A Rose By Another Name

Chapter One

Louis wasn't sure why he had decided to drink an entire bottle of Gin, by himself in the dark. Perhaps, it was the confusion that usually bubbled just below the surface that managed to pop and spit in his face or maybe it was the tears that spilled as he took his well-earned shower. Whatever it was, Louis was at sixes and sevens with himself.

   He loved Eleanor, he really did, but when he looked at Harry his heart was skipping rope. Louis was sure Harry didn't know what he was doing to him. Closing his eyes, Louis could picture Harry and his sweet, coffee curls. Harry was doing that innocent, little smirk that made Louis's stomach feel funny and the dimples that Louis couldn't look away from deepened as Harry's smile did. Louis didn't understand why he was feeling this way.

   Louis wobbled as he stood up from his bed. He swigged the bottle another time and began to walk toward his hotel room door. Thankfully, his key card was in his pocket, otherwise he would have been a screwed, drunken mess when he came back and tried to get back into his room. Louis staggers down the lit hallway, fuzzy hotel carpet rubbing against his unclothed feet. He soon finds his knuckles rapping against another door. It opened and Louis giggled, tears streaming down his face.

   "Heyyy, Paynooo!"

   Liam looked at Louis carefully and Louis could tell that Liam was pitying him, but nonetheless, Liam pulled his friend into his hotel room with a sigh.

   "How much have you had to drink?" asked Liam sadly, leading Louis inside. Louis sat down on Liam's bed abruptly and blinked, allowing more silent tears to fall. Louis downed the last bit of his bottle and handed it to Liam.

   "The whole thing," answered Louis, slurring his words.

   Liam took a seat in the chair that was placed near the hotel air conditioner. It was blowing cool air into the room which caused Louis to let out a slow sigh.

   "What's going on, mate?" questioned Liam. Although this was probably what people expected Louis to be like regularly, Louis was typically fairly careful with how much he drank. "Something's bothering you."

Louis tried to wipe away the tears, but they kept coming and he didn't realize just how upset he was until now.

"I'm confused," whispered Louis softly. He knew what was coming next. Liam would push Louis to tell him what he was confused about and eventually Louis would give in, but he wasn't quite sure if he even knew what he was confused about. Not entirely at least.

"About what?"

Louis was silent for a few minutes before his heavy breathing turned into heavy sobs and he buried his face into his hands. He felt childish crying like this in front of his friend, but he knew he couldn't deal with this alone anymore. He attempted to conceal his sobs and looked up to Liam.

"How do you get over someone you know you're not supposed to like?"

"Louis, wha'd'ya mean?" Liam knew what Louis had said, but as far as he was concerned, Louis was with Eleanor and he was sure he was allowed to be with her. "I thought-."

"I don't know what I'm feeling anymore," mumbled Louis, placing his head back into his soft hands. "I know that I loved Eleanor at one point, but now... Now, I'm not so sure because this other person makes my heart race."

"Then maybe you should ask Eleanor for a break," suggested Liam. "At least until you figure yourself out. Then, you could decide what to do from there."

Louis shook his head. "She doesn't deserve this. Why couldn't my stupid brain just think about her and not him?" He let out a strangled whimper as he realized what rolled off his tongue.

"Louis, is that why you're confused?" questioned Liam. "Because you think you might have feelings for another bloke?"

Louis had been picking at his fingers. Without looking up, he nods.

"And that's alright," said Liam. "Louis, you're still going to be one of my best mates no matter who you love, you understand?"

Louis looked up. He had finally gotten a hold over his tears and Liam could see that. The tears were mostly stains now, but as Louis looked up and made eye contact with Liam, his eyes began to cloud mercilessly with tears. He didn't understand why he was crying so much. Maybe it was the Gin. Louis looked back down and Liam saw this as the perfect opportunity to find out who Louis had feelings for.

"Is it a friend from home?"

Louis shook his head.

"Another celebrity we've become friends with?"

Another head shake. Liam furrowed his eyebrows before widening his eyes.

"Is it one of the lads?"

Louis gulped and neither shook his head nor took to nod it, which told Liam that it was someone in the band. He was sure it wasn't him, considering he came to Liam for help in the first place, but he couldn't be too sure.

"Is it me?"

Louis looked up and widened his eyes, shaking his head. "Oh heavens no. You're like a brother, Liam."

Liam let out a breath of relief. He did not want to have to let Louis down gently, especially not after seeing him so heartbroken and torn up.

"Niall?"

Louis, who was still looking at Liam, laughed and shook his head.

"Zayn?"

Louis hesitated, but shook his head and Liam understood why the sudden uncertainty. It wasn't because he did like Zayn, it was because he knew that by answering this, he would be telling Liam exactly who he did like without saying his name.

"Louis, it's alright," said Liam, seeing the anxiety filled in Louis's eyes. Drunken Louis was a right mess if he ever saw one. "Honestly, mate. Who doesn't like a bit of Harry?" laughed Liam, attempting to make a joke. Louis only glared at Liam. "Right, sorry."

"Why'd it have to be him of all people?" queried Louis. He laid back on the bed. "It feels like I'm back at school having a crush for the first time. It's new and exciting, but scary and sometimes even makes you feel a bit guilty, but I can't quite explain exactly what I feel for him, it's impossible to put into words."

   Liam takes a deep breath before posing something that he wasn't sure Louis would be angry with or not. "I think it's called love, mate."

   Louis closed his eyes as he laid against one of Liam's bed pillows. "Maybe..." mumbled Louis, falling into a well-deserved sleep. "Maybe I do love Harry."