Tomlinson was the best thing to happen to me (Watty's '13)

A talk and a game

I walk back over to flat 4 and the first thing I see is Niall sprawled over to couch. Lazy. "Hey lazy pants."

"You bloody booted me off the bed, man! One good boot up the backside and I was off. My back's not quite right. Got anything to help?"

"I can either see if massaging can help, or… I might have a bottle of… thingy that stinks but might help. Chinese stuff. It's quite reliable. Or… if there's an acu place around I'll take you there."

"Acu?"

"Acupuncture," I explained. "It's ridiculously effective."

"Needles?"

"Yes."

"Count me out." Milksop.

"Don't worry, I was scared the very first time. But really, you could be having the herbal medicine and no one ever wants that. Lemme see where it's stiff, eh?" I walked behind the couch. He pointed next to his spine. I didn't know what to do so I just lay my palm where he had pointed out. And got a low moan for my troubles. "Sick skills."

"Yup. I can't handle chocolate without melting it in a couple seconds flat. Waste of food because I have to wash it down the sink. And my mother, or who was once my mother, always liked me massaging. I tried to massage my dad once because he seemed tired, but he pushed me off instead," I say while attempting to hit another spot on his back with a knuckle.

"Where did you learn this from?"

"Nowhere. I just have this knack for getting it in the muscles. I used to sometimes just stare at skeletal diagrams in the PE rooms in the morning and stuff. Once I find a place to call home and get on with my life without bothering you guys, I might just go to uni and take a massaging course and open my own place. Or, I suppose I might see if I can do music therapy. You know, teach autistic kids music. Helps a lot."

"Ooh. If my band fails or I get kicked out or something along those lines, can I come help?"

"I don't think that'll happen in a couple years. And getting kicked out? Who gave you that idea? Unless Harry took over as a lead vocalist of sorts… I think most of the fandom would abandon the band then. I certainly would."

"Have you seen our performances on The XFactor?"

"Nope. Haven't even gone on the Internet in the past couple days. Not that I'm restricted any more."

"Louis got like, no solos. It was usually Harry and Liam, sometimes Zayn, once or twice me."

"Sing a couple lines. Of any song."

"I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing, Roman cavalry choirs are singing, be my mirror my sword and shield, my missionaries in a foreign field, for some reason I can't explain, I know St. Peter won't call my name, never an honest word, but that was when I, ruled the world."

"A stronger voice than Louis. I'm no expert, but that could be one heck of a voice. I just reckon you need more confidence. Because when you're out there, you want to get noticed, right? Don't over jump the intervals, but don't be a vacuum. Do you have a clip of Lou's audition?"

"Yeah. I'll go grab me laptop." He disappeared into his room and reappeared with his laptop. "Here," he said.

"Oh, it's what you do you me, oh, it what you do to me, what you do to me." He was quite sharp on the 'what' and the end of 'me' in the first bit, and the last bit was just… weird.

"I didn't know he could be so off-tune, to be honest. He's not usually like that. At that rate, I could record my brothers singing in the shower and that would get through as well! Heck, I would get through."