you've got the money and the heartache
or the one where louis is actually robot. pg - no warnings except for the lack of capatilization. no pairing. title and cuttext from Pop Song by STRFKR. neither that song or the boys mentioned in this piece are mine, so don't sue me.
where louis had been programed, there was no forgiveness. there was only mistakes and then termination, the cold inevitable process that was life. when he had awaken in this strange blue-eyed curvy boy’s body, he was loaded with grim determination to survive in this new world.
so when niall bumps into him in the hallways and immediately laughs out “sorry man, wasn’t looking where i was going”, louis is puzzled. “sorry”? he has no data for that, no background intel on that word. he frowns and goes to sit on his bunk, searching for knowledge on this “sorry”.
***
it happens again. harry’s flailing his arms, making grand gestures to illustrate his sadly mediocre accompanying story when he smacks louis in the face. louis tenses, ready to fight harry to the death, but harry just rushes over to him and repeats the “sorry” over and over. flummoxed, louis searches harry’s face, trying to catalogue this strange emotion. he has every emotion downloaded and ready to run, but this...he’s never seen this before. it’s like a mixture of sadness and regret and concern and illmakethisright, almost a search for vengeance on another’s behalf? louis murmurs an “i’m alright” to harry, slipping away to process some more.
***
he doesn’t know why he’s been sent to this strange world. he doesn’t understand it. his mission statement had been less than helpful, a simple “milkyway galaxy. earth. 2010 AD. you are louis tomlinson.” why couldn’t he be sent somewhere he was prepared for, somewhere he could stalk those who had done wrong and deliver justice? he was prepared for balance and order and unregretful criminals and unforgiving victims. he wasn’t prepared for “sorry”.
***
louis thinks so long he almost short circuits.
***
he lays down and tries to cool off, knowing the hum he sometimes emits keeps the other boys up. they’ve ransacked the room, trying to find the source of the obnoxious whirring. this earth will take some getting used to, he decides. he reaches out into the system, trying to contact a home complex, but comes up blank, shuts off for the night. there’s always the next sun-span to process things.
where louis had been programed, there was no forgiveness. there was only mistakes and then termination, the cold inevitable process that was life. when he had awaken in this strange blue-eyed curvy boy’s body, he was loaded with grim determination to survive in this new world.
so when niall bumps into him in the hallways and immediately laughs out “sorry man, wasn’t looking where i was going”, louis is puzzled. “sorry”? he has no data for that, no background intel on that word. he frowns and goes to sit on his bunk, searching for knowledge on this “sorry”.
***
it happens again. harry’s flailing his arms, making grand gestures to illustrate his sadly mediocre accompanying story when he smacks louis in the face. louis tenses, ready to fight harry to the death, but harry just rushes over to him and repeats the “sorry” over and over. flummoxed, louis searches harry’s face, trying to catalogue this strange emotion. he has every emotion downloaded and ready to run, but this...he’s never seen this before. it’s like a mixture of sadness and regret and concern and illmakethisright, almost a search for vengeance on another’s behalf? louis murmurs an “i’m alright” to harry, slipping away to process some more.
***
he doesn’t know why he’s been sent to this strange world. he doesn’t understand it. his mission statement had been less than helpful, a simple “milkyway galaxy. earth. 2010 AD. you are louis tomlinson.” why couldn’t he be sent somewhere he was prepared for, somewhere he could stalk those who had done wrong and deliver justice? he was prepared for balance and order and unregretful criminals and unforgiving victims. he wasn’t prepared for “sorry”.
***
louis thinks so long he almost short circuits.
***
he lays down and tries to cool off, knowing the hum he sometimes emits keeps the other boys up. they’ve ransacked the room, trying to find the source of the obnoxious whirring. this earth will take some getting used to, he decides. he reaches out into the system, trying to contact a home complex, but comes up blank, shuts off for the night. there’s always the next sun-span to process things.