Home - Nouis

Chapter 5

The airport was quiet, unusual for such a bustling place, but the late hour had thinned out the crowds, leaving Louis and Niall in an almost empty terminal. A travel delay had stretched their day even longer, and they were stuck waiting for their flight with hours to kill. Louis leaned back in one of the stiff terminal chairs, his gaze flickering toward the empty check-in counters, the quiet punctuated only by the hum of fluorescent lights overhead.

Niall sat next to him, flipping absently through his phone, occasionally glancing over at Louis with that relaxed, ever-patient expression of his. Louis tried not to think about how much he appreciated it—the calm presence Niall brought to his otherwise chaotic world. It was something he hadn't known he needed, but now that it was here, he couldn't imagine how he'd managed without it.

They sat in companionable silence for a while, the sort of silence Louis usually found uncomfortable. But now, with Niall beside him, it wasn't so bad. It almost felt natural. His mind, however, was anything but still. As he stared out at the empty gate, the weight of everything he'd been holding in—Simon's insults, the pressure to be someone he wasn't, the shame and frustration—pressed down on him, gnawing at him until he couldn't keep it in anymore.

Without fully realizing he was speaking, Louis muttered, "It's exhausting, you know?"

Niall glanced over, catching the seriousness in Louis's voice. "What is?"

Louis hesitated, but something in Niall's gentle expression made him feel safe enough to continue. He took a deep breath. "This... whole thing. The image, the expectations, the way everyone wants me to be something I'm not. It's like I'm not even allowed to just... be myself."

Niall put his phone away, giving Louis his full attention. He leaned forward slightly, signaling he was listening. "Go on."

Louis swallowed, finding it harder than he'd expected. "It's Simon. He's constantly on me about how I come across, about... how I look, even down to how I act. It's like I'm a puppet on strings, and he's the one pulling them." He let out a bitter laugh, barely above a whisper. "I can't even be honest about... who I am."

A look of understanding crossed Niall's face. He didn't interrupt, letting Louis find his way through the words.

Louis's voice dropped lower. "He hates it, you know? The fact that I'm not... that I'm not straight. Keeps telling me to keep it quiet, that it's bad for the brand, that people don't wanna see that. He makes me feel like I'm... something shameful." His voice caught, and he looked down, ashamed of the quiver that had crept in.

Niall reached over, placing a hand on Louis's shoulder, steady but gentle. "Louis, that's... that's horrible. No one should have to feel like that, especially not because of who they are. I'm sorry he's making you go through that."

Louis looked up, meeting Niall's gaze, surprised by the intensity of his support. There was no judgment, no pity, just genuine understanding. It was such a foreign feeling to him that he almost didn't know how to respond.

"Thanks," he mumbled, voice softening. "I... haven't really told anyone that before. Feels a bit... I don't know, weak or something."

"Not weak," Niall said firmly. "Actually, it's probably one of the strongest things you could do—to just be honest about it."

Louis let out a shaky breath, feeling the weight of his words sink in. "Sometimes I think about walking away. Just telling him to get lost, you know? But it's not that simple. The contract, the money tied up in it... And part of me wonders if he's right, that maybe no one actually wants to hear me be real."

Niall shook his head, voice resolute. "Louis, there are so many people who want to hear your truth, more than you know. You don't have to hide for success, and if anyone's telling you otherwise, it's them who's wrong, not you."

Louis felt the lump in his throat ease just a little at Niall's words, but a doubt lingered. "It's just... easier, sometimes, to do what they say, pretend to be what they want."

"But it doesn't make you happy," Niall pointed out gently. "And in the long run, I think you deserve to be happy, Lou. Actually happy, not just... surviving."

The way Niall said it, like it was the most obvious thing in the world, sent a strange pang through Louis's chest. Happiness was such a distant concept for him; he'd grown so used to doing what he was told, to making everyone else happy at the expense of his own peace. Hearing someone else say he deserved more, especially someone he was beginning to trust, made it feel almost possible.

"Thanks," Louis murmured, his voice nearly breaking. "For listening. It means more than you know."

Niall's hand was still on his shoulder, grounding him. "Anytime, Lou. You can talk to me whenever you need, no strings attached. I'm here to help, not judge."

Louis nodded, feeling a quiet gratitude settle over him. For once, he didn't feel alone. The tension in his chest loosened, leaving something lighter, a glimmer of hope he hadn't felt in a long time.

As the terminal speakers announced a boarding call for another flight, Louis found himself letting out a sigh, this one of relief rather than exhaustion. He hadn't solved everything, not by a long shot, but for the first time, he felt like maybe he didn't have to carry it all alone. Maybe, with Niall by his side, he could start to hope for something better, something more honest.

Niall smiled at him, and Louis returned it, a silent promise passing between them—a promise of support, understanding, and, perhaps, the beginnings of something that might just help him heal.