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“Please welcome, One Direction!” James shouted over the uproar of the crowd. One by one, the lads, fresh from break, filed out onto the set and each gave James a tight hug. Once the boys settled, finishing waving at the audience, James turned to them and smiled widely. “It’s been a while,” James started, a chorus of ‘it has’ and ‘far too long’ came from the lads on the couch. “So, as everyone knows, this is your first appearance as One Direction since late 2015. How does it feel?”
The boys looked between one another before Louis spoke up, “it feels great, James. I can’t tell you how excited we all are to be back.” He shifted slightly, palms running over his thighs to straighten his pants out.
Niall nodded in agreement, “we’re definitely happy to be back, especially here in America.”
“Well, you boys have all been spotted here more than once over the past year and a half. I think the most memorable visit was…” James trailed off as he turned to reach behind his desk and pull out a small poster’d picture. He grinned as he turned the poster around to show the boys and the camera. “Look at the pudgy arse!”
Louis groaned loudly and covered his face when he saw the picture of himself, lying across the tattoo artist’s bench with his pants resting below his ass. “Are you fucking kidding me?” He laughed, barely heard over Liam’s cackling, who was reaching for the photo and pointing out Louis’s butt to Niall and Harry, like they hadn’t seen it or the picture before.
The interview went on, James asking each of the lad’s about their break and how they spent it, despite the fact everyone knew what the boys had been doing. Niall had finally gotten the chance to do the traveling he had been planning for so long. His Instagram was a documentation of the trip. Liam and Louis had teamed up over the break, working on a few things, behind the scenes, together. Liam even released a song, which of course caused a lot of drama with the fans. Harry was rather low key, spending time with his mum and friends. But, all in all, the boys had a lovely break and were more than happy to be back.
After chatting, joking, and laughing for about more than half the show, James shifted happily in his seat and clapped his hands together. “Tonight, we are playing my new favorite game: Detect the Lie with One Direction!” The crowd cheered and the boys exchanged a look with one another. They were all familiar with the game, having been briefed about it beforehand. “Are you ready boys?” Each of the boys nodded and stood up, following James over to the polygraph machine that was set up.
“This is Dr. McCormick and this is his lovely polygraph,” James gestured to the older man, sitting next to the lie detector. “And each of you are going to have your go at it. I have a set of questions here,” James waved a stack of cards around. “Louis, you’re up first.”
Louis rolled his sleeves up slightly and sat down in the vacant seat as he was hooked up to the machine. He raised his brows at the boys, Niall leaning into Harry and whispering how nervous this was making him. They never knew what to expect with James. The last time they were around, Harry lost the game and got a new tattoo.
Once Louis was properly set up with wires and straps, James shifted his stance and held his cards up. “Ready?” He asked and Louis nodded. “Is your name Louis Tomlinson?”
Louis raised an eyebrow, glancing up at James and nodded, “of course.”
James hummed and flipped through the cards and asked another, “have you had a wank today?”
The boys laughed, watching Louis purse his lips and shake his head, “oh, cmon! You can’t ask that!” He sighed and licked his bottom lip before looking down at his lap, “No.”
“That’s a lie,” Dr. McCormick said as the camera zoomed in on the machine, watching the needles sway back and forth, indicating his lie. The crowd cheered and the boys and James teased Louis.
“Fine, fine. In the shower this morning,” he rolled his eyes. He couldn’t believe the thing actually betrayed him like that. He should’ve googled how to beat the machine, how to hide his lies better. The man working the polygraph nodded, saying that Louis was telling the truth.
“Hmm..” James hummed and smirked at the cards, “are you in love with anyone?” He asked, watching Louis pause before shaking his head, saying a confident ‘no’. James immediately pointed to the scribbles on the paper and shook his head, “liar! Is it someone we know?”
Louis closed his eyes and nodded, “yes..” He prayed and prayed James would shut up now and stop prying. It was none of his business. It was no one’s business and he definitely didn’t want to do it here… with that person staring at him with disbelief in his wide eyes. Louis refused to look up and meet those eyes.
James bounced on his feet, about to ask his next question before Niall butted in, “is it one of us?” He asked with a grin. Niall had only meant for it to be him poking fun at Louis, loving watching the eldest of the band squirm. It felt like payback for all the pinches and pranks and late night wake ups.
Louis froze completely when he heard Niall’s question and slowly raised his head to glare at Niall, clenching his jaw. He was pretty sure his pulse in his neck was visible with how hard his heart was pounding, the veins throbbing in his neck. He felt a sweat starting at his hairline. He shifted, biting at his bottom lip and reaching up to nervously fiddle with his fringe. “No.” He huffed out. A chorus of curses and ooooos could be heard from the host and his audience. “This is bullshit,” Louis turned all his anger on the polygraph, attempting to get himself out of the wires, but it all seemed too complicated. He was flustered and sweaty and was sure he was seconds away from puking.
“Is it Harry?” James asked quickly, “is Larry real?” He teased and Louis scoffed, shaking his head. Louis was telling the truth. “Niall?” Louis stopped struggling and shook his head and whispered a ‘no’. Everything seemed to stop when James blurted out the name Louis was dreading most. This was not how it was meant to happen. Liam wasn’t ever meant to find out this way, well, he wasn’t meant to find out ever. This was Louis’s secret. “Is it Liam?” James asked slowly, watching Louis squeeze his eyes shut.
“This is absolutely ridiculous,” Louis finally had enough and ripped the straps from around his fingers, the detector was scribbling quickly with how fast Louis’s heart was beating with the mention of Liam’s name. Dr. McCormick reached over to help Louis get free, not wanting the angry lad to ruin his machine and accidentally rip a cord.
Niall and Harry were staring at each other with shit-eating grins. Everyone knew Liam and Louis were in love, everyone but the two boys themselves. They were practically a married couple, living, eating, working together nonstop for the past seven years. Even without One Direction, they were constantly in each other’s space, organizing events together, and celebrating each other’s successes.
Liam stood shocked and baffled, staring at Louis incredulously. It was definitely a joke. It had to be. Louis and James were in on it. There was no way Louis was in love with him. There was no way Louis loved him back. They were just best mates, or so Liam had been telling himself for years, despite the fact that his previous girlfriends had all asked at one point or another if there was something going on between the two lads. Liam swallowed thickly and rubbed his hand over his face, a gesture showing his nervousness. Niall laughed loudly, nudging Liam, but Liam didn’t budge.
~~~~~~~
Not one word was uttered among the boys during the ride back to the hotel. Niall was tapping his fingers along to the beat of the song on the radio, Harry was pretending to read on his phone, Liam was just staring into space with wide eyes, and Louis looked as if he were seconds away from throwing himself out of the car in embarrassment. There hadn’t been this much tension among the boys since Zayn announced he was leaving the band. The silence continued as the boys were lead by their security team past the mob of fans and paparazzi into their hotel.
When they reached the elevator, awkward glances were shared before Louis mumbled a “I’ll take the stairs” and darted down the hall. He tried not to think about how he knew exactly where the staircase was hidden. Just yesterday, Liam and Louis were screwing about and hid out in the stairwell after Harry chased them out of his hotel room. They were a giggling and baby powder covered mess.
Louis tried ignoring the tightness in his chest as he slowly took each step, carefully and meticulously. There was no point in rushing. He had no one to see, no one to watch a late night film with, no one to cuddle with. Never mind the fact that Louis had just practically came out of a closet he hadn’t even truly realized he was in; Louis just ruined the best friendship he had ever had, and on national television. Louis was mortified and wanted to hide in a hole for the rest of his life. He couldn’t imagine looking Liam in the face ever again. He couldn’t go in public, home (his Donny home), or even to his own home - which also happened to be Liam’s. Louis mentally cursed himself for agreeing to move in with Liam over the break. It seemed like a fantastic idea at the time, but now it was definitely the stupidest mistake he had ever made -- well, maybe second stupidest, right after tonight’s events.
Eventually, Louis made it to his hotel room, fingers fumbling with his key card until he finally managed to get it in the slot. Louis didn’t bother turning any lights on. He just shed his clothes, down to his boxers, then crawled into bed, willing sleep to come sooner.
Louis was woken about 3 AM to a pounding on his door. He groaned and pulled the pillow over his head, cursing whoever had the audacity to knock on his hotel room door when he had finally managed to fall asleep about an hour ago after downing two beers and smoking what he could only assume was a full pack of cigarettes.
When the knocker seemed to not get the message, Louis threw the blanket off himself and stormed over to the door. “What the fu-” Louis growled as he flung the door open, but was cut off by lips pressing against his own. Louis let out a mmff noise before pushing the body off himself. His eyes widened when he realized the nuisance was Liam.
“Did you mean it?” Liam asked, staring down at Louis with that stupid and pitiful puppy dog pout that never failed to make Louis’s heart collapse in his chest. “Do you love me?” He asked, desperation in his voice. He needed Louis to say it. He needed Louis to vocally confirm to his face what may or may not have been said on the interview tonight.
Louis swallowed thickly and letting out a shaky breath before nodding. “Yes,” he whispered, hands feeling clammy where they hung limp by his sides. Liam’s mouth grew into a wide grin, causing his eyes to crinkle in the corners. Without another word, Liam swooped down, hands cupping Louis’s cheeks and kissing him deeply. Louis had to clutch Liam’s shirt to stop himself from falling over from the impact of Liam’s body crashing against his own.
Liam kissed Louis like it was the last thing he was ever going to be able to do. If he were honest, this was probably their last night on Earth. The fans were definitely going to riot after tonight’s show and who knew if they would make it out alive. “I love you, too,” Liam breathed out against Louis’s mouth, hands slowly dropping down to Louis’s waist and pulling him closer.
~~~~~~~~
New Tweet from Liam Payne:
@JKCorden it was great seeing u again mate! PS Louis says ur not invited to the wedding (;