Brite Lites (Larry Stylinson AU)

Chapter 2: L.B.A.M.T.S.I.T.T.M

  “Modeling?” Louis asked, grabbing the wine bottle to pour himself more and frowning when he discovered there was no more to pour.


  “Yes modeling! Modeling, modeling, modeling.” Ondine babbled, maybe that’s where all the wine went. “Think about it Lou, I’m a model, I could help you.”


  “Help me what? What the hell is your plan? Did you drink all the wine?” Louis waved the empty bottle of wine in front of her face and yelped when she smacked it to the ground. “Hey.”


  Ignoring Louis’ question, Ondine continued, “Imagine if you’re-” she paused, mouth still hung open with unsaid words and frankly, it looked kind of creepy. 


  “Ondine…” 


  She quickly held a finger up to her lips and snapped her mouth shut, turning in her seat to glare at the door. “Listen.” She whispered. 


  Louis listened, he really did, but there was nothing to hear, “To what?” He asked, but soon after there were three quick knocks on the door and Louis’ question was answered.


  “That!” She whisper shouted and stood from her seat, tip toeing to the door and pressing her ear to the cold wood. Louis stood and followed her. 


  “What the hell are you doing?” He asked, trying to pry her from the door so he could open it and see who the person on the other side of it was but it was as if she had glued herself to it, budging an inch before snapping right back into place. “Open the damn door, Ondine.” 


  She shook her head and pushed him away, “Do you think it’s James?” She asked, then her nose flared and she looked scary again, “If it’s that fucker, I’m going to knee him so hard, his balls will look like tumors in his face.” Before Louis could protest, she threw the door open. “James - oh.” Her previous anger had completely vanished and in its place was a look of surprise. 


  “Who is it?” Louis asked. 


  “Oh even fucking better! Look who it is! Mr. ‘I’m too much of a bastard to call my friend when he’s just had his heart broken’ Horan!” She shouted and Louis tried to peer around the open door to get a glance at the boy he hadn’t spoken to in what felt like forever, but it was slammed shut. 


  “Ondine! Why did you do that?” Louis asked, watching her stomp off back into the living room and grab the wine bottle off the floor. 


  “Because he’s a prick that has his head shoved too far up his ass to be anything but. Goddammit, where did all the wine go?” 


  “In you!” Louis yelled, “Why is he here?”


  “Like I know!” She yelled back and the knocks on the door returned, softer than before but still determined. 


  “I’m going to see.” Louis said and reached for the door. Ondine protested but fell into a pout when she wasn’t listened to and the door was opened wide. 


  “I’m sorry.” Was the first thing Niall said, and if he was expecting anything to come from the Irish lads mouth, it wasn’t sorry. Though it felt like forever since he had heard and seen his friend, (could he still call him a friend?), he knew it was only months. But looking at the man in front of him, he would have never guessed. 


  Niall’s classic blonde locks that he had maintained throughout his time in One Direction were gone, now dyed a light brown color that was similar to his natural color that Louis had seen in early childhood photographs. His usually clean-shaven face was covered in stubble that shouldn’t work but did, making him look aged past his young 22 years. Clad in a thin black t-shirt and flannel pajama pants, he looked odd in the cold winter setting. The chilly January air swept into the apartment and he wondered how Niall wasn't shaking. 


  “Lou?” Niall asked and Louis looked back up at his face, mouth moving but saying nothing. “I didn’t know.” He sighed, and Louis did his best to ignore the quiver that had creeped it’s way into his voice. 


  “Neither did I.” Louis said, and smiled shakily. 


  Niall smiled back, “I brought Zayn.” He said, and his arm disappeared from view as he grabbed the body that was hiding from the light. 


  “What a jolly good day!” Ondine shouted sarcastically from the living room, hitting the empty wine bottle against the arm of the sofa and watching it bounce. 


  “Is that Ondine?” Zayn asked, standing in the doorway next to Niall and cramming his neck to get a better view into the darkened flat. Louis looked at him questioningly and nodded slowly. 


  “Don’t be too excited to see me mate.” Louis scoffed and Zayn frowned. 


  “Of course I’m excited to see you, Lou.” And as if to prove his point, he stepped the rest of the way into the flat and wrapped his arms around Louis, squeezing tightly. Louis went rigid in his hold before realizing, this is Zayn, and returned the embrace. “I missed you Louis.” and Louis didn’t mention how he could have just come sooner. 


  “I missed you too, Zayn.” 


  “As warming as this is to the cold atmosphere of our sorry lives, I have to say, unless you have beer or any other form of an alcoholic drink, I’m going to be forced to ask you to move this sickening love fest elsewhere before I puke unicorns and rainbows all over Louis’ nice carpet.” Ondine sighed. Louis, Zayn, and Niall all turned their attention to the drunk girl splayed on Louis sofa tossing a glass bottle in the air. “Shit!” She exclaimed and hopped up, peering over the edge of the sofa, “How many times can that thing drop before it finally busts?”

  “This is my apartment.” Louis reminded her, and yeah, that’s definitely where all the wine went. 


  “I have beer.” Zayn said. 


  “Come in! Come in! No use freezing your knickers off in the cold, eh?” Ondine smiled lopsidedly and Louis rolled his eyes but invited the beer bringing boys in anyways. 


-

  Five beers each into their reunion and one frozen pizza later, Ondine isn’t as hostile and Louis isn’t as sad but they both wish that Niall and Zayn had brought some tequila because the flattening beer just wasn’t doing it for them right now. “Where’s Liam?” Louis asked finally, and if he was scared to hear the answer, no one knew. 


  “Somewhere off the radar with Danielle in Malibu,” Niall shrugged, frowning, “He hasn’t called us in a while. I hope he isn’t dead.” 


  “He’s not dead, you wanker. He’s living.” Zayn butted in and Ondine nodded her head slowly. 


  “That was deep.” 


  “Oh.” Was all Louis said, because even though it was probably true, he couldn’t help but feel betrayed, like Liam had actually ditched them for Harry and wasn’t running on the beach in slow motion with the dancer. 


  “Operation L.B.A.M.T.S.I.T.T.M.” Ondine announced. 


  Before anyone can ask any questions or wait for Ondine to elaborate on her sudden outburst, she continues on another trail of thought, “Zayn.” She says once, grabbing his shoulder and pulling him closer to her. Louis doesn’t fail to notice the blooming blush the flashes on his face, “Niall. We need more alcohol.” 


  “We still have like, 6 bottles of beer and you’re still really drunk.” Louis butts in because pretty girls make drunk boys stupid and all Niall and Zayn had done was nod their heads. 


  “Not nearly drunk enough, Love. We need something stronger. Be dolls boys, and get on my good side.” It wasn’t a question. 


  
  “What’s L.B.A.M.T.S.I.T.T.M?” Louis asked, grabbing Zayn and Niall by the collar of their shirts and tossing them back onto the sofa when they stood to leave. “No, what is the plan.”


  “What plan?” Niall asks. 


  “The plan L.B.A.M.T.S.I.T.T.M. You guys would know about it if I had a nice glass of vodka.” Ondine said, pushing Niall and Zayn up again, “Now, mush!” 


  They didn’t have to be asked twice, and before Louis could grab them by the collar of their low cut shirts and slap some sense into them and just keep them by his side because he just got them back, they were out the door, slumped on each other in a sorry attempt to keep the other up but only managing to make walking nearly impossible. 


  “You have enough fucking alcohol, Ondine. Why would you do that?” Louis snapped at her and Ondine slowly turned her head and looked at Louis like a confused puppy. “It’s freezing outside and they just got here.”


  “You’re right.” She sighed, and flicked a piece of hair from her eye in a less than graceful way, sticking her hand between the cushions of the sofa, grunting as she dug her hand deeper and deeper into the crack of Louis’ couch. 


  “The remote is right here.”


  “No, I know. I’m drunk, not blind Louis.” She pulled her hand out and scooted to the other end of the sofa, sticking her hand back in, eyes lighting up. “I do have enough alcohol.” She smiled brightly, proudly revealing a clear glass bottle. 


  “What the hell…” Louis trailed off, snatching the bottle from her hands and inspecting it, “How the fuck did that even… When did you… How did I not notice? This thing is massive.”


  “The reason.” Ondine stressed, taking the bottle back and tossing it to the side, “That I sent the dogs out is because I needed to talk to you about L.B.A.M.T.S.I.T.T.M  before I spoke another word of it to the prying ears of our -your- strayed friends.” Louis looked at her, “What were we talking about before Louis.” She asked, frustrated. 


  Louis furrowed his eyebrows, “Alcohol?” 


  “No.”


  “Modeling?” 


  “Bingo!” She yelled, “L.B.A.M.T.S.I.T.T.M. ‘Louis becomes a model to stick it to the man.’”


  Louis began shaking his head frantically, “No. No, no. No.” 



  “Why not!? It’s perfect. Picture this, you become the one that got away, shove your looks and your ass in that curly haired face -not like that-. I could help you, I have it all planned.” She paused, “Well, actually. I only have the beginning planned, getting you into the spotlight. We’ll go from there.” She smirked, “A proper beauty queen you’ll be. Your face on every screen.”


  Louis bit his lip unsurely, picturing it in his head. His face plastered on the magazines Harry sees everytime he goes out, on billboards, silver TV screens. A proper beauty queen. Maybe Harry will buy one of those magazines even though his girlfriend is on the magazine right next to his. Maybe he’ll swerve his car on the highway because his head is crammed up and there’s memories clouding his vision. Maybe he’ll tune in on something Louis is featured on and turn up the volume up. Maybe he’ll cry. Maybe he’ll stay up late at night planning ways to get Louis back the same way Louis did for him. Maybe he’ll call Louis up out of the blue, words slurred, and maybe Louis will hang up. Maybe Louis will make Harry hurt as much as he did. 


  “Maybe.” Louis stated, “That’s the best idea you’ve had yet.”


  Ondine’s eyebrows shot up, “Really?” She squeaked, Louis laughed, “I mean, of course it is. I’m a genius” She corrected and reached over, taking the bottle up and downing 3 mouthfuls. “Shall we tell the mutts?” She pondered, Louis nodded. 


  “I think we shall.” Louis could see it now.