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Liam waited in the line outside the club, glancing over at Niall and Harry, wishing, for the first time, that he hadn’t come out to his flatmates. With the way he was raised, he still struggled with the fact that he was gay. On top of that, he wasn’t a big club person. So, his very thoughtful mates decided the best way to show their support of Liam’s sexuality crisis was to take him clubbing at every gay bar within a thirty-mile radius.
This was the third club they’d gone to, Niall declaring the other’s unsuitable, Harry and Liam laughing that they were letting their straight as an arrow friend decide the suitability of gay clubs. “This one is going to be awesome,” Niall said, smiling at Harry. “I heard about it from this bloke in the musical theatre department.” Niall was a sound tech major and this year all of his classes centered around theatre sound design, so he’d been spending a lot of time with a new group of friends.
“I’m pretty knackered,” Liam spoke up. “Can we just go home? Do this another time?”
“We’re only five people from the door,” Harry argued. “We can’t give up now.” Liam’s shoulders sagged, and Harry threw an arm around him. “I have a good feeling about this place.”
After about twenty minutes, they were inside, sitting at the bar next to a stage. Liam was sipping at his whiskey sour, glancing around the club. So far, he’d only spotted a couple of guys who’d even garnered a second look, but that look brought about nothing but disappointment. He was honestly surprised by the number of women in the club.
Liam was just taking another sip when Niall shouted out a greeting, causing Liam to choke on his drink. “LOU!”
A girl in a short skirt and high heels approached, laughing loudly. “Nialler, ya wanky bastard! Didn’t know you swung this way!” she called out in a teasing manner, her voice high, but gruff at the same time. Liam blinked, gaping at the girl.
“Mates, this is Louis, the bloke I was telling you about. Louis, this is Harry and Liam,” Niall said, gesturing as he said their names.
“Charmed,” Louis drawled, her voice suddenly a bit higher pitched, and flirtatiously feminine, her lashed batting at Harry. She offered a hand to Harry who took it, kissing the knuckles, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
“Dance with me,” Harry said, not releasing her hand, pulling her towards the floor.
“Nice to meet you, Liam,” Louis called, back to the abrasive voice she’d originally spoke in.
“You, too,” Liam responded, turning to Niall, his eyes wide.
“Left that part out, did I?” Niall pointed towards the stage. “Every Friday, they do a drag show. Louis has been asking me to check it out for ages.”
Liam glanced towards the stage before trailing his eyes over the room, suddenly examining the women he’d spotted more closely, surprised at the number that weren’t women. “I’m an uneducated idiot,” he muttered.
“Nah, just a bit naive and sheltered,” Niall told him, smiling softly at Liam’s blush. Niall knew that Liam had grown up in a strict religious home, moving to college before realizing he was gay. He still hadn’t come out to his parents, and, knowing how they felt about homoesexuality, he wasn’t sure if he’d ever be able to.
“They don’t all look like the ones I’ve seen on telly,” Liam said, noticing not all of them had the exaggerated makeup.
“I know.” Niall laughed. “A couple I’ve been tempted to hit on.” Liam looked confused. “What?”
“You’re straight.”
“And they’re gorgeous,” Niall countered.
“Thank you,” a smoky voice spoke up behind Liam.
Liam turned, swallowing hard when he saw who had spoken. Perfectly chiseled cheekbones, long lashes, lips painted a pale pink pulled between stark white teeth. Long wavy brown hair pulled over one shoulder. “H-hi,” he stuttered out.
“Hey, handsome,” she purred, running a hand down Liam’s arm. Liam spotted a mandala tattooed onto the back of it, disappearing under the cuff of a long-sleeved top.
“Well, I’ll just leave you to it,” Niall said, laughing when Liam gave a vague wave. “His name is Liam,” the blond provided before he disappeared into the crowd.
“First time, Leeyum?” He nodded, tongue still stuck to the roof of his mouth. “You can call me Veronica.”
“Pr-pr-” Liam huffed out a breath. “Pretty name,” he said.
“Thank you. Buy me a drink?” Veronica smiled, and Liam was waving over the bartender.
They talked quietly, Veronica being flirtatious, her lips wrapping around her straw seductively. Liam desperately tried to keep up, his confusion growing over the situation. When she’d finished her drink, she leaned over to press a kiss to Liam’s cheek. “Thank you for the drink and conversation,” she said, softly, turning and disappearing.
Niall reappeared next to him, smiling. “So?”
“Gay, remember.” Although, now he was starting to question that conclusion. Just when he’d thought his crisis was over, it dropped into his lap again.
“Drag queen, remember,” Niall pointed out, laughing at the look on Liam’s face. “You couldn’t tell? Dude, you were drooling! Your brain may not have been able to tell, but the rest of you was clued in.”
Liam blushed as he hid his face in another drink. “Can we go now?”
“Nope, my mate’s about to sing. You have to stay for that at least,” Louis said, as she and Harry approached, hands clasped between them.
The lights dimmed, the crowd cheering. “If you like R&B, you’ll love this,” Louis whispered in Liam’s ear.
Veronica suddenly appeared on stage, her clothes changed into something a bit more revealing, showing off numerous tattoos decorating both of her arms. Liam’s eyes traced them as her body moved. When she began to sing, Liam’s eyes snapped to her face. Her eyes were closed as her voice flowed out, wrapping around Liam. He felt Niall pushing his mouth closed, vaguely heard Louis giggling, knowing it was at him, but he couldn’t take his eyes off of her.
When the song was over, Veronica gave a shy smile before nodding her head, leaving the stage as the lights in the club came up a bit again. “Need a smoke,” Liam said, weaving through the crowd away from his friends, ignoring their laughter.
Once he’d pushed through the crowd, he looked around, realizing he had no idea where he was at. He thought he’d been headed back towards the front door, but when he glanced around, he realized the door was nowhere in sight. He moved slowly along the wall until he found a hallway. Glancing down it, he saw a familiar figure.
“Veronica!” he shouted, wincing when she whipped around, her eyes wide. When she saw him, she put a hand to her chest.
“You scared the shit outta me, mate,” she said, her voice sounding more masculine, but still melodic.
Liam blushed as he stepped towards her. “Sorry. I was trying to find the way out.”
“Leaving already? Was the show that bad?” she asked, motioning for Liam to follow her as she turned to continue down the hall.
“No!” Liam shouted, flinching as his voice echoed off the walls. “It was- you were- I mean, you did really well. Your voice is amazing.”
“Well, thank you,” she said, her voice back to soft and flirtatious, opening a door and disappearing inside. Liam glanced up and down the hallway, wondering what he should do. “Get in here, wanker!”
Liam shook his head. He was going to have to get used to the voice changes at some point, if Louis and Veronica were going to be a part of his life. Judging by the heart eyes Harry had been making at Louis, at least she would be. Liam studied Veronica as she disappeared behind a screen on the other side of the room, thinking that he wouldn’t mind having her around, as well. He glanced towards a mirror, checking to see if his eyes matched Harry’s.
“What are you looking at?” Veronica asked as she reappeared, a black kimono replacing her stage outfit. She sat on a bench in front of the mirror, patting the space next to her. “Sit.”
Liam settled, trying not to let his body touch hers. He watched as she reached up to remove her wig, trying not to gape as jet black hair was revealed, shaved on the sides and pulled up into a small bun. Veronica leaned towards the mirror, turning her face from side to side. Reaching into a container she pulled out some kind of wipe.
“So, where were you running off to?” she asked as he wiped at her face. Liam was amazed at the amount of makeup that came off, revealing still flawless skin beneath.
“Smoke,” he responded, fighting the urge to reach up and touch one of her eyelashes. He’d be convinced they were fake if he wasn’t watching her wipe away the mascara, revealing they were just long and beautiful.
“I’m dying for one. Wait until I’m changed, and I’ll join you.” Veronica reached for some lotion, wiping it into her skin. Liam glanced into the mirror, gaping. “What?”
“I know you,” he said, trying to figure out where he knew her from.
Veronica laughed, standing and disappearing behind the screen again. “You do,” came her voice. Liam was still digging through his recent memory to figure out where he knew her from. She, well, he reappeared a moment later. His hair pulled out of the bun and falling loose over one side of his head. A snake tee, ripped jeans, leather jacket and combat boots replaced the robe. Liam looked to his hands and snapped his fingers as he spotted the fingerless gloves.
“You’re in my psych class!” He remembered studying the boy’s fingers one day after he’d borrowed a pen, sitting the row in front of him. He’d liked the look of the gloves, wondering if he could pull them off when he went home, covering the eagle tattoo he’d gotten one night while drunk.
“Got it in one,” he said. “My name’s Zayn.” He offered his hand, his grip firm as they shook. “Was surprised to see you here, sorry for the act earlier. Gotta get in the right frame of mind, or I’ll never perform.”
“Is that why you do it?” Liam asked, as he followed Zayn out of the room. They continued down the hallway towards and exit. Once they were outside, they leaned against the wall, each lighting their own cigarette before continuing to speak.
“Does it bother you?” Zayn’s voice held an edge of something that Liam couldn’t identify.
“Should it?”
Zayn let out a smoky breath that sounded a lot like relief. “Niall’s told me about you,” he explained. “Your family and all.”
“Why would he do that?” Liam asked, confused.
Zayn turned his face away, glancing down the alley they were standing in, the street lights shining in his eyes. “Might’ve seen you talking to him one day, asked about you. I know him through Louis.”
“Why would you ask about me? You don’t know me.” Liam was completely lost by the conversation now.
“Have you looked in a mirror?” Liam blinked his eyes slowly. “You’re fucking hot, mate. Wanted to ask you out that day I borrowed your pen, but chickened out. Every time I tried to talk to you, it was like my voice died.”
“You did fine earlier. More than fine. I was the one who looked like an idiot,” Liam argued, moving away from the wall to stand in front of Zayn, using a gentle hand on his cheek to force him to look at Liam.
“Veronica did fine. She’s the brave one,” he whispered, his eyes shutting, lashes splayed across his cheeks. After a moment of silence, Liam waiting for him to continue, he blinked his eyes open. “It’s the only way I can ever open my mouth to sing, is as her. I’m not as confident as me. It started off as a dare, but I found out I actually enjoy it.” He shrugged. “Some people have said I’m pretty good looking as a girl.”
“Pretty good looking?” Liam barked out a laugh, feeling badly when Zayn bit his lower lip. “You’re gorgeous. You had me questioning my sexuality for awhile back there.” Zayn giggled, honestly giggled, as his eyes scrunched shut, his tongue pressing behind his teeth. “And, at risk of getting myself punched, you’re just as, if not more, gorgeous like this.”
Zayn’s grin, somehow, grew even bigger. He laced his fingers with Liam, tugging him down the alley towards the street. “Well, then, since you’re such a fan, why don’t we go have some fun and maybe Zayn will get a bit better at talking to you.”
Liam tugged him back and into his side, smiling at how well Zayn fit under his arm. He shivered from the way Zayn’s arm wrapped around his waist, hand sliding into Liam’s rear pocket, squeezing gently. “I’d say Zayn is doing just fine.” They laughed as Liam pressed a kiss to the side of Zayn’s head and they continued into the night.