Extremely nervous, Louis made his way inside the building of the youth centre and looked around in search of the place where he was supposed to meet with the two founders of this place. The youth centre was a big building with a big open space full of seating options by the walls, ping pong and football tables and many snack machines. About six other doors led into more rooms Louis couldn't identify yet but he could see through the huge glass backdoor into the nice-looking backyard where some kids were playing football.

"Hi, you must be Louis. I'm Violetta Clarke" a red-headed woman came walking towards him with a brunette woman by her side.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you. I'm Nicole Collins" the brunette woman introduced herself friendly.

"Hi, It's a pleasure to meet both of you. Thank you for having me" Louis felt his hands getting sweaty.

"We're glad that you're here, Louis. You don't have to be nervous. We normally don't bite" Violetta winked jokingly at him.

"We should move this to the office for a bit of silence, don't you think?" Nicole tried to bite back a grin and Louis couldn't blame her.

"After you, Love".

In awe, Louis followed them to the office and took a seat by the big desk right in front of them. His nerves were washing over him again and his knee started bouncing uncontrollably. With all his willpower, he tried not to fiddle with his fingers like he normally would because he didn't want them to notice his nervousness.

"So, Louis. Tell us a bit about yourself and how you picture your work here" Violetta looked expectantly at him.

"Well," Louis cleared his throat. "I'm nineteen and live in the house of love since the end of January. I just recently finished my first uni semester. Oh, um ... I study English, Literature and Music. I've always loved music. I started playing the piano when I was five and never stopped. Well, right now I don't have one on my own but I can use the piano at uni, which is really nice of them. They support me in my passion and I would love to do the same. The thought of teaching young kids to play the piano just warms my heart".

"What if one day the kid you're teaching doesn't want to anymore or makes a big scene out of nowhere or is mean to you?" Nicole hooked with a neutral expression on her face.

"In any of these situations, I think talking is the best solution. It's important to ask and find out what the issue is. It's important to listen, no matter what it is. I think with a bit of understanding and empathy there is nothing that can't be solved" Louis presented his way of handling complicated situations to them confidently.

"You're definitely right with that. If people would listen more the world could be a better place" Nicole agreed with him softly.

"I see why Maria thought you could fit in with us. It's because you do. You seem to have a special social vain and an overall great understanding of how to handle kids and deal with them in the best way. If you really wanna work here the job is yours" Violetta started to smile more with every second.

"Really?" Louis couldn't believe it. He had expected this to be a lot harder and them to be a lot stricter. He had no idea why.

"Really, Louis. I think the kids will love you. Some have been bugging us for months to teach them the piano but none of us can play. They will worship you" Nicole smiled along with Violetta.

"Wow, thank you. This really means a lot to me. I can't thank you enough" Louis breathed out in pure disbelief.

"Come on, let's take a look around and talk more details".

Violetta and Nicole showed him every single room in the building like the art room and the already existing music room. The room solely reserved for homework and even one with dozens of video games. They had a karaoke machine and plenty of sports stuff for every interest possible. The only thing missing were animals. But Violetta told him that their dog came along with them quite often. That put a smile on his face, also that Violetta and Nicole seemed to be pretty close to have a dog together. He didn't wanna assume anything but they might be dating.

He was introduced to some of the other people working here and even some of the kids already. He met Cat and Sabrina, sisters who wanted to learn how to play the piano. He also met a curious boy named Newt and a shy boy named Thomas. Seeing them looking up at him with their curious big eyes filled Louis' heart with so much warmth he couldn't explain. There were no words for this feeling. It was simply out of this world.

Later, after retreating to the office and signing the contract, Louis was left alone with Newt and Thomas in the main area. They were telling him about their days and school and everything they could think of and Louis only listened. He could feel the big smile permanently plastered on his face and didn't care. It felt good to smile genuinely and kids just had that effect on him.

"I don't think I have ever seen you smile this much, Tommy".

Jumping at the sudden voice, Louis wiped around and was met with Jonah's grinning face. "Joey, what are you doing here?".

"Picking you up because we wanted to go over to Sean's to try out our idea?" Jonah sounded a bit confused.

"Oh, I totally forgot about that. I lost track of time" Louis slapped his own forehead, Newt and Thomas watching him closely.

"It's fine" Jonah smiled at him with a soft look in his eyes.

"Let me just tell Violetta and Nicole that I'm leaving and then we can head over to ...".

"You don't have to tell us when you leave" Violetta startled him.

"Yeah, you have your employee card now to check in and out" Nicole added to remind him. "What are you even still doing here?".

"I was kind of ... held back" Louis pointed with his head at Newt and Thomas being curled up into his sides. How were they twelve years old but still so cute?

"Boys, you have to let Louis leave. He has somewhere to be" Nicole addressed the boys gently.

"I don't want him to go" Newt frowned sadly.

"Is he coming back?" Thomas asked with big eyes.

"Yes, I will come back. Very soon and very often. You will get tired of me pretty quick" Louis nudged both of their sides.

"Never" Thomas and Newt grinned in sync.

Fucking hell, you're cute was what Louis wanted to say out loud but he kept that to himself. He really wanted to try to swear as little as possible in their presence. This would be the challenge of a lifetime but he was determined to try his best.

Together with Jonah, Louis left the place and headed straight towards Sean's home, He couldn't stop talking about the youth centre and the kids. "And my piano lessons will be twice a week but I can come by whenever I want and help wherever it's needed. I really can't wait. And the best part is that with the money I can pay my uni fee without a problem and still have some for myself".

"I'm really happy for you, Tommy. You're glowing. It's nice to see" Jonah noted joyfully.

"I haven't felt this good in a long time. I feel like this might be it. My moment to change my life for the better and get my control back. Is that weird?" Louis bit down on his bottom lip thoughtfully.

"It's not. It's actually quite amazing. You just look so free and untroubled, which is great to see" Jonah stopped and placed his hands softly on Louis' shoulders.

"In there, I felt different. It was nice" Louis let him know meekly.

"That's all that really matters" Jonah nudged his nose.

"Thanks" Louis crinkled his nose. "How has your day been? That was a pretty late morning. Did Liam stay over?".

"He did, yeah. He was so beat when we reached the house and I couldn't see you anywhere, so I offered him to stay. Which was quite unnecessary when I think about it now because he lives just down the 'street' but ... I don't know ... Where have you and Harry been? You weren't right behind us like you told me" Jonah was about to continue walking but stopped when he realised Louis wasn't following him. "Are you okay? What happened with him?".

"You don't have to kill him, don't worry" Louis recognised the slight protective tone in Jonah's voice. He sounded like this when he was about to defend Louis at all costs. "He actually helped me".

"With what? Did something happen? What happened? I shouldn't have left you two alone" Jonah obviously panicked.

"No, Joey. None of that" Louis tried to calm him down, grabbing both of his hands gently. "I said goodbye to Luke but um ... he was really drunk, absolutely wasted. And um ... he kept hitting on me, I guess? And he ... err ... asked if he could kiss me? I just ... It's ... Something about the situation triggered me and I couldn't answer him or do anything when he leaned in to kiss me. I panicked and everything else happened so fast. Harry pushed Luke away and was really mad at him, although he shouldn't be. I stumbled into the garden and Harry followed me. I had a full-on panic attack but he managed to calm me down. He was furious and thought Luke forced me into the kiss, which he didn't. I mean, of course, I didn't want it but he wasn't sane. I know him. He wouldn't have done that without the alcohol but Harry wasn't having any of it. My panic attack was enough proof for him to blame Luke, so I ... I had to let him know it wasn't because of Luke".

"It was because of Kyle and the way he treated you, obviously. Did you tell Harry that?" Jonah asked concerned.

"Yes and no. I told him I had a bad boyfriend and that he is Sean's brother but that's about it. He didn't ask more questions and I'm thankful for that. I think he understood enough on his own. He isn't stupid. You don't have such a reaction to a simple kiss over a bad boyfriend" Louis thought more out loud than actually talking to Jonah but he couldn't help himself.

"It wasn't a simple kiss, Louis. And this wasn't a normal situation and you know that, no matter if Luke is to blame or not. And it's absolutely not shameful to have such a reaction, okay? You've been through a lot and obviously, Kyle still has a hold on you. Or your past, in a way. This will take some time to get over" Jonah squeezed Louis' hands comfortingly.

"If I ever get over it, that is" Louis sighed out. "But I can learn to live with the aftermath. I'm doing better. I can see it now. I can see everything that was wrong with our relationship".

"And that's good. This is a huge step out of denial and into acceptance. I'm proud of you, Tommy. But do you think going over to Sean's will be good for you?" Jonah questioned worriedly.

"He won't be there, remember?" Louis tilted his head aside.

"No, but he still lived there and you've been over there. With him. Many times, right? It's full of memories" Jonah explained what he meant and Louis only swallowed heavily.

"True but what am I supposed to do? We have to save the house. I can't just chicken out because of my past. I have to face that place, if I want to or not".

"I will be right by your side" Jonah assured him mellowly.

"I know, Joey".

As soon as he stood in front of the O'Kelly/ Levi house though, Louis felt his heartbeat picking up and his hands getting clammy. Picture flashes of him and Kyle were running through his mind. It felt like his memories were mocking him. But thankfully they didn't go inside. Instead, they directly headed towards the garage where Sean was already waiting for them with Niall, Liam and Harry, who was definitely watching him. He was probably keeping a close on him now that he knew this place could be triggering to Louis. And Louis wasn't sure how he felt about this but he decided to feel flattered instead of stalked or pitied. Maybe someone cared.

"How did your job interview go?" Harry asked him immediately, looking oh-so curious and ready to explode in excitement.

"Really good. I got the job" Louis let him know grinningly.

"Lou, that's amazing! I'm so happy for you" Harry beamed and Louis could see that Harry's first instinct was to pull him into a hug but he was holding himself back. Louis couldn't accept that.

"And where is my hug then?" Louis opened his arms to make a point and he really hoped Harry understood how big of a deal this was to him.

Harry looked like a deer caught in headlights and Louis could hear Jonah gasp next to him but he ignored it. He tilted his head aside and offered Harry a genuine smile, hoping to show him everything he needed to know without using words. It seemed to work because Harry's features softened and he took a step closer cautiously, eyeing Louis' every reaction. With red cheeks, Harry finally wrapped his arms around Louis' waist and hugged him carefully, letting out a content sigh. Louis' arms found their place around Harry's neck and he pulled him in closer. To his own big surprise, he didn't feel uncomfortable or tense or anything bad really. He didn't flinch or wince or felt the need to pull away. More the opposite. He wanted to stay like this forever.

"Good job, Tommo. I knew you'd impress them" Niall congratulated him loudly, patting his back in a friendly matter but nonetheless, making Louis flinch away at the touch and like this, breaking away from the hug with Harry, who had definitely felt Louis flinch.

"Thanks, Nialler" Louis cleared his throat. "How long have you been here?".

"Only a few minutes. We asked around the house and found a few people who are interested in helping us put on a show. There are many talented people living there" Liam informed him.

"That's fantastic. We need everyone we can get" Jonah rejoiced, caressing Louis' back soothingly.

"But we also need to find a way to let people know about the concert and the cause" Sean pointed out critically.

"Maribel texted me and told me Kayla might have an idea but she didn't say what it was. She just said Kayla will tell us pretty soon. She might even stop by later" Harry let them know informatively.

"What?" Liam shrieked panicky. "Kayla will be here?".

"Oh my god. You got it bad" Niall spluttered teasingly.

"Oh, fuck off" Liam sulked childishly.

Niall only gasped with tears of laughter. "Did you just curse? This is the best day of my entire life".

"Next thing on the list is killing you" Liam lunged for him but Sean stopped him, biting back his own laughter.

"Easy there, Lima".

"We're here to plan the concert and not kill each other. Can you be mature for once?" Harry crossed his arms over his chest.

"I am mature, H" Niall claimed whinily. Harry only quirked one eyebrow up. "Ugh, fine. I'm not but today I can be".

"Let's see about that" Harry sounded unconvinced.

"Why do you have so many instruments in your garage?" Jonah asked Sean when they walked farther into the garage.

"Um ... my brother had a band until a few months ago. He wanted to throw all of this away after they broke up as a band but my parents didn't allow it. They bought all of this, after all. So, now we don't have any use for them but ... yeah" Sean told them, scratching his neck awkwardly. Louis only blinked dumbly. He didn't know that Kyle had had a band. He had never told him.

"Well, now it's good for us. We can use them, right?" Niall sounded way too excited, jumping on his spot.

"Duh, why do you think we're here?" Sean looked at him as if he were stupid. Maybe he was. Who knew?!

"To be honest, I don't think we need the instruments. Louis and I thought about simply singing" Jonah let them in on their plans.

"Really? We had the same idea" Liam pointed at himself and Niall and Harry. "What about you, Sean?".

"I'm no good on stage. I'm better behind the scenes but maybe you could all sing together? As something like boyband?" Sean suggested hesitantly.

"Boy bands are stupid" Jonah snorted mockingly.

"I agree. They're stupid and aren't they mostly straight fantasies for teenage girls?" Liam sided with Jonah.

"You are straight" Niall dead-panned.

"That's really not the point" Liam groaned in despair.

"I personally like boy bands and no, they're not always all straight. I mean, their image is but that doesn't mean that they are. Don't you know about the forced closeting in the music industry?" Harry asked them scandalized.

"No" Niall, Liam, Sean and Jonah shook their heads.

"I do" Louis admitted timidly. "And Harry is right. What you see isn't always the truth and why the fuck does it matter in our case? We are doing this to save our home. Sean's idea isn't too bad. We could at least try it out and if it doesn't work we know better".

"Damn it, he has a point" Niall yielded.

"You really think we could all sing together?" Liam still wasn't convinced.

"Maybe. There is only one way to find out".

And just like that, they started throwing in ideas for a song to try it out with. In the end, they all agreed on a Knights Of Love song and like this, the whole argument about a boyband being straight was invalid. Only one of their band members was straight and they were pretty open about it. They even had a couple in the band. For some strange reason that empowered the other guys to give this a fair shot. Louis didn't question it. Especially not Liam.

He had no time to question any of his friends. He was too focused on being shocked that he had actually agreed on singing in front of people, even if for now it was only his friends. He wasn't confident in his voice or his stage-presence abilities he once had but lost along the way. Fortunately or unfortunately, Jonah wasn't doing any better. His anxiety kicked in as soon as it was his part to sing.

"Joey, you can do this. Only focus on me" Louis whispered to him comfortingly and somehow it worked.

"Guys, you actually sounded amazing together. I think this could be it" Sean clapped when they were done with the song.

"You think so?" Niall questioned insecurely.

"I do, yeah. You were great, guys" Sean was sure of this.

"Are you okay, Joey?" Louis pulled him a bit to the side.

"Now I am. Thank you, Tommy. I'm really not keen on getting a panic attack on stage" Jonah still looked a little bit shaky.

"Do you get these often?" Louis caressed Jonah's back.

"Not as often as years ago anymore but yeah, my anxiety is a bitch and being on stage kinda triggers it. Guess I have stage fright as well" Jonah confessed meekly.

"You don't have to go on stage, Joey. No one will ...".

"I know that, Tommy" Jonah cut him off with a smile. "But I want to. The house is important for people, for you. We need to save it and there isn't much else I could do".

"Oh, Joey" Louis simply hugged him, lost for words.

"Um ... sorry to bother you but Niall wanted something from you, Jonah" Harry cleared his throat right next to them.

"It's okay, Harry. I'm back before you noticed I'm gone" Jonah smiled understandingly at Harry, booped Louis' nose and then went over to Niall.

"I'll manage to survive a minute without you, idiot" Louis called after him, earning a middle finger from Jonah in return.

"Lovely you two" Harry grinned amusedly.

"Excuse me? We're very lovely. Thank you very much" Louis huffed dramatically.

"And pretty cute" Harry smirked at him and Louis only poked his tongue out at him. "By the way, you have a really lovely voice, Lou".

Not expecting this compliment, Louis blushed. "Thanks".

"I hope you didn't feel like you had to agree to this idea or sing with us. You really don't have to do this if you ...".

Harry looked so anxious that it was almost funny but only almost because he really looked like he was about to panic over the thought of making Louis feel forced. Fuck, this guy was really something else and Louis was still hopelessly endeared.

"Haz, sh" Louis stopped his anxious rambling, taking Harry's hand into his own, which caused Harry to almost choke on his words and stare at Louis. "I really wanted to sing with you".

"Are you sure?" Harry had his eyes fixed on their joined hands.

"I'm sure" Louis reassured him and felt like this meant so much more right now. "And only so you know, you have a beautiful voice yourself, Haz".

Now it was Harry's turn to blush crimson. "Thanks".

Seeing the effect he had on Harry was something Louis didn't understand, not quite yet, but he was willing to find out what it meant. He also wanted to know why Harry's very being was so fascinating to him. Why he always felt so touched or flattered when Harry was nice to him or caring or considerate. It should be freaking normal but to Louis, it wasn't. He wasn't used to someone treating him right, not including Jonah here, and wasn't good at handling all these emotions. But one thing he knew. He was happy that Harry had stumbled into his life. He was happy that Harry was his friend now.

"Guys, guys, guys" Kayla came running into the garage.

"Breathe, please" Liam rushed over to her immediately, making his friends snicker at his actions.

"I have great news for you. Ready?" Kayla built up some tension and excitement. The boys only nodded. "M3 will support us".

"What do you mean?" Liam asked bewildered.

"You all know that I'm an intern at M3, right? I talked to Benny about the whole situation and he offered to make some free promo for it on his radio show" Kayla explained a bit more, earning big eyes from everyone. "But it gets better. Benny talked to Aurelio. You know, the big boss?! He offered me to give us a place to put on our show and even broadcast it on their website and give people all over the world the chance to watch it".

"What?!" they all exclaimed in mere shock.

"Oh, and Cuatro Hearts and Knights of Love would like to help out as well" Kayla grinned sheepishly.

"For real?" Louis stared at her in disbelief.

"Believe it. That's actually happening. Like this, there is no way in hell we won't save the house. We have celebrities on our side now. We're unstoppable" Kayla confirmed confidently.

"Holy shit" Niall sat down on the garage floor.

"Thank you, Kay. Without you, this wouldn't be possible" Harry hugged her tightly.

"No biggie. Aurelio was really surprised to hear about this. Maria and Paul didn't tell him even though their kinda friends. This is all so weird. Why wouldn't they tell anyone?" Kayla gave reason to think, frowning confused.

"I have really no idea but it doesn't matter. We have a plan now and a way to make it work. We've got this, guys".

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Why are they not telling anyone?