair was neat and quiffed, tidier than the slight scruff he was sporting now. On-Screen Louis sat in front of the camera while the narrator introduced him. Only now did it occur to Louis that he was going to be portrayed in a certain way by this programme and he silently sent a prayer to whatever God was up there to make him look good.