Love Is In The Air

Prologue

Louis didn’t know what he wanted to do with his life, but he knew that he wasn’t going to spend the rest of it in Doncaster. Sure he loved the place; he was born there, all his family and friends were there. But this place was just way too small, and he’d always wanted to do bigger things in a bigger place. 

When he was twenty, he began looking around for jobs in London, behind his mother’s back. He didn’t want her to find out so soon, because it’d just break her heart to know that her eldest son was going to leave her. He’d always been close to her. 

And when Louis did find the perfect job, he told his mother about it, and everything went a lot smoother than he’d expected. 

“Hey uh, mum? I found this job at a radio station, Capital FM, in London. I’ll be a DJ of some sort, so uh, I was wondering if you’d let me go?” It took all his courage to say that, and when he did say it, he felt a lot lighter. To his surprise, she agreed almost instantly seeing as Capital FM was the “best” radio station in the UK. 

Louis couldn’t be happier.

And so that was how he’d ended up at the train station weeks later, bags packed. His friends and family were there. Well, only one friend, Stan, was there. Louis looked at his watch. 9:46. His train was scheduled to leave at 10. He knew that the waterworks were going to start, and that’d make him cry too. So he made up some excuse about not wanting to miss the train (which was true) and having to find his seat. 

He said goodbye to every single one of them there; his teary mother, his four younger sisters and Stan. 

Fizz and the twins bawled their eyes out while Lottie just casually hugged him and said bye. To be honest, Louis thought that her goodbye was the most normal. It wasn’t like he was leaving for good, he would still come back to visit. He hugged Stan too. “I’m going to miss you, man,” Stan said sadly, and Louis managed a smile. Stan was his best friend, and no doubt would he miss the times they spent together playing soccer and joking around. 

And then Louis got to the hard part; saying goodbye to his mother. She was already teary and red-eyed as she held a handkerchief to her face. “Bye mum,” he breathed out softly, trying to stop himself from crying. 

She just suddenly burst out in tears and threw her arms around him for a hug. “Oh Boobear, I’m going to miss you so much!” Louis couldn’t help but let himself melt into the hug completely. “I’m going to miss you too mum, and Yorkshire tea time with you,” he smiled fondly at that memory. He looked at his watch from behind her back. 9:53. That was why he had to start saying goodbye earlier. 

“Mum, my train’s going to leave soon,” he said, pulling away from the embrace, and Jay nodded. She sniffed and wiped the tears from her eyes. “Alright, bye Lou, remember to call often!” Louis smiled genuinely, taking one final glance at his mother, four younger sisters, and Stan, wanting to capture a mental image. 

And with that, he was boarding the train. 

On the train, he couldn’t help but wonder what would happen while he was away from home, or what his new apartment and boss would be like. What if he hated his colleagues, and what if his flat was totally rundown? Louis was not one to be so pessimistic, especially not when everything hadn’t even begun yet, and so he forced those thoughts to the back of his mind and fell asleep.

~*~

Louis was awoken by a screech. He opened his eyes and saw the tall buildings outside and he instantly knew that he was finally here, in London. It had only been two hours, and he slept through the whole time. 

Louis got up; picked up all the luggage he had, and left the train, taking in a deep breath of London air. It wasn’t as though it smelt any different, but it was just a new place for him, and maybe a new beginning and a new start. The city of London was gorgeous. Everything just looked absolutely breathtaking to Louis; the roads, the streets, the cars, the architecture, everything, and that made Louis smile. He was going to love it here. 

He struggled to find his apartment, but when he did find it, he liked it almost immediately. When you walked in, to your right was a little shelf, and if you continued walking down the short doorway, there was the living room. It wasn’t big or anything, but there was a couch and a coffee table. To Louis that was enough. 

And when you looked to your left, and maybe a bit behind you, there was a small little kitchen with a stove and a frying pan that the previous owner had left behind. There was also a wooden table with two wooden chairs in the middle of the small space. In the bedroom, there was a queen sized bed that stole the attention away from the paled yellow walls (like that would get any attention in the first place). Jay had shipped it over there for him before he arrived so that he wouldn’t have to go shopping for one and sleep on the floor. 

Louis loved the apartment, and he could almost call it home. 

~*~ 
Louis was on his way to the radio station as it was his first day of work. He had been so nervous the night before that he googled for the fastest way to get there from his apartment. He didn’t want to be late on his first day. He left home an hour earlier even though the place was only fifteen minutes away. That was how nervous he was. 

He ended up arriving at his workplace half an hour earlier. He was somewhat pleased at himself to turn up on his first day on time, in one full piece. But he spoke (or thought) too soon. 

As soon as that thought flashed through his mind, Louis walked out of the elevator and someone banged into him on his right side, making his shoulder hurt. But that wasn’t the main point. 

That someone was holding a steaming hot cup of coffee and caused it to be spilt all over Louis’ favourite white and blue striped shirt. Louis jumped and winced as the hot liquid touched his skin. He was offended, and he was pissed. It was his first day of work, and he was going to have to report to his boss with coffee stains on his shirt. He stood there, with his mouth gaping, while the guy cursed, and Louis got a glimpse of his face.

“Damn it, my coffee! Ugh!” That was all he said before taking off in the direction of the studio. Louis snorted. These DJ people really thought that they were the best in the world, like they could just do anything and get away with it. Who the hell bangs into someone, doesn’t apologise, but instead, whines about their coffee that split on the person that he knocked into?! 

Sighing, Louis headed towards the reception and introduced himself, saying that he was new and was supposed to meet a certain Liam Payne. The receptionist eyed him up and down, her eyes pausing briefly on the coffee stains before directing him towards a room. 

Louis entered, and there was a guy sitting there, behind the desk. “Uh, hi, I’m Louis?” Louis introduced himself yet again awkwardly. That man, whom he assumed to be Liam, scrutinized him as well, and Louis had to refrain from rolling his eyes. Judgmental, these people were. 

“Yeah, hi, I’m Liam Payne, you can call me Liam, Mr. Payne, Mr. Liam Payne, whatever suits you, although I like Liam. And well, I’m your boss, but you don’t have to be too formal with me. I can be your friend too, so don’t be too uptight or anything.” Liam introduced himself, and Louis was surprised. 

Just a moment ago he thought that his new boss was being judgmental, but it turned out to be otherwise. Liam seemed nice now. That was the fastest that someone changed Louis’ impression of him.

 “Anyway, today’s your first day, and you’re here to replace one of our guys who quit recently. But today, you’re just going to be watching to see how it’s done and stuff. So you’re going to be working with the other guy on “The Lunchbox”. Have you tuned in to it before?” 

Louis shook hishead. He didn’t really listen to radios and neither did his family. Everyone just went on YouTube or used their phones now. Although hewas sure that Jay was going to listen every day from then on.

“Oh, well, it’s on from twelve to two, and basically you’ll be providing the audience with some entertainment news, hit music, and jokes I guess. Here’s your script sort of thing. It’s just a prompt in case you don’t know what to say. But don’t worry about it, your partner will be there to help you when you need it in any way at all. Any questions?” Liam smiled. Louis realized that Liam really liked to talk. It wasn’t like it was annoying, because Louis liked talking a great deal too. 

“Uh, can I know what the guy’s name is and… Uh, a little stuff about him?” Louis asked, feeling somewhat scared. What if the guy was some forty year old man with a huge beer belly and stinky breath?  Louis didn’t realize that he had been saying all that out loud until he heard Liam’s laughter. 

“Relax Louis! Right, I can’t believe I forgot to tell you about him! His name is Harry Styles, and he’s definitely not forty with a huge beer belly and stinky breath. He’s only eighteen, and to be honest I think he’s quite the ladies man; dark brown curly hair, a dimpled grin, and he smirks a lot. He’s quite charming really.” Upon hearing that Louis let out a sigh of relief. Okay, at least his partner was going to be a nice guy about his age. 

“Alright Louis, the show starts in about thirty minutes, so I’ll take you down to the studio and introduce you to Harry okay? He’ll teach you how to work all the audio and stuff like that, and you can take the chance to get to know him better. I’m sure you’ll like him!” Liam swung his arm across Louis’ shoulder and led the latter out of the room.

As they were walking, they talked, and Louis learnt that Liam was in fact a year younger than him. He was working for his father. Louis couldn’t help but feel a bit of admiration for Liam. He was nineteen and undoubtedly already more successful than he was. 

And then Liam shifted the focus onto Louis, asking him about his family and Doncaster. Louis only answered half-heartedly because he was too busy trying to remember which turn to take at where, and when to go one level down. Liam seemed to notice that Louis kept turning around and looking around for signs that might tell him where he actually was. And Louis kept walking aimlessly, turning at the wrong corners and Liam had to steer him in the right direction.

“Louis, don’t worry, from tomorrow onwards Harry will be showing you around the whole place. He’s just running a little late today, and he had to set up in the studio first.” Liam patted Louis’ shoulder gently, and the older male felt instantly relieved. He was being such a worry wart today. 

Louis was looking around at all the different doors around in the corridor, unable to contain his curiosity, until he heard a deep and husky voice call out from in front of them. 

 “Hey Liam! Is that the new guy, Louis?” This guy sounded kind of alluring yet boring, although that was probably already his excited voice. Louis looked up, and there he was; curly brown hair, dimpled grin, tall and slender. He was everything like Liam had described; charming, and he did look like he would be a ladies’ man. This guy Harry just had this aura to him that screamed attractive and somewhat sexy. 

He was wearing a simple white cotton t-shirt with black skinnys that seemed to go halfway down his hip, and Louis couldn’t help but notice how long his torso was. Louis mentally slapped himself. He was not just checking out his new co-worker. He wasn’t even gay to begin with. Or was he? No! You’re not gay, Lou! 

And then Louis actually smacked his own face subconsciously, for thinking like that.

Both Liam and Harry looked shocked by what Louis had done. Even Louis had stunned himself. What was his brain thinking? What, you mean about checking the guy out, or about smacking yourself? And oh god, Louis thought he was mad then. He was having a conversation with his brain that was the one controlling all his conversations, and damn was he confused. “A little tired there Louis? You look kind of tired too, Harry,” Liam asked, sounding a bit concerned.

“Yeah, didn’t have my coffee, spilt it on someone coming out of the elevator. He didn’t even look where he was going!” Harry grumbled, and Louis’ eyes widened. Harry was the guy who had ruined his favourite shirt. He was arrogant; whined about his coffee being lost but not caring lost to where, or onto whose shirt! To think that Louis just fan boy-ed internally about him and thought that he was actually somewhat attractive. 

Liam looked wide-eyed at Harry before gesturing at Louis’ coffee stained shirt. Harry then gasped, before speaking.

“Oh.”

Louis raised an eyebrow at him. “Yeah, oh.” 

Oh god, Louis was going to have to work with some guy he already disliked and despised.