With the wind in his hair, Louis drove down the almost empty street, Niall and Sean close on his heels. It felt so good to just shut your brain off, jump on a skateboard and drive off into the unknown. It was even better when you had your friends by your side. Sean and he had planned to go skateboarding again for quite some time but work has always ruined this plan.

Today, they've finally found some shared free time that wasn't late in the evening or at night. When they've been about ready to head off Niall has walked into the tattoo studio, not really knowing why, and overheard them talking about their plans. Excited like a little kid, he had asked them if it was okay to join them and who were they to deny him anything when he looked so adorable?

They were heading towards an abandoned building on the edge of East Ley, far off from any cars or passengers passing by. Louis and Sean loved skating there. The space was huge and empty and just perfect to skate round after round without any intruders.

At first, Niall seemed a bit hesitant to follow them into the building but when he realised Sean and Louis had been here before he visibly relaxed and just copied what they were doing. Louis couldn't say how long they were simply skating all over the place because all he felt was freedom and happiness. No pressure, no stress, no complaints, no burdens, no lies, no drama. Just freedom.

"You said you're probably horrible at it! And now you're telling me you've been taking dance lessons since you were seven years old?! You're a liar!" Niall exclaimed absolutely outraged.

"Which still doesn't mean I'm good at it. I know someone who has been taking singing lessons forever and still sounds like a dying cat but he loves to sing, so who cares?" Sean justified himself, grinning at Louis. He knew who Sean was talking about. A friend of theirs. His name was Ethan and he really couldn't hold a single note but he was happy singing off-key.

"Then maybe he should sue his vocal coach" Niall proposed jokingly.

"It's really not her fault" Sean bit back a laugh.

"Yeah, she's not a witch or a fairy. She can't make a miracle happen" Louis joked cheekily.

"I bet Aidan would wish for a miracle. His ears are constantly bleeding nowadays" Sean cackled carefreely.

"It was his decision to live with his brother. He can always move out and find someone who doesn't hurt his ears" Louis pointed out matter-of-factly, bubbling over with laughter.

"Ethan would hunt him down".

"Your friends sound creepy as hell" Niall threw in disturbed.

"They're harmless" Louis and Sean said at the same time, causing them to erupt into a fit of giggles.

"Lovely you two" Niall snorted amused. "So, if it's your passion but your shit at it you're still ...".

"I will continue dancing until I physically can't, no matter if I'm good or shit at it because I love it. It relaxes me and I can express myself with it, my feelings and emotions. I need it to breathe on some days" Sean cut him off, staring off dreamily.

"It's the same with my songwriting. Even if my lyrics were absolute crap or bullshit, which they sometimes are, I would never stop writing them. Maybe just in private without anyone knowing but I would still write what I'm feeling. It helps me cope with things. Music is my passion. It doesn't matter if I'm writing new songs, working with other artists on their music or performing with my band in some sleazy pub Saturday nights. Every way I can live out my passion the way I want to is fine with me" Louis backed him up.

"Couldn't have said it better, Tommo. No one could ever stop me from dancing my heart out or sketching new tattoos with Zayn all night long because I love it with all my heart. It's my way to escape reality" Sean nodded along with Louis.

"And it's ours. No one can take it away from us. Our passion is ours and it makes us feel free. So, why would I care if I'm good at it or bad? Do I have to be good at something to feel free or be free? I don't think so. Just let me make my music and I'm happy" Louis drifted off with his thoughts, not even thinking about his words.

"Amen, Louis" Sean patted his shoulder. "Sorry, we got carried away here. You're the only one who is living his dream and is able to share his passion with millions. You should be talking our ears off, not the other way around".

"No, I ... it's okay" Niall looked totally out of it.

"Are you okay, Niall?" Louis asked him worriedly.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm good" Niall forced a smile on his face. It wasn't totally noticeable but Louis knew Niall's real smile. This wasn't it.

"Oh, what I always wanted to ask you, Nialler. In Spain ...".

Sean's word never fully reached Louis' ears. He kept looking at Niall, studying his body language. He seemed more relaxed now than a second ago but he was still a bit tense. He came off as restless and uneasy and Louis was wondering why. Their talk about passion had apparently caught him off guard but Louis had the feeling there was more to the story.

"My brother Matteo is an expert in it. He lives for it. He won't shut up for a second when I'm home but to be honest, I missed it when I was away. Don't tell him that or you're dead, O'Kelly" Niall threatened Sean playfully.

"Wouldn't dream of it, Horan. Your secret's safe with me" Sean smiled softly at him, getting a smile back from Niall. A genuine and real smile this time. This made Louis feel better. Niall and Sean were really getting along great. It warmed Louis' heart.

Seeing Niall and Sean's newfound friendship bloom reminded Louis of a younger version of himself and a young Harry. The innocence in their conversations and their pure interactions and the undivided attention. It should make Louis feel left out because it looked like they've completely forgotten he was even here with them but it made him feel melancholic for some strange reason. His heart felt heavy and his throat was closing up, making it hard to breathe. He could feel his eyes tearing up as the memories threatened to wash over him again.

The vibration of his phone saved Louis from drowning in another wave of his past. He blinked a few times and cleared his throat quietly before taking out his phone. He tapped on the screen and was met with a text message from Zayn.

From Zayn:

"You're with Niall, right? Could you bring him over somehow? I have the feeling something's off and they all need to talk and get some things off their chests. Harry is acting weird all day and Liam keeps avoiding me. First, I thought it was because of our talk but apparently, he is also avoiding everyone else. Tommy, I need your help".

From Louis:

"Whatever you need, Joey. I noticed that Niall is off as well. I thought I was seeing things but now I'm convinced something is wrong. I try to find a way to get him to you without Sean tacking along ".

Louis pocketed his phone again and looked at his friends. They were still animatedly talking and Louis had no idea how to interrupt them or convince Niall to leave without Sean. Maybe Sean could come with them? He was friends with all of them by now. Maybe they would trust him enough to open up?

"Yeah, definitely not" Louis muttered under his breath.

When Sean smashed his hands loudly onto his thighs, standing up in the process, Louis all but jumped on his spot. He put a hand over his racing heart and faced a laughing Niall and an amused Sean. "Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you but I have to go. Chloe and I wanted to go to the movies and I don't wanna be late".

"You're getting quite close lately" Louis marked observingly.

"Yeah, well. We just clicked. I love spending time with her. She gets me" Sean shrugged unbothered.

"She is amazing. Have fun and eat some popcorn for me" Louis hugged him goodbye.

"Always, Tommo" Sean patted his back before hugging Niall shortly. "Bye, Noe".

"Bye," Niall looked after him for quite some time. Louis couldn't help himself but watch. "What?".

"Nothing" Louis averted his gaze to the ground for a second before looking up at Niall again. "Fancy some food and a movie too? Let's head to mine and throw in a movie and some pizza".

"Know what? That's a perfect idea. Let's go".

Seeing how excited Niall was, Louis felt bad for only making this up as a way to get him to Zayn. Maybe if their conversation turned out good they could actually watch a movie and eat some pizza. Hopefully, that'd still be possible.

"It's really no big deal" Niall shrugged as they walked towards Louis' house, skateboard under his arm.

"You can eat without a break and never be full! That is a big deal. I wanna know your secret" Louis unlocked the door for them.

"No secret. I'm just always in the mood for food" Niall walked into the house.

"And you haven't written a song about it? You could call it mood for food. It even rhymes" Louis closed the door behind them.

"I don't think anyone would wanna hear that song" Niall leaned in the doorframe to the living room.

"And? Write it for yourself then" Louis peeled himself out of his denim jacket, tossing off his shoes.

"Maybe I should" Niall chewed on his bottom lip. "Anyway, which movie do you wanna watch and where is the pizza? Or should we order some instead?".

"We could make some if Zayn is around because I'm a mess in the kitchen" Louis suggested, completely forgetting about the original plan. "Joey?!".

"Seems like he isn't home. Screw him. We can manage to make our own pizza, right Tommo?" Niall was determined.

"You're absolutely right. We can do this" Louis suddenly felt like he could do anything. Niall was amazing.

Determined to make the best pizza ever seen, Louis and Niall walked into the kitchen and got everything ready. When they were about to start with the dough the front door opened and Louis could hear Zayn and Harry's voices mixed with some muffling, maybe Liam. That's when he remembered why they were all here.

A tad bit confused, Niall stopped what he was doing and stared at the other three guys when they found them in the kitchen. "What are you lot doing here?".

"Zayn kidnapped me and dragged Harry along" Liam huffed out with crossed arms.

"That is so not true" Zayn snorted annoyed.

"Oh, but it is".

"Wait, did you lie about the movie to get me here?" Niall seemed to catch on to what was happening.

"Yes and no. It was the first thing that came to me but then I really wanted to do that and even forgot about this whole plan. And I really hope we can still do it afterwards. Maybe even all together with pizza and ...".

"After what?" Niall cut him off sharply, making Louis go silent. "What is all this and why are we all here?".

"Let's talk in the living room, guys" Zayn sighed out.

There really wasn't much talking when they were all situated in the living room on two separate couches. Louis really hoped Zayn would start this because he had no clue what to say. The tension hanging above them was suffocating him.

"Guys, we know there is something bothering you" Zayn broke the silence, making them all flinch at the sudden sound. "We noticed your weird behaviour and see how restless you all are. And I know it hasn't been for long but ... you can tell us anything. More than anyone probably because we understand the general situation you're in ... if it's business-related, which I guess it is, considering all three of you look ...".

"Like shit?" Niall finished his sentence, not sounding mad or angry but exhausted. Zayn could only nod. "I feel like it, too. I haven't slept in a week".

"Why? What's keeping you up all night?" Louis wondered seriously worried.

"Jackson" Liam sighed out surprisingly.

"Liam, what ...".

"It's okay, Harry. They should know everything" Liam silenced his mate. "We had an unsettling call with him a few days ago".

"What does he want? You're on a break" Zayn frowned deeply.

"We are but this break was never his idea and it was hard to get it. Almost impossible. We only got it because our contracts are almost over and he ... I guess he is trying to ..." Liam stumbled over his words but couldn't finish his sentences.

"He wants us to sign with him again when we're back" Harry revealed to them. "And he is really making it obvious we don't actually have a choice here if we want to keep singing".

"Why would you think that? There are dozens of other labels out there who would love ...".

"No, they wouldn't" Liam cut Zayn off harshly, softening again when he realised how tense he was. "You know Jackson and you know the way our image was handled. No one takes us seriously as musicians. We are pop singers formed and created for teenage girls and nothing more. Dating stories and scandals and rumours keep our career alive, not our music. No big label would ever want us for our music".

"And if, Jackson would make sure they'll change their minds. I just know it" Niall mumbled downcast.

"What do you mean?" Louis didn't understand.

"Have you seen any recent news about us?" Niall asked instead.

Louis nodded but didn't want to say it. He only groaned when everyone was waiting for him to say something. "Obviously, there is a lot about Harry and Beverly, more bad than good because she is a problematic bitch and so much older than him. Then I saw something about Liam cheating on Victoria with a woman named ... who cares, I can't remember. Messy stuff, guys. And Niall ... there really wasn't much about you dating vice. Just something about missing your family and the pressure being too much, sounding like they were hinting at a mental breakdown".

"And that is only the beginning. He is doing everything in his power to make us look horrible to the public. If the public hates us no one will sign us. No good label wants troublemakers. I mean, they know how PR works but Jackson is really taking the cake here. There is a certain line you don't cross if you want to make money off your clients. He only wants to destroy us ... if we don't sign again, which we haven't decided yet" Liam let them more in on everything that was going on.

"Each of our storylines is already ready to be released in case we tell him no. He fully expected us to have decided already but being here again ... makes it difficult" Harry added stressed.

"Good. That's good. Maybe being away from him for that 'decision' was the best for you. How could you even think about signing with him again when he is treating you like this?" Louis was mad.

"Maybe because he is our only chance and we don't wanna quit making music? You and Zayn might have found a different life for you but we are not like you. I wanna sing and be on stage" Harry looked at him in a way Louis never wanted to be looked at again.

"But this life you're talking about is more about stunts and lies and PR than music. How can you even think about going back and tying yourself to that for more years when you could be free? There a smaller labels that don't care about stuff like ...".

"You mean like Aurelio?" Harry cut him off rudely. "Just because you're both working with him doesn't mean he would want to sign us. He didn't sign Zayn".

"Actually, he offered it to me but I declined it. I wanted to stay out of the spotlight but you don't have to. We could talk to him and see what he thinks" Zayn confessed to them.

"Or get in touch with other labels we know or you could be independent for some time. You are already famous and have a huge fan base. What I'm trying to say is there are different options. More than just Jackson and his stunts. I know they were hard on you all. Zayn mentioned bits and pieces" Louis tried to make them rethink this.

"You mean like me having to stunt with my ex-girlfriend because our break-up didn't fit in the plotline for me?" Liam let out a shaky breath. Louis nodded at him. "It was pure torture. I mean, we tried to stay friends and managed that but she never wanted to be part of any of this. When she signed something all those years ago I never thought Jackson could make her do this. She only signed because we wanted to be together and being in the public eye needs supervision from the label, hence, a contract for her. He never let her read it fully. Just like we never read our contracts. To this day, I feel horrible for dragging her into this. She has had a new boyfriend for some time but is publicly dating me. It's tough on her too. I just want her to be free. I'm so glad you kept Maya out of this. All of it".

"But you know it wasn't always my choice. At one point, I wanted people to know I'm taken but I wasn't allowed to have a girlfriend. I had to keep her a secret because my image was to be single and available for the fans" Niall pointed out. "And she signed an NDA, don't forget about that".

"Wait, you have a girlfriend?" Louis gaped at him.

"I had. For over three years but no one knew about it. Well, the label and the boys did. Jackson didn't want anyone to know" Niall let him know, sounding defeated.

"Woah, so you had a secret girlfriend while Liam was forced to stunt with Victoria although he was dating Zayn and you, Harry, are presented as the total womanizer with a fetish for older women although you're a total sweetheart and not a fuckboy? And you all wanna sign with him again?" Louis looked at all of them because they were losing their minds.

"No, but what choice do we have? Our fans expect new music and we can't just ...".

"Do you still wanna make music?" Zayn cut Liam off. "I know he ruined my passion and it was hard for me to get it back. You should be really sure this is what you want and not what he wants".

"And if you want to keep making music you can do it without him. We can find a better label and a lawyer for everything that is coming from him when you tell him no. It won't be easy but following your heart is never easy. Whatever you decide we will be there for you. And if you wanna go back to him then so be it" Louis offered them an encouraging smile.

"I think you're both right. We need to make sure we know what we really want before making a decision. It was really good to get this off my chest. Thank you, guys" Liam looked like a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders.

"Nothing to thank us for, Li. We just wanna help you and support you through everything. Your passion is important and no one should destroy it forever. I know how much stunts can destroy your passion. I can't watch when he is destroying yours. I'm never gonna be silent again" Zayn grabbed his hand, squeezing it.

Louis watched them with a smile on his face. Niall and Liam looked about ready to cry with relief but when his eyes fell on Harry, Louis wasn't sure what he saw. Harry's face was blank and emotionless. Like stone or a wall or a mask.

"How about the pizza now, Louis?" Niall grinned at him with a sparkle and a tear in his eye, drawing his attention back to him.

"Always, Nialler".

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A bit of band backstory here because they have a decision to make. Do you think possibly saying no will be as easy as Zouis hopes it will be?