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Liam woke a bit earlier than usual; his eye’s groggy from the exertions of the previous night. A familiar mop of blonde is tickling his cheek and the feeling of warm, steady breathing is heard, and felt, at his ear. A hand lay haphazardly over his bare chest, while his own arm was buried underneath a warm body.
A smile crept over Liam’s lips, while he hadn’t completely opened his eyes yet, he could feel the heat that encircled the two intertwined bodies. He could stay like this forever, with Niall close by his side, warm in their bed. But as the sunlight shown through the edges of the curtains, Liam knew that he would need to get up shortly to take a shower before their interview this morning.
Then it hit him, like a mack truck. The interview, this interview, was going to be a pivotal moment for his relationship with the blonde beside him. They were scheduled to come out to everyone. They had decided to go public once a certain cheeky paparazzi thought he could scare them into doing what he wanted. Little did he know, he was in for a big surprise.
Of course, Liam had over thought every possible outcome of this interview, even some that seemed very unlikely to happen, but hey, they didn’t call him ‘daddy direction’ for nothing. Granted, the man would probably become famous just for the pure and simple reason that they had chosen his interview in order to come out, but it was going to kill two birds with one stone. Maybe he’d leave them alone after this, and Niall and he could finally be free to do what they wanted with one another in public; nothing to risqué, of course.
The nudge of a nose to his cheek brought him back to reality. He hadn’t noticed that Niall had woken up.
“Mmm, you’re thinking too much. You woke me with your thoughts.” Niall said sleepily, planting soft kisses against Liam’s collarbone, where he knew he was slightly ticklish.
Liam squirmed underneath his lips and giggled, much like a twelve year old girl who was completely in love with her crush. “Stop it, you know what that does.” His voice was light, and not at all threatening.
“Yes, I do,” was all he got in response as he continued to kiss down Liam’s bare chest before reaching his nipple, letting his tongue dart out of his mouth and nudge the already hardness.
Liam groaned. “Don’t start things you can’t finish, love. We need to get ready for the interview.”
With that, Niall peered up at his boyfriend with a devilish smirk. “We can always save time and shower together.”
He just rolled his eyes at that statement and gently shoved the Irishman off on to his side of the bed. “Get off you wanker.” He laughed, swinging his legs off the side of the bed, and stretching a bit.
That was when he felt warm hands glide across his upper back, and down to encircle him mid torso, hot breathe against his ear. “It’s going to be okay Liam, you’ll see. Everyone is practically begging for one us to come out of the band anyways. Might as well be us.” And with another soft kiss against Liam’s ear, he was gone.
After showering, getting dressed, and cooking breakfast for both him and Niall, they were on their way to the building in which they were to conduct the interview. Liam had received several texts from the boys and his and Niall’s family wishing him good luck and they supported them both fully. With the look on Niall’s face when reading his own text messages, Liam figured he had likewise been sent the same support.
While Liam had been in a state of panic yesterday, and he wasn’t completely sure he wasn’t going to freak out at any moment, it helped to feel Niall near him, see his smiling, reassuring face. It seemed that he was the only thing to keep his nerves calm, but as the car pulled up to the building, his stomach lurched and he felt like he was going to be sick. At that moment, Liam just wanted to tell the driver to keep driving past and maybe Niall and him could go straight to the airport and fly away somewhere they could be alone and not have to worry about anything but who was going to turn off the lights when they were snuggled up in a warm bed together.
As if Niall could read his thoughts, he gently squeezed Liam’s hand that he had not let go of since the beginning of the ride. Liam looked over and gave him a small smile, one that didn’t reach all the way up to his eyes, nor made those annoying half-moon crescents Niall always said was adorable.
It was a blur after that. They were both being ushered to and fro, from makeup and hair to management who wanted to touch base with them one last time before they went to the cameras. Somehow, they’re interlocking fingers had been pulled apart and only found one another again once they were sat in a sitting area with the rest of the boys. They gave them both warm smiles, but neither boy registered them. Liam could only feel Niall’s sweaty hand in his, and hear his heart beating about a hundred times a second. Calling him nervous would be an extreme understatement.
He couldn’t help but narrow his eyes at the man when he entered the room, but what he didn’t see was that the rest of the boys were mirroring him. From an outsider’s perspective, it would have looked absolutely comical.
Before he or any of the others knew, it was time to start the interview. The questions were completely normal and a little mundane. They all had heard them before. The five answered them as politely as possible, giving their usual answers. Liam knew, however, the politeness of the questions would soon wear off and the man would want to know more details with their personal lives, especially after what he had witnessed the day before.
Within minutes, the moment was upon them. “So, I hear so much about these bromances in the group,” his gaze had landed on the sandy brunette and blond who were sandwiched in the middle of the five boys when he began the question. “Tell me, who gets along the best in the group?” asking pointedly to the two boys who had been caught red handed in their romance.
Louis began with his normal ‘We all get along rather well’ speech, but Liam wasn’t listening. Only when Niall nudges his thigh, does he realize that is his turn to speak up.
“Yeah, I mean, Louis is right, we all get along, some days more than others, but we’re all really close. But out of all of that, things just seem to click with me and Niall the most. Guess that’s how this whole thing started,” Liam said, sliding his hand into Niall’s in full view of the cameras.
The man’s eyes seem to be coming out of his sockets at the very public display of affection that Liam has demonstrated just then.
Since there were no words from anyone, Liam continued, sighing softly. “Niall and I have been seeing each other in secret for a couple of months now, and we’re both pretty happy about it. I’ve never been this happy with my life, so I guess that’s pretty big news.” Liam stopped talking then, lacking any other words to describe the situations. One quick look at Niall, and he knew that was all that needed to be said.
“Yeah, I’m extremely happy with everything, being with Liam, and the band. Nothing like this could ever happen to someone like me, and I’m scared I’ll wake up one day in my bed at home with my mom yelling at me to get ready for school. It’s crazy, but I don’t want it any other way.” Niall is finally piping up, and his words are hitting a very special place within Liam.
The guys continue the interview, supporting their fellow band mates, but Liam isn’t paying attention. He’s still going over Niall’s words, and picking out every little detail about the boy he’s in love with. And finally, when he can’t decide, he just simply thinks it’s all of him.
The interview has ended, and both of the boys hadn’t spoken another word since they had come out, both lost in their own thoughts, but both equally aware that the other is there beside them. Zayn, Harry, and Louis pat them on the shoulders as they file out of the building and into their awaiting cars, but everything is a haze to Liam, and he can’t remember the car ride home, or remember how he had gotten in, or why he’s sitting on the couch.
That is until Niall comes in with two mugs in his hand and he feels the couch dip as the blond sits beside him, handing him a hot mug with what smelt like his favorite tea. Liam gladly accepts it and puts the mug to his lips, slipping the hot liquid. It instantly calms his body, and Niall can see him physically relaxing within minutes.
Once the tea is finished, Niall takes the empty mugs to the kitchen, only to return to Liam on the couch. Liam opens his arms out for the younger boy upon his return, and instantly, Niall accepts, molding against his body like he’s belonged there his whole life, and probably has without knowing it. They won’t know how the fans and everyone else in the world will react to the interview until after it airs later that day. And to say that the suspense it killing them would also be an understatement.
Somehow, the two boys fine comfort in one another and pass the time planting soft kisses against each other’s lips. The kisses weren’t rushed, nor were they products of passion, merely comfort and familiarity; something they both desperately need at this point. When Liam’s phone buzzes, snapping them out of their slow snogging, he silently slips the device out of his pocket and looks to see who it is.
“Management,” the one word escapes his lips as he looked up at Niall, who was lying casually on top of him. He immediately pulls away so that Liam can sit up and take the call.
He takes the call, answering a little hesitantly, afraid of what he would hear on the other end. But all he got was a vague “Turn your telly on to MTV.” And then the ‘click’ and the call had dropped. Liam’s confusion is clearly written on his face as he pulled the phone away from his ear, and Niall is asking what’s happening.
Without a word, he finds the remote, turning the television on and flipping the channel to MTV, him and his band mates faces greet him warmly, and Niall doesn’t have to say another word, he knows that this is. This is the interview from earlier, dread filled both of the boys, and they are silently seeking out each other’s hands.
The scene plays out like Liam remembers, then is cuts back to the MTV newscaster, and she says something and the screen flicks to a reporter standing with what looked like a million One Direction fans. Liam’s too busy looking at the throngs of fans screaming and yelling to hear what the person is saying on the television, but it’s Niall who breathes heavily beside him, much like a sigh of relief.
“They support us.” He says almost in a whisper, which is okay seeing as it’s just the two of them. Liam is looking over at him and he can see those blue eyes tearing up. “They really and truly support us Liam.” He stated, looking over at Liam with those perfect eyes and red cheeks like he had been running a marathon just moments before.
Liam could only pull the boy he loved over, kissing his face in a million and one places, the television long forgotten. All he needed was the blond in his arms; the support of the boys, his family, management, and the fans are just bonuses.
“I. Love. You. So. Much.” Liam manages to breathe after each kiss his plants on the soft skin he knows all too well.
Normally, Niall would be pushing him away by now, claiming he was a soppy sod and to piss off, but he did nothing of the sort. In fact, he’s giggling and trying to plant the same soft kisses anywhere he can manage on Liam’s face.
“I love you too Li.” He says, almost breathlessly.
And all the fears Liam had before seemed to be ridiculous. He has Niall, and that is all that matters. And now, both of them have the support they need. They don’t have to hide if one of them feels the urge to kiss the other in public, or hold their hand, because they had the best fans in the world.
But in the end, they had each other and that’s all that mattered to begin with.