What Love is Worth (Ziam Story)

Prologue

In the quiet  of Wolverhampton a little boy is born to Geoff and Karen Payne on a fall morning in 1821. The third of their children and their only son they name him James William Payne. Little James grows up coddled by his parents and sisters who lovingly call him William. 

He is only 3yrs old when he meets William Louis Tomlinson. James is on one of the swings in the park when another boy around his age, maybe a bit older joins him. "Good evening, I am William Louis Tomlinson", the boy greets rather loudly but like a proper gentlemen. Like his father does James thinks and he is immediately impressed. " My name ish lliam payne", he tries to say to his first friend. 

"William, but that is my name!", the blue eyed boy says indignantly. Karen sitting in the bench beside soon corrects that his name is James and not William. But this hits brown eyed boy like a brick and soon enough fat tears are rolling down his chubby cheeks. 

"Oh, don't cry, mommy says boys don't cry, you can be Liam....I will call you Liam is that alright?" This peaks his attention and he looks up through bleary eyes. He looks at his mother who pretends to look for something in their basket. He warily nods at the boy. 

"Bu -but, what will I call you?? Do i call you lliam to?" He stammers out. The blue eyed boy looks deep in thought for a moment before he smiles mischievously, "You can call me Louis!", He says happily. 

Soon enough everyone in the town starts calling them Liam and Louis. The lovable troublemakers of Wolverhampton. 

Liam is 5 and on his way to Louis' house when he notices lights in the old house round the corner that's always been empty to his knowledge. He runs the rest of the way to tell his friend the news and they take it upon themselves to welcome the newcomers. Louis even steals a piece of his mother's peach pie. 'Its the proper way to welcome people, we have to be gentlemen' he'd said. Peach pie wrapped in a towel both of them march towards the house. Head held high like proud little men. 

In the front lawn of the house a boy of their age is jumping around smelling flowers or grass...or mud they can't be too sure. "You live here?", Louis asks in his usual proud voice.

The answering grin the boy gives almost break his face into two and he nods enthusiastically too fast and wild that Liam feels dizzy for a moment. 

"M' Harry", the boy says running to them. Louis extends his hands and introduces himself and starts his long story about how he met Liam, why they call eachother Liam and Louis etc etc. 

He hands Harry the peach pie who accepts it with a bright grin and looks at it reverently throughout the conversation. He then proceeds to tell them in a slow drawl about how his mommy, Gemma(sister) and he moved to Wolverhampton from Cheshire, how his father went to India and how his mommy just recently sat him and his sister down and told him that their father won't come back. Apparently god decided that his father should now go and help him in heaven his mother had said. Liam thought he sounded proud that this father had been given such an important job but also was sad because his father had promised to take him the summer fair this year but won't. 

It is almost 4.30 and time for Louis and Liam to go home they bid Harry goodbye with a promise to meet again the next day. Going back home Louis tells Liam that his dad had said that only people who die go to heaven and so Harry's father had to be dead. Liam thinks it'd been better if he hadn't known that. 

It is only after three months of friendship with Harry that they realise that his name is Harold and not Harry. Nevertheless, Louis proclaims its too late to change what they call him now and with that they officially go from 2 to a group of three. 

The rest of their childhood and early adulthood goes without much incident. Except for when they were 20 and Louis decides they should find girlfriends. He sets Liam up with Sophia a pretty girl who wants to wear a necklace with his picture on it (which he begrudgingly agrees to). Louis himself starts dating Eleanor who lives in the house next to Harry's. Curiously though, he refuses to set Harry up with anyone claiming he is much too young for it and Harry doesn't throw much of a fuss either. 

Its only when Liam is 24 that Louis once again comes up with one of his plans. To join the British Army. We must, he insists and if Louis Tomlinson wants it to happen no one can stop it. 

So there they were, London 1845, members of the British army. It is in their early training days that they meet a talkative Irishman who the officers call James. But the man Liam's age, always makes it a point to loudly point out that his name is Niall. 'Its difficult to say is what they told me' he'd said settling down with his lunch amongst them like he's known them forever."You know I don't understand how they have trouble saying Niall but no problem with Leicestershire". This comment had made Louis immediately like the lad and soon enough he was a part of their little group. Fitting in seamlessly like he was meant be. Maybe it was.

Its in March 1846, that they leave for their first deployment. Lahore, India.

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*(A/N: So how did you like it?? Is it too confusing? Long  or boring? Please leave comments and vote if you liked it. Leave comments if you don't like it help me improve. Thanks!

I also gave subtle nods to Larry because i had to. But it won't be a pairing please don't get hopes up. Also was it clear that all the things Louis says is taught to him by the society? I wanted to point out that him saying and believing wrong things doesn't mean he is a bad person but just a product of a backward thinking of the society. So their thoughts are mostly just what they were force fed and not their own. So don't hate these characters they'll come through.

Zayn will be introduced in the next chapter. And Lahore is in Pakistan currently but this is pre independence India.)*