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Even though his mum and dad and sisters had told him to expect it, this morning had completely floored Liam.
He hadn't known how to react when they drove through the entrance to his village, the sight as familiar to him as his own face, and there was a crowd of people waiting there for him. People holding signs, some with pictures of his face glued to them, and one little girl holding the cardboard cutout of him they'd released between his first and second albums. The cutout was a good two feet taller than she was, and she kept looking back and forth between the real Liam and the one stood next to her, joy shining out of her face.
When he'd first mentioned wanting to take some time off and move back to Wolverhollow before recording his fourth album and going out on tour yet again, everyone had said what a big deal it would be. That hadn't made much sense to him, since surely things couldn't have changed that much in six years. The fact that nothing would have changed was the whole point, in fact. He needed to be back somewhere he could just be Liam, and not Liam Payne the pop star, winner of The X Factor and best mate to Harry Styles and all that.
Staring at all of the people staring back at him in the car, their eyes bright as they shouted and cheered for him, he began to wonder if that place existed anymore.
He waved back at everyone a bit awkwardly, trying to decide if he should get out of his car to take pictures and sign autographs. Was that something they expected him to do? He felt rather embarrassed about the idea of signing an autograph for the gran who lived three doors down from his old home, but he'd do it, if that was what needed doing.
Luckily, Nicola took that decision out of his hands, continuing to slowly drive through the village entrance until the crowds of people on either side of the road began to thin and then disappear. Finally, Liam felt like he could breathe again.
"Told you everyone was excited," Nicola said, glancing over at him as she took a turn and starting driving toward the Paynes' home.
"You did," Liam agreed, focusing now on the Christmas decorations that were up everywhere. He'd got here just in time, only managing to finish everything and get the train up from London this morning, but at least he'd made it here for Christmas Eve.
There was still one thing he had left to finish before he could properly celebrate the holiday and the beginning of an undefined amount of time off that he felt he'd earned. "Actually, Nic, can you drop me off at the tea shop? I need to pick something up."
"We can make you a cup at home, you know," she said, but she pulled over next to the kerb even as she said it. "I'll stop by the florist then, see if I can't get a few more greens."
"Meet me back here in fifteen minutes?" Liam said, leaning over to look at his sister in the car and having the strongest sense of déjà vu.
"I'll beep if you're not out here. Try and survive your adoring fans," she said before driving away.
Liam braced himself before going into the shop, preparing to take as many pictures as he needed to in order to finish this errand. But when he pushed open the door, the bell attached to the top giving a merry chime, the shop was empty. There wasn't even anyone behind the counter, and Liam had a moment of panic that despite the open door and brightly lit space it was actually closed and he'd just committed a B&E. Probably they didn't even bother locking up at night, because who would rob a place like this? He could just imagine the Mirror headline if they found out. LIAM TURNS AWAY FROM MUSIC AND TOWARD A LIFE OF CRIME.
Then he heard a voice call out from the back, "Be with you in a minute!" and Liam had other things to think about. Except that when Louis Tomlinson came out from the kitchen, still wiping his hands on a tea towel, Liam suddenly couldn't think of anything at all.
Louis looked different, and yet exactly the same. His eyes still looked sharp and knowing, his expression changing the second he saw who his Christmas Eve customer was, and his mouth crooked to the side in that same half-grin that Liam had never been able to forget. But he looked older, like he'd grown into the sharpness of his features that had sometimes overwhelmed his face when he'd been a teenager, and there was something settled about the way he moved.
"Alright, Payno?" Louis said, and all at once Liam did feel home, the old nickname hitting him right in the chest.
"Alright," Liam said back, unable to hold back his smile. "Wasn't expecting to see you here today."
Louis's face dropped a bit. "Sorry to disappoint you, then."
Five minutes home and Liam already stuck his foot in it. That felt familiar, but not in a good way. "No, I didn't mean--I just thought your boss might let you have your birthday off, that's all," he stammered.
"Oh." Louis looked at him a bit curiously. "Well, it didn't feel right, giving myself the day off but making someone else work on Christmas Eve."
"Giving yourself the day off?" Liam asked, sure he misheard him. "Do you--are you the owner now?"
Louis laughed at him. "Not too observant, are you," he said, pointing at the front window, where Liam now clearly saw the giant Tommo's sign. "I came into a bit of money a few years back, and Will had been wanting to sell for ages, so I decided to take a chance."
"Wow," Liam said, looking around the tea shop, finally noticing all the ways it had changed since the last time he'd been there. There were still tables and chairs set up, with a couple of comfy armchairs in corners, but the pastries in the front case were new, as was what looked like a children's play area off to the side. He realised he'd been looking around like an idiot with his mouth hanging open, but before he could tell Louis how nice it all looked Louis was speaking again.
"What brings you here?" Louis asked. "Well, I mean, I know what brings you here generally, everyone knows that. You've caused quite a stir with the grannies in town. They're determined to marry you off."
"I suppose everyone saw that interview?" Liam asked, feeling both a bit embarrassed and unwillingly pleased by the attention.
Louis snorted. "Of course we did, and I heard all about it from everyone who came in here the next day. Better than online dating, giving an interview like that."
"Oh, god," Liam groaned, his cheeks pinking up from the teasing. He really hadn't meant to cause a stir, but he also hadn't thought anyone would care that he wanted to move back home for a bit, so that only showed how little he knew. Graham had asked him about his plans, and Liam had told him that he wanted to go home and live a normal life for a bit. And then Graham had said, "Hoping to move home and find a nice girl and settle down?" and Liam had answered, "If I'm lucky! Isn't that the dream?"
At the time that had only felt like a minor omission, something he was almost expected to do. He'd got remarkably good at deflecting and dissembling in interviews, especially compared with his early days post-X Factor, when he'd share anything. By now it was almost harder to turn that impulse off, which is what had happened with Graham. It was mostly the truth; he did want to meet someone nice and settle down.
But now, stood in a tea shop he'd been to countless times growing up and staring at someone he'd first met at age six when the Paynes had moved into the village, he felt the unspoken lie in the air, and he needed to set the record straight.
"Listen, Louis," he started, but he was cut off by a cry of, "Daddy!" from behind him.
Liam turned around to see a little girl of about five or six enter the shop, her wavy brown hair flowing behind her. She stopped short, looking startled and then disbelieving, her hand going up over her mouth as she stared at Liam with big blue eyes that looked all too familiar.
Louis's mum followed her in and nearly ran into where the little girl was stood as still as a statue. "Tess, what on earth--oh, hello, Liam!"
"Hi, Mrs Tomlinson," he said back automatically, his eyes still caught on Tess.
"Actually, it's Mrs Deakin now, but you can call me Jay," she said, smiling gently at Liam so he felt somewhat less like a clod, but only slightly.
"Yes, my mum had mentioned, I'd just forgotten. Congratulations on that," he added by way of apology.
"Thank you," she said, still smiling.
Louis had joined them from behind the counter. "Aren't you going to say hello, Tess? Or were you waiting for a formal introduction? Tess, this is Liam Payne. Liam, this is Tessa, my daughter."
Liam had known about her in the abstract, his sisters telling him the gossip after he left for the X Factor and never came back that Louis'd had a baby girl and that it was quite the news. Her mother had left the village early on, but the baby had stayed with Louis, and if the reasons why were known no one had bothered to inform Liam of them.
"It's nice to meet you," Liam said finally, crouching down so he was at eye level with her. He stuck his hand out, which she regarded solemnly but finally gave him her hand for a shake.
"I thought you'd be taller," Tess said, and Liam laughed even as Mrs Deakin--Jay said, "Tess!" in a chiding voice.
"I'm only tall compared to some." Liam stood up and pointed at Louis. He was rewarded twice over by an elbow to the ribs from Louis and a small smile from Tess.
"Wish I was tall," she said.
"Well, you're still growing," Liam said. "Who knows, maybe in ten years you'll be as tall as your dad." Tess grinned full out at that.
"Alright, alright, no trying to turn my daughter against me," Louis said, but he sounded quite pleased about the situation. "Mum, I'm going to shut up once I've helped my last customer of the day, but I'll be over soon."
"I'm sorry, I didn't realise you had closed," Liam said quickly, afraid all over again that he'd basically broken in.
"I hadn't, I'm not closing until two."
Liam looked at his watch, the one he'd bought himself after his second album debuted at number one in America. It was five to. "I'd better hurry, then."
"Go with Gran, and I'll see you back at the house. Okay, sprout?" Louis was saying to Tess, looking like he had almost forgot Liam was there at all.
"Okay, Daddy," she said, and he picked her up for a hug.
"It was lovely seeing you again, Liam," Jay said. "And we'll be seeing more of you this coming year, is that right?"
Everyone really did know his plans, didn't they? "Yes, I hope so," he said, his throat feeling a bit tight.
"Good," she said. "We've missed you. The world can share you with us for a little while, at least."
"Say goodbye, Tess," Louis instructed as he set her back down on the ground.
"It was nice to meet you," she said clearly.
"You as well," Liam said. "Have a happy Christmas!" he called as they opened the door.
"Happy Christmas!" they shouted back, and suddenly it was just him and Louis once more.
"She's so big," Liam said after a moment. "I can't believe it."
"Well, it's been six years," Louis said, and the tightness in Liam's throat spread until he felt it in his chest. He'd missed so much, and most of the time he didn't even think about it, because he was so busy writing and recording and traveling all over the world. But then all at once it would hit him again, the impact so strong it was nearly unbearable.
That was why he was home, though. He couldn't get those years back, and he didn't wish that he could, exactly--his life had been amazing, and he wouldn't trade it for anything--but he could experience those things now, at least. It had to be possible to find a balance. "She's a beautiful little girl," he said finally. "And funny, too."
"Takes after me in that, at least," Louis said, sounding proud. Liam decided not to comment on just how much she resembled Louis. "Anyway, did you just come in for a cup of tea, or...?"
"Oh!" Liam had nearly forgot. "No, I need to get something for my mum. I've already got her a couple of presents, of course, but every year she asks me to get her at least one thing that doesn't cost a million pounds and that Annie hasn't picked out for me, and every year I leave it to the last second. So it's tradition, really."
"Annie?"
"She's my PA. Personal assistant," Liam clarified when Louis still looked confused, his face going hot when Louis's expression changed to incredulous.
"And here we thought you hadn't gone all Hollywood on us," Louis teased.
Liam shook his head. "I haven't, really, it's just. Some things I really do need an assistant for."
"Like present shopping?"
"Alright, I'm doing my best now, aren't I?" Liam grumbled, but Louis was grinning at him, and he couldn't help but smile back.
"So what were you thinking, then?" Louis asked.
"Have you got any of those loose teas in fancy tins? Just something nice that my mum'd never buy herself," Liam said. He suddenly realised that if Louis didn't he'd be right out of luck, since not many shops would still be open unless he went into town.
"Well, did you look at the shelf?" Louis asked, pointing over at a bookshelf decorated with fairy lights and tree baubles that was full of mugs and tea cosies and strainers and a stack of exactly the sort of tins Liam was looking for.
"Ah, I must have missed that," Liam said, feeling more and more like an idiot. "I got a bit distracted."
"Shopping is hard work," Louis said.
"It really is," Liam said fervently, and Louis laughed again at him. Liam picked out a set of three tins and Louis put them through the till. It had got darker since Liam had got there, the world outside the shop feeling quiet and remote. A stillness settled over Liam, a quiet contentment that he'd made the right decision coming home.
"Hope your mum enjoys them. She stops in every weekend for pastries and a bit of a chat," Louis said, bagging the tea.
"Maybe I'll do the same in the new year," Liam said, feeling shy and brave all at once.
The sound of a car horn cut off Louis just as he opened his mouth to respond. "Oh, that must be Nic," Liam said, the moment gone. Liam told himself he'd been imagining it anyway, the Christmas mood clearly affecting his brain.
"Well. Have a happy Christmas with your family," Louis said after a moment.
"Happy Christmas to you," Liam said back. "And I hope you have a happy birthday tonight. The big quarter century mark," he added.
Louis groaned. "Don't remind me, I'm ancient."
"Well, you'll just have to make this year your best one yet," Liam said.
"Maybe it will be," Louis said. The car horn sounded again. "You'd better get going, she sounds a bit impatient."
"She's waited six years for me to come home again, she can wait another minute," Liam joked. "I'll see you around, Tommo."
"Only if you don't disappear again," Louis shot back, but he said it with a grin, and besides, Liam had no plans to go anywhere.