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The scariest moment in his life would probably have to be walking across that stage in dead silence with cameras and the eyes of the audience tracking his every move. Each step brought a new worry, ones that only heightened his nerves and fears. What if his voice cracked? What if they didn’t like that he chose one of the judge’s own songs to cover? What if they hated it?
But there wasn’t any time to turn back now. He was already in front of the microphone stand, clutching at it with shaky and sweaty hands. Lights were shining in his eyes but he could still see the four big red chairs with their backs to him, ready to turn at a push of a button. God, he hoped at least one would push their button.
He could see the audience too, though no individual faces, thank god. Just a big blur of shifting and whispering that was just loud enough to be slightly distracting. The longer the silence drew out, the louder they started to get, until the opening notes of the song began.
Louis closed his eyes briefly, trying to get a hold of himself. He’d chosen a song that he’d just connected with, in the hopes it’d shine through with his voice and make the judges press their buttons. He knew it was risky, picking a song of one of the judges. He couldn’t help it though. He’d been a fan of Harry Styles- of One Direction- for years. And Happily had been his favourite song ever since it had been released.
After the first few seconds of the song, he could see one of the chairs move slightly. He knew from watching the auditions before him on the screens in the waiting room that it was Harry’s chair. No doubt the man had recognised his own song. Louis hoped it was a good reaction, and not a bad one.
He almost missed his cue but he just made it, managing to sing the first lines a little shakily before he finally got into it, immersing himself in the song. Another reason he’d chosen it was because it was one of the only songs he could really lose himself in, and if he just let go and focused on his singing instead of worrying about anything else, the judges were more likely to turn for him.
It took about twenty seconds, and then a whooshing noise interrupted his trance and he glanced to the chairs. Harry Styles was looking back at him, a shocked look on his face as Louis stumbled just the slightest over the lyrics but then kept going. He could feel the giddiness of automatically getting through rushing through his veins but he pushed it away. He still had the rest of the song to sing.
Another twenty seconds later and the chair next to Harry turned, a violently pink haired girl smirking at him as she settled back to watch the rest of his performance. He knew her name was Perrie, and she’d been hired as a judge on the show as a one-time thing. But her marriage to Harry’s ex-bandmate meant that they were good friends, and their chemistry was a huge hit with the viewers and she’d stayed on for another two seasons and counting. Of course it didn’t hurt that she was brilliant and easy on the eyes.
He finished the song without the other two chairs turning but he didn’t care. Harry Styles, the Harry Styles had turned for him. Everything he’d hoped about this day had happened. Other than all four chairs turning within seconds of him starting to sing, but that was just unlikely. He’d only seen it happen once, and the boy had been a much better singer than him.
The music faded out and the other chairs turned, but without the lit up signs at the bottom saying ‘I want you’. He couldn’t find it in him to be disappointed, not when his eyes kept straying to the curly haired man who was grinning at him, dimples and all.
The other two judges were Ariana Grande and Tate Stevens, but he didn’t listen to their music so he wasn’t surprised nor did he really care that they hadn’t turned. Harry had been his main focus and he knew if Harry hadn’t turned, Perrie would have been his next choice so he was happy the both of them had liked him.
Eventually the applause that he hadn’t even noticed died down and he was left flushing under the bright lights and a green eyed stare as Perrie leaned forward in her seat. “Well well, who do we have here?”
“My name is Louis Tomlinson,” he said nervously, giving his best smile. Suddenly he wished he’d worn his contacts, the glasses kept slipping down his nose and he was sure they made him look like an idiot.
“Well Louis, aren’t you a daring little thing,” Perrie laughed, shaking her head and shifting slightly to look at Harry. “Wouldn’t you agree, Haz? Singing one of your songs? Maybe he wanted to get in your good books.”
Louis bit back a protest, knowing it was just banter for the cameras. Though he didn’t want people to think he was sneaky enough to do that. He’d chosen the song because he loved it and it suited his voice.
“Well it certainly worked,” Harry said, speaking slowly like he always did and giving Louis a sweet smile. His hair was held back by a dark blue headscarf with white anchors all over it, but some of the curls had managed to escape and were sticking to Harry’s forehead and neck.
Louis couldn’t believe he was really standing on a stage looking Harry Styles right in the eye, knowing he’d get to be mentored by him. He was kind of dazed, probably in shock, but he didn’t miss it when Ariana started talking. “Louis, you have a beautiful voice. Very soft and kind of delicate. I’m sorry I didn’t turn but I can’t wait to see how far you’ll go.”
Louis smiled kind of absentmindedly and murmured a thank you into his microphone, doing the same when Tate spoke a little before he focused on Perrie and Harry again.
“Louis, wow,” Harry said softly, giving him one of those big grins that made his dimples more prominent. Louis felt a little weak just looking at it. “You have a real talent, and I think you really did the song justice. You completely captured the emotion of the song, and I should know, I wrote it.”
Louis let out a little breathless laugh at Harry’s cheeky grin, and the boy leaned forward, giving Louis an earnest look. “I’d love to be your mentor, I think you could really go far, even enough to win this thing, and I know I could help you.”
Louis bit his lip but he was supposed to listen to Perrie’s argument as well so he looked to her but she was just smiling blandly, shaking her head.
“Louis, you are just gorgeous, but I have to admit I only turned around because I wanted to see what you looked like,” Perrie said, leaning back in her chair. “You have a beautiful voice but I think it’s quite obvious which one of us you’re going to choose.”
“We’ll have to let him decide, which one do you choose, Louis?” Ariana cut in.
Louis had been told beforehand by some girl chewing gum and wearing a uniform that he had to pause and act like he was thinking it over to make it more dramatic, even if he already knew. But Harry was leaning forward looking all hopeful and a little hesitant, like he didn’t think Louis would pick him, and he couldn’t help it.
“Harry,” he said straight away, and gave a little bashful grin. Harry’s face broke out into a huge smile and he clambered up from his chair, his long limbs eating up the distance until he was hopping up onto the stage with Louis and yanking him into a hug.
He could feel Harry’s heavy breath against his neck, feel the way he leaned just slightly to the right, feel his hard chest pressed up against his own. Harry was just twenty six compared to Louis’ twenty, but the man was so much taller, although his heeled boots probably helped.
“Thank you, I’ll do my best,” Harry whispered against his neck, squeezing him a little tighter.
Louis could only manage a muffled “oh my god” against Harry’s shoulder before he was let go and Harry winked at him before leading him off the stage.
When he was all bundled up on the couch at home watching his audition on the telly, he got to see what he hadn’t before as the chairs hadn’t been facing him. As soon as the music had started up Harry’s face had broken into a happy smile, and when he’d turned in his chair, his jaw had honest to god dropped when he saw Louis. Louis didn’t know if it was out of surprise or what, but he just hoped it was a good thing.
He thought it was, considering he had a text saved on his phone from a new number, a cheeky Can’t wait to teach you things ;) xx – HS and a date for the next time he was supposed to meet up with Harry. Things were going well.