Where I Am Without You [L.S]

Chapter Twenty Nine

They spend the better part of three hours wandering around the small setting. Despite the small size, each of them seemed to get caught up in looking intently through the shops they wandered through. Niall and Louis had left twenty minutes ago in search of their third round of ice cream sourced from a rather amazing sweets shop across the green. Zayn was still caught up in talking with the shop owner and main artists in one of the painting and photography stores which left Liam and him wandering aimlessly towards the look out over the estuary.

Evening was drawing nearer and the faint glow from the setting sun lit up the murky water below. A dozen or so people meandered their way along the retreating tide, small children running around after each other.

"It never gets old being able to go places and nobody recognizes you. As if we were just like every other person, here to enjoy ourselves and not to escape from the mayhem of what our lives have become." Liam muses as they lean against the stone wall.

"Bit heavy for the first night of a holiday don't you think?"

"The truth though." He pauses for a moment, Liam's gaze slowly taking in the stunning view before him. "We're lucky you know, that we get the chance to come back and do this. That we were big enough that people still care. I know we all went off and did our own individual things and were goddam successful doing it, but I wouldn't give up this chance for the world. Being back with you guys is how we started, I'd have hated never getting the opportunity to do this again."

He didn't have any words for that, what more could he say? They were so god dam privileged to be doing this, too have such a dedicated fan base and people who this time round are actually on their side. And this time, they'd get it right.

~~~

They put Niall's profession switch to good use that night. Seated around a large outdoor setting venue at a standard restaurant Niall and Liam had got chatting to a middle aged couple seated behind them and sure enough had spun a massive tale about the five of them. The story had rambled on for a good half hour of conversation, how Niall and Liam had managed to keep up with the lies they were spinning was beyond him, but it had certainly been entertaining. He'd gone along with his fashion designer persona when he'd been asked a question by the husband and had told him that his greatest inspiration was Alessandro Michele, was he supposed wasn't a lie.

Louis had been the absolute standout however. Even Niall couldn't compete with Louis endless charm and wit as he'd spun his own story about his 'teachers training'. Harry had spent the entire time trying to hide firstly his amusement at the blatant lies Louis was telling the couple who had sat engrossed listening to him speak, and trying not to reminisce of the times they'd sat together in their houses or in hotel rooms across the world making up scenarios of if they'd met in their lives outside of the circumstances they had. The lives they could have lived together away from the spotlight.

The couple had been entranced by his worlds, completely falling for his story and had bid the five of them goodnight with great enthusiasm. The minute the five of them were on their way back towards their house along a dimly lit path they'd burst out laughing. Thankfully no one had been around to witness seeing five grown men fall over themselves at their own personal joke.

None of them had had more than two drinks so they could hardly blame it on any alcohol. Still they managed to all stumble over each other as they pushed through the door and tumbled into the living room onto the sofas. Harry landed first on the sofa, sprawling over the entire thing as the others plonked down onto their own chairs. Louis made to walk past him and he felt himself drawn to the movement. They were trying to move past their awkwardness, get back to a stage of feeling comfortable around one another and honestly he was tired of pretending he still wasn't so immensely drawn to Louis. He reached out and settled his hands either side of Louis' waist, pulling him down to lie beside him on the sofa. Louis came easily, not resisting Harry's slight tug on his waist and curled up against Harry's back, arms curled up before him with his head resting back against Harry's chest.