Work Text:
Monday
"What's doing, Payno?" Louis asked, finding a space for Liam's tea and the plate full of biscuits. He slid carefully onto the sofa beside Liam who was busy typing away at his laptop, pen clamped in his teeth and the deepest furrow between his brow.
He didn't answer - but Louis didn't think he would. Louis picked at the corner of Liam's text book, leafing through to one of the many cut up Post-it notes that were numbered and alphabetised on the side. He thought about moving them into some sort of order that would make rude words but that took effort and it would piss Liam off and Louis liked Liam.
So he moved the "a" and "z" around and sighed, pulled his legs up to cross them on the seat after nicking one of the biscuits he brought over to share.
He watched while Liam tapped away, turning to his other text with the green Post-its as opposed to the yellow ones on the book Louis messed with. Liam was always so meticulous when it came to his notes. Had colours for this and highlighters for that, Post-it notes here and those see through tag things for others. Harry had told him when Louis asked once, that it had gotten Liam picked on a bit back in school. People thought Li had it easy - that all the awards and recognition came easily to "the nerdy one" and "geek boy loser." It wasn't anything like it though. Liam had a bit of an issue with reading when he was in Primary, something about being on the low end of the scale of dyslexia which his parents had gotten him therapy or whatever it is that fixes such things. Liam though; Liam hated failing things with a passion. Hated coming second (which was why he did so well with long distance running the first year at Uni before he fucked his ankle). He hated being unprepared so yeah, all the accolades and awards - from nothing but sheer determination.
Louis sighed and sipped his tea as Liam continued working. It was Louis' day off from the book store and he had one class early that morning. There was a study session that he skipped out on, too, so he had come to the coffee shop hoping he could annoy Zayn but of course, Zayn had the morning shift and he wasn't there. It was a tad annoying really. He'd already ordered Zayn's tea when he remembered and was tossing up about the biscuits or a toastie when he spotted Liam in the back corner where the light was best this time of the afternoon. Jade mentioned that Li had been there for the better part of the day and hadn't even stopped for lunch so Louis took that as an invitation to provide the lad with sustenance. And well, if that break also involved listening to Louis talk about whatever came to mind then Liam should have been truly grateful for the time spent in Louis' general vicinity.
"I can hear you thinking, and it's loud," Liam said around the pen, fingers paused for a second while he reread something on the screen before returning to the tap-tapping of before.
"Jade said you've been here all day and I brought you tea, Payno. And not just any tea but from my own personal stock," Louis returned, poking Liam in the side in a well aimed jab that got him right between the ribs. It was a well known fact that this particular store had a pack of Yorkshire's finest that was just for Louis when he came. Zayn was good to him like that.
Liam winced and tapped a few more times before stopping. He removed the pen from his mouth and ran his hands over his face a few times before raising his arms above his head, yawning loud. It pulled up his navy polo and there were these few seconds that felt like eons when Louis could do nothing but stare at the sliver of golden skin on show. Liam was fit and if it weren't for the running that he still did - though not competitively - it was definitely from how many hours he put in working at the gym if not working out there. Louis sighed inwardly because he shouldn't have been looking. Shouldn't have been wondering if Liam's skin felt as smooth as it looked. Was it warm or did he run hotter than most normal folk? He shouldn't have even be looking at all because he had a Harry and Harry was lovely and Harry had these hands and this ridiculous laugh but.
But.
Liam shook out his hair after, his curls near rivalled Harry's now, growing out after he shaved them the previous year. They were similar but looked softer, blonder even, with these highlights from how often Liam was outdoors. Or maybe it was a sunbed or something because there was no way Li had such golden looking skin without help. Unless he was blessed with some Mediterannian heritage like Louis himself was. A hint of sun and he looked like he'd been out in the Sahara naked for days. Liam gave him a grin, this lopsided thing that showed off his lovely white teeth and the crinkles his eyes got at the corners. Louis willed the heat rushing to his face to just stop. He couldn't have these thoughts about Liam. Not now.
He should never have them at all.
"Are those biscuits for me, too, or are you going to hog them all?" Liam asked hand hovering over the plate that Louis had resting on his knee and Louis shrugged in return.
"S'pose. Can't have that gorgeous body of yours fading away now, can we?" And he had to take a sip of his drink the moment the words left his mouth. It was a bad idea heading over here to be alone with Liam. Especially after what had happened on Sunday night. Stupid Harry and Liam sleeping all sweet and soft on their bloody living room floor. They were so wrapped around each other - legs entwined, Harry's face hidden in Liam's neck and Liam's arm thrown over Harry's middle keeping him close. It had both broken Louis' heart and had it beating double time. He watched them sleep for an obscene amount of time that he wouldn't even admit to himself, and had gone home sending Harry a text that he was busy and couldn't make it. He'd walked instead of catching the bus, the light drizzle out giving him plenty of fuel to add to how he felt on the inside. It physically hurt seeing the two of them together sometimes. The boy that was in love with Louis and the boy Louis was in love with. You'd think they were one and the same.
But, no one ever said love was easy.
"Maybe you should have them all then. Can't have the best bum in all of Manchester shrinking, either."
No one ever said being in love with two boys at once was something that actually happened either.
Louis didn't look up. Didn't trust himself with words, just smiled and took a larger gulp of his tea while Liam took two biscuits and looked proper proud of himself.
Louis life was just so hard.
He chatted with Liam about the mundane. The weather and the footy scores and how the one class they still had together this year was as dull as the ancient professor that taught it. They talked about everything but Harry for hours until the sun had gone down and Jade came and took their plates and it was nice. Louis loved having Liam's attention - being a centre in that bubble of just the two of them where Liam looked at him and listened and smiled and was just. Liam. The boy Louis had met at the bus stop on the way to the first day of orientation. They'd chatted the entire way there and yeah, it might have taken a bit of work on Louis' part to get Liam to open up but they missed their stop and instead of jumping off and walking back they ended up riding the whole circuit back again.
He'd fallen a little in love with Liam Payne that bus ride.
He'd fallen a little in love with Liam Payne every day since.
He kicked himself for not having the courage to speak up. For not wanting to wreck a friendship he savoured because it was the first one he'd made in a new town. Liam was the first proper best friend feeling he'd had since Stan left to go study in Australia, leaving Louis all alone. He was working up toward it. To actually asking Liam out for something more than just a chance to study or blow off steam at some club but then Liam went home for the weekend and Louis missed him and it had been an hour since he'd waved Liam off. It probably wasn't the best idea to go out and get wasted and pick up a boy with nice eyes and hands and then wake up in his bed only to do the walk of shame into a living room that felt familiar.
He'd never actually gone to Liam's dorm - they'd meet up on campus or in the library but the book bag lying on the bed opposite the one Louis was peeking was definitely Liam's. So were the trainers under it and the picture of Liam with his arm wrapped around a curly haired lad with familiar looking green eyes and dimples, well. It was obvious that the lad Louis had gone home with was the Harry Liam had banged on about for the previous six weeks that he really, really wanted Louis to meet and who Louis had avoided. Only because he wanted Liam all to himself. He hadn't liked the idea of sharing Liam with his so called "childhood best mate." Not when he'd just met Liam and Liam was all these amazing things and he made Louis have butterflies in his stomach like in all those stories he'd read to his sisters for nights and nights and nights growing up.
He didn't want to share Liam and the Harry had happened and Liam was so happy that Harry and Louis got along and then he was even more happy that they were dating - because in Liam's eyes it could never have been a one time shag. So instead of sharing Liam with Harry, he ended up falling in love with them both.
They eventually parted ways after packing up Liam's books. It was cold and Liam gave Louis his jacket because he was warm enough and didn't live too far off. Liam kissed Lou on the cheek and reminded him of the party he was throwing for Harry's birthday on the weekend and walked off.
Louis didn't know how long he stood there watching Liam fade into the horizon. All he felt was the pleasant buzz of Liam's lips on his skin and the extra cracks in his heart.