????? ??? ????? ????? ?.?.

The elevator groaned like it resented the weight of their lives. Three cardboard boxes were stacked in Niall's arms, threatening to tip as the boy beside him jabbed the "3" button with a sigh that had more behind it than just exhaustion.

"This place smells like old lasagna and cheap detergent," Niall said, shifting the boxes.

"Better than Mom's cigarette-scented living room," the boy muttered. His name was Louis—eighteen, finally—and this apartment was the first thing in months that felt like his.

Louis had moved out two days after his high school graduation. Not because he had a job lined up, or because college started soon, but because sometimes a house stops feeling like home long before you leave it. His mom had barely looked up from her soap opera when he rolled his suitcase past the stained couch. His stepdad hadn't looked up at all.

Niall, ever loyal, hadn't asked questions. Just showed up with his beat-up orange Honda and a stack of takeout menus. He grinned now as the elevator doors opened. "Third floor. Kingdom of Louis."

"More like shoebox of Louis."

They stepped into the narrow hallway, where peeling wallpaper tried to pretend it was vintage. Louis's apartment was the second door on the left—3B, crooked gold numbers barely hanging on. He unlocked it and pushed it open with his foot.

It was empty, but not in a lonely way. Empty like something waiting to be filled.

——

The door creaked open like it hadn't been used in years. Louis stepped in first, setting his backpack on the bare floor. The apartment was small—just a living room with a kitchenette, a bathroom, and a single bedroom off to the side—but it was his. No yelling, no ashtrays overflowing, no doors slammed in anger. Just space and silence.

Niall dropped the boxes by the wall and wiped his hands on his jeans. "Well, it's not exactly a palace, but hey—could be worse."

"How?" Louis asked, raising an eyebrow.

Niall thought for a second. "Could be haunted. Or bug-infested. Or painted entirely in that weird flesh-tone color landlords think is neutral."

Louis laughed for the first time all day. "You've clearly thought about this too much."

"Please. I watch way too many horror movies. I've got expectations."

They started unpacking—clothes in one box, a few mismatched kitchen things in another, and the last box filled with random stuff Louis had deemed "important" at 2 a.m. when he was shoving his life into cardboard. Niall pulled out a beat-up Polaroid of the two of them from middle school—Louis grinning with braces, Niall mid-laugh, arms slung around each other's shoulders.

"Remember this?" Niall asked, holding it up.

"Yeah," Louis said quietly. "You came over after my dad left."

Niall nodded, serious now. "You looked like the whole world cracked open."

"You brought me grape soda and let me beat you at Mario Kart."

"Let you? Excuse me—I had a terrible controller."

Louis smirked. "Sure you did."

There was a beat of silence, filled only by the sound of a truck driving by below. Then Niall said, "I'm proud of you, you know. Moving out. Starting over. It's not easy."

Louis looked at him, surprised. "You really think so?"

"I know so," Niall said. "Takes guts. And I'd say that even if you weren't my best friend and obligated to buy me pizza for helping today."

Louis snorted. "You're milking this for all it's worth."

"Absolutely."

They sat on the floor after that, backs against the wall, the sun slowly warming the bare floorboards. There were still boxes to unpack, furniture to build, and a life to figure out. But for now, this was enough—just two best friends and a new beginning.

——

The sun had dipped below the skyline by the time the last box was emptied. Empty boxes were stacked like a lazy fortress in the corner, and the apartment smelled faintly of microwave popcorn and something vaguely chemical from under the sink.

Louis and Niall had spent the evening sprawled on the floor, legs stretched out, watching a marathon of the worst reality TV they could find. They'd laughed too hard at things that weren't that funny, half because the shows were bad and half because laughing made the room feel warmer.

Niall had only gotten up once—to drag over two of Louis's pillows and toss him one like they were thirteen again and having a sleepover.

But eventually, even that comfort had to give way to real life.

"Alright," Niall said, standing and brushing crumbs off his jeans. "I should head out before I crash here and start demanding breakfast in the morning."

Louis leaned back against the wall. "You say that like I have eggs. Or a frying pan."

Niall chuckled, grabbing his keys from the counter. "Fair. You'd just hand me a spoon and a Pop-Tart and call it gourmet."

Louis stood too, following him to the door. There was a pause there—one of those weird little moments where goodbye felt too short a word for what it meant. Niall scratched the back of his neck.

"You'll be alright?" he asked.

Louis nodded. "Yeah. I think I will."

"Good. But if you change your mind and need me to come back with, like, actual furniture or moral support, just say the word."

"I will."

Niall pulled him into a quick, solid hug—the kind that said a lot without needing to explain anything—then headed down the hall with a wave.

Louis closed the door gently behind him. The quiet that followed was a different kind than he was used to. Not tense or heavy. Just... still.

He wandered into the bedroom. The mattress was on the floor, no frame yet, but the sheets were clean and the air felt his.

He lay down and stared at the ceiling. For the first time in a long time, the quiet didn't feel like something pressing down. It felt like space. Like breathing room. Like the beginning of something.

He wasn't sure what the next day would bring—but for now, alone didn't feel like lonely.

It felt like peace.

——

Hiya! Omg this first chapter already makes me tear up, I just love them so much (irl and here) aaaaaa

Btw, I made the cover myself but don't like it that much, anyone who wants to make a cover for this story for me for free? Comment down below and I will message you privately!