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Liam stands, wiping his forehead with the hem of his tank top. It’s been a good afternoon - the garlic seedlings are planted in evenly-spaced rows, and the cress seeds are sowed in their freshly tilled bed. He’d hoped to build another trellis for the sweet peas, but it would have to wait - he’d been a bit distracted, to be honest.
‘I’m off mate,’ Liam says. ‘Got to get these pumpkins to Zayn and Niall.’
Nick, who’s lounging in the dappled sunlight, raises his hand languidly.
‘Need a hand?’
‘Nah, I’ve got it, thanks,’ Liam says, slinging on his backpack. ‘Enjoy your evening.’
‘Enjoy your date,’ Nick replies, the corner of his mouth curving into a smirk.
‘What? Who told you?’ Liam asks, grinning embarrassedly. ‘This town, I swear!’
‘Louis, actually,’ Nick replies. ‘The real trick is getting him to shut up about you.’ He smiles. ‘I’m glad you two finally worked things out. A few more months of him moaning about his hopeless unrequited feelings might’ve done me in’.
Liam clears his throat and hopes his blush fades before Nick comments on it. ‘Yeah, I’m glad too.’ He knows his smile is stupidly fond, but he can’t bring himself to care.
‘Don’t tell him I said this, but you’d better not break his heart, Payne, he’s stupid about you.’
‘I couldn’t if I tried.’ Liam replies.
***
‘Those look sick!’ Liam says, setting his wheelbarrow down and bending forward to get a closer look. An assortment of pumpkin lanterns line a trestle table, faces intricately carved.
‘Thanks mate,’ Zayn responds. ‘We’ve been at it all afternoon.’
‘I wish,’ Niall cackles.
Zayn turns and gives him a playful shove, leaning in towards Niall’s face.
‘Aaand, that’s my cue. Have fun, lads,’ Liam says.
‘Enjoy your date!’ they call, nearly in sync. Liam shakes his head. This town...
***
Liam is halfway home when he hears a mew. Looking up, he sees a familiar shape perched in the high branches of an oak.
‘Blue!? Can’t you get down?’ he asks with affectionate exasperation.
The cat mews again, sounding uncannily human, large blue eyes trained on Liam. Liam doesn’t know the details, but he’s sure there’s something magical about this cat - he’s far too intelligent. He often hangs around the community garden, sunning himself while Liam works. Liam’s got into the habit of eating his lunch beside the cat - he loves scratches under the chin. And maybe sometimes Liam brings Blue some salmon even though he’s vegetarian and has to buy it specially, but that’s his business.
Blue looks down at Liam, like he’s waiting for a response.
‘Alright darling, let me help.’
The first branch is quite high, but with a small jump Liam gets a solid grip and pulls himself up, hooking a leg around and clambering to a seated position. The next branches are much closer and he makes his way up with ease. Wedging a foot in the fork of a branch and hooking an arm around another, he reaches and carefully picks Blue up.
‘Always getting yourself into trouble, huh,’ Liam says, not managing to hold back his smile. ‘You’re alright love, I’ve got you.’
He holds Blue to his chest with one hand, paws resting on his shoulder. Soon enough, Liam’s setting the cat down on the first branch, then lowering himself down and dropping to the ground.
‘Alright, come on then,’ Liam says, stretching up on tiptoes to take hold of Blue and lift him down.
‘Don’t do that again, you fool,’ he admonishes, looking into the cat’s blue eyes.
There’s a flare of light and a smell of ozone, and Liam finds himself face-to-face with Louis, hands on his waist.
‘Louis!?’ Liam says, standing still, mind spinning. Louis had told him he was a shapeshifter ages ago, but Liam hadn’t realised that when Louis’d said he’d been cat-napping, he’d meant it literally. It explained a lot.
‘Fool, huh?’ Louis says. Then adds with a wink, ‘I preferred it when you called me darling.’