Eyes on Me (Larry/Nouis)

CHAPTER 23

Recap of Chapter 22

"We're together, and were in love." Niall says brightly. Louis squeezes his hand lightly and Niall locks eyes with Louis. This gets another audible gasp from the studio, I'm surprised no one has fainted yet.

"You're gay?" The interviewer asks incredulously when she finally picks her jaw up from the floor.

"Yes we are. We have been together for a month a now." Louis states proudly.

That's when I hear the CRASH and a scream.

***

Chapter 23- Consequences

Louis's POV

The shattering sound of a breaking vase shocks my eardrums. The entire studio collectively turns it's attention to the commotion backstage.

"We are going to take a short break." The interviewer says shortly into the camera and the light goes dark. In a second she has stood up and dashed towards the commotion. I stand up, intertwining my hand with Niall's, and we follow her back stage. What was that?

We walk under the curtain and we see where the noise came from.

There, standing but three feet away, is our manager Stan. He stands in the middle of a flipped table of snacks and flowers. There are glass shards all over the floor, food, chips, and smashed flowers, sadly discarded in a fit of anger. I take a tentative step forward, but stop instantly when Stan's cold, grey eyes meet mine. He is furious. His hands ares balled into fists and he is literally fuming.

"What have you done?!" He shouts angrily at me once he has realized I'm there.

Shaking slightly at his penetrating glare, I step forward and meet his gaze. "I told the world the truth. I'm sorry you found out this way-" I begin strongly. I am cut off.

"You're sorry?!? YOU'RE SORRY?!?! Do you know what you have done? Your little boyfriend and you might have cost us millions! You're a sex symbol! You're all sex symbols!" He says gesturing to the lads standing behind me now. "And your openly gay? This is a disaster. A fucking disaster! You ungrateful little pricks! Do you know how much I do for you? I put my ass on the line for you brats, and this is how you repay me? By completely tarnishing you're image? What am I going to do." he says. 

He seems extremely distressed to say the least. I didn't even think about management when I came out, just about how much I love Niall. Stan is now pacing back and forth, narrowly avoiding glass in the floor. I look around me for the first time and see the crowed has mysteriously dispersed. Probably our kickass security keeping Stan's temper a secret again. The boys stand behind me, tightly standing together. Zayn put his arm around Liam in a friendly way and Niall is clutching onto himself. He looks on the brink of tears.

I rush over to Niall and grab him. He is shaking. I wrap my arms around him and hold him tightly. He relaxes under my touch and melts into my arms. I feel him sobbing silently against my chest and I squeeze his shoulders. His tears soak my t shirt and I feel his hot breath against my skin. It's warm and wet and terrifying. I can't stand to see Niall crying.

I hear Stan rambling to himself but I can't look away from Niall. That's when Harry speaks up.

"Stan, jeez they were just kidding. It was a prank. I put them up to it. I didn't realize this would happen, calm down. It was a joke." Harry says and it's like my world is in slow motion. 

Stan raises his head out of his hands and turns on Harry so sharp, like predator and prey. 

"A joke? A JOKE? Do I look like I'm laughing?" He walk up really close and gets right in Harry's face, "You fix this. You go back out to that interview and fix this. You know what I can do to you if you don't. I want you in my office tomorrow morning. Eight am sharp. Got it?" Harry nods his head and Stan storms out of the room. The area repopulates with television crew members and people calmly begin cleaning up the glass on the ground. Like it never happened.