Falling into You

Chapter 7: The Shower Shuffle

If there was one thing Niall hated, it was feeling rushed. So naturally, the moment he heard Simon wanted to see them, with about a five-minute warning, he knew it was going to be chaos. They were a boyband, sure, but they were a messy one.

"Alright, lads," Niall said, poking his head into the living room, "Simon wants us to show him what we've got. And we've got, oh, twenty minutes to shower, get dressed, and somehow not look like we just crawled out of a bin."

Harry groaned, throwing an arm over his eyes as he lay sprawled on the couch. "Mate, why the hell does he want to see us so early?"

"'Cause he's got a bloody empire to run, Styles," Louis quipped, already sprinting down the hall towards the bathroom. "Now get your ass moving before Simon sends us packing!"

Niall dashed toward one of the two bathrooms, already tearing off his shirt. Just as he started to get the water going, he heard banging on the door. "Oi, hurry it up!" Liam shouted from the other side, voice muffled.

"Patience, Payno! Some of us actually wash our hair," Niall called back, rolling his eyes. But with the clock ticking, he sped up, hopping into the shower.

A second later, the door burst open, and before Niall could process what was happening, Liam was shoving his way into the shower.

"Bloody hell, mate!" Niall squawked, trying to shield himself. "Can't a man shower in peace?"

"Not when you've got about ten minutes left before we're supposed to look like stars," Liam replied, not even fazed. "Move over, we're making this quick."

Niall grumbled but shuffled aside. They did their best to share the showerhead, water splashing everywhere, and Niall could only laugh at how ridiculous it was. Here he was, in a cramped shower with Liam, elbowing each other in the ribs as they tried not to trip over one another.

"You better not steal my shampoo," Niall muttered, keeping a tight grip on the bottle.

"Oh, don't worry, I've got my own," Liam shot back, grabbing a bar of soap and scrubbing down with speed Niall could only dream of.

Meanwhile, in the other bathroom, Harry and Louis were having an equally cramped time.

"Louis, mate, I swear, if you hog the hot water one more time, I'm kicking you out!" Harry complained, dodging an elbow as Louis scrubbed his hair.

"Just calm your curls, Styles," Louis said with a smirk. "A bit of cold water's good for the soul."

"Yeah, well, I'd rather not turn into a bloody icicle right before meeting Simon," Harry retorted, huddling under the hot water whenever Louis stepped aside.

And because it wasn't chaotic enough, Zayn popped his head into their bathroom, a frustrated expression on his face.

"Are you two still in here?" Zayn asked, voice laced with impatience. "There's no bloody time! Move over, I'm jumping in."

"Come on in, the water's... freezing," Harry muttered sarcastically as Zayn wedged himself between them, all three of them maneuvering as best they could without slipping.

The next ten minutes were a blur of towels, elbows, and a surprising amount of yelling. They stumbled out of the bathrooms, half-dressed and dripping wet, each grabbing whatever clean clothes they could find.

"Lads, we look like we just survived a hurricane," Niall said, glancing around as he tugged on his shirt.

"Speak for yourself, Horan. I look fabulous," Louis retorted, running his hands through his hair in an attempt to tame it.

"Yeah, well, fabulous or not, if we're late, Simon'll have our heads," Liam said, grabbing his jacket. "Let's move!"

They practically fell over themselves as they bolted out the door, scrambling into the car that was waiting to take them to the studio. The driver gave them a bemused look as they piled in, hair still damp and clothes barely on straight.

When they arrived, Simon was already there, seated with his usual calm and collected demeanor, though there was a hint of amusement in his eyes as he looked them over.

"Nice of you all to join me," he said, eyebrows raised as he took in their disheveled appearance. "Rough morning?"

Louis grinned, leaning back in his chair like he owned the place. "Nah, Simon, we just wanted to keep you on your toes."

Simon's expression didn't change. "Right. Well, I hope you're ready to show me something impressive, considering the state you're in."

The lads all exchanged a look, each one knowing exactly what they needed to do. Despite the insanity of the morning, they were ready. This was what they'd been working for, the moment they'd been told to get their act together for. And chaos or not, they knew they had it in them.

Niall cleared his throat, a smirk forming on his lips. "Oh, don't you worry, Simon. We're just getting started."