Elf Bites ❄ l.s. AU

6: Music and Muses

                  

                  

C H A P T E R S I X

Music and Muses

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LOUIS' THROAT SORT of ached when he woke Saturday morning, but he couldn't really complain because at least it was the weekend.  And at least they'd gotten some recording done yesterday.  At this rate, they'll have their first EP finished...hopefully by the time he's thirty.  Maybe.

Liam had assured everyone that Richie's brother would give them more time slots, though.  The question was, how many more of those time slots would they get before they'd be charged?  Louis was a broke-ass school teacher who only pretended he could afford two mouths to feed for a month to make himself feel better; there was no way he'd be able to swing paying for recording sessions in a studio.

Speaking of that second mouth, she was sitting on a stool at the island in Louis' kitchen, peering down at a magazine or something with a mug in her hand.  Louis blinked a couple times at her from his bedroom doorway (he knew she'd be here, but he still wasn't exactly used to sharing his flat) before sauntering into the bathroom to wake himself up.

After a quick shower and a shave, he ruffled his fingers through his damp hair, wandering into the kitchen.  Charming, who'd been sitting on the closed toilet seat the entire time Louis was in the bathroom, raced him there and sat beside Lottie's stool.

"Mornin'," Lottie greeted her brother, never lifting her eyes from what she was reading.

Louis went straight for his cereal cabinet.  "Did you boil enough water for two?"

"Yeah."

"What're you reading?"

"Your song lyrics."

Louis froze in the middle of pouring himself a bowl of Crunchy Nut.  "What?"

"I don't know.  Your notebook.  It was up here when I woke up, so I was just – "

"Give me that!"  He quickly snatched it away from his sister, his face and neck burning.  He didn't know why.  It was no secret that he was trying to start a band, but...he didn't know. 

Lottie raised her hands in surrender, raising a brow.  "Jeez, sorry."

Louis brought the notebook into his room and stuffed it back inside his bag.  This was why he never carried it around separately, because things like this happened.  He couldn't even remember why he'd had it out when he got home last night.  Perhaps he had an idea and did some writing in the cab.  It didn't matter; it'd never happen again.

He returned to the kitchen, still embarrassed enough to avoid meeting Lottie's patient eyes while he finished pouring his bowl of cereal and getting his own cup of tea.  Finally, after the tangible awkwardness became too much, Lottie gave in and shrugged.

"They were good, Lou.  I don't know why you're hiding them."

"I'm not hiding them.  I just..."  He sighed.  "It's weird.  When people write lyrics, they're usually personal and to have you reading mine is like...  It's like handing you my diary and being like, 'Here, enjoy.  Next installment will be ready for your entertainment in a week.'"

He munched on his breakfast for a while before Lottie responded to that. 

"Well, I was just reading them.  I wasn't looking to be entertained or to pry or anything like that.  Sorry."