Liam Payne had to admit that he was practically jogging through the school corridors. The rest of the younger year students around him were all loitering and taking their time as they made their noisy way to the cafeteria for their lunch, but Liam was meeting Niall in the library, and he couldn’t wait, even though he had never felt more nervous about anything. Even exams didn’t feel this nerve-racking!
He saw the large wooden doors that sealed off the old library in the school, and forced his way through a bunch of year tens, receiving a few glares in doing so, before he pushed open the heavy door and walked into the library. It was quiet is there, but that’s why he liked it. The library was a solitary place to relax, gather himself, and do some work while enjoying the smell of all of the large books that had been stored here for decades. But, today wasn’t like that at all. Liam felt fidgety, a side effect of the nervous butterflies making a mockery out of his stomach. He couldn’t keep himself still, his hands kept finding something to preen, whether it was his ruffled up hair, or his sleeves or tie. He looked around the library, and saw Niall sat on one of the small sofa chairs that were gathered around a ‘non-quiet’ zone. He would pick that zone, Liam thought with a chuckle. Liam looked over at him, bracing himself for what he was about to do. After years of secretly liking Niall, he was finally going to own up to the Irish boy, and express all the feelings he had for him. He hoped.
“Li!” Niall called over as he looked up and realised Liam was heading over to him. A passing by librarian scowled at him as she walked past, and Liam couldn’t help but let out a quiet chuckle.
“Even if it’s a non-quiet zone, Nialler, you still have to bear in mind it’s a library.” Liam spoke, as he sat on a chair opposite to Niall, dropping his schoolbags by his feet in an attempt to make himself comfortable, even though he wasn’t. Niall was smiling at him; his eyes bright, and his blonde hair all gelled up. He made having brunette roots look good. Who else could do that? No one, that’s who, Liam thought, pulling himself out of his trance.
“You picked the library, knowing I’m the loudest guy here.” Niall replied, before both boys let out a quiet laugh. The laugh died down, and they both exchanged a long minute’s worth of eye contact before the atmosphere grew a little awkward. Liam looked down at his sleeves and started to fiddle with them once more. It was awkward, everything was awkward, he was so nervous, and what if he was sick on Niall? Niall would never like him if he threw up on him!
“Oh shut up, shut up!” Liam whispered to himself sternly, when he realised the amount of verbal vomit that was going on in his normally calm head. Niall was looking at him with a strange look.
“Hey Li, you okay?” Niall asked, leaning over and placing his hand on Liam’s knee, stroking his leg gently. Liam’s brown eyes wandered along his leg to where Niall’s hand was, before slowly looking up his arm and then finding himself staring into a pair of worried looking blue eyes.
“You look a bit pale…a bit, different.” Niall spoke up softly, and Liam shook his head.
“I’m fine, honestly.” He practically squeaked.
When Niall had kissed him last weekend, it had felt like heaven. It had been everything that he had waited for, and more. He had stared at Niall’s lips on more than one occasion and had deduced how heavenly they would be, but the only way he could describe their kiss was a whole new word. Was there a place higher than heaven that he could describe the kiss as? Now, as he looked at Niall, that was all he wanted to do again. He wanted to say everything, but his nerves were getting the better of him.
“Do you want to talk about last weekend?” Niall mumbled quietly, slowly taking his hand away from Liam’s knee. Liam found the courage to nod his head. Niall then nodded in response, and leaned back in the chair, biting on his fingernails, like he always did.
“I want to go first then, okay?” Niall stuttered nervously, and Liam nodded his head again at the other boy. Niall now looked as nervous as Liam. What if this was the rejection he had played constantly in the back of his head? Liam looked up at Niall trying not to show the dread that he felt in his eyes. He wasn’t prepared for this…
“I er, I had this dream.” Niall started, and Liam rose his eyebrows in confusion, but Niall held his hand up as if to gesture, ‘let me go on’.
“And me, you and Zayn were all walking down this road, just talking, hanging out, like we normally would, then Zayn put his arm around me, or hugged me or something, like I can remember.” Niall started to explain, laughing slightly, “but then you came out of nowhere and threw Zayn off me, and you just grabbed me, and held me…and you kept whispering 'you’re mine, you’re mine.'” Niall explained, before raising his eye level up to Liam’s face. Liam looked at him a little awkwardly. How should he react to that? Should he say something?
“Oh.” Was all Liam could muster up, mentally kicking himself for such a dumb response.
“Yeah…but it made me think about things, Li.” Niall started, and Liam looked back up at him expectantly. Was that some sort of hope in his voice? Or were his ears just deceiving him, as if his own body was trying to defend him from the blow of the up-coming rejection.
“About what?”
“About stuff. Zayn…me…you.” Niall started once again, and Liam watched him anxiously. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from him.
“Us.” Niall spoke up, before his blue eyes stared down Liam, desperately.
“Us?” Liam heard himself ask, and Niall nodded.
“Ever since that dream, and ever since last weekend, it made me think back to how long we’ve been friends for, it made me think about all the little things that you do for me, like the way you give me all your old books to read, even though I pretend that they’re boring, I like them.” Niall started, a small smile creeping up on his face, and Liam couldn’t help but smile too.
“Oh, and the way you always make me the best cup of tea as well!” Niall quickly added, and both boys laughed slightly, before Liam looked back up at Niall, wanting him to go on.
“But then I thought of the times when we hang out with Zayn, and you acted all, serious, dad-like. I always wondered why you treated me different to Zayn, but now I know.” Niall spoke, before he slowly moved forward in his chair, putting his body to Liam’s.
“You weren’t being over-protective, you were looking out for me. I wish I had known that then, so I wouldn’t have acted so immaturely to you, and acted like Zayn either.” Niall spoke, before Liam felt his hands slip into his, and entwine together. Liam looked at their hands in wonder. Wait…was this not the rejection he had been so worried for? Or was this just pity?
“Li…” Niall spoke, and Liam looked up at him, biting down on his lip. He didn’t want Niall to pity him.
“I’m sorry for being like that, I should have appreciated what you were doing…and I should have realised what I realise now.” Niall spoke up, rubbing circles with his thumbs onto Liam’s hands. By this time, all that was swimming around in Liam’s head was that he was going to be pitied and refused. He knew what was coming, and he didn’t know what would be worse, hearing it, or hearing it and then Niall holding his hand to pity him. His heart felt like it was being rinsed of hope. Tears formed in Liam’s eyes and Liam quickly put his head down in shame, even though he was still clinging to Niall’s hands. But, Niall was too quick, and saw the tears in his eyes.
“Liam, why are you crying? Li?” Niall spoke, dropping one of Liam’s hands and cupping his face. Liam then broke out into sobs, looking away from Niall, not wanting him to see him like this.
“Because,” Liam’s breathing became uneven as tears dropped from his eyes, “Because I know what’s c-coming.” Liam cried quietly, before feeling Niall’s body move from opposite him, to next to him. Niall’s arms wrapped around him and Liam felt himself sink into the Irish boy’s touch.
“What part about I love you makes you want to cry?” Niall spoke gently into Liam’s ear, and Liam looked up at him in shock.
“Wh-what?” He asked, trying to stop the tears. His breathing was slightly ragged from the sudden crying fit.
“I love you, Liam. Even if I’ve only realised that now, I love you, I do.” Niall told him, holding Liam’s face in his hands. Liam let out a sob of happiness, before he pulled Niall’s body to his, in a tight hug. His eyes were squeezed shut as he nuzzled into the crook of the Irish boys’ neck, smelling his sweet smell. He could live off it because it was amazing. Niall’s hair even smelt like coconut, which made Liam smile. He opened his eyes, feeling his heart explode from happiness in his chest, before his eyes met the dark figure that was stood by the library door, glaring at him. The figure folded his arms and nodded his head towards Liam, and suddenly Liam felt like he was going to throw up.
Oh please, not now…
“Well, er…Li?” Niall asked, but Liam’s eyes were stuck on the figure that he hated most. His body felt paralysed, as he clung to his Irish boy.
“Li?” Niall echoed again, before practically peeling their bodies away from each other. Liam looked into Niall’s eyes, trying to ignore the figure that was staring him down.
“You…you love me too, right?” Niall asked. He had a smile on his face, but there was a hint of worry in his face. Liam smiled and nodded, still trying to ignore the newfound presence of Alex Johnson in the library, before cupping Niall’s cheeks and pressing a long kiss onto his lips. Niall held onto Liam’s waist and Liam’s heart started to flutter around within his ribcage once again.
“So much.” Liam whispered against Niall’s lips, before pulling away from him.
“But I need to go somewhere, I’ll find you later.” Liam smiled, throwing his bag over his shoulder as he stood up from the sofa chairs where he and Niall had been sat.
“Oh, okay…” Niall replied, before sitting himself up properly in the chair.
“I’m sorry.” Liam smiled, before rushing off, unable to look at Niall’s sad face when they had just had such a beautiful moment together. Liam walked over to Alex hating himself.
“Hope you haven’t tired yourself out too much, Payne.” Alex simply grunted when Liam reached him. Liam had told Niall about his feelings, if he could do that, he could stand up to Alex.
“Look, I don’t want this to go on anymore. I don’t,” Liam started, before Alex grabbed him by the side of his arm and dragged him down a quiet and hidden isle of books.
“Are you tired or not? If you are, you can go rest that pretty, little head of yours. But don’t expect your Prince Lucky Charms to wake you up.” Alex said sternly, pinning Liam’s body against one of the bookcases. Liam quickly shook his head.
“I’m fine, I’m not tired, I’m fine, I swear.” Liam burst out immediately, not wanting anything to happen to Niall. Alex looked over him for a moment before letting him go.
“Good. C’mon, then, loverboy.” Alex whispered huskily, before leaning in and placing a short, wet kiss on Liam’s neck and dragging him off out of the library, in search of somewhere empty and quiet. Liam’s feet tried to disobey, they dug into the ground as he was pulled along, but Liam forced them on. If he didn’t do this, Alex would hurt Niall. Liam would rather hurt himself by doing this with Alex, then have anything harm Niall. This was for the best.