One direction/ 5 seconds of summer one-shots

Burden & Apologizes- Liam

The reunion of One Direction had been a long time coming. After years of solo careers, the boys had finally agreed to come back together, much to the delight of their millions of fans. The excitement was palpable, but beneath the surface, unresolved tensions simmered, particularly for Liam Payne.

From the beginning, Liam had been the de facto leader of the band, often bearing the brunt of management's harsh expectations and frustrations. While his bandmates—Harry, Niall, Louis, and Zayn—had their own struggles, it seemed to Liam that his pain and sacrifices were never truly acknowledged. Instead, he was seen as the strong one, the responsible one, the one who always kept things together.

The years of pressure had taken their toll. Liam had turned to alcohol to cope, leading to several public controversies. His appearance on the Logan Paul podcast had been a low point, where he made disparaging remarks about his bandmates, it all came from a deep place of hurt and invalidation, but it didn't make a difference to the fallout. 

These comments had hurt the other members deeply, and the fallout had left a bitter taste. The fans, too, were unforgiving, often siding with the other boys and dismissing Liam's struggles. While the rest of the band received sympathy and support for their hardships, Liam was seen as the villain.

As rehearsals for their reunion tour began, the tension was unavoidable. The atmosphere was charged, with unresolved issues hanging in the air. One evening, after a particularly grueling practice session, the dam finally broke.

"Liam, we need to talk," Harry said, his voice steady but firm. The other members nodded in agreement, their expressions a mix of concern and frustration.

Liam sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Alright, let's talk."

Harry took a deep breath. "We can't pretend everything's okay when it's not. You said some pretty awful things about us, and it's been hard to move past that."

Louis nodded, his eyes narrowing slightly. "You made it sound like we were all just dead weight, that we didn't care about the band or each other."

Liam felt a surge of defensiveness. "And what about me? Do you think it was easy being the one who had to hold it all together? Management always came down hardest on me. I was the one they yelled at when things went wrong."

Niall frowned, his voice softer but equally insistent. "We all had our struggles, Liam. But the things you said... it felt like a betrayal."

"Maybe it was," Liam snapped, his frustration boiling over. "But you have no idea what it was like for me. Everyone sympathized with you guys. Everyone understood your pain. But mine? It was always dismissed. I was the bad guy, the one who never got any apologies or recognition for what I went through."

The room fell silent, the weight of Liam's words sinking in. Harry was the first to break the silence. "Liam, we know it wasn't easy for you. We never meant to dismiss your pain. But you never told us how you felt. You just... lashed out."

Liam's shoulders slumped, the anger giving way to exhaustion. "Because I didn't think anyone would care. You all got your apologies, your moments of validation. I never did."

Zayn, who had been quiet until now, spoke up. "Liam, we're sorry. For everything. We should have been there for you more. We should have recognized what you were going through."

The sincerity in Zayn's voice broke through Liam's defenses. He looked around at his bandmates, seeing the regret and empathy in their eyes. "I just... I felt so alone," he admitted, his voice cracking.

Louis stepped forward, placing a hand on Liam's shoulder. "You're not alone, mate. We're a band, a family. We've all made mistakes, but we can get through this together."

Niall nodded, a small smile forming. "We're stronger together. We always have been."

As the group embraced, the tension slowly began to dissipate. The road ahead would be challenging, but for the first time in a long while, Liam felt a glimmer of hope. They were not just a band but a brotherhood, ready to face their past and forge a new future, together.