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Liam is not one for parties. Never has been, never will be. But because he was dragged out by his friend, he now stands awkwardly in the middle of a stranger's house, letting some random person talk his ear off. About what? He can’t tell. He learned to drown him out a while ago, and his eyes begin to search the crowd for someone, anyone to rescue him.
He sighs in silent dejection when he can’t find anyone, returning his attention to the stranger, using general cues to smile at him; or make a surprised look or something along those lines. Anything to make it look like he was actually listening.
Maybe, just maybe, he thinks desperately, the stranger will clue in, figure out that he is actually not listening at all and just leave him alone. Soon though, He’s finding that his eyes begin to wander again and then his heart is beating in his chest a little faster because who he lands on is so painfully beautiful it’s uncomfortable.
He’s got purposely messy hair, and from what Liam can tell, bright, beautiful blue eyes that are currently sparkling in uncomfortability. He looks as lost as Liam feels. Liam observes as the stranger tries to desperately escape the couple making out nearly on top of him and while Liam can admit the sight is funny, he feels a tug at his heart at how uncomfortable the lad actually looks.
Liam turns to the stranger still talking in his ear and has the quick idea to play it bashfully as he makes his lie of an excuse. “I’m so sorry, but I have to excuse myself. My mate over there needs help.” He shrugs his shoulders, exaggerating fake embarrassment, not letting the stranger say anything before he’s making his way across the room.
The relief is immediate as he zig zags through the small crowd, making his way to the pretty stranger on the couch. But relief quickly turns to nerves the closer he gets and now he’s feeling kind of stupid. He doesn’t know this lad, doesn’t even know if this lad will be grateful for help from a stranger but his feet are like their own sentient beings, pushing him further forward, and now he’s standing directly in front of the stranger.
And as this stranger looks up at him he swears his breath stops and his heart jumps into his throat. He was pretty from afar but up close, he’s nearly otherworldly.
And suddenly his leather jacket is too hot. But then the stranger is raising his eyebrow at him, and Liam is very aware that he needs to say something before this gets more weird than it already is.
“Ermmm hi.” Liam says and he is now mentally smacking himself for that one.
Erm hi?!! You’re an absolute idiot. His inner monologue screams at him. He could have said anything else. Anything would have been better than Erm Hi.
But now the stranger is looking at him with clear amusement twinkling in those deep blue eyes that, now that he’s closer, look like an ocean storm. And Liam can’t help the tightening of his chest and the heat of a blush that’s crawling up his neck and the top of his cheeks.
“Hi” the stranger parrots, laughing softly. His voice is soft and kind of lilty, his northern English accent clear and strong. It’s pleasant to Liam’s ears.
“You looked kind of uncomfortable so I thought I would…” Liam trails off, rubbing at the back of his neck. God as he says it he realizes how almost conceited he sounds. Like he could be one to save this stranger.
“Be my own personal hero?” The stranger fills in teasingly, mirth and mischief now swimming in those blue eyes. It makes Liam’s face grow warm and at the same time, makes his heart jump a little as his body relaxes a bit, the immediate ease between the two of them unbelievably palpable.
Liam laughs despite himself, grinning from ear to ear, his shoulders following the rest of his body and relaxing. He didn’t even know they were tense. Though, he supposed, it made sense with how nervous talking to this stranger made him. Nervous in a good way. Like he would do anything to make him smile. Would do anything for him in general.
“Something like that. I’m Liam, by the way.” He reaches out his hand, to help him up, to finally get him out of the awkward situation he has found himself in. And his hand is warm and soft against Liam’s, it makes him tingly and all of a sudden butterflies are in his stomach, swarming in chaos as he pulls the stranger up. But then, because this is Liam, he pulls a little too hard and the stranger is launched forward, his face near colliding with Liam’s, their breaths mingling, their chests rising together. Now Liam’s leather jacket is definitely too hot and his pants are a little too tight and his heart could jump out of his chest with the way it’s beating.
It’s silent for just a heartbeat too long as they stare at each other, each lads lips parted. But Liam can’t stop staring at him. And he feels the itch to look down at the strangers lips and when he does he really does think his heart might burst because who decided lips could look that good. That soft. That pouty. That red.
“I’m Louis.” The stranger finally says and Liam watches adamantly as his tongue darts out to lick his lips and what Liam wouldn’t give to be brave enough to lean forward and capture them for himself. To be the one to know how they taste.
“Do you wanna get out of here?” Liam blurts and fuck if his impulse control is comical at this point. It’s so non-existent that he might as well let this stranger, now named Louis, jump into his brain. Because he didn’t mean to make it sound like a hook up line. So he goes to open up his mouth; to explain his thought process when Louis laughs, his eyes crinkling, nose scrunching. And if that isn’t the cutest sound Liam has ever heard he doesn’t know what is.
“A bit forward, innit? We just met. You could be plotting to kill me.”
Liam could die in embarrassment right now if it wasn’t extremely evident that Louis was joking. That he was bantering with him. Hell he still might die of embarrassment.
“I didn’t mean it how it sounded.” He flails a little pathetically with the excuse but it’s out there nonetheless, it’s already been said.
“Ahh so you weren’t flirting with me then?” The banter is infectious and it makes Liam’s fluttery heart feel not so fluttery. It calms him down, makes him feel an ease he’s never felt with anyone that he wasn’t already familiar with.
“I am…” He stops for a moment, taking time to swallow and gather all the thoughts he’s thinking before he tries again. He wants this to go right. So desperately needs this to go right. “I am flirting with you. But, I also wanna get to know you. I just wanna just do it not at a party I didn’t wanna be at to begin with.” Liam really needs to stop talking. He really really needs to stop talking because all he seems to be able to do is ramble around this unreal man.
But Liam is pleasantly surprised when his nonsensical rambling is answered by another nose scrunch and more laughter that makes his chest warm.
“Your rambling is cute.” Liam watches as Louis contemplates his options before smiling at Liam. “Let me grab my jacket.” And though he needs to, Liam hates the feeling that Louis has to let go of him even though he knows rightfully he shouldn’t. They just met. He definitely shouldn’t be pining for someone he barely knows. Or doesn’t really know at all for that matter. But then Louis is walking back to him, a denim fur lined jacket now adorning his shoulders, stopping in the middle of the room, nodding his head at Liam as a gesture to follow him out.
Liam feels like an obedient puppy as he shifts through the crowd, eagerly walking toward the waiting man. As they reach the outside the frozen winter air laps against Liam’s face but it’s a refreshing change from the hot, stale air they just left.
They stand there at the threshold of the house for a small moment, and Liam is at a loss. This may have been his idea but in truth he didn’t expect to get this far; to be standing with Louis with potential crackling between them. But really though, all Liam can focus on is the need to hold Louis’ hand. To feel it against his own again. But he isn’t sure. Isn’t sure if it’s too soon so he ignores the need coiling in his stomach, settling for his own pocket instead.
As if the man standing next to him can read minds, a familiar soft hand grabs his own, interlacing their fingers. Liam turns his head to look at Louis in surprise, the answering smile he gets contagious, and he can’t help but smile back, his cheeks feeling warm again.
“Don’t be so nervous Liam. You’re in good hands.” And the cheeky wink he receives may just have sent Liam into overdrive.
They walk in comfortable silence for a moment, their destination unknown. But Liam didn’t mind. He wouldn’t mind if they just sat somewhere and just stared at each other.
“You hungry Liam? There’s a kebab shop across the street.” Louis’ voice is filled with mischief that Liam chooses to ignore, he just wants to be with Louis in this moment. And he feels cheesy for even thinking about it but his answering smile is bright and warm.
“Lead the way.”
- - -
“You have a penguin where??!” Liam’s laughter is a full on, tears streaming, knee slapping belly laugh. The image he plays in his mind keeps that laughter going every time he tries to calm down.
They had been sitting in the shop for over an hour, talking about near everything and anything, currently exploring the topic of the ink they have on their bodies and the stories that come with them. Louis’s face flushes lightly and Liam thinks that he was wrong earlier. This was definitely the cutest thing he’s ever seen.
“Don’t judge me Liam. I was a little drunk and I got a penguin tattooed on me ass.” Louis is still flushing and now hiding his face against his denim jacket. And fuck if Liam wasn’t already smitten, this would have been the moment he became smitten. And there that itch is again, to reach out; to touch him in some way. To get Louis to show him his face.
“No judgments here.” He simply says, putting his hands up in surrender. “I’m 99 percent sure I have one or two drunken tattoos of my own.” His shoulders shrug but he can’t stop smiling. He hasn’t stopped smiling the whole time.
“Just 99 percent huh?” Louis’ voice is pure tease and Liam watches in wonderment as Louis leans in to him, watches as Louis’ eyes change, a flirty twinkle that, combined with the flirty smile he was receiving, is making Liam’s breathing become shallow.
And suddenly he’s speechless and he doesn’t know what to say because all he’s focused on is those soft, red, pouty lips that are only millimeters away from his. His mouth is dry, throat bobbing as he swallows against the lump that’s forming in his throat. He’s all consumed in Louis. In how close he is. And he so badly wants to finally do what he’s been wanting to do all night and kiss those pouty lips.
Liam is so insanely nervous his hands are shaking under the table. So he has to distract himself, has to find a way to keep up with Louis’ banter. “Well…I was never very good at Maths.” His added grin is cheeky; his tongue finding its way between his teeth as he matches Louis in turn, keeping his focus solely on Louis, his eyes flitting over Louis’ face like he needs to commit it to memory; watching as Louis smiles before he clears his throat.
“Alright, why don’t we spice this up a bit.” And now all Liam can hear or think about is his thundering heart because honestly, if he thought about it, Louis could mean a lot of things by that. And Liam can’t think straight because they are still so close. So close Liam can see flecks of green in those blue eyes; can see how long his lashes are and how they curl just slightly up. And none of it is helping him not thinking about the dirty sinful things that automatically flooded his brain with that one sentence.
“How so?” His voice is hoarse, raspier than it’s been all night and it takes all of his willpower to keep his eyes on Louis face and not on the neck he so badly wants to mark in love bites.
He feels like he’s in a trance as he watches Louis take the bottle of chilli sauce and hold it over the gyro Liam just about forgot he had, pouring a more than generous amount on it.
“Simple really, just want you to take a bite of that, love. Wanna see if you can handle… spice.” Louis has a shit eating grin on his face and Liam is both a little turned on and a little nervous. Because let’s face it, Louis is sin on legs to Liam. Everything he’s done the whole night has been pure unadulterated torture. And Liam hearing Louis call him love doesn’t help the matter that he’s already infatuated with the lad. And Liam hates spice. But it’s different because Louis asked him to eat it. So even though he knows he’s gonna regret it, his lips wrap around the gyro and immediately the only flavor he gets is chilli. And now he’s warm because his tongue is on fire.
“Ahh. Ahh. Fuck.” He has to keep sticking his tongue out, not that that is doing anything to help his current problem. But it’s like it’s instinct, poking his tongue out while he fans it with his hand.
He is in physical pain. So much physical pain his eyes are watering. And he can barely discern that Louis is laughing. “Glad you find my suffering funny.” Liam utters, glaring poutily at Louis.
“To be fair love, I didn’t think you’d actually eat it.” His response makes a fair point but Liam can’t let him know that so he focuses on finding some way to ease the pain, excusing himself to the counter to beg for milk.
Once semi-relieved of his pain, he finds his seat again, still pouting. “Then why - agh - why tell me to?”
Liam isn’t expecting the sweet laugh he gets instead. The shake of Louis’ head. “Your face is cute all pouty like that.” It’s a blatant tactic to ignore his question but it works because he wasn’t sure his face could feel any hotter until that moment.
“Cheeky.” Liam murmurs, ducking his head a bit. He can’t handle it. The intensity in which he was feeling right now. But the flirting, the nicknames, all of it is going straight to Liam’s head so in a situation when we wouldn’t normally, he’s feeling brave. He finds himself leaning in a bit more and at this point he might as well be laying across the whole table. “Can I tell you something?” He’s a bit sweaty when he asks, and he can hear the shakiness in his voice but he keeps his eyes on Louis, rolling his lip between his teeth as he waits in anticipation.
“Go on then.” It’s a simple reply but it’s the way he says it’s the way Louis also leans in that sets Liam's skin on fire.
“I really wanna kiss you.” And he sounds a bit desperate, he knows. But it’s how he feels. It’s how any one in their right mind would feel if they have been itching to kiss someone like he has.
Sure as rain though Louis smiles a bit, and the way it curves and lights up his face makes Liam’s heart crash against his chest just a little bit harder.
“So why don’t you?” It’s a challenge. Louis is daring him to. He feels it in his bones. A challenge he doesn’t have to be asked twice. He closes the small gap between them, tilting his head a bit and captures those soft, pouty lips with his own. His eyes flutter shut, chest rising a bit faster, and the feeling of Louis against him, of their lips touching is damn near electric.
They move together seamlessly and Liam feels like he could drown in the feeling of it. He’s in heaven but he wants more. He needs more. But as he leans further, his hips are banging against the table and then he’s hyper aware of them being in public. He pulls away soft and reluctant, choosing to rest his forehead against Louis’. He breathes deeply, his own mingling with Louis’ with how close they are and he fights against every instinct he has to keep kissing him. To keep his lips against Louis’.
“Wanna get out of here?” And it takes Liam a minute too long to realize what Louis said; that Louis is using Liam’s earlier words against him. So as he pulls away, if only to fully be able to look at his face, he can’t help the huffing laughter that leaves his mouth. His own eyes crinkle and he can feel his nose scrunch upwards as he smiles brightly.
“Tch tch. So forward.” Liam whispers teasingly but his body is all tingly and he can’t stop the shiver that goes down his back. Not that he would want to. He’s bursting with happiness right now.
Louis’ head shakes and Liam watches as his eyes roll playfully before he’s pulling Liam back into him by the lapels of his leather jacket. “Shut up and kiss me.”