All I've Ever Known

04 - Louis

Louis woke up a few hours before Harry's concert was about to start and just stared at the ceiling in disbelief. Did this morning really happen? Why the fuck was Harry Styles in Perth and how didn't he know until he was face to face with him? Louis began replaying everything that happened this morning on the beach, had Harry been disappointed to see him? Did he really think that he followed him all the way out here? Although he had so many more questions and doubts, the biggest one of all was, did Harry really want him to come tonight?

Sure, he asked, and when he did, he looked so hopeful and fragile awaiting Louis' reply that of course he had to go. But still was it out of pity? Guilt? He didn't know what emotion was worse.

Of course, Louis had been a big success and although he's not Harry Styles 3x Grammy Award Winner, he was Louis. His albums had been a massive hit amongst his fans and the charts, despite it taking much longer than he would have liked to release the caliber of music he was now. Louis was proud of what he had achieved, and he wasn't going to let Harry make him feel inferior in any way.

He wants to call Lottie, to tell her everything. But she was so protective last time of Louis when Harry broke his heart that he knows she will convince him to come straight home, that this is such a bad idea and it's only going to end the same as it did before. Louis sighs at that thought, maybe going tonight wasn't a good idea at all. He couldn't get Harry's hopeful smile out of his head though, and after all he was right. He was just playing the one show in Perth, Louis checked. He has trust issues, okay. He groaned and rolled out of bed sighing; he had always been somewhat of a masochist.

Louis jumps into the shower letting the water wash away all his doubts and self-hatred for following through on his word. He dresses in black jeans that he loves, his favourite white t-shirt and slipping on white Adidas shoes. It's much too warm for a jacket and he's sure it will be hot in the arena. Louis had already pre-ordered an Uber which will be arriving in 15 minutes, so he sits on his balcony and smokes a cigarette letting the nicotine absorb his worries.

Louis' phone dings notifying him that the driver is arriving and with that he plops a hat on his damp hair as well as his sunglasses and prays to whatever God is out there to have mercy on his soul tonight.

**

Loud. Deafening. Screaming.

Harry had been kind enough to get Louis a ticket in the VIP lounge in the arena that had a few people he had never seen before. He introduces himself quickly to the few people scattered around and learns they're mostly family and close friends of Harry's band. Thank God, Louis thinks, he didn't process the fact he could have come face-to-face with Harry's family tonight. That could have been a very awkward conversation.

Louis makes small talk about what brought him to Australia and told them about his run in with Harry on the beach in the middle of the night. They all seemed amused and soon began their own conversations with one another, leaving Louis to his own devices on the other side of the room. Louis sits feeling awkward and out of place, still not used to how loud the screaming was for the opening act Wet Leg. Louis had never heard of them before but wasn't surprised, they're extremely talented and something Harry would listen to.

If he thought the crowd was loud for them, it was nothing compared to when Harry emerged on stage. He was wearing these blue-grey leather pants, a yellow t-shirt with a bedazzled milkshake and – Louis gasped. Adidas shoes.

Harry never used to wear Adidas shoes; he was always a Nike man at heart. Louis wondered what had changed. He wasn't complaining, he looked good. Harry was mesmerizing on stage, always had been, but now Louis realized why he had gotten so much more famous than in his One Direction days. The way he danced around on stage, interacting with fans, his live vocals, Louis was in so much trouble.