Work Text:
- L O U I S -
We invite you to join their
celebration of love and friendship
Nizam Kabir
and
Farzana Begum
Saturday, the 1st of June 2021
Five o’clock in the evening
Durham Castle
Durham, England
He closes the door behind him, pulling the knob with him as he enters the bathroom. Louis hears the soft click of the latch on the wall, turning the button of the knob counterclockwise, locking himself inside the room.
There is barely any sound inside, which he thinks is the best for him at the moment. He takes a few steps towards the porcelain tub, his socked footsteps making faint sounds on the tiled floor.
It is still early in the afternoon, the light coming in from the slightly open windows sending streams of golden white beams on the walls and floor. The soft rays bounce off on every surface it touches, illuminating the whole room brightly.
Louis raises his left foot first, then the right, turning his body as he lowers himself slowly in the tub, his body fitting perfectly in the ivory colored, oval shaped tub. In his hands is the invitation of one of his best mates, the same guy he’s been friends with since he was ten years old. He is one of the few people that has been his constant, can even be considered his brother, a trusted individual that he would ride and die with.
It is actually not a surprise that Nizam is getting married. He has been with Farz for eight years, even before they went to uni, even before Louis became famous. There has been an ongoing joke amongst them about how much longer they should wait until he pops the question and asks her to marry him. The boys placed bets on when he will finally get the balls to actually do it. But what took him by surprise, not just him to be honest, him and the boys...well, men really, was when Preston decided to marry his girlfriend of three weeks in Paris a couple of years ago.
They all got the same text message from their WhatsApp group chat one Thursday afternoon, “Lads, get your arses here tomorrow. I’m getting married!” A string of messages started popping up from Preston, all sent simultaneously as they all looked at each other with shock.
He gave the directions to Chateau De Lisse, the exact amount of hours it would all take them to be there if they drove out, or if Louis decides to rent a private plane to come to Paris, the hotel they would be staying in, their room numbers, the color of the suits and ties they had to wear, the link to the gift registry, a picture of the bride, her family, her dog, who apparently was going to be the ring bearer, and a short story of how they met and fell madly in love on the first day of their orientation in the firm.
They were, at that time, in Louis’ London house, a small contingent of his team, friends and family enjoying the remaining days of summer lounging in his pool. Nizam was the first one to say something, all of them had the same exact expression of disbelief written on their faces.
“Has anyone of you known Preston met this girl before?”
“Don’t look at me.” Louis said huffing, whipping his head back from looking at Nizam down to his phone, his eyes moving fast as he reads the information coming in fast, one after the other. “I thought he was doing his internship in that Marketing firm of his dad’s friend.” He clicks on the gift registry and snorts, “He’s got the fucking Rocket Apartamento espresso machine on the list. That wanker knows I’ve wanted to buy that since I saw it inside Gordon Ramsay’s kitchen a few months ago. Asshole!”
“Jesus, an apple green Smeg refrigerator? A Roomba? Are we to buy all the appliances in his flat?” Oli exclaimed. “Just so you know, mates, I’m getting them the robot vacuum. None of you click on that fucking thing!”
An hour after talking among themselves which gift they’ll get the couple, some of them started scrambling to leave and get what they could in their own homes for the long trip to Paris, Louis calling his manager that he would be out for the weekend, an emergency he said, canceling all his meetings and interviews for the next few days.
Three hours after they got the text message from Preston, they all crammed up inside Oli’s father’s van, their duffel bags and suitcases thrown haphazardly at the back of the huge car. Oli took the driver’s seat, Joni on the passenger’s side, Louis and Nizam at the back. He’s given the keys to his house to Lottie before they left, making sure to tell her to not have a party when he’s away.
They got to Paris just in time for the rehearsal dinner, all of the bride’s family and friends, even Preston’s own core group was there, smiling, laughing, happy that the next day will be the last day both will be single. There weren't any hiccups nor chaos that occurred the next day, the event was anything but perfect, in spite of how quick the couple had planned the wedding.
It was in that moment that Louis thought to himself, one can really find love in the most unexpected ways, and you can actually fall fast and hard and be impulsive enough to marry after three weeks of knowing the love of your life.
Louis has both of his elbows propped up on the edges of the tub, his left hand holding the invitation and the envelope. He pulls out the separate card inside, reading the words with his eyes.
We have reserved ___seats in your honor
Names _______________________________
___ of ___ accepts with pleasure
___ of ___ declines with regret
He can invite a person as his guest. A guest that can either be a friend, a sister, his manager or one of his trusted employees, like maybe his bodyguard. But it can also be somebody who he fancies, somebody who he had just face timed with an hour ago. A date maybe… like Luke.
Louis taps the card on his chin, his lips pursing as he thinks of how the world will react when he brings Luke as his “plus one”. He has never brought anyone as his date. It has always been his mother or his sister or his manager, most often than not, Oli, his best mate, to whatever event he’s invited to. If he asks Luke to come with him, this will be the first time he’ll be bringing somebody, not entirely related to him nor part of his team to an event. The first time he’ll acknowledge what most of the people around him already know and has kept secret since he came out to them. The first time he will be seen entering a room, walking with, maybe even hand in hand with someone and it's going to be a man.
His mind started imagining possible scenarios when people get to see him bring Luke to the wedding. Louis furrows his eyebrows, biting his lower lip, tugging it in between his teeth.
Nizam’s family works in the trading industry, while Farzana’s in the academic community. Business and academia people don’t necessarily gossip, right? He thought to himself.
Louis groans loudly, bringing his right hand to his face, rubbing his forehead roughly with the back of his hand. Fuck, he’s got to be sure he wants this... wanted it enough to make him do this before he decides to ask Luke to come with him to the wedding.
He pulls himself up on the tub, his elbows pressing hard on the edges. Louis shoves the card and invitation inside the envelope then puts it in his back pocket. He’s got to tell his sisters and grandmother, who’s currently in his living room playing Jenga, of his plan. And do whatever they would say, whether to scrap thinking of inviting Luke to the wedding, or saying it’s high time he grew a pair and get him seen with a good looking bloke on his side.
Louis pulls the middle of his shirt away from his body and starts fanning himself furiously. Shit! When did it get so warm inside the bathroom, when he’s got all the windows open and its windy as fuck outside?
- L U K E -
*buzz buzz
*buzz buzz
“Alright, alright. I’m coming. Jesus.” Luke pulls his hair in a bun, snapping the black elastic band on his wrist to his hair.
He had never had his hair this long before. It had been a year since he’d last cut his hair, Louis commenting on their last FaceTime how he misses running his fingers through his hair when he’s taking a nap on top of his thighs.
They’ve decided to let their hair grow out, thinking it would be a good idea to do it together since both of them have had the same hairstyle since forever. But also, Louis was doing it for charity, always wanting to donate his fine, undamaged hair to the Little Princess Trust, a charity near and dear to his heart. Since his mother died of cancer a few years ago, Louis had been donating and giving whatever services he could to the Cancer Research Institute in the UK.
Luke, being a good partner, said he’d want to do it with him and started growing his hair too in the process. They both have their hair almost down to the tops of their shoulders, Louis oftentimes tucking his locks inside his cap or beanie, Luke taking it up to a messy bun on top of his head. If it's a lazy day, and Louis happens to be in LA, Luke spends most of his time in his house and Louis lets him braid his hair, using the hair strings his sisters left in his home to secure the knot in the end.
*buzz buzz
“Oh my god, will you stop…” Luke says loudly, almost stumbling as he opens the door.
“Hello. Took you long enough.” the girl with a British accent in front of him says.
Luke stares at her. His eyes immobile, his mouth hanging open as she looks at him impassively under her thick, curled lashes. She is about five foot two, petite with a gorgeous tan, with long pink hair, her luscious locks hanging stylishly on her shoulders. She has her arms crossed in front of her chest, a small pout in her lips. The girl is wearing yellow biking shorts under an oversized band shirt, on her feet are quite possibly sneakers that are more expensive than his monthly rent. Beside her is a big, brown leather rectangular trunk with wheels, propped at the side of his apartment door.
She walks past him, her tiny shoulder brushing his on the way inside his apartment.
“Do you mind getting that? I don’t want to keep pulling that thing when you can perfectly carry it inside.”
Luke scratches the back of his neck, he knows who she is, and has actually met her through one of his FaceTime chats with Louis.
“Uhm.. Lottie. What are you doing here?”
“My idiot brother wants me to help you.”
“Help me with what? Am I in trouble?” Luke takes the handle of the trunk and wheels it inside the apartment.
Lottie goes straight to the living room and sits on sofa “You will be if you guys fuck this up.”
“Wait.. What will we fuck up?” He closes the door behind him then props the bag on the wall beside the kitchen counter. Luke leans his body on the countertop and crosses his arms in front of him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t tell me he hasn't told you where you guys are going next month?”
Luke tries to remember their chat last night. Louis was acting strange before they ended the call, biting the seams of his lips, pinching the tips of his nose when there’s a lull in their conversation. He has shown him an invitation to his friend’s wedding and he says he’s excited to go. That’s all he remembers, and it was barely talked about after he had mentioned it, Louis going on a tangent of how his songwriting is going.
“Uggh, let me call him. God, he’s so hopeless.” She stands up and extends her arm. “Let me have your phone.”
“Why, what do you want with my phone?”
“I’ll be calling my brother, dummy.”
“Why not use your own phone?”
“Cause I know for a fact he’ll not answer the phone if he sees me ringing him and he’s only excited when he gets a call from you, okay.” She wiggles her index and middle finger at him and says, “Hello, earth to Luke. Your phone?”
It has been four hours since he’d known that he will be flying to Europe next month and be Louis’ plus one in the wedding. Thirty minutes since he’s been bombarded with information about who’s going to be in the wedding, what he is expected to see, meet and act when the paparazzi gets wind that Louis will be there with a date. And ten minutes after he’s closed the door of his apartment, watching Lottie wheeling the big leather trunk with her back to the car, with Joni helping her haul it inside the black Range Rover.
On his bed are two pairs of charcoal colored Calvin Klein suits, five same colored ties with different patterns, a pair of black leather Magnanni Chelsea boots on his actual size, another pair of black Brioni lace-up dress shoes, and a Silver Titanium Hublot watch.
He suddenly had the urge to get a drink, maybe two after talking to Louis and his sister for a few hours. His eyes move slowly, eyelids heavy, unblinking. His irises are practically stationary as he looks at the items on his bed.
Luke drags his fingers through his hair, forgetting that he had tied it in a bun a few hours ago. Some of the wayward strands hang in front of his face, a few left dangling on top of his shoulders.
All he's got in the fridge are two cans of Monster drinks and an almost empty bottle of Vodka.
That’ll do, he says to himself. He’s got to have some alcohol in him right now or maybe have a certain somebody in his arms at the moment, cause he thinks he’s going out if his mind and he wants… needs Louis right now.
- L O U I S AND L U K E -
“Are you mad at me?”
Louis is lying sideways on Luke’s bed, his hand brushing his arm. Luke’s eyes follow his hand, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he tries to think of something to say.
“No.” Yes. He replies, still looking at the movement of Louis’ hand on him.
“You’re mad, I can tell.” Louis drops his hand to Luke’s wrist and circles his fingers around it. “You can’t even look at me.”
Luke raises his eyes from watching Louis’ hand on his wrist. He says softly, “M’not mad at you.” Moving his body an increment towards Louis, “I was just shocked to see Lottie in my apartment a while ago.”
Louis stills his hand, his fingers hanging in the air mid stroke. Luke gives him a small smile, then puffs a huge amount of air out from his mouth, turning his hand over, linking their hands together. “It’s not that bad. She was...very thorough about stuff. Lottie said most of your friends already knew..”
“Yeah, all of them. The ones you’ve already met and chatted with. Yes.” Louis’ eyes bores into Luke’s with no heat. He was just staring at him, waiting.
“Even their families, girlfriends, a huge chunk of your team.” Luke continues.
“Yes.” He quickly says back.
“But outside, no one knows about you.. And me.” Luke moves closer, until their slightly bent knees are touching. He moves their linked hands on his chest.
“Yes.” Louis tilted his chin, their nose almost brushing.
“Are you sure you want me there?”
“Yes.” Yes. He says nearly instantaneously.
“Why?”
Louis holds his gaze, licking his lips before speaking, “If not now, when?” he snicker softly, “You make me happy. I think the world finally needs to know that.”
“But what about your career? Your fans?”
Louis blinked slowly, untangling his hand from Luke’s, bringing his hand to his face, gently touching the side of Luke’s jaw. “I think.. I think they would understand. They will be happy for me that I finally found someone… somebody I could be brave with.”
“I don’t know, Lou…” Luke pauses, eyes looking at Louis earnestly, “Am I enough, Lou? Am I worth the risk?”
Louis faintly bows his head, his left cheek brushing their shared pillow. He could feel Luke’s breath on his face, their heads just a few inches away from each other.
He counted the years he’s been in the business. Ten years. It’s been ten years that he shared his life to the public eye, ten years he’s hidden his true self. And he thinks.. he believes the world owes him enough to know who he truly cares about.. who he quite possibly loves.
Louis tilted his head upwards, their eyes locking. He looks at the man before him, and answers his question with a soft smile on his lips. “You are more than anyone could ask for. And I’ve got you, and you are worth it. One hundred fucking percent.”
He moved closer, closer until Louis could feel every inch of them touching. They were getting cross eyed with how little distance their faces are to each other. “And the world needs to know the man who makes me the happiest.”
The pensive look on Luke’s face starts to melt away, and is slowly replaced by something more hopeful, more optimistic. He kisses Louis’ nose. “I make you happy?”
Louis tilts his head and kisses the side of his mouth, “Yeah.” the word coming out as a whisper. He sighs, then finally pecks Luke’s lips. “The happiest.”
Luke huffed a laugh. His breath made the strands of hair that fell on Louis’ cheek move. He said softly, “Just so you know,” smiling at Louis as he continued, “You make me happy too.”
Louis felt his face almost splitting in two with how wide he was grinning. Luke laughs, then grazes his fingertips lightly on Louis’ cheeks.
They smile at each other for many seconds, maybe even minutes, their gazes never leaving each other’s faces.
Louis made a long breath. “Okay, since we’ve decided we’re going together to Nizam’s wedding. Let me see what my cheeky sister picked for you to wear.”