Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It’s the last day of school and two more days until Christmas, when Liam is sat on the stairs in the lobby of his school. It’s afternoon and the hallways are empty. He’s waiting for Niall, who he’s promised to help pick up Harry’s Christmas gift. Liam doesn’t know what exactly that gift is but apparently it’s big enough for Niall to need help carrying it.

He patiently wai ts on the steps with his hands folded together when he hears somebody approach him from behind. He shuffles to the side to make room for whoever’s coming down.

“Liam?”

He turns around and tilts his head back to see the person’s face.

“Zayn!” He exclaims surprised. Zayn walks down the rest of the stairs and positions himself in front of Liam.

“What are you still doing here?”

“I’m just waiting for Niall. My classes ended earlier, and I just came back to meet him here,” Liam explains. He hasn’t seen Zayn in weeks, outside of the occasional run-in at school or at a bar. It feels a little weird talking to him again but at the same time the past appears to be much further away than it actually is, so Liam just puts on a weak smile. “How have you been?”

“Good, good,” Zayn says and nods. “Lot of coursework but ready for the break now.”

“Tell me about it,” Liam laughs half-heartedly. He stares at Zayn’s pretty face and without wanting to, he first pictures Louis kissing it, then Harry kissing it.

“What about you?” Zayn asks and brings Liam back to reality.

“I’m fine, thanks,” Liam says quickly. Zayn nods politely and then starts turning around. Before he can mumble his goodbye, Liam jumps up to his feet.

“Wait,” he says. “Can I ask you something?”

It suddenly occurred to Liam that this might be a rare chance to talk to Zayn about Harry. If Harry was still confused whether he wants badboy Zayn or angel Niall, Liam might be able to feel things out for him a bit, he thinks. Or was that a bad idea?

“Sure,” Zayn says a little confused and holds onto the straps of his backpack. “What is it?”

“What’s the deal with… you and Perrie lately?” Liam stammers since he can't come up with anything better and he doesn’t want to give away Harry necessarily. “If you don’t mind me asking. I’m sorry; I’m not trying to be rude. Just curious, after our rehearsals and stuff.”

Zayn lets out a light laugh. “It’s fine. I’ve actually been meaning to talk to you about that but I wasn’t sure how to approach you.”

“Me?” Liam wonders and frowns. “How so?”

“You know… Right now I’m sure everyone can see that she’s… quite attached, yeah?” Zayn says and Liam can't help but laugh. She was quite attached indeed. “But I wasn’t sure if I was just imagining that when we were rehearsing or not. And you were there, you know. The only one who might have noticed it too.”

Liam nods. “Well I wasn’t necessarily aware of it and wrote it off as her being friendly. But she sure seemed interested and had you not kissed boys before, I would’ve definitely assumed that she was flirting.”

Zayn lets out a sigh that Liam thinks seems a lot like relief. “Alright, so it wasn’t all in my head?”

Liam shakes his head. “I don’t think so. She truly seems interested. Why, are you thinking about giving it a shot?”

Zayn shrugs. “I don’t know. I haven't thought about it really.”

“So you’re… into girls now?” Liam asks and then adds quickly: “If you don’t mind me asking.” It seems a bit weird discussing Zayn’s love life with him, given the fact that they have no history or connection together outside of mutual dislike so far.

“I think she’s well attractive, yeah. But I also still think Harry’s still attractive, so I guess it doesn’t really matter?” Zayn says and once he realizes what he's just said, he widens his eyes in shock. “Shit, sorry. Bad example. I mean I still find blokes attractive too, not just Harry. I’m not really thinking about it, it’s just what it is, yeah?”

Liam takes all that in and makes a mental note to discuss with Louis whether he should tell Harry that Zayn still finds him attractive or not. It could mess up things further for Harry or clear them up, depending on what he was feeling.

“No need to apologize, mate. I didn’t mean to put you on the spot,” Liam says and feels a bit bad. He is pretty much invading Zayn’s personal life right now with all his questions and he doesn’t mean to be disrespectful.

“Hey,” a third voice suddenly appears and then Liam sees Niall walking up to them. “What are we talking about?”

Zayn actively doesn’t make eye contact and Liam tries to hold in a big sigh. Of course Niall would walk right in when he’s talking to Zayn. “Hey Nialler.”

Niall raises an eyebrow and looks back and forth between Liam and Zayn.

“I-I better get going,” Zayn says after a moment. “Thanks again, Liam.” He dares to look at him for a second before he turns around and disappears.

“I had no idea you were friends with Zayn,” Niall says and faces Liam. “I have to say, I’m a bit surprised.”

“Don’t be daft, we’re not friends,” Liam sighs and points towards the door. “Come on, let’s get going.”

They push open the doors and start making their way to wherever it is that Niall is taking them. Immediately the cold December air makes them shiver.

“So you guys were just chatting?” Niall asks after a while. Obviously this was bugging him, and Liam can't really blame him either. Zayn was the one who hit his boyfriend a couple of months back after all. Naturally Niall was curious why Liam was talking to him.

“Yeah, just chatting,” Liam says. “He came down the stairs and it was awkward not to say anything. I asked about Perrie and it turns out he’s quite attracted to her actually.” Liam hopes that this piece of information helps Niall relax. Maybe with Zayn being all over Perrie, Niall doesn’t feel threatened anymore and would let it go.

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah, ‘s what he said.”

“And here I thought her pining was unrequited,” Niall laughs and shoves his hands deeper into his pockets. “This Zayn character keeps surprising me. Unbelievable.”

Liam almost wants to say ‘he’s not as bad as you think’ but Niall might be the wrong person to play Zayn’s advocate for. Also, when did he start defending Zayn? He was and still is on Harry’s side after all. Or Niall’s side, actually.

He lifts his arm and puts it around Niall’s shoulder. “You’re a good guy, you know that?”

“What?”

“You know. Just in general.”

“Thanks…,” Niall murmurs and gives Liam a confused look. Then the confusion turns into a smile and he decides to accept Liam’s compliment without further questions. “Is this the last time I’m gonna see you for a while now?”

Liam frowns. “Because of the break?”

Niall nods but Liam shakes his head. “No, Niall. It’s just gonna be a few days until New Year’s. Perrie is having her big party, remember? We’re all going.”

Niall widens his eyes. “Right, I almost forgot.” He pauses for a second and then says: “Wait, does that mean she’s gonna invite her loverboy now?”

Liam laughs a little but quickly turns serious when he notices Niall has stopped walking. He turns around and looks at him. “She was probably gonna invite him anyway. He is in our year after all.”

“Great,” Niall scoffs. “I really don’t need another drama between him and Harry. Especially not on New Year’s Eve.”

“What are you talking about? They’ve crossed paths several times since that night and it’s been fine,” Liam says and walks back to grab Niall by his shoulders. “Stop worrying.”

Niall just stares at the sky and reluctantly starts walking again. “I hope you’re right with that troublemaker.”

“Stop stirring the pot. If anything happens, it’s because you’re instigating, Niall,” Liam warns him and lightly nudges him with his elbow.

“I’m not instigating. I just feel so helpless and I don’t want to watch another train wreck happen,” Niall explains with a certain sadness in his voice.

“You weren’t even there the last time, so don’t blame yourself.”

“Yeah, because you all lied to me!” Niall says, but he doesn’t sound angry with Liam. “I get it, you’re Harry’s friend. I’m not cross with you. But I was cross with him.”

“He said you weren’t cross with him either?”

“Well, obviously I cared about him being alright after he was released from the hospital. But we weren’t talking for two weeks,” Niall says very matter-of-fact. He sighs and his breath becomes visible in the cold air.

“Are your serious, Niall?” Liam says and now it’s him that stops walking. Niall turns around and frowns.

“You weren’t talking for two weeks? He told me you were taking care of him, whenever I offered to come by and assist him with his injury,” Liam says and he can see his own look of perplexity mirrored in Niall’s face.

“I’m sorry to tell you that, but he was lying to you. I was incredibly mad at him. We’d just been dating for a couple of weeks and he couldn’t even tell me that he was going out?” Niall says in a manner that Liam’s never seen on Niall before. It was a mixture of annoyance, anger and disappointment. “Of course I wasn’t ok with that. Ugh, that whole night is just such a nightmare for me and it doesn’t seem to ever stop.”

Liam takes a second to process what Niall’s just said. Perfect, so there was another of Harry’s lies. And Niall was beating himself up for not having been there so he holds a grudge against Zayn when his anger should instead be directed towards his own boyfriend. Not that Zayn was right punching Harry, of course not. But it was Harry’s mess that’s underneath it all. The punch is just the tip of the iceberg. Harry’s insane web of lies is what’s causing all these problems and they just keep coming up. Even now, months later.

“I’m sorry that Harry lied to you,” Niall says eventually and pulls his eyebrows together. “That doesn’t seem like him.”

Liam almost chokes on Niall’s words. Sure, lying doesn’t seem like Harry. The truth about it all sits on Liam’s tongue, he can feel it. Niall just looks at him, not having any clue about all the things he doesn’t know. Should he tell him? Could he tell him? It’s not his place, really. But he’s so fed up with this whole shitty situation that’s been going on for months now.

Harry’s your friend, you promised, Liam thinks. You promised not to say anything. Harry probably kept his silence with Niall from you because he was embarrassed. That’s understandable, Liam reasons. But there was a new thought that was coming to Liam as he was staring into Niall’s eyes. When Harry eventually tells Niall… He’ll know. He’ll remember this conversation with Liam and how Liam has known this whole time and never said a word. Played with Niall just like Harry has.

Yes, Harry is his friend. But so is Niall. If tables were turned, he’d tell Harry about Niall. He wouldn’t let Harry be lied to and he certainly wouldn’t lie to him himself. So why does he let Niall be lied to? Why does he lie to Niall himself?

Niall has started to walk again and caught up with Liam, making his way to pick up Harry’s gift.

“Niall, wait,” Liam almost yells. “There’s, um, something you should know about that night.”

The 24 ^th of December rolls around faster than expected and Liam finds himself incredibly nervous. He’s in his room and has spend all day preparing for Louis’ birthday night.

Louis is supposed to show up at 6pm, because Liam thought that would give him all day to celebrate with his family and have people drop by to congratulate him. Louis’ mum wasn’t overly happy to let her firstborn go on the night of his birthday but she also didn’t want to stay in the way of Liam and Louis celebrating together.

Liam has prepared a large pot of Louis’ favorite Yorkshire tea, tried to cook the best Italian pasta of his life and decorated his room with both Christmas ornaments and a Happy Birthday banner. He’s set up a small table with plates and cutlery and funny napkins in the middle of his room, which made it hard to walk around but he does not want to have a romantic birthday dinner downstairs around his parents. It’s not the ideal solution but it’s as good as it’s gonna get. Liam can't wait to move out next year.

“Ok, this looks good,” he mumbles to himself as he lights the last candle. His room doesn’t even resemble his own room anymore. It looks like a weird mixture between Christmas, a birthday party and teenage boy. But it’s too late now to change plans so Liam simply hopes that Louis will like it.

All of a sudden he hears his phone buzz. As he checks it he sees it’s a text from Louis.

I’m here. Open up? Don’t wanna alert the Paynes ;)

Liam lets out a small laugh and runs downstairs. He almost falls down the stairs and swears he can hear Ruth let out an annoyed sigh from her room at his stomping. He stops at the front door and takes a deep breath. When he opens the door, Louis is standing there with a huge smile.

“Hey,” Liam grins.

“Hi babe.” Louis walks inside and presses a light kiss on his lips. Liam instantly feels calm and … horny.

“Come upstairs,” he says as he closes the door and grabs Louis’ hand to lead him to his room. Once they’re inside and Louis puts down his backpack, Liam pulls him in for a huge hug.

“Now one more time in person. For real,” Liam says and presses their foreheads together. “Happy, happy, happy birthday, Lou. I’m so glad I met you and that you held my hand and that you like me too and-“

Louis’ little laugh interrupts him and Louis says: “Of course I like you too. Even more than that, don’t be silly.”

They both smile at each other and get even closer to kiss.

“What’s all this?” Louis asks when they break and points at various things in the room. “I feel like we’re celebrating five things at once.” He laughs and Liam looks a bit unhappy, but he knows Louis is just joking.

“We kind of are,” Liam says. “We’re celebrating you because it’s your birthday obviously. And we’re celebrating Christmas because it’s my favorite holiday. And we’re celebrating us because this is a date and I was trying to make it… you know, romantic.”

Louis looks at him with big eyes and a grin on his face, but he doesn’t say anything. Liam feels compelled to keep talking.

“I don’t really think I’m any good at being a boyfriend,” Liam says and gestures around. “I’ve never really been one but I tried my best.”

“Stop,” Louis says and looks like he’s about to cry. “You’re breaking my heart here. This is the most perfect thing anyone has ever done for me.” He takes both of Liam’s hands and gives him multiple small kisses. “I’m being serious. You care so incredibly much and I love it. All of this. You are an excellent boyfriend. Don’t ever doubt that.”

Liam lets out a shy smile and he’s very happy that Louis likes his effort. They share one more passionate kiss before Liam leads Louis to the table and helps him sit down.

“You’re such a gentleman,” Louis laughs and takes his seat. “Who would have thought?”

Liam’s a bit proud of himself and proceeds to dish out the pasta he’s kept warm in a pot. Louis hums at the sight of the food and claps.

“I hope you like it. I’m not a good chef but I wanted to do more than just take-out,” Liam explains and sits down opposite of Louis.

“This time of the year is horrible to get food poisoning, you know?” Louis says and grabs his fork.

Liam laughs and kicks him half-heartedly under the table. “Well thank god this excellent meal will make you feel great then.”

Louis’ grin is still plastered to his face. Actually, they both haven't stopped grinning since Liam opened the door downstairs but he doesn’t even mind.

“Let’s eat!” Liam says and for the next 30 minutes they’re both busy eating and laughing. Louis thankfully loves the pasta and keeps asking for more and part of Liam is worried that they’ll fall asleep right after from eating too much. Louis tells him hilarious stories from his family today and Liam is very content listening and laughing until he can’t breathe anymore. Sometimes, in between stories, they both just smile at each other until Louis drapes a noodle over his face or lets out an animal sound. It’s ridiculous how happy they are but Liam loves every second of this.

They quietly manage to put the dishes in the kitchen once they’ve finished, so they have more space in Liam’s room and it doesn’t smell like food. Louis is sat on Liam’s bed, already changed into more comfortable joggers and a shirt that Liam could swear is his. Liam walks in with two mugs and a pot of hot tea.

“For the birthday boy,” he says and hands one mug over. Louis takes it happily. As soon as Liam sits down on the bed, Louis shuffles over and cuddles up to him.

“I haven't even stretched out yet,” Liam jokingly complains, with Louis’ limbs all over him.

“I don’t care,” Louis muffles and buries his face in Liam’s shoulder. “I’m comfortable.”

Liam laughs but he’s too pleased to move. If Louis is happy, that’s good enough for him. He puts his arm around Louis’ small body and rubs him gently. “You want your present?”

Louis suddenly jumps up and grins in excitement. “Presents? Yes!” He drums on Liam’s leg and then makes grabby hands.

“Alright, let me get it,” Liam says and leans over to open a drawer in his nightstand. “There you go.”

He hands over a light blue envelope. He’s carefully written “Louis” in his best handwriting on it, even though it still looks like a five-year old has scribbled the name on there.

“That’s me!” Louis gleefully says and starts ripping up the paper. If he’s disappointed at the size of his present, he’s not showing it.

Louis pulls out a card and two pieces of paper fall out. He carefully reads what Liam’s written inside and then examines the papers.

“Tickets!” he exclaims and looks back and forth from the tickets and Liam. “Football tickets!”

Liam nods. “I’m not an expert or a big fan but I know you are and I was hoping we could go see a game together maybe. If you want to bring me.”

Louis jumps all over Liam and spreads his arms out over him. “Of course!” He laughs in Liam’s face and starts kissing him. “Of course, of course, of course.”

They roll around on the bed and Liam makes sure that they don’t crumple the card or the tickets.

“Thank you so much, Li,” Louis finally says and sits back next to Liam. “I can't believe you bought those. They’re quite expensive.”

“It’s your birthday,” Liam shrugs.

Louis gives him another smile and grabs his hand. “I love that you got me those. That you even thought of that… You’re top notch.”

“Actually…” Liam begins and softly lets his thumb slide over Louis’ hand. “There is one last thing I have for you.”

“More?” Louis asks and all the excitement is back in his face. Liam nods and pulls Louis closer to him. Louis rests his head on Liam’s chest.

“This one you can’t really take home with you. But it’s still a little something for you,” Liam explains.

“Go on,” Louis whispers and looks at Liam with big eyes. Liam can feel how his heart all of a sudden starts beating like crazy. Having Louis here feels incredible but what he’s about to do makes him really nervous.

“So, we’ve been dating for a while now,” Liam says and Louis simply nods. “And I just- I just want you to know how perfect these past few months have been for me.”

“Li-,“ Louis begins but Liam shakes his head.

“Let me finish. It’s all part of your gift.”

Louis snaps his mouth shut and Liam knows how much self-control that must cost him. He leans down to give him a kiss.

“Last summer I had no idea who I really was or what I wanted. I didn’t even know what I was missing in my life until I met you,” Liam says, trying not to look at Louis. He’s carefully thought of what he wants to say and Louis’ blue eyes definitely distract him from all of that. “Now I know how happy I can be and how much better every day can be when you’re with the right person. I wake up every day and I’m excited that I get to talk to you and do things with you. And none of this has died down. If anything, it’s only grown more and more.”

Liam’s eyes wander back to Louis but Louis looks down and can’t hold Liam’s gaze anymore. His eyes have gotten all watery and Liam realizes how sappy he’s gotten. “I’m sorry, I’m not trying to make you feel uncomfortable…”

Louis just presses his eyes shut and shakes his head softly.

“I just want you to know how much you mean to me, Lou. I’ll always be here for you. As long as you let me, I’ll be yours,” Liam concludes. “I’m not really great with words but… I’ve written something for you that I hope explains everything to you.”

He shifts gently to get up and Louis sits back against the wall with a sniffle. Liam reaches under his bed and pulls out a guitar.

“What-“ Louis knits his eyebrows together.

“Niall’s taught me a few chords, so don’t judge me,” Liam laughs and wraps the guitar strap over his shoulder. He places himself in front of the bed, facing Louis. Right now, his heart is racing uncontrollably fast and Liam’s so scared he’s gonna mess this up. But Louis looks at him expectantly, with tears lingering in his eyes, so he has no choice but to try.

“This is for you, Lou,” Liam says and begins to play. It’s quiet enough not to wake the entire house but his family should know this song by now anyway. He’s been practicing a lot these past few weeks.

Louis lets out a painful sigh when he hears the first few harmonies and pulls his knees all the way up, hugging them with his arms.

And then Liam beings to sing: “ You tell me that you’re sad and lost your way. You tell me that your tears are here to stay. But I know you’re only hiding and I just wanna see you .”

He closes his eyes and focuses on striking the right chords but most of all he wants Louis to know that he means every word he’s written.

“You tell me that you’re hurt and you’re in pain. And I can see your head is held in shame, but I just wanna see you smile again, see you smile again. But don’t burn out. Even if you scream and shout, it’ll come back to you. And I’ll be here for you.”

He risks looking at Louis although it almost makes his voice break away. Louis is pouting with tiny tears rolling over his cheeks. Liam smiles at him before he starts his chorus.

“Oh, I will carry you over fire and water for your love. And I will hold you closer; hope your heart is strong enough. When the night is coming down on you, we will find a way through the dark.”

He manages to get through the rest of the song but by the time he reaches the last chorus, he can barely focus on playing anymore.

“We will find a way,” he sings before hitting the last chord. “Through the dark.”

For a moment they both just stare at each other; then Liam puts the guitar away and Louis meets him at the end of the bed. His eyes are small and his lip is trembling. Liam wraps his arms around Louis and presses kisses on his hair. Louis still doesn’t speak but he’s shaking in his arms and lets out a few sobs.

Eventually he pulls out of the hug and wipes his face with his sleeves. He sniffles one last time before cupping Liam’s face in his hands and looking up at him. “I love you.”

He pulls Liam’s face down and guides their lips together. It might be their emotions running high, but afterwards Liam swears this was their best kiss yet for days. Their tongues softly caress each other and their lips softly nudge the other’s mouth. Liam’s face feels hot from performing and now kissing Louis. Oh, and Louis’ profession. Did that happen?

He presses one last kiss onto Louis’ lips and pulls back. He’s insanely happy that he didn’t mess up Louis’ song and that all his birthday planning worked out and… Louis said he loves him. He loves him. Tenderly he moves his hands on Louis’ hips.

“In case you didn’t get the message,” he says and grins. “I love you, too.”

“And why did you say I can’t take this last present home with me?” Louis whispers and touches Liam’s cheek. “I’ll carry this with me everywhere I go.”

“Are you guys ready?” Liam pops his head back into his room. “I grabbed my jacket and the car keys. We can go now.” He expectantly looks at Louis and Harry, who are both sitting on his bed, holding beers in their hands.

“Yeah let's go see if Perrie knows how to throw a New Year's Eve party!” Louis shouts and jumps to his feet. He's had plenty of beers already, so Liam's not surprised that he's having a little trouble standing upright. But it was New Year's Eve and Louis promised to behave, so Liam in turn promised to take care of him and get him home safely. Louis rushes over to Liam to kiss him on the cheek and then goes to put on his shoes. Harry has been rather quiet all night so far, which wasn't necessarily unusual for him but Liam had the nagging feeling, that Harry's silence had something to do with Niall's weekend trip. Liam hasn't seen either of them for a while now: Harry since their reconciliation two weeks ago and Niall since they went picking up Harry's Christmas gift, when Niall told him that Harry had lied to him – again.

“Are you coming?” Liam steps in front of Harry and raises one eyebrow.

“Yeah, I'm on my way,” he answers, drowns his beers and proceeds to get dressed. Liam can't help but have a confused look on his face. Something was very off with Harry today.

Perrie's party is cute and large. There's a lot of people at her house, of course and Liam has never seen half of them. She neatly decorated the whole place and there's amazing food everywhere and bottles of champagne.

Two minutes after they had entered, Harry already wandered off to greet some random people so when Louis offers to get drinks, Liam decides to grab a plate and load some food onto it.

Perrie is nowhere to be seen but they had all night to say hi, and somewhere Liam suspects Zayn and Niall to be and some more classmates that he'd maybe talk to. Just as he's putting down the meatballs, he hears a familiar voice.

“Nice hat!”

Liam turns around and sees Niall smiling at him.

“Hey! Good to see you,” he says and they hug, not without Niall spilling some of his beer and Liam some of his salad.

“Where did you get that from?” Niall asks and points at Liam's hat. It's entirely black, with a yellow Batman logo in the front.

“Louis got it for me for Christmas,” Liam says and can't hide a little smile. He doesn't mention how Louis has also scribbled his own name plus a heart onto the tag of the hat, so Liam would always think of him when he wears it.

“Sick!”

“I know. How was your... um, getaway?” Liam asks cautiously. He's almost too scared to hear the answer. Harry has managed to avoid him every time he asked him, but Liam knew that Niall would give him an honest response.

Liam has wondered how romantic that trip could have been, given the fact that he hasn't told Niall the truth after all. Instead, he spun a story how Zayn had been drugged the night of the punching and Niall should cut him some slack. It was Liam's awful attempt at getting Niall off Zayn's back. But seriously, Zayn wasn't at fault here, Harry was. And if Harry wasn't gonna admit that to Niall, the least Liam could do was taking some pressure off of Zayn. Right?

“It was awesome. We had such great weather, it was so beautiful and romantic. I'm usually not the cheesy type but it was pretty cool. Didn't he tell you anything about it?”

Liam shakes his head. “No, not really. We haven't really spoken about it.”

“I see...,” Niall murmurs and chugs his beer. That's when Louis comes over and hands Liam his cup of soda. Since he's the designated driver he can't drink obviously.

“Thanks babe,” Liam says and hands over his plate. “Want some food?”

“Hey Niall, and yes, please!” Louis says and starts putting some potato chips in his mouth. Liam laughs at him.

“How was your Christmas? How was your birthday? I'm sorry I couldn't be around,” Niall says eventually and turns to Louis.

“It was great! I got to see all of my family and hang out with this one at night,” he says and wiggles his eyebrows at Liam. “Don't worry, it's not like I was having a party or anything.”

“So, who else is here?” Liam asks in an effort to bring himself back into the conversation. “We haven't even said hi to Perrie yet. Where is she?”

The three of them start looking around the living room where they are standing but none of the faces seem familiar, outside some random classmates. Liam's happy that Louis is here, otherwise he'd probably just have stayed at home.

“I have no clue. She was outside with Jesy and the girls a half hour ago, I think?” Niall says and shrugs. “Did you bring Harry?”

Liam nods and Louis says: “Yeah, he took off right away. You haven't seen him yet?” He side-eyes Liam suspiciously and continues to eat. Liam's happy that he's eating. Maybe that helps soaking up the alcohol so Louis is remotely sober at some point of the night.

“Oh right, he's here. I almost forgot,” Niall sighs and rolls his eyes. “I'll go look for Harry. See ya!”

Liam and Louis both turn around to see what Niall's talking about. Obviously, it's Zayn, who just walked in from outside.

“Do you wanna go say hi?” Louis asks and looks at Liam. He has a little bit of sauce in his face and Liam grinningly wipes it off. “Stop that.”

“Do you wanna go?”

Louis shrugs. “I don't care. But I'll come with you if you don't wanna go by yourself. He's been nice to you, right?”

“I guess,” Liam says and finishes off the plate, since Louis is done eating. “Are you okay with that?”

“Totally. We can be civil. No bad blood!” Louis says and takes a sip of his own drink. “Let's go.” He takes Liam's hand and walks with him over to where Zayn's standing. As soon as he notices them he excuses himself from the group he's talking to and comes over.

“Hey, what's up,” he says and awkwardly waves his hand at them.

“Hi Zayn,” Louis says and Liam sighs. Standing here with his boyfriend and his boyfriend's ex is still a little weird even though he's really come to be accepting of Zayn.

“Glad you guys came! Did you find the food and the drinks alright?” Zayn asks and goes back and forth between the two of them. Clearly he's helping Perrie out a bit as the host of this party.

“Yeah, everything's amazing. It's a cool party,” Liam says happily. “Where's the hostess?”

“She just went and got some more champagne. Should be back any minute,” Zayn explains and looks around. “How was your Christmas? And happy belated birthday. I'm sorry, I guess I could have texted you.” Zayn makes a grimace.

“Thank you, that's really nice,” Louis says with a smile. “Don't worry about it. Our Christmas was amazing. I just love the holidays,” he laughs. “Right?”

Liam agrees and nods. “It was really special. And no school - that's the best part of it!” They share a laugh and Liam relaxes.

“I'm really glad you guys came over,” Zayn says all of a sudden and looks at the both of them. Liam is fascinated by his all-encompassing smile and feels the warmth spreading in his body. It's new to see Zayn so genuinely happy and at ease. Liam immediately likes him more.

“Of course, why wouldn't we?” Liam says, as he sees a blonde rush to Zayn's side. Before he can realize that it's Perrie, she's already planted a kiss on his cheek and waved at Liam and Louis.

“You're here!” She yells and Liam can tell that this is not her first glass of champagne tonight. Or her fifth for that matter.

“Really cool party, Perrie! Thanks for the invite,” Louis says and puts on a genuine smile. Perrie giggles in excitement.

“Naturally! I hope you're having fun! Did you bring Haz? I wasn't sure if he wanted to come but I figured since everyone else is here...” She makes a grimace and throws an uncertain look into the general crowd.

“Yeah, he's here. I just... don't know where,” Liam says and already he's sick of constantly having to look for people in this place.

“I'm gonna go and entertain the other guests. Come find me later, we should do shots together!” Perrie squeals and adds a drunk “wohoo”. Then she kisses Zayn once more and runs off.

“So you guys are... a thing now?” Liam asks disbelievingly and wiggles his eyebrows at Zayn, once Perrie is gone. Surprisingly enough, Zayn seems to be as surprised and shocked about the kiss as Liam and Louis are. He blushes a little bit and avoids looking into their eyes and Louis chuckles.

“Hey, it's cool,” Louis laughs when he sees Zayn shifting uncomfortably. “We're happy for you.”

“It's very new,” Zayn mumbles and presses his lips together. Clearly, this was not something he wanted to talk about yet.

“Good for you mate, good for you!” Louis says and pats Zayn on the shoulder. He's even more amused by Zayn's blushing than Liam and keeps suppressing a laugh.

“I'm gonna go see what she's doing, yeah?” Zayn says eventually and turns to leave. “I'll see you later!” Liam and Louis just nod and watch him disappear into the crowd.

“That was unexpected,” Louis says and faces Liam. “But I guess I'm glad he found someone?” He raises his arm to touch Liam's cheek carefully. “Just like I have.” Liam can't help but smile. Eventually, Louis pulls away and snaps out of his sappy mood. “He never complained about me not having a vagina when we were having sex...”

Liam rolls his eyes. “That's not something I need to know. Also, that's a stupid a thing to say.”

“Have we met?” Louis laughs and drinks eagerly.

All of a sudden, Harry comes up to them out of nowhere. He somewhat hides behind Louis, looks around suspiciously and then comes really close.

“Why are we huddling together?” Liam says, confused.

“You're being weird, Styles.”

“Did Zayn just make out with Perrie?” Harry says without any explanation and looks ridiculously panicked. “Did I see that right?”

“Are you kidding me?” Liam laughs. “And no, you did not. She gave him a peck on the cheek, it's not a big deal.”

“It totally is.”

“You kiss my boyfriend on the cheek all the time,” Louis says in a very matter-of-fact way and eyes Harry. Liam knows that Louis doesn't mind but it's funny to wind Harry up a bit. Louis throws Liam a grin when he sees Harry's overly offended face.

“I don't, not anymore,” Harry says and gasps at Louis. “Me and your boyfriend have been going through a very rough patch lately, as you well know. There has been no kissing, no pecking on the cheek whatsoever.”

“I'm glad we can talk about this freely already, and yes, I've forgiven you for everything so can we please focus on your problem here. What's the big deal? You can't possibly be jealous,” Liam says, trying to shift the focus back on Harry's weird behavior.

“Also,” Louis begins and narrows his eyes. “Where is you boyfriend? The blond one, I mean. Just in case I have to clarify.”

Liam tries not to chuckle at that dig and Harry just shakes his head.

“You two together are insufferable. I need to talk to him alone right now,” Harry says and points at Liam. “Go and be somewhere else, Tomlinson.”

Louis just snorts, leans over to get a kiss from Liam and heads over to some other people he knows. Liam knows that Harry's harsh behavior doesn't irritate Louis in the slightest, so instead of reprimanding Harry he simply says: “Let's go outside and do therapy.”

Harry nods and follows Liam through the big glass door that leads outside onto an inviting terrace, with a giant garden right after it. There's a few people out here, mostly smokers, but it's a big enough space so nobody would listen in on their conversation. When they step outside and get comfortable on one of the wooden benches out on the grass, Liam spots Zayn out of the corner of his eyes. He nods shortly and is glad that Harry hasn't seen him.

“So, you wanna tell me how your weekend with Niall really was?” Liam says once they sat down, sort of facing each other.

“Oh, cut to the chase Liam, will you,” Harry snorts and lights a cigarette.

“You've been nice tonight, I gotta say that. But that's the first time in a long time,” Liam says and looks Harry in the eye. He wants to make sure that he understands every word.

“I'm just a mess. I'm glad you and me worked it out but nothing else has stability right now. I'm sorry for all the stabs I've taken at you,” Harry says and frowns. The alcohol he's consumed so far seems to have loosened him up a bit. Harry seems free and vibrant – not as closed off and in denial as he has for the past few weeks.

“I know that you're unhappy with Niall,” Liam says into the silence and immediately catches Harry's attention. Harry looks around to check if anyone might have heard something, but they're too far away from the next group of people. “You can stop the gasping. Don't act like I said something outrageous. I know you, I can see it in your stupid face.”

Harry looks like he wants to gasp another time but Liam just rolls his eyes. “Seriously, Haz? Be real with me for a second. I need you to stop projecting your unhappiness onto me. I know it bothers you and I know that I'm the only one who knows the whole truth about all of this. It's driving you crazy, isn't it?” He tilts his head a little bit to observe Harry. Instead of saying something, Harry just nods slowly.

“The reason why you were so cross with me, maybe still are, is because you know that I know. And you think I'm judging you,” Liam says and puts his hand on Harry's knee. “I'm not judging you. I'm your best mate. I'm not mad at you because you kissed Zayn or because you're unsure of your feelings towards him and Niall. I'm mad because you're dragging Niall along. It's alright to be confused, I've told you that before. But you can't play and hurt other people in the process.”

Harry silently stares at the ground and lets his cigarette burn away. “You're not that far off,” he eventually murmurs and sighs. Liam smiles at him sadly and keeps patting his leg.

“Look, here's my last offer: I'll help you with... whatever's on your mind. I'll help you through that whole mess with Zayn and Niall, no matter what you're gonna decide you want to do. That's what mates are for, right? And I won't judge. I don't care how you're gonna proceed, you can count on me. But I'm not gonna sit here watching you pretend everything's okay when it's not, and that you're happy with Niall and that you're not bothered by Zayn and Perrie. I'll figure it all out with you, if you want me to. But all of this,” Liam waves his hands around and puts on his most confused face. “Has to stop. I can't do it anymore. Think about it, Haz. Sleep over it. And let me know.”

Harry finally looks up to him again, teary-eyed. He nods and presses his lips tightly together. “I hate you so much right now,” he whispers and rubs his eyes. “But thank you.”

Liam nods and smiles a little. Harry suddenly leans over and puts a soft little kiss on his cheek. “There you go. I heard you've missed those.”

That's when they both start laughing and Liam grabs Harry's curls to mess with them. They lean into each other and Liam loves the sudden feeling of closeness they've been lacking for so long now. It's a new level of completeness for Liam. Before he had Louis, Harry had always been there to cuddle him and hold his hand – literally and figuratively – but the moment he gained Louis, he lost Harry. Maybe now he can have both of them. A boyfriend and a best friend, to complete him and have him give them all the love he holds in his big heart.

“Ask me about the trip again,” Harry says once they've let go of each other and resumed drinking. Harry's even put his serious face back on.

“How was your trip?”

“It was good,” Harry says simply and takes another sip of his drink.

Liam looks a bit confused “Okay..., I guess.”

“But...,” Harry sighs and pauses. Then he looks directly at Liam again. “It doesn't matter. I know, Zayn isn't available and that's probably for the best. But the idea of him is. Somewhere out there. And as much as I want it to be.... it's not Niall.”

Liam takes a deep breath and waits for Harry to continue, but he doesn't. Liam tries to understand what Harry's saying and he has to agree: Zayn might be the wrong answer for Harry, but the fact that Harry's intrigued by him and looking for something else that Niall can't give him speaks volumes. It's a sad realization but it's necessary. He still waits for Harry to continue speaking and when he sees that certain glimmer in his green eyes, that's when it hits Liam.

“You've already broken up with him, haven't you?” Liam whispers, barely audible. He's almost too scared to ask but Harry's slow nodding confirms what he's been thinking. “Oh, Harry...”

Liam can feel his own heart break a little. He leans over to hold Harry in his arms, not caring about the tears that land on his shirt now. Harry's sobbing starts quietly and every bystander probably thinks they're just having a friendly heart-to-heart. But Liam can feel Harry shaking and his tiny quivers and he can't stop from tearing up himself. He caresses Harry where his hands touch him and clings onto him with all the strength he has. “Why haven't you told me before, Haz? I would have been there for you. You know I would have.”

Harry nods and mumbles into Liam's chest: “Was something I had to go through alone.”

“No,” Liam says and pulls Harry up so he can look into his eyes again. “There's nothing you have to go through alone.” He uses his thumbs to wipe away the tears under Harry's eyes. For a while they just stare at each other. Harry, sad and defeated; Liam, sympathetic and understanding.

“We'll get through this. I promise,” Liam says and ruffles Harry's hair. “Do you wanna leave? Why did you even agree to come when you knew that Zayn and Niall would be here?”

“I've always been a masochist,” Harry says with a weak smile and wipes his nose on his sleeve to erase any evidence of what's just happened. “Can you get Louis? I wanna apologize, I've been a twat and he's so nice, and-”

“Haz,” Liam interrupts him and laughs. “Don't worry about it. Louis can take being put in his place every once in a while.”

“But that's why I came! You. And him. I just don't wanna be alone, Liam. I wanna hold onto something, literally. I hope he wants to be my friend, cause I could really need those right now,” Harry explains and Liam can't hide an amused look on his face.

“I'm sure he wants to be your friend, Haz. He is your friend, you don't have to ask him. We're not in kindergarten.”

“Sure feels like it most of the time,” Harry snorts and Liam can't help but agree.

“Just go and get him. You can tell him everything,” Harry says, no, he almost begs. Liam just nods and gets up.

“Well, this conversation has been a roller coaster ride from start to finish,” he laughs and even Harry's mouth resembles a bit of a smile. “I'll be right back.”

On their first day back in school in January, Liam meets just Harry in their cafeteria for lunch, since everybody else is already done with classes for this day. Even Louis decided to go home and get some of his chores done. Liam's always glad for some alone time with Harry now. After all their fighting over the last couple of months they've come full circle and reached a new, better stage of their friendship.

Liam's extremely happy to have his Harry back – a best friend who wasn't Louis and who he could count on at all times. And Harry seemed to be just as happy. Ever since his breakup with Niall, Harry was more relaxed and at ease, even though he was more sad now, too. Trying to hear the end of Harry's story, Liam puts another spoonful of potatoes in his mouth and turns to his friend.

“So basically, I was just completely covered in paint, top to bottom!”

“That sounds horrible, Harry,” Liam laughs and tries not to have too many potatoes fall out of his mouth.

“No, no, I deserve it,” Harry gives back and males big gestures with his fork. “It's probably karma.”

“Karma for what?”

“For breaking up with Niall.”

Liam gives a warning look and puts his cutlery down. “That's rubbish. You didn't fall in paint because you ended a relationship. You fell in it cause you're a clumsy mess.”

“Am not,” Harry shrugs and then after a pause he adds: “Have you heard from Niall ever since the party?”

“No,” Liam shakes his head. “Have you?”

Harry shakes his head as well and reaches for his water bottle. “You should talk to him, if you want to.”

“I side with you. You're my best mate.”

“You don't have to choose sides, Liam. This is not a messy divorce,” Harry laughs and takes a big gulp. “I just want to make sure you're doing whatever you feel is right. Don't cut Niall from your life out of solidarity with me.”

“Alright, alright,” Liam nods. “I'll text him. I was wondering how he was doing, but I thought he probably wouldn't wanna talk to me, since I'm your friend and all.”

“He spoke to you at the party, right?” Harry asks. “So, do whatever you want. I just wanted to say that.”

Liam makes a mental note to shoot Niall a text this afternoon. After all, Harry was right. There was no need to stop being friends now and he really liked Niall. Maybe they could grab some food together some time.

“So what are you gonna do next?” Liam asks as they're both getting up to carry their trays away.

Liam's hung out with Harry a few time since New Year's Eve and each time Harry seemed to be a little bit happier. He wasn't devastated to be without Niall but he clearly wasn't happy either. A few times so far he's doubted his decision but Liam had managed to convince him that it was the right way. Getting back together with Niall seemed like a return to happiness, but Harry knew that he'd still not feel completely fulfilled. Liam did his best to hold Harry's hand and listen to his ramblings and doubts.

“Walk home?” Harry says and throws his garbage away. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, generally,” Liam explains and follows Harry out of the cafeteria. “Do you think you'll be dating somebody soon? Or are you happy right now? I personally still think you need to give yourself some time to get over Niall.”

“Liam, I know that. We've talked about this a billion times,” Harry sighs. “I'm in no rush. I'll figure it all out. First I have to figure out myself and what I want.”

“That could take a while,” Liam laughs and pushes against the doors to go outside. Harry gives him a look and walks through. As soon as they're outside, they bundle up in their jackets and scarves and hats. It's still freezing out, and they both have to walk home in the cold.

When they start walking, Liam continues: “I just want to make sure you're on the right path again. I don't wanna lose you a second time, so let me know what your weird brain is coming up with.”

“I will, I promise. It was a nightmare going through all this crap alone the first time around. I'm happy to have you now,” Harry smiles and Liam nods.

“Good. That's the way it should be.”

“So, what are your plans for the rest of the day?” Harry asks after a while and bumps into Liam's side.

“Just sex, probably,” Liam shrugs mindlessly and hears Harry scoff next to him.

“I love how you're saying that,” Harry laughs. “Just sex.”

“What?”

“Like it's a chore.”

“It's not a chore,” Liam explains. “It's amazing, that's the point.... Can I tell you something?”

“Absolutely.”

“The thing is this,” Liam says. “I'm not sure what happened to Louis over Christmas, but he's constantly... horny.”

Harry lets out a laugh and almost falls into a pile of snow next to them.

“I don't know what it is,” Liam continues, not being irritated by Harry's outburst. “Maybe it's because he's stopped going to football practice, or maybe it's the song I wrote for him.”

“Maybe it's because he's in love with you.”

“He's probably at home right now, preparing for something new and crazy, as we speak,” Liam laughs and Harry elbows him in the side.

“Stop complaining, will you? You're awesome boyfriend can't get enough of you and you're whining?” Harry says and shakes his head. “I wish I could have sex again.”

“Hey, you're penis is locked away for the next few weeks until you've worked through your stuff,” Liam scolds him, although Harry just bursts into laughter.

“You can't just lock my penis away, Liam!”

“And also, I'm not complaining! I'm just saying! This is all so new to me and I feel a little overwhelmed,” he pouts. Harry can't stop grinning.

“I'm happy that he wants to do so much with you. And not just in the sack,” Harry snorts. “He seems like a really good boyfriend and I think he's expanding your horizons in all sorts of ways. And that's a good thing.”

“It's definitely a good thing. I just can't believe that he wants me... so much.”

Harry stops for a second and pulls Liam close.

“Listen, you little potato,” he says and puts both his hands on either side of Liam's head. “I've always told you that you have the world's biggest heart. Any guy that gets to have you is incredibly lucky. You better start believing that somebody can want you this much. Don't always make yourself so small, Liam. You deserve all the love and sex in the world. And I'm glad you've found another potato to give it to you.”

Liam smiles happily at his friend but then he frowns like a little boy: “Lou's not a potato.”

Harry takes a big sigh and directs his green eyes at Liam.

“Yes. Yes he is.”

“Put your coat, we're going on an adventure!” Louis exclaims, as soon as he enters Liam's house later that day.

“Right now?” Liam asks a little confused. He's standing in the hallway in his comfy jogging bottoms and striped socks. Louis on the other hand looks like he's ready for a polar expedition. He's got a fluffy coat on, a scarf wrapped around his neck, his hands are covered by blue gloves and a woolen hat is sitting on the top of his head. Liam sighs and reaches for his winter gear, starting with his boots.

“Could you seem any less excited?” Louis wails and raises his eyebrows. “I've got something awesome planned.”

“I am excited, babe. I just thought we were gonna stay in and watch a movie and cuddle. It's freezing out,” Liam says as he's tying his shoe. Louis just stands next to him and watches, not being a big help.

“We do that everyday. It's time to mix things up a little, don't you reckon?” he says with determination. “You'll love it.”

“How was the rest of your day?” Liam asks when he's back up on his feet, putting on his winter coat. “Did you get all your chores done?”

Louis nods. “Pretty much. I was quick, because I wanted to come pick you up. Mum was very happy with me.”

Liam smiles and lets Louis help him with the scarf. He patiently waits while Louis almost strangles him but it's one of those couple-y things that he just wouldn't want to miss anymore. “Thanks.”

“Alright, ready to go?” Louis says and opens the door. “After you, mylady.”

Liam snorts but still walks through the door first. He grabs Louis' hand for the short little walk to the car that Louis has borrowed from his mum. Louis even opens the passenger door for Liam, which makes Liam laugh.

“What is this, a proper date?”

“Everything we do is a proper date in case you haven't noticed, Liam,” Louis gives back and hops into the drivers' seat.

“Is it far?”

Louis shakes his head and pulls out of the driveway. “No, it's not far. Just let it be a surprise, okay?”

“Fine, but you should have told me if this involves food, because I've just had lunch like an hour ago,” Liam confesses and sheepishly looks over to Louis.

“It does not involve food. Will you just stop the questions now, please?” Louis clarifies with a grin, eyes on the road.

“Oh, I spoke to Niall on the phone right before you got here,” Liam suddenly remembers. “I had texted him when I got home and he called me back.”

“That's nice. How's the Irish?”

“It was little awkward at first because I didn't really know what to say, being Harry's best friend and all...,” Liam says and looks out the window.

“I can only imagine. I know how badly you're doing with awkward,” Louis says and pats Liam's knee.

“Don't be mean. Once we addressed the elephant in the room – the breakup – it was fine. I feel like he was glad that he had someone to talk to about this. And then we talked about other stuff, just general things, you know?”

“I think it's nice that you reached out to him,” Louis says and turns quickly to look at Liam. “I can only imagine how he's feeling. I mean, Harry's seen this coming for a while but Niall must've been pretty surprised, right?”

Liam nods. “He was. I could literally hear how broken his heart is over the phone. I told him to hang out with me this week. I think he really needs a friend right now. Even if that's me.”

“You would be my first choice if I were him, but I guess he and Harry can be civil again at some point. Me and Zayn are. We're all still connected to each other,” Louis says without turning his head.

“Right. Nobody wants to punch Zayn anymore when he shows up, so I guess that's a good thing. I'm actually glad whenever I see him.”

“And he seems really really happy with Perrie. I'm glad that all worked out!”

“Me, too. Look at us, how mature we all are,” Liam laughs. “And Niall will be alright as well. Harry used to call him sunshine and I can't wait for him to glow again.”

“You're a good friend, Li. Nobody on the team is gonna talk to him about it. And as painful as it is, I think he should talk about it to get better,” Louis reckons, using one hand to express his feelings while the other one's on the steering wheel. “I don't ever wanna have to go through a breakup again. Heartache sucks.”

“Unless you're kidnapping me and burying me in the woods, you have nothing to be afraid of,” Liam replies, as they're making a sharp turn into the forest. “Where are we going?”

“You'll see,” Louis says with a devilish grin. The road's getting more and more bumpy now and it's getting even colder. After a few more minutes, Louis stops the car on the side of the road. They're in the middle of the woods and there's snow everywhere. The trees are mostly without any leaves, so the little sunlight that they have can reach the ground and make the scene a little less spooky.

Louis' already jumped out of the car, waiting for Liam to do the same. “Come on!”

Liam opens the door reluctantly and walks up to where Louis is standing. “What are we doing here?”

“I wanna show you something,” Louis says and comes close. “But first, warm me up with a kiss.”

Liam closes the gap between them and puts his mouth on Louis'. They embrace each other tightly, trying to share the little warmth they have between each other. “I'm freezing, Lou.”

Louis reaches for Liam's hand and drags him along without explanation. The cold ground drags out all the heat of their bodies, no matter how well-prepared they were. After a short while, they turn onto a little path that leads them right into the woods and away from the road.

“This is insane. I'm actually starting to believe you're going to kill me and conserve my body in this iciness,” Liam complains but obediently walks right behind Louis over sticks and stones. “Is this even still England?”

Louis just laughs keeps leading the way. “I'm not going to kill you, babe. Stop making me feel bad, I actually thought this would be a fun idea.”

“What would be?”

“This!” Louis exclaims and stops. Liam almost bumps into him but then looks up and looks where Louis is pointing. It's a lake in the middle of the forest. Naturally, it's completely frozen and partly covered in snow. They walk up to the lakefront and admire the view.

“That is in fact really beautiful,” Liam says, visible air coming out of his mouth. “It's kinda romantic.”

“That's what I was going for,” Louis grins. “Do you know what this is?”

“A lake?”

“Not just any lake,” Louis says and looks at Liam expectantly.

“You mean...,” Liam says as he's starting to get an idea where they are. Louis takes Liam's hand again and then he remembers last summer, when he's held Louis' hand for the first time. Right here at this lake. “Lou...”

“This is where it all started. And now I get to hold your hand without wondering if you like me, or if you like Harry or if you're even into boys,” Louis says and smiles. “I get to hold your hand because you're my boyfriend.”

“Right. And you even get to kiss me,” Liam says smug and pulls Louis close. Even though they've kissed thousands of times by now, it still feels different. Special. The fact that Louis brought him to this place and the fact that they've dated for so long now makes Liam all warm inside. “I don't even wanna spend another day without you, Louis Tomlinson.”

“Oh, be careful what you wish for,” Louis laughs and bites Liam's nose. “But seriously, I don't want any of my days to be without you either. I love you so much.”

“I love you, too,” Liam smiles and pulls back. They both face the frozen water now, holding hands and standing closely. “What do you think the future holds for us?”

“I have no idea. But we'll figure it out.”

“This summer it'll all be over,” Liam whispers. “School, I mean. Do you think you'll be staying here?”

“God, no! And you are neither,” Louis declares. “We're getting out of this town. You'll go wherever your passion brings you. And I'll follow.”

“I don't have a passion.”

Louis wrinkles his forhead. “Yes, you do. You're always on fire when you play the guitar and I know how happy it makes you to play the piano. Except from me, there's nothing else you're that passionate about.”

“That's not my... passion,” Liam mumbles. “Is it?”

“Yes, babe,” Louis nods. “That's exactly what your passion is: music. Have you never thought about going to college, doing something with music?”

Liam shakes his head. “I've never really thought about going to college, period.”

“Do you wanna stay in this godforsaken town and fix things for the rest of your life?” Louis asks and puts a tiny kiss on Liam's cheek. “You're much smarter than that. Dream bigger, Li.”

Liam stays silent for a bit and lets Louis' words of encouragement sink in. “Will you come, too?”

“Of course,” Louis smiles. “I'll go wherever you go. I can do anything. Maybe something with drama, I was thinking. Or literature?”

“As long as we're together,” Liam demands and puts his arm around Louis. “We'll figure it out.”

“That sounds like a plan,” Louis smiles and kisses Liam deeply.

“I love you, Lou.”

“I love you, too.”

Liam's feet are numb from the cold, but he couldn't care less.