Kings and Beggars of the World - Part 12
Title: Kings and Beggars of the World
Rating: NC-17
Author: braincloud2
Parings: Harry/Louis, ot5
Warnings: Unexplained time-travel, explicit sexual content, and some offensive language.
Disclaimer: Don’t own people, this is fiction.
Word Count: 64,000
Summary: Harry’s on tour and he feels on top of the world-until he wakes up one morning to find himself at the first day of the X Factor boot-camp, just sixteen years old again, and absolutely terrified that he’s just lost the last two years of his life.
Pt 1 --- Pt 2 --- Pt 3 --- Pt 4 --- Pt 5 --- Pt 6 --- Pt 7 --- Pt 8 --- Pt 9 --- Pt 10 --- Pt 11
A/N: Hooray here we go! This was supposed to be one part, but it was too long so now you get another double part update! Thank you so much to everyone being so supportive, it helps so much motivation wise. I love all of you and I hope you enjoy this. Happy Christmas! Also, this is where I spend my life now.
The One Direction car ended up being the last one to leave the X Factor house, passing the collection of paparazzi cameras all crowded outside the front gate. Louis and Zayn kept jabbing each other in the side and whispering, and Louis kept accidently kicking Harry in the leg, but he couldn’t keep the grin off his face.
Every time he looked over at the older boy he kept envisioning him on the floor of the bedroom, and it was so weird that now not fifteen minutes later they were dressed and in the car like everything was normal. If not for the still flushed colour in Louis’ cheeks as he slapped Zayn’s chest and laughed at his stupid joke, or the loose satisfied way Zayn was sitting, there wouldn’t have been any way to tell something had happened at all
‘Hey.’ Liam poked Harry in the back of his head to get his attention.
Harry twisted around to face the other boy in the backseat.
‘I’m guessing they sorted their issue out then?’ Liam whispered, pointing discretely at Louis and Zayn still being ridiculous.
‘Um, yeah a bit,’ Harry said, his dimples peeking out.
‘Good,’ Liam gave a relieved sigh, sitting back in his seat.
Harry’s smile faded as he looked past Liam to Niall by the back window. Today, Niall had run some gel up through his hair into a quiff and he had his headphones in, his gaze fixed out the window as he ignored everyone else in car, and some of the lightness in Harry’s chest ebbed away. He sunk back properly into his seat, frowning as he looked out his own window. This couldn’t go on. He had to fix it somehow
1D
‘Right,’ Simon said as he folded into his chair at the table. He took some papers out of a yellow envelope, organising them as he talked. ‘Now, I’ve had a very exhausting last couple of days trying to deal with all the press and media attention you boys have attracted with that mob fiasco, and I’ve had to try to organise new security measures and expand our security team on short notice, while also dealing with the results show at the same time. Suffice to say, please refrain from anymore visits to the store, boys.
‘Sorry, Uncle Simon,’ Louis said, leaning on his arms on the table. ‘We don’t mean to make things hard for you.’
‘Yes, I know you don’t.’ Simon set the papers down and pulled off his glasses to rub between his eyes. ‘So, if you could please explain something for me then, that would be great.’
The five boys looked at each other.
‘Like what exactly?’ Zayn asked.
‘What did you mean with the Red and Black comment a few days ago.’ Simon looked straight at Louis, who went still and Harry’s heart thumped to his throat.
‘Uh,’ Louis’ gaze skittered away. ‘That, uh…’
‘It was just-a dream,’ Liam cut in, his eyes just a little too wide. ‘It was something Louis was talking about earlier, a dream he’d had of us at a Red and Black concert.’
Simon seemed unimpressed, his tone going dry, ‘Really?
‘Yep,’ Liam nodded. ‘Isn’t that right, lads?’
They all murmured words of agreement, avoiding Simon’s eyes. Zayn placed a hand on Liam’s back and Niall scraped his chair a bit closer, his arm pressing up against Liam’s, who gave him a quick glance filled with thanks.
Simon sighed, putting his glasses back on and frowning at the papers in front of him. ‘Honestly, you boys are the most confusing group I’ve ever met. On the one hand, you’re really friendly with everyone and genuinely nice people, but on the other, you’re so closed off and secretive, it’s-frustrating.’
Harry stared at the man, the hairs on his neck raising and a white noise starting in the back of his mind.
‘Don’t get me wrong, I really do like you boys, I think you’re one of the only contestants we have this year that will make it outside of the show. In a way, you’ve already made it, you’re a sensation on the internet and a media interest. You don’t understand the commotion going on about you out there in the real world, people everywhere are talking about you, but honestly I think part of it is that you five have this… inherent mystery that it feels like no one else can touch. Even looking at you boys now, I have no idea what’s going on in your heads, and that kind of worries me.
lsquo;It’s ridiculous because really you’re just five teenagers, but there’s something different about you from everyone else. I think you know what that thing is, but you’re not going to tell me, are you?’ He picked up one pile of papers and shuffled them. ‘Just think about the path you’re walking down. If you shut people out, then it’s all on you to make the right choices. Anyway, let’s move on, shall we? It’s Halloween week, which is always lots of fun.’
Simon slid the pile of papers down the table to stop in front of them, and Harry looked numbly down at them. Louis slowly reached out to touch the papers, his eyes flicking back to Simon like he thought it might be a trick. The man only lounged back in his seat though, studying them over the steeple of his fingers. Liam exchanged a wary look with Zayn, while Niall kept watching Simon, his mouth in a flat line and his thoughts hidden in his eyes. Simon didn’t say anything else though, and the boys picked out their song quickly to end the uncomfortable tension that seeped through the room.
1D
Once they were in the studio room for rehearsal, the grim atmosphere lifted from the boys’ shoulders. They worked hard for nearly two hours, the lyrics returning from their memories and falling naturally into the arrangement Savan wanted. Towards the end of their session, it was easy to tell the man was pleased with how they were sounding, and he declared they should take a short break and come back to try it again without the lyrics in front of them.
Louis snatched the lyrics sheet from Harry’s hand. ‘None of this anymore, lad!’ he said, screwing the sheet into a crumpled ball. He snatched at Harry’s waistband, and shoved the crumpled paper down the front of Harry’s pants. Liam high-fived Louis through his laughter as Harry took the ball of paper out of his trousers and threw it at Louis’ head. Savan rolled his eyes at them, hiding his smile with his water bottle-and then the door opened and two security guards came in, scanning the room.
‘Can I help you, gentlemen?’ Savan called.
The guard with the shaved head replied, ‘Sorry to interrupt, we’re just checking everything’s okay. It’s part of the new protocol.’
Savan frowned. ‘Oh, yes. With all the people trying to get in from outside, right? Hang on boys,’ he said to the five of them. ‘Let me talk to these men for a minute.’ He went over to the security guards to speak in low tones with them.
‘I’m goin’ to the loo,’ Niall said, not waiting for a response as he walked away. Harry watched him slip out, his good mood draining and he couldn’t stand this a moment longer. Liam, Louis and Zayn were distracted, absorbed with making silly voices and trying to give each other dead arms, and Harry slunk from the room without anyone questioning him. He went up the corridor and round the corner.
‘Niall!’ He ran up the hall after the other boy, sweeping his hair out of his eyes as he got close. ‘Niall.’
The blonde boy turned to regard him, his blue eyes cool and distant.
‘Please, I need to talk to you. Properly.’
‘Fine.’ Niall looked away, sliding his hands into his pockets. He stepped to the side into a small bare studio, leaning against a table there. ‘What’s up?’
‘Niall,’ Harry sighed, coming up close to him and moving to touch his shoulder.
Niall pulled back, twisting, and something of Harry’s hurt must have shown on his face because a moment later, the small amount of hostility faded from Niall’s eyes. ‘Alright, I’m listening,’ he mumbled.
Uncertain if Niall would flinch back from him again, Harry reached for Niall’s chin and turned his face up so that he had no choice but to look him straight in the eye. Harry took a deep breath, searching for the words and finally giving up and saying honestly, ‘You know I care about you. And I’m sorry that your feelings were hurt.’
Niall’s lips pressed together, and for a second Harry thought he would pull away again, before he nodded and his hands came out of his pockets as he curled forward to take him up in a hug.
Harry hugged back, fierce relief shooting through him and when he next spoke his voice had gone gravely. ‘And about the other day, it wasn’t out of pity, okay? I promise you.’ He lifted his head from Niall’s neck again.
‘Yeah, okay,’ Niall said. ‘I believe you.’
Harry smiled crookedly, doubtful for a moment that the blonde boy was just saying that to placate him, and then he shook away the notion since Niall was nothing but candid with everything he did. He slid his hand under Niall’s arm, spreading automatically over the small of the other boy’s back and feeling the muscles shift as Niall’s chest expanded on a breath. His eyes feel to Niall’s lips.
‘Harry? Niall? Are you boys around here somewhere?’
Harry let go, stepping back hurriedly as a lady came past the open door, scowling when she saw them standing in the bare studio.
‘What are you doing? You can’t just disappear and not tell anyone where you’re going. We have a schedule to stick to and the way security is, we can’t have people wandering about willy-nilly, and I don’t have time to be chasing you around.’
‘Sorry, Linda,’ Harry intoned following after the assistant manager. He cupped his hand around the back of Niall’s head, grinning as he pulled the other boy through the door.
Zayn saw them first as they re-entered the main studio room, looking up from where he, Liam and Louis were talking by the piano. ‘Vas happing?’ he called, and the other two turned around. Savan huffed at them, stepping aside to speak with Linda for a second.
‘You trouble makers,’ Liam said as they came over.
‘Off having adventures without me? How very dare you,’ Louis added.
Niall laughed at that and all three boy’s eyebrows went up at the same time. Louis leapt forward, stealing the Irish lad away from Harry as he hooked an arm around Niall’s neck and patted his chest. ‘All right, Nialler?’
‘Yeah, yeah.’ Niall smiled back. ‘I’m good.’
‘Excellent, because I was thinking of starting a protest for an early lunch break. I’m absolutely famished today, and I’m a growing man.’
‘Now we know that’s not true,’ Liam said, and ducked away when Louis went to slap him in the head.
Zayn touched Harry’s elbow and beamed, before surprising Harry by darting forward and planting a hard kiss to his temple.
Harry blinked, looking over his shoulder in case at the camera crew, and his stomach clenched inwards to see that the lens was trained on the band. He tried to clam himself down, telling himself it was nothing Zayn hadn’t done a hundred times before, but he still couldn’t help the worry niggling in the back of his mind that it was obvious something was changing between them.
1D
Their concentration grew steadily worse over the next hour, both Louis and Zayn acting the silliest Harry had seen them do in a while, and it was easy to get swept up in their high. If their vocal coach had been anyone else but Savan, Harry was sure they would’ve been screamed at by now.
‘Seriously, what is with you boys today?’ The man said, watching Liam spin around with Louis clutching onto his back, while Zayn threw bits of sheet paper at Louis’ head and Niall laughed so hard he had to hold his stomach. ‘Did someone give you a whole crate of Red Bull and didn’t tell me?’
‘We’re just excited to learn new vocal exercises,’ Harry said with a winning smiling, and Louis and Liam broke into a series of wailing and siren noises.
‘All right!’ Savan covered his ears. ‘Enough, I give up. Go have a break and work off some of that energy or something.’
They all cheered. Liam stopped spinning, staggering to the side before falling and sending Louis sprawling over the floor.
‘I consider this protest-a success!’ Louis announced.
Niall pointed out. ‘You know, this lunch break isn’t earlier than yesterdays.’
‘It’s the thought that counts though,’ the older boy said, grabbing the hand Zayn offered and getting hauled up. Louis paused as he get his feet back under him, something unsure entering his eyes as Zayn looked at him without letting go of his hand. He licked his lips, his eyes skittering away and he dragged a smile onto his face that would have looked normal anytime else. A wicked twist took over Zayn’s mouth, and he let go of Louis’ hand to brush his thumb briefly over the older boy’s bicep in the smallest touch, and Louis’ smile dropped as his lips parted.
‘Uh,’ he stuttered out, moving quickly out of the reach of the Bradford boy. ‘Shall we, then?’ he hurried out the door ahead of all of them.
Zayn watched him go with a shark grin, before he turned to grab his drink bottle and moving forward out the door with to Niall.
‘Come on,’ Harry said to Liam, who was standing where he’d picked himself up, looking lost in thought as he stared at the doorway the others had disappeared out of. ‘Liam?’
‘Oh, yeah.’ Liam seemed to shake himself out of it. ‘Sure. Let’s go.’
1D
Lunch wasn’t any better than rehearsal, with Louis refusing to stay still for more a second, and Zayn and Liam weren’t helping by throwing bits of food at each other, while Niall loudly tried to hoard his own from the thieving fingers. Only when a stray shot of chips accidently hit Katie instead of Zayn’s quiff did they settle and start eating the food on their plates.
Harry pushed his chair back and left the table to get a drink from the refreshments table, coming up next to a glum looking Paije as he poured himself a cup of juice.
‘All right, Paije?’
The boy’s eyes glanced to meet his before flicking away again. ‘Yeah. Sure, just stressing I guess. You know, it’s getting down in the numbers isn’t it?’
‘You’ll be fine, mate. You’re a good singer.’
‘Well, I have to be, don’t I? We can’t all be-’ He made a circular motion in Harry’s direction.
Harry frowned. ‘Can’t all be what?’
‘You know. It’s more smooth sailing when you’re in a pretty boy-band, isn’t it? You guys just have to stand on stage and smile, and the fans fall at your feet.’
Harry stared at him, all the words he could say to that building up inside of him. He took his cup of juice and turned his back instead, walking back to the boys table, only realising then how much of a wide berth the rest of the contestants were giving their table, of course that could just be because they’d been throwing food around but still…
He sat back down between Niall and Liam, looking across the table blankly. Zayn was reaching over and fixing the lie of Louis’ loose collar, the older boy’s hand curling against the wood of the table when Zayn’s fingers lingered on his neck. Nobody else here but the four boys in front of him understood what it was like to do day after day of thirteen hour rehearsals, with interviews piled on before and after, to perform to thousands of people and then fly to a new city that night instead of sleeping
An arm settled around his shoulders and Harry turned to meet Niall’s soft gaze. ‘Alrigh’ there?’
Harry nodded. ‘Yeah.’
‘Listen, sorry I’ve been a poo-head the last few days.’
‘You had every right.’
‘Yeah, well I’m sorry all t’e same.’
Harry smiled crookedly, huddling closer as his eyes fell again to Niall’s pinked lips. ‘Thanks, man,’ he said instead, trying to hide how his voice had gone a little choked.
Niall grinned back, shaking Harry’s shoulder before letting go and returning to his meal.
The boys were the last to finish, having messed around so long before starting, and finally an assistant came and asked them to hurry up so they could get back to the studio, and the boys obediently did as she bid.
‘Harry,’ Louis stopped him as Harry went to leave.
He paused in the doorway, turning around to find the older boy stepping in close.
‘You left your phone on the coffee table,’ Louis said, brushing right up close to Harry, a pretence of innocence in his eyes as he stretched up slightly on his tiptoes to deliberately bring their lips nearly touching. He grinned bright and slipped by, trailing his fingers over Harry’s torso as he went. Harry released the air stuck in his lungs, turning to watch the smaller boy catch up to Liam and reach an arm over his neck, making Liam startle from his quiet pondering of his shoes. Harry held in the groan that wanted to escape and loped back to the couch for his phone-which he couldn’t see anywhere.
‘Hey, was my phone over here?’ he asked Niall, who was putting all the empty plates and bowls back onto the tray to make it easier for the cafeteria staff.
‘Hmm? Oh yeah, buddy. Louis took it.’
Harry raised his eyes to the ceiling. ‘Right.’
1D
They were released from the studio earlier than usual that afternoon, and they bundled together in the car feeling the brisk chill to the air that hinted at the coming November. Louis called dibs on the shower as soon as they were through the door, and when Harry sniggered as he followed the older boy up the stairs, causing Louis to half-turn and poke his tongue out.
‘Well, can I go in first, I gotta pee,’ Niall said behind them.
‘No way, I’ve been desperate for a shower since this morning. I stink, and I absolutely refuse to wait any longer.’
‘Then I’m coming in with yeh.’
‘Fine, but no taking pictures of my bum, you hear me? I don’t care how sexy it is.’
Niall guffawed pushing at Louis to go down the corridor.
‘Hey, can a talk to you a minute,’ Liam asked Zayn from the bottom of the stairs, pulling at his shirt to stop him.
‘Yeah, what’s up?’
Harry left them, continuing on into the kitchen where he could smell a roast lamb cooking. He was shooed away from the oven when he got in the way, and was told dinner wouldn’t be too far away and to come back then. Deciding to go call his Mum instead, Harry moved back through the corridor, pausing as he saw Liam and Zayn were still on the lower floor, almost out of sight below the stairs
‘You what?’ Harry heard Liam say, his voice gone high.
‘Keep it down, will you?’ Zayn replied, exasperated and Harry edged to the side, the pinched confusion on Liam’s face coming into view.
‘With Louis and Harry? At the same time?’
‘Shut up, already, it wasn’t a big deal.’
‘But I don’t understand.’ Liam covered his face. ‘I just thought-don’t you like me?’
‘What? Come on, of course I do.’
‘You like them more though,’ Liam said, muffled
‘No.’ Zayn pulled Liam’s hands away from his face, trying to look him in the eye. ‘That’s not fair. You know I love you all the same. What happened this morning, it just-’
‘Meant nothing?’
Harry stomach clenched weirdly.
‘Uh, not really. I don’t know what it was about them, it was like I couldn’t think properly, you know? Liam, if you’d seen what Louis looked like-’
‘I’ve seen him jerking off before. It’s not exactly a new thing,’ Liam said as pink bloomed across his cheeks and down his neck.
‘No, not like this.’ Zayn’s voice was getting rougher. ‘Not with Harry watching and just looking like-fuck. Just the way he kneeled over Louis’ face, I wish you’d seen it. Fucking amazing, man.’
‘…yeah?’
A bang came from the back door downstairs, startling Harry.
‘-can’t wait to put my poor aching feet up.’ Mary’s voice floated from the back hall, getting louder as she entered with Rebecca.
Zayn and Liam stepped apart, and Zayn patted the other boy on the shoulder before they started up the stairs, Liam looking lost in thought again, his cheeks still pink. Harry moved away quickly, disappearing down the corridor before they realised he’d been there, a strange thrill running through his blood.
Part 13