Chapter Text
Liam Óg always knew he wasn’t as tall as everyone else.
When he was in school and every boy around him started sprouting to somewhere around the six foot mark and he remained at five foot five, he decided maybe his height wouldn’t be his greatest strength when it came to dating.
His first serious girlfriend had been the same height as him, which in it’s ways was useful. She never needed to break her neck to kiss him, and he didn’t need to lean down to kiss her. But the cons always seemed to outweigh the pros, like how he always noticed she would stare just a second too long at taller guys. She broke things off after a year and five months.
Well, it wasn’t the end of the world, he told himself. There was much more to life that didn’t require being tall, and one day he would finally get to enjoy all those glorious things - as soon as he found a pair of trousers that fit his legs.
When he met Naoise and noticed Naoise wasn’t much taller than him, he decided maybe all male friendships didn’t depend on how manly you seemed next to each other, since him and Naoise just looked like two spare dicks in ever social setting for about five years straight before their eventual purchase of their first tracksuits and with that, never looked back at the skinny jeans that scrunched up at the bottom.
As life moved on and the world kept turning, Liam Óg didn’t really think much about the idea of finding a partner. In his eyes, as long as he had his tracksuits, and Naoise was always available to fuck about, he didn’t really see much of a problem with not being in a committed relationship like most people his age.
Then he met Georgia.
Georgia was this five foot two girl who was three years young than him and did everything like she was being forced to do it. But the first time Liam Óg had made eye contact with her, and seen that mischievous smile on her face, he came to the conclusion that he was completely and utterly fucked backwards, and the hole was too deep to climb out of.
Contrary to his previous assumptions regarding females and their preferences in men’s height, Liam Óg quickly realised Georgia didn’t care what marker was on the tape measure when she held it up to him. She more cared about the marker on the tape measure when she pulled down his trousers. Was that a red flag? Maybe it was. Liam Óg, however, must’ve been colourblind.
Because Liam Óg proceeded to see Georgia for the next two years.
”You should wear jeans” Georgia suggested as she watched Liam Óg pull his boxers back on. He looked over his shoulder at her, “Fuck no” He spat back, almost offended by it. The thought of putting on another pair of jeans gave him flashbacks to the bunched-up skinny jeans era. He made a face to himself as he leaned down for his tracksuit bottoms. “Why not? I think they’d look nice on you” Georgia said innocently. Liam Óg supposed that was probably the nicest thing Georgia had said to him in the last few weeks.
He turned to look at her as he tied the waist of his tracksuit bottoms. “Because they’re too long” He admitted outright. Georgia stared at him for a moment, then her face churned into confusion, “What?” She asked, tilting her head ever so slightly. Liam Óg shrugged as he turned his shirt the right way out, “Jeans are always too long for me” He said simply. Georgia raised an eyebrow as if he was stupid, “Did you never think of getting them altered?” She asked.
He did not ever think of that, actually.
Liam Óg paused in putting his shirt on, realising that such an easy solution to his eternal problem had never really crossed his mind. “…No” He mumbled and shoved his shirt over his head. Georgia chuckled, “Get a pair of jeans and get the legs taken up. Doesn’t cost much- I get my jeans taken up” She said as she wrapped a blanket around herself. Liam Óg stared at her as if she had just explained how electricity works. Georgia gestured to her jeans lying on the floor, “Tenner to have a few inches off the bottom of those” She said. Liam Óg rubbed the back of his neck, considering it. Georgia sighed in annoyance, “You know what? You and I are going into Belfast tomorrow and we’re getting you a pair of jeans and we’re going to get them taken up, okay?”. It was more of a demand than a suggestion, but Liam Óg had almost obeyed Georgia like a puppy for the last two years, and he wasn’t about to start fighting back now.
The next morning dawned and Liam Óg met Georgia in Belfast, and made a pit stop in a cafe for breakfast before embarking on their adventure for jeans. The cafe wasn’t very busy, so the pair got a table fast and placed their orders, Georgia opting for French toast and Liam Óg an Ulster fry. “How’s college?” Liam Óg asked as he stirred his coffee. Georgia shrugged, “Boring, really. Just a bunch of coursework” She replied and sipped her water. “How’s the next song coming along?” She asked, leaning forward ever so slightly.
Breakfast was full of laughter and questions. Liam Óg had tuned out of Georgia’s ramble about her latest film watch to stare at her. He hadn’t ever had a moment to take and stare at Georgia, fully taking in how beautiful she really was when she wasn’t cursing him out for breathing too loudly. Watching her cut up her toast while she said something about cinematic genius, he felt a sense of belonging. That was short lived as Georgia reached over with her fork and took half of one of his sausages. “Cunt” He had whispered, but the smile on his face made Georgia smile back.
”Georgia- they look weird”. Georgia rolled her eyes from the plastic chair, “Just show me” She urged. Liam Óg groaned from inside the changing room and emerged wearing one of three pairs of jeans Georgia had picked out for him. They looked fine, until you look down and realised his feet basically disappeared into them. Georgia got up and walked over to him, kneeling down and starting to roll the jeans up so they just hovered above the floor. She stood up and turned Liam Óg to the mirror, standing behind him as he stared at himself. “See” She said. Liam Óg tilted his head slightly.
Georgia sat and watched Liam Óg try on the other two pairs of jeans and walk back and forth in them, nodding approvingly at each pair. By the end, Liam Óg had somewhat decided on a pair of light blue ones. Not like he actually wanted them, but he had a feeling Georgia wouldn’t take him not wanting them as an answer. Georgia made him try them on again, and when he came out with them on, she got up and started fixing them around him as he stood staring in the mirror like he was a child. “Is this necessary?” Liam Óg asked. Georgia glanced up at him, "Well, you're not going home with a pair of jeans that won't look nice" She replied, as if that was obvious. Liam Óg sighed and looked down at her as she smoothed the jeans down his leg, "Little higher, love" He said. Georgia's head snapped up and her eyebrows knitted together, but her lips turned up into a devilish grin, "Watch your mouth" She said and stood up, shoulder brushing Liam Óg's as she whispered in his ear.
Liam Óg felt his face heat up as Georgia went back to fixing him like she hadn't just whispered 'bad boy' into his ear in a very public space. He dragged his hands down his face as Georgia inspected the back of him - which he could tell was just her staring at his arse for a moment or five. He shivered as Georgia slid her hands around his waist, under his shirt, and poked both her index fingers down the waistband of the jeans. "Georgia!" Liam Óg hissed, trying to bat her hands away. Georgia giggled, "Calm down. I'm seeing if they're too tight" She said as she ran her fingers along the waistband, nodding approvingly.
After a long and heated argument at the till, Georgia paid for the jeans and they walked out with them in a bag. "I can pay for my own stuff, you know?" Liam Óg asked as he watched Georgia shove her phone in her jacket pocket. Georgia looked at him and shrugged, "I wanted to buy you something" She said simply. Liam Óg's eyes narrowed at the same girl who had - only last week - ordered a pizza to her house, and only realised she had no cash when the pizza arrived, which lead to Liam Óg having to pay for it out of pocket. His thought was interrupted by Georgia grabbing his hand, dragging him into another cafe.
The pair sat at a table outside the cafe with more coffee and two muffins. Liam Og watched as Georgia picked piece of her muffin and ate them, watching the people who walked past them. "Does your aunt still want to murder me?" He asked. Georgia shook her head without looking at him, "She came around" She replied simply. Liam Óg raised an eyebrow at the simplicity of her telling him that her aunt, who had been on his back ever since he had gotten arrested, no longer wanted to take him into a back alley and shoot him point bank in the head. "What'd you say to her?" He asked. Georgia looked at him, "Saying I manipulated her?" She snapped. "I wouldn't put it past you" Georgia shrugged and sipped her coffee, watching as a couple walked past holding hands. Liam Óg watched as Georgia's eyes lingered on them, even when they were basically at the end of the street.
Georgia tapped the side of her cup gently with her middle finger, her face said she was thinking about something, and God forbid Liam Óg start speaking and ruin it for her. He ate his muffin quietly, glancing up every so often to see if Georgia had said or done something, but she was still thinking when he set the wrapper down on the plate. He sighed and folded his arms, "What's on your mind?" He asked. Georgia finally looked at him, and she looked at him for a while like she was debating saying something, but just shook her head and picked up her cup again, turning back to people watch as she sipped at her coffee. Liam Óg gently nudged Georgia's foot under the table to get her attention again, "What's the matter, Georgia?" He asked, tone just a little more concerned than the first time.
Georgia set down her cup and stayed facing him, her face blank but her eyes darting all over Liam Óg like she was making a final decision as she took a breathe. "Do you think this would work?" She asked. Liam Óg raised an eyebrow, "Would what work?" He asked. "Us". He stared at Georgia for a moment, not really sure if he was fully grasping what she was talking about. Because to him she was asking if them establishing a relationship would work. He shrugged, "I think so" He replied, hands dropping to his lap and going to his pocket for a cigarette. Georgia nodded slowly, "But would you commit to it? Stay?" She asked. Liam Óg lit up a cigarette and took a drag, "A label won't change how I feel about you, Georgia" He said, meeting her eyes, eyes full of what looked like fear. "I'd stay if you went bald overnight" He added on, and smiled when Georgia laughed.
The bus home was packed, which Liam Óg didn't understand considering it wasn't even noon yet. So, with no seats free, the pair had to stand for the journey home. Liam Óg was watching a pair of old ladies trying to answer their phones, which had been siamotainously ringing for what felt like forever, when the bus driver braked unusually hard. Georgia stumbled, and Liam Óg's hands shot out, wrapping around her waist and pulling her flush against him. Unfortunately, the guy standing beside them didn't have someone like Liam Óg with him and stumbled and almost fell over. Georgia looked up at Liam Óg, intending to ask him something like 'what the fuck was that?', but found he was too busy staring out the front window to try and see what made the driver brake so harshly.
To Be Continued...