And They Knocked On The Closet Door

2. A Fangirl's Wet Dream

Louis' glance stayed on Harry for what it felt like forever. Harry wasn't supposed to know who he was, and they had failed to mention they were attending the show. In that moment, it assaulted him a ridiculous and preposterous thought, because he would never get his managers' permission, because he definitely didn't trust himself not to stare at Harry's beautiful eyes.

But then again, what was the worst thing it could happen? Honestly, after listening to Harry's song last night, to the artistic freedom he didn't have, he had woken up a bit... rebellious, he supposed.

"Ehem, ehem!" He intervened as soon as Night Changes finished. "Before we go on, I'd like to tell you a little anecdote."

The crowd went completely silent and Harry dismissed the stupid thought going on in her head. Surely not, she stopped herself from thinking, don't be ridiculous, surely not!

"So you know the lads and I like to play pranks at each other," Louis said "I get this master key whenever we arrive at the hotel and then, if I can't sleep, I go bother Liam, or Zayn, or Niall... or even our own bodyguards, bless them."

The fans around Harry laughed and cheered, it was evident Louis had been born to step on that stage, he had a talent most people lacked of.

"Yes, yes! I know what you are thinking... 'What are you getting at, Louis?' Bear with me, okay!"

The crowd chuckled once again.

"The thing is, yesterday night, Niall here was insanely bored and told me 'Louis mate, grab your whipped cream can and go get Zayn, I'll take over Liam', a plan I agreed with almost immediately."

Oh no, he's doing it, he's doing it...! Harry panicked. Meanwhile, on stage, the boys got over the shock and joined Louis in his little story.

"I don't remember it like that, Tommo, you took some convincing!" Niall teased him.

"You wish, Horan, you wish!" Louis counterattacked.

"Wait a moment, wait a damn moment!" Zayn interrupted them "I received no whipped cream last night!"

"YOU DIDN'T?!" Liam yelled, playing with a comically offended expression for the public who, by that time, was completely unhinged.

"I was getting to that, Payno, I was getting to that!"

"Turns out someone from the hotel changed Zayn's room number and nobody bothered to tell us, not even Zayn!" Louis concluded "So I get there, right, and I hear a voice and a guitar but my brain doesn't have time to process it is not Zayn's or that the song isn't definitely one of ours (I mean, I wish!)"

"And I walk forward, throw the cream to the person's face and only then do I realize I do not know this person, not at all!"

"No!" Niall shouted in disbelief while the rest of the boys died of laughter, along with the girls surrounding Harry by all sides.

"Now, what I did not know then was how insanely talented this person was, or the fact that they would be here tonight."

The crowd went crazy, girls all over the place yelled and turned in every direction (ironically). And Harry, in her "But daddy I love him" shirt and half braided long curly hair (the lack of pressure had brought the long hair early — a big perk of this world, if you ask me), could not help but appreciate the neutral pronouns, even though, in reality, Louis had used those to keep the mystery going, and it was only when he approached her that he remembered last night's words and realized.

"Harry!" Louis yelled, pointing at her "Would you mind joining us for a couple of songs?"

Lights switched on directly over her head, she shivered and tried to avoid the jealous stares around her. She could not, however, avoid Louis's, his unapologetically beautiful blue eyes and captivating smile.

"I... I'd love to." Harry got out before she could think things through. Because what was she supposed to do? She knew, no matter how much she liked to lie to herself, this could be her first and only chance to perform on a stage, and Harry would take it, of course she would!

"Good, welcome..." Louis stared at her with a lost and frankly embarrassed expression.

"I'm sorry, what pronouns do you...?" He murmured.

"She/her today, thanks for asking." Harry let out before following two bodyguards to the stage.

"Great! Give her a warm welcome, everyone!"

And they sang, Harry joined the group with ease, their voices complemented each other well and they felt like it was always supposed to be that way. For a moment, Harry Styles was part of One Direction and the world, strangely enough, did not taste any better, although maybe the outside world was (or would have been), had she been in it.

Nothing can come between you and I

We don't wanna be like them

...

Harry would swear Louis was looking at her, just for a second, but I... I, who had seen so many worlds, I, who had witnessed the same two hearts fall in love over and over again, knew Louis could not get his eyes off her, not for a minute, and this author would not be the only one to notice.

The song ended and the boys, baffled by the unknown person's talent, could not contain their excitement as they hugged her.

"That was sick!" Niall exclaimed.

"Yeah, you're amazing!" Louis murmured as he reddened from head to toes. "Listen, Harry, I don't wanna put you in an uncomfortable position or something, but this is your chance..."

"What do you mean?"

"Your songs... If they are like the one you sang yesterday... You are an amazing song-writer, I'm sure the lads would not mind..."

"No, not at all!" Liam assured her.

Her heart began pounding faster and faster, her breath got so agitated it hurt and her thoughts strangled themselves in a messy not. Were they really asking her what it sounded like?

(Yes they are, Harry

Go, get out there! Dammit!).

"Do you want me to..., to sing a song?" She stuttered.

"Of course!" They replied.

"But it is your concert..."

"It is just one song," Niall intervened, "this could actually help your career. Besides, you've said it, it is our concert."

And Louis, who until that moment had not allowed himself to even look at their managers, dared to throw a brief glance and realized that, even though they seemed absolutely rabid, the public 's enthusiasm was too much for them to hold, they had no option but to let them do.

"This one is a little dirty." Harry warned them.

"How dirty?" Zayn asked with a mischievous smile.

"Like a lot."

"Perfect." Louis sincerely replied.

"Do you guys have an electric guitar?"

Later, Louis would swear it was the best day of his life, to watch Simon's face as Harry sang the gayest song he had ever heard, to watch them pale while he imagined the gay rumours that sole song would awake.

In that instant, though, he wished to die, to disappear off this earth and not be seen ever again, because Harry got up there, sang Medicine with explicit gestures included and did not stop to stare at Louis throughout the entire song (to the point Niall murmured in a singing voice "I think somebody has a crush...") and the truth was that Louis, had he been out, would have really struggled to comprehend who Niall was referring to.

After a restless night, Louis would wake up to a scandal. Thousands of tweets doubting the straight image he thought he would never get rid off and the word "LARRY" trending on twitter. Hours later, he would be informed Eleanor was on her way back from London.

Funnily enough, some things truly never change - No matter the universe.