🎧-Invisible String, Taylor Swift

"Chains around my demons, wool to brave the seasons

One single thread of gold tied me to you."

September 2013

Louis Tomlinson is fucked.

No, not literally.

But Louis Tomlinson is utterly fucked. Louis hates mornings, but what he hates, even more, are Monday mornings. And this Monday morning is going no better. One disaster after another. First, his alarm doesn't go off at 6 a.m. as it is supposed to which is kinda his fault as he forgot to charge his phone. Then, he realizes he hasn't done any laundry in the past week so he is running around his small one-bedroom flat trying to find something wearable. Then, his car wouldn't start so he has to take the subway. So, he is late, hungry, and poorly dressed.

Meet Louis Tomlinson: an employee at RiseAndShine, a radio station, by day, and a cafe worker by night with a side work of being sassy twenty-four-seven.

Louis sighs in relief when he catches the sight of the building and rushes through the glass doors. He shoots a small smile at the receptionist to whom Louis has never talked to and never plans to because of the amount of perfume she uses. It's only when he has entered the elevator that he closes his eyes and curses Mondays and overcrowded subways and rose-scented perfumes-

Buzz. Buzz.

He looks down at his barely charged phone and sees the caller ID. Liam.

"Hey, mate. Before you ask, I am just in the elevator and I am not that late."

The twenty-one-year-old who talks way too fast for his good, replies, "Uh, no. I just called to say that I won't be coming to the station today-"

Louis groans. "Why? It's Monday and Monday Niall is scary and stressed and I can't deal with him alone. We also have a segment with the musicians in the eight o'clock show and you are the Music Director so-"

"Uh, yeah", Liam winces," I am sick."

Louis scoffs, not believing the excuse. "No, you are not." He feels sweat trickle down his neck and God, why the hell is it so hot in September? So, he also curses the entire human species for global warming.

"I really am sick. Very very sick." Cough Cough. "See."

"Liam, babe!! I am waiting-", Another voice chimes in from the phone and Louis raises his eyebrows, voice filled with amusement, comments, "Lovesick, you mean?" The elevator stops and Louis exits the metal box of death. His Vans rub against the white marble floor as he speed walks his way to the office.

"So, Zayn is back from Paris, I assume?"

Liam grumbles, "Just this morning."

"You have been dating for five years now, how are you not sick of each other-"

"Remember the time I covered for you?"

"You never covered for me."

"Huh- I thought-"

Louis sighs overwhelmed with slight adoration and slight annoyance (mostly annoyance) due to the couple. "Fine. Just don't get an STD or something. Bye."

"The only time we didn't use a condom-"

"Bye."

Louis shakes his head and slides open the large glass door, not bothering to knock. The large Cedar table is covered with papers, a half-eaten takeout of Nandos and a very stressed out Niall. His hands work across the papers as his dirty blond hair stick in the front stick to his forehead, glistening with sweat in the sunlight through the large window. He looks like he might die.

And it's not even eight a.m. yet.

Niall is the General Manager at RiseAndShine. He and Louis went to school together after Louis shifted to London at the age of twelve and have been best friends ever since. Louis dropped out of high school in his last year due to financial problems. On the other hand, deciding that academic was just not it for him, the nineteen-year-old, fresh out of school Irish lad started a Spotify podcast as a summer project which turned into a full radio station by the age he was twenty with the help of investments. Both were loud. Both came from small towns. Both had an irrational fear of pigeons. That's why they stuck together through the highs and lows of life and an hour-long Valiant. So, when Niall discovered that Louis had a tough time juggling various jobs he offered him the position of Junior Station Manager which is as boring as it sounds. But you know, beggars can't be choosers so Louis stuck with Niall.

RiseAndShine was named as the new upcoming radio station, full of content and entertainment. Entertaining yet understaffed. So, it isn't a surprise that Louis finds Niall in a state of stress and looking as if he is on the verge of either being eaten by a zombie or being a zombie.

"You are gonna have white hair in a week if you go at this rate." Louis comments as he plops down on the sofa with his legs stretched at the table.

"And you look like you haven't showered in a week. Now, get those shoes off the table." Niall replies, frustration clear in his voice.

"Okay, boss," Louis sighs as he stands up and walks to the table. "And that's because I didn't have anything clean to wear."

"And how is that my fault, Tommo?" Niall says eating a Nandos takeout while looking through company's financial papers.

"Did I blame you, Mister Horan?" Louis says as he raises a hand towards the takeout which is-as he suspected- is slapped away by Niall. Louis whines and internally decides that Niall is single is because of his love for food.

"Oh c'mon, I didn't even have breakfast."

"Again, not my fault."

Louis huffs and sits on the chair opposite to him. "Anyways, Liam isn't coming today. He is sick."

For the first time in the whole conversation, Niall looks at him and deadpans, "Let me guess. Zayn is back from Paris."

Louis shrugs in indifference, having predicted Niall's reaction before. "Yeah, well. Talk about being unprofessional."

"Says the one who is late."

"Oh, gimme a break!" Sometimes Louis wonders how can the sweet blue-eyed baby turn into an evil sassy leprechaun.

A light chuckle escapes from Niall which makes Louis smiles a little because come on, evil or not, Niall's bubbly loud laugh is contagious. Niall says, less stressed out than earlier, "Don't worry, mate. I already got Adrian to fill in."

"I am not the one worrying. It's all you."

They are interrupted by a sharp knock to which Niall tells them to come in. Niall exclaims as he sees the person, "Oh, come in, James! I have been waiting for you."

James Evans, the RJ for the 8 a.m. show, is probably the most American boy you will ever meet. Blue eyes, blond hair, an addiction to caffeine, unexplainable love for "soccer", charming attitude with a tall lean figure makes him someone you can talk for hours and he is definitely not hard on the eyes.

"Good morning, Niall." His eyes shift towards Louis and he gives him a small smile, his hands in his jean pockets and says, "Hey, Louis."

Louis nods in acknowledgement and is going to say something when Niall interrupts, "You are ready for today's show, right? I mean, not to pressurize you or anything but like, this is the first very famous guest for our show and I would like if this is not fucked up in some way."

James lets out a nervous chuckle, which does not make Niall feel better at all, and says, "Don't worry, bro. I got it. I won't fuck it up."

"It's Harry Styles. So, I really hope you don't." He says while deciding to eat because that's the only thing that seems right. "Alright, off you go."

Louis blinks. Wait, What? Harr-

James nods and once again turns towards Louis. "I will see you later, Louis." Harry Styles?

"Seems like someone has a crush on you." Niall sings as he watches James leave but Louis is too busy in his thoughts because wait, what the fuck? Harry Styles? Harry Styles is coming to their station. Harry freaking Styles.

The twenty-one-year-old singer is the new sensation. His two albums topped the charts back-to-back. Breaking three world records, being the youngest person to host the Met Gala, having the biggest fundraising for Red Nose are just some of the achievements for Harry Styles has made since he has been on this ride since he was seventeen. The people who have met him describe him as friendly and witty.

And okay, don't judge Louis if he says that he is a bit obsessed with Harry Styles. He claims he is not a fan but he has memorized every lyric of his every song by heart and alright, he works out to his music too. He also might have teared up watching the cover of Girl Crush. And fine, with those green eyes, beautiful dimples, curly hair Harry Styles is not only just not hard on the eyes, Louis is sure watching him must release a daily dose of dopamine. But, Louis isn't a crazy obsessed fan. Trust him. Really.

But he is freaking the fuck out.

"Harry fucking Styles is fucking coming out to our company and you didn't fucking tell me, you fucker." He exclaims pointing accusely at Niall.

Niall raises his eyebrows, amused and clearly enjoying the situation. "I have no idea what you just said but I only heard Harry Styles and lot of fucking."

"Niall, I swear to fucking God-"

"Calm down, fangirl," Niall says slightly rolling his eyes. "And I told you when we went out this Saturday night that our agent arranged it,"

Louis wonders what would be the appropriate thing to do. Slapping Niall across the face or throwing the Nandos takeout into the dustbin. He settles on saying, "You were fucking wasted, you wanker."

"Oh my God, so you actually didn't know?" Niall lets out a cackle because somehow, he finds this really funny while Louis is writhing with nerves. "That's why you were so normal today because I thought you would have been quivering with nerves and excitement on the thought of meeting your crush."

Louis hates Niall.

"I don't have a crush on him!" Well, whatever.

"Oh, yeah and you are straight? Are we listing things that are false?"

"I will kill you, I swear." Louis groans and lowers his head in his hands because wow, Mondays really are the fucking worst.

Niall smirks, somehow not stressed at all now. "This is going to be very interesting."

Okay, Louis really hates Niall.