I'll Get Over The Way You Got Over Me

Chapter 1

Liam's watching Iron Man 3 on his laptop, curled up in his bunk in the quiet of the bus, when the laughter filters in. It's easily recognizable; both Louis and Zayn have very distinguishable laughs, (Niall and Harry do too, but Niall and Harry are in the hotel, so he won't be hearing their laughter tonight, probably), and Liam pauses his movie, listens to the two of them laugh for a moment. It's dark in the bus, and he can't see them through the curtains of his bunk, but he can hear them moving about, talking, coming closer. He shuts the lid of his laptop and cuts off the light, holds his breath, not really sure why, but—

"Shit, Lou, shh," Zayn giggles, when they get close enough to the bunks that Liam can sort of see the shapes of them moving around. "I think Liam's sleeping, shhhh."

Louis laughs louder, and then makes a squawking noise like he's trying to rein it in. "Really?" he asks, a bit incredulous. "It's only midnight or summat, is he already sleeping? What a wet blanket," he laughs, and Zayn laughs too, and Liam doesn't think it's malicious—it never is, of course it isn't, it's Louis and Zayn—but it still sort of stings a little, even if he knows they're joking. He sort of wants to turn his laptop back on and start his movie back up, let them know he's awake and that he's heard, but—he doesn't think they'll apologize, and he's not sure he'd want them to, because if they did, then.

Then it would be malicious, maybe. Or hurtful. Definitely not a joke. Louis and Zayn have never apologized for a joke in their lives, probably. Definitely not to Liam, ever. Not that Liam needs them to, or anything. He knows them. Knows what they're like. (It still stings, though).

"So," Louis' saying, in a whisper now, "we're getting them done tomorrow, yeah?"

"Yeah, man," Zayn says back, whisper-giggling still, his voice pitched high with his excitement despite the fact that he's talking so softly. "It's gunna be sick, bro, I can't wait."

They're moving away from the bunks, to the back lounge probably, and Liam breathes out, slowly. He looks down at his laptop, barely visible and humming softly in his hands. He flips it open, reaches into his bag for his headphones, and plugs them in. He doesn't know what Louis and Zayn are getting done tomorrow, (tattoos, probably; it'd make sense, anyway), and he tells himself very firmly that he doesn't care, because he is not their keeper and they can do whatever they please. Also, Tony Stark is waiting for him, and he can't afford to obsess over his bandmates when he has that sort of responsibility on his shoulders.

~

Zayn comes back in a few minutes later. Liam doesn't hear him over the sound of gunshots in his headphones, but he notices him when he pulls the curtain to Liam's bunk back and sticks his head in. He has one eyebrow raised, a half-smirk tugging at his lips. "Did we wake ya'?" he asks, when Liam's paused his film and pulled his headphones down around his neck. He looks a little bit sheepish, like he's afraid they might've. He smells a bit like alcohol and a lot like smoke. Liam licks his lips.

"Nah, mate," he assures him, smiling slightly. "I was awake already. Been watching this all night."

Zayn makes a face at him. "Your bunk was dark when we came in," he says, and it's not exactly a question, not exactly a statement. Liam shrugs. He's not sure how to explain it because he doesn't really know why he'd done it, himself. Zayn bops his nose, grinning. "You spying on us, Leeyum?" he asks, and Liam sucks his lower lip into his mouth and raises an eyebrow, hopes it sends across something like maybe I was, maybe I wasn't. Zayn shakes his head, ruffles his hair up a bit. "Cheeky," he chides, happily. He's pulling back a bit, one hand still holding the curtain open, and Liam is half-expecting him to invite him out, to tell him to come join him and Louis in the back lounge, but—it doesn't happen. Instead, Zayn says, "G'night, Li," and lets the curtain fall closed, moving away, in the direction of the bus kitchen.

Liam very carefully pulls his headphones back on and presses play.

~