It was cold when Niall stepped foot outside the restaurant. He shivered under the night sky, smiling widely at Harry who seemed to be doing the same. If you had asked the blonde a few months back whether he would ever willingly go on a date with Harry Styles, his band mate, his enemy (if he can even be called that), Niall would've certainly said no but now, they were walking hand in hand towards the parking lot.

"Harry," A loud voice called out, breaking the two men away from the comfortable silence they were enjoying themselves in. Niall turned around, squeezing Harry's hand clasped in his own, tightly upon noticing the intruder. It was as if everything good that had happened was just about ready to become complete and utter shit all because of one goddamn person. The blonde wanted to just take Harry's hand and run away from this fucking cunt who had interrupted them too many times today.

"Oh hey Shawn." The curly brunette let out a shaky chuckle, trying to free his hand from Niall's uncomfortably tight clasp. He didn't like the way he was being put into the center of the entire situation, with Niall's blue eyes glaring at him - begging him to just leave this place as soon as possible - and with Shawn's eyes staring at him with a soft smile playing on his lips. Harry sighed, pressing his lips together in a tight smile as he waited for the natural blonde in front of his eyes to say something.

"What do you want now?" Niall snapped, breaking the awkward silence that had settled in. He ignored all the signs in his mind telling him to just stop and taking it easy but he couldn't help it. Everything about Shawn made him feel insecure. The boy was almost too perfect and more than that, Niall was certain that he was a good fuck as well. If Harry's moans and grunts on that eventful day were any indication. It was inevitable for the Irishman to react like this.

"You left your car keys on the table. I thought I should give them to you before Harry starts panicking." Shawn smiled, tossing the keys towards the lanky brunette before turning on his heels to head back inside. His shift was already ending in an hour.

"Thank you." Harry called out, feeling a bit strange over the fact that he could've just forgotten his keys on the table like that. He was rather careful about these things but then again, he had missed his flights a lot and forgotten his passport at places as well. It was only natural and quite normal for him to forget things, despite him being extremely careful over them all. At least he tried to keep a check on his belongings.

Niall huffed, faking a smile as he let go of Harry's hands and walked towards the car. The pointless insecurities and negative thoughts floating around his mind did nothing to even help calm him down. Just as he was about to reach for the passenger's seat,the loud noise of his phone blaring in the middle of an empty parking lot, made him flinch before reaching for the front pocket of his jeans to bring the iPhone into view. He frowned at the caller ID, everything that had happened inside the restaurant just leaving his mind for a while as he focused on other problems. Bigger problems than his jealousy. Hitting on accept, Niall waited for some kind of response.

"Did you talk to him yet?" The gruff voice spoke out from the other line, sounding completely drained and tired. It made the blonde more than angry but he bit his tongue, deciding to leave the matter solely to the responsible adults.

"I haven't yet." The smaller man spoke out, opening the door of the car and getting inside, reaching for the seat belt as he balanced the phone between his cheek and shoulder. He rolled his eyes at the sorry expression on Harry's face, deciding to ignore the brunette for as long as he could.

"Can you do it right now? Just go up to him and give him the papers. Please?" The sheer desperation in Zayn's voice made Niall sigh. He didn't understand why they were both acting like stubborn pricks. With Louis always being miserable on his own, trying to waste himself away with fake smiles and laughs, drinks and if he wasn't doing that, then he was either moping around somewhere with those rat like people he called his "best friends". And Zayn, well the raven haired man was a completely different story. All he seemed to be focused on was making more music, while dealing with unnecessary stress. It was as if he was taking work as his next getaway.

"I'll do it. Just let me reach back home and grab the papers." Niall sighed, shaking his head when Harry passed his a concerned glance. The blonde took the brunette's long fingers in his own, entwining them together. "Are you sure about this Zee?"

"More than sure." Zayn's voice shakily replied, making Niall choke back on his own tears. He quickly nodded, realizing later than the brunette couldn't see him and with a small 'alright', hung up the phone, sighing to himself before turning all his attention towards Harry.

"We need to grab the papers and then see Louis." Harry's eyes widened considerably at the statement, but he nodded nonetheless. It wasn't his place to interfere and even though he really didn't want this night to end like this, with them both feeling gloomy and upset about how Louis would react, he knew it was not the time to worry or think about just himself. And his newfound love life.

....

The door was scary, Niall concluded and despite him having been to Louis's place more times than he could count, he had to label this as the scariest experience of his life. And it wasn't even his divorce for crying out loud but he could feel everything from nerves, to fear, to anger, to complete numbness and something more.

Hesitantly, Niall knocked on the door at the same time Harry reached for the doorbell. The blonde blushed, creating a careful distance between himself and the brunette. It was weird for him, to be taking Louis's side in this, even though really he wasn't picking any sides but just wanting the best for both his friends. However, even within the band, it was a common sense understanding among them all that Niall stuck by Zayn and Zayn stuck by Niall while Louis and Harry did the same. And Liam was just neutral, taking the side of who was right. Smart little shit.

"I really don't think I should be here." Niall huffed, grabbing onto his arms, feeling a bit drained all of a sudden. He wanted an out from everything stressful but clearly that wasn't going to happen. Harry wouldn't let it and same goes for Zayn.

"Louis will need his best friends by his side at this crucial point of time. Please be reasonable Niall." The curly brunette hissed, his irritability and annoyance seeping out. He had just had enough with the way Zayn was always acting and the way everything was just going to affect Louis. The poor lad already had too much on his plate with a child to take care of and family to give time too. Before Harry could dwell on his thoughts any more, the door opened, revealing a rather tired looking Louis, holding a bottle of milk in his hands with his hair looked completely fucked up. Harry would've laughed had the divorce papers not been burning the back pocket of his jeans.

"Well, this is definitely a pleasant surprise. My OTP at my door." The feathery brunette chuckled, opening the door wider as a shrill female cry demanded his attention, shouting at him to get the milk. Louis rolled his eyes, pointing Niall and Harry towards the dining room as he walked towards the bedroom, where Freddie was crying loudly in search of food. Once he was done, he proceeded back towards the room where his best mates were sitting on the sofa, looking a bit tense but more than that, Louis's attention went on their hands, entwined together and he couldn't help but squeal. "When did that even happen ?" The feathery brunette got out, grabbing a chair and turning it around before sitting on it.

"Ugh Louis, stop being so embarrassing." Harry groaned, squeezing Niall's hands when he noticed the blonde blushing and getting prepared to separate their hands but he wasn't having any of that.

"Now, as much as I love to have my favorite couple at my house at late ungodly hours, I really need to know the reason of this visit before doze off." Niall gulped at that, not wanting to harm the smile playing on Louis's lips, not wanting those crinkles by his eyes to go away and more than that, not wanting Louis's blue eyes to loose that spark. .But this news that him and Harry were out to deliver, was going to cause all of those things to fade away. He knew that. Which is why he didn't say a word but just stared at Harry. Putting the brunette under the spotlight because Niall's heart was breaking with every second.

"Zayn came by our house a few days back." Harry shuddered at the memory, eyes staring anywhere but at Louis's face. "He left these and told us to give them to you." Without a moment of hesitance, the brunette quickly reached for the papers in his back pocket and placed them on the table, slumping back on the couch and taking a look around the room. It was neat, considerably more than what it had been the last time Harry had decided to pay a visit to Louis. The man was probably the most careless and unclean little fucker alive. Always leaving his clothes lying around and food unattended.

"What is it?" Louis asked after thirty long seconds of silence, not attempting to reach for the papers without being prepared for their content first.

"Just know that whatever it says, it's probably for the best. He doesn't deserve someone as amazing as you."Niall whispered, biting his lips as he watched Louis reach for the papers, all the while staring down at him and Harry. The blonde wanted to disappear as he eyes saw the way Louis's face changed from one of confusion to one of shock and then to that of anger and later into one of completely and utter sadness and despair.

"D-divorce?" Louis broke out, the papers slipping from his fingers and falling on his jeans clad thighs. "But I thought he married me for a forever and after."