Infinity //1D AU ✓

Chapter 2

~Going faster than a million miles an hour,

Trying to catch my breath some way, somehow~

As they walked out of the coffee shop towards Zayn's rental car, Zayn complained. "That bastard. He was supposed to be here."

"Well, he won't miss dinner. He's Niall." Harry said this, and for once, everyone laughed at his little jest.

"Where are we headed?" Liam asked, sliding in the backseat.

"We're going to a Mexican restaurant." Zayn said. "My parents, my sisters, and Luke will be there."

Liam finally lost his cool and calm demeanor for a second, sighing deeply and putting his head in his hands. Since he was sitting behind Zayn, he could not see this. And neither could Harry, who was in the passenger seat and trying to find a good song. Louis patted Liam's back as a show of solidarity. "Let's make up a safe word. If it gets too much, I'll find an excuse and pull you out of there."

"I learned this my first time around in school - NORA. It's used in malls a lot, and it stands for Need Officer Right Away."

"Fine." Louis said, repeating it in his head. Nora.

"What are you gonna name her? The baby." Liam asked then.

"Don't know yet. We're thinking that we might just see what she looks like when she pops out."

"Solid plan." Liam said, trying to force a smile back onto his face. Louis realized that that was his way of coping with the situation around him. Small talk. Next thing he was going to asking about - "What's up with this weather?"

"Classic Virginia. Just the way it is. Also it's spring." Zayn seemed a bit down, or simply thinking, up there in the front seat. Harry was dancing to himself up there, and a minute later, they were there at the restaurant. Zayn saw his parents standing out front with his sisters, and he quickly parked and went to meet them.

The others took a second getting out of the car - Zayn hadn't seen his family since he left for MIT, so many years ago. Liam was hesitant to meet them as well, Louis didn't want to meet Luke, and Harry was just about to rip them out of the car, kicking and screaming the whole way.

After lots of hugging, they got out of the car, and Zayn seemed ready to burst with his exciting news. Louis was ready to sit in the corner with a pitcher of tea, sunglasses on, and watch the world burn. Liam was ready to cry. Harry was just hungry.

"Hi. I'm Harry. This is Louis, and Liam. We're friends of Zayn's." The group didn't look as homeless as they did four months ago, and Zayn's parents shook their hands, and the sisters smiled at them, which was enough. They sat down, and then Luke walked in.

"Hi, babe!" He shouted across the crowded dinner hall. Zayn stood, and Louis facepalmed. Off to a great start.

"This is my boyfriend. Fiancé, actually." Zayn sat back down, and Luke sat next to him.

The rest of them finally got a look at this so called Hot Luke.

"NORA!" Louis shouted panickedly, standing abruptly as the table emerged in worried talks. He ran to the bathroom, his boyfriend a few steps behind him. Liam followed as well, so that he wasn't alone.

In the last bathroom stall, Louis sat on the toilet, feet curled up to his chest. Harry stood next to him, and Liam stood in the corner. "That's Luke. Like Luke, Luke."

"What does that mean?" Harry asked.

"Luke." Louis said, obviously in a tizzy. Harry wasn't connecting the dots quick enough for Louis, so he jumped in again. "Luke, like locked me in a closet Luke." Harry made a surprised noise.

"Wait, what?"

Harry went to explain it this time. "On Louis' first job with Simon, none of the others liked him. They physically locked him in a closet on the day of the heist so that he couldn't participate, but he broke out and saved them because they needed him, truly. Why are you so upset, Boo Bear?"

Louis took a deep breath, convincing himself that he was, in fact, overreacting. "Zayn is marrying my ex-bully. Luke. That means Perrie and Palmer will show up soon. Does Zayn know? That Luke was involved with Simon? We have to tell him."

"He has bigger worries right now." Liam said, flicking his eyes towards the door, and the other two became aware to the loud discussion in the dining room.

"After. We tell him after then." Louis said.

"We need to be supporting him out there. He's one man against a firing squad." Harry ran out of the stall, and back to the table. Liam and Louis followed a second later.

As Louis sat, Luke addressed him over the discussion between Zayn and his family. "Louis."

"Luke."

"You two know each other?" Zayn said abruptly, and Louis nodded, looking down at the menu.

Luke laughed, running his hand through his longer black hair. "Me and Louis go way back. I remember when he was still in the closet." Another short laugh.

"Hi. I'm Harry. Louis' boyfriend." Harry reached across the table, shaking Luke's hand with a death grip and a very very harsh glare. "What's good to eat here, Zayn?"

Zayn didn't sense the tension - oh, oblivious Zayn. "Niall's still not here?"

The others shook their heads. "I'll call him?" Liam offered.

"He would've called if he wasn't coming." Zayn looked down at his Coke. The waitress came by then, asking for orders. Everyone ordered, and then everyone at the table was in on the discussion.

"You can't marry someone you just met, Zayn!" His mother yelled.

"I love him, so yes I will. You can't stop me. It's your choice whether or not to be a part of my life. I want you to be, but that's your choice. Please, can we talk about anything else?"

"Why did MIT kick you out?" His dad asked. Louis put a hand over his mouth to stop a cackle.

"I participated in inappropriate behavior fitting a student." Zayn said simply, giving his menu up.

"More chips and salsa?" The waitress asked the later end of the table, where Liam, Louis, Harry, and Luke sat.

"Keep 'em coming." Liam said, nervously.

"You can't possibly still be mad at me." Luke said to Louis.

Louis pursed his lips over his iced tea, which had just arrived via another waitress. "I don't like bullies."

"I saw you did some modeling for Adidas. What else do you do now?"

"I just transitioned back to theatre work." He said, tastefully. "After walking away from Simon."

"He kept you? I thought he threw us all out."

"He only keeps the good ones." Louis said with a leveling glare.

"Lou, stop talking now." Harry said, and Louis was more than happy to do so, although he just wanted to knock Luke out. Liam just ate the chips and salsa, staring at the last empty chair at the table, wondering where, oh where, Niall had gone.