. The request for this was the broadest thing ever so I'm gonna take the opportunity to make this a little different than usual. Let's see how it goes. . .
Louis stared at the ceiling, still beneath his covers. If he shifted even slightly the crinkling of the sheets would stop him being able to listen to the sounds coming from the floor above him. He couldn't sleep, and it wasn't just because the boy in the apartment above him had footfalls louder and heavier than if an elephant was stomping around up there. He had a nagging feeling, and every time he tried to fall asleep he imagined a different scenario of what would happen if he appeared in the gorgeous doe eyed lad's doorway at two am that was was so detailed and vibrant his eyes would pop open and he'd have to resist the urge to get out of bed and head for the stairs.
The stomping started again. It went for fifteen seconds, tops, just like it had all the other times, and then it would stop for the next half hour or so. Louis had no idea what was going on up there. A HIIT workout? The boy definitely fit enough to be the type. Maybe he had people over.
He didn't know what it was, but something was beginning to just feel off. He wanted to go see what his nameless crush was up to at this time in the morning.
In the end he became unable to talk himself out of it any longer. He clambered out of bed and got quickly got changed before checking himself in the bathroom mirror. He'd been so still listening for sounds that his hair wasn't even half the usual mess it was when he slept, and despite not getting a wink so far that night he looked surprisingly perky. He nodded at his reflection, not bad for before dawn.
He got halfway up the stairs before realising that he'd forgotten shoes. The thick Christmas socks on his feet were warm enough to keep him from noticing up until he started skipping steps and his legs stretched high enough for them to land in his vision. He wasn't going to go back now, he hated the stairs, but it wasn't even Christmas and he was embarrassed about the stupid socks already. They were the warmest pair he had and the heating had blown out in his apartment. Desperate times, desperate measures.
Louis didn't allow himself any time to pause and think before he rapped his knuckles against the door.
At first he didn't think his knock was going to be answered and rather than try again he contemplated just going back to his place. It was an idiotic idea, he never should have come, why did he even-
The door swung open and Louis startled before collecting himself. He knew how to do this, he could make conversation. He could be flirty. He was confident usually but there was something about his neighbour that shook him up.
"Oh, um, next floor down, right? What are you doing here?"
Louis smiled brightly, trying his best not to appear awkward.
"I couldn't help but hear you running around up here, I think my place is right below yours and-"
"I'm keeping you up, aren't I? I'm so sorry."
Louis frowned as the boy in front of him hid his pink face in his hands.
"I didn't mean to make you feel bad about it, I was just curious as to what you're doing," Louis said.
"It's really just- everything's fine. I'll try be quieter. You should go."
Louis looked down at his socks. Maybe they were the reason he was being sent away so quickly, ugly things. Or maybe he'd said something wrong. He really wished that this had gone the way it happened in his head.
"Okay, well, sorry to disturb you. I'll get go-"
His voice trailed off as his night time curiosity suddenly rushed off, leaving him alone in the doorway. Louis wasn't sure what to think. Was he supposed to follow?
He peered inside and scanned around the spotlessly clean entrance before hearing the familiar sound of someone being ill.
All the pieces fell into place. The abruptness, the running around, poor guy had been in and out of the bathroom since Louis had hit the hay at ten a clock.
Right away Louis knew he couldn't just leave so he hesitantly stepped inside and closed the door behind him. The carpet looked so fresh he would've taken his shoes off had he been wearing any. He walked slowly and hesitantly toward the bathroom until there was another painful sounding retch and a whimper, then his pace picked up.
"I don't know if this is a little too weird for you, the neighbour from below you being in your apartment at two in the morning, but I feel really uncomfortable knowing you're here like this one your own, and I don't think I can go back to mine and listen to you, knowing that you're sick like this," Louis rambled, everything but his lips frozen uncertainly in place in the bathroom doorway.
"You don' hafta st-stay, I'll be fine."
Louis made a sympathetic sound as he threw up again.
"I'm good at looking after people, Bambi," Louis promised. It took him a second to realise that the name he'd mentally given his neighbour months ago when he'd first seen him lugging his groceries up the stairs with the help of a lanky lad had slipped out at the end. He was sheepishly glad that he had his head buried in the toilet at couldn't see the blush scorching across his entire body.
"Bambi?"
"It's my thing, ask anyone," Louis lied swiftly. It was by no means 'his thing'. It was his neighbour's soft brown eyes that had earned him the nickname.
"I like it, but my name's Liam."
Louis smiled, Liam. It suited him. Not quite like Bambi did, but in another way.
"I'm Louis."
Liam fell away from the toilet finally, heaving himself onto his feet and over to the sink where he splashed some water onto his face and squirted a tiny amount of toothpaste into his mouth for a brief moment before spitting it up.
"You really don't have to hang around, I feel awful for being the reasons you can't sleep. I've been throwing up all night, it just doesn't seem to be stop- whoa-"
Louis caught him under the arms as he teetered a little far forward and was shocked at how warm he felt. It was like holding something that had been in the oven for twenty minutes.
"Sorry," Liam rasped, trying to pick himself back up, "starting to get kind of lightheaded. It's been a long night."
"You feel really warm. . ." Louis hummed, worried. He'd only known Liam's real name for five minutes but he felt invested, he felt like it was up to him to get him feeling better.
"103.4" Liam sighed, rubbing at his stomach. "I reckon I've caught the bug my bandmate had last week. Nasty thing, Niall was sick for days."
Louis lead him to the couch, "you're in a band?"
It just got better and better. Liam was turning into Louis' dream guy faster than he could blink. He could imagine Liam up on a stage, hot and sweaty under all the lights.
Liam nodded blearily and shut his eyes. He ducked his head and burped quietly, "oh god, sorry. . ."
"Don't stress about it. You're sick, it happens." Louis glanced around the apartment for any medicine boxes only to come up blank. "Have you taken anything yet?"
"No," came the short answer.
"Well, here." Louis tucked a fluffy dark green blanket around Liam's broad shoulders and then stood up, "where do you keep your meds?"
"Kitchen, cupboard. Above the stove, on the right."
Louis nodded happily and headed over to the light switch.
"Hey, Louis."
Louis turned quickly, "yeah?"
"Nice socks."
Louis groaned and face palmed in embarrassment. Here he was thinking he'd gotten away without being called out on his horrendous socks.
Liam chuckled dryly and smiled, making Louis's heart flutter. Man, how had he ended up here, doing this? His impulsiveness for once had actually resulted in something good.
Louis spoke casually to Liam as he created a small mixture of medication in the palm of his hand. He figured Liam didn't feel much like talking, so he carried on the conversation on his own. He blabbered about music, weather, books, sports, TV, anything that came to mind.
His back was to the rest of the apartment so when the kitchen sink turned on he almost jumped out of his skin.
"You scared me," Louis gasped, hand over heart.
Liam smirked tiredly and leaned heavily on the counter as he held a shaking glass under the stream of water. The water filled it fast and Louis only just reacted quick enough to catch the glass as Liam's trembling fingers lost their grip. Louis let out a sigh of relief, it would've sent shattered glass everywhere.
Liam groaned apologetically and grabbed onto the bench with his other hand, "I feel like all I've done is apologise, but I'm sorry again. I'm just so out of it, I forgot how gross having the stomach flu was."
"It's okay, don't worry. If it makes you feel any better I'm a total baby when I'm sick," Louis said. He frowned when he noticed that it want just Liam's hand that we're shaking. His knees were going at it too.
"I could've gotten a water for you. You look awful unsteady, it's worrying. Do you mind if I. . ." Louis trailed off as he reached out to wrap an arm around Liam's shoulders. He'd like to balance him properly, before he toppled over and cracked his head open. A scar would be sexy, but Louis didn't want to see him bleed.
Liam surprised Louis by cuddling into his side without hesitation, more than okay with the close contact, "no, I'm about to face plant."
Louis forced a laugh, too shocked to speak.
"It's fine if you want to go back to yours. You're definitely a good guy, but I know sick isn't the most pleasant thing to deal with," Liam mumbled sleepily as Louis helped him back over to couch, holding the pills and cup of water in his free hand.
"Would you be more comfortable if I left?"
Liam hid his face in his blanket, "uh, I don't really- it's fine if you want to."
A slow smile spread across Louis's face, "but you'd like it if I stayed?"
Liam nodded.
Louis couldn't stop smiling now. Either Liam wasn't feeling well enough to feel safe on his own, or maybe there was a chance he actually liked Louis back.
"Then of course I'm gonna stay. Like I said before, I couldn't sleep knowing you were here on your own like this anyway."
Louis patted the blanket to find Liam's feet before he sat down, not wanting to crush him. After Liam had cuddled so close in to him before he was a hundred times more comfortable in being his touchy-feely self. He wasn't a guy who was afraid of contact.
"Drink your water slow, Bam- Liam." Louis handed over the cup carefully, only avoiding letting the nickname slip marginally. Liam rested the glass on his lap, "you can call me Bambi, if it's easier for you."
Louis perked up, "yeah?"
"Knock yourself out."
Louis nodded happily, "alrighty then, Bambi."
Liam downed the pills and shivered as he wrapped the blanket tighter around himself, "I'll probably fall asleep, make yourself at home if I do. Raid the pantry, give yourself a tour. Turn the TV on if you want." He coughed.
"Knowing that you're okay, I'll probably fall asleep too," Louis chuckled quietly. He dragged the edge of the blanket over his thighs.
Liam fell asleep fairly quickly, with the fever racing through his blood he was out cold within minutes. Louis usually only took about ten minutes to drift off but he didn't make it before Liam groaned, shifted, and threw up onto the floor without even a seconds warning. It was purely water, along with the smallest amount of stomach acid
"Oh. . . It's alright," Louis soothed, gently helping Liam sit upright as he regained his breathing. Liam spluttered and blinked, trying to wake himself up. Louis rubbed his back with enough pressure to speed up the process, "you're okay, just breathe."
"Didn't get a warning, made a mess. Sorry," Liam mumbled, wiping a sleeve across his damp lips. He exhaled shakily and his eyes widened as he retched a second time. Nothing came up and after a moment he relaxed.
"It's not your fault, and it's your own carpet after all," Louis grinned easily, shoving his worry aside. "Are you feeling okay now?"
"Feeling pretty gross, and embarrassed," Liam muttered. Louis wasn't sure he was supposed to even hear the last part.
"You're sweating pretty good. . . How about a bath? You got a tub?"
Liam nodded shortly.
"I'll help you up, let me know if you wanna sit or anything on the way. You're so pale right now in afraid you're gonna pass right out." Louis gently took Liam's forearm as he gave an airy chuckle.
"I'll try not to."
Louis lead him carefully over to the bathroom and then stopped.
"You don't have to, but I'd like it if you'd come sit in the bathroom with me. I don't want to fall asleep and drown."
Louis smiled. He's just been about to ask Liam about the same thing, "I don't want that either."
Liam sat on the toilet while Louis put the plug in the bottom of the bath and turned the tap on. He could hear Liam rustling around, getting out of his clothes, so he entertained himself with the several types of bubble baths standing on the windowsill.
He picked out a vanilla scented one and poured some in.
"You decent?"
"Yeah," Liam replied with a sigh. He'd dragged himself up and over the sink to quickly brush his teeth before he got into the water. Louis took a moment to marvel at his sculpted figure. It wasn't like he was heavy muscle, football player, built, but more of a natural tone that made Louis wonder why he even bothered wearing clothes at all. He'd much prefer to see Liam wandering around the apartment complex in his bath towel.
"Bubbles."
"Huh?" Louis shook his head. How long had he been staring?
"Bubbles, Louis!" Liam scrambled for the tap and Louis let out a gasp as he whirled around to see bubble leaking over the side of the bath. Liam's movement were too sluggish to reach the tap before Louis did. It was a frantic action on his part, which he regretted right away because it was his own stupid fault when he slipped, shrieked, and fell straight into the bath.
First, he felt the impact of the porcelain. Second, he choked on the soapy water. Lastly, he was overcome with an intense embarrassment that made him reluctant to pull his head out of the water.
Liam was holding his arms now though, he had no choice but to show his face.
"Uh, I promise that this was supposed to be your bath Bambi," Louis blinked the water from his lashes and massaged the bruise on his elbow.
Liam's glossy feverish eyes had been wide and worried for a split second before they lit up and he was biting down on his lips, trying not to laugh. "Just testing the heat for me?"
"Yup, exactly," Louis nodded, cracking a broad smile. Liam snorted once and they met gazes for only a brief second before they both broke into uncontrollable laughter. Louis splashed Liam with some of the bathwater playfully.
"I might have to run down to mine and change. . ." Louis chuckled and clapped his hands, sending bubbles flying. His clothes were completely drenched. He flipped his wet hair out of his eyes.
"Don't go!" Liam exclaimed. He looked away, "I mean, you can borrow something of mine."
"Thanks." Louis finished off his laughing and stood up, "I think it's about your turn in here."
He took Liam's hand and lifted him to his feet. He figured he might as well get Liam into the bath before he got out fully because he was going to get wet all over again otherwise.
"I don't know what I'd be doing right now if you hadn't turned up, Louis," Liam admitted. His hands went to his towel and Louis closed his eyes as Liam sat down.
Louis didn't know what to say to that so he kept his mouth shut. He carefully stepped out of the bath and took a towel from the shelf to dry himself off a bit.
"Do you mind if I change now? I'll go quickly and try get back before you drown," Louis joked.
"Yeah, I'll try keep away until you get back," Liam grinned. "Everything's in the wardrobe, take anything."
"Yell out if you need anything," Louis told Liam before he left, leaving the door open so he could still hear what went on in the bathroom. He took a T-shirt and a pair of sweats from Liam's closet without much notice, he just wanted to get back to him. He wasn't going to waste time choosing clothes.
He got back to the bathroom as quickly as he could, picking up Liam's laptop from his bedside table on the way. He had an idea.
"What's that for?" Liam asked with a yawn as Louis re-entered the room.
"I thought you could show me some of your music." Louis perched on the toilet lid with Liam's laptop on his lap. If Liam said no he would understand. He wasn't going to go digging around into personal stuff if Liam was one hundred percent comfortable with it.
"You want to hear it?" Liam perked up, bubbles sticking to his chest.
"Course I do!" Louis grinned.
"The password's 'Payne,' p-a-y-n-e."
For the next half an hour Louis couldn't swipe the smile of of his face. Damn could Liam sing. So could his friends, but every time Liam's voice came over the audio Louis looked over at him in total awe. He decided then and there that he wasn't letting this boy out of his life.
Once out of the bath, dry, and clothed, Liam returned to the couch with Louis to use as a human sized pillow. He had some more water and asked Louis to help him with the thermometer again. He'd sit in the bath long enough for the water to cool off which had lowered him down to 102.6, rather than the earlier 103.4.
"I really fucking hope you're into dudes. . ." Louis muttered to himself once he thought Liam was asleep.
"You're in luck."
Louis inhaled sharply, "you- wh-what? Does that mean-"
"It means that you can kiss me, as long as you're okay with potentially catching this god awful bug." Liam opened his Bambi eyes and smirked up at Louis.
"Bring it on," Louis grinned and swiftly locked his lips with Liam's.
Well, that happened. I'm kind of unsure, but maybe it could be okay? Hopefully. Anyway, something a little different.
The next request is for: beautjeeexx
We're getting closer and closer to the chapter limit guys. . . Don't worry though. That won't be the end. I'll mash the one's with two parts together and probably move the chapters I wrote with ilangel1 into it's own book to make more room, so don't stress!
***Extension***
Hello lovelies, glad to see you've stumbled along this little extension even after half a year of this book being completed! I'm not really sure what direction this next piece is gonna go in, but It'll be similar to the other one in terms of the lads and the fluff. It's been a while since I've written on here so the beginning might be a little rough, but let's hope I get back into the flow of things as I carry on!
Here you go!
Louis huffed under his breath, clenched his hands tight, and repeated himself for a fourth time, "I'm sorry, but we don't have any meringues left, Sir."
The elderly man on the other side of the counter paused a moment and Louis thought that finally he'd gotten the message. Then, he leaned in even closer, so close that Louis smelled whatever ointment he'd rubbed into his age spots that morning, and tapped his hearing aid with an oddly bent finger.
"Sorry kid, I'm a bit hard of hearing. What?"
"Well, I'm a bit hard of talking," Louis grumbled to himself. He gave a forced smile and then waved the girl from behind the coffee machine over to break the news to the man, turning away from the counter to cough into his elbow in yet another fruitless attempt to clear his throat. Coughing brought tears to his eyes, the scraping down his throat and stinging pain in his chest made his breath catch for a few moments after.
Louis apologised when the girl finished with the man and he went and sat down by the window to wait patiently for the pastry he'd ordered in place of his meringue, "sorry Carla, I just couldn't get anywhere with him."
"It's okay, but you should grab another glass of water Louis. You still sound like you're in pain. Do you wanna work the machine today, and I'll handle the customers?"
"Yes," Louis blurted, nodding his head frantically despite the headache lurking right behind his forehead, "please."
Carla smiled and gently nudged Louis away from the register. He rubbed his eyes as he headed sluggishly over to the coffee machine to finish the orders he'd dragged Carla away from. He massaged his tender throat with one hand and made the coffees with the other, blinking especially hard every time the odd feeling that he was about to fall asleep fell over him.
"I thought we'd agreed that you weren't working today."
Oh no. Louis closed his eyes and winced, he'd been busted.
"Then I remembered how stubborn you get, and how stupid you are sometimes and somehow I knew I'd find you here."
Louis looked sheepishly up over the top of the machine, "I guess you know me too well."
By the sounds of his voice, people would assume he'd been swallowing razor blades. It was hurting the worst it had yet too. Liam was all too right about Louis being stubborn though, he was already half way through his shift so he was going to finish it.
As he took a seat on one of the tall stools arranged just beneath the bench on the other side of the bulky machine, Liam grimaced sympathetically, "ouch Lou. . . That hurts me too listen to."
Filling another take-away cup with boiling hot water, Louis averted his gaze, "aren't you supposed to be recording Bambi?"
Liam shrugged, "I've got to stop you from passing your germs on to the public first. You should be in bed, eating canned soup and watching soap operas Lou."
"I'm not even that sick."
"So all that complaining and coughing, that fever, those headaches, that was just you being a picture of health over the last two days?" Liam asked, raising an eyebrow. Louis' trembling hands caused a wave of water to lap over the sides of the cup he was holding and he hissed as it scorched through his skin.
Liam just about vaulted over the machine when Louis dropped the entire cup and sent boiling water flying everywhere, but he managed to stop himself at the last second and instead rushed around the side of the counter and quickly put Louis' hands under a cold tap while asking him if he got splashed anywhere else.
Carla was there too, "is he alright?"
Louis was back to giving Liam the stink-eye, which meant yes, he was fine.
"He's an idiot, but yes," Liam replied.
Swiping a cloth from the sink and bending over to start mopping the water up, Carla nodded her head at Louis, "he talks about you all the time, Liam right?"
Louis would've defended himself if his throat didn't hurt so much. It would've been lies, he really did talk about Liam far too much but he was just so damn proud and so damn in love that he couldn't help it.
That didn't mean Liam had know about it all though.
He nestled into Liam's warm side and whispered painfully into his ear, "can we go?"
The small cafe was mostly empty so when Liam asked Carla if she'd be alright on her own for the rest of the shift she was happy enough to nod and wave them out the door with a couple of steaming cups of coffee, on the house.
The cold air outside hit Louis like a slap to the face, he inhaled so abruptly that it made him cough and Liam pulled him in as close as possible as they battled the wind over to where he'd parked the car.
Like a proper gentleman, he opened the passenger door for Louis and then headed around to his side of the car. The same second he turned the car on Louis was leaned forward fiddling with the heat, frantic to get the interior warm enough that he didn't shiver every time he moved.
Liam glanced over at Louis, amused by his behaviour, as they rolled out of the car-park and out onto the road. "You just had to go to work, huh Lou? You couldn't just stay home in bed like anybody else with the flu?"
Louis swallowed the mouthful of coffee he had swirling around in his mouth with a wince, "it's not even the flu Li, and there's nothing to do back at the flat when you're not there."
"What do you do when I'm at mine then?"
"I go to work. Or I go see my friends. I hate being there by myself," Louis said, every word sounding a pain, "you know that."
Liam rubbed Louis' leg as he drove, "I do. I'm sorry Lou. I'm finished my recording for today so I'm all yours now."
Louis nodded and sighed happily as he took another sip of his drink. Carla had done a magnificent job. The coffee wasn't bitter at all, and it wasn't too hot for his poor throat. He sniffled and tucked one leg up to rest against the side of the car. The soft vibrations of the tyres on the gravel were making him sleepy, if Liam didn't drive faster he'd be snoring away before they got back to the apartment.
Louis was still awake, just, when he felt the car roll to a stop. However, he kept his eyes closed and didn't shift, and didn't say anything when Liam opened his door and picked him up. He wasn't going to not take advantage of a ride up the stairs, and he was so sleepy, and Liam was so warm.
He sneezed about halfway there, Liam must've known that he really wasn't sleeping after that, but he carried him the rest of the way anyway, somehow balancing him even while he unlocked the door.
Louis opened his eyes wearily as Liam set him down on the sofa he'd escaped from earlier. Blankets and pillows were everywhere, tissues, empty tablet capsules, mugs, bowls, bottles of medication. Louis' small living room was a bombsite.
"There anything I can do for you?" Liam asked softly as he began piling the blankets back on top of Louis. Wordlessly, Louis gestured at his shoes and closed his eyes again as Liam tugged them off, retracting his feet straight up under the blankets right after he was done.
Then he patted the space behind him and waited for Liam's body to press up against his.
"I though you didn't want me to get sick?" Liam asked.
Louis hadn't allowed too much contact since he'd fallen ill, the last thing he wanted was to make his Bambi feel as miserable as he was. However, now he just needed Liam as close as possible so that he could fall asleep comfortably.
He grumbled a bit incoherently and kept patting the space until Liam finally huffed a chuckle and climbed in, gently encasing Louis' body in his arms as he settled down.
"Better?"
Louis grumbled quietly again and then effortlessly drifted off to sleep.
***
eh.
what did you think?