When the day of the face-to-face interview arrives, Louis does consider at the last minute to just say sike and go back to sleep. But Niall was having absolutely none of it.  So, when Louis was unexpectedly pulled feet first out of the bed during his avoidance nap, he was beyond shocked. But it was immediately replaced with indescribable rage when he looks up half asleep and finds Niall grinning like he has won gold at the Olympics.

"Rise and shine, motherfucker," He gleams, hands resting on his hips. His hair is neatly brushed and slicked back with what appears to be gel. Louis glares for a few moments as his brain is startled awake and the haze of sleepiness is quickly dissipating.

"You couldn't just walk in with a cup of tea, could you? What was the purpose of dragging me out of my bed and breaking my tailbone in the process?" Louis grunts as he reaches up to the bed and pulls himself up weakly. He blinks a few times and waits until the dizziness from standing up to quickly settles. "I was sleeping. Avoiding today...today is cancelled. Didn't you get the memo?"

"I didn't spend hundreds on that disgusting outfit choice for you to be a wimp, Tommo," Niall pats Louis' shoulder gently, dramatically winking at him at the same time. Louis scowls and begins to fix the blankets on his bed. "Where's the outfit? We are prepared to go?" Niall hums to himself.

"We?" Louis looks back over his shoulder, tired face suddenly firm and eyebrows furrowed.

"Obviously, you're the one that's going in and doing all the talking. I am coming for the drive. I'm your hype man," Niall throws himself onto the bed and lands with a soft thud. Louis immediately gives up on tidying his bed and starts to walk towards the door. However, stops and turns back towards his best friend with wide eyes.

"How the fuck did you get into my house?" There is a legitimate tone of terror settling into Louis' voice, and his mind starts to go over the possibilities of how the hell Niall actually got into the place.

"Eleanor let me in, surprisingly. She wasn't expecting me, and she didn't say much but said you were still asleep," Niall shrugs casually, and Louis rolls his eyes.

"Right. I'll have to tell her that you're now banned from here," Louis says flatly and then quickly exits the room. As he briskly walks down the hallway, he can't help but fight the smile on his face as he hears the steps of Niall behind him.

"Eleanor?" He raises his voice, eyes darting around the kitchen for a second. For once she wasn't hunched over the kitchen bench drinking her morning coffee.

"What's wrong? Why do you sound so upset?" She appears from the bedroom, her eyes darting to Louis quickly as she puts her hair into a tight ponytail. Louis feels the lump in his throat grow for a second as he takes in the sight of her. She's wearing a tight black pencil skirt, and polka dot blouse that hugs her figure well. It was enough for Louis to clear his throat and look back towards Niall.

"I just wanted to let you know that this buffoon.... decided to physically haul me out of the bed this morning. So, I've made the executive decision that he's banned from entry,"

Eleanor hesitates for a moment, hands freezing in the middle of putting the hairband in. She looks between Louis and Niall and is unsure whether it's a joke. Louis sounds serious, but the way that Niall is starting to laugh says otherwise. "I'm not banned, you can't ban your best friend,"

"Best friends don't ruin precious sleep hours, especially in that manner," Louis snaps back, running his fingers through his bed hair.

"I don't know about other people, but I choose to give my best friend time to get himself together before he attends an interview,"

Louis instantly closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger and slowly exhales. Niall can't help but instantly notice the shift in Louis' demeanor and his sight quickly moves to Eleanor. She's finished with her hair and takes a sip from her coffee mug.

"You decided to go for it, huh? It wasn't a joke when you said you would apply then," She says softly, her tired eyes resting on Louis who deflates instantly.

"I..erm...yeah. I applied and got into the next stage of interviews. I wasn't going to go this morning, but this leprechaun happened to have other plans," Louis points towards Niall in a fast enough way that causes Niall's eyes to widen. Maybe he should not have spoken at all. "I don't have to go. I know you said I should...but I thought it was out of anger. I don't particularly like doing things out of anger, you of all people should know," Louis awkwardly itches the back of his neck. God he's going to kill this Irish fucker the second they're alone.

Eleanor does not even look towards Niall now; her eyes stay trained on Louis. Her face stays unreadable as she considers the situation and thinks of her response. She does notice in her peripheral vision Niall slowly slinks back down the hallway, very obviously dodging the awkward encounter.

"I said it might be a good idea. Things could change. I still stand by that," She says nonchalantly and places the mug down on the bench.

Louis watches as Eleanor swiftly moves so she's standing in front of him and their eyes meet. She softly runs her fingers through Louis' hair and he instinctively melts into her hand. He doesn't want to but it's comforting. Her eyes look dull and he notices that even with her concealer on, he could still notice the bags. She looks exhausted. Her hand slowly moves to cup his cheek and the pads of her fingers rest lightly against him.

"We can fix this. I miss you, I always miss you," Her voice is lower than a whisper and Louis knows it's because she doesn't want to give it away to Niall that things are really this bad.

"I just woke up, I haven't even brushed my teeth Eleanor," Louis quickly diverts the conversation and takes a step back, immediately flabbergasted. Eleanor giggles a little bit and it's soft and is the physical embodiment of honey. It's the type of laugh that makes the tenseness of Louis' body instantly relax. A sound he hasn't heard since that horrible mistake.

"I've been with you for almost 4 years Louis, I don't mind. Just come back here," She reaches for his hand and laces her fingers between them. Louis allows it, his eyes trained on her delicate fingers and he swallows thickly. His body is beginning to feel overheated and his eyes dart towards the hallway, but it appears Niall has gone back to the bedroom. At least the kid knows when to leave awkward situations, that is his best trait. Eleanor gently pulls Louis back towards her and he obliges by taking a couple of steps forward again. She leans forward and places a soft kiss against his mouth. Her lips are soft, and he can feel her lip gloss already transferring onto him. He can also smell her perfume and taste the coffee she had just been drinking.

It doesn't go any further than that as she pulls away just as quickly as she kissed him. Her fingers squeeze his hand again, which brings him back to earth instead of stuck in his head.

"I can't hold it against you forever, and I'm sorry. I love you, and I'll do whatever it takes to get things back to normal. Go to that interview, it's fine with me," She smiles softly again, and drops her hand before turning back to her coffee. Louis takes a few breaths to calm the fact his heart is hammering against his ribcage and he lets out a shaky laugh.

"I doubt it'll go any further than the interview. Niall's put together the most ridiculous outfit in the world. I'm going to look like a pretentious Gucci prince,"

"Well, they might lap you all up. Might keep whatever kind of game they're planning interesting. Do your best. I have to go, I'll be late otherwise. I'll see you later this evening. Do you have any appointments?" She asks as she begins to walk towards the door. Louis blinks a few times, mind still whirring from the first kiss in quite some time.

"No, I cleared my schedule for today. I'll be making up for it tomorrow though,"

Eleanor doesn't respond, she just nods her head. She looks at Louis like he's a lost puppy and he hates that sad smile that she gives him. He feels like a damn baby. But she does it anyway and as soon as she exits and the door closes Louis turns back towards the hallway. What the fuck just happened?

"Niall James Horan! I could murder you," He yells loudly, and then dramatically runs his hands over his face. He's suddenly very aware that he has to get himself together and mentally prepare for an interview that he hadn't cared much about until right now.

"I wasn't listening I swear, but I got your outfit ready while you were dealing with...whatever you were doing," Niall's head pops out from the room at the end of the hallway, his voice reverberating around the white walls of the house.

"I'm going to shower. Once I'm out and getting myself together, I need you to pretend you're interviewing me. I have no idea what the hell I'm supposed to say or do," Louis mutters to himself as he enters the room with Niall. He grabs the clothing that had been set out for him and looks at Niall for a brief second before storming towards the bathroom.

+++

In the entire history of his being, Louis not once has felt this out of place. While he finds himself sitting across from these trained professionals in their business attire, and he's looking like he's dressed in what could be presumed as Homer Simpson's vomit post-donut frenzy.

He can feel the eyes boring into him and his skin is tingling with anxiety. As he fidgets and repositions himself awkwardly in the chair, he breaks eye contact with one of the men sitting across from him. They seem thoroughly unimpressed and even though his attire was supposed to get a laugh out of them, there seemed to be not a sense of humor insight. It's a few moments later before the man he was once holding eye-contact with breaks his silence.

"Okay, welcome to the interviews. Why don't we start with you introducing yourself? We want to know all about you, and the aspects of your life," His voice is a lot deeper than what Louis would have expected, and the way the man straightens his jacket out and leans back to the chair, Louis realises this is probably way too serious for him.

"It's wonderful meeting you all, you all look very charming. Thanks for considering me for an interview. I'm Louis Tomlinson, I'm 25 and I'm a trained psychologist with my own private practice," Louis begins but stops himself after that initial introduction. He feels as if they wanted to know something then they would just go right ahead and ask him. They probably already know a shit-tonne about him...and Louis considers finding out exactly what the hell Niall wrote in that application.

"Wonderful Louis, thanks for coming. Tell me more about your career. Don't be afraid to talk about your family, upbringing...the more open you are the better. We love to see the ins and outs of someone so we can potentially find a great match,"

Louis chews on his bottom lip for a moment and can feel the embarrassment creeping through his bloodstream at a faster rate. He hates talking about himself and he knows there's nothing even remotely interesting about him, to begin with.

"I graduated from the University of Doncaster with a degree in Behavioural Science and Psychology. I used that qualification to open my own practice. I mostly work with adolescents as I find I connect with them a lot more. I find it very rewarding helping the young ones through their own emotional trauma or battles," Louis begins to pick at the rips in the ugly black jeans Niall convinced him to wear, and his eyes are focused on the frayed threads of fabric. "There isn't anything crazy about my family life. I have 4 sisters and my mum is the strongest woman I know. A single mother raising 5 kids and did brilliantly might I add,"

"I see, so as a psychologist you'd have to have some pretty thick skin. You must be very resilient," The man leans forward, clearly suddenly very intrigued in the conversation and Louis' presence. Louis clenches his jaw and mentally fights off the urge to tell them to stop looking at him like he's some sort of meal.

"I guess you could say that. I'm pretty good at being emotionally closed off to things like that. I just like to do the listening and give guidance. It's what I'm good at," Louis tilts his head either side to stretch out the stiffness in his neck and hums as he's in deep thought. The people across from him look at one another, waiting for one to ask the next question. "I love my job, what can I say..."

"Alright Louis, let's get a bit deeper now. We're starting off with the basics but I do want to forewarn you that we do go quite in depth the further we go on. Is that okay?" The second man speaks up, his brown eyes twinkling with amusement. He's wearing a light grey suit and he tightens the blue tie that's around his neck.

"Sure, I'll ask whatever I feel comfortable with. Hit me with your questions and I'll answer whatever you need to know. Within my limits of course," Louis forces a laugh, and he leans back into the chair. This is the most ridiculous decision he's made in his life, but these men are lapping him up. Niall was right...the outfit caught their attention immediately.

"Your relationship. Obviously that's why you're here today. Tell me all about it. What's the issues in it and why do you think they're happening?"

Louis grinds his teeth instantly and can feel a slight annoyance already starting to build in his chest. They're only into the first few minutes of conversation and Louis just knows this is going to be the longest interview of his life.

"I met Eleanor while I was still at university. You know what I was studying so that doesn't matter but she was a business management major. We crossed paths at the university bar one day, and we sort of clicked. We had a few shots and I got her a few drinks and she ended up back at my place and then we didn't really look back. She fit in well, and it was never supposed to be anything serious at the time. But it happened and that is fine. We got along well and our relationship started off like bizarrely strong. Almost 4 years together but I would say in the last year it's been a bit rough. It was a slow decrease but considering we started off on such a high, we're like two ghosts now in comparison," Louis laces his fingers together in his lap and squeezes them to distract himself from the anxiety that's starting to rise. He hates talking about this and he's starting to feel like he's talking to a psychologist himself. He doesn't work like that. "The issue? Mostly started when I started to throw myself into work. I was always going to put 100% of myself into work because that's just who I am. So naturally, we drifted and I don't know...I guess there was a part of me that still wanted to venture with other people. I kind of hold it against her for making me settle down so quick,"

Louis watches carefully as each of the men jot down in their leather notebooks. He wants to lean forward and try and catch a glimpse of what they're saying about him but he leaves it.

"You hold it against her for making you settle down so quick? No one forces you to stay," The first man interjects, looking at Louis and then down at the notebook again.

"I understand that, but I feel like it's my obligation to stay. Especially at this point. 4 years and we're in our mid 20's and this is the prime age where everyone starts getting married, having kids. All those adult things," Louis waves his hand around his head, rolling his eyes at the thought.

"You don't want to get married? You don't want kids?" Each of their eyes widens with curiosity and Louis shifts uncomfortably in his chair. This is torture. He stutters for a moment and decides to give himself a few seconds to gather his thoughts instead of stammering like a fool and embarrassing himself any further.

"I didn't say I don't want those things but right now at this stage, I don't. I feel like Eleanor and I are at two different stages in life. She's working hard but I feel like she desires those things and that's completely justifiable. All her friends are engaged or married, and they're starting families now. She feels like she's left out. But I don't think I'll propose or think of children for a fair few years. My job is my baby at the moment," Louis shrugs, and then begins to chew on his nails anxiously. Once again, these men start jotting down more notes, and Louis is tired of it. Already.

"Okay, I see. You must be good at communicating these thoughts? You must practice what you preach to all these people you dedicate your life to?" The brown-eyed man scratches his beard thoughtfully, eyes looking distant. Louis looks down at the floor and considers his reply. The carpet is navy blue with small specks of white everywhere. It isn't a good look in his opinion.

"Surprisingly not. It's ridiculous but I feel like she has such a high view of the person I was in university that by talking about these things it might break her heart even more. I'm not really good at verbalizing my feelings and thoughts and that's really ironic I know. But it is what it is," Louis says carefully, and nods at the end. In a way, this feels like a positive therapy session. He didn't think it would turn out like this. Strange.

"So, communicating is your weak point. What about your strength? What do you think is your strong characteristic?"

Louis frowns and runs his hand through his hair again. He needs to stop touching it, it's all he does. But it's the only thing that 's helping. He doesn't really know what exactly his personal strengths are.

"I guess I would say that my ability to always make someone laugh is a good trait. I'm humorous... is what a few of my friends would say. I feel like life is way too serious sometimes, and that not only myself but others need a laugh. It's important. So, I guess my strengths are being able to listen to people with open ears and without judgment, my wit, and my humor,"

"Alright. So what about physical intimacy? How is that going for you and...Eleanor?"

Fuck.

Louis doesn't know how to respond to this one and he coughs awkwardly. The burning of embarrassment creeps up his neck and he feels his face heat up. He twists his face into the look of sheer discomfort and tries to string together a comprehensible sentence.

"I-Uhm. Yeah, about that. We don't really....we haven't done that in a while. We sleep on opposite sides of the house. Hahaha. We kissed this morning though...she kissed me...That was the first time in a while. That's the most it's been in a while," Louis feels like he's a teenager that's too afraid to talk about sex when it's something that he talks about comfortably with his clients. So why is he so uncomfortable when talking about himself in that manner? What the fuck.

"Okay, so not sexually intimate I see. Are you not attracted to her?"

Louis' eyes bulge for a second and he shakes his head immediately.

"No that's not the case. She is one of the most beautiful women I've ever laid eyes on. But I feel like since there's been that mental disconnection since we've drifted, I can't follow up with those actions. I won't give myself or someone else that type of experience if I'm not emotionally invested...or connected, I guess. It's ridiculous I know. If this was a client telling me this, I'd be thinking what a weirdo,"

"I don't think that's weird at all Louis. You value the emotional connection over the physical and that is a very valid thought to have. I've seen this happen a lot in relationships that are breaking down. It's reparable, it just takes some time," The third man suddenly speaks, breaking his silence.

"I suppose," Louis smiles to himself, feeling a little less awkward.

"In your previous or current relationships. What have you found to be your turn on's and turn-offs?"

"That's a bit personal... This is a social experiment where we get partnered with someone right? What are you expecting us to do? Cheat on our current partners?" Louis' voice raises an octave as shock courses through his system.

"Not at all, that's the last thing we want for anybody. It's more about finding someone who may be able to match with you in the sense they can help you discover more about yourself, teach you things that will help you with your current relationship," The men all nod approvingly and Louis still feels discomfort in this situation.

"I am attracted to emotional and mental intelligence. I also like someone who is driven, passionate, and powerful. I feel like I am turned on by maturity, that's something that's really important to me. I don't like someone who is overbearing. I like my own space, but I also don't mind someone who is attentive and listens well. It's always nice when someone pays attention to the little details or remembers them,"

"Do you find that Eleanor can be overbearing? Do you think that's why you're struggling now?"

Louis thinks hard and closes his eyes to replay their relationship dynamic and all the moments that led to this. She was overbearing and quite clingy, and it had definitely grown worse over time.

"I suppose you're right. She's heavily reliant on me and our relationship. I don't really like it no. Independence is kind of hot, in my opinion," Louis shrugs, realising very quickly that maybe Eleanor isn't what he needs right now. She was doing everything he disliked. Shit.

While the men talk amongst themselves for a minute, Louis finds himself completely disassociating from the environment around him. His eyes stay focused on the carpet and his mind starts to whirr with memories of him and Eleanor. The memories are of the happiest when they were students and drunkenly kissing after the endless nights at the bar, and Louis can feel his heart starting the flutter faster. The memories quickly transition to the drunken kiss that caused the major divide in the first place. Louis' jaw is clenched so tight he swears his teeth might shatter, and all the alarm bells are going off in his head. He can feel the anxiety attack creeping up and very fast.

"Are your parents welcoming of Eleanor? What would you do if they did not approve of your relationship?" The sentence immediately snaps Louis out of his panicked trance, and he inhales deeply.

"My mother has welcomed Eleanor since day one, totally loves the woman if we're honest. In regards to what I'd do if there wasn't approval? I'm not quite sure. I think gaining acceptance from family and friends is completely vital to a healthy relationship. If there were a lot of backlashes and made life difficult, I couldn't see myself sticking around to deal with that. My mentality is too fragile for that excess drama," Louis cracks his knuckles to keep himself from fidgeting like a lunatic, and he looks to the ceiling as he carefully thinks out his reply. "I don't have that issue with Eleanor so it's fine. She's fit in perfectly,"

"Have you had any previous relationships that they didn't approve of?"

"No. None that they knew about anyway. I've been a pretty private guy most of my life and kept my dating life completely separated from family. It's just as I've got older and the expectations of settling down became more serious that I sort of let them in on it,"

"What's the most attractive thing about someone of the same gender?"

And that's the question where Louis almost breaks his neck with how fast he turns to look back at the men. They have their pens ready to write and eyeball Louis with playful eyes. What kind of questions are these? This has nothing to do with his current relationship.

"I'm in fact straight, so I don't think that question matters here," Louis snaps, voice suddenly filled with outrage. It definitely doesn't help that Niall has styled him in the matter that he probably looks like he's come straight out of mardi gras.

"These are just standard questions, we like to see all aspects of a person Louis," The man with brown eyes looks like he's suppressing laughter which makes Louis immediately seethe. This is just one giant game for them. Louis finds himself chewing the inside of his cheek harshly to stop himself from ripping into them.

"Well. The most attractive thing about the same gender is that they're often assertive and know what they want. Compared to women, they're a little bit more reliant on us making the first move. Just from observation anyway,"

It continues like this for another 15 minutes with questions getting so deep and personal that it makes Louis increasingly more uncomfortable and agitated. But once it's over and he politely shakes the hands of the professionals, he makes a quick dash for the car park. He feels sick to his stomach and the silk feels like it's constricting around his body and making it virtually impossible to breathe. He's broken into a full sprint and he's mentally thanking Niall for parking so close because he wasn't fit enough to run far distances and he wanted to be far away from here as fast as possible. As he steps into the car park, his eyes do a quick scan of the area around him. He lets out a sigh of relief as he notices the Irishman leaning against the bonnet of the car with a cigarette dangling from his mouth.

Louis forces his aching legs to move again and he ignores the burning in his chest. He was so physically unfit it wasn't even funny. Exercise was something he really needed to work on...like yesterday. He ignores Niall's smart comment as he's now within earshot, and quickly moves to the side of the car and swinging it open. As he sits down on the leather seats, he rests his head against the window. He squeezes his eyes shut and takes deep breaths trying to stop the panic attack that's overtaking every aspect of his being.

"Are you acting like that because you're out of breath, or are you having like a weird moment?" Niall's head pops through the driver's side window that is wound down, blue eyes filled with concern.

Niall watches Louis carefully and considers what to do when the boy doesn't respond. He notices the way his shoulders hunch, and the way Louis frantically rubs his palms on the outer part of his thighs.

"Panic attack? What the hell happened in there? That bad huh?" Niall instantly puts out his cigarette and climbs into the car. He doesn't hesitate to turn the aircon on and shift the vents so they land directly on Louis. Surely the cool air will help with it. He doesn't know what to do. Louis doesn't respond with any words, just a quick hum and a nod of his head.

"I'm not meaning to be a dick here but you're the psychologist here. I'm not trained in how the fuck to help someone. What do I do? Do I hold your hand? Pat your head? Give me something to work with," Niall speaks far too quickly, and it doesn't help with Louis' mind that won't slow down. Louis notices Niall's hand gently rest on his shoulder, it's just enough for Louis to register the feeling of it.

"Shut up. Shut the fuck up. The aircon is good. Just...just drive," Louis speaks one word at a time, between deep breaths. He's trying to focus on bringing his heart rate down because he might either puke right about now or just pass out. And he knows he'll never hear the end of it if he pukes on the leather.

There's silence for almost the whole drive until Louis quietly asks Niall if they can go to his apartment instead.

"I can't go back to her. I can't look at her," Louis' voice is beyond weak, and Niall frowns. His eyes quickly flashing from the road ahead to Louis who looks defeated.

"What? You love her Louis...What the hell happened in there? I've never seen you like this,"

Louis chuckles to himself and looks over to Niall with a lazy smile on his face. The panic had completely drained him of any energy and he'll need another caffeinated beverage today or else he'll stay asleep in Niall's bed all day.

"I think I just experienced my very own psychologist appointment. The very thing I've been avoiding since high school," He's picking at the rips of the jeans again. He always fidgets when he's uncomfortable. "I hate this outfit; it makes me queasy. I want normal clothing on and I'm sorry but I'm raiding your wardrobe the literal moment we're inside your place,"

"That's fine. But you didn't answer me. Why can't you go back to Eleanor?"

"I can't face her. I feel so fucking guilty Niall...she's done nothing wrong and I'm so emotionally distant and I can't bring myself to fake it. It's killing me. I don't think...I don't know. I love her but I don't know if we're good for each other," Louis huffs, and the weight of the world on his shoulders slightly ease.

"Not good for each other?" Niall repeats slowly, testing the words out himself to make sure he's hearing it right. His hands grip the steering wheel tighter. Louis doesn't talk about this shit, ever.

"Don't worry about it. I'm just overthinking, those people love to get inside peoples heads," Louis waves his hand as if to shoo off the idea. Niall raises an eyebrow and can't help the quick laugh that escapes his mouth and he notices the frown on Louis' face.

"Those people happen to be the exact same as what you do for a living,"

"It's our job to get into people's heads, but I don't want anyone in my head. I didn't ask for it. This is your fault, to be honest. You did this to me. Also...what the fuck did you put in my application?" Louis suddenly perks up, eyes widening as his interest suddenly rises.

"Oh look, we're home," Niall instantly replies and speeds up the driveway to avoid that conversation.

There wasn't a chance in hell that Niall was going to speak about the application questions and what the answers were. Niall felt like he understood more about Louis more than anyone, sometimes even his own mother. In fact, he knew more about Louis' adult personal life than his mother. It doesn't stop Louis from pestering for answers though. But he refuses. Because one thing is for sure...if Louis Tomlinson had any idea what had been written on the application he would without a doubt crucify his best friend.