Back to You

Liam heard the line go dead and he flinched. Zayn had convinced him to call Blair again. They were both relieved when she agreed to meet with him again. Liam felt a little better, but he still felt pretty crappy.

“So, when are you going to tell the other guys?” Zayn asked his friend, interrupting the silence that had settled in the flat. Liam just shrugged. “I’d reckon Dani told El. So Louis probably knows.

A knot clenched in his stomach as he thought about what the boys would do. “I suppose. Maybe I’ll tell them tonight. I’m on a roll today.”

Zayn clapped his friend on the back and chuckled. “Good. I’ll call them all over.” He pulled his phone out and started tapping buttons. A while later, knock sounded at the door. It was more like pounding. Angry pounding.

“Open this god damn door! I know you two are in there!” The two boys exchanged worried glances as they heard Louis voice bellow through the door. The pounding grew louder. Liam unlocked the door and turned the knob, suddenly being pushed back and Louis shoved the door open angrily.

Before anyone could register what was happening, Louis punched Liam square in the jaw. The impact sent Liam stumbling back again. He put a hand to the now afflicted area and gaped at Louis.

“Jesus, Lou! What the hell are you doing!?” Zayn shouted, shoving his angry friend back, away from Liam.

“Are you fucking serious?” Louis yelled, throwing his hands in the air and glaring at the two boys.

“Dani is having a meltdown in my flat and this tosser is a total phony and you are defending him?!”

At that, the fiery blue-eyed boy launched at Liam again. Zayn caught him just in time and was trying to restrain him. “I’m sorry I lied, alright! What else is there to say?” Liam asked, trying not to get aggravated.

“You’re sorry? Is that the best you can do? You leave a pregnant girlfriend and don’t tell anyone about it for two years and you’re sorry?” Louis yelled, inching closer to Liam, slowly slipping out of Zayn’s grip.

At that last comment, Liam grabbed his friend’s collar and returned the punch. “You don’t know shit about it, Louis! Don’t you dare stand here and tell me that I left. You have no idea what I went through!” The two tumbled to the ground, now full on wrestling.

“I know enough to know that you are a complete and total bastard! I have never been more disgusted with anyone in my life!” Louis got a punching into Liam’s side, knocking the wind out of him.

“Shut up you fucking twat!” Liam responded by grabbing Louis shoulders and slamming him into the hardwood floor. Zayn was trying to pull them apart and was yelling at them to stop, but they ignored his plea.

“You’re the, twat Liam! How could you be so irresponsible! It was a child, and you just went on like it never happened. How do you even sleep at night?” Liam got one more punch into Louis face before he was yanked away by another set of hands.

Niall and Zayn were holding Liam’s flailing arms, pulling him back up and Harry had Louis still pinned to the ground. “Get out!” Liam yelled, kicking his feet in Louis direction. “Just go!”

“Happy too!” Louis responded, throwing Harry off him and stomping to the door. “I can’t believe every calls you the responsible one. You really pulled one over on them, Daddy Direction.” He spat the words over his shoulder and slammed the door.

Niall and Zayn released the grip they had on Liam and he just fell to the ground. “What the hell just happened?” Harry asked, shaking his curls out. Struggling with Louis had messed up his hair.

“Dani and I broke up.” Liam said dejectedly. He wiped some blood from his face with the sleeve of his shirt. The boys seemed confused as to how that led to Liam and Louis having a fistfight.

Harry and Niall looked to Zayn, hoping for elaboration. In response, Zayn looked to Liam, who was looking at the floor. There was and awkward silence as they decided what to do.

“Just tell them, Zayn. I don’t think I can do it again.” Liam told his friend and disappeared into the bathroom to attend to his injuries. He heard muffled voices as Zayn filled the others on the situation.

Their whispers were harsh and they entered into an argument. Liam couldn’t make out what they were saying, but he could tell they were mad. To be safe, he locked the bathroom door again so he wouldn’t be attacked again.

“Liam?” There was a soft tap on the door after a while. “Come on mate. Get out here. We aren’t going to hit you.” Niall’s calming voice assured him. With a fair amount of hesitation, Liam opened the door and came back to the living room where his friends were waiting.

No one said anything as Liam sat down on an empty armchair. He ran his shaking hands through his hair. “I haven’t been this shook up since Blair told be she was pregnant.” Liam told them honestly.

“So, I’m sorry for asking, mate, but why didn’t you tell us?” Harry asked, leaning in, resting his elbows on his knees.

“I was embarrassed. Not that I got my girlfriend pregnant what we were 16 years old… I was embarrassed because she wouldn’t let me be a part of it. She told me to leave, and I did.” He admitted reluctantly. “That was a pretty dick move, and I couldn’t forgive myself. I couldn’t handle anyone else judging me.” His hand found the nasty bruise that was forming on his eye. “So when I finally do come clean, I get socked in the moneymaker, which is precisely the reaction I wanted to avoid.”

The three boys nodded slowly. “So you’ve never met the kid?” Niall inquired gingerly. Liam shook his head slowly.

“I want to though. I realize that I have been a proper dick for all this time. I just think its time to start trying to fix things.”

“Hm…Who would have thought all those times the media called you daddy direction, they meant it so literally.” Harry said thoughtfully, earning a smack in the head from Zayn.

“Not helping, Haz.” The dark skinned boy told Harry, who was rubbing his head. “So what are you going to do?” He asked, turning his head back Liam.

“I have to convince Blair to forgive me for starters. Then we’ll see. I don’t want to get the courts involved…I want to keep this quiet.” The told his friends seriously.

They all agreed that would be for the best. “Hey. Is it alright to ask what this girl looks like?” Harry asked, his curiosity getting the best of him. He wanted to out a face with the name. Liam rolled his eyes and went to his bags that were stacked in the corner and digging a small shoebox out.

He sat back on the couch and opened it. The boys gathered around him. He sifted through the stuff. It was just a collection of photos, cards, and letters that he had collected over the years. He finally pulled a photo out and offered it to them.

It was of him and Blair. He remembered the day it was taken like it was yesterday. “Absolutely not, Liam! Get away from me!” She squealed, trying to wiggle out of his grip. She was unsuccessful, because Liam was much stronger.

“No way. Come on, Blair. One picture!” He wrapped his arms tighter around her waist and pulled her close, causing them to tumble onto his bed.

“You are already making me regret agreeing to be your bird, Liam.” She told him in mock seriousness. Liam rolled his eyes and kissed her nose. Blair giggled at the feeling.

“No you don’t. You love it.” He retaliated quickly, trying to position the camera while she was distracted. Blair caught on to what he was doing and laughed. He was relentless.

“Liam Payne’s girlfriend.” She said thoughtfully, tapping her chin with her finger. “That has a lovely ring to it.” She agreed, stealing a quick kiss from her new boyfriend. “Fine. You can get your dumb picture.”

Liam chuckled triumphantly and sat up, pulling Blair into his lap. She pressed his cheek to his and smiled into his camera. “See? That wasn’t so bad.” He said after he snapped the photo.

“I think you’re dumb.” Blair poked him in the chest.

“I think you’re amazing.” Liam whispered lowly. The sound of his rough voice made her gasp. Noting the reaction, Liam took his face in his hand, kissing her properly. The two teens sighed at the feeling of their lips moving together. It was so perfect the way they fit together.

“She’s beautiful.” Niall commented meekly. “I reckon your kid is gonna be a real heartbreaker one day.” The blond boy chuckled, examining the photo more closely.

Liam looked so young in it. His hair was long, reaching his eyebrows in a neat shaggy hairdo. It was a bit tousled and his cheeks and a slight tinge of a blush in them. The girl was freckled face looked flushed as well. Her smile was wide, causing the skin around her sparkling brown eyes to crinkle. They looked so carefree, so young…so in love.

It was strange for the boys to see Liam captured in this way. In all the time the boys had known Liam, he seemed to be pretty easy going and happy. But the happiness that resonated though the photo was something they had never seen in him before. It was a genuine and vulnerable kind of happy that Liam had never displayed.

Liam never smiled like that around Dani. He always looked so calm and collected, always keeping his emotions in check. The boys had always thought that it was because he was really good at keeping his emotions in check, but now they thought that maybe it was because he never developed deep feelings for her.

“Yeah. She is the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.” Liam agrees softly, running a finger along Blair’s face. It was weird to hear Liam disregard Danielle like that, but no one said anything.