One Direction One Shots

In Case

Does he make you happy? I've always wondered that. Are you smiling more? Are you laughing loudly? Was he worth it?

I've always wondered that too. Was he worth throwing me away? Are you smiling more with him than you ever did with me?

Did I ever make you happy?

The room is empty without all of your junk. Your drawers were always overflowing, did you know that? I used to sneak things out of them, stowing them in a tub under the bed. You never knew.

That's why I still have your sweater. It's lost your scent. Does he love your cologne as much as I did? I still have the empty bottles.

I never knew you were one for heartache. One for pain. One for robbing me of my entire world. You were my entire world, Niall! Did you fucking know that?

And now I'm sitting here alone, writing this stupid ass letter that I probably won't send. You wanna know why? Because you made it clear you never wanted to see me again when you cleared out while I was at work. I came back to an empty apartment and an empty heart.

Your mom still calls. I think you know that, at least. I still get the family Christmas cards. I haven't seen my family in awhile... Maybe I should visit them. It won't be the same. My mom blames me. Blames me for you cheating, for you leaving, for you throwing us away. Louis threatened to hunt you down awhile ago. Maybe I should move on.

I should've moved on when I found his number. I should've realized I lost you when you came home late with a smile I hadn't been able to give you in a long time. I should've left before you did.

But I didn't. Because I loved you. Because I thought you loved me. Because I thought that somehow everything would be alright.

But I thought wrong.

Do you ever miss me? I miss you every day...but you probably don't care.

Because I'm not him. Because I couldn't make you happy.

Because now I realize that you didn't love me like I thought you did.

Love, always,

Liam 

-----

Niall sighed as he checked the mail. Work had been hectic, and his boss was definitely not helping with all the stress. With the fourth coming up, the company was swarmed with requests. He just couldn't keep up.

He threw it on the counter before running to the bathroom. His apartment was small, which meant he didn't have to pee his pants. He considered himself lucky in that aspect. Looking at himself in the mirror, he sighed. The year had been brutal, and his face showed it.

He looked the the envelops and ads in excitement, hopeful to find his most recent pay check. He had been saving up to buy a new couch, and this was the pay check that would top him off. He cried out in excitement when he found it. He almost kissed it, but a flash of familiar writing made his heart skip a beat. His check fell to the floor, forgotten.

He picked up the letter addressed to him, unconsciously following the swirl of his name with his finger. Tears came rushing to his eyes. He ripped it open, prying the letter from its confines. His eyes poured over it. He had to read it again, heart breaking both times.

"Liam..." He brought the paper to his face, crying into it. He picked up the faint scent of whiskey. His favorite drink. The liquid courage he would need to send this.

Niall hadn't thought about Liam in so long. He didn't want to remember his biggest mistake. His mother never ceased to remind him, but he still like to pretend he had forgotten.

He could feel Liam's heartbreak in his words. He didn't know what was worse, the fact that he had broken the man who had given his life meaning or the fact that Liam thought he was happy with another. Harry hadn't stayed. Harry had found a new, younger fling two months after moving in together. His happiness had stayed back in London.

He sat at the counter, staring at the letter. What could he do? He knew where the apartment was. He had the address tattooed to his brain. He had Liam's everything tattooed to his brain. But none of that mattered.

Liam wouldn't want him back.

No one would.

A bottle of vodka and a heart full of regret had him at his desk, a pen scratching drunken words and his name into it. He threw it in the mail box as hard as he could. He stared at his drunken mistake, a hopeful and angry sob slipping out before he could run back to the safety of his room.

I'm sorry.

I still love you.

You shouldn't love me.

-Niall.

-----

Liam wrote back one simple sentence. He was nervously sober mailing this one.

I meant it when I said forever.

Love, always,

Liam

-----

You never knew when to give up, huh?

You should give up on me though, Li. I'm not worth it, no matter how much you think I am.

I think I'm gonna ignore any response to this. I can't give you false hope, Liam. You need to move on because I'm not gonna hurt you again. I can only be selfish for so long, so here is me being generous. He left, I'm alone, and I need you to find someone better. Someone who is gonna love you the way I said I would, because I didn't. So please, forget me. Tell my mom to leave us alone, because there won't be any more us after this letter. I hope you can read that. I let a tear fall. Not that it compares to how many tears you shed because of me.

Okay. I need to stop before I scratch this and beg you to forgive me. Because he was no you. No one will ever be you. Good bye, Liam Payne. Have a good life.

- Niall

-----

You said you were gonna ignore this, but I know you. The door is unlocked. Come home.

Love, always,

Liam

-----

Liam sighed as the door bell rang. He knew it was the mail, but after three months of no response he had given up. At least he had given up whiskey to keep from writing anymore mistakes. He stood with a groan. Bones cracked back into place as he walked towards the door. 

He sucked in a breath seeing the familiar blond hair. He eyed the envelop held out to him, unsure if he was imagining this. Grasping it gingerly, he opened slowly. His eyes never left his until he unfolded the tiny slip of paper. Tears rushed to his eyes as he embraced him once again, the one word response left forgotten on the floor.

Okay.