#nialuke

[directionerplusgleek]

nialuke replied to your post “Teletubbies fan fiction is the most terrifying thing you will ever...”

Leah what even

It was a mistake, China, believe me. Never do it.

[steddienow]

Hello pals I was tagged in the 6 selfie challenge by:

niallhurun 

and

niallgustins

And I now tag:

nialuke

fuckedniam

directionerplusgleek

niallersbut

all-i-want-is-horan

21nh

londniam

and anyone else who wants to show off their beautiful face!!

[directionerplusgleek]

Snap

Prompt: Liam, a music student at Uni taking a photography class, is desperate to find himself a model to photograph for his first project. After some persuasion from his friend and fellow DJ, Zayn, he posts a "Model Wanted" sign on the Uni noticeboard. Much to his surprise, someone answers.

So, China (who looked stunning at her prom yesterday, btw) took a screenshot of someone's tags on a post and requested I write this. So here it is :P

"I dunno what I'm gonna do, Zee," Liam sighed, hitching his bag up on his shoulder as he and his friend walked away from the Uni.

"Ask people?" Zayn replied as though it were obvious.

"I can't just go up to people and ask if they'll model for me, Zayn!" Liam exclaimed, eyes wide.

Shrugging, Zayn suggested, "Put up a notice on the board of the main building. People're bound to see it. Just stick your email address on it and what you want them to do."

Liam rubbed his hands down his face. "But anyone who would do it already has a friend they'll model for."

"No harm in trying," Zayn pointed out. "Besides, you might end up with some really hot guy to take photos of," he teased, lightly shoving Liam's shoulder.

"Shut up, Zayn," Liam muttered, hitching his bag up again.

"C'mon, what's the worst that could happen?"

"Uh, I won't get anyone to reply," Liam said slowly, looking at his friend like he was stupid.

"Exactly. Then you could just ask your sister or something," Zayn shrugged, pushing Liam around the corner or the street before he could walk the wrong way.

"Yeah, but… I'd rather have a male model for what I have in mind." Looking to his friend, Liam asked, "Are you sure you don't wanna do this for me?"

"Dead sure," Zayn replied blandly. "I don't like modelling."

Liam snorted. "Says he who looks like a freaking supermodel," he muttered, following Zayn into his share-house.

xXx

"Done?" Zayn asked him the next afternoon.

"Yeah," Liam sighed, digging his headphones out of his bag as the two of them started to set themselves up.

"C'mon, someone will answer," Zayn encouraged as he sorted through his CDs.

"Zayn, I'm a music student and part-time DJ with the social skills of a dead fish," Liam huffed. "I'm not gonna get a reply."

"Don't be such a downer." Handing Liam two of his CDs, Zayn told him, "You'll never get anywhere with that kind of attitude."

"At least this way I can't be disappointed when no one signs up," Liam retorted, putting one of their mixes in the player. "I hope this new one goes over well."

Zayn rolled his eyes at the subject change, but let it go. "Me too. We put a lot of effort into it."

"It's probably one of our better mixes." Glancing around the bar at the people half-heartedly dancing to the strange techno music the owners had chosen, Liam chuckled, "We should probably get started before this lot die of boredom."

"Alright," Zayn smirked. He took hold of the microphone on their table and turned off the manager's music. "Ladies and gents, it's time to get the music pumping! I'm DJ Malik, and my friend here is DJ Payno, and we're here to get your feet moving! So, whip out that shuffle or dougie and get ready to raise this roof!"

The crowd cheered and Liam laughed as he started up their mix. "That's the only time you'll do public speaking," he snickered.

"Can you imagine me giving speeches?" Zayn snorted, settling his headphones around his neck with only one over his ear. "Man, I'd be shaking like a fucking leaf."

"I know," Liam smirked, simply earning a smack.

xXx

It had been a week since Liam had posted his notice, and he was yet to receive a single reply. He sighed as he checked his emails again, expecting no change. Opening up the mail app on his phone, he sighed again.

Nothing.

Just as he was about to close the app, however, a new email appeared.

'Photoshoot

To: [email protected]

From: [email protected]

Liam, saw your note thing about wanted models. I'd be happy to help. Let me know if you still need someone :)

Niall Horan'

Liam just stared at his phone, mouth hanging open. "Niall Horan?" he barely whispered.

"Man, you'll catch flies," Zayn laughed as he came up beside him and sat on the bench outside the cafeteria where Liam had been waking for him.

Merely looking up at his friend, Liam couldn't even close his mouth.

"What?" Zayn asked slowly.

"Niall Horan," Liam managed.

"Blonde football player you've fancied since orientation last year," Zayn nodded, looking at Liam like he was stupid. "What about him?"

"He…" Liam just showed Zayn his phone.

Taking the mobile, Zayn read the email. "Hey, he'll model for you?" he asked with a grin. "That's great, man!"

"B-but… it's Niall." Liam took his phone back, staring at the screen. "Niall Horan."

"I know who he is," Zayn laughed.

"But he wants to model for me," Liam stressed, pointing unnecessarily to his phone.

"Jesus, Li, calm down." Clapping Liam's shoulder, Zayn prompted, "Let him know, then."

"What… email him back?" Liam gulped.

Zayn sighed and rolled his eyes. "Do you need me to hold your hand and do it for you?" he asked patronisingly.

"No," Liam muttered.

'RE: Photoshoot

To: [email protected]

From: [email protected]

Hi Niall, thanks for getting back to me. When are you free for the shoot?

Liam Payne'

"Well, I'd say that was pretty lame," Zayn commented, reading over Liam's shoulder as he sent the email.

"Shut up," Liam mumbled, tucking his phone into his pocket.

"Hey, at least you've got yourself a model, right? You've still got three weeks before your project's due."

"Yeah…" Liam chewed on his lip thoughtfully, suddenly hearing his phone ping.

'RE: Photoshoot

To: [email protected]

From: [email protected]

I'm good for whenever :) Next Saturday sound good?

Niall'

"What day is it?" Liam asked his friend, who was picking at his fingernails.

"Friday," Zayn replied without looking away from his nails. "Why?"

"Hang on."

'RE: Photoshoot

To: [email protected]

From: [email protected]

Next Saturday's fine. Meet 11am at mine?

Liam'

"Why?" Zayn asked again.

"Uh… 'cause I'm meeting Niall next Saturday. Which is a week tomorrow." Liam's eyes widened. "Holy hell, I'm meeting up with Niall Horan in a week."

"Are you gonna go on about this all night?" Zayn groaned. "We've got a new mix to work on."

'RE: Photoshoot

To: [email protected]

From: [email protected]

Great :) what's your address? I've got a game at 9 that morning so I might need to borrow your shower quick before we start.

Niall'

Sending Niall his address and a 'no worries', Liam shoved his phone in his pocket again. "Oh god, Niall Horan is going to model for me."

xXx

For the next week, Liam was chewing on his fingernails or the inside of his lip, his fingers tapping impatiently against desks or chairs and foot bouncing constantly.

"Jesus, would you calm down?" Zayn sighed as he walked with Liam to the younger boy's house. "Seriously. It's a photo shoot. He's not proposing to you, or scooping your insides out with a spoon. He's just modelling for you."

"Yeah, but… but he's Niall," Liam complained, burying his face in his hands. "He's, like, the perfect human being."

"Which makes him the perfect model," Zayn added.

"Zayn, he'd be perfect to snog, too, doesn't mean it would be easy to approach," Liam stated blandly.

Snickering, Zayn told him, "You could always just tell him you've been wanking over him for a year and a half."

"Zayn!" Liam slapped his friend upside the head, huffing and marching up to his front door.

"C'mon, Li, it's true," Zayn chuckled.

"It's not funny," Liam snapped.

"How many times?" Zayn snickered, poking Liam in the side. "C'mon, Li, how many?"

"Fuck off," Liam muttered, shoving his front door open and stomping into the kitchen.

"Afternoon, boys," Liam's mother greeted them as Zayn entered the room after Liam.

"Hi, Karen," Zayn smiled.

"You suck," Liam told his friend, grabbing his pre-made protein shake from the fridge and huffing off up the stairs.

Raising an eyebrow at Zayn, Karen asked, "Tough day?"

"Nerves," Zayn corrected with a sigh.

"Oh, that photo shoot he's been panicking about all week."

Snorting, Zayn just nodded and followed his friend. "Y'know," he began as he shut Liam's bedroom door behind him and looked to his friend sulking on the bed, "even your mum's noticed you're shitting yourself over this shoot."

"I know," Liam mumbled, giving his drink a quick shake before popping the lid open and taking a long swig. "But what can I do? I'm the most unsociable person ever; how do I handle being around the star footballer whose personality's bigger and brighter than the freaking sun?"

Sitting on the bed, Zayn turned to Liam. "For starters, you're not unsociable. You and me DJ, Liam, you don't really have a choice in the sociableness. Secondly, one day you'll realise there's more to life than drooling over football players."

"It's not football players, Zayn, it's just him. It was him before he even joined the team. It was him as soon as he accidentally bumped my shoulder as we were being shown through the recording studio on orientation day." Sighing and rubbing his face with one hand, Liam took another mouthful of his drink. "I'm like a… a speck of dust compared to him."

Shaking his head slowly, Zayn sighed knowingly, "You're really gone on this boy, huh?"

"So gone," Liam breathed out. He sat his shake on his bedside table and hung his head in his hands. "Tomorrow's gonna be awful."

"Tomorrow's gonna be fine, because you're gonna calm down and sort yourself out, yeah? You're gonna relax now and eat dinner with your mum and have a good night's sleep, and you're going to be fine when Niall gets here tomorrow." Patting Liam's shoulder, Zayn suggested, "Let's watch Batman."

Liam's shoulders slumped and he gave his friend a slight smile. "You're the best."

"I know," Zayn shrugged.

xXx

"Liam, wake up," his mother's voice called through his sleepy state. "Liam, it's almost ten."

"Hmm?" Liam mumbled.

"That boy Niall's going to be here in an hour."

Liam sat up quickly, eyes wide open. "Huh?"

"Niall will be here in an hour," Karen chuckled.

"Oh, sh- sugar." Liam jumped out of bed and hurried to the bathroom to shower.

Half an hour later, Liam was sorting through his clothes, trying to find just the right outfit for the day. He huffed and sighed at all of his clothes before finally settling for a plain black T-shirt and light blue skinny jeans. "It'll have to do," he muttered as he glanced at himself in his mirror briefly. "Shit," he groaned.

As Liam trudged into the kitchen, Karen looked up and asked, "You have everything ready, then?"

"Just don't," Liam mumbled, rubbing his eyes in defeat. "It's gonna suck. He'll come over and I'll be all awkward and we won't get anything done and not only will I fail my assignment, but Niall will think I'm weird and never talk to me ever again." Liam slumped against the bench. "We've barely swapped two sentences face to face."

"How is it you've fallen for him so hard, then?" Karen asked curiously.

Liam groaned and covered his face with both hands. "Because I'm a sap who has no idea how to talk to fit guys and goes all gooey inside when he smiles at me. Because he's, like, the happiest, most gorgeous human being to ever grace this earth."

"You really are a hopeless romantic, aren't you?" Karen smiled, pulling her boy into a hug. "Just like your father when we were young."

Liam simply laid his head on his mother's shoulder, closing his eyes and making a small, miserable noise in the back of his throat.

It was at that moment the doorbell rang through the house, making Liam tense in fear.

"Come on, love," Karen encouraged, gently pushing him into the hallway. "Don't leave him waiting." Smiling softly at the apprehensive look on Liam's face, she assured him, "Everything will be fine."

Gulping, Liam headed to the door, wiping his clammy hands on his jeans and blowing out a breath before turning the handle.

"Hey," greeted a blonde boy with a bright smile. He was covered in muddy smears and looked soaked, a sports bag slung over one shoulder.

"H-hi, Niall," Liam breathed out. He stepped back and let Niall into the house.

"Can I use your shower? I'm pretty filthy," Niall chuckled, gesturing to his clothes as he toed off his shoes.

"Uh, yeah. Sure." Liam closed the front door and led Niall upstairs. "Here's the bathroom. I'll just get you a towel," he mumbled, quickly darting away to the linen cupboard. Blowing out a sharp breath, he muttered, "Get a grip," then grabbed a clean towel and carried it back to the bathroom. "Here."

"Thanks," Niall grinned. "Just chuck it on the floor, yeah? I don't wanna touch it…" He held up his muddy hands as explanation.

"Okay." Sitting the towel beside the shower, Liam pointed to the door. "I'll, um… leave you to it. I'll be in my room if you need me. Second on the left." With an awkward nod, Liam left the room and shut the door behind himself. "If you need me?" he hissed to himself. "He doesn't need help in the shower, you fucktard." Smacking his own forehead, Liam huffed and headed to his bedroom.

xXx

Half an hour later saw Liam jumping a little as his bedroom door was pushed open by Niall, who had his sports bag in one hand and this towel around his shoulders as he dried the water from his ears. "So, what first?" Niall asked, pointing to the plan Liam had set out on the bed in front of him.

"Oh, uh… well, I was thinking- I mean, my main idea is that a person's exterior doesn't always reflect what they're like on the inside. So, um…" Liam had to look away from Niall, who was standing quite comfortably just inside the doorway without a shirt on and sweatpants hanging from his hips loosely. "I was thinking a few shots of the kind of person people see you as, like, the footballer, partier, generally happy person, and then some that kinda show some aspects people don't necessarily know about you."

"Is that really how people see me?" Niall asked interestedly.

"Well, um… that and other things." Liam coughed nervously, chancing a glance up at Niall, who looked thoughtful.

"Hmm… interesting." Clapping his hands together, Niall stated, "Let me chuck a shirt on and I'm pretty well ready." He dug through his sports bag and pulled out a clean shirt. "Let's do this?"

Swallowing, Liam nodded. "Let's do this."

Liam had only been photographing Niall for two minutes before the blonde started up a conversation. "You're a music student, yeah?" he asked.

"Yeah," Liam confirmed with a nod, snapping another photo.

"Photography's just a hobby, then?"

Shrugging, Liam replied, "I like it, yeah."

"Well, what's your main hobby, then?" Niall asked, changing position when Liam gestured for him to do so.

"Um… DJ-ing I guess. Me and my mate Zayn mix our own stuff, then play them at bars and small nightclubs," Liam explained.

"You DJ?" Niall asked, eyes wide with interest. "That's so cool! You have to let me hear one of your mixes, now."

"Um… okay," Liam agreed, a slight smile on his face. "But later."

"Well, we can't very well drop everything in the middle of your project, can we?" Niall laughed.

"You could," Liam shrugged. "It's not your project."

Niall frowned a little. "I said I'd help, I'm not about to leave you hanging with no model," he half-laughed. "I'm not that cruel. I'm a student struggling through Uni, too, y'know."

"We're doing the same course," Liam commented, hiding behind his camera and taking another photo to avoid looking Niall in the eyes.

"Yeah, I know," Niall chuckled. "I'm not taking photography, though."

"Wise move," Liam sighed, checking through his recent shots. He moved to take pictures from a different angle.

"Not fun?" Niall inquired.

"No, it's fun," Liam insisted. "It's just… tough when you have to find a model."

"How come your DJ-ing mate didn't help?" Niall asked with a raised eyebrow.

Liam snorted, rolling his eyes. "Cheeky bastard reckoned it wasn't his thing. He looks like a bloody model, for heaven's sake!"

Laughing, Niall nodded, "Yeah, I know."

"How?" Liam frowned.

"Hey, I see you around the campus," Niall pointed out. "I know the bloke you're talking about. Not personally, but I can put a face to him." Tipping his head from side to side, he supposed, "He's pretty alright-looking."

"I know," Liam sighed, snapping a few more pictures.

"Hang on, do you think you're, like, the ugly best friend or something?" Niall guessed with a knowing look.

"C'mon, compared to him? Course I am," Liam half-laughed.

"Hey, don't put yourself down," Niall ordered, pointing a stern finger at Liam. "You're not so bad yourself."

Liam just rolled his eyes. "And the same to you."

The two of them stared at each other for a moment, then cracked up laughing.

"Why are we arguing about this?" Niall chuckled. "You're clearly attractive."

"Oh, come on," Liam scoffed with an amused look. "When was the last time you looked in the mirror?"

"After getting out of your shower. I'm not really that much to look at," Niall shrugged.

Liam just shook his head. "Don't be stupid," he sighed, bringing his camera up and taking another picture.

xXx

Once the shoot was over, Liam realised he had been laughing and joking with Niall all afternoon. He had all the pictures he needed, so now there was no reason for Niall to stick around anymore.

"Hey, today was fun," Niall nodded as he hooked his sports bag over his shoulder. "If you ever need a model again, I'd be happy to help."

"Thanks," Liam smiled as he walked Niall to the door. "See you later, I guess?"

"Yeah, later." Flashing Liam a grin, Niall jogged down the front steps of Liam's house and hopped into his car before driving off.

Pushing the door shut and leaning against it, Liam sighed heavily.

"So, how did it go?" Karen asked, poking her head around the kitchen door.

"All done," Liam nodded.

Karen realised an eyebrow. "Are you okay, Liam?"

Shrugging one shoulder, Liam sighed, "I guess."

"You guess?" Walking up to her son and holding his face in both hands, she studied his eyes. "You didn't want him to go," she said knowingly.

Huffing out a breath, Liam wrapped his arms around his mother and buried his face in her neck. "No," he mumbled. "I didn't want him to go."

xXx

Liam had to suppress his excitement when he got an A for his project, and even more so when his teacher suggested he continue with model photography. The first thing he did upon leaving his class that day was email Niall about it.

'RE: Photography

To: [email protected]

From: [email protected]

Congrats, that's great! :D you need another model anytime soon? I'd be happy to help :)'

"I'd be happy to come make you blush and titter like a little girl," Zayn mocked Niall's voice as he read over Liam's shoulder. "I'd be happy to come suck your cock."

"Fuck off," Liam muttered shoving his friend away. "You're just jealous I've got more friends than just you."

"I'm wounded," Zayn pouted, hand to his heart.

"So you should be."

"C'mon, you love-sick puppy, we have a gig." Zayn hooked his arm through Liam's and started leading him away from the campus as the brunette tapped out a reply to Niall's email.

'RE: Photography

To: [email protected]

From: [email protected]

Thanks :) My teacher says I should stick with model photography, so I'll need one sometime next week. You up for it?'

"You up for letting me drool all over you while I picture ripping all your clothes off?" Zayn smirked, earning an elbow hard in his ribs.

Liam didn't let Zayn see the 'You bet your arse!' Niall sent in response.

xXx

It was a few shoots later that Liam ended up on the floor of his den in stitches with Niall right beside him. After a series of small disasters, the whole shoot had gone horribly wrong, and they had both reached the point of simply giving up and laughing about it.

"Whatever, screw the shoot," Liam sighed, chuckling a few times.

"Well, we did just spend the better part of two hours fighting with cameras and lights and props," Niall laughed. "I think it's at least time for a break." He sat himself up and ran a hand through his hair. "How's a cuppa sound?"

Liam just gazed up at Niall for a moment, then shook himself. "A cuppa sounds like heaven."

"Right, I'll be back in a sec." Niall headed for the door that led to the stairs up to the rest of Liam's house.

"Hey, shouldn't I be catering for you?" Liam chuckled. "It's my house."

Shrugging one shoulder, Niall pointed out, "I'm over here often enough, I know where I'm going."

Liam considered that point while Niall was upstairs, looking up as the blonde returned with two mugs of tea. "You're over here a lot, really," he commented as he accepted his mug.

"You always seem to need more photos," Niall chuckled, taking a sip of his drink and humming contentedly at the taste.

"Yeah…" Liam reached over and grabbed his camera, snapping a quick picture of Niall staring into space with his hands wrapped around his mug. When he received a startled look, he stated, "I think I can work with this," showing the blonde the photo.

"Hey, I like that one," Niall grinned. "Can I grab it off you later? I'll use it as my profile picture."

"On what?" Liam asked.

With a shrug, Niall chuckled, "Everything."

For the next fifteen minutes, Liam took pictures of Niall in various states of relaxation on the floor, many involving his steadily emptying mug of tea.

"Well, after the disaster we started with, I think today's shoot went okay," Niall nodded satisfactorily.

"Yeah, it did," Liam smiled. He suppressed a sigh as Niall grabbed his jacket off the floor and pulled it on. "You off?"

"Yeah, got somewhere to be," Niall explained vaguely, adjusting his collar and checking for his keys and phone.

"Right." Liam stared down at his camera in his hands. "D'you want me to walk you out?" he asked hopefully.

"Nah, I'm good. See you later, Li," Niall farewelled, jogging up the stairs with a wave and disappearing from view.

Liam huffed out a long sigh, setting his camera down before burying his face in his hands. "Shit," he breathed out.

xXx

The next shoot was far smoother, but Liam felt antsy the whole time. He sighed when he put his camera on the den coffee table beside him. "That's that."

"Awesome," Niall grinned, just as cheerful as ever.

"Yeah." Shoving his hands in his pockets, Liam asked, "You need to go rushing off again?"

"Actually, I do, yeah," Niall told him regretfully, tugging his arms through the sleeves of his jacket. "Sorry."

"No worries," Liam shrugged, head down.

"See you later, Li," Niall farewelled, patting Liam's shoulder once before leaving the room.

Rubbing his hands down his face, Liam released a heavy sigh. "I'm so screwed," he muttered, collecting up the pens and paper that had been using as props.

"Niall gone again already?" Karen asked as she reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Yeah." Piling up the paper neatly, Liam sighed, "I wish he hadn't."

Karen gave her son a sympathetic smile. "Hang in there, sweetheart."

"'M trying."

Kissing Liam's temple, Karen murmured, "I'll make dinner," and headed off up the stairs.

Liam heaved a sigh and went to pack his camera into its bag when he noticed the folded piece of paper sitting on top of it with 'Liam xx' written on. He frowned slightly, picking the paper up and unfolding it.

'Li,

Do you want to go on a date with me on Friday? I know that's blunt, but seriously. You, me, dinner. Let me know?

Niall xxx'

Blinking in shock at both the words and the mobile number scrawled at the end, Liam felt his jaw drop. "A… date?" He slowly headed upstairs, still staring at the note as he went.

"What've you got there, Li?" Karen asked, ducking around to read over his shoulder. "A date?"

"I… I guess, yeah." Liam looked to his mother in awe.

"Well, you better start organising an outfit," Karen chuckled, ruffling his hair. "This date is tomorrow."

xXx

Liam had felt like his insides were eating him while he prepared himself for the date on Friday. He kept seeing Niall's text in response to his agreement on the date.

'Awesome ! C u tmro then ;)'

And as he answered the door to a stunningly dressed blonde, Liam felt the honest urge to throw up. He farewelled his mother and followed Niall into his car, trying to calm down the nerves chewing on his gut.

But just like he always did, Niall relaxed any tension in Liam with his easy conversation and carefree laughter. It took just minutes for the both of them to settle into the idea of being on a date, and from there they were chatting just the way they always did.

"Y'know, I thought this was gonna be awkward as hell," Liam admitted as Niall drove him home, "but it was really nice."

"Why would it be awkward?" Niall asked. "We've been flirting for weeks, Li, it's not like we had to change anything," he chuckled.

"We were?"

Niall laughed a bit. "Well, I was. I guess you didn't realise you were flirting back. But either way, you did a damn good job of luring me in."

"I… really?"

"Yeah, really." Niall parked his car outside Liam's house, pulling the handbrake on and turning to face him. "Thanks for doing this with me, Li." He reached over and grasped Liam's hand. "Really helped me settle a few things in my head.

"Yeah, me too," Liam nodded, squeezing his hand back. "Um… do you have anywhere to be?"

"No…?" Niall frowned a little on confusion. "No one'll notice if I'm back late."

Tugging lightly on Niall's hand, Liam suggested, "Come in. We can hang out more."

"Don't wanna let it go just yet?" Niall asked with a slight smile.

"Yeah… don't really want the date to end yet." Liam gestured to the house with his head.

"Yeah, alright," Niall nodded. They hopped out and Liam led Niall into the house, then up the stairs to his bedroom. "Well, that was forward."

Liam sent Niall a mocking scowl. "I'm not suggesting anything, thank you."

"Nothing?" Niall asked with a pout, sitting himself on Liam's bed. "Not even a quick snog?"

"Well, depends if you're offering," Liam half-laughed, dropping his keys and wallet on his desk.

"Do you want a more direct offer?"

Turning to look at Niall, Liam asked, "Serious?"

"Yeah," Niall laughed, standing and heading over to Liam. "Deadly serious." He brought his hands up to hold Liam's face. "Can I?"

Liam felt his heart thunk hard against his ribcage, but curled one arm around Niall's waist and rested his other hand in the nape of his neck before pulling him in and kissing him. He felt Niall sigh against his lips, bringing him in close with the arm around his waist.

It was only a short while they spent just kissing each other's lips, but when Niall's pulled back, he was already breathless. "Well, that was a lot less one-sided that I was expecting." He gave Liam a slight smile. "Was pretty great." He stole a short kiss, bumping his nose lightly against Liam's.

"Hope you're 'right to get used to it," Liam mumbled, pressing his lips against Niall's and licking along the seam of his mouth.

"Definitely."

xXx

When Liam stepped out of his next photography class, he felt his face split into a grin at the blonde waiting outside for him. "Afternoon, Mr Horan," he murmured, pressing a kiss to the blonde's lips.

"Same to you, Mr Payne," Niall mumbled back, pecking Liam's lips twice before pulling away and grabbing his hand. "Ready?" he asked, bouncing the football he was holding.

Showing Niall the camera around his neck, Liam nodded, "Ready."

"Great," Niall beamed, tugging on Liam's hand and prompting him to start walking. "Practice starts in ten."

And so that's what Zayn saw as he headed home that afternoon; his best friend finally walking through the halls hand in hand with the boy he'd been drooling over for more than a year. "Finally," Zayn breathed out in relief, heading home with a slight spring in his step and a smile on his face.

[directionerplusgleek]

Autumn Leaves

Prompt: One-shot based on this post

xXx

"Mummy, when do the colours come?" Liam asked his mother as they walked hand in hand down the leave-littered street.

Karen smiled down at her little boy toddling along beside her. "When you're older, sweetie."

Looking up at her, Liam asked, "Is autumn pretty with colours?"

"Autumn is very pretty with colours," Karen chuckled. "You'll see."

Liam sighed as he watched the leaves falling from the trees in his local park. He could still remember asking his mother all those years ago about their colours. "Is autumn pretty?" he asked himself quietly.

"It is," Liam's friend Harry spoke up beside him.

"I wish I had more than just your word for it," Liam laughed humourlessly, looking to his friend.

Patting Liam's shoulder sympathetically, Harry assured him, "You'll find your soul mate, Li. And when you do, you'll get to see for yourself how pretty autumn is."

"But when?" Liam sighed, burying his hands deeper in the pockets of his coat.

"Soon."

Liam snorted. "You said that last autumn. And the autumn before that."

Wrapping his arm around Liam's shoulders, Harry told him, "You'll find them. Promise."

The sound of footsteps on the gravel path approached them, both looking up to see a man with dark hair and eyes smiling at them. "That's my soul mate, Payne," the man warned with a teasing note as he lightly tugged Harry to his feet. "Find your own." He seemed to realise his words were poorly timed when Liam dropped his eyes to his lap.

"Not a good day for that, babe," Harry whispered in his ear.

The man bit his lip. "Autumn," he sighed quietly.

"Yeah," Harry nodded.

Liam huffed out a breath and pushed himself to his feet. "Well, how was work, Zayn?" he asked conversationally, obviously trying to change the subject.

"Could've been worse," Zayn shrugged, wrapping his arm around Harry's waist as the three of them started walking casually along the path. "There's a new guy started, no clue what he's doing, which is kinda funny to watch."

"You're supposed to help him learn," Liam pointed out.

"It's almost too funny to want to," Zayn snickered, earning a gentle elbow in his ribs from Harry.

"You'll have to introduce us to him," Harry spoke up. He gave Zayn a meaningful glance to Liam.

Unfortunately, Liam noticed the glance. "Haz, it's so unlikely that-"

"He doesn't finish 'til six," Zayn cut in. "We could go back and I can introduce you." He turned himself and Harry around and started back the way they had come from.

"But…" Liam huffed out a sigh and hurried after his friends. "Haz, not all of us are gonna have the coffee-shop love story like you two," he muttered.

"But you might," Harry grinned.

Liam forced himself not to think on the idea that maybe Harry was right. He didn't want to get his hopes up over something like this, but it was difficult when his best friend was so excited about it.

"What's he like?" Harry asked as they stepped through the park gates and started down the street.

"He's got some really pretty blue eyes," Zayn noted. "Nothing like the lovely green that took my breath away as my first ever colour," he smiled, kissing Harry's cheek, "but they're pretty."

"Nice save, Malik," Harry smirked, bumping Zayn with his hip.

Following Harry and Zayn into a shop on the corner of the street with a sign reading 'Coffee'd Corner' over the door, Liam held his breath. 'Maybe this is it,' he thought to himself.

"Zayn," smiled a slightly flustered-looking young man behind the counter. "Back again?"

"It's not uncommon," Zayn chuckled. He squeezed Harry's hip, tugging him a little closer to his side. "This's my boyfriend Harry," he explained.

"Oh, your soul mate," the man smiled, holding his hand out for Harry. "I'm Louis."

"Nice to meet you, Louis," Harry nodded politely, shaking Louis' hand.

"Zayn says you have some lovely green eyes, but I can't tell," Louis laughed. "Wouldn't stop going on about them once he started.

Zayn blushed, which Louis couldn't see. "He means a lot to me," Zayn mumbled with a small shrug. He reached behind him and grabbed Liam's arm, pulling him forwards. "This's our mate, Liam."

"Hi, Liam," Louis greeted cheerfully.

The awful sinking feeling in Liam's stomach was difficult to hide on his face, but he succeeded. "Hi." He looked at Louis' eyes. Blue, Zayn had said. But all Liam could see was a dull grey.

"Can I get you guys anything?" Louis asked.

Zayn placed their orders and led Harry off to a table to wait, Liam just sighing and wandering after them. He slumped down in the booth opposite his friends.

"Guess not, huh?" Harry asked a little sadly.

Liam just shook his head.

Reaching across the table, Harry patted Liam's hands, which were clasped on the table. "You'll-"

"I know, Harry," Liam snapped. He sighed heavily and buried his face in his hands. "You keep building my hopes up, Haz, and it's not fair."

"I'm just trying to help," Harry said hopelessly, gazing sadly at his friend.

"I know." Liam dropped his forehead to the table top, breathing out another sigh.

Harry ruffled Liam's hair, then looked up at Zayn. "I just wish he wasn't sad," he mouthed.

Nodding in agreement, Zayn kissed Harry's forehead.

"Here's your drinks, fellas," Louis spoke up from beside the table, setting their coffees down and giving Liam a worried look. "Is he okay?" he whispered to Zayn.

"Tough day," Zayn replied, glancing up at Louis apologetically.

The shop door opened and Louis headed back to the counter.

Lifting his head from the table, Liam grabbed his coffee and stood up. "I'm gonna go home, guys," he mumbled. He scooted past Louis, who was bringing someone over to their table.

"Hey, this's…" Louis trailed off as Liam made his swift departure. He looked to Zayn and Harry, who shook their heads. "Well, anyway, this's Niall."

Niall had been gazing around at the walls and ceiling, suddenly bringing his attention to the people in front of his. "Oh, hi," he grinned, giving Harry and Zayn a wave.

"Hey," Zayn smiled. Harry was distracted by Liam's sudden exit, making to stand and follow him, but Zayn squeezed his arm. "Leave him be, Haz."

"Alright," Harry sighed. He gave Niall a smile. "Hello."

Another person entered the shop, beginning an evaluation of the various cakes and slices on display.

"You guys get to know each other," Louis suggested, pushing Niall into the booth. "I've got work to do."

 xXx

Liam was kneeling in the fallen leaves out the front of his and Harry's work, waiting for his friend to finish up. He picked one of the leave up from the wet, snowy grass, turning it over a few times in his hands. "What colour are you?" he asked it.

"It's brown," Harry told him as he stepped out of their office building. Shrugging, he added, "It's a pretty boring colour."

"Any colour would be better than grey," Liam sighed, staring down at the leaf before standing up and letting it twirl its way to the ground.

"I know," Harry smiled sympathetically. He looped his arm through Liam's and the started towards the park where they always met up with Zayn.

"You and Zayn've been kinda scarce recently," Liam noted. "Not coming and crashing my place to watch movies and stuff."

Harry chuckled at that. "Yeah, we've been going out. Louis' mate's a real partier, and drinks like a fish."

"You're ditching me?" Liam asked, pouting. "Because that would just be-"

Harry cut Liam off by freezing, eyes wide. "No…"

"Harry… what's wrong?" Liam asked carefully.

"Everything's black and white," Harry whispered. He suddenly started running, Liam hurrying after him. They bolted through the park, Liam stumbling as they rounded the corner that led to 'Coffee'd Corner'. "Zayn!" Harry screamed, shoving his way through the people gathered around a car stopped in the middle of the road.

Liam stopped and stared, dread seeping into his stomach. "God, no…" He took off after Harry, scrambling through the crowd to find Harry sitting with Zayn's head in his lap, a shaky hand stroking his cheek.

"Zayn? Zayn, wake up, babe," Harry whispered, sounding broken. "Please…"

Paramedics were suddenly rushing over, trying to encourage Harry to let go so they could help. Heading over to his friend, Liam gently pulled Harry's hands away from Zayn. He ignored Harry yelling and screaming at him, pulling him back a few steps and hugging him tightly. "Hold on, Harry," he murmured, struggling to keep his friend still. "Harry."

After a minute, Harry just broke down and cried into Liam's shoulder, arms so tight around Liam's neck that it hurt. It took a few more minutes before he opened his eyes to look over at Zayn, but he fisted Liam's coat before he could turn. "Colour," Harry whispered, spinning around to see the paramedics with an oxygen mask over Zayn's mouth and fingers checking his pulse. He pulled away from Liam and knelt beside his boyfriend. "Zayn?"

Zayn's head moved ever so slightly, eyelids fluttering but not enough to open.

"Hey, now, don't try to move," one of the paramedics instructed gently. "You're alright, Zayn."

Leaning down to kiss Zayn's forehead, Harry whispered, "I'm here, Zayn." He clasped Zayn's hand in both of his own. "I'm right here."

Liam watched as Zayn was carried into an ambulance, Harry going with him. He sat heavily on the front steps of 'Coffee'd Corner' as the crowd dispersed. Hearing someone sit down beside him, Liam turned to see Louis.

"Well, that was terrifying," Louis breathed out shakily.

"Tell me about it," Liam half-laughed, running a hand through his hair. "Me and Haz had just left work and he suddenly said, 'Everything's black and white'."

Shaking his head, Louis burying his face in his hands. "Jesus."

The two sat in an understanding silence for a while, the street reverting back to its regularity. "I better head home," Liam sighed, standing and brushing the seat of his pants. "You'll be alright?"

"Yeah, I'll be good," Louis sighed. He held his hand out to Liam, who shook it firmly before they parted ways.

"Hey, Lou," Niall beamed as he bounced over to him. "Who were you talking to?" He noticed that his friend didn't seem quite as bright as usual. "What's happened?"

"Zayn got hit by a car," Louis explained, Niall's face dropping. "He's alright," Louis added quickly. "He… he died for a moment, but he's fine now. Poor Harry was hysterical."

"'M not surprised," Niall muttered, following Louis into the shop. "Who was that just now?"

"Harry's workmate," Louis replied. "They've been best friends since high school, apparently."

Niall just nodded. "Right, do you need a hand? You look kinda shaken up."

"I'll be fine. Besides, I can't see you being much help," Louis smirked, earning a smack.

 xXx

It was a warm spring morning that Harry suggested a picnic lunch in the park. He had practically dragged Liam out of his flat to come along, grinning from ear to ear when Liam gave in and allowed him to pulling him with no resistance. When Harry and Liam reached the park, Zayn had already set up the picnic blanket on the grass.

Harry beamed and bounded over to Zayn, bundling himself into his boyfriend's lap and knocking him onto his back. Liam felt a small twinge as he watched them gazing at each other, whispering their 'I love you's and sharing a short kiss. He was happy for them, he really was, but four years of watching them cuddling and just generally being in love was tugging at his heart in a way he didn't like.

"You okay, Li?" Harry asked cautiously.

Noticing he was still standing, Liam shook himself and sat down. "Yeah, sorry."

Harry bit his lip. "Are we-?"

"It's fine, Haz," Liam insisted. "I don't have any right to stop you. You're happy, that's what's important."

"Li, if you want us to be more subtle, you only have to say it," Zayn told him gently.

But Liam shook his head. "Life's too short for you to be wasting your time together protecting my feelings," he half-laughed.

Harry sat up and observed his friend for a moment. "It bothers you more now." Liam was about to protest, but Harry cut him off. "It's not a conscious thing. I've noticed it before, Li. The last few months, it's bothered you more that… well, y'know."

"I know," Liam sighed. "I dunno why, though. It never used to bother me at all."

"Afternoon," Louis greeted brightly as he flopped down on the picnic blanket beside them, the previous conversation evaporating.

"Hey, Lou," Zayn smiled.

"No Niall?" Harry frowned.

"Nah, he doesn't finish work 'til two. He'll be over later, though."

"Uh…" Liam looked around at the other three in some confusion. "Who's Niall?"

Harry gave him a strange look. "How can you…? My god, you've never met Niall!" Harry realised, laughing. "Man, how've you managed that?"

"Niall's Louis' mate," Zayn clarified for Liam. "Me and Haz've been hanging out with him sometimes."

"And you didn't invite me?" Liam asked, looking a little hurt.

"Niall's the mate we go partying with," Harry told Liam.

"Ah." Liam nodded in understanding.

Louis raised an eyebrow at Liam. "Not a partier?" he asked Liam.

Shaking his head, Liam supposed, "Being born with a dysfunctional kidney has kinda driven me away from the whole idea of drinking and such. I guess I just never really got into partying."

"Whoa." With a snort, Louis laughed, "You and Niall would not get on."

Zayn opened up the picnic basket he had brought, setting some food out between them. "I guess we'll see when he gets here."

The four of them ate and laughed for an hour or so before Liam's mobile started ringing. "Hello?" he answered it, phone against his ear as he batted Harry's hand away from it. "Oh, hi, Mum."

"Put some pants on, Liam!" Harry called towards the phone.

Liam smacked Harry upside the head. "Shut up, Harry."

"Put it away!" Louis joined in.

"Ugh, screw you all!" Liam exclaimed, standing up and blocking his ear that wasn't straining to hear his phone. "Sorry, Mum." He listened to her for a moment before sighing. "Yeah, I can be home in ten." Pause. "Alright, see you soon." Pause. "Love you, too." Hanging up and slipping his phone into his pocket, Liam stated, "You lot suck." He picked up his jacket and checked to make sure he had all his things.

"Where're you going?" Harry pouted.

"Mum drove over to surprise me with a visit," Liam sighed. "I'll see you guys later," he farewelled, heading off towards his home.

Not a minute later, the three left were joined by a bright smile. "Hey, sorry I'm late," Niall grinned.

"My god, are you always happy?" Harry laughed.

"And you've just missed Liam," Zayn stated in disbelief. "Again."

"Who's Liam?" Niall asked, grabbing a handful of chips from the bag on the blanket.

"My best friend who you magically keep missing," Harry informed him, tangling his fingers with Zayn's.

Niall frowned in confusion, munching on his chips. "What best friend? I'm hurt, Haz."

"I've known Liam way longer than you, Ni, sorry," Harry chuckled.

"I swear you two must've met," Louis muttered, shaking his head as he thought back over the past nearly six months. "Like, surely you met on my first day of work?"

"No, Li bolted before Niall got there," Harry reminded him, shaking his head.

"Huh." Louis shrugged and dismissed it. "Hey, probably a good thing, right?"

"Why?" Niall asked, shoving more food in his mouth.

"Liam doesn't party," Harry explained, laughing as Niall's mouth dropped open and half-chewed sandwich fell onto the picnic blanket.

Quickly swallowing what was left in his mouth, Niall asked incredulously, "How can you not party?"

"Long story," Zayn chuckled as he stroked his fingers through Harry's hair.

"Jesus, sick in the mud or what," Niall half-laughed, shaking his head and reaching for another handful of chips.

 xXx

"C'mon, Liam, please?" Harry nagged, following Liam around his flat as he tidied up. "It's your twenty-fourth birthday, you've gotta have some sort of party."

"'Party' for you means 'piss up'," Liam pointed out, putting away an armload of clean T-shirts. "Besides, who says I want to do anything for my birthday?"

"Liiiiiiiiiiiaaaam," Harry whined, trailing after him as he headed towards the living room.

"Maybe I want a quiet day to myself for my birthday," Liam pointed out as he pushed his empty washing basket into the laundry and shut the door.

Harry huffed and slumped down on the couch next to Zayn. "But what if we wanna hang out with you on your birthday?" he pouted.

"What if I don't want your company?" Liam shot back teasingly.

"Hey!"

Zayn laughed at them, pulling Harry in to his side. "You do know that we'll end up over here whether you want us or not, right?" he asked Liam.

"Yes," Liam sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Great!" Harry beamed.

Liam pointed a warning finger at his friend. "No alcohol," he stated firmly.

About to protest but deciding against it, Harry shrugged. "Fine."

 xXx

On the morning of his birthday, Liam found himself being woken up by a sudden weight landing on top of him. He groaned in complaint, shoving at the weight, but it didn't seem to achieve him much.

"Happy birthday, Liam!"

"Harry, fuck off," Liam whined, trying to pull the covers up over his head to no avail.

"C'mon, Li, get up!"

"Let me fucking sleep, arse hole." Liam shoved at harry again and rolled over to hide his face in his pillow.

There was a laugh from the doorway, then the weight disappeared from on top of him. "Let him sleep more, babe," Zayn chuckled, tugging Harry away. "He only ever swear that much when he's tired."

"Fine," Harry sighed exasperatedly.

Liam grumbled as he heard their footsteps retreat, falling asleep again quickly.

He woke again what felt like hours later, but turned out to have only been forty minutes. Sitting up and rubbing his eyes, the smell of bacon reached his nose, making him hum.

'Okay, maybe my friends aren't that bad,' Liam decided, dragging himself out of bed and pulling a pair of sweatpants on. He yawned as he shuffled down the hallway and into his kitchen. "Okay, Haz, I forgive you for-"

The person at his stove jumped in surprise and spun around, making Liam jump in turn. They both made a loud exclamation and covered their eyes. "Jesus Christ," the other person muttered.

Liam slowly uncovered his eyes, blinking to help them adjust. Everything was too vibrant and too bright and-

"Colour!" Liam blurted out, eyes widening. No one had ever been able to describe colour for him before, but he assumed that's what he could see currently. There was no more grey, instead replaced by colours Liam had no idea what to call.

"Colour…"

Liam finally looked at the person in his kitchen again, feeling his heart leap. "Uh… hi," he breathed out.

"Um…" The young man looked surprised and completely unsure of what to do. The sudden sound of bacon sizzling and popping drew his attention and he quickly moved the frying pan from the heat, turning off the hotplate before returning his attention to Liam. "Hi, um… I'm in your kitchen."

"Yeah, you are," Liam nodded dumbly, because 'What else am I supposed to do?'

The man put down the spatula he had been holding, wiping his hands on his jeans. "Fuck, this is awkward."

"Yeah… I don't normally find strangers in my kitchen that suddenly light my world up with colour." Liam cringed at how cheesy that sounded. "That was-"

"Accurate," the man interrupted. He cleared his throat. "I'm Niall," he introduced, holding his hand out for Liam.

"Liam," he replied, grasping Niall's hand, which felt clammy. "So…" He scrambled for something to say. "This's a birthday present I wasn't expecting."

Niall laughed a bit. "Yeah." He gestured to the stove. "Um… Harry got me to cook bacon for you. Says he's a shit cook."

"He is," Liam agreed, making Niall laugh a bit more. The sound earned a dizzy fluttering from his heart. "Um… we're still…" He looked to their still clasped hands.

"Oh." They retracted their hands, Niall giggling awkwardly as he wiped his palms on his jeans again. He very deliberately kept his eyes down, which made Liam a bit nervous.

"Is… something wrong?" Liam asked. He felt a sudden panic that maybe Niall was disappointed.

Shaking his head quickly, Niall blurted out, "No! No, no, just…" He scratched the back of his neck, eyes down again. "Just you're not… wearing a shirt…" He blushed deeply. "'S a bit distracting," he mumbled.

Liam self-consciously crossed his arms over his chest. "Um… so, where did the others go?"

"Oh, Harry and Zayn went out to get some things… They'll probably be back soon."

Biting his lip, Liam closed the door to the kitchen. "Don't really want them interrupting," he half-laughed, clearing his throat after. "Yeah…"

Niall looked like he wanted to step closer, but instead awkwardly leaned his hip against the bench. He had one arm hugging his middle and the other hand behind his neck, lower lip between his teeth.

'One of us has to do something.' Liam thought to himself, taking a deep breath. 'Someone has to make the first move.' He took a step forward, carefully judging Niall's reaction. When he only seemed to tense and relax, Liam moved to stand in front of him.

"Um…" Niall shifted his weight to his other foot, bringing his hand down from behind his neck. Liam bravely stopped Niall's hand and slotted their fingers together. They met each other's eyes and laughed quietly, Niall blushing madly. "So, uh…" Slowing bringing his free hand up to rest on Liam's bare shoulder, Niall mumbled, "I dunno what I'm doing."

"Me neither," Liam admitted. "S'all a bit overwhelming."

"Yeah," Niall laughed once.

Liam knew what he could do. Pull Niall closer, take control, kiss him. But even knowing that Niall was his soul mate, Liam still felt that nagging fear of rejection holding him back. "For God's sake," Liam breathed out, laughing at himself more in annoyance than amusement.

"This'd be so much earlier with a shot or two under me belt," Niall muttered.

Liam frowned a little. "You need alcohol to-"

"No!" Niall's eyes widened in shock. "No… oh, fuck, why do I always-?"

Before Niall could finish, Liam cut him off by quickly pressing their lips together. It was just a short, chaste peck, but it effectively shut Niall up. "Sorry," Liam whispered. "Just didn't want you to feel like you'd messed anything up."

Breathing out a short laugh, Niall nodded. "Thank you." He bit his lip, then asked quietly, "Could you… do it again?"

"If you want-"

"Yes."

Liam smiled and ducked his head a little, nudging Niall's cheek with his nose so he would tilt his head up before carefully fitting their lips together. There were a few seconds of no movement, then Liam slowly pulled Niall's lower lip between his own. The action injected a little more confidence into the kiss, both moving a little tentatively. When they separated, their faces stayed close. "Well, this's a pretty great birthday present," Liam chuckled.

A grin worked its way up Niall's face as he leaned in and met Liam's lips again. His hand slid to the back of Liam's neck, Niall standing up on his toes a bit to press them closer. He hummed a little, then felt Liam's tongue against his lip before opening his mouth and allowing him in.

Wrapping both arms around Niall's middle, Liam pulled him closer still, sighing as the smaller man started sucking lightly on his tongue. Niall's arms came around his neck, their lips working together both experimentally and confidently.

The sound of the front door opening and closing caused them to break their kiss earlier than they would have liked. Niall made a small sound of complaint, pouting slightly. With a smirk, Liam backed up a few steps, bringing Niall with him until they were leaning against the door. "Now they can't interrupt," Liam whispered, earning a cheeky smile from Niall before they were kissing again.

"I s'pose we should go talk to them," Niall sighed as they pulled back again. "At least to tell them they were wrong."

"About what?" Liam asked.

"They thought we'd hate each other," Niall chuckled. "'Cause I love a good party and lots to drink, and you prefer to stay in."

Liam raised an eyebrow at him. "Okay, my friends talk about me way too much."

Laughing a little, Niall looked up at Liam and sighed. "Colour," he whispered, smiling.

"Colour," Liam agreed, kissing Niall's forehead. "Did we get into all this too quickly?" he asked, gesturing to their position.

"Don't think so. One of the blokes I work with says as soon as him and his soul mate met, they were tearing each other's clothes off."

"Well, I don't really have that much on that you can take off," Liam half-laughed.

Niall nodded, his eyes flicking down to Liam's bare chest and a hand sliding down to rest over his heart. He suddenly blushed, glancing up at Liam in embarrassment.

"You're not half cute when you blush," Liam murmured, pulling Niall into a proper hug.

Taking a moment to snuggle into Liam's warmth, Niall mumbled, "We should go tell them."

Untangling themselves, the two headed from the kitchen down to the living room, where Harry and Zayn were setting out bowls of chips. "There you are!" Harry exclaimed. "We went to wake you up, but you weren't in bed."

Liam shrugged. "Was in the kitchen."

Harry seemed to realise that Niall was beside his friend. "Y'mean you haven't killed each other?"

"Harry, I'm not gonna judge a guy for not partying," Niall sighed, rolling his eyes. "Left him all in one piece for you."

"I wouldn't say that," Liam chuckled as he dropped himself onto the couch. "You did take something."

A grin spread across Niall's face and he sat himself in Liam's lap, hoping his blush wasn't too evident. "Guess I did."

"Holy what?" Louis blurted out as he stopped dead in the doorway.

"You mean… you're…" Harry's eyes and grin were so wide Liam thought he was starting to look like a Japanese cartoon character. "Niall's Liam's soul mate!"

"That's just ridiculous," Zayn stated, sitting beside them. "You mean to tell me that it's been nine months and you two had really never met? And then it turns out you're soul mates?" He gave the two of them a shifty look. "I dunno that I believe you."

"What?" Niall asked incredulously, looked affronted.

"No, like, I believe you're soul mates, no way could Liam fake that," Zayn clarified. "But there's no way you hadn't met 'til today."

Shaking his head, Liam told him, "I think the fact that I still can't see properly after nearly being blinded by colours this morning kinda kicks that idea in the head. And my kitchen isn't exactly full of exciting colours."

"Out here's pretty cool, though," Niall noted, gazing around at all the bright new visuals he had been blind to until then.

"Well, it's almost autumn, Li," Harry spoke up, dragging Louis out of the front doorway so he could close the door. "The colours'll be great soon."

Liam's eyes lit up like a child who had been told he could have chocolate for breakfast. "I haven't missed it?"

"No," Harry laughed.

"Why autumn?" Niall asked, looking up at Liam.

"My mum always said autumn was the prettiest time of year, but it always looked really sad to me," Liam explained, wrapping his arms around Niall's middle. "I've always wanted to know how much prettier it looked in colour."

"My birthday's in autumn," Niall hummed, head on Liam's shoulder.

"Bloody hell, soul mates or what?' Louis snickered.

 xXx

Two weeks later, Liam made sure to sneak into Niall's house quietly, leaving his shoes at the front door as he closed it and tip-toed up the stairs to his bedroom. He had to stop in the doorway and admire the adorable bundle of blankets. Staying silent, Liam moved over to the bed and ducked his head to view Niall's sleeping face, then leaned closer and kissed his lips. Niall moved his head closer in his sleep, making Liam smile and kiss him again, longer this time.

"Hm… Liam," Niall mumbled, Liam still unsure whether or not he was awake.

"Morning sleepy-head," Liam cooed, pressing their lips together again and smiling when he felt a press in response. He pulled back to see Niall's eyes fluttering open. "Happy birthday."

Niall made a sleepy noise as he stretched his back, blinking up at Liam. "Mornin'," he yawned. He reached out from under the covers to pull Liam closer, tugging the older man under the blankets with him and curling up against his chest. "Now 'm happy."

Humming a laugh, Liam wrapped his arms around the smaller man and kissing his hair. Harry had been teaching him the names of colours, and Liam had very quickly picked up two in particular; blonde and blue, since he was constantly looking at either one or the other. "Are we going today?" Liam asked.

Niall laughed tiredly, pressing a kiss to Liam's sternum. "Yes, Liam, we're going to the park."

"And Josh isn't gonna steal you away for work?"

"He's not gonna get me in on my birthday, no matter how hard he tries," Niall assured him. "But right now I'm not going anywhere because you're a really good cuddler."

After an hour or so of cuddles, then Liam making Niall breakfast, the two got themselves ready to head outside. Niall kept laughing at Liam, who looked like he would burst if they didn't leave soon.

"'M nearly ready," Niall assured him as he zipped his jacket up. "Keep your hair on." He laughed again as Liam practically chased him out the door.

Liam was gazing around them the whole way to the park, hardly noticing that Niall had stopped to sit down on the bench he and Harry always waited for Zayn on. "The leaves are so pretty," Liam murmured, sitting beside Niall and clasping his hand.

"They are," Niall agreed. He watched Liam's fascination with an adoring smile, resting his chin on his soul mate's shoulder and gaining his attention. "Guess I was just in time, huh?"

"You were," Liam smiled, leaning in and kissing Niall softly. They leaned their foreheads together, grinning at one another.

When Niall felt something land on his hair, he pulled back a little, earning a laugh for Liam. Picking up the orange leaf that had settled itself in Niall's hair, Liam tucked it gently behind the blonde's ear. "You're such a dork," Niall beamed at him.

Liam's mobile buzzed in his pocket, prompting him to retrieve it and read the message.

'So, how's autumn? – Mum'

Liam pulled Niall closer and took a photo of them cuddled together on the bench.

'Couldn't be better – Liam'

[1jade]

Happy birthday! hope you have a nice day :> xx

thank u!!!

[huggedhemmo]

n and f

nutella-luke

namelessyet

narrystruck

neymr

nialuke

fetuscliffxrd

fallenfor5sos

falloutbats

fknband

fuckyeahprettylittleliar

Give me a letter and i’ll tell you my 5 favourite blogs starting with that letter.

[directionerplusgleek]

*whispers seductively* yellow

*winks* keep in on the down-low xx

[directionerplusgleek]

Coach

One-shot based on Niall's charity match. China, I'm so sorry this took so long :/

xXx

"I can't believe this is actually happening," Niall whispered to himself as he watched his team organising themselves for the game. Louis, Harry, and Liam were all chatting away to the others on the team, hyping themselves up for the next few hours.

"You 'right there, Ni?" Olly asked as he sidled up beside the blonde.

Laughing, Olly nodded his head. "Yeah, you're captaining a team with Ronan Keating and James Cordon on it. How fucking cool?"

Niall nodded along, gazing around at his team. "I also get to watch Liam's arse the whole time," he smirked.

"You cheeky little shit," Olly smirked.

"Hey, I have full rights to stare," Niall stated, pointing a finger at Olly.

"Just don't get him and Ronan mixed up. That could be awkward."

Niall cracked up laughing, earning the attention of the rest of the team. He clutched his stomach, leaning against Olly's shoulder and making the man laugh at him. "Let me know if I get confused," Niall cackled, tears gathering in his eyes.

Shaking their heads, most of the others turned back to their conversations, but Liam headed over to Olly and Niall. "You okay?" he asked, raising an eyebrow with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Yeah," Niall breathed out, wiping his eyes as a few more chuckles escaped him. "Oh, jeez."

"What did you do?" Liam asked Olly with a slight laugh.

"I just said it could be awkward if Ni got you and Ronan mixed up during the game. Y'know, confusing his leering," Olly shrugged, making Niall snort and smother another round of laughter.

Snaking an arm around Niall's waist, Liam told Olly, "I'd be very disappointed if he couldn't tell the difference between me and Ronan Keating. I'm his boyfriend, he'd better be able to tell the difference."

"Oh, I can tell the difference, don't you worry," Niall snickered, patting Liam's bum twice. "Alright, guys, let's head out," he announced to the team.

"Yes, coach," Liam murmured in his ear, leaving Niall slightly stunned as he and the rest of the guys made their way onto the pitch.

Shaking his head at the feeling that flashed through him, Niall blew out a breath and followed his team out.

 xXx

Niall stood on the sidelines while his team warmed up, watching them joking around as they stretched. "Hey, babe," he heard from behind him, then felt hands on his shoulders.

"Li, what're you doing?" Niall chuckled, glancing over his shoulder at Liam.

"Stretching," Liam shrugged innocently, using Niall's shoulders to balance himself while he stood on one foot to stretch his legs.

"Right," Niall nodded, looking back to the other guys running around already.

Switching feet, Liam asked, "Don't you believe me?"

"Should I?" Niall laughed, looking back at him again.

"Niall," Liam gasped, mock offended. "Would I lie to you?"

Snorting, Niall nodded, "Yes."

Liam stood on both feet again, sliding his hands to Niall's hips. "You ready to watch us win this for you?" he asked, trying to keep a respectable distance between them; there were fans around, after all.

"You're gonna win it for me?" Niall asked cutely, shooting an adorable look over his shoulder.

"You bet, coach," Liam grinned. He patted Niall's hip before jogging off to where the others were gathering. Again left slightly breathless, Niall inhaled deeply and strode over to his team.

 xXx

By half-time, Niall had worked out what Liam was doing. Every time he scored a goal or made a particularly successful pass, Liam would run over to Niall and hug him, whispering a quick, "How'm I doing, coach?" before smirking and running off again.

As everyone ran to the sidelines to grab a drink, Niall waited for Liam to reach him before grabbing his arm. "I want a word with you."

"Not doing well enough, coach?" Liam asked cheekily.

"You're doing really well," Niall corrected. Leaning closer to his ear, he whispered, "So good, in fact, that I think you'll deserve a reward later."

"Oh, I meant how well I was playing the game, but getting you all hot and bothered is always a bonus," Liam snickered, quickly squeezing Niall's hip before heading over to grab a drink.

Niall threw a dirty look at the back of Liam's head, but had to roll his eyes fondly when he shot him a wink.

 xXx

When the game finally finished and most of his team had showered and were slowly leaving, Niall pulled his jacket off and ran a hand through his damp hair. The game had been great and he was really proud of everyone's effort, but right now he was getting cold and he really just wanted to go home. As he headed towards the showers to warm himself up a bit, he felt hands on his shoulder pulling him back.

"Not just yet, coach," Liam whispered in his ear.

Niall's whole body shuddered. "Fuck, Liam," he breathed out.

"I can do that, if you want," Liam smirked, kissing Niall's neck.

"Here?" Niall asked, looking around. The room was empty, bar Louis and Harry who were busy 'talking about the game' over in the far corner.

"Is there a problem with here, coach?"

Groaning quietly, Niall shook his head. "H-here's fine."

Liam half-dragged the blonde around the corner to the showers, pressing his back up against the wall and kissing him hard. "You were loving the power out there," he murmured, pulling his shirt over his head and shedding his pants as he turned the water on.

"You were loving that I had power," Niall replied breathlessly.

"Hmm…" Liam tugged his boyfriend's pants off and pulled his naked body against him. "I just liked calling you 'coach'."

Niall shivered. "I liked it when you called me coach."

"Oh, I know," Liam smirked, snaking a hand around to push a wet finger into his boyfriend.

Grabbing Liam's face in both hands, Niall pulled him into a rough kiss, moaning into it as the older boy stretched him out to take three fingers. The next thing he knew, Liam had him pressed against the wall again with his legs wrapped around the older boy's hips. "Fuck, Liam," Niall groaned as his boyfriend pushed into him, dropping his head back against the wall.

"How'm I doing, coach?" Liam whispered in the blonde's ear.

Niall closed his eyes and tried to suppress a loud moan. "Move, Li," he panted.

"Yes, coach." Liam did as he was told, making Niall arch his back off the wall.

"Shit," Niall gasped, gripping Liam's shoulders as the older boy thrust his hips hard and fast. "Fuck, fuck, Liam…"

"That good, coach?" Liam breathed against Niall's lips.

"So good…" Niall was silenced by Liam's mouth as it claimed his own, both of them panting through their noses. "God," Niall moaned into their kiss.

Wrapping one arm around Niall's back, Liam used his free hand to stroke his boyfriend's cock between them. "Come on, coach," he breathed heavily.

"Hnnhg…" Niall came with a grunt, eyelids fluttering and mouth open. "Yes…"

Following his boyfriend into his orgasm, Liam leaned them against the wall, biting into Niall's lower lip to keep quiet. "Fuck…" he breathed out, closing his eyes and leaning his forehead against Niall's. "That good, coach?"

Niall gave a tired laugh. "Fucking fantastic," he chuckled, pecking Liam's lips.

A movement in the corner of their eyes caught their attention, the two of them looking to see Louis standing next to the shower with his hand over his eyes. "I don't have to see you to know what you were up to. Please hurry up because Paddy and Baz are getting impatient." Without moving his hand, Louis turned around and headed back around the corner. His departure was shortly followed by a loud, "Ow! Motherfucker!"

Both laughing, Niall and Liam shared another quick kiss and separated, the blonde taking a moment to balance himself on his feet again. "We better clean up," Niall chuckled, gesturing to the mess on his stomach.

Helping his boyfriend wash off, Liam smirked, "Yes, coach."