There's Nothing as Strange as People

Liam isn’t sure how his friends got him to go out with them on a Wednesday night.

“I have class tomorrow!” he yells to Zayn for the fourteenth time that night, this time over the loud dance remix of some new Britney Spears track.

They’re stood against the bar, Liam having just finished his third beer of the night after signaling the bartender to stop servicing him because he’s done.

Zayn sips and his brightly colored something or another and gives him the standard pat on the back and leans in close to tell him, “We all do mate, Niall even has a paper due on the history on anthropology.”

“Why?” Liam frowns causing his forehead to crinkle in what Zayn thinks must be a cross between minor annoyance, and deep concentration.

“Why what?” Zayn’s breath is too hot on his ear in the too packed club. “Whey does Niall have to write a paper on the history of anthropology?”

“Why are we out?” Liam rolls his eyes even though he knows Zayn can’t see him from where he’s quite literally breathing down his back.

“Oh Li,” Zayn grabs his neck and pulls back until they’re face to face, noses brushing up against one another, “you know exactly why we’re here.”

Liam sighs and presses forward until their foreheads are touching. “I do,” he breathes out against Zayn’s mouth and is hit with the sudden urge to leave, immediately.

Zayn must feel it too because he presses his thumbs, one on each cheek and squeezes. “Relax,” he tells him. “You think too much. Let go… just for tonight.”

“I should go,” Liam tries to shake his head but Zayn’s tight grasp prevents him from doing so.

“You should,” Zayn nods and they both suck in the same breath of air, “but you won’t.”

They both know it.

He’s not going anywhere, not tonight at least.

“Aren’t you supposed to tell me to go?” Liam blinks. “To fuck him and end it all right here, right now?”

Zayn snorts, “I think we both know you fucking him is the least of our problems.”

Liam tenses up, his jaw set tight. “You know that’s not what I meant.”

“Come on,” Zayn grabs at his hands, “dance with me.”

“You don’t dance,” Liam shakes his head and attaches himself to the bar

Zayn blinks prettily at him, like he would at one of his potential tricks and Liam feels sick. “I will if you join me.”

“No thanks,” He slips out of Zayn’s grip, having softened from rejection, something he’s not used to, and Liam makes for a swift exit but is stopped by Niall.

“Where do you think you’re going mate?” the blonde tips of his hair stand on edge like someone’s been running their hands through it and he’s shirtless. “The night is young!”

Liam checks his watch and his tongue nearly falls out of his mouth, “It’s nearly 2 am for Christ’s sake Niall, and you have a paper to write!”

Niall cackles, loud enough to be heard over the booming bass and slaps a hand onto his bare chest. “Nah, I took care of that already.”

“And how is that?” Liam glares skeptically at him. “You’ve not been to the library all week, and I know this because I work there, so think up a good lie before opening your mouth.”

There’s a twinkle in Niall’s eye when he shrugs, like there’s a joke that he’s in on but Liam has no clue. “I sucked off Professor Grimshaw in his classroom the day before last.”

The room starts spinning and Liam nearly falls over “You what?”

“Yeah, like, okay, I’m a fucking classical music major, right? I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing in that class anyway, so, I dunno. It kinda just happened? I propositioned him after class and he made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.”

“Yes!” Liam shouts and grabs at his shoulders. “Actually, yes Niall you could’ve refused! And then you could’ve reported him for asking you to do that in the first place.”

“I dunno, Li,” Niall shrugs again and grins, “he’s kinda really fit, so it was worth it.”

“I hope so,” Liam blanches and turns to leave but is spun around by a pair of firm hands on his waist.

“There you are…”

His eyes are closed and he doesn’t dare open them because he knows if he does he’ll lose all his resolve and not head home right now.

“…I’ve been looking all over for you.”

“Bulshit,” Liam spits but there’s no actual malice behind it, or at least not enough to count anyway. “If you were really looking you would’ve known I’ve been stood at the bar with Zayn where you left us when we got here three bloody hours ago.”

“Liam,” he sounds closer now and Liam’s forced to open his eyes. “I wanna dance.”

“Then go ahead and dance,” Liam gestures out to the crowd of throbbing bodies beyond them.

His hands slide from around Liam’s waist up to his chest and press right where his heart is thumping in time to the song playing in the speakers above them. “I wanna dance with you, Liam.”

“Louis,” Liam sighs and he wants to be upset with himself when he’s being led out onto the dance floor at an ungodly hour in the morning. He wants to be upset when he wakes up fully clothed the next day in Louis’ bed, his phone dead in his pocket. He wants to be upset when he rolls over and the sheets are cold, Louis long gone, maybe not ever even there, Liam’s not too sure. He wants to be upset when he finally gets his phone on and sees that he’d missed his class by an hour.

He wants to be upset.

But he’s not.

-

Zayn sees him before Liam does.

“Who the fuck is this?” Zayn points to the boy smiling awkwardly at them from the end of the table.

“Don’t be fucking rude,” Louis warns him before turning and grinning at the kid. “This is Harry, Harry this is everyone.”

“Hello,” the boy smiles and Liam can see the appeal. He’s tall, maybe even taller than him. Well built, all long torso and even longer legs. A smart looking face, easy to like, framed with curls that vaguely remind Liam of his better years in high school.

“How old are you?” Liam asks before he can even stop himself.

Louis’ nostrils flare and he frowns hard enough that Liam can actually feel it. “Does it fucking matter?”

“Uh, yes?” Zayn says over his cup of black coffee and Liam admires how completely unfazed he is by Louis glaring daggers at him.

“Seventeen,” Harry says cooly and both Zayn and Liam recoil.

“Will you lot shut the fuck up?” Niall lifts his head from where it was laying in his folded arms on the table.

“Hey Niall!” Louis flops down in the booth next to him, sliding over to make room for Harry. “How’s it going?”

“Don’t think I won’t stab you with this here knife.” Niall grabs for his own set of cutlery. “I don’t like you as much as Liam and Zayn do.”

“Too true,” Louis smacks a kiss to his temple, “you love me more.”

Niall rolls his eyes but doesn’t deny it. “What took you so long? I’m fucking starving.”

It’s Zayn’s turn to roll his eyes as he leans over the table and pokes Niall in the chest. “When are you not starving?”

“When he’s eating arse, I bet.” Louis grins and accepts the high five Zayn slaps him from his seat next to Liam who looks horrified.

“Louis! We are in public, and we have a guest.” Liam points at Harry who is sat grinning like the Cheshire cat.

“Oh sorry darling, how could I forget my manners?” Louis puts his acting skills to the test. “Do forgive me Young Harold, for I have sinned.”

“I’m hardly a guest,” Harry waves him off.

Louis waggles his eyebrows at him. “Not after we fucked in that Starbucks bathroom, you’re not.”

“Oh my god…” Liam groans, “you two fucked?”

“When did you even meet?” Zayn asks, more amused than anything.

“This morning,” Louis grins. “I stopped by Starbucks because the tea here is shit and I spotted Young Harold here across the room eye fucking me, so I took him to the toilets and showed him the real thing.”

“That’s a great story and all, but why is he here?” Niall sits up properly.

Louis feigns shock, “Am I not allowed to bring a friend to breakfast?”

“It’s hardly breakfast,” Zayn grabs Liam’s arm and looks at his watch, “and he’s hardly a friend.”

“Sure he is!” Louis chirps.

“But he’s not.” Liam frowns, “Fucking someone in the toilets at a Starbucks doesn’t really constitute a proper friendship.”

Louis frowns too and mumbles down into his menu, “You know you lot are the most unhappy gays I’ve ever met.”

Harry’s eyes go all wide in what must be youthful interest “You’re all gay?”

“As gay as the sky is blue” Niall shrugs.

“The point is,” Zayn interrupts, “you don’t fuck some teenager in a Starbucks bathroom and then bring him to a late brekkie with your mates.”

Louis furrows his eyebrows in genuine confusion. “And why not?”

Niall clutches at his forehead and regrets letting Louis get him fucked up the night before because his head is swimming and everyone’s talking too much and he’s such a fucking idiot. “For fucks sake Louis it’s not you! It’s not what you do!”

“What do you mean?” Harry asks and Zayn grins.

“What? You mean you’ve never heard about Louis ‘I don’t do boyfriends’ Tomlinson?”

“Shut the fuck up,” Louis sneers. “We aren’t doing anything. It’s plain and simple we fucked and now we’re gonna eat and then we’ll never see each other again.”

Harry visibly deflates “What?” he looks over at Louis with these big sad eyes and if Liam was someone else he’d probably hug the kid. “What if I want to see you again?”

“Too bad,” Louis shrugs and smiles up at the waiter who comes to take their orders. “You’ll see me in your dreams.”

-

“LOUIS! DID YOU DRINK ALL THE MILK AGAIN?”

It’s half six in the morning and Liam has a class to get to in thirty minutes or else, “So help me God, I will drop you without any hesitation,” his professor told him last week after missing class for the fifth time even though their school had a strict three absences only policy.

“Louis!” Liam storms through their shared flat into his best friends’ room. “Louis, how many times do I have to tell you, if you drink all the goddamn milk buy some more or at least tell me so I can.”

“Fuck off,” Louis rolls over and burrows deeper into his fortress of blankets.

“Louis,” Liam leans a knee on the bed and grabs a fistful of sheets and shakes him, “listen to me, Louis.”

“What?!” Louis shoots up so they’re face to face. “It’s too fucking early in the morning for you to be screaming at me over some bloody milk you twat. I’ll go do the shopping later, make a fucking list or something and leave me alone.”

Liam twists his face up in annoyance and yanks at his bedding until it falls off in a big pile on the floor beside them. Much to his horror he sees none other than that kid, Harry, laying there naked smiling sheepishly up at him.

Louis shoves at Liam. “Get out of my fucking room, Liam, maybe you’ll learn to knock next time.”

Liam slams the door shut behind him and double times it to his English Literature class, slipping in a seat far in the back right before his professor starts lecturing.

He pulls out his phone and figures Zayn isn’t awake yet so he texts Niall.

‘guess who i saw in bed w louis rite now????’

‘tht rly beefy lookin footy cpt???????????’

‘noooo that fuckin harry kid’

‘wat the 1 w the hair frm the othr day???????’

‘ya he was blowin him rite wen i came in!!!!!’

‘rly?????? omg this is srs!!!!!!!!!!!!’

‘ikr i g2g tho i’m in class rn ‘

‘ok ttyl I’m so tellin zayn tho’

-

“What is this then?” Louis asks walking into his flat after work to see Liam, Niall, and Zayn all sat staring contemplatively at one another. “You lot staging an intervention because I forgot to get Liam’s milk?”

“This isn’t about the fucking milk Louis,” Liam stands and Louis hasn’t even shut the door yet and things are getting serious

“Yeah?” Louis laughs bitterly and moves further into the sitting room. “Well what the fuck is this about then because I’m knackered and you idiots look like you’re about ready to burn me at the stake.”

Zayn rolls his eyes, fed up with Louis’s shit already and he’s only been inside for thirty seconds. “What is going on with you and Harry?”

There’s an uncomfortable silence that settles in the room as Louis’ eyes widen.

“It’s not of any of your fucking business what I do with my dick.”

Niall clears his throat from his perch on the arm of the couch. “We just don’t wanna see you getting hurt—”

“Me? Getting hurt?” Louis laughs.

“Cut the crap, Lou,” Zayn moves to get up but stops when Niall reaches out and puts a hand on his shoulder.

“Listen, all of you, because I’m only going to say this once and then never again.” Louis moves forward until he’s stood directly across from the couch. “I don’t owe you little shits anything and I sure as hell don’t ever have to explain myself to you. There is nothing going between me and Harry, he’s just a good fucking lay, okay? I don’t love the kid, I don’t even like him.”

There’s a wounded sound behind him and they all turn to see Harry stood at the wide open door looking like someone just kicked his ribs in.

“Harry,” Liam says, but he’s too late. Harry has already turned to leave, darting out of the doorway wiping at his eyes.

“Well,” Niall blinks, “go after him.”

Louis scoffs, “Why should I? He’s not my fucking responsibility.”

“He is now!” Zayn shrugs Niall off his shoulder and stands. “He very well became your responsibility once you decided to fuck him, more than once, might I add.”

“Fuck you,” Louis spits, “fuck all of you!” he stomps out after Harry who is sat at the bottom of the steps with his head in his hand. “Harry…”

“Go away,” Harry mumbles.

Louis rolls his eyes as he moves down the steps. “You’re at my place, kid, get up.”

Harry sniffles but does as he’s told anyway. “What do you want?”

“I want you to stop crying over me.”

“I’m not crying,” he says, but his eyes say otherwise.

“Look, I told you last time that I’m not your fucking boyfriend or your partner or your lover or even your friend, okay? This is just sex, that’s it. No strings attached, fucking.”

“I know,” Harry kicks at the last step. “I get it, okay? I’m just this weird kid that you pity fuck.”

“Hey,” Louis steps down so they’re face to face, Harry on the ground with Louis on the second to last step. “Don’t sell yourself short, you’ve got a massive cock and you give great head.”

Harry goes incredibly red, “Yeah that’s not enough to make you like me though,”

“I don’t like anybody.”

“You like your friends,”

“Hardly,”

“Well, you like Liam.”

“Yeah…” Louis smiles, “I do, but he’s different.” He grabs Harry’s neck and pulls him forward until they’re kissing, “I don’t fuck Liam though,” he says into his mouth. “I fuck you.”

-

It’s a Thursday and Liam has to be up at 8 for track practice tomorrow, but he let Louis drag him out of the house anyway with a kiss and interlocked fingers.

Niall’s already trashed off some “really good shit” that this bloke Josh gave him when they arrived with a hand on his arse and his tongue down his throat. Liam’s still nursing his first beer when Zayn pulls him out back into the alley for a smoke.

“I’ve got enough for two,” he waves the joint in Liam’s face before taking it between his lips and lighting up.

Liam shakes his head. “I’ve got track practice tomorrow, plus I think Louis took some pills off Niall and I’ll be dealing with him when he comes down.”

“That’s even more of a reason to get high in my opinion.” Zayn shrugs as he inhales. “C’mere”

Liam shuffles closer, knowing he shouldn’t, but doesn’t really care when Zayn’s grabbing at the crown of his head, blowing smoke into his mouth. He runs his fingers through the hair, down the curly bits at the nape of his neck and presses closer until their lips are sealed, heads tilted with teeth clashing and tongues dancing.

“I love you Li,” he says when they pull away, and that’s nothing new.

“Love you too,” Liam replies and snatches the joint out of Zayn’s hand before taking a puff and passing it back.

“I just want you to be happy s’all,” Zayn tells him, voice quieter than before.

“I know,” Liam smiles dopily, “I am happy, here, with you.”

Zayn sighs and shakes his head as he drops the bud onto the wet cement below him. “I want you to be happy always.”

“Dance with me?” Liam locks their fingers and pulls Zayn back towards the door leading in the club.

“Sure,” Zayn smiles, “anything for you, Li.”

-

Niall snakes his way through the crowd until he’s behind Zayn. He snakes his arms through Liam’s whose head is thrown back, pupils blown, mouth moving along to a song with no lyrics.

“There’s this fitty looking for you,” Niall presses close and whispers into Zayn’s ear.

“What makes you think I’m looking to be found?” Zayn leans his head back until it’s resting on Niall’s shoulder.

Niall shrugs and they stay like that, bodies thrumming along with the music as the song changes into something slower, not slow enough, as Liam leans forward and presses his face into the other side of Zayn’s neck.

“You haven’t got laid in like, forever.” Niall says when Zayn shifts his head to the side, closer to Niall.

Zayn laughs into his mouth, breath hot and smelling of stale weed pressing feather light kisses against Niall’s parted lips.

“You gonna fix that for me, Ni?” Zayn mumbles. “Gonna find some pretty guy to shove his cock up my ass then forget my name the next day?”

They’re both too high for this. Too gone to be having this conversation.

So, Niall just kisses him again. Let’s Zayn lick into his mouth and taste the remnants of that pretty little pill Josh slipped him. “He’s over there,” Niall nods his head up the stairs onto a platform where there are more guys pushing the limits between dancing and fucking.

“His name is Justin,” he tells him, “and he really likes you.”

“He doesn’t even know me.” Zayn smiles and Niall breathes out a huff.

“Yeah,” he laughs, “that’s why he likes you.”

“You dick,” Zayn shoves Niall with one hand before pulling him back in for a kiss. “Thanks Ni,” he pulls at Liam who has taken to sucking a bruising love bite on his neck, “but I gotta take care of Li tonight.”

Liam grins at Niall and pulls at his shirt that he managed to keep on this time until Niall’s face is pressed into the front of his own sweat soaked shirt. “Love you, man.”

“Love you too,” Niall wriggles around until he’s blinking up at Liam through blinding strobe lights.

“Where’s Lou?” he asks and Zayn freezes, let’s his hand drop from Liam’s waist but squeezes the one at his neck until he winces.

“Dunno,” Niall shrugs and burrows his head deeper into Liam’s chest. “’ts hard to keep up with him.”

“You’re not his fucking mother, you shouldn’t have to.” Zayn seethes. “He’s fucking older than all of us he can do whatever he wants.”

“I think I—” Liam’s head pops up and zeroes in across the crowd to a pair of brightly colored trousers. “I think I see him? Louis?” he disentangles himself from both Niall and Zayn and pushes his way through the men. “Lou? Is that you, Lou?”

He’s in a corner crowded in close with a bloke Liam doesn’t recognize. He whispers something in his ear, something filthy Liam guesses by the look in his eyes as Louis drops to his knees and fiddles with the guys’ belt.

Liam hurries forward, adrenaline pushing him through the club while he slowly loses his high and “what is he doing?” he says out loud to no one in general, Zayn and Niall both long gone behind him. He recognizes the guy, “Aiden?” a nice fellow in his Intro to Econ class whom he never pegged as gay and has never seen here at this gay club before.

“Louis,” he says and grips and his shoulder from where he’s on the ground mouthing at Aiden’s cock through his pants. “Louis you need to stop.” Liam yanks him away and falls back a little, eyes wide in horror.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” a guy that is definitely not Louis asks from where Liam’s thrown him on the ground. “Do I know you?”

“No, I uh… sorry, no I mean I thought you were someone else, my friend.” Liam shakes his head, hands up in truce. “My friend Louis I thought you were him, sorry. Continue whatever it is you were doing before I interrupted, sorry bye.”

Liam shuffles away back to the bathrooms because he maybe he feels like he’s going to puke and how is he going to apologize to Aiden on Monday? But then one wrong step and he’s in a room. The back room, and there’s Louis with a hand buried deep in curls, Harry bent over nearly in half above him.

He has him up against a wall, in between two other pairs of guys doing god knows what. Liam gulps and he wants to turn and leave but he’s stuck there, watching, feet unmoving. Harry’s got a hand in the front of Louis’ pants, his trousers pushed down to his knees and Louis moans when they lock eyes.

Harry moves down, pressing open mouthed kisses down Louis’ jaw and neck and chest as he continues to work him and Louis smirks. Liam is hard now and he knows that Louis can see as much. He can tell by the way he won’t look away. By the way he milks his orgasm for all it’s worth when Harry drops down onto his knees in front of him and blows him in the back room of a dirty ass gay club and only then does Liam leave.

He spares enough of a glance back to see Louis pull him by his hair and flip the around so Harry’s pressed against the wall and he’s done. He finds Zayn and Niall out by the bar snogging when he stumbles out of the back room.

“I found Louis,” is all he says and they both nod a silent ‘we need to go’ before pulling Liam close. Niall leading with Zayn pressed close behind, chin hooked over Liam’s shoulder while they wait for a cab.

Liam doesn’t go home that night.

-

He doesn’t go to track practice the next day either.

In fact, he does a grand total of nothing until Tuesday when Louis barges into Zayn’s flat unannounced while Zayn was out in class.

“You’ve been avoiding me,” Louis says as he climbs onto Zayn’s bed next to him with his sneakers and coat still on.

“No I haven’t,” Liam lies and it’s useless because it’s obvious he’s been avoiding Louis.

Louis pulls the covers over them both so Liam’s forced to look at him. “Why haven’t you been home since Thursday then?”

“Why does it fucking matter?”

“Because I love you, Li,” Louis clambers on top of him until he’s got a leg splayed on each side, “and I miss you.”

“Well, you’ve got Harry now,” Liam’s face tightens up as he brainstorms his possible escape routes only to realize, he has none. “…you don’t need me there.”

“Liam, don’t be an idiot,” Louis rolls his eyes and swats at Liam’s chest. “How many times do I have to tell you that he means nothing to me?”

“Until it’s the truth.”

Louis stares at Liam gob smacked and pulls back until he’s nearly rolled off of him.

Liam wants to apologize. To say he’s sorry and that he didn’t mean any of that and can they still be best mates? Because Liam really misses waking up to Louis singing in the shower, or nearly burning their flat down in an attempt to make them breakfast.

And he wants to tell Louis that he loves him. That he always has since a sixteen year old Louis bounced up to his fourteen year old self on his first day of high school and kissed him right on the lips. “You’re cute!” he had said and Liam’s been gone for him ever since.

But he doesn’t say any of that.

He doesn’t say anything.

Instead, he rolls over with his back to Louis and mumbles into Zayn’s sheets, “Can you just go?”

Louis doesn’t move or say anything for what Liam counts as six minutes and twenty three seconds until he whispers something so low that Liam hardly hears it. “Did you fuck him?”

“What?” Liam whispers back, afraid to ruin whatever state of vulnerability Louis is in.

“Did you fuck him?” Louis asks, louder this time. “Zayn. Did you fuck Zayn?”

Liam blinks because, what kind of question is that? “Have you ever fucked Zayn?” he counters.

And if the way Louis hesitates to answer isn’t enough, well then, Liam already had an idea that he has anyway. Louis has been with a lot of people. He’s fucked Niall and he’s even fucked a chick once, a pretty girl in Liam’s year who asked him to go to prom with her. Everyone’s either fucked or been fucked by Louis.

Everyone but Liam.

“I need to go,” Louis shoves the sheets down and climbs out of the bed. “I’ll see you whenever you decide to come home, Li.”

Liam doesn’t reply, not even when Louis stands at the door gripping the handle and waits like he wants Liam to say something, to say anything to make him stay.

-

Liam stays with Zayn for three weeks and two days.

He shaves most of his hair off and figures things start to look better after that. They eat a lot, they sleep a lot, and they fuck a lot.

Zayn wakes up early and walks Liam to class. He kisses him one, two, three times on the lips and sends him off with a pat on the bum and a promise not to overwork himself.

Liam stays up late and goes with Zayn to his studio after his shift at the library. He says he does his best work at night and Liam sits quietly and watches as he sketches, paints, molds, and frames.

They aren’t a thing. Zayn and Liam.

Zayn knows he’ll never have Liam as his own and Liam knows he’ll never belong to anyone other than Louis.

Louis “Stupid fucking Louis,” who has gone and got himself in another situation Zayn says as they drive down the street to the hospital.

“What happened?” Liam asks Niall as they rush through the automatic sliding doors of Zayn’s least favorite place in the city. “Is he alright?”

“He’s gonna be fine,” Niall nods before grabbing Liam and wrapping him up in a hug. “They say they’ve got the bleeding to stop and that we should be able to see him soon.”

“Bleeding?” Zayn almost retches “What the fuck did he do this time?”

“Car accident,” Niall tells him. “Some crazy bird hits him, head on and tells him to stay away from Harry. That he belongs with her or summat, I dunno I couldn’t really understand what Harry was saying when he called.

“Of course it has something to do with Harry,” Zayn rolls his eyes.

“Is he here?” Liam asks into Niall’s shoulder. “Harry? Is he here right now?”

Liam can feel Niall frown when he shakes his head, “Nah, he had to get home before his mom freaked. It is a school night after all.”

“So wait, what? He just watches Louis get hit by one of his lunatic school mates and then leaves him there to die?” Liam pulls back and drops his arms.

“He wasn’t there. Said that Louis, the idiot, calls him after it happens and tells him about it. It was after he’d dropped Harry off at home and she followed him. Nearly killed him. Said he’d ran over and called an ambulance himself then rode with them down here.”

“Then called you?” Zayn asks and Niall nods. “I need some air, I’ll be back.” He pats around his pockets for his cigarettes before leaving through the doors they rushed in.

Liam bites at his bottom lip when he asks, “Why didn’t he call me?”

“Dunno,” Niall shrugs as he lifts his cap off and ruffles his hair before setting it back on his head. “Does he have your number?”

“Of course Louis has my number!”

“Oh Louis,” Niall looks uncomfortably between his feet and Liam’s eyebrows, “he says you aren’t talking to him anymore.”

“He said what?” Liam pinches himself because this can’t be real. In what world would Liam ever be able to willingly stop talking to Louis?

Niall frowns like he’s already said too much but goes on anyway. “Says you don’t wanna be bothered with him anymore?”

“Why would he say some nonsense like that?”

“Because you won’t come out with us anymore?” Niall tries. “Zayn, that’s understandable. Even on his best days he and Louis don’t always see eye to eye, but you?” he shakes his head. “I’ve been having to deal with Louis and this kid act like they’re not into each other for weeks now alone.”

“I just…” Liam blanches. “I thought he—” he’s cut off by a nurse telling them they can see Louis now.

They run out to get Zayn who reluctantly follows the nurse down the brightly lit hall until they stop at a door on the right and she points and tells them he’s in there. “He’s resting,” she tries to tell them but Liam’s already rushed in with Niall hot on heels. Zayn hanging back by the door, just in case.

“Louis,” Liam drops to his knees by his bedside, “Lou, are you there? Wake up, Louis.”

“The nurse said he’s resting, Li,” Zayn tells him as Louis opens his eyes, just a slit.

“You came,” Louis blinks, opens his eyes wider and turns to the sound of Zayn’s voice. “You both came.”

“Of course we came you prat,” Liam wants to hit him, but knows that now isn’t the time. “You almost died why wouldn’t we come?”

“I didn’t almost die,” Louis says at the same time Zayn says, “He didn’t almost die.”

“Just some minor head trauma,” Louis grins, like this is all one big joke to him. “Nearly brained myself on the window, but I’m alright.”

“This isn’t funny Lou, you could’ve died.” Liam places his hands on either side of Louis’ head. He rubs a thumb at the bandages above his right eye.

“But I didn’t,” Louis’ smile falls into something sweeter, less satire and more genuine.

“He’s not the only one who has been worried about you, ya little shit,” Niall says from where he’s stood behind Liam.

“Where’s Harry?” Louis surveys the room and Liam drops his hands.

“It’s a bloody school night, Louis!” Zayn snaps. “Your little boyfriend had to go home and calculate the circumference of a circle or press his trousers or something.”

“He rode with you to the hospital, but he… had to go.” Niall tells him

“Oh,” and Liam can’t stand to see he his face like that, the blatant disappointment.

“Are you thirsty, Louis?” he scrambles to his feet and moves toward the door. “You must be thirsty, I’ll get you some water Lou—”

“Liam, stay,” Louis reaches a hand out and Liam looks crossed between making a run for it and getting sick all over the place.

“But the water,” he tries lamely.

“Niall will get it,” Louis glances at the blonde, “won’t you Niall?”

Niall nods and turns to leave, and Zayn tells him, “I’ll come with you,” before they both exit the room, leaving them alone.

Louis grabs at Liam’s hands and yanks him down until they’re at eye level again. “I’m glad you came,” he tells him and they both laugh.

Liam buries his head into Louis neck and mumbles, “I thought you hated that song?”

“You know I’m a sucker for mainstream pop music,” Louis plays with the hairs at the bottom of his freshly shaven head. “You cut your hair.”

“Yeah, Zayn did it for me,” he lips at the collar of Louis’ medical gown. “I felt like it was time for a change.”

“He should start charging you lot,” Louis says and presses his lips to Liam’s temple. “First Niall and his bloody platinum frosted tips, and now you. I wonder if he’ll do mine for me?”

“Don’t do anything to your hair.” Liam tilts his head up and presses his cold nose to Louis’ cheek. “I love your hair the way it is.”

“Is that so?” Louis drops his voice to a whisper and that’s Liam’s first warning. “Am I supposed to do as you say, now?”

“You know it’s not like that,”

“You didn’t ask for my permission before you buzzed all your hair off,” he rubs at Liam’s head, “and you don’t have to; you’ll be fucking twenty-one soon for Christ’s sake.”

“I know,” is all Liam says and they sit there in the relative silence, machines beeping around them and people chattering just beyond the door. Liam’s knees start to shake, like he needs to get off them but he doesn’t make to move.

“I missed you, you know.” Louis whispers against his ear and Liam can feel the words before he hears them. “You should come home,” Louis tells him, “and never leave me again.”

“Yeah,” Liam nods. “I’ll come home.”

Louis moves his hand from his hair down to his cheeks and squeezes. “And?” he presses a hard, closed mouthed kiss to his lips before going back in for the kill, licking into his mouth, solidifying promises he wants to be kept.

“I’ll never leave you again.” Liam says when they fall apart, and Louis smiles. He licks at his lips idly and counts down to three in his head before standing. “Not unless you leave me first.”

-

“When are you going to let him go?” Zayn asks one night while they’re out. Louis drags him out onto the dance floor with a hand tucked into his back pocket and an arm around his waist when Harry begs off to the bathroom.

They’re both surprisingly sober, but neither can say the same for Liam who has Niall laid out on the bar, taking shots and licking salt off his sweat slick body.

Louis shrugs, doesn’t really want to talk about this right now, or ever. He smiles when Liam looks over waving fanatically and presses a kiss the corner of Zayn’s lips.

“I’ll let him go when you do,” he says hotly into Zayn’s ear. “I know you’re in love with him. Everyone knows, except for him, maybe.”

Zayn wishes he was drunk right now so he’d not have to resist the urge to push him back, punch him in the face, knee him in his dick. “Why are you doing this?”

“Because he’s my best mate,” Louis allows himself to be pulled away, presumably by Harry, “and I love him.”