as stated in the author's note before this i am taking inspiration from what i have seen with my own eyes at a club! there won't be many detailed dance scenes but this one is in FULL detail for the sole purpose of first chapter rights, plus it's what gets the whole thing moving.

fair warning i am awful at writing certain things - fights and dances being two of them. so i'm sorry if it's not the best!

—-

"you're up in twenty, babe," zayn sits beside louis, lighting a cigarette for them to share. "you ready?"

"more than," louis hums and leans against the brick building. it was a saturday night in the middle of may, everyone's either getting ready to graduate or they're out to have a good time in the beautiful spring. saturdays were always, always popping at the club. open until 4am, cheap private dances? count them in.

zayn passes his cigarette to the boy and grins. "you're gonna be great."

louis thanks him softly and puts the fag between his lips, sucking the harsh inhale. he shouldn't smoke as a dancer, but it helped calm his nerves. he loved his job, loved the money, but he sometimes still had a twinge of stage fright. especially on nights zayn didn't work with him.

zayn was his best mate, his rock. they had been through thick and thin together. zayn had actually gotten louis the job at paralyzer about a month after he started.

they've been working there for about a year now, so it's obviously been pretty okay. except for the one time someone tried video taping louis giving them a lap dance and they had to shut down the club. don't fuck with mason's crew, he'll kick your ass. there is a strict no photography rule within the club for the safety of each dancer.

"i heard fuckface may be coming by."

louis rolls his eyes. "fuck me."

fuckface was a lad louis used to have a fling with but cut it off because it was getting too messy. he's still quite obsessed with louis — not that zayn needs to know, louis is handling it just fine, but sometimes it can get a little too...overboard.

zayn snorts and takes the cigarette, flicking the ashes next to him on the sidewalk. "again already?"

louis' face flushes red and he nudged him with his shoulder. "i hate you."

"mm, i beg to differ." zayn smirks, cigarette dangling between his lips as he tilts his head back against the wall and lets out dramatic pants and whimpers, his chest rising snd falling with each exasperation. "zayn, zayn, oh my god zayn!"

"fuck you," louis cackles loudly. "we are never doing molly again. never. ever."

"say, speaking of which," the darker haired boy hums. louis takes the cigarette he hands over. "you know if any of the girls want some?"

"i can ask marie," louis shrugs. "how many you got left?"

"six."

louis nods and hits the cigarette. the pink and purple lights of the club illuminated the sidewalk they sat on, giving them plenty of light to see the parking lot and the busy freeway.

the blue eyed stripper counted each car that came through until they finished their smoke and he stands, brushing his legs off. "i gotta get ready."

zayn raises to his feet and grabs his hand, pulling him to the back entrance of the club. they were met with muffled music and a handful of employees walking around either in costume or in the nude having just gotten off stage and each of them greet the pair with hello's or cheek kisses. louis and zayn were very popular within the atmosphere. half of the weekend crowd came specifically for them. zayn with his interaction with the customers, louis for his thick thighs and big blue eyes.

louis finds his spot in the dressing room and sits in his seat, digging through his makeup bag for eyeliner. he loved the way the dark makeup made his eyes pop, especially when he was down low looking up at someone else. he wasn't an avid makeup person but anything on his eyes was an immediate yes.

he finishes getting ready with a few minutes to spare and steps out onto the floor, smiling at some of the customers that were seated around the stage but didn't speak to them. they believed it was rude to talk to stage seated customers while someone was performing, it took the spotlight off of the dancer during their time to shine. everyone has bills to pay, give them their fucking attention.

"holy shit," mason, louis' boss, says once he sees louis. he takes a double take of him and makes him spin. he was wearing a black leather bodysuit that was tied up the torso, black fishnet tights beneath them and ankle high black boots. "hello lou's rent money."

louis giggles and leans into the man for a side hug. "i look okay?"

"fuckin' a, you look great. go do your thing, kiddo."

louis gives him a salute as the announcer calls his name and he finds zayn sitting at the stage waiting for him. zayn was always his biggest fan, always eager to divert everyone's attention onto louis and get that money. zayn also had a habit of screaming "shake that ass!" to him, so it helped.

louis walks into a cloud of smoke as the fog machine started rolling and the lights changed to a red tint, signifying the next dancer was about to come on stage. bad intentions by niykee heaton and migos began to boom as louis' boots clicked along the tiled stage. three poles stood tall and proud in a triangle, each ready to be spun and toyed with.

grasping the center pole, louis climbed up it with ease and wrapped his legs around it, leaning his body back as he tightened his grip. a few more guests took the empty seats surrounding the stage as louis slid down the pole upside down, legs crossed and hair flowing beneath him. zayn was already whistling from below.

louis raises back up and grips the pole, dropping down onto the floor into a splits. he slides himself around and leans against the side of the pole, untying the strings to his bodysuit, mouthing the words to the song with every move he makes.

let's take a trip 10,000 miles above the clouds

we can stay up here until we figure it out

don't wanna go home

don't wanna be alone, be alone

"alright, tommo!" louis smirks at zayn's shout and he's on his feet, slowly stripping himself of his bodysuit and tossing it at the fellow stripper. leaving himself in the tights and boots, he hikes one leg against the pole he's leaning on for support as he runs a hand over his own chest down to the hem of his tights. he makes eye contact with a lad whose tossing bills left and right and winks at him, slipping down the metal until he's back on the floor and spreads his legs. the crowd is booming with excitement over what louis has in store. he loves the thrill.

louis lays flat on his stomach but arches his back to give the other side of the venue a good look of his ass and thighs stretching the fishnet tights as he wiggles his hips and reaches between his legs to tug at them in the right spots. cash is flurrying above him and he indulges in the sight. knees against the tile, he moves to rock his hips against the stage, grinding against it.

"please remember to keep your phone's away or i will personally let tommo the tease strangle you with his fishnets, ladies and gentlemen!" mason's voice is now blending in with the music and louis smirks at one of the men who is watching him, crawling his way across the stage until he is in direct contact with him. he's seen this man before, but never up close and personal.

"hi," the lad says as louis reaches him.

"hey," louis hums. "lean back, love."

once the man does as directed, louis swings his legs off of the stage and over the man's hips, straddling him, as he grinds onto his dick and leans forward to bite at his neck. the man bit his lip at the action, ring cladded hands making their ways to louis' thighs. at this club if a dancer was on you personally, you could touch them. if they were on stage, hands to yourself unless giving up cash.

the man is slipping a folded bill into the hem of louis' tights once louis is pulling off of him and they both wink at eachother as louis makes his way back onto the stage to continue his dance. he heads to the front and center pole once more to turn his back to the group and hook his thumbs into the fishnets and tug them down past his ass, the shining blue 100 dollar bill sticking to his skin as he leans himself forward.

i know we've made a graveyard of this all

i know i don't feel too sober now

i wanna lie awake with your black soul

count your fears if you let me

zayn's singing along to the song as louis pulls his tights back up and louis then drops to his knees in front of zayn, grabbing the stripper by his tie as he bites his lip and pulls him in for a kiss. zayn's laughing into it, louis' in a fit of giggles as well and the smaller boy shoves zayn back into his seat. louis' boots thud against the floor as he's spinning himself around the pole and he climbs up it once more to lock his ankles around it and twirl his way back down. the song cuts out, louis' cue that his first round is done, and one of the girls he works with is carrying a small bucket onto the stage to help him collect up the loose bills.

"give it up for my boy tommo!" mason booms and louis blows a kiss to the crowd, waving at the man he gave the lap dance to as well before taking the bucket and dipping into the back half of the venue, back to his dressing room. he sets the bucket aside and grabs a tee shirt from his clothing rack and pulls it over himself, slumping down in the chair before his mirror. bless mason and his slight rule bending. most of the employees are 100% okay with walking around either in the nude or covered up only around the private regions but louis gives his name it's full meaning. the crew like to call him "tommo the tease" but louis' actual stage name is just "tommo."

the door to the dressing room is swung open and zayn's sporting a smirk on his face. "that was hot."

"that's what i aim for," louis hums, twirling his chair around as he crosses one leg over the other. zayn reaches forward to kiss the top of his friend's head before the door busts open again and mason is giving louis a wide eyed expression.

"you have no idea what the fuck you just did out there."

"i only did my job, mase," louis grins sheepishly, tugging at the hem of his shirt. "it worked, didn't it?"

zayn noticed mason's slight panic and he steps toward their boss. "mase?"

"i had to keep my composure until you were done — you did phenomenal, by the way — but," mason leans back against the wall. "that man you just gave a lap dance to is..well, he's known."

"you are acting like he's some bloody fucking royalty."

"harry fucking styles, the harry styles. owner of inferno, the hottest club in los angeles!" mason exclaims, throwing his hands up. "he's here. at my club. holy shit. excuse me while i have a moment."

"i've seen him before," louis muttered. mason takes a deep breath.

"okay, so this is his confirmation round then."

louis looks up from his seat. "huh?"

zayn bit the inside of his cheek as mason looked at them both.

"every once in a while, you get to work at other clubs, y'know, like the usual," mason waves his hand at the boys. sometimes zayn worked a club over in phoenix for a weekend every few months just to have a new face in the area, louis stayed in las vegas but knew the routine. "anyways, harry comes to different clubs to hand select individual dancers to come work for him. there's a contract, it's a big deal, but very hush-hush as far as i know of."

"okay..." louis' eyebrows furrow.

"if you've seen him here before then he's back to pick his crew."

"and you just...let it happen?" zayn speaks up next. "he's literally fucking your whole stage line up!"

mason shrugs. "it's up to the dancers whether or not they want to do it. their choice if they want to go and audition or stay back. so no, it's not up to me. it's up to whoever he chooses."

"o...kay," zayn raises an eyebrow. "and you're telling us because?"

"because," mason sighs. "i have a feeling he's here for louis."

—-

soooooOoOOooO HOW WAS IT?

song is in the media. its a BANGER

why did mason make such a big deal about harry if he's only the owner of a club?

zouis will be a strong bromance in this fic and they have history together- no they aren't dating, they haven't dated, but you see how their relationship is already. bestie vibes only 😎