Glitter & Crimson [COMPLETED]

12

The next morning, Liam was waiting eagerly outside Louis and Zayn's room, practically bouncing on his feet as soon as Zayn stepped out into the hallway. The early morning light cast a soft glow over the hallway, but Liam's excitement made the space buzz with an energy of its own.

"Well?" Liam asked, his grin wide and expectant, looking up at Zayn with barely-contained anticipation.

Zayn raised an eyebrow, smirking at Liam's obvious enthusiasm. "Well, what?"

"You know... the date?" Liam pressed, leaning in conspiratorially, his voice dropping as if he were in on some big, scandalous secret. "How was your night with Louis? In the hotel room?"

Zayn chuckled, crossing his arms as he gave Liam a look of mock suspicion. "Let's just say... it was memorable. Your little 'ambush date night' was pretty elaborate."

Liam's eyes sparkled with satisfaction. "I knew it! Niall and I thought it would be good for you two to get some time alone. Just a break from all the... you know, craziness."

Zayn shook his head, laughing at the absurdity of it all. "You're all ridiculous, you know that?"

"Maybe," Liam admitted with a shrug, his playful grin softening to something more sincere, "but you two looked happier than I've seen in ages. Sometimes we all need a little reminder that there's time for the good stuff, too."

Zayn's gaze drifted down the hall, where Louis was laughing with Niall, his animated gestures highlighting every joke. A small, private smile tugged at Zayn's lips as he watched. The impromptu date had been unexpected, but Liam was right—it had been exactly what they needed: a pause to reconnect without the pressure of fans, managers, or anyone else hovering around.

Zayn gave Liam a grateful nod, clapping him on the shoulder. "Thanks, mate. But just so you know, we didn't need that push as much as you thought. We'd already... talked about our feelings."

Liam's eyes widened with surprise just as Niall joined them, a look of mock horror on his face. "What? You mean you were already... together? And you didn't tell us?" Niall whined, folding his arms and pouting in exaggerated disappointment.

Zayn rolled his eyes, laughing. "Because you're all like a pack of kids—nosy, excitable, and ready to gossip. Can you blame us?"

"Fair enough," Niall admitted, though he couldn't hide the spark of excitement in his eyes. "But now you've got to tell us what's next! Are you gonna clue management in? Or is it still a secret for the fans?"

Before Zayn could answer, Harry strolled over, arching an eyebrow as he took in the scene. "I hate to say it, but Niall's got a point. What's the plan here? Are we done with the whole 'pretend marriage' act?" His tone was casual, but there was genuine curiosity in his gaze.

Zayn looked thoughtful for a moment, his hand finding its way into his pocket as he considered. "It's complicated," he admitted, glancing over at Louis, who was still wrapped up in conversation with Niall, oblivious to their discussion. "We'd love to make it real, but... you know how management is. They want a certain image, and we're not sure if they're ready for this yet."

Liam nodded, his face falling slightly. "Yeah, I get it. But you guys should at least tell them. I mean, you both look happier this way. Maybe they'll see it, too."

Zayn sighed, looking down at the ground as he mulled it over. He wanted nothing more than to tell the world the truth—that the whole "pretend" marriage had become something real, something they cherished. But fame came with its own set of rules, and he knew all too well that management wasn't always keen on breaking them.

"We'll figure it out," Zayn said finally, trying to sound more certain than he felt. "For now, we'll just... keep things as they are."

Niall groaned, feigning impatience. "You two better not keep us waiting too long. We're invested in this romance, you know."

Zayn laughed, glancing down the hall one last time, watching as Louis caught his eye with a knowing smile. He didn't have all the answers, and the road ahead was bound to be rocky, but with Louis by his side, he knew they'd find a way through.

***

Six months had slipped by in a blur since that drunken night when Louis and Zayn's "marriage" had seemed like a hasty cover-up. But somewhere between the press events and the pretend kisses, something real had blossomed, taking root in secret smiles and stolen moments. Louis no longer had to remind himself that this was for show; it wasn't. With Zayn, it was effortless, comforting, and profoundly real.

The band was mid-tour, but tonight they'd carved out time for a fan-focused live stream. Seated in a cozy backstage setup, they were going through fans' memes and posts about them, reacting and laughing, the screen in front of them flickering with images, captions, and creative edits. The five of them leaned close together, reading out comments, and making faces at some of the wild edits.

One post caught them off guard. The caption was simple yet loaded: "What I thought I wanted." Beneath it was a photo of Louis and Harry from their early years, captured in one of their most affectionate moments, leaning close with that unmistakable warmth of friendship—but edited to look more romantic.

The room went silent for a beat. Louis glanced over at Harry, chuckling slightly as if to dispel any awkwardness. Harry grinned, clearly unbothered, but Niall couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, glancing between them with a smirk.

But the post wasn't finished.

"What I really want," the next line read, under a photo of Louis and Zayn on stage, caught in an unguarded moment during their duet of "They Don't Know About Us." Zayn's gaze was soft, his eyes locked on Louis with a tenderness that felt almost too private to share. And Louis, looking back at Zayn with a similar intensity, seemed completely oblivious to the thousands of fans screaming around them. In that captured moment, it was just the two of them.

A flustered silence followed. Louis felt his face heat up, and he could tell Zayn was just as caught off guard by the depth captured in the photo. The rest of the guys were grinning, especially Niall, who had an eye for teasing moments like this.

"So," Niall drawled, "the fans are pretty clear about their ships, yeah?"

Louis chuckled, trying to play it cool. "Yeah, they're relentless," he replied, scratching the back of his head with a shy grin.

Zayn leaned forward, studying the meme with a faint smile. "They don't miss a thing, do they?" he murmured, and Louis caught the faintest hint of warmth in his voice.

"Well," Liam chimed in, trying to keep the conversation going as naturally as possible, "at least they've got good taste in duets. You guys killed it on that song."

Harry leaned closer to the screen, tilting his head with an exaggerated pout. "And here I thought I was the heartthrob," he joked, making everyone laugh and easing some of the tension.

Louis tried to brush it off, but he couldn't deny the truth captured in the fans' post. Being with Zayn wasn't just some act anymore; it was a new chapter, one he'd stepped into with open eyes and an open heart. He shifted a little closer to Zayn, enough that their arms brushed, a quiet, reassuring contact that grounded him in the moment.

The live stream continued, with jokes and banter flowing freely, but the impact of that post lingered with Louis. It was as if the fans had picked up on something he'd barely begun to admit to himself.