Where I Am Without You [L.S]

Chapter Two

By the next morning, his head is at least slightly clearer than the previous day. Sarah and Ny had stayed for hours, Mitch had arrived sometime around mid-day and the four of them had lounged around in the warmth of his home, ignoring the dreary rain that had been a constant presence outside. They'd only left after ordering a large amount of food to be delivered to Harry's home later that day and played several rounds of scrabble. A steady presence of music had played through the speakers and the four friends had enjoyed spending genuine time together that didn't involve being shuffled around various venues and expectations weighing heavily on their shoulders.

He'd managed a full twelve hours of sleep that night too, so by the time he'd been driven to the main headquarters of BBC Radio One before seven thirty the next morning, his head was clear and eyes bright.

He was ushered into the building, through the ever present presence of drizzling London rain. He made his way through the somewhat familiar building, several people surrounding him from security, to show assistants as he was lead to one of the dressing rooms.

Jeff walked into the room when he was just finishing buttoning the black silk top tucked hallway into his trousers. The look was far from the outlandish ones he wore on stage, slightly more him, and the thousands of pounds price tag of the clothing labelled as Gucci still was something he had to wrap his head around. Coming from where he'd grown up, even after nine and a half years, the sheer wealth in his industry took him by surprise sometimes. Let alone that the slight fact that he himself was a multi-millionaire.

            "Morning." Jeff said, a bright smile upon his face and Harry groaned.

"How are you so chipper?"

            "Been a good week, can't complain."

"Whatever sleeping pills you've been taking I want some." Harry replied and Jeff laughed at that.

            "Might take more than some sleeping pills to get us through these next few months. No but seriously, you'll be happy come Friday, negotiations are going well. This tour is gonna be something else."

"It's not run under Syco and Modest, that's why." Harry replied half heartedly and Jeff paused from where he'd moved to snatch a strawberry from the dressing station table, giving him a knowing look.

            "That's exactly why. I just got off the phone with Niall's manager, she's great you'll like her."

"Five minutes before air Mr. Styles, you've been asked to make your way to the studio." A young female assistant said from the open doorway, he glanced up, nodding once at her.

            "Last interview, for this year at least." Jeff said to him with a smile as he clapped Harry on the shoulders before the two of them made their way back out into the hallway and towards the main morning show both.

They arrived just as a song began playing, one Harry had not heard, and he spotted Nick rising from his chair behind the main panel controls. It took a moment for Nick to spot Harry but once he had a smile broke out across his face as the older man made his way over to Jeff and Harry. He pulled Harry in for a hug.

"Good to see ya Harry." He said with his signature accent pulling away from him and turning to shake Jeff's hand. "How's things?"

            "Not too bad." He says with a smile.

"Hey congrats on Fine Line man, album is bloody incredible!" Nick says as he turns back towards the main desk, gesturing for Harry to take a seat as the song plays quietly in the back ground.

            "Thanks man." He says, taking a seat. Despite much public speculation, he'd never shared a romantic interest in Nick. It had certainly been implied by the older man way back when, but Harry had been so lost in Louis that he'd firmly shut down any advances and that had been that. Nick had taken it like a champ, but Louis had never fully trusted Nick around Harry. Despite himself, Harry had always liked a jealous and protective Louis.