And What If I Were You

Chapter 1 - Part 15

Thursday, March 24, 2022

Bar Horan

Pandanus Island

9.05pm. Four drinks in...

There's a pleasant buzzing in Louis' veins courtesy of the two beers and two vodka Red Bull's he's had since their group arrived an hour and a half ago. They'd walked down from the retreat after a sumptuous seafood dinner and secured a table on the deck that juts out over the beach, waves lapping gently at the pylons underneath.

The elusive Niall Horan that he's heard so much about had welcomed them all, but then he'd had to run off to serve behind the bar, explaining he was down a staff member and would join them later.

Later is apparently now as Louis hears the Irishman stop at the end of their table. "Righto, lads and lasses. Drinks for everyone," Niall announces and soon a fresh drink is being nudged against Louis' hand.

He picks up his still unfinished drink and downs the rest of it in one gulp, picking up his new drink and setting it on the already sodden coaster.

Niall plonks himself down next to Louis. "Louis, mate. Sorry I didn't get to meet you properly earlier. How the fuck are you?"

Louis chuckles at Niall's casual demeanour. "Really good, thanks. You?"

"Helluva day. Can't complain though. Busy means good for business, but I prefer to be a bit more of a social butterfly, flitting about and entertaining the customers with my famous wit and banter."

"Notorious, don't you mean?" Zayn pipes up from across the table where he's sitting between Liam and Jim, Danny on the same side as Louis and Penny at the end. Becky had decided to stay back at her villa after getting a bit too much sun this afternoon while she was foraging for shells and driftwood on the beach, so it's just the six of them.

"Oi! Watch it, Malik. None of that bullshit from you tonight. I'm trying to make a good impression with my new bestie here."

Niall elbows Louis in the ribs and then slings an arm over his shoulders, pulling Louis into his side.

"Don't you go corrupting him, Horan," Liam warns. "He hasn't even been here a week."

"And you've been holding him hostage for days. Days I tell you. How is it possible that on an island no bigger than a fucking postage stamp, I haven't met him yet? Hmmmm?"

"Piss off, mate," Liam chides, but Louis can hear the giggle that he's barely keeping in check. "You weren't even here for two of those days."

"Be that as it may, Louis and I have some catching up to do. So, Louis. Man of the moment. Man of mystery. What's the craic?"

Louis chuckles as Niall slips his arm off his shoulders and shifts closer so their legs are plastered together from knee to hip. "Not sure there's much to tell, Nialler."

"Ooooh nicknames. Love it," Niall says excitedly and Louis feels him bouncing in his seat.

"I've already got exclusive rights to Lou, so you'll have to pick something else," Zayn chimes in. "Everyone else is using Tommo. You can pile on there, if you like."

"Why do you get exclusivity? No fair. But whatever, Tommo it is. I'm secure enough in our burgeoning friendship to know that we don't need some special nickname to solidify it," Niall dismisses and then leans further into Louis' side, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial level as he says, "You'll still call me Nialler though, won't you?"

Louis laughs and then whispers back, "I will, Nialler."

The conversation ticks up a notch from there, not that they weren't a rowdy bunch already, but Niall seems to have an innate ability to bring a boisterous charm that is infectious.