Love Lock

Fresh Starts

May had finally rolled around and the days were getting warmer again in Manchester. It was May 17th to be exact and the boys were laying on the plush carpet of their music room, singing pieces and parts of undefined lyrics back to each other.

"I don't need my love," Liam sang out, quirking his eyes at Niall to continue.

"You can take it you can take it, I don't need my heart," the blonde boy grinned back at Liam.

"You can break it, you can break it," Liam responded dramatically.

The Irish lad switched gears and shrugged his shoulder against Harry's. The youngest turned his head towards Niall, smiling into his rich brown curls that were splayed across the floor like a halo around him.

"With no way out and a long way down
everybody needs someone around," Niall sang another string of unfinished lyrics.

Harry continued after a second of trying to remember what words they had decided would come next and which song they exactly came from.

His bright green eyes sparkled with recognition as he sang back to his bandmate. Louis smiled at the two bubbly boys, wondering how Harry's eyes could have possibly glowed any more vivid than they already were.

But they did, beautifully and naturally as always and it made Louis' breath catch in his throat.

A gentle brush against Louis' wrist snapped him back into reality: a sweet voice singing to him.

"But I can't hold you, too close now.
Through the wire, through the wire," Harry sang sleepily to the oldest.

Louis shifted his weight on the carpet so that he could rest his head against his hand, smiling down at Harry's closed eyes.

"What a feeling to be right here beside you now, holding you in my arms," Louis sang back dragging his finger tips up and down Harry's arm.

The green eyed boy giggled at his touch and smiled up at Louis.

Liam watched them carefully, grinning at the lack of tension between the old best friends. Whatever happened a few weeks ago seemed to have changed everything.

Harry wasn't so skittish around Louis anymore, and Louis in turn wasn't always sulking away in his room.

It was as if things were back to the way they used to be, Liam dared to ponder.

Just minus one band member.

Out of the four, Niall was the one who thought about Zayn the most. He missed his raven haired friend more than he'd let anyone know .

He missed his contagious laugh that used to echo throughout the tour bus.

He missed the way he was always able to tell when one of the boys was upset.

But most of all he missed just hanging out with Zayn, at concerts, in their house, or even during meet and greets.

It felt unreal to lose someone so close to you so suddenly and then be faced with Simon's absurd plans to keep the band together.

But what even was One Direction without Zayn?

Niall sighed, thinking about the way Zayn's raspy voice might sound next to the four of them, singing the new songs together without a missing piece.