I Don't Love You (And I Always Will)

Chapter Nine

 Hey! Disclaimer: This is a work of FICTION not meant to imply anything about anyone or any organization mentioned in the work. Enjoy :)

Louis

Every opening night was the same for Louis. He wakes up feeling jittery and remains completely keyed up the entire day. He finds someone to annoy to get his mind off of the impending event, usually Gigi and Eleanor upstairs, who both have their own show day rituals. Gigi watches Tangled every damn show day. She says it helps her to have a good cry before a performance, that it calms her down. Eleanor likes to eat a shit ton of fruit and listen to Nicki Minaj. It's weird, but if it helps her get in the zone, Louis is in no place to judge. After pacing around the girls' apartment for a while, Louis usually goes to grab lunch for the trio (and sometimes Niall) at the Noodles and Company down the street. Gigi's mom used to make her eat pasta before shows, and they'd all latched onto the tradition.

Louis was returning from his noodle run, ready to watch Tangled with Gigi. What can he say, Flynn Rider is hot. As hot as an animated character can be anyway. The boat scene always makes him feel lonely, but it's a small price to pay for getting to watch his favorite animated prince for an hour and a half. Louis walks in the yellow door to the girls' apartment, which really should be locked, and announces his presence lovingly, so the girls know they're not being robbed.

"Noodles have arrived, bitches!" Louis calls, entering the living room where Eleanor is holding a bowl of strawberry slices on the checkered plush chair in the corner. Gigi comes out of her room, wearing a mossy green pullover and black sweatpants, and makes a beeline for the noodle bag. She's got a one-track mind when it comes to her Japanese pan noodles. She pulls out her container, mumbling a thank you to Louis before plopping on the red couch and throwing Eleanor the Tangled DVD.

"El, you're closer, can you put it in?" Gigi asks, provoking a groan from Eleanor. Nevertheless, El got up and put the disc into their age-old DVD player. Louis had no clue how it still worked. He grabbed his bowl of mac and cheese from the noodle bag, sitting down next to Gigi on the couch. He felt like he should run a marathon, twitchy and anxious, but he settled down hoping the Disney movie would calm him down.

*************************

"Flynn is like my dream man," Louis said, buried in the knit blankets the girls kept on the couch. "He's brunette, confident, tall, witty... just the whole package." Louis stuffed some of El's orange slices into his mouth, while watching Flynn serenade Rapunzel in a canoe. She'd moved onto oranges after she ate a whole carton of strawberries.

"You know, Flynn kinda reminds me of Harry." Gigi commented, while taking a sip from her coffee on the side table. Louis scoffed. If anything, Harry was more of a Disney princess than a prince. He had the big doe eyes, innocent personality, and pale, milky skin. Louis meant this in the most platonic, bro way possible. He and Harry were on good terms now.

Getting that text from Harry had been a shock, obviously. Louis assumed Harry got his number from El or someone, but the apology was unexpected. Harry had been the target of Louis' aggressions, not really the other way around. Sure, he dyed Louis' hair blue, but that was a harmless prank. It washed out anyway. And yeah, Harry yelled at him, but Louis needed to hear it, and it was all true. Harry did make Louis insecure, and Louis just needed to grow up and get over it. So he and Harry were on good terms now.

"I don't really see it." Louis told Gigi. She just hummed in recognition, keeping her attention on the TV as Rapunzel was kidnapped by the bad guys. Louis turned to look at Eleanor, who was asleep on the chair, and decided that maybe a pre-show nap was in order. Yeah, it was in order.