Count On Me | Niam

Chapter Thirty-Four

Liam

"Li! Finally, you're here. We were beginning to think you were skipping out on us." Looking up from his spot on the sofa as he heard the door open, Zayn dropped his iPhone onto the floor, next to the pile of song lyrics he'd brought to what was supposed their bi-monthly writing session, something they generally used as an excuse to and out and not work as the y'all preferred to work when the felt like it, and sat up, removing his feet from the pile of cushions and making a space for Liam before he continued to talk. "It feels like it's been ages. You don't call, you don't write, I was beginning to think you didn't love us anymore..."

"Piss off, Zee, it's not been that long." Returning Zayn's smirk with a half-assed smile as he sat down, Liam dropped the bag of junk food he'd brought with him onto the coffee table and kicked his feet up on the coffee table. "Where are H and Lou? I figured I'd be the last one through the door."

"Technically you were, Li." Appearing from somewhere down the corridor, Harry dragged Louis through the door with him, kicking the door shut behind them and leaning against it before he said, "It's been ages, doesn't just feel like it."

"You have some explaining to do, Payno." Ignoring Liam as he sighed, Louis shrugged as both Harry and Zayn shot him a look, tugging on the hem of his t-shirt before he decided to jump in off the deep end. "We need to talk, Li, and we can either do it here, or I'll crash your beauty sleep and make you do it at three am. Spill."

"Come on, guys. We never do this. We never just sit around and talk about feelings like girls. We never do this, so can you just drop it?" Slumping back in his chair, Liam ran a hand through his hair, wishing for a hole in the ground to swallow him up, anything to get out of the current conversation.

"You're wrong there, mate. We've done this at least three times now. Firstly, when Haz and I first got together, you made us sit down and work out what it could mean for us and the band, then when you ditched Danielle and starting that thing with Sophia and we tried to talk you out of it, and then when Zee called things off with Pez. We do do this, more regularly than we'd like to admit, maybe, but we do do this." Sighing as he heard Harry snigger, Louis turned around glared at him, his glare softening slightly as Harry hung his head, both of them brushing past the fact that Louis had said 'do do' and the fact that Harry had laughed over it as they turned to face Liam.

Dropping onto the sofa next to him, Harry knocked a pile of song lyrics over, shifting over and making room for Louis as he said, "And there's a shit load to talk about. We've been brothers, not just a band or friends, for eight, nearly nine years, and you dropped a fucking bomb on us. And then you stopped talking about it and we have a tour coming up and are supposed to be working towards the second album since our return, and somewhere out there is the ex-boyfriend you once told us about when you were drunk and missing him years ago, and a kid, who may or may not be your's but you're convinced she is, and at some point you have to talk about it."

"Yeah, Li, you do." Reaching over to the pile of snacks dumped on the table they usually covered with half-formed song ideas, Louis grabbed a packet of crisps, tearing it open and grabbing a handful before he looks back over at him. "Technically, you're still with Sophia, management hasn't done anything to terminate your contract as far as we know, and, honestly, none of this shit makes any sense. You told Zayn some of it, but I know more about what's happening with the Kardashian's than I do you. We've hardly seen you, and when we do, you don't talk to us. About the kid, the guy, any of it."

"I know. I know I haven't told you guys much, and I really should have, but it's complicated, okay?" Avoiding looking at them, at three of the people he was probably closest to, Liam looked anywhere else but at them as he nodded, closing his eyes for a second before he said, "It's really fucking complicated. She's mine, guys, she has to be. Five minutes with her and you know it. And the dates fit. And the guy, Niall, he's what I dreamt about when things were first starting and Danielle was around."

His voice trailing off, Liam looked up at his bandmates, wondering if he really had to talk to them and sighing as he saw the expectant look on their faces, pulling himself together and trying to act like he had all those years ago when he'd told them he was going through with the stunts, regardless of if there could be a boy waiting for him. "I loved him, even when I was seventeen. And those feelings are still there, even now. They don't just go. And he seems to feel the same. I don't what we are, but we could be a 'we' and I'll take that. And Chloe, she's mine. I'm supposed to go to her swimming lesson today, and we're just...taking things slowly. My mum loves her. And management know, they do, and they're gonna end the contract with Soph. I asked and it's not like they can force me anymore, is it?"

Sharing a look with Harry and Zayn, Louis nodded, reaching over and grabbing a drink from the table and sharing it with Harry before he looked over at Liam, gently punching him in the side. "Wasn't that hard, was it? So you have a sort of boyfriend and you're the first one of us to actually have a kid. Got it."

"Lou-" Shaking his head at him, Harry took another sip of his drink, giving Liam a more understanding smile, one that attempted to convey an apology for how off he'd been with him previously, and ran a hand through hi hair before he said, "So, she's definitely yours then. When can we meet her? And him? When can we meet Niall? You never let us before, so now we have to."

Reaching over and stealing some of Louis' crisps, Zayn ignored his protests and took another handful, offering one to Liam, picking up one of the sheets of lyrics Harry had knocked onto the floor and looking over it before he nodded. "Harry's right, Li. We have to meet them. Doesn't sound that complicated, though, just get your shit together." 

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And that's chapter thirty-four. 

It's not as long as some updates have been, but it's not been as long as normal between updates and that's all there really needed to be for this update. 

If it's not that clear, this chapter is a coda of sorts to thirty-three and takes place just before. It comes after though because it should kinda fit with the next chapter and, honestly, this is kind of a bonus chapter I wrote instead of sticking to my plan.

It had been a while, though, since I remembered the other boys were technically characters in this so it was probably necessary.  

Next chapter will probably be more Niam and Chloe and if any of you guys pick up on the source of drama that will occur in about the next ten chapters (I'm kidding, it's probably five, but then again...) you get the next chapter dedicated to you. 

Anyway...thoughts on the chapter?