Given A Chance (1D Version)

6.

"I get what you mean. When Harry told me about it, I was blown away and so impressed. It made me realise once more how great he is at his job. Literally the best" Josh was praising Harry again after Sean had started to tell them about something that had gone down at the hospital three years ago to change the subject.

"Thanks" Harry blushed deeply, avoiding everyone's eyes on him. "But this was all Sean's merit. I wasn't that involved".

"Bullshit. He couldn't have done it without you, Babe" Josh smiled sugar-sweetly at his boyfriend, almost sitting on his lap.

"Technically ...".

"Our H is amazing, isn't he?" Niall cut Sean off with a wild look on his face, making Louis frown at this exchange. "Can you help me with the cake, Sean? I think it's time".

"Sure".

And just like that, Sean and Niall stood up from the couch and walked over to the kitchen but Josh and Harry didn't seem to care. They were lost in each other, so bloody touchy the entire time and it was sickening. He could feel Zayn and Liam side-eyeing him in concern but he ignored them and took out his phone to check on his daughters. And if it was a distraction, no one needed to actually know that. He wouldn't admit it anyway. Never.

Thankfully, Sean and Niall came back rather soon with the cake and the conversation picked up where it was left off. Politely, they asked Josh about his workplace and he told them about his work as the charge nurse in the hospital's ENT ward. But that only led them back to Josh praising Harry for his excellent work at the hospital back in the day, which was getting pretty annoying by now. Additionally, Louis took notice of the fact that Josh kept indirectly dismissing Sean's work by worshipping Harry's every move. But neither Josh nor Harry seemed to care at this point.

"Enough about me. Harry told me you're a chef, is that right?" Josh finally stopped talking about them and addressed Niall.

"Yes, at Horan's Wonderland. My parents own that place and after I came back from Spain, I took over the new chef's position because the old one wanted to retire" Niall told him informatively.

"Oh, you lived in Spain?" Josh hooked apparently interested.

"I was born in Spain actually but my parents moved to England when I was barely a year old" Niall corrected him unfazed. "I went to culinary school and graduated with twenty-one. Shortly before my twenty-second birthday, I moved back to Spain to work in my Uncle's restaurant to gain experience and learn all the little secrets of our Spanish meals. It was an amazing time but I always wanted to move back, so that's what I did. At twenty-nine, I came back and started working here. I found this place thanks to Louis and now we're all here".

"You helped them with this?" Josh looked at him for literally the first time all afternoon but his eyes weren't kind on him.

"I did. We've been living here for a while and knew that a few apartments and the second penthouse were still up for rent. So, when Niall came by the restaurant and mentioned looking for a place, I told him about this. The rest is history" Louis recalled their past, trying to be civil towards Josh even if he wasn't doing the same for whatever reason.

"You work at a restaurant as well?" Josh checked surprised. Louis only nodded in confirmation. "So, you're a chef like Niall?".

"No, I'm not. I'm ju ..." Louis winced when Zayn rammed his left elbow into his ribs, causing Louis to swallow the 'just' and repeat his answer. "I'm a waiter at Piccola Stella".

"I've never heard of that" Josh feigned innocence but Louis could see right through him. This was a clear jab at his simple life.

"It's a small Italian restaurant near the market square," Louis told him through gritted teeth. He didn't need someone like Josh to make him feel like shit because of his job, his career, his income.