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“YOU DID WHAT?!” Liam shouted, bringing a hand up to rub at his forehead. He had been on the phone with Louis for less than a minute, and he could already feel a headache coming on.
Really, he should have known this wasn’t going to be a fun phone call as soon as the words “you have to promise not to freak out” came out of Louis’ mouth. Louis’ persistence to make Liam’s life hell had pretty much just became a fact at this point. His full name was Liam James Payne, the sky was blue, Louis lived to make his life hell.
“Oh, come off it, Liam. It’s not that big’a deal.” Liam felt a hysterical laugh bubble up his throat. He could practically see Louis waving his hand in the air, rolling his eyes at Liam’s reaction.
“Not that bag of a deal? Not that big of a deal?!” Liam shouted. “Louis! You’re in jail and you’re telling me it’s not that big of a deal?” It was moments like these that Liam was extremely grateful for the phone separating them. Liam wasn’t entirely sure he wouldn’t strangle Louis, had the man been standing in front of him right then.
“Eh,” was Louis’ oh-so-reassuring reply. “I mean technically, yes. I am being held behind bars, but it’s just a holding cell Liam. It’s not actually jail. I just need someone to come sign me out, reassure the cops that someone will be making sure I ‘never do this again’ and blah blah blah. Really, you coming to pick me up is a formality.” There was a pause, then Louis added, almost as if an afterthought, “And also I don’t have a ride home, so, y’know, there’s that.”
Liam closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose to try and release some of the tension building up behind his eyelids. Fucking Louis.
“Gimme fifteen, then. Jesus, Lou.”
Liam could picture Louis’ shit eating, smug ass grin in his head as the boy said, “Thanks, Liam! You’re a peach!” and hung up.
Fucking Louis.
***
The last thing Liam expected when he got to the police station was to see Louis sitting in a chair next to an officer’s desk, said officer listening raptly to whatever Louis was saying with her head in her hands and hearts in her eyes.
Really, Liam felt like he couldn’t stress this enough: fucking Louis.
“Liam!” Louis’ focus immediately zeroed in on Liam when he walked in, his expression morphing into a sweet smile that had Liam’s heart tripping in his chest. It was his “Liam smile” as their friends had so called it. Sickeningly sweet, with just a hint of something undeniably wicked. Liam wasn’t entirely sure he agreed with them; Louis’ smiles always seemed to be a bit wicked.
“Oh, so this is the famous Liam, huh?” The officer said, also standing and moving around her desk to greet Liam. “I’ve heard so much about you.”
Liam felt his eyebrows climb his forehead, glancing to Louis and finding the boy starting to turn a pretty shade of red.
“U-um, really?” Liam asked.
“Mmhm,” the officer replied. “I just had to know about the boy Mr. Tomlinson was committing a misdemeanor for.”
If anything, Liam was even more confused now. “A misdemeanor? What did he do?” Liam looked back to Louis, who was, oddly enough, trying to burn a hole in the ground with his eyes.
The officer laughed. “I’ll let him explain that to you, yeah? I just need you to sign some forms for me and then you guys are free to go.”
Liam shot her a suspicious glance. “That’s it? No…conditions or anything?”
The officer laughed again. “Nope, not for you at least. Mr. Tomlinson already knows about his fines, and what’s going on his record, but otherwise you’re both free to go. After the forms, though.”
Liam followed the officer when she moved back to her desk, scribbling his name where she told him, all while his curiosity burned bright in the back of his mind. Apparently what Louis had done was a big enough deal to get him arrested, but not big enough to have any serious consequences? Seriously, what did he do?
Once they were finished, the officer thanked Liam, turning back to the paperwork on her desk and all but verbally dismissing them. Liam thanked her, before wrapping one of his hands around Louis’ elbow and all but dragging him out of the station and towards his car.
“Okay,” Liam said as soon as they reached the vehicle. “What, exactly, did you get arrested for?”
Louis shrugged, rolling his eyes all while avoiding Liam’s gaze. “Like the pretty officer said, Liam, it wasn’t a big deal.”
Liam tried not to let the effect Louis’ words had show—but the officer was pretty, okay? And Liam could feel the hot press of jealously settle in his belly at Louis’ flippant words.
“It was big enough to get you arrested, Louis.” And okay, maaaybe Liam hadn’t meant for that to come out quite as harsh as it did, but he was still trying to stamp down his irrational jealousy, okay? He figured he gets a pass.
Louis shot Liam a wide-eyed look, his surprise at Liam’s tone obvious. For a moment they just stared at each other, Louis remaining frustratingly quiet. Liam let out a harsh sigh, bringing his hands up to rub roughly at his face.
“You know what? It doesn’t even matter. Forget it, let’s just go.” Liam rounded the car, throwing himself in the driver’s seat and resolutely looking forward as Louis let himself into the other side, his movements a lot more careful than Liam’s. Louis had barely gotten the door closed before Liam was throwing the car into park, taking off towards Louis’ home.
Logically, Liam knew his bad attitude was unwarranted, it was just…Louis seemed so unwilling to tell him what it was that he’d been arrested for—like he couldn’t trust Liam with that information. And he knew, he knew, that it was more likely that Louis was just embarrassed about whatever it was, but jealousy was still burning hot in his gut and making him more than a little irrational.
They drove in silence for a while, and they were almost to Louis’ building when the man finally spoke up.
“Liam, can we…can we make a short stop somewhere?” Liam saw Louis twine his hands in his lap as he spoke, his nerves obviously bleeding through. “It’ll be really quick, I promise.”
Liam felt a sigh make its way up his throat, but he swallowed it back. “Fine.”
Louis bit his lip, murmuring a quiet thank you before asking Liam to take a left. Liam did so, following Louis’ directions until he asked him to pull over in the known graffiti district. Liam put the car in park, more than a little confused when he turned face Louis.
“Well, c’mon then, Liam,” Louis said, and with that he was getting out of the car and walking down the street. Liam had to scramble out of the car and jog to catch up with him. He followed Louis around the corner, almost running straight into him when he came to an abrupt stop in Liam’s path.
“In hindsight, this was probably a really dumb idea.”
Liam looked up, his brows drawing together as he processed Louis’ words.
“What was a dumb idea?”
Louis gave a wild gesture to the wall in front of him. When Liam looked forward, he felt his breath stick in his throat as he took in what he saw.
“Louis,” Liam whispered, more than a little awed. It wasn’t because the sight in front of him was anything spectacular looking—it definitely wasn’t, Liam could tell it wasn’t done by anyone with a lot of artistic talent—but it was what was on the building in front of him that had his breath catching.
The words “Go out with me?” were written, surrounded by a bunch of silly cartoon hearts and Louis’ signature smile.
Liam was pretty sure his heart was about to beat out of his chest, happiness rising in him like a flood, before a thought occurred to him.
Louis had only brought Liam here because Liam had asked, because Liam asked to know what had gotten Louis arrested in the first place, and then gotten pissy when Louis wouldn’t tell him.
Louis had planned to ask someone out, had gone and made an over the top gesture in typical Louis fashion, and that person wasn’t Liam. He didn’t even want to tell Liam about the graffiti, and why would he? Louis probably knew about Liam’s feelings by now—it wasn’t like Liam was the poster boy for subtlety—and was trying to stave off the awkwardness that would no doubt arise when Louis told Liam.
In a flash, the hot coals of jealousy flared in Liam’s stomach and he felt tears well up behind his eyes. He pushed them back, determined not to let them fall.
“Oh,” Liam let out. “This is, um, this is really nice, Louis.”
Behind him, Louis let out an indignant snort. “You’ve got to be shitting me.” Liam spun around to face Louis at the incredulous tone. “I get arrested for your ass and you say this is really nice, Louis. What the fuck.” Louis’ tone went up at the end, trying to mock Liam’s voice. Liam had half a mind to be offended, but he was too busy trying to figure out the implications of Louis’ words.
Louis had said he’d gotten arrested for Liam. As a matter of fact, the police officer had said she needed to know about the boy Louis had committed a misdemeanor for, and Louis had told her about him.
I’m an idiot, Liam thought as Louis started ranting in front of him—talking a mile a minute about stupid, dense boys and their complete lack of appreciation and blah blah blah. Liam wasn’t really listening anymore, but he was smiling. He was grinning at Louis so hard he probably looked like a maniac.
“I love you,” Liam cut it, stopping Louis mid rant.
“What?” Louis asked, his eyes wide as they focused on Liam’s.
“I said I love you.” Liam took a step forward, planting himself directly in Louis’ space and cupping his jaw in both hands. “Like, so much.”
“Oh,” Louis breathed out, his eyes darting between Liam’s eyes and mouth. “So, um. Is that a yes, then?”
Liam rolled his eyes, not bothering to answer as he leaned down and captured Louis’ lips with his own.
“Mmm,” Louis murmured. “So a very enthusiastic yes, then?”
Liam was rolling his eyes, even as he was leaning down for another kiss.