“Sup Josh?” Niall greeted, as he sat down opposite his best friend in the busy Nandos in the centre of Bradford. Josh looked up from his phone with a wide smile when he realised his friend had arrived.
“Hey man! How’s your half term so far?” Josh asked, and Niall felt himself sink into his seat, but he plastered a smile on his face anyway.
He had been looking forwards to half term ever since he and Liam and confessed that they liked each other. Niall had planned loads of little things that he was going to do for Liam, like on the first night of the half term, he was going to invite Liam around for a sleepover, order in his favourite pizza and play video games all night, before he would cuddle up to Liam in his single bed, maybe a boring film in the background, filling the room with a quiet noise. Then, Niall was going to lean in and place a kiss on Liam’s lips when he was concentrating on the film, and finish the kiss with asking him to be his boyfriend. Liam would say yes, and then they’d cuddle and kiss until they fell asleep.
That’s what Niall thought was going to happen, but ever since he had seen those disgusting love bites on Liam’s beautiful neck, the thought of seeing Liam made him want to be sick. He still liked him, no scrap that, he loved Liam, but he couldn’t look him in the face without wanting to scream ‘lying cunt!’ at him.
“It’s been…chilled out.” Niall finally answered, before he and Josh got up and went over to order their food. Niall decided he would pig out today, it was his favourite place to eat, with one of his best friends, so why not? And maybe the Nandos would fill the weird, gaping whole in his heart. They ordered their food before going back to sit down, and that’s when Niall realised Josh was looking at him with a very matter-of-factly look.
“Chilled out? You mean, you’ve done nothing, you’ve been sat on your own?” Josh asked, as if not believing it. Niall nodded innocently. That’s what had happened, he just sat and watched films with his brother or begged his Mum to make him some food.
“Pfft, what have you and Liam been getting up too? Secret meetings, eh?” Josh laughed to himself, but the laughing stopped as Josh realised that Niall’s face had dropped. Niall’s eyes left Josh’s face and he looked down at the table, where he sat tracing his fingers along the patterns of the wood.
“I knew something was up.” Josh replied quietly, and Niall looked up at him with a sad smile. Josh was his best friend, and it was time for Niall to express his concerns about Liam, else everything would get bottled up.
“I trust you mate, so I’m just going to tell you everything.” Niall spoke up finally, looking at Josh with a sad smile. Josh leaned forward in interest, ready to listen. Everyone thought that Niall and Josh were just hyper and crazy when they were together, but they were pretty serious at times.
Niall and Josh sat in Nandos for a hell of a long time. Niall started at the point in the guys’ toilets, where Liam had out-ed Niall in front of Zayn, and went all the way up to when Niall had found the love bites on Liam, not even an hour after telling each other their real feelings for each other. Josh was really patient with Niall, and Niall felt so much better for telling him everything. They had somehow managed to finish off their food throughout the long talk as well.
“Well, that really doesn’t sound like something Liam would do, Ni.” Josh finally said, before sipping on the straw to his drink. Niall shrugged.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s something he would or wouldn’t do though, it’s done, he’s done it, and had the love bites to prove it.” Niall sighed, looking down at his own drink. Josh looked at Niall for a quiet second, biting on his lip, before he nodded.
“I don’t know, Nialler, something about this whole thing seems odd. What if it’s some sort of test? Or game?” Josh asked, but Niall shook his head.
“Now that’s something he really wouldn’t do.” Niall replied, before looking up at Josh. He did miss out one, vital piece of information, and it was time to spill it.
“Josh, there’s just one last thing.” Niall started again, and Josh tilted his head to the side as he waited to hear what Niall had to say. Niall bit on his lip, and his fingers started to tap on the table.
“Literally seconds after telling me he liked me, he ran off and met up with Alex Johnson. Then the next time I saw him…he had the love bites.” Niall confessed. He’d been thinking about that in his head ever since he had seen Liam’s neck.
In his head, it sounded different. It sounded like a storyline or a plot from a TV show, like it was so untrue it just couldn’t be put in a normal situation without it just sounding like a cliché, but as he spoke the words in his broad Irish accent, it suddenly sounded true. It sounded like a real reason. It sounded like the only reason.
Josh almost spat out his drink.
“Alex Johnson?!” he burst out, looking at Niall in shock. Niall nodded, remembering the time when he had actually met the guy, when he was with Zayn. He was a hell of a shady guy…he had no idea why Liam would hang out with him.
“But he’s, and Liam, huh?” Josh tried to make a sentence, but it seemed he was too confused to finish it.
“Liam and Alex went off somewhere together. I didn’t even know they knew each other, I didn’t even know if they had a class together. But Liam’s like a sweet angel, why would he hang out with the likes of Alex?” Niall questioned, even though Josh looked as if he was still quite shocked as to the thought of Alex and Liam in the same room, let alone giving each other love bites.
“Are you sure it was Alex Johnson?” Josh asked again, and Niall nodded. He’d know the guy anywhere. Josh pulled a face and leaned back in his chair.
“Well, I would have never thought of them being friends in a million years.” Josh spoke up again, honestly, and Niall nodded in agreement.
“But it’s the only explanation I have.” Niall sighed sadly. He thought the start of he and Liam’s new level of closeness would be one of the best times of his life, but this was turning into hell.
“I can’t think of any other explanation either to it, Ni. I’m sorry, but it sounds like something’s going on…but I have an idea.” Josh said, before smiling at Niall. Niall looked over at him in interest.
“What is it?” Niall asked.
“Basically, you pretend you don’t know about anything. Go off and be all boyfriendy with him, but make him feel as bad as possible about it. Like, do lots of lovely little things, make him breakfast, buy him presents, I don’t know, whatever gay guys do.” Josh laughed, although it earned him a kick from under the table from Niall.
“That does sound really interesting though…” Niall admitted, before the two boys started to hatch out a million and one ideas and schemes.
“Niall! I missed you, I felt like I haven’t seen you in ages!” Liam’s happy voice cut through the thin air, but as Niall turned around to see him he was practically rugby tackled by the older boy. Liam’s arms were wrapped around Niall’s waist, and Niall tried to hug him back, even though it hurt him emotionally. His face was in the crook of Liam’s neck, and even though his nose felt like it was alive with the beautiful scent of Liam, Niall’s eyes could still see the love bites that were on Liam’s neck, burning through the skin, even if they had faded by now. They were scarred into his eyes.
“I missed you too.” Niall mumbled, trying to ignore the desire to burst into tears. He had missed Liam, and Li had been right, the two boys hadn’t seen each other in quite a while, since Niall had been avoiding him a lot at sixth form.
“Not going to lie,” Liam started, before the hug broke off and Niall looked up at Liam’s beautiful face and gulped, forcing a smile. God, this was going to be harder than he thought.
“I was really pleased to hear from you.” Liam finished, and Niall felt his knees go weak. Liam was holding onto his hands, his thumb softly grazing over Niall’s thumb, and Niall had to tell himself to snap out of it.
“Well, what better place to meet than the cinema. I knew you wanted to see the new Bond film, you went on about it for weeks.” Niall laughed, before pulling Liam along and into the doors of the cinema, their hands still connected. Liam smiled as they went to buy tickets.
“You listened to me?” Liam chuckled, as they kept moving forwards in the queue. Niall smiled at him and nodded his head, as if it was a stupid question to ask. Technically, it was. Niall always listened when Liam spoke.
“Of course.” Niall smiled, before they were finally front in the line. Niall remembered what Josh had said, and slipped his arm around Liam’s waist, as if to bring him closer.
“Two tickets to Skyfall, please.” Niall asked, and saw how Liam watched him with adoring eyes as Niall pulled out his wallet to pay for them both. Liam pulled out his own wallet, but Niall shook his head and smiled at him.
“Put it away babe, my treat.” Niall said happily, before placing a peck on Liam’s cheek and then paying for their tickets. They took their tickets and went over to the food stand.
“Well, how about I pay for the food,” Liam started but Niall cut him off again.
“No, Li, I told you, this is my treat!” Niall laughed, smiling at Liam before looking at the amount of food there was available. Liam was staring at him with those big brown eyes, and a smile on his face. A thankful smile, but it was hiding guilt. Niall could tell.
“Shit, I can’t decide.” Niall sighed, before he felt Liam’s hand slip into his again. However hurt, upset and angry he was with Liam, everytime they touched it made Niall want to never let go. He still loved Liam, so much.
“I’ll just have a small box of popcorn.” Liam whispered into Niall’s ear, before placing a long, soft kiss on Niall’s cheek, before staring at him with those gorgeous brown eyes once again. Niall tried not to crack under the pressure of the brown eyes. He had to keep this up. The two boys went to the front of the food stand, their bodies still close and touching somehow, and Niall stepped forward again to speak.
“One of them large sharing popcorn boxes, please!” He said cheerfully, before he felt those big brown eyes burn into the side of his face once again.
“You’re…we’re…sharing?” Liam spoke each word in confusion, and Niall pushed the smile onto his face again as he faced Liam.
“Of course, baby.” Niall spoke softly, feeling his heart skip a beat as Liam smiled at him, those cute pink lips looking extra kissable from the smile. Liam placed another kiss on Niall’s cheek, which for some reason made Niall blush, before he grabbed the large box of popcorn, and the two boys went off to the cinema screen that the film was going to be playing in.
They were sat in the corner at the back, and they both got settled and comfortable when Niall felt Liam’s hand entwine itself into his hand once again. Oh God, this was all too cute and perfect, what if his hand started getting hot and sweaty and Liam thought it was gross?
“Hey Ni,” Liam whispered as the lights went down, and Niall turned around to look at Liam’s perfect face in the dark. Even in the dark he looked bloody perfect.
“Thanks for all of this, it’s so perfect, I love being with you.” Liam whispered, as the adverts started to roll on the huge screen in front of them. To anyone else, it would have just sounded like a simple thank you from one partner to another, but Niall could sense there was more to it. It was like Liam was thanking him for letting this go. For letting everything slide. It’s as if Liam knew that Niall had seen the love bites.
“No problem.” Niall numbly whispered back, trying to keep that forced, small smile on his face, when he saw Liam lean in to kiss him. Niall’s stomach churned, and for the first time since discovering his feelings for him, he didn’t want to kiss him. He quickly turned his face, so Liam kissed his cheek, even though he felt like shit for doing that to Liam.
Liam leaned back in his seat looking a little confused, and even shocked, but that guilt was still etched in the back of his eyes, and he sat back in his seat, looking at the screen, as if extremely embarrassed. Niall felt a bit guilty then, but Liam had to realise how Niall felt about this, but Niall wasn’t heartless. With the popcorn on his lap, he slipped his hand back into Liam’s once again, which made Liam look at him in confusion, and with his free hand, Niall fed Liam some popcorn, before they both watched the film, the pair of them either feeling embarrassed or guilty.