Chapter 34

Neither of my acts had to leave the competition the third week of the live shows. I was relieved by this, not only because I didn't want to lose them but also because none of them would have deserved it.

It was a girl in Perrie's category who had to leave. It wasn't the one who had shown her support for me and Harry, Aaliyah, but a blonde girl I was pretty sure was from Newcastle. She may not have had the best confidence on stage, but her voice was great, so it was a shame that she had to leave. However, one act would have to go every week, no matter how sad it was, and there could only be one winner in the end.

After that, the days went by, and we continued working with our acts for the next live show. I realized that it all started falling into a pattern. We went to work on Tuesday to agree on a song for every act, then worked on the performance for the rest of the week until it was time for the live show on Saturday, and then we were free Sunday and Monday only for it all to repeat itself.

I didn't know what to think of it. I liked having routines, but I usually got bored when things were repeated for a long time. We had now spent three weeks doing the same thing, and I couldn't help but feel as though I wanted something to happen, something that would break the pattern that had occurred.

But maybe I shouldn't be complaining. Being a judge on The X Factor was the best job I had ever had, except being in One Direction. I knew that if I'd had an ordinary career, I would probably think this was heaven in comparison because routines were usually involved in regular jobs. Of course, it depended on what job you had, but I was pretty sure most of them didn't include getting to travel the country and being on vacation in Ibiza.

These thoughts circled my head as I drove to work on Friday, a week after our get-together at Liam's place. There wasn't much traffic today, and maybe that was because it was almost ten in the morning; most people were at work or school already. Therefore, the ride didn't take too long, so I soon entered the arena.

Everyone except Nick was there when I stepped into the lounge room, Harry sitting on the couch I was pretty sure he had spent most of the morning sprawled out on. I had realized he usually arrived early nowadays just to relax before we started working with our acts. The reason I was aware of this was because I had joined him on Wednesday. I mainly did because I was curious to see if he would be there, but I couldn't say I minded that I got to spend a whole hour with him before everyone else arrived.

I had wanted to join him yesterday and today as well, but I figured two days in a row was a bit too much, and today I had managed to sleep past my alarm. I was disappointed in myself, but regardless, I felt as though we had grown even closer this week, and it wasn't only because of the morning I had joined him. I no longer felt as hesitant around him since he hadn't once shown any sign of discomfort or told me I was doing anything wrong. It was a huge relief, and it made me feel more comfortable and less uptight.

Thanks to this, I didn't hesitate to sit beside him on the couch instead of taking the seat next to Perrie. She sent me a pout when she noticed, but it was replaced by a knowing smile the next second.

Rolling my eyes, I turned to Harry, who was typing away on his phone, his forearms resting on the smooth material of his black joggers and his brown curls framing his face. It didn't take longer than five seconds until he put the device away and turned to meet my eyes, his lips curling into a smile. "Morning, Lou."

For some reason, this move made butterflies erupt in my stomach, and I couldn't help but form a smile of my own. "Good morning, Harold," I replied, my eyes trailing to the pocket he had just slipped his phone into. "Who's the lucky person you're texting?"

He shook his head while chuckling. "It's just Nick. I was asking where he is since he's supposed to be here now," he explained.

I nodded, averting my gaze. Nick was quite a mystery to me. I didn't understand what was going on inside his head and what his intentions were. Ever since a few months ago, I had been sure he had feelings for Harry, and when he had yelled at me for talking to him, I had been even more convinced, but he had been so quiet the last two weeks that I was starting to think that maybe he didn't. I wanted to ask Harry about it, but I hadn't gotten a chance to do so yet. Sure, I could have asked him on Wednesday when we were here together, but it had slipped my mind then, so I hoped I would get another chance soon.

"Did he answer you?"

"Yeah, he said he's on his way," he replied, leaning back against the soft cushion of the couch. "So, I was thinking-"

"Hey, Harry. Did Nick reply to you yet?" Patrick cut him off, walking over from across the room, his arms folded over his chest.

Harry pursed his lips, his eyebrows knitting as he nodded. "Yeah, he'll be here shortly," he muttered, averting his gaze to his hands on his lap.

"Great, thank you for checking."

With that said, Patrick turned around and went back to talking to the crew members across the room. I followed his figure and noticed that Logan was one of them. As if on cue, he looked up and made eye contact with me, a smile stretching across his lips. I returned it with a nod before looking back at Harry.

"So, you were saying?" I asked, raising my eyebrows at him even though he wasn't looking at me.

He shook his head in dismissal. "It's whatever," he mumbled, keeping his eyes on his hands.

I furrowed my brows, following his gaze to see him playing with his rings. "I'm sure it's not. Come on, tell me," I urged, nudging him in the side gently.

He finally looked up then, his green eyes finding mine as a thoughtful look appeared on his features. It took a while, but eventually, he parted his lips to explain. "I kind of wanted to ask if you have any plans after work today?" He said hesitantly, his teeth sinking into his bottom lip.

My eyes widened at his question, not expecting him to say that. "Not that I know of. Why?"

He shrugged his shoulders, looking away from me. "I was thinking that maybe we could go on a road trip together, you know, like we used to?"

I could feel myself blinking at him because I wasn't expecting this. At all. Sure, we had grown closer lately, but I didn't know he wanted to spend time with me outside of work, only the two of us.

"I uh... Yeah, that sounds amazing," I told him after collecting myself from the shock, a smile spreading across my face.

His lips twitched as well, his left dimple popping. "Great. I didn't bring my car, but we could-" He started, but I cut him off by raising a hand, looking at him with arched brows.

"You're not driving. We both know how distracted you get when you're behind the wheel. I remember when you almost drove off the road just because you saw a goddamn bird in the ditch," I said, shaking my head with an amused smile on my face.

His lips parted as he stared at me. "Louis, that was one time, okay? I don't get distracted while driving. That bird was just adorable, and didn't I drive you home safely just the other night?" He implied, pouting his lips cutely.

I tilted my head to the side, the smile never leaving my face. "Sure, but that's because we were in a serious situation, and I couldn't drive even if I wanted to. Regardless, I'm driving today," I said determinedly, making him roll his eyes.

"Alright, fine."

With a satisfied smile, I turned my gaze to Perrie. She was already studying us, flashing me a knowing look when our eyes met. With a shake of my head, I looked down at my hands, feeling a bit giddy. I could barely process that Harry and I were going to spend time together, just the two of us again.

Not only a minute later, Nick finally arrived. He sat down on the couch next to Perrie, his gaze flicking between me and Harry as he greeted us all. But he didn't have time to say anything until Patrick walked over, clapping his hands together.

"Alright, guys, now that everyone's here, I can finally reveal that I have a surprise for you," he announced, his eyes flicking between all four of us.

Nick narrowed his eyes at him, looking suspicious. "What kind of surprise are you talking about?"

Patrick placed his hands on his hips, a smile forming on his lips. "Well, I have a feeling that you want to get away from all this for a little while, so I've booked rooms for you at a hotel in Manchester for two nights. You're going on Sunday morning and will be back on Tuesday to work with your acts. Sound alright?" He questioned, and you could tell that he already knew what our reactions would be.

"Hell yes!" Nick burst out.

"I'm definitely in," Perrie agreed, a smile spreading across her face.

"Me too," I said as Harry nodded his head.

Patrick clapped his hands together again. "Great, then it's settled. You'll be going alone without any crew members. I feel like you could do some time without being reminded of work, and we have things to work on back here anyway. So you're free to do whatever you want these few days, but be careful. There are many crazy people out there, and you're in the highlights right now. Just in case, there will be guards with you when you go out, so you don't have to worry about that."

Reaching up to pull at my bottom lip with my forefinger and thumb, I kept my gaze on Patrick. "So, what time are we going on Sunday?"

"There will be a car in the parking lot for you at nine in the morning, so the only thing you have to think about is deciding who's going to drive," he informed us.

I could feel Harry smiling at me in amusement, and I knew we were both thinking about the same thing. With a shake of my head, I let out a chuckle before looking back at our boss. "Sounds great, Patrick. Thank you for doing this for us," I said sincerely.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I think you all deserve to get away for a while after all the hard work you've put into the show. This is the least I can do for you."

We then started talking about what was happening today and what we had to get done until tomorrow's live show. It was almost as if the trip slipped our minds as quickly as we had been informed of it, but we did have things to focus on, even if it stayed at the back of my head for the rest of the workday. And how could it not when this was exactly what I had wanted to happen?

-----

As soon as we were free to leave work for the day, I went to the dressing room to get my Adidas jacket. It had been a long day, even if it was only four in the afternoon. A lot of work had to be done for tomorrow, though, and it required a lot of energy. But despite that, I was excited, my body erupting with nerves and butterflies at the thought of spending time with Harry this afternoon.

Once I had snatched my jacket and said goodbye to Perrie, who wished me good luck with a smile, I went to go looking for Harry. It had been a few hours since I last saw him, so it wouldn't surprise me if it were going to take a while.

Luckily, I didn't have to look for long because when I exited the dressing room, he was already leaning against the wall across the hallway, his arms crossed over his chest while talking to Nick. Deciding to make my way over to them, I slid my hands into the back pockets of my jeans and stopped right beside the two, making their gazes turn to me.

"There you are," Harry said, his lips curling.

"Yeah," I smiled. "I just had to fetch my jacket. Are you ready to leave?" I asked, my eyes flicking to Nick, who had clenched his jaw at my arrival. He gave Harry a long stare, looking more like a warning than anything else.

Harry didn't seem affected by it, though, and just gave him a reassuring nod. "Yeah, let's go," he replied, looking at me.

For the entire walk to my car, I could feel a lump form in my throat, and it didn't go away as we closed the doors behind us after successfully leaving without getting noticed by anyone. With no intention to start up the engine, I turned to Harry with a frown. "What was that all about?"

He let out a deep sigh, tilting his head back against the headrest. "Nothing, he's just being overly protective."

I raised my eyebrows at him, giving him a skeptical look. "That doesn't sound like nothing to me."

Harry ran a hand through his curls, looking out the windshield. "He just doesn't want me to get hurt again," he mumbled, turning to me with a scowl on his face. "He's trying to look out for me."

Nodding, I turned my gaze to my lap. "That's understandable. I've actually been wanting to talk to you about that for a while," I confessed, sinking my teeth into my lip.

He was quiet for a while, no sound being heard in the car whatsoever. "About what exactly?" He asked eventually, flicking his eyes to me.

I looked up to meet his gaze. "Nick. I don't know if you are aware that he might have feelings for you?" I said tentatively, and it came out more as a question than anything else.

His eyebrows furrowed, creating a deep crease between them. "Nick and I are mates, and we always have been. I thought we had already established that?"

Letting out a deep sigh, I closed my eyes momentarily. "I'm not saying you're reciprocating them, but ever since the start of this journey, he's shown signs of wanting to be more than your friend. He always touches you when you're around him, and he looks at you like you're the most interesting thing he's ever laid eyes on," I explained. "But now he's been so quiet the last couple of weeks that I don't know what to think anymore."

Harry shook his head, the crease remaining between his brows. "I don't know about him having feelings for me, but I do know that he cares a lot. He's been telling me to stay away from you for my own best, which added to my split thoughts about you. It's probably the reason he confronted you that day," he said, scratching at his neck.

"But the reason he's been more quiet lately is that I've told him to back off. It's not for him to decide who I'm talking to and spending time with. I know he only means well, but I want this. I want to spend time with you, and I'm starting to realize that your intention wasn't to hurt me when you decided to leave me that evening," he admitted, making a smile form on my lips.

"That's true," I confirmed in a breath, feeling my heart flutter. "And I'm sure you're right about everything you just said. I just feel like there must be more to why he hates me so much than only because he cares for you as a friend."

He shrugged his shoulders, turning to look out the windshield again. "It doesn't have to mean he has feelings for me," he mumbled. "But either way, I don't reciprocate them, so it's not like it matters."

I pursed my lips, glancing at the side of his face as I drove along the road towards the outskirts of London. "You're right. I'm sorry," I apologized, making him look at me in confusion.

"Sorry for what?"

I made a face. "For ruining the mood. This road trip was supposed to be fun, and I'm talking about things that aren't important to discuss right now. How about we turn on some music instead?" I suggested, picking up my phone from the center console to hand it to him.

He took the device with his long fingers, sliding his index one across the screen. "What's your password?"

A knowing smile made its way to my lips as I glanced at him. "The same one you apparently still have for your security system."

He turned to me abruptly, his lips parting for a few seconds until he closed them. "Touché," he mumbled under his breath, entering the number combination he knew by heart.

He was quiet as he scrolled through my playlists to find some accurate songs we could listen to. Meanwhile, I studied his features as he bit his lip in concentration, his brows pulled together. I had to remind myself that I was driving in order to not pull a Harry and drive off the road myself. He didn't seem to notice me looking at him, though, his eyes trained on the screen as he slid his thumb over the device.

"I think I found a playlist I want to listen to," he announced after a while, a grin forming on his lips. "I have to say H&L' is a really nice name," he continued, making my body freeze. Fuck, I forgot about that.

Reaching over, I grabbed the phone from his grip. "I change my mind. I'll decide what songs we're listening to," I said quickly, clicking on the first playlist I found that wasn't the one he had just mentioned.

Through the corner of my eye, I could see him raising his eyebrows at me. "I already saw the songs, Louis," he stated knowingly. "And I want to listen to them. This road trip is about doing something we used to in the past, right? So why not listen to the songs we used to listen to together as well?" He suggested, making me glance at him.

He was right. This was a nostalgic situation, so why not make it even more nostalgic by listening to the music that had brought us so many good memories? "As long as you're okay with it," I replied, handing him my phone back while letting my body relax.

He took it from my hand, a smile spreading on his lips. "Of course."

Not more than five seconds later, he turned on a song that made my stomach tighten. It was the first tune I had sung to him when we started dating. It held so many memories to me, also because it was the only song I had recorded before I participated in The X Factor.

"There now steady in love. So few come and don't go. Will you, won't you, be the one I'll always know? When I'm losing my control, the city spins around. You're the only one who knows. You slow it down. Oh, oh, be my baby. Oh, oh, oh. Oh, oh, be my baby, I'll look after you, and I'll look after you."

When I looked over at Harry, I could see that a soft smile was playing on his lips. "I remember when you used to sing this to me every night when I couldn't fall asleep," he said, leaning back against the headrest. "I loved it. It made me feel safe."

I could feel my lips curl as well, loving the fact that he seemed so cool about this. "I'm glad it worked."

His eyes fell on me, the smile widening on his lips.

We continued listening to the song until it ended, and instead of opening my phone and choosing another one, Harry let it play whichever was next. It turned out it was one that also had a deep meaning.

"A moment, a love, a dream, a laugh, a kiss, a cry. A moment, a love, a dream, a laugh. A moment, a love, a dream, a laugh. Just stay there, 'cause I'll be coming over while our blood's still young. It's so young, it runs. Won't stop 'til it's over. Won't stop to surrender."

My lips curled as I remembered the story. "So, Wellington," I began, turning to Harry, who was already hiding his face in his hands. "We were so drunk that night that I barely remember what we did, but you tweeted those lyrics, and then you thought as though it all should be remembered, so you decided to tattoo them on your skin."

By now, I was full-on grinning because it was so funny. "And you managed to tattoo the wrong lyrics. Why did you not check that before getting it done?" I chuckled, making him let out a loud an embarrassed groan.

"Really, Louis?" He pouted, dropping his hands. "Do you have to remind me of that? I got it removed, alright? And some other tattoos are covering it now as well. I was young and so fucking in love. I just hated that we couldn't show everyone that we were in a relationship."

The smile dropped from my face as I turned to him. He was still pouting but not looking at me, keeping his gaze forward. After a while of silence, I let out a sigh. "I think the idea was great, and I remember that I encouraged you to get it done, so I could have looked it up as well. I think it's honestly a shame that you got it removed. However, it is still quite funny, if you think about it. You have to give me that," I said, my lips twitching in slight mischief.

He reached over to whack my bicep. "Ow," I let out, forming a pout. "You didn't have to do that."

"Yes," he declared, smiling now. "I did."

With a roll of my eyes, I turned to focus on the road, the landscape passing by at a quick speed. A short silence fell between us where we enjoyed the music coming from the speakers and just the feeling of finally doing this again, after so many years. It was amazing, and I couldn't help the grin that formed on my lips.

When I turned to glance at Harry, I noticed that he was already looking at me, his eyes scanning my face with bright, sparkling eyes. "Would it be weird if I said I really like your haircut? I think it suits you," he said, making butterflies erupt in my stomach.

"Yeah?" I breathed. "You don't think it's too short?"

He shook his head, his brows furrowing slightly. "No, it looks good on you."

With a smile on my face, I looked out the windshield, my hands gripping the wheel. "Thank you. I'm glad you like it," I replied, and I was pretty sure he didn't know just how much it meant to me. If there was anyone in the world I wanted to receive a compliment from, it was him.

"Would it be weird if I said I quite like the beard you've got going on then? I never actually thought I would see you with one," I admitted, and through the corner of my eye, I could see his lips twitching.

Shrugging his shoulders, he ran a hand through his curls. "Thought it was about time, you know? Not that my beard growth is very good, but I thought having a little stubble wouldn't hurt anyone. I actually quite like it myself. I feel a bit more grown-up with it," he commented, reaching up to move his hand along his cheek and chin.

Letting out a light chuckle, I nodded in agreement. "It suits you, especially with your haircut. It makes me wonder how you would have looked if you still had long hair," I said, biting back a cheeky smile.

He looked at me and just shook his head in amusement. "That's a look you'll never get to see on me. I quite like the length of my hair now."

"You should," I agreed. "I mean, you can pull anything off, but your hair looks perfect the way it is now."

It wasn't until the words had escaped my lips that I realized what I was saying. He could pull anything off? His hair looked perfect? It was true, but I should have kept that to myself. It was definitely a step too far, even if this conversation overall was a bit too deep.

When Harry didn't say anything, I started getting worried that I had overstepped his boundaries, but when I looked over at him, I noticed that he was looking down at his lap with his lips curled in a smile. It made my nerves disappear, and I relaxed in my seat again, my lips twitching as well.

A few seconds later, 'Just The Way You Are' started playing from the speakers, and it only took a second until we turned our heads to make eye contact, a knowing look forming on both our faces. The story behind the song would probably live in our minds forever, especially Harry's since it was about when he first realized he was in love with me.

-----

I drove him home later that evening. Time had flown by since we left the arena, and I didn't realize it was getting so late until it started turning dark outside. We'd had a lot of fun, and for the first time in years, I felt completely relaxed in his company, and it only got better towards the end. I felt as though I could have stayed with him the entire night and talked about memories and things that had happened in our lives when we had been apart.

But we did have a day of work tomorrow, so I reluctantly drove him back to his place around eight in the evening. We said goodbye while exchanging a smile before I drove off, and I was floating on clouds the entire drive back to my place.

Once I had gotten home and taken care of Clifford, I went straight to bed, and it didn't take long for me to fall asleep after that, the smile never leaving my lips as slumber took over my body. 

The next day started great as well. I was still exhilarated since the day before as I drove to work, knowing I would see Harry in only a few minutes again. Things didn't get worse when I arrived at the arena and caught sight of his beautiful figure leaning against the wall outside the lounge room while talking to a man in the crew.

The second he saw me, his lips curled into a smile, and he was suddenly more focused on me than the guy he was still talking to as I walked by them and into the lounge room.

It didn't take long until we were sitting in the dressing room, getting fixed for the live show that was taking place in only an hour. I was busy playing a game on my phone when I could hear Harry's familiar drawl behind me.

"...Frankie tonight," I could hear him say to someone before he walked away.

Since I didn't see anything wrong with what he said, I didn't think too much about it when we walked into the arena a few minutes later. Yet, I still found myself going through my papers the moment I sat down, trying to find out when Frankie was performing.

I soon realized that he was the second act, so I wouldn't have to wait too long. Twirling my pen between my fingers, I glanced at Harry, who was playing with his rings while chatting with Nick. He was wearing black nail polish today, working well with his black dress pants and white button-up.

"Alright, let's start this evening by introducing the first act, The Johnson Twins!" Dermot announced, making me avert my gaze from Harry.

The girls did a great job, doing exactly what we had been working on, and I made sure to tell them this once they finished the song and it was time for us judges to talk. They received great responses from the other judges as well, so they left the stage with wide grins on their lips.

As Dermot entered the stage again, I started getting a bit nervous even though I knew there probably wasn't a reason why Harry had mentioned it. Throwing one last glance at Harry before Dermot introduced Frankie, I saw that he was nibbling on his bottom lip as he gazed at his papers, his fingers laced on the table.

The second the young boy started singing, I could feel myself holding my breath. But as soon as the lyrics began progressing in my head, I relaxed in my seat, and warmth spread in my chest instead.

"Everybody loves the things you do, from the way you talk to the way you move. Everybody here is watching you 'cause you feel like home. You're like a dream come true," he started, his voice sounding soft and smooth.

"But if by chance you're here alone, can I have a moment before I go? 'Cause I've been by myself all night long, hoping you're someone I used to know. You look like a movie. You sound like a song. My God, this reminds me of when we were young."

I glanced at Harry, seeing that he was smiling now. He turned to meet my gaze, and I could tell by the way his lips remained curled that there was a reason Frankie was singing this song in particular, and I didn't know how to react to this fact because it was a lot to take in.

"Let me photograph you in this light in case it is the last time that we might be exactly like we were before we realized we were scared of getting old. It made us restless. It was just like a movie. It was just like a song," Frankie sang, his beautiful voice making goosebumps appear on my skin.

"I was so scared to face my fears. Nobody told me that you'd be here, and I'd swear you moved overseas. That's what you said when you left me..."

Feeling tears starting to prick my eyes, I inhaled a deep breath, forcing my gaze away from Harry to focus on Frankie instead, but it was hard. It was so hard when this song reminded me so much of me and Harry. I couldn't believe he was doing this just for me.

"Let me photograph you in this light in case it is the last time that we might be exactly like we were before we realized we were scared of getting old. It made us restless. It was just like a movie. It was just like a song. When we were young," Frankie finished softly, his lips twitching as he received a round of applause from the audience.

I was too overwhelmed to do anything but wipe at my eyes. I barely even acknowledged that everyone was standing up beside me. And when it was my turn to speak, I stumbled over my words, not knowing what to say other than that it was purely beautiful.

Once Frankie had left the stage, and my heart rate started slowing down, I turned to Harry again, wanting to know what was going on inside his head. Judging from the way he was still beaming as he wrote down something on the paper in front of him, I had a feeling he was thinking about the performance as well.

Feeling bold, I reached my hand out to his left one resting on his thigh. Running my fingers along his knuckles, I gently placed my hand on top of his, giving it a light squeeze. And if the way he turned his face to send me a soft smile was anything to go by, I was pretty sure he didn't mind the action, and that fact alone made me happier than I had been in a long time.

-----

I had 'When we were young' playing on repeat when I wrote this chapter. It just fits so well!

I know some of you have been asking me when they're going to kiss, and it will happen soon, I promise.

Anyway, I hope you all had a great day on the 23rd, the 11th anniversary of the boys. I know I cried, but we're not going deeper into that haha x

Other than that, I hope you liked the chapter, and if you want updates on this story and other things about Larry, feel free to follow me on Twitter: @ Larrys_Girl98.

Edited by: butterflies151

Pauline .xx