Chapter Forty Five

New York greets them on a particularly sunny day. Summer having come in full swing now that late June had arrived. This drawn-out tour had done them all wonders, instead of cramming in too many shows in such close proximity they'd had time to rest between dates and continent changes. Time to reform as a group and become seamless in one another's lives again.

He wanders down an unfamiliar street between Zayn and Niall, the three of them disguised as best as they know how, only drawing the eye of a few passers by.

"You think that would work though for real?" Zayn questions as they enter Central Park. Perhaps it's not the wisest decision to walk without security into such a popular tourist and locals destination.

"Nah they'd clash with each other too much, the melodies are way off." Niall counters.

"What about swing? Imagine a swing arrangement in the midst of an R&B heavy track, that would be sick. Good way to get the crowd on their feet."

"For one of my songs I recorded back in January a music video in sort of that classic style, you could make it work." He answers.

"Seriously? Which song?" Zayn queries him.

"Treat People, I wanted something different and it actually went alright. It's fun that's for sure, something I reckon fans would get behind."

"It's not a bad idea at least to experiment with then."

"Thinking about songs though do we know which one's we've decided to perform for our next pop up show? That's what we're doing out here isn't it?"

"I mean I guess, but we're out here as part of the challenge really."

"Yeah but we've been wandering around for a half hour now and we haven't been spotted properly yet, might as well bring it up." Niall says as they turn around a bend.

"What about Through the Dark? Been a while since we've done that one." He offers.

"Louis sung it a few times last year but I'd be keen for it. Reckon Clouds for nostalgia's sake?"

"Oh!" Niall agrees turning towards Zayn, "Fuck yes!"

They continue heading west through the park, trying to point out differences from the last time each of them had been here with the sounds of the city echoing around them.

"I guess it depends on which song gets chosen by hopefully the person who finds us soon enough."

"Do we even know we're in the right place?" Zayn asks.

"Not a clue, was a bit presumptuous to think the three of us could successfully navigate Central Park." Harry says with a sly smile.

"You'd have thought our managers at the very least would have rebutted this idea." Niall quips.

"Louis can be rather persuasive when he feels like it."

"I like this challenge," He states as they round a bend out into a slightly more open space, "Though we should have thought this part out a little more."

"Couldn't sleep last night, imagine if we get mobbed? Did anyone think of that when we decided on this?" Zayn questions.

"We'll blame it on Louis, it's fine." Niall answers with a grin.

"Greedy bastard isn't even out here either! So much for it being his idea." Mumbles Zayn who shoves his hands into his pockets.

"Liam isn't either."

"Don't try and defend your lover Styles."

He smiles at the words, the three of them wandering side by side along the path. Passersby barely acknowledging them as they continue about their days.

"We'd best think up a quick escape plan, once we're found we've no idea how long it'll take before the press get word we're out here."

Before Zayn can continue his sight drifts over to two late teen girls, huddled together over what seems to be a journal cradled in the brunettes hands. Their talking and pointing occasionally between pages, their eyes drifting upwards occasionally to scan around them. It's as Harry and the other two make their way closer towards where the two of them are stood, though still some yards away, that the blonde hair girl catches his eye. A flash of recognition is quickly replaced by a bright smile as she tugs on the arm of her brunette friend holding the journal.

"Think we've found our winners." He states to the other two though not pausing in his steps.

The two young woman seem reluctant to approach them however, a slightly dumbfounded expression still clouding over the face of the brunette, journal now forgotten in her hands.

Zayn spots the two of them at his words, inevitably drawing to a halt as he sends a warm smile at the two girls. It seems to act as encouragement enough for the two of them to begin making their way towards them. The blondes hands winding their way around the brunettes forearm.

"I can't believe you were right." The blonde whispers to her friend just as they enter hearing range, blushing furiously. Surprisingly her accent is British and not American.

It's Niall who speaks first as the two young woman stop before them, seemingly unsure of what they're meant to say or how to act. It's a state he's witnessed countless individuals become enraptured in before their celebrity favourites over the years but it still never fails to make him feel slightly endeared that people become so flustered when introduced to another. "Was starting to wonder whether we'd never be found!"

This sparks a genuinely amused smile from the brunette, her eyes lighting up as she glances at Niall. "We've been wandering around for the past four hours trying to figure it out, this challenge has been incredible, who thought of it?" She questions, seemingly more at ease than her friend.

"Louis." Zayn answers, "Though I'm afraid it's just the three of us out here."

"We figured," The brunette says, "I mean... from the clues and all. We figured it would just be three of you. I'm Tina by the way, and this is my girlfriend Lillian."

"It's lovely to meet you both." He says with a smile. "I have to say I don't think any of us were expecting to be found by fellow Brits!"

"We're here on holiday," Lillian finally speaks up, her voice soft and brimmed with nervousness and she clutches onto Tina's arm. "Our first together outside the UK, we both just finished our A levels."

"Oh congratulations! You're both very brave flying out across the world together."

"I've always wanted to visit New York." Lillian answers, eyes flickering up to each of them.

"Artist?" Zayn queries to which Lillian shoots him a gentle smile in answer.

"I guess that answers the question of who figured out the second clue." Niall jumps in with a laugh.

"It was fantastic!" Lillian says with enthusiasm, seemingly slowly finding her feet coming out of her shell. "I take it you were responsible for the drawings?" She directs towards Zayn.

"I was, but it was Louis' idea to have it as part of the challenge."

"I loved it, having to piece the works together to move onto the next stage!"

"Lills was amazing, she stayed up our entire first night here to work through it all." The pride in her partner shines through in every way, from the way Tina glances across, smiling fondly at Lillian to the way her voice softens as she speaks. It's heartwarming to see a couple, still young with the prospect of many years ahead of them feel so open and comfortable to speak to them in this way. It makes Harry think that they must have all done something right to have people feel this way around them. To see the openness in their language, despite Lillian's evident shyness, in being around them.

He smiles thinking that he's helped create an environment where people of all diverse lifestyles and personalities feel safe and included. It's everything he could have hoped for.

"How did you piece together this location?" Niall asks with genuine interest.

"The drawing lead us to look within your discography," Tina starts directing her gaze towards Harry, "Then we logically thought through the songs, knowing you were playing the New York shows, ESNY was the obvious choice. We re found the link to it through the file from the first clue on solving the online riddle and sure enough amidst the playlist within the file, one of the songs was Central To My Heart. Seemed rather out of place in the list so it's where we headed."

"That was Louis' choice." Niall says with a grin, shuffling on his feet. "We thought it might be rather obvious to put in the first clue."

"No it was great actually! None of it made sense without having to work through it. The main problem was trying to work through the first clue, whose idea was the lyric find anyway?"

"Again, that was Louis' ingenious. He'd wanted since the start to put morse code into it all."

"We really enjoyed it, it was different from the other challenges you've organized." Lillian smiles, "We wanted to thank you by the way, for doing all of this for us fans. It means a lot to us you know, that you're all going through the effort to do this, it's enough to have you all back together, but these shows and what you're doing for us truly is special."

Niall moves first, stepping forward to embrace Lillian first, who reaches up and wraps her arms tightly around him, then moves onto her girlfriend. Harry's quick to follow in his actions, pulling both girls into an embrace one after the other. Zayn too following after him.

"It means a lot to us too you know." He says once they've all separated once more, "That so many of you are still here. Supported us through the bands years and as solo artists."

"You're all incredible people, we're really proud to call you our role models and idols." Tina says flashing him a bright smile.

"Alright, I'm starting to get too emotional and Central Park doesn't seem like the place to do that so..." Niall states clapping his hands together, "As the winners of our New York challenge, the two of you get to decide on a song, any of which from the five of our discographies, band included, for us to perform at our show tonight. As well as VIP tickets for the both of you."

This seems to stun both girls, whose jaws drop open in surprise and blink furiously at them.

"You're kidding! You mean for you actual show, not just the pop-up event?"

"The true show." Zayn confirms with a nod.

"Oh my gosh!" Tina turns, this time it's here gripping to Lillian as if to tether her.

"Any song! Any at all?" Lillian asks wide eyed.

"Any." He says with a laugh as he takes in the two of them.

"When do we have to decide by?"

"Preferably now, we're due back at the venue soon enough to rehearse whichever one you pick and to work it into the set list."

"Oh Jesus Christ." Tina murmurs. "Ok, ok. What about..."

"Clouds! No, no, no Alive!"

"What about Small Talk? You love that one."

"Ready To Run?"

"Oh! Wolves!"

"Ti! We're so dim, we have to chose it!" Lillian cuts off their exchange, gripping onto Tina like a vice.

"Chose wha... Oh my gosh yes! 1000%!" Tina says whirling back to the three of them. "Only The Brave."

His heart stops at her words, eyes flickering at the mention of the song. Out the corner of his eye, he catches Zayn lowering his head, smirking with his eyes downcast whilst Niall grins at the song choice.

"That's your pick?" Niall asks the two of them who grin at him in response. A silent moment between the two of them makes him wonder about the relevance the song has to the young couple before hims own story.

"Absolutely. That song means a lot to us, means a lot to many people out there. Besides, we haven't heard it live yet. Seems a good a time as any don't you think?" Tina responds, unable to keep the bright smile off of her face.

"Only The Brave it is then." Harry says, already picturing Louis' reaction to hearing their song choice. They hadn't talked much more about the song, it hadn't stopped him from playing it over and over again in the months since the album's release. He'd decided it was his favourite song Louis had ever written, perhaps joint with Home, but that's a thought for another time. The song had struck him since he'd first sat with Louis in his living room all that time ago, heard the honesty and burning passion in the lyrics and simple melody, the weight of the lyrics carrying itself. He's not sure he can handle hearing it sung live onstage in front of thousands, not when he knows exactly all Louis has been through, what the incoming months are about to rain upon them both.

He's vaguely aware that the others have carried on with the conversation whilst his thoughts tumble through one after the other. The fact a song such as this was even allowed under Syco's management amazes him still, that Louis will perform it live tonight is a little more confronting. But it's one step closer to where they want to be, towards the freedom they're both now raging towards. It's another step in ten years worth of history, and it's a step in the right direction.