Archive of Our Own

Liam caught himself watching the clock above the entrance to the diner, then checking it against his phone to make sure it was right. Time dragged on as it always did on the overnight shift, something about being in an empty diner that made time slow to a halt. Tonight, though, he wasn’t waiting on his shift to end, but something else entirely. Thursdays was their usual day for coming in and as the clock ticked closer to three am he wandered to the fridge in the back to make sure the freshest pies were out and waiting. Louis, with the swoop of bronze hair that could go any direction and always looked good, liked the fruit pies and Harry, with curls and arms that went on for days, liked chocolate. The Irish one, Niall, mostly blonde Liam supposed, just liked everything.

The diner itself was somewhat ridiculous in its menu and decor. One long counter that blocked the grill and kitchen area ran along the wall facing the door with seats settled at it for patrons to sit. The other four walls of the long and skinny restaurant were lined with booths of varying sizes that sat against the windows that looked on to the street. The neon sign in the window glowed the words ‘open 24 hours’ and matched the neon sign over the grill which proclaimed “Freddy’s” in a swirling script. Everything was in retro colors, something that managed to land on comforting rather than eyesore. London didn’t need an American diner considering most of the locals would rather spend a night after drinking in a kebab shop, but apparently it did well in the morning with tourists, desperate for an American breakfast. Its night crowd was always thin, a few people here and there, which was fine for Liam. It gave him a chance to work on homework in peace and quiet while he got paid to manage the shop.

Thursdays were different though. Thursdays they came in after they got off whatever it was they did for work, loud and full of life in a way Liam envied. They demanded the music be turned up, they ordered desserts and chips, and they danced and yelled and made a giant mess. Liam hated cleaning up after them at the tail end of his shift, but they always tipped well and it was worth it just to watch them. They’d managed to become endearing rather than annoying.

At half past three, the door to the diner swung open and the voices coming in overpowered the bell above the door. They were singing, some terrible rendition of a Backstreet Boys song, but the harmonies were perfect despite the fact that they were half yelling the chorus. Liam closed his books, setting them aside and standing up straighter as he reached for his notepad to take their orders. Louis spotted him first, bouncing away from where he was tangled up with Harry, and bounded over to the counter, pushing up to sit on it facing away from Liam with a grin as they finished off the chorus, directing his little trio until the they got to the end and he cut them off with a flourish. He leaned his head back, his hair hanging upside down as he looked at Liam with a wide grin and bright blue eyes. “‘Allo Leeeeummm,” he said, drawing out his name.

“Hello,” Liam answered with a little wave. He didn’t call them by their names because technically he didn’t know them. He only knew what they were because they tended to yell at one another and they only knew his because he wore a name badge that had his clearly printed on it. There hadn’t been a point when they’d gone through proper introductions and, now that it was too late for it, Liam felt wrong calling them by names he’d picked out of conversations that he probably wasn’t supposed to be listening in on. (Even though they were shouted conversations that were impossible to not overhear, it was a matter of principle and manners.)

Louis laughed at him, waving back, which just made Liam’s cheeks pink lightly. “Oooh, what kind of pie do you have?” Harry asked, moving to the stands that were set on the counter in three easy steps with his long gait.

“Pie?” Louis echoed, turning so he was pretty much laying on the counter and Liam had to clear his throat.

“Could you not...the counter…” he asked, or mostly asked, swallowing hard before daring to poke at Louis’ shoulder with his pen. Louis looked up surprised, eyes sparkling before he pushed back at Liam’s hand. Liam felt himself blush again and it made Louis laugh more, but at least he slid his skinny-jeaned self off the counter and over so he was tucked under Harry’s arm to look at the pies. “There’s chocolate and raspberry,” Liam explained, wishing his voice didn’t sound so much like he was asking a question rather than answering one.

“I don’t know how you two can eat pie,” Niall said, shaking his head and sitting at the counter across from Liam with a sly little grin. His eyes always looked like they were laughing, which went well with his personality since also seemed to always be laughing. “Chips with cheese, mate. Oh, and maybe a burger too. Yeah, a burger.” Liam scribbled it down and nodded, smiling back at Niall because it was impossible not to. He wondered if he was the kind of guy everyone loved to be around. It seemed the only possible answer.

Something crashed off to Liam’s right and he turned, alarmed as Niall started laughing. Louis and Harry had fallen over and were now on the floor, Louis straddling Harry’s hips, tickling him mercilessly while Harry giggled and squirmed. “Say it!” Louis was yelling as Harry swatted at his hands, but Louis was too quick, too able to move to another spot as Harry giggled more.

“No!”

“Say it!”

“No! Stop, Lou!” Louis switched from tickling to pinching and Harry yelped. “Fine! Ow! Fine, you win! You win!” That was enough for Louis, who jumped up, fists pumping in the air in victory, which he followed by taking a bow.

“What did he win?” Liam asked, not able to help himself. Niall just laughed more, holding his side.

“No idea, mate. Never matters. Just so long as he wins.”

“Hush, Nialler.” Louis was beaming, leaning on the counter again, looking like he might climb on top of it once more. “Leeeummm. I would like the raspberry, but only if you have-”

“Ice cream to go on top of it?” Liam finished for him. It was what Louis wanted every time, so it was easy to guess and worth interrupting him to watch him light up like he did.

“Yes. Exactly that, you gorgeous thing you,” Louis said before laughing again, leaving Liam to guess that the warmth in his stomach at being called gorgeous was also on his cheeks.

“I’ll have the chocolate,” Harry called from where he still lay on the floor and Liam just made a little check next to what he’d already written down.

“Tea! And tea!” Louis added and Liam nodded. The place mostly had coffee, another American thing that went with the theme, but there was definitely a stash of tea for the locals who wouldn’t drink coffee to save their lives.

“Teas all around,” Liam added then moved to get their food started. “Sit wherever you want.”

Louis leaned up, reaching across the counter to rub Liam’s hair which left him freezing in his steps. “It’s growing back in,” he said softly, voice different and just for Liam, which definitely did not make Liam’s insides turn to liquid. Not at all.

“Um… yes,” he said wishing he had a better answer than that. He’d buzzed his hair off on a whim, not wanting to deal with the messy curls anymore, but he’d let it start to grow in again, not liking how cold his head was during the winter without his hair.

“Good,” Louis said with a softer grin Liam hadn’t ever seen before. “It was a shame you had nothing to play with.” He ruffled his hair again, then jumped down and ducked below the counter to pull Harry to his feet with a tsking click of his tongue. “So lazy, Hazza. So. Lazy.”

The sweet, soft voice was gone and Louis was back to being loud again, dragging Harry along the floor of the diner by the collar of his pea coat. Liam had to have imagined it. He had to. Scrubbing at his cheek, he focused on getting their drinks and making their food so he wouldn’t have to think about Louis touching him. Or hallucinating Louis touching him.

By the time Liam was carrying their food over to the corner booth they’d taken over, coats were tossed aside, leaving Liam to ponder, like he always did, just what it was they did before they wound up in his diner. Niall’s tank top hung off shoulders that didn’t look nearly that defined when he was wearing his jacket. Harry’s shirt was unbuttoned mostly to his waist, revealing his smattering of tattoos across his chest. Louis was the icing on the cake in a deep scoop-neck shirt that was practically painted on it was so fitted. Liam was lucky he didn’t drop the plates in his hands as they stopped throwing napkins at each other and all turned to look at him. Louis was obviously sitting on his feet so he was taller in his seat, making grabby hands for his pie. Liam handed it off first, then set down the rest just in time for Louis to make a disgustingly pornographic noise around his first bite of pie. “Perfect,” he murmured, drawing out the word, but still making it sound sharp in his northern accent. Liam was relieved his hands were empty and his knees weren’t as weak as they felt.

“Good,” he managed with a deep breath and a smile. “Anything else?” he asked, looking around the table at shaking heads with full mouths. “Great.” Liam smiled and turned to go back to his homework when Louis smacked on the table loudly and he spun back around. The bright spot of a human was pushed most of the way up out of his seat, grinning and shouting his name despite the fact that Liam was right there. “What?”

“Music?” Louis asked hopefully, a smile that probably got him whatever he wanted playing at the corners of his mouth.

“Of course,” Liam said before smiling back and starting back to the counter.

“Told you, mates. He’s the best there is.”

Liam felt his cheeks go warm, knowing his neck was too because Louis immediately laughed at him and Liam moved faster back to the safety behind his counter and his books. He flicked the stereo volume up, setting it to something cheerful and poppy, giving his customers something to sing along to as they always did.

By the time they left, they’d had two more pieces of pie and there were chips scattered around the floor by the booth they’d been in, but Liam wasn’t really upset about it. There’d only been one or two more customers, which meant that Liam had had most of the night to be distracted from his homework by Louis standing in the booth dancing or Harry singing or Niall doing a rousing bit of air guitar. The sun was coming up when they stumbled out of the booth and towards the door, waving at Liam. He did his best to seem casual and not notice the way the light in the windows was glinting off Louis hair, so much that he wasn’t looking up after the bell over the door rang and he assumed they’d left.

“Liam.”

The voice was exaggeratedly quiet, like a stage whisper from somewhere behind him, and enough for him to jump and drop the plate he was putting away. It shattered when it hit the floor, but Liam only saw Louis’ impish little ‘oops’ face and before he looked up at Liam with something that really could only be called a giggle. His hair had fallen down, fringe hanging in his eyes, which looked adorably sleepy and Liam and an undying urge to ask him where he was going to sleep and if he could come along. Not that he did that sort of thing. He didn’t really date. Not for lack of trying, but dating and Liam meant opening up about more than work and his studies and Liam just wasn’t good at that. No one wanted to hear about him. That wasn’t even going into the part of him that didn’t know how to make a move. He wanted to, often, but he was so sure it wouldn’t be wanted that he always held back.

“What?” he said as Louis stared at him, realizing he was supposed to say something. He looked behind him to see Harry and Niall huddling in jackets outside in the cold.

Louis looked at the plate on the floor again then huffed a laugh when he looked back up at Liam. He expected Louis to say something, anything, but instead he just licked his lips in an oh-so-distracting way and then pushed up on his tip toes so he could reach the top of Liam’s head, mussing up his hair before falling back. “Good morning!” he said quickly, then turned on one foot and hurried out the door to his friends. He all but leapt into their waiting arms and then the trio started off, leaving Liam staring at them, then around, wishing there was someone else there to confirm it had actually happened. It had happened hadn’t it?

Probably not.

--------

Zayn was huddled over a cup of tea at the kitchen table with his drawings scattered around him when Liam walked into their little flat later that morning. He had a look that said he’d been up all night, which was the only explanation for him being up at dawn rather than fast asleep in his bed or on the futon. “You okay?” Liam asked, setting down his bag and running his fingers through his hair, getting the flash of Louis doing it again, and shaking it away.

When Zayn looked up he was all dark circles under his eyes, which should have been less attractive, but instead gave him a haunted look against his sharply beautiful features. It was a shame he liked Zayn so much as his best friend. He’d be a lot easier to date than the other boys he went out with. “Fine enough,” he murmured. When they first met, Zayn mumbling was impossible to understand and Liam had spent forever just smiling and nodding, hoping Zayn didn’t need him to answer. At this point though, the drawl of his words were easy to sort out and Liam wondered why he ever struggled in the first place. “It’s Friday morning, how were the boys?”

“You don’t look fine enough,” Liam said, putting the kettle on again to make his own tea. He had time to get a few hours of sleep before classes, but Zayn took priority. “They were themselves. Gorgeous. Loud.” He paused for a moment. “Friendly.”

“Portfolio review for tomorrow. Today. After lunch. I can’t decide what’s any good.” Zayn waved to the artwork around him, and Liam looked over Zayn’s shoulder, picking up a few of his sketches. Zayn leaned back and looked at him. “Friendly? That’s a new one.”

Liam shook his head, then ran his fingers through his hair again. Stupid Louis. The other two, they were gorgeous, but the smallest of the three with his bright eyes and big laugh, he was so distracting. Liam knew he had a giant crush on him, he had since the first time they’d walked into the diner months before. “It’s not new. I’ve called them friendly before.” He handed Zayn one of his drawings to use and then went back to the kettle.

“Yeah, when they first showed up. Then they were friendly. Lately they’ve been gorgeous, loud, messy, charming, funny, once when you were really tired you said sexy.” He picked off the words on his fingers. “What changed?”

It was frustrating that Zayn knew him so well. Liam really wished he could just hide something from his best friend, but apparently not so much. “It was nothing. I probably imagined it.” He focused hard on pouring the hot water into his mug and not the way Zayn was staring at him.

“Louis?”

Liam winced and didn’t turn around. “Why would it be him?” he asked.

“Because he’s the one you like the most.”

“I don’t even know him.”

“Like that matters.”

“I don’t like him the most. It’s because he’s the loudest one. And so confident and silly. And so not me. I wouldn’t be able to be around him more than once a week.” Liam moved to sit down across from Zayn, shuffling through his drawings again handing over two more.

“I highly doubt that.” Zayn took the drawings and tucked them in his large folder without even questioning it. All of Zayn’s artwork was good, but he always doubted himself when he had portfolio reviews in school. His marks always came back top, but he usually needed Liam to see through the cloud of self-criticism to pick out what was best. So far the system had worked and now there wasn’t any point in questioning it.

“Then I’m not interesting enough,” Liam said, not fighting Zayn’s denial of his first assumption.

“Doubt that too. You’re interesting.”

Liam gave Zayn a look then picked two more drawings, holding one up to Zayn. “You’re interesting. Not me. I’m interesting because I know you. They only know my name because I wear a name badge.”

Zayn chuckled and took the drawings from Liam and shook his head. “You are though. I think so.”

“I have you fooled. Do you need anymore?” he asked motioning towards the drawings.

Zayn flipped through what he had and shook his head and closed the binder, stacking up the rest. “No this is enough. What did Louis do?”

Liam ducked his head and ran his fingers through his hair again. “Nothing really. He...touched my hair. And had this softer smile. And then when he left...he stayed behind and did it again.” He didn’t look up again until after Zayn started laughing. “What? Why are you laughing at me?” he whined.

“Because you’re ridiculous. You like him. He’s flirting with you. It’s so adorable that you don’t realize it.” Zayn packed his things up and got up. “I’m going to bed. You should to.” He patted Liam’s head then started towards his room.

“I’m pretty sure I hallucinated it!” Liam called after Zayn who just laughed again.

“If you’d hallucinated it you would have hallucinated him kissing you!”

The door closed behind Zayn and Liam sighed, slumping on his arms on the table. Zayn was right. He would have.

-----------

Half an hour before the trio showed up the next Thursday, Zayn walked into the diner to Liam’s complete and utter mortification. “What are you doing here?” he demanded as Zayn settled himself in one of the counter seats across from Liam and casually pulled out his sketchbook.

“I wanted to see them.”

“See who?” Liam’s voice came out in a very unattractive squeak and he swallowed to repeat the question trying to sound less panicked and less like a fourteen year old. “See who?”

“Whom I think, but your boys. I want to meet them.” Zayn peered at him closely. “Did you fix your hair?”

“You can’t meet them if I don’t even know them!” Zayn gave him that look that said he was being ridiculous, then went back to his sketch book, flipping to a blank page and starting to draw without looking up at Liam. “I didn’t fix my hair,” he grumble softly even though he most certainly had. Somehow Zayn managed to hum sarcastically in response like he didn’t believe Liam at all.

Zayn’s presence made him nervous, but he still went about setting out the best pies and getting things ready for whatever Niall might want to eat, trying to ignore the way Zayn kept his eyes on him. His back was turned when the bell over the door rang out and Louis, of course it was Louis, was calling out to him. “Liam! My sun and my stars!” When he turned, Louis whose hair was more quiffed than usual, had draped his arms across the counter, laying almost flat on it, hands grabbing towards Liam.

“He just started watching Game of Thrones,” Harry filled in with a small wave before he headed right for the pies.

“I haven’t seen Game of Thrones,” Liam said with a frown, but found himself drifting closer to Louis’ hands which hooked in his shirt once he was in reach.

“Khaleesi calls her strong warrior prince that once she falls in love with him. It seemed fitting.” Louis grinned up at him and Liam got lost in all of it until Zayn snickered next to him. Louis frowned, then turned his head to stare at Liam’s best friend. “Who is that?”

“Um,” Liam started eloquently, but found his words as Louis’ eyes narrowed at Zayn. “That’s Zayn. My flatmate.” Zayn, because he was nothing but helpful, waved like he belonged there and wasn’t intruding and Liam wanted to die. Louis’ fingers pulled tighter in Liam’s shirt, almost possessively.

“‘Allo flatmate Zen.” Louis’ voice lacked the lightness it had had moments before and almost sounded terse and Liam was pretty sure he’d messed up Zayn’s name on purose.

“Zayn,” he corrected.

The bell rang again and Liam looked up realizing belatedly that that Niall hadn’t been with the other two. “Hey, Li-” Niall’s face changed when he spotted Zayn, a different smile taking over his features. “Hello there.”

Louis fingers loosen as Zayn’s attention turned to Niall and Liam watched his eyebrow raise as he smiled back slowly. “That’s Li’s flatmate Zee.” Liam opened his mouth to correct Louis again just as his fingers brushed against the bare skin of his stomach and instead his breath caught in his throat.

“Zayn,” Zayn corrected for himself. “And you are?”

“Niall,” the blonde said, stepping closer and holding out his hand for Zayn to take. Liam was busy watching them, baffled at how easily, Zayn of all people, had found himself introduced and chatting with these people that Liam had felt so removed from and yet wanted to be a part of.

Fingers tugged at his shirt again, enough that he stumbled forward half a step, looking down to see Louis looking up at him still sprawled across the counter, eyes narrowed as if trying to determine what he was thinking. “Sun and stars…” he started accent making it sound so enticing. No wonder the warrior fell in love with the girl. There was something heady about being called that.

“Yes?” Liam asked, hating that his voice sounded hopeful.

Louis looked smug, eyes softening and mouth curling into a smirk. “Pie?”

“Cherry okay?”

“With ice cream.”

“Of course.”

Louis grinned and purposefully, or at least it seemed like purposefully, grazed his fingers across Liam’s stomach before he pulled back and skipped back towards his booth, grabbing Harry as he went, spinning the taller boy before the fell into the booth in giggles, wrapped up in each other. “I want chocolate!” Harry called before Louis pounced on him, attacking him with tickles or something that made his curls fall in his face as he giggled.

Liam turned to look at Zayn, but his friend was lost in conversation with Niall, their heads close together as Niall gestured through some story and Zayn just smiled sweetly, nodding where he should. So it would seem Liam was alone in this then. He sighed, trying to ignore the occasional squeal from the booth or the way that he couldn’t tell where Harry started and where Louis ended.

He had to clear his throat when he got to the table with their pie, setting the plates down and trying hard not to look at the way Louis was sucking a mark onto Harry’s neck as Harry tried to swat him away, but not very hard. They both looked up at him, but Louis giggled and pressed his face into Harry’s neck as Harry smiled at Liam. “Cheers mate,” he said sleepily, though Liam wondered if that was just how Harry talked. He elbowed Louis once more and Louis fell back on the booth, head hanging off the edge as he laughed. Liam wasn’t sure if they were laughing at him or not so he left, cheeks pinking as he ducked his way back to his counter.

His hopes that Zayn would help explain things were lost when he found Niall flipping through the sketch book while Zayn quietly explained what he’d been working on and trying not to smile too brightly as Niall complimented his work. Liam didn’t blame him, not at all, but it felt him feeling incredibly lonely and he forced himself to concentrate on his abandoned homework instead of the acid filled twisting in his gut. He should have sent Zayn home the moment he’d walked in the door. They were his boys. There weren’t pairs. But now there were pairs and he was left alone, re-reading the same sentence over and over again.

He forced himself not to look up every time there was a louder giggle from the booth in the corner. Once was enough of seeing Louis’ head resting on Harry’s shoulder while they talked between them. Nor did he need to see the way Niall’s fingers traced the lines of the tattoos on Zayn’s forearm while they talked, like they’d been dating for ages. No one even needed anything, which mean Liam was left alone, working his way through trying to take notes on his reading until Harry and Louis came out of their corner to retrieve Niall to go.

When Niall protested lightly, Liam looked up in time to see Louis staring at him thoughtfully from where he was tucked under Harry’s arm, his hand disappearing under Harry’s coat. Harry had more marks on his neck than just the one Liam had seen Louis give him and realization hit him like a ton of bricks. Louis and Harry. It made sense. Perfect sense. Beautiful should be with beautiful and they were such a perfect contrast, so lovely together that Liam couldn’t believe he hadn’t come up with that one on his own. He looked away immediately, blushing wildly for even thinking he’d had a chance. Quickly, he closed his books and headed straight for the booth and the abandoned plates, clearing them away until the bell over the door rang with them leaving and whatever murmurs of conversation there had been died away.

“You forgot to mention Niall,” Zayn said somewhere between sleepily and dreamily when Liam came back and dumped the empty dishes into the washer.

“I mentioned him. I didn’t spend a lot of time waxing eloquently on how lovely he was.” Liam wiped his hands off, not looking up at Zayn.

“Right because you were too busy doing that for Louis. Who is beyond fit by the way.”

“Doesn’t matter. Plus you know you don’t think he’s as great as Niall.” Liam went back to his books, packing those up as well. He had half an hour left of his shift. He wasn’t getting more homework done. The best he was doing was ringing up their ticket and taking out his tip, which was actually pretty good for two pieces of pie. Maybe it was an apology for letting them snog in the back of the diner.

“No, but still. And he seems to like you.”

“He’s with Harry.”

Zayn made a face. “Did he say that?”

“Didn’t have to. Doesn’t matter. I might switch to Tuesdays anyway. Work in some extra lessons on Friday mornings.”

“You already work Tuesdays.”

In his panic, Liam had forgotten that. “Wednesdays then.” Zayn didn’t look impressed or like he believed Liam at all. For a moment Liam worried that he would ask him why and Liam would have to explain out loud about how he felt simultaneously green with jealousy and sick with shame for thinking for more than two seconds that Louis might like him and might not be laughing at him because he was an easy mark. He should have assumed he was an easy mark. He was an easy mark. Instead, Zayn just flipped back to the blank page in his book and started drawing. Liam sighed in relief that he didn’t have to voice his feelings, but he guessed it was because Zayn already knew what he was thinking. Another downfall to letting someone close.

-------

Despite wishing he hadn’t let his friend get close, it turned out Zayn was still a good friend. He let Liam mope and try and change his schedule (his boss actually laughed at him, said no, and hung up) until Saturday night. Then he was opening the door to Liam’s room and ignoring their unofficial standing rule that closed doors meant knocking or possibly not bothering at all. He’d thought that was a rule at least. Maybe it was just a rule for him.

“Good, you’re here. Get dressed in something cute.”

Liam turned in his desk chair, pausing and minimizing the extremely sad playlist that was playing. He definitely had not been listening to sad breakup songs or looking up YouTube videos from Game of Thrones to see what all the fuss about being called Louis’ sun and stars was about. “Something cute?” he asked frowning at Zayn.

“Yes.” Zayn let himself all the way into Liam’s room, opening his closet and looking through it.

“Why cute?”

“We’re going out.” Zayn pulled out a shirt then made a face and put it back. He grabbed another, something plaid, looked more appraising, then took it off the hanger. “I’m keeping this.”

“I like that shirt! And I’m not going out.”

“It’ll look better on me. You shouldn’t wear nearly as much plaid as you do. And you are, because I didn’t really ask you a question.”

Liam supposed Zayn hadn’t asked a question, but that didn’t really change anything. At least not until Zayn handed him a shirt, something soft and gray that he hadn’t worn in a year at least.

“Ten minutes,” Zayn said with a smile before he left the room again and Liam realized he didn’t have an option even if he didn’t want to go. He took the full ten minutes though, pulling on the shirt and frowning at it because it fit differently than it had when he’d bought it. Apparently the trips to the gym were paying off, which was great, but that hadn’t ever been the goal. Or, the shirt that fit around his arms well and hugged his chest wasn’t the goal. He wound up changing his jeans to something darker that fit better and messed with his hair to try and make it go in a single direction instead of all of them then grabbed his jacket.

Zayn was waiting, leaning against the kitchen table and grinning when he saw Liam. As always, Liam wasn’t sure why he bothered when his flatmate looked like Zayn did, but he still smiled back at his friend. “You look good,” Zayn said as Liam popped the collar on his jacket and rolled his eyes. Zayn was in a black t-shirt under a hoodie and leather jacket and looked like a model. Liam looked plain standing next to him.

“And you look like a model. Where are we going?”

“You’ll see.” Zayn linked his arm with Liam and Liam knew it was so he couldn’t get away at the last moment. He grabbed his keys by the door and let Zayn lead him out of their building and down to the tube station. They didn’t talk much as they walked, just a small bit of back and forth, but neither one of them really needed to talk. Zayn didn’t waste words on idle chatter and provided the silence wasn’t uncomfortable, Liam didn’t mind it.

The club was only a few stops away, close to where Liam worked and Liam frowned as they walked up to the door which already had a line wrapping around the building of people waiting to get in. “We aren’t ever going to get in here,” he told Zayn.

Zayn smirked at him then patted his arm and headed straight towards the bouncer. He leaned in to whisper something, motioning towards Liam before the guy nodded and Zayn was waving Liam over. “Come on, we’re in,” he said once Liam was close, pulling him inside where they dropped their coats at the coat check and pushed their way into the main part of the club.

It was full to the point of bursting, loud music playing and already shifting Liam’s pulse to match the pounding bass. Zayn pulled at his shirt, dragging him forward, where the raised bar seemed to be the center of focus. It took him a moment to realize just why that was when there was a packed dancefloor, but as the song shifted to a guitar solo a shock of blonde hair was suddenly standing on the bar moving with it while the crowd cheered. Niall, doing his all too enticing air guitar, which included far more hip thrusting than it ever had at the diner.

Liam felt himself flush as Zayn pushed through the crowd to get them closer to the bar. The music changed again, something sultry despite the thumping, probably Katy Perry, but it didn’t matter. It started with the voice, one Liam knew well from hearing it sing a variety of pop songs in the middle of the night. It was more pointed as everyone cheered though and Harry climbed up on the bar, microphone in hand. Niall joined in, working his hips in time with the song and Liam tripped over his own feet. If Harry was here and Niall was here that could only mean…

“Oi! Whatcha drinking?” He knew that voice. He knew it the instant he was close enough to the bar. He couldn’t see him yet, but he could hear him. Zayn pressed against the bar, eyes up and glued on Niall who loomed over him and Liam knew he couldn’t ignore that voice. Liam swallowed hard when it was right in front of him, something he couldn’t pretend not to hear even with Harry crooning in the speakers. “What can I get you-Liam?!”

Liam looked up to see Louis standing there in a tank top that barely counted as a shirt considering it sunk low enough that the tattoo on his chest was fully visible and his arms were completely exposed. “Um…”

Louis stared, then his eyes cut to Zayn and he looked up at Niall, and there they narrowed. “What do you want to drink?”

“I don’t-“ Liam started, trying to elbow Zayn for some help, but he was distracted.

“You do tonight.” Louis didn’t hesitate in making him a drink then following it up with two shots, sliding one across the wide bar to him with the glass. “Cheers mate,” he yelled, holding up the second shot until Liam did the same then knocked it back. Liam knocked his own back, trying not to cough as it burned down. He was terrible at shots. And terrible at drinking in general. He had a drink in his hand though, looking up Louis, expecting something else, but the smaller man had moved on, making more drinks. Harry’s song finished up and he and Niall were dropping back down behind the bar to more cheers from the crowd.

The moment Niall was behind the bar Louis had his hand in his shirt, dragging him away from the bar and angrily shoving a bottle into his hand, though Liam had a guess it had nothing to do with the bottle, but more the way that he angrily gestured towards Liam and Zayn. When Niall broke out in a grin at the sight of Zayn, Louis smacked him on the back of the head. There was more obvious shouting and then Louis turned on his heel and stalked away. Liam felt like it was his fault, but he wasn’t at all sure what he’d done.

Niall rolled his eyes at Louis’ retreating form, then bounced over to the bar, pushing up on it to get to Zayn, looking like he was going to kiss his cheek but catching the corner of his mouth. In a move Liam wished he could manage, Zayn turned, pulling Niall in for a proper kiss which just resulted in hoots from the patrons around them. The kiss went on in a perfect clash of light and dark until a lime wedge bounced off of the side of Niall’s head. Liam looked back down the bar to spot a scowling Louis and Liam felt himself shrink back a little. Niall pulled back with a laugh, pointing at Zayn then moving down the bar to serve where people needed it.

“What was that?” Liam demanded as Zyan took his drink out of his hand.

“He’s hot. Why not?”

“Because you don’t know him. Because it’s them and they’re…”

“I like him. That’s what you do.”

“In a club full of people?”

Zayn shrugged and took a gulp of Liam’s drink. “Again Liam, why not? It’s not like you can tell me this doesn’t answer all of your questions about them!”

In reality it only answered some of the questions and created a whole host of others which just made Liam all the more uncomfortable. He was eying his drink in Zayn’s hand when someone poked him in the arm and he turned to see Louis sliding another glass across the bar at him then point a stern finger at Zayn.

“Stop stealing his drinks. Get Niall to make yours. Those are for Liam.”

Zayn looked sheepish, but gave Louis a salute. Louis rolled his eyes then pointed to Liam’s drink and Liam assumed that meant he was supposed to take it and drink it. He wanted to protest, but that was the thing about Louis he supposed: he was nearly impossible to say no to. For a moment Liam thought Louis might linger, but he just pushed at his fringe, not really changing the look of it, and disappeared back down the bar.

When Liam turned back to Zayn the other boy had one eyebrow raised at him. ‘And what was that?’ was written all over his face. Liam scowled and shook his head.

“He doesn’t like me.”

“Sure he doesn’t.”

“He’s mad I’m here. I’m not supposed to be here. I should go.”

“No you shouldn’t. Just relax. It’s fine.”

Liam was going to protest again but the music changed and the whole place erupted in cheers. Apparently that meant something.

“So apparently someone knows what that means!” The northern accent echoed through the speakers and Liam felt his blood run cold. When he looked up, the Louis standing on the bar was unlike any version of him he’d ever seen before. The wicked smile and strut clashed so strongly with the sleepy eyes, the silly dancing, the flopped over grabby hands calling him sweet names. This version of Louis paced across the bar, knowing people would move out of his way, and pressed the microphone against his mouth in a way that made Liam’s stomach go warm with want.

“Now, the lads and I, I think we’re going to add a little competition to this one, what do you think boys?” Louis asked as Harry hooted from his end of the bar and Niall from where he was climbing up as well. The crowd cheered with them, which was all Louis needed before he was nodding. “That’s what I thought. You’ve got lovely taste, dears.”

“For those of you who are just joining us and not aware,” Liam was sure that Louis looked right at him and Zayn, “this is the point in the night we call Body Wars.” Louis lowered his voice and made the name sound impressive and like an actual competition only to have Harry laughing at him.

“We’ve never called it that ever, mate,” Niall pointed out with a chuckle into his own microphone.

“Well, it’s never been a competition before now, has it?” Louis demanded. “Plus, I like renaming it. Anyway! The important part is this is what happens. Each of the lads and I will choose our lucky contestant for Body Wars and that person’ll come up here with us and try their hand at taking the best body shot. Now! You’ll be voting, so make sure when you help us pick, you give us a fighting chance.”

“What do we get if we win, Lou?” Harry asked, smiling and waving to the patrons already crashing to get close to him.

“I haven’t decided that yet, Hazza, but I’m open to suggestions. Alright boys, get to picking!”

Liam watched Niall not even hesitate, one hand already going for Zayn who handed off what was left of his drink to Liam and let Niall pull him up and onto the bar. Harry was chatting up a group of girls, eventually picking the one that giggled the most, a blushing blonde in a mini dress, and pulled her up with him. Liam looked back at Louis, surprised to see him staring right at Liam. He took a step towards Liam, one hand out, then he shook his head, turning a different way and reaching for some large bloke, kind of a dolt of a guy and Liam took a step back from the bar. Maybe Louis looking his way had been in his head. Probably. More than likely.

His stomach twisted over as they called the game to order, Louis going first. He licked a stripe up his own arm, something that made Liam’s stomach turn over with want, then sprinkled salt on it and held out the shot glass to his oaf. After the oaf took it, Louis tucked the wedge of lime between his teeth. Liam watched with a twist in his stomach, as the oaf licked the salt off his arm, then took the shot, and finished it with snagging the lime out of Louis’ mouth. There was a flick of tongue against Louis’ lips and Liam took too big of a drink out of his glass. The patrons cheered and, as the oaf went to get close again, Louis ducked around him easily and impishly, then held up the man’s arm as if he’d just won a wrestling match, making everyone just cheer more.

Harry was up next, his head close to the giggling blonde, whispering in her ear until she nodded. Then she reached for the shaker in his hand then leaned in to lick her own stripe up his neck, then drop the salt on it. She giggled again as he put the shot in her hand and the lime between his teeth. Their shot went the same way as Louis’ only, her mouth was along his neck and Harry snuck a kiss as she finished her shot. The action clashed with Liam’s decision that Harry and Louis were an item, unless Louis was fine with Harry kissing random girls at work. The neck trick and the kiss earned them even more cheers from the patrons than Louis had and Liam instantly thought of Louis, demanding to be declared winner even if he wasn’t sure what he was winning. Surely Louis had assumed his shot would look tame by comparison.

Liam looked for the other man, spotting him already off the bar, microphone abandoned and back at work, pouring drinks. Liam pushed his way back up to the front, hoping to catch Louis’ eye. At least that was the plan until Zayn and Niall took their turn. Niall offered Zayn his neck, not wanting to be outdone, but Zayn, god Zayn, dropped to his knees in a fluid motion. He pushed up Niall’s shirt and licked his stripe from Niall’s waistband up, not bothering with the salt before raising up again, snagging the shot out of Niall’s hand. He knocked the shot back, then leaned in to lick his way into Niall’s shocked mouth, lime still between his fingers from where he’d been too surprised to put it between his teeth like the others. The kiss was sloppy, Niall’s fingers twisting in Zayn’s hair before Zayn pulled back and plucked the lime from between his fingers and stuck it in his mouth. The club cheered loudly and Zayn dropped off the bar so he was next to Liam again, flushed with excitement.

“What was…wow.” Liam didn’t have any other words for it, and Zayn just smiled bashfully as if he hadn’t just been up there confident as anything, making a scene. It was enough for Liam to remember his abandoned quest for Louis when a drink was pushed into his hand and he turned in time to see Louis barely look at him and walk away again. Had he been imagining Louis reaching for him before picking someone else? Probably. Hallucinating things about the impish boy with perfect hair again. That was what it was. Liam took the drink and threw back at least half of it one gulp. Zayn looked surprised, but Liam waved him off before finishing the drink and digging around in his pocket for cash. “I’m going.”

Zayn looked pained, like he wanted to protest, but Liam wouldn’t let him. “I can’t…I’m not supposed to be here. I’m not interesting enough.” Zayn had Niall pulling him up on the bar and Liam could barely get Louis to look at him. It wasn’t the same. This Louis wasn’t his Louis, if he even had a Louis to begin with.

“Li-“

Liam cut Zayn off before he could say anything more. “I’m going. Be safe. Call me if you need me.” He squeezed Zayn’s shoulder then stuck the bills under his empty glass and pushed his way out of the crowd.

It was starting to sleet when he made his way outside, a promise of snow overnight, but Liam didn’t care. The cool, damp air calmed his warm skin and the cool air felt far more breathable than the heady warmth of the club. He pulled up his collar and ducked his head, writing the feelings swirling around in him off on the drinks Louis had poured and not the way Louis had seemed upset to see him.

-----------

Liam woke with a pounding in his head that he was sure was ringing in his ears. He’d gone to bed the moment he got home, but apparently he’d had more to drink than he remembered. Something crashed outside his room and he sat up, hearing laughter that followed it and realized that was what had probably woken him up in the first place.

Sighing, he drug himself out of bed, pulling on a hoodie against the chill of the flat, and left his room, intending to tell Zayn to quiet down and let him nurse his headache and misery in silence, but the scene in the kitchen made him stop short. The source of the bang was the overturned chair on the floor, but the real focal point was Zayn sitting on the table in just a pair of sweats, legs hooked around Niall’s waist as while they kissed. Liam watched for a moment, jealous in a way he couldn’t properly explain, then cleared his throat which was enough to break them apart.

“You’re up,” Zayn said, moving to untangle himself from Niall, but the other boy stayed close and Zayn didn’t seem to mind.

“Lucky me,” grumbled Liam, moving past them and heading for the fridge to get a bottle of water and then retreat back to his room.

“I can make tea,” Zayn offered, but Liam shook his head before groaning and holding it.

“A Louis hangover, how perfect.” Niall was laughing and burying it in Zayn’s neck.

“Stop laughing at me in my own home. And it is not a Louis hangover. It’s a hangover. Just that.”

“‘Cept Lou made your drinks all night. He was probably pouring the drink he wished he was drinking in your glass.” Niall laughed again and Liam fought the urge to roll his eyes because he had a feeling that might make him throw up.

“He has Louis hangovers without drinking,” Zayn said and Liam glared at his traitorous friend. What was so great about kissing Niall that Zayn would sell him out like that?

“Yeah?” Niall asked, moving away from Zayn with a laugh and opening cabinets like he lived in their flat and wasn’t just crashing post sex or whatever they’d been up to after Liam had passed out alone. “Louis would enjoy hearing that.”

“Don’t you dare!” Liam was surprise at how loud he was considering he still had a headache, but it just left Niall laughing as he pulled out a box of cereal.

“I wouldn’t!” Niall shook his head. “Secret’s safe with me, just like how all of Louis’ are as well. Harry’s the one that can’t keep his mouth shut.” The blonde winked and Liam felt his stomach sink. Just what he needed. Someone else knowing his secrets.

“I’m going back to bed,” Liam muttered, but Zayn moved closer, pressing painkillers into his hand for his head.

“Don’t be mad, Liam,” he pleaded softly, eyes on his best friend’s, and Liam felt his resolve break.

“I’m not. I just feel like an idiot,” Liam said dropping his voice to a whisper. “For a lot of reasons. He didn’t want me there, Zayn. Or anywhere. It was silly when he’s got someone and he’s so...bright. It’s fine. I’ll be fine. Go have fun.” He nudged Zayn back towards Niall and turned back for his room, trying to keep the worst of the regret off of his features before he was back in the safety of his room.

-------

Liam was dreading Thursday. He did his best to keep his head down when the bell over the door rang at half three like it always did and he didn’t look up until Harry was sat next to him where he was reading through his text for class. “What’re you up to?” Harry asked, leaning over the book and Liam’s shoulder at the same time.

“Just homework for uni,” Liam said, pushing it away to get up and get their orders. Harry pulled the book back towards himself as he studied it without permission.

“Hey, look at this, Lou,” he said and Liam realized the bronze haired pixie was already in his booth in the corner, head down as he traced the lines off the pattern on the table top. “Liam’s in uni and he’s studying music.”

“I told you that already,” Louis called back without looking up from his finger tracing. Louis knew that? How did he know that?

“You said he’s in uni because he does homework, not that he was studying music.” Harry looked up at Liam. “Do you play anything? Or sing?”

Liam felt himself blush as he went about getting them each pie. “I play guitar and piano. And I sing. I’m pretty good, I guess. I teach guitar lessons on Fridays at a music shop a few stops over.”

“That’s brilliant, mate,” Harry said with his lazy grin.

Liam nodded and slid the plate of chocolate pie next to Harry, who had gone back to reading Liam’s textbook like it was his. Liam made up Louis’ pie and brought it over to him, frowning when he realized Louis was all alone and abnormally quiet. “You’re missing one.”

Louis looked up at Liam, then the plate, then shrugged as he took it. “You should know where he is seeing he’s run off with your flatmate,” he said tersely. “‘Suppose he thought it was a good night to stay over considering he knew you’d be here.”

That was a disgusting thought. A good plan though, considering Liam would be out until dawn and it gave them a night together, but it was alarming to think that Niall had gone over strictly because Liam was out. “Oh.”

“Yeah, ‘oh’.” Louis stabbed at his pie and Liam winced as if Louis’ fork had gone into his arm rather than the pastry.

“I’m sorry. About this weekend. I didn’t know and I…”

Louis looked up at Liam for the first time that night, glowering at him. “I’m not mad at you,” he said, though he definitely sounded mad.

“But you are mad.”

“I’m mad in your direction, Liam. Not mad at you. All you have to do is get out of the way so I can be mad and then you don’t have to take it so personally.” Louis waved his hand as if to shoo Liam away and Liam felt two feet tall. He shirked away, back to the counter where Harry was reading his book and eating pie happily, which resulted in crumbs and chocolate smears on the corners of the book. It made Liam cringe to think of how long it might take him to clean it up and if he could or if the pages would just be sticky forever.

“He’s not mad at you,” Harry added, not looking up, but trying to hum a few bars of music that were printed in the book as an exercise.

“He said that, but he looks mad.”

“Oh, he’s mad. He’s a grump. Needs a shag and a proper lie in, but he’s stubborn and likes being angry and holding grudges, so he’ll go on like this until he crashes and sleeps for two days.”

“What do I do?” Liam whispered, leaning in closer to Harry, who finally looked up from the book, chocolate in the corners of his mouth like a little kid.

“You do nothing. Give him his space, let him sulk, and when he’s ready he’ll bounce right back to where you remember,” Harry advised as if that sort of thing happened all the time.

“That’s it?” Liam felt like he should be doing something more, something to fix the problem, not just ignore it and hope it got better.

“That’s it. You don’t want to lose your head when he bites it off, right? He’s upset with Niall for trying throw of the delicate balance that is his life. Things work just right for a variety of reasons and last weekend Niall tried to tip all of them over. He,” Harry indicated over his shoulder at Louis, who had stopped angrily eating pie and gone on to mopily eating pie and looking like he needed a hug. “He does not do well with change.”

Liam frowned more, enough that Harry leaned forward to press at the crease in his brow curiously. It was enough to make him jump, surprised at the contact. “What’s changing?” he asked without thinking, trying to cover up his surprise.

“Everything. Or everything could change. His work, his life, how he feels about people and things.” Harry took his time with the list, rolling over like he was coming up with it on the fly.

That sounded like an awful lot of change and something that Louis had every right to be upset about in Liam’s mind. “All of that because of Zayn? Because he invited us out last weekend?”

Harry just shrugged and went back to Liam’s book and Liam felt his stomach sink to his knees. He was ruining Louis’ life by just showing up at his work. Sure, it was unlike any place he’d ever seen before, but it made sense that Louis worked there, that they all worked there. Just like Zayn had said, it answered questions. Like why Harry was wearing such an ugly button down, not really buttoned in the middle of the winter. And why they were always so revved up in the middle of the night. It wasn’t an entirely normal sort of job, but it seemed to suit them.

Not tonight though. Harry stayed mulling over Liams textbook while Liam cleaned up and Louis stayed huddled in his booth until another customer came in and Liam was distracted by serving him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Louis slide away from the booth and pull on Harry’s arm. Harry didn’t go right away, not until Louis pouted, but that was enough to get him to go, looping his arm over Louis’ shoulders as Louis leaned into his taller friend. It wasn’t until the bell over the door rang and Liam looked up that he realized that for the first time ever, they’d left without saying goodbye.

-----

The next Thursday, no one came in.

Liam had waited, putting out the best pies like he always did, setting the stereo to the right music, making sure their table was wiped off, but at half five he realized they weren’t coming.

The week after that, they didn’t come either.

By the third week, Liam stopped looking for them.

He knew where Niall was, since the Irishman had become a staple in his flat these days. He still worked nights, so it was completely reasonable for Liam to find him sitting on the couch playing XBox while Zayn drew or painted in the afternoons when Liam got home from classes. He hadn’t wanted to like Niall so much, because it felt like Niall was to blame for taking away his Thursday boys, but Niall made Zayn smile so and was just too damn easy to get along with to stay mad at. In fact, he found himself rather fond of the effervescent boy, his hair always standing upright and his smile firmly in place. He’d even gotten used to playing their third wheel and hadn’t once in three weeks asked about Harry or Louis, despite being desperate to.

Absolutely desperate really. And it was far more centered on Louis than it was on Harry. Harry he missed, but Louis he longed to just see again. Asking about him was always there, on the tip of his tongue, even more so when Zayn would come back from visiting Niall’s flat that he shared with Louis and Harry. Liam wondered sometimes if he could tag along, see the other two with Zayn, but he didn’t ask and Zayn didn’t bring it up. Liam guessed it would be like it had been in the club, where he wasn’t really wanted, but no one knew how to tell him to leave.

Liam could take a hint. He pushed them out of his mind as often as possible and, after three weeks, he was sure he’d broken the habit. Twenty-one days. That was what it said online because he’d looked that sort of thing up. Twenty-one days to get over something or someone or quit a bad habit and Liam had kicked the Louis habit.

His last lesson on Friday ran late and, as he finished putting away his guitar, the owner of the little music shop stopped by to let him know he was closing up in a few minutes. “And there’s someone here for you,” the owner added with a shrug when Liam looked confused. “He said he’d wait out front.”

Liam nodded and finished packing quickly, then gathered up his things to head back to the main part of the shop, away from the quiet hall of the rehearsal rooms. The piano caught his attention first, someone easily playing a pop song off the radio, but it wasn’t until he was closer that the voice came with it. He wasn’t singing loudly, just something soft, as if he knew the notes better than the words.

Liam knew the back of that head. He knew that frame. The hoodie he was wearing threw everything off, clashing with the mental image of him in a jacket or fitted t-shirt, but that mop of hair belonged to only one person. The bad habit he’d kicked. He had to be hallucinating.

“Louis?”

It was the first time Liam had ever called him by his name.

Louis missed a note on the piano and turned to look behind him, surprise shifting to a smile. “Hey Liam.”

“You play piano.” Brilliant, Liam. That was really the best he could come up with? He moved a step or two closer as Louis shifted on the piano bench so there was enough space for someone else.

“I do,” he said with a smile and a little bit of a laugh. “I feel like that’s obvious now. Did you think you’d cornered the market on being musically gifted?” Liam sat with him, facing away from the piano, but staring at Louis.

“What are you doing here?”

“Waiting on you,” Louis said as if that was obvious as well.

“How’d you know I was here?”

Louis hummed to himself softly. “Zayn’s a little less guarded when he’s sleepy. He actually talks about you then. I asked. And he told me when your lessons were and when they end.” He went back to playing, a melody that sounded familiar, but Liam couldn’t place it.

“You were asking about me?”

“Of course I was. I haven’t seen you in weeks.” Louis kept playing, though the melody slowed down, less jaunty, and when Liam looked up at Louis it matched his expression. “I thought you might come by the club again, after I stopped coming to the diner.”

“I thought you didn’t want to see me anymore,” Liam blurted. “And I thought I wasn’t invited to the club.”

Louis laughed darkly and shook his head. “The club’s a public place. You don’t have to be invited.”

“You didn’t like it when I was there the first time,” Liam said softly.

Louis’ fingers stopped on the keys and his hands dropped into his lap. “It wasn’t where I imagined you. It wasn’t where I thought we’d see each other. Here, sure.” He waved around them. “There, not so much.” He smiled a little and it was the soft one from the diner that Liam had thought was only for him. His hair was still done, but it wasn’t like he did it for the club. The simple swoop hung in front of his eyes and his hoodie looked more like he’d stolen it out of Liam’s closet than something he would ever imagine Louis would own.

“It’s not really my scene,” Liam admitted, though when Louis laughed at him he blushed and looked away.

“No, don’t do that,” Louis said, reaching out for Liam’s chin to turn his face so he was looking at him again. “I didn’t mean to laugh. I’m sorry.” He bit his lip as if he was trying not to laugh again.

“What?”

“It’s just…” Louis started laughing again and Liam got up from the bench to grab his guitar again and leave. He wasn’t going to sit there and let Louis laugh in his face.

“No, no, no,” Louis said, still doubled over in giggles, wrapping his arms around Liam’s middle, pushing his face into his stomach. “Don’t go. I promise. I’ll stop. You’re just so cute. You have no idea. You blush over everything!”

“You’re being mean.”

“I’m not.” Louis looked up at him, eyes still laughing but smile in place. “I’m not. Promise. I’m not being mean. I love it.”

Liam glared at Louis, but the smaller boy just looked impishly pleased with Liam and didn’t make a move to let go of his waist. “Fine.” Liam sat with a huff and Louis crowded into his space one arm still around his waist, Louis’ head against Liam’s shoulder. They stayed like that for a long moment before Louis turned his head, pressing his mouth against Liam’s shoulder, then shifted so he could see his face.

“Niall quit yesterday,” he said sadly. “He got a job in a pub that mostly shows football and rugby matches and has slightly more normal hours.” Louis thumb traced a circle on Liam’s hip and Liam just barely managed to control the hitch in his breath. “We got in a big fight about it, yelling enough to make Harry cry. Well, I yelled enough. Niall doesn’t really yell. He’s just stupidly logical with me until I’m done yelling. And Harry cries at the drop of a hat, you know. Literally even. He dropped one of those ugly hats of his into a puddle once and got all teary.”

Liam huffed a little laugh and nodded. “What were you yelling at Niall about?”

Louis sighed, running his thumb over Liam’s hipbone over his sweater. “Because if he quits we have to replace him. They’re talking about promoting one of the girls and she did a trial run last night and she was terrible. She’s all scary. It makes it less fun.” Louis pressed his cheek against Liam’s shoulder, looking forward for him, which was behind Liam. “I told him he was being selfish and he told me I could be just as selfish, that he’d even tried to get me to be, but I was stupid and tripped over my own feet.”

Liam swallowed hard before he asked the question he knew he had to ask. “Harry?”

Louis pulled back, staring at Liam. “Harry? Haz? Like,” he motioned over his hair which could only be Harry’s curls, “Harry?”

“Yes, that one.”

“The one who likes girls?” Louis added and Liam felt his cheeks go warm just in time for Louis to start laughing at him again, but this time Louis reached for him before he could pull away, wrapping his arms around Liam and turning so one knee was on the bench and he was facing Liam. “Not that one.”

“But you two…”

“Have a very odd friendship. But he’s not interested. And I’m not interested. Not him, silly. You.”

Liam frowned, enough that his brow creased. “Me?”

Louis reached up to press away the creases and nodded. “Yes, you. My sun and stars. Why do you think we kept coming to the diner?”

“Because you like the food?”

“No, I like the guy serving the food.” Louis smirked and it was that soft smile that Liam had only seen a few times outside of his dreams.

“Then why did you stop coming?”

Louis drifted his fingers from Liam’s face to his hair, playing with it lightly. “Because I was trying to stop liking you. When you came to the club, I realized...I didn’t like you seeing me like that. And I didn’t want you to be part of that. You don’t strike me as the sexy body-shots type.”

“I’m not very good at shots. Or sexy anything.”

Louis laughed again and buried his face in Liam’s shoulder, though this time it didn’t bother Liam as much. He’d always loved hearing Louis laugh and maybe it was worth it if Louis was laughing at him. He said he didn’t mean it to be mean and it didn’t feel as embarrassing as it usually did knowing Louis liked him. “You are good at sexy plenty-of-things, you mean,” Louis finally managed, sitting up straight again. “But more diner, studying type things. I would have gone to uni if I knew you’d been in classes.”

“I don’t see how that would have been motivation to go to uni,” Liam said shaking his head.

“Oh, I would have gone to class to stare at you.” Louis smiled up at him, and Liam couldn’t help it, he reached out to push his fringe out of his eyes.

“Did you stop liking me?” he asked softly as Louis leaned into the touch.

“No. I think I like you more. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and all that nonsense.” Louis sighed then looked up at Liam again. “I’m bad at ‘I’m sorrys’ and I never know how to say them, but I think I am. Did I do something to be sorry for? I just feel like I should apologize.”

“You do suck at apologies,” Liam said shaking his head. Now it was his turn to laugh.

“That’s not fair! I’m not even sure what I’m supposed to be apologizing for!”

“For disappearing! For being weird! For not showing up until now when the shop is closing and you have to get to work in a couple of hours!” Louis bit his lip against a laugh and Liam pointed at him. “For laughing at me.”

Louis couldn’t hold the laugh back, giggling around his bit lip until Liam shut him up the only way he knew how: kissing him.

There was a gasp against his lips, but then Louis caught on, pulling at Liam to get him closer, pushing up on his knee so he was taller and Liam had to crane his head up to keep the kiss going. Liam deepened the kiss, nipping at Louis’ lower lip which earned him a little groan. Louis kissed him back harder, one hand twisting in his hair, until Liam heard someone clearing their throat behind him. Liam pulled away, spotting the shop keeper standing there, looking uncomfortable, but amused. “Got to close the shop up,” he said nodding towards the door.

Liam blushed before mumbling an apology, then grabbed his guitar and bag as well as Louis to head for the door. Louis was laughing again, but slipped under his arm to stay close.

“You kiss like you’d never blush, but you blush when someone catches you kissing,” he observed as he wiggled his hand into Liam’s back pocket like they were a thing. It was the sort of casual affection that normally would bother Liam and make him look to see who saw and what they thought of it, but with Louis for some reason he didn’t mind it. It was actually really nice, someone close, someone so focused on him, that the contact between them was almost necessary. Liam had never been a huge fan of PDA, but touching Louis, finally, seemed far better than maintaining a public politeness.

“Maybe because I kiss like I’d never blush is why I don’t want to get caught doing it,” he said, daring to lean in to kiss at Louis’ ear in a way he never normally would feel comfortable doing. Normally he would assume someone wouldn’t like it, but Louis just laughed and squirmed a touch, smile still in place.

“That just makes me want to drag you back to your flat,” Louis said with a darkness to his voice that Liam realized he liked almost as much as cute and soft Louis.

“What? So we can snog until you go snog some guy at work?” Liam teased, but it didn’t go over as the joke he wanted it to. Louis’ face fell and he looked away.

“That’s not fair. That’s not what I do,” Louis said, pulling away, but Liam pulled him closer.

“I know. I saw. I saw you duck away from that guy,” Liam pointed out. “I’m not upset. It’s fine.”

Louis shook his head, then rested it against Liam’s chest while they walked. “It’s why Niall quit. He said it wasn’t as much fun with strangers as it is with Zayn.”

Liam swallowed hard, wanting to get too far ahead of himself before he realized he needed reign it back in again. It was just a kiss. Just Louis saying he liked him. Just walking down the street like a couple, but he’d seen Louis do the same with Harry and Niall. It wasn’t everything. It wasn’t a reason to assume there was something real between them, let alone quit a job. “Well, I’m not nearly as interesting as Zayn,” he said instead of saying something else that might sound a little desperate.

“Of course you are!” Louis pinched his nipple, which was enough to get Liam to jump and try and cover it up with the hand that wasn’t draped over Louis’ shoulders.

“I’m really not.”

Louis stopped, using Liam’s forward momentum to turn him around to look at him. “You are. I’d quit for you, too. It’s why Niall won the argument. He knows I would do the same thing and mostly I’m jealous he got to do it first. I can make good money working at any bar.”

Liam was flabbergasted, not sure what to say or if he should say anything. “Do you want to?”

“I don’t know yet.” Louis moved in closer and pushed up on his toes a little and Liam took the cue, cupping Louis’ cheeks and kissing him lightly like they weren’t standing on the sidewalk.

“Does that help?” Liam asked, kissing him lightly again. Louis nodded slowly.

“Uh huh.”

Liam kissed him once more, because he could see where it was going. He forced himself not to panic over the fact that he was both kissing Louis like it was a thing and kissing someone in the middle of the sidewalk. Louis slipped his arms into Liam’s jacket, wrapping them around him, and answering the kisses until they both needed to pull away to catch their breath.

“It’s an interesting change,” Louis said as he slid under Liam’s arm again, curling in close.

“What’s that?”

“It’s the first time I ever quit a job. Usually I just get fired.”

“You don’t have to,” Liam said, trying to ignore the thrill at the fact that Louis was considering it. “You can find a spot somewhere else first. Like Niall did.”

Louis huffed a laugh and shook his head. “I’m not exactly great at forethought, like you,” he said looking up at Liam. “I quit this afternoon, in case I needed that to convince you to kiss me.”

“Louis! What are you going to do? You’ll have to get another job and what about your rent and everything else?” Liam demanded, stopping in his tracks, eyes wide with concern. All his romantic notions of Louis quitting suddenly flew out the window. A moment ago it had seemed like a wonderful thing, but now it felt like the most absolutely ridiculous idea ever.

Apparently, though, his deep and utter concern for Louis’ well being was another thing worth laughing over because Louis burst into it, pressing his face against Liam’s chest. “I’m fine. I’ll be fine. I’ve quit so I’ve got two weeks to finish up there and I’ll find something else. You’ll see.”

Liam was pretty sure he was hyperventilating with panic and it wasn’t even his life that was hinging on finding another job so quickly. Wasn’t it Louis that was supposed to be bad with change? How could he just change everything for Liam of all people? “Why would you do that?!”

Louis stopped laughing and looked up at Liam surprised. “Why wouldn’t I do that? I like you. A lot. I’m all about grand gestures to make up for my screw ups.” He frowned and reached up to touch Liam’s cheek. “Liam. Breathe.”

Liam huffed in a breath, not realizing he’d been holding it before shaking his head and feeling his knees go a little weak. “You never even told me your name. And you quit your job for me.”

“You knew my name,” Louis said with a frown, pulling at Liam’s arm to get them closer to a wall to Liam could lean against it.

“Only because I was eavesdropping! And you know mine because I wore a name badge at work! Oh god, Louis, why would you do such a thing?”

Louis’ frown deepened. “I don’t see what’s so wrong with it. I like you and I wanted to show you. Isn’t that what you want, Liam? I know loads about you. I know you’re in uni and you’re studying music and you teach lessons to little kids that love you and you’re caring and sweet and you make the best tea and know exactly how pie should be eaten and I don’t know what else there is that I have to know before I can kiss you and make grand gestures about how much I like you.”

“What? No. Those are good things, I’m just...I’m not that guy.” Liam ran his fingers through his hair, gripping the wall with his other hand as the realization washed over him. “I’m not that guy, Louis. I’m not anyone’s sun and stars, or the guy they pick for body shots, or the one they do romantic gestures for. I’m incredibly dull, I have one friend, and I’m not that guy.”

Louis’ frown softened away as he reached for Liam, making quiet little shushing noises. “Stop that. You are. That’s just it. All of those things are why you are that guy. Or...my guy. There aren’t any expectations you have to live up to that you haven’t already met. You’re fine just how you are.”

“You’re sure?” Liam sighed as Louis’ fingers pressed against his cheek. They were cool from the weather, but the touch still sent a warmth through Liam.

“So very sure.” Louis pushed up on his toes again to kiss Liam again before tugging at his shirt. “Come on. Back to your flat where it’s warmer and we’re not leaning against a brick wall.” He shivered for effect and it was enough for Liam to at least try and make sure his legs would work under him. Thankfully they did and he let Louis lead him towards the crowded tube station.

They were pressed together once the right train arrived, squished in with rush hour traffic, but Liam found he really didn’t mind. Louis’ hands had found their way under his shirt and pressed against the small of his back, using Liam as something to brace himself against the jostling of the train while Liam held on to the railings overhead. Every so often Louis would sneak kisses against his jaw or neck until Liam leaned down to kiss him properly. It was again the sort of public affection he usually struggled with, too worried he was offending someone or someone might judge him. With Louis, though, it was easy to forget that there were other people around, even if he did bump into some of them when Louis kissed him as the train jostled. Apparently, they didn’t mind that much as Liam heard someone “aww” just off to his left. It made him feel a little less self conscious for the moment or at least until one of Louis’ hands slipped down from his back into his jeans and Liam almost jumped to reach for it and pull it back. “Not yet,” he ordered quietly, nipping at Louis’ lower lip. “Not on the train.”

Louis pouted, but surprisingly enough pulled his hand back, settling it back on Liam’s back. Liam really wasn’t expecting him to take the direction like that. “Later?” Louis asked hopefully.

Liam kissed him, then nodded. “Almost there,” he promised, which seemed to be enough to get them through the last two tube stops before Liam was pulling Louis off the train with him and towards his flat. They tumbled together, holding on to each other, either just holding hands or wrapped up close and while Liam was anxious to get them back to his flat, his room, somewhere he could be alone with Louis at, he was enjoy just being near him again, seeing his laugh just for Liam.

He was full of almost innocent thoughts until they were shutting the door to Liam’s flat behind them. “Zayn’s probably still in-” Liam started when Louis seemed to be looking around the place and Liam realized he’d never been there before. He didn’t get to finish what he was saying though because suddenly he had an armful of Louis, his mouth hot and warm pressed against his. Liam groaned before kissing Louis back, turning and pushing the smaller man against the wall just inside the door, pinning Louis back against it.

Louis shivered, pulling Liam down more and deepening the kiss. Liam went with it until he couldn’t breathe and kept going even after that, until after the deprivation of air made his head swim with the worry he’d tramped down at the prospect of what he was doing. “Lou,” he breathed, pulling back as much as he could with Louis pulling at his shirt still to keep him close. “Lou. Stop. What are we doing?”

“Pretty sure that’s obvious there, Li,” Louis countered, voice breathy and thick. Just to drive his point home, he pressed his hips back up against Liam’s making Liam groan softly and drop one hand to keep Louis’ hips in check and not distracting him.

“I mean in general. What are we doing? What are we? You quit your job for me and you don’t even know me.”

Louis sighed, but slumped back against the wall, looking up at Liam. “I do know you, though. You’re my sun and stars. And I was trying to show you how much.”

Liam felt his insides go warm and nodded, slipping his fingers into Louis’ hair to rest his forehead against his. “I know. I just..you need to let me catch up.” He felt Louis nod against him, but then Louis was kissing him again, hard. Liam wanted to fight it, but this time he wound up going with it tightening his grip on Louis’ hip and smiling into the kiss as Louis moaned softly. He’d catch up eventually, but he could still enjoy this right? Right.

-----

Despite the fact that their boss had been unamused that they’d both quit in the same week, and the massive amount of tears that Harry had shed throughout the afternoon of being left alone at the bar (Louis hadn’t been kidding, he really did cry at anything), the bar threw them quite the party on their last night. The first time Liam had been there, he’d been so uncomfortable with the idea of Louis and his friends dancing on the bar, all but owning the place, that he hadn’t taken the time to really enjoy it. This time, though, knowing he was just as invited as Zayn next to him was, made it fun and he was already having a good time. The trio had sung up a storm, dancing together on the bar in something that was supposed to be synchronized, but they weren’t terribly good at keeping time together and all wound up a beat off from one another. This over the top sultry Louis wasn’t the one that had still been snuggled up under his duvet, kissing Liam goodbye as he left for classes that morning, but he was still his.

He even didn’t get all possessive like he wanted to when a patron tried to stick a tip in Louis’ dangerously tight bright red pants like it was one of those kind of places. Thankfully Louis had chastised them for being naughty and pocketed the tip properly. He was glad it was the last night and he wouldn’t have to wonder just what his boyfriend got up to while he was at work, but he could enjoy the last night. Or he thought he could.

The song changed and the crowd cheered and there was that damn voice again, strutting in his red pants across the bar. “Well folks, this is it. The last one. Our last Body Wars.”

“It’s the last because I’m never calling it that again once you leave,” Harry pointed out with a roll of his eyes and flick of his curls.

“Shush over there Hazza you love the name. It’s as bad as some of your jokes.”

Harry looked scandalized, then shrugged. “You’re right I do love it. I might keep it.”

“I won’t let you,” Louis said trying to look menacing, but it didn't hit the mark on someone so naturally adorable.

“Why don’t you get to explaining what it is you’re doing so you can lose again,” Niall interrupted with a roll of his eyes.

“I did not lose,” Louis insisted.

“You did,” Niall said. “And you did my laundry for a week. Of course, you also lost two of my shirts and one of my hoodies so maybe this time I don’t let you do laundry.” Liam knew exactly where those clothes were. They were in a neat little stack in the drawer he’d cleared out for Louis that only Liam used to clean up after him when he left Liam’s flat. Apparently he’d stolen them from Niall and Liam wondered if it made a him a bad person that he didn’t want Louis to give them back.

“I can’t believe it’s me saying it, but point boys. There was a point we were getting to,” Harry drawled, looking over at the other two.

“Right! Body Wars!” Louis did the voice on ‘wars’ again then laughed at himself. “Alright, Niall, Harry and and I’ll pick our favorites from the crowd, then you vote on who does the best body shot. Fair?” The crowd cheered back and Liam wondered if he was going to have to find Louis an audience somewhere to answer to all of his whims. “Fair it is. Have at ‘um, boys.”

Liam watched Niall pull Zayn up, just like before and Harry picked himself out a brunette. He wasn’t watching Louis because he wasn’t ready for whatever stranger Louis pulled up to do his ‘winning’ body shot with. Liam was fine with it. It was the last night. He’d survive. What he wasn’t expecting was for red trousers to take over his vision but for a hand held out for him. He looked up, surprised. “No…”

“Who else am I going to pick?” Louis yelled with a grin and Liam found his hand in Louis’ before he even realized he’d done it. What on earth was he doing? This wasn’t him.

“You don’t want me,” Liam insisted even as he climbed up onto the bar and found himself looking down at the hoards of people. It was dizzying.

“You’re wrong,” Louis said, pulling Liam back to look at him then leaning into to whisper in his ear. “I do want you. Only you. And the guy you were this morning wouldn’t have stood for me picking someone else.”

Liam hated that Louis was right. Liam had gotten home from the diner at dawn and went straight for Louis’ flat instead of his own, wanting his boyfriend and the resulting hook up had been a touch more forceful than Liam’s outwards demeanor let on. And Louis, for all his bravado and brashness had gone right along with it. “No, no he wouldn’t,” Liam said, trying to sound calm even if he was starting to blush again. “He also wouldn’t do the shot. He’d make you do it instead.”

Louis raised an eyebrow at that, but grinned. “You’re on.”