More Than This

The expression on the news reporter's face changed to shock and horror as she read from the screen infront of her. Breaking news. A body found in the outskirts of LA. A teenage boy. British. The most shocking part, however, was that this British teenager wasn't just any British teenager, he was a member of One Direction.

***

Louis threw a large bag of cheese flavoured Doritos at Harry with a cheeky grin. The two boys were both finding shaking off their jet lag difficult and at 3am they were wide awake as if it were the endings of the morning. Harry tore open the bag loudly as Louis popped a dvd into the player and sat down on the brown leather tour bus sofa. The films opening credits started to play as Louis moved closer to Harry, placing a hand near his thigh and head on his shoulder. The two had become best friends very easily since the x factor and this sort of affection was not uncommon.

"Harry?"

"Mmmm?"

Louis turned his head and looked up at the younger boy with an unreadable expression written across his face, "do you think I'm getting fat?"

Harry pushed Louis at the ribs so he was sitting up straight, meaning that the two could now look eachother straight on, he laughed, shaking his head, "you sound like a girl."

"There is nothing wrong with being a sensitive male with body issues!" Louis pouted crossing his arms.

"You don't have body issues, you're just compliment fishing. What do you expect me to say?"
He started to imitate a girl (badly), "ohh Louis you're so toned and slim, you're the best looking you've ever been!"

"Awhh Harry! You flatter me!" Louis cooed, faking modesty.

Harry laughed and punched Louis arm playfully. He checked his watch -which was still set in London time- and swore loudly jumping up and grabbing his mobile. Louis sighed and sat back into the sofa. Harry was phoning his girlfriend. She was a sweet, pretty girl and it was almost impossible to say a bad thing about her, but Louis couldn't help but hate her. In truth he was jealous, Harry was the most amazing, perfect guy Louis had ever met and he was undoubtedly, one hundred percent in love with him.

Louis watched the film quietly while the phone call continued. Niall came through to the bus' back lounge from the bunks upstairs, he threw himself down next to Louis with a smile. Louis sighed and put his head down onto Niall's shoulder. Niall raised an eyebrow at his friend.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Candice."

"What?"

"I don't like her."

Niall frowned and stretched to the side to look down the little corridor where the stairs and toilet were were situated to see Harry in the front lounge/kitchen-diner talking on the phone.

"How can you not like Candice? She's so sweet."

"Yeah and she's dating Harry...and I...never mind."

Niall turned back to Louis with a dopey look on his face, "you like himmm!" He teased with a less than manly giggle.

Louis threw a pillow at Niall's face with a loud groan and fell onto his side on the sofa. Harry walked into the room with a smile and squashed in between his friends. Niall shot a knowing look towards Louis who groaned even louder and stood up, storming back up to the bunks. Harry frowned turning to Niall with a questioning look.

"What's wrong with him?"

"You're better not knowing."

***

At 12noon the boys started to head out into Los Angeles. Liam met up with his girlfriend who had flown out that morning and was staying in a hotel, Zayn and Niall had gone down to the beach with their drummer Josh and two crew members.

Louis pulled on a stripped shirt and grabbed some sunglasses before walking down the stairs to the main area of the tour bus. Harry was stood in the front lounge waiting for his friend. When Louis appeared he smiled and opened the bus door.

"Where do you want to go?" Harry smiled as they climbed into the back of the cab that had been waiting patiently.

Louis jumped in after his best friend and suggested shopping and Starbucks. It wasn't something they couldn't do anywhere else in the world but he was feeling slightly run down and fancied a coffee and some new clothes. Harry agreed happily and the cab set off towards the nearest Starbucks.

***

Louis sipped his coffee slowly at their table in the corner of Starbucks. He was enjoying listening in on American teenage girls at the table across from him while Harry went to pee. He wasn't sure if it was normal for rich American girls to be this dumb -after all quite a lot of American sit coms portrayed rich kids as very stupid-, but these girls were being very loud, judgmental and all round thick. Louis had to stop himself laughing more than once.

"OMG, did you hear about Kurt and Lacey?"

"No, did he cheat on her again?"

"You wish! No, its worse! He bought her a Louis purse for her birthday, probably to try make up for cheating on her before...and it was faux!"

"OMG, no way!"

"Yes way! She was so disgusted. I mean its not like he can't afford a genuine...his father is loaded."

Harry slid into his seat opposite Louis and took a sip of his coffee. He looked up at Lou who was staring at the table next to them. Harry laughed and waved his hand infront of Louis face to get his attention back.

"Helloooo. Earth to Louis."

"Oh...sorry." Louis gave Harry a warm smile.

Harry rolled his eyes with a laugh and took the last sip from his coffee. Louis done the same before standing up and gesturing Harry to follow. They stepped out into the Los Angeles sun, Harry stretched and smiled, he loved hot weather. After a few minutes they found themselves being stopped by a group of younger teenage girls asking for autographs and photos. The boys were never ones to turn down fans out on the street, they always felt it was their duty almost to look after every fan, afterall if it wasn't for the fans they wouldn't be where they were now.

***

Louis and Harry got back to the bus way before anyone else. It was creepy how empty and quiet it was as there was usually always someone kicking about, their tour manager had left to check the venue would be ready for sound check at 5pm and the crew were either out and about LA or helping set up last minute details for the show. Harry sighed and sat down, followed by Louis who was trying extremely hard to suppres a yawn. It was 3pm which meant as far as their body clocks were concerned it was 11pm. After all the hard work and what seemed like an endless amount of travelling in the last two months, it was hard not to be exhuasted. The One Direction UK and European tour had just finished in London and they had been flown over to Los Angeles the morning after. Louis lay down on the sofa with his head on Harry's lap and shut his eyes.

"Lou?"

"Yeah?" He mumbled sleepily.

"Do you ever wish you could just be a normal teenager again?"

"In what way?"

"Well...I love being Harry Styles, its amazing. I love the fans, being paid so much to do what I love, seeing so many places...but we're always tired, we barely see our family, girlfriends, old mates. I miss being able to walk down the street without being bombarded by screaming girls, but mostly I miss my privacy and freedom."

Louis rolled over so he could look up at Harry. He placed a hand on his best friends cheek and gave him a sympathetic smile "we've all wanted the bad stuff to go away, but you just need to remember the amazing things that come from being in One Direction. We change lives, remember that letter we got about the girl who used our music as an escape from her parents divorce? It stopped her from going crazy. As we get older and our style changes I'm sure the hysteria will slow down, I mean look at Take That, they used to get hysteria and fans running after them and now they are still huge but they can go out and buy milk without being attacked by teenage girls. Its not always going to be this...mental."

Harry gave Lou a small smile and placed his own hand on the hand that was still cupping his cheek. Butterflies fluttered in his stomach, however he ignored this, not really thinking much of it. He asked Lou if he could sit up for a second then lay down the full length of the couch, inviting Louis to lay back down so that they were basically spooning. Within ten minutes the two were asleep.

***

At 5pm a hand shook Harry and Louis' shoulders causing Lou to jolt upright and fall off the sofa. Harry gave a tired laugh and rubbed his eyes aggressively before standing up. Liam -who had woken them- informed the pair that sound check was about to start and that they needed to hurry up. Security helped then into the venue without being clawed to death by screaming fans and they ran up onto stage to begin as promply as they could so that they had decent enough time to get ready before doors opened at seven.

Louis pulled on the grey shirt that had been chosen for him and buttoned it up sluggishly. It was 7pm and the fans were starting to fill up the venue. Harry dumped himself down next to Louis with a loud yawn, as far as they were concerned it was the early hours of the morning and they hadn't had very much sleep in the last couple of days. Harry put his head on Louis' shoulder and shut his eyes.

"I'm so tired, I better not mess up the show."

Louis put his arm around Harry's shoulder and pulled him closer, "you'll be fine Har!"

And Louis was right, despite how tired and high on caffeine they all were. After the show they all collapsed in the tour bus, Zayn, Niall and Liam were the first out, Harry was texting Candice goodnight and Louis was undressing.

"I've never been this tired in my life, what time is it in London?"

Harry checked his watch and groaned "its morning...we've just technically done an all nighter..."

Louis sighed and ducked into his bunk "if my body doesn't get used to this time zone soon I'll probably die of exhaustion."

"Yeah I know how you feel," Harry yawned as he too climbed into bed, "see you in the morning."

"Night."

It took only moments for Harry's breathing to change, a sign he was definatly asleep. Louis sighed and rolled over, shutting his eyes.

"Love you Har" he said in a barely audile voice.