Take Your Bows ~ L.S. AU

Act 1, Scene 2

Harry's POV:

Nick is still glaring at Louis across the room, his hazel eyes scanning accusingly. The Irish guy, whose name I can't seem to remember, glares back, but Louis himself drops his gaze to his fidgeting hands. His pink lips are consumed by the nervous biting, his teeth running harshly over the visibly soft flesh.

"Nick's his name, right?" I ask, the memory of this morning returning to my mind.
"Yeah. Nick Grimshaw." The Irish guy says tensely, his scrutinizing eyes examining me.

I grin widely, the realisation hitting me in a pleasant wave.

"Well...He'll be pissed to know that I got the call this morning. I got Burr."

Louis' head snaps up so quickly, I think it might physically break his neck. The other guy - whose name I now think I remember is Neil - turns to me, his jaw hanging like washing on a clothesline. 

"Lou, I mean, you told me he was hot-"
"NIALL. Fucking hell. Thank you, Niall." Louis returns sarcastically, just sounding so done.

I let out a small chuckle, more to break the tension than anything else.

"Well, sorry babe but I'm straight. Stereotypes are bullshit." The kid - Niall's eyebrows fly up alarmingly high, so much so that I'm concerned they might just float straight off his forehead.

"You do realise this is theatre camp, right?" He questions incredulously, to which I nod and roll my eyes. "Look, most stereotypes about queer people are false, overexaggerated, or only apply to some. But theatre... that's the one stereotype that really seems to be true. We're all queer, disabled, immigrants... none of us are default." The blonde returns matter-of-factly. "I happen to be both an immigrant and queer myself. But you... you're a straight white British guy. Brown hair, too. Default. Never seen one here before."

"There you have it. You finally found a default guy in theatre."
"Typical." Louis mutters under his breath.
"Beg pardon?" I ask politely, my smile slipping for a fragment of a second. For a moment I worry I've somehow offended him, although I'm not sure what I said wrong. I may have screwed up the only friend I've got in this place.

"Nothing, nothing. But you got Burr, congrats!"
"That means we have an intense duel, don't it?" I force a smile onto my face, pushing my concerns to the back of my mind.
"Yup, then you sing about how wonderful I was and how you regret killing me." He flashes a grin, but I still feel like I've angered him. It's just a feeling I have. 

Mum always says I'm good at reading people, understanding them. Comprehending the matter, the layers beneath the flesh.

But this boy is unreadable. It's like he's written in Martian, he might as well be. All I know is that he is far more complex than any of the people back home in Cheshire. His sea blue eyes convey very little of his thoughts, his feelings. He's the most incomprehensible person I've come across, and my curiosity is building despite my efforts to minimise it.

"So where are you from?" I blurt, immediately smacking myself internally for my distraction.
"I'm from a little place in Mullingar, but after me parents split, me mum moved us to Wolverhampton, little town about three hours from London." Niall explains, his piercing eyes scanning my face.
"Huh? Oh, I'm from Doncaster." Louis responds distractedly. That's why his accent is a little unfamiliar. The way he says it is so relaxed. Don-cass-ta. "It's where my mum grew up."

"Nice, any siblings?"

Niall laughs loudly for no apparent reason, tossing his head back as he cackles. Louis must see the alarm written on my face, briefly explaining that, "this is just how he is, go with it," before answering the question.

"Yeah, I've got all younger sisters. Well, half sisters. And one half brother. There's Charlotte, Felicite, the first set of twins - Phoebe and Daisy - and the second set of twins, Doris and Ernest."

Now it's my turn to raise my eyebrows, the shock clearly written across my face. I grew up just me and Gems, unless you count Mike and Amy. Which I tend not to. They're not really around much.

"Fucking hell, mate. Five sisters and a brother? How did you even grow up?" I ask, aghast.

"I mean, Doris and Ernest are like, two. So I didn't really grow up with them so much. But me, plus Lots and Fizz, we were a real handful. I could convince them to do anything." He rationalizes, but it still sounds like immensely chaotic.

"You said the youngest were two, so your parents must be young?"

He stills, and I immediately regret my words.

"I'm sorry, did I say something wrong? Louis, I really am sorry, what was it I said?" I plead, but he stands hesitantly. "I'll be back," he mutters, walking to the door before breaking into a run as he exits.

"Niall, what was it?" I plead, as the blonde stares at me.
"Harry, is it?" I nod. "Harry... look, it's a long story."
"I have all day." I respond, desperate to know what I've done.

Niall sighs, and I can already tell that he'll conceive.

"Fine. Look, it's not my story, and I won't go too much into it, but basically... Okay. When Louis was two months old, his dad walked out. Just decided he didn't want to be a parent, turned on his heel and left." He reveals in his thick accent.

"Louis never really knew him, but when he was still little, his mum remarried. A guy named Mark Tomlinson. Had Lottie, Fizz and the twins. He left too, it was a real mess. He fought for the girls, almost got full custody, but then it was revealed he was a druggo, it all went to shit. Long story short, Mark left too. But Louis was annoyed, real pissed, 'cause Mark fought for the girls and not him. Just left him there. Didn't even care, from what I saw." Niall sighs, resting his chin on the ball of his hand, cheek in his palm.

"Then Jay - his mum - met Dan Deakin. Remarried, had Doris and Ernest. They was real happy. Louis... he took a bit, but he warmed up to Dan. Got real close. Then in January last year..." he drifts off, his gaze unfocussed.

"Niall?" 
"Right, sorry. Last January, Jay found out she had cancer. Leukemia, terminal. They said she had eighteen months at best. She told nobody.""
"What do you mean, nobody?" I ask, bewildered.
"I mean nobody. Not a single soul. Dan and Lou found out when she passed out, they took her to the hospital. Nasty shock for the both of them. She passed... god, March, I think. Three months ago now. Louis.. he didn't go to the funeral. Still hasn't been to the cemetery, far as I know."

"So you're saying..."
"When you asked about his parents? He didn't respond because he hasn't got any. Not any real ones, not anymore."

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SHORT BUT OH WELL.

hope you enjoy :)