I'll Get Over The Way You Got Over Me

Chapter 2

They're on stage the next night, in another city, and Zayn does that amazing high note in the end of Last First Kiss, and Liam says, "Smashed it, again, mate," into the mic, grinning wide, and Zayn smiles right back. Liam turns to the audience, points at Zayn, shouts, "Give it up for Zayn!" and Zayn is bowing, laughing a little, as the crowd goes crazy.

It's maybe Liam's favorite part of the show.

~

Louis and Zayn duck out after the show, drive off in their Mystery Machine with a couple of security guards in a black van behind them, and Liam stays on the bus again. Niall and Harry stay with him, this time, the three of them curled up on the sofa in the front lounge, playing Xbox and listening to loud music, stuffing their faces with crisps and peanuts and some of Harry's massive collection of fruit, (grapes and oranges, this time), and it's quite nice, actually, Liam barely notices that Zayn and Louis aren't there, (which isn't quite true, but).

It's almost two by the time Zayn and Louis come back, loud and rowdy like they always are, but not quite as loud as Niall is, bouncing in his seat and shouting abuse at the television because he's picked a slow car and Liam's winning by a mile, (a literal mile, actually, since his car is currently about a mile ahead of Niall's and gaining still), and Liam doesn't even really register the two of them coming in until Louis says, loudly, "Isn't anyone gonna ask where we've been all night?"

"The Mystery Machine?" Harry guesses, a bit teasingly, and Liam bites back laughter. They're always in the bloody Mystery Machine, these days, and it's quite nice to not be the only one who's noticed. Even if it's not a big deal, or anything. Zayn and Louis can do whatever they want, and all. It's cool. It's—whatever.

Louis rolls his eyes. Liam sees it in his periphery. He's literal seconds from beating Niall in this game, and he's not about to give up now just because Louis wants attention. "No," Louis says, and then amends, "Well, not all of it, anyway. We went and got tattoos first," and he holds out his arm, shows the little white bandage taped right next to the tic tac toe on his arm.

Liam crosses the finish line and lets out a whoop of victory, turns to look at Niall, who's cursing loudly, slamming his controller into the sofa, and Harry's laughing. Louis makes a high, impatient sound, and Niall makes a face at Liam that Liam can't help but giggle at, and then they turn to Louis and Zayn, who's still standing, watching the whole thing with this soft, amused smile on his face. "What'd you get, then, Louis?" Harry asks, patiently, because humoring Louis is what Harry does.

"Well, Curly, funny you should ask," Louis says, grandly, and then he's peeling the bandage back, gently, carefully. "We got," he says, and Liam notices the we, the implication that it's some sort of friendship thing, a LouisandZayn thing, like the Mystery Machine, and—and Louis' got the bandage off, now, and it's just. Bus 1. Liam blinks. That doesn't make sense, not even for Zayn and Louis.

"Bus 1?" Niall asks, around a mouthful of crisps. "Wha'sat mean?"

"This, like," Zayn says, then, coming closer. His bandage is on his hand, Liam notices. "Like, how we stay in this bus a lot? Like, we don't, like, we don't use hotel rooms and stuff, yeah? We prefer the bus, so, like, yeah. Bus 1 buddies, yeah," he's grinning at Louis, like some kind of inside joke, and Liam feels a little bit sick because—

"Liam's on the bus every night too," Harry points out, with a bit of a frown, and Liam laughs, short and a little bit hysterical, and he swallows it down quickly, bites down on his lip and sends Louis and Zayn his biggest, brightest grin. He doesn't want them to pity him. He doesn't want—

They're not pitying him. Instead, Louis' waving a hand, saying, "'s not the same, like. This is a me and Zayn thing, you know? Liam gets it, don't you, Liam?" And he's smiling at Liam, winningly, and he's so sincere, is the thing. He genuinely does not realize that Liam actually does not get it. That Liam actually doesn't know why he's not important enough to get a Bus 1 tattoo when he spends every bleeding night on it with them. He doesn't go in the Mystery Machine with them, (no one goes in the Mystery Machine with them), but he's still on the bus, he's still. He's still there. He's still around, and he's still a part of this band, and once upon a time, he was even Zayn's—but obviously, obviously he isn't anymore.

"Yeah," he says, cheerily. "I get it."

Louis claps his shoulder. "Good lad," he says. He gets to his feet then, stretches a little. He pats Zayn's stomach, and Zayn gives him this look, crinkly-eyed and fond, tongue pressed to his teeth. "'m goin' to bed," Louis announces, to the room at large. "If anyone wakes me up, yeah, I'll kill 'em, probably."

"Wouldn't dare," Niall laughs, throwing a peanut at him. Louis mock glares, fondness in every line of his face as he looks at Niall. He wouldn't dare, Liam knows. He'd never hurt them. Not intentionally, at least.

But.

~