Liam:
You loved being on James Corden’s The Late Late Show. Every time you came on, it was a whirlwind of laughter, games, and just overall great vibes. This time, though, things were a little different—you were on the show with Liam to promote the new song you two had collaborated on. It had been an incredible project, and your chemistry both in the studio and on stage had everyone buzzing.
As usual, James was full of surprises. After your interview segment, he grinned mischievously. "So, we thought it’d be fun to throw you two into an escape room challenge! You’ll have 10 minutes to solve the puzzles and get out. Sound good?"
You exchanged a glance with Liam, both of you laughing and agreeing. Liam, ever the gentleman, said, "Alright, let’s do it! Though, fair warning, I’m terrible at these."
What James didn’t mention, though, was that the escape room would involve complete darkness.
As you entered the room, you were initially fine. You and Liam were joking around, trying to figure out the clues when suddenly, the lights cut out. The room plunged into pitch-black darkness.
Your chest tightened immediately, and your heart began to race. You hadn’t thought to tell anyone about your fear of the dark—it wasn’t exactly something you brought up casually. But now, in this enclosed space with no light, the fear overwhelmed you.
“Liam?” you choked out, your voice trembling.
“Yeah?” His voice was steady, but you could hear the concern creeping in.
“I—” you started, but then the panic hit full force. Tears welled up in your eyes as your breathing quickened. “I can’t—Liam, I can’t do this!”
“(Y/N), are you okay?” His voice was sharp now, the playful tone from earlier completely gone.
You couldn’t respond, the words caught in your throat as the tears spilled over. Suddenly, you let out a panicked cry, “Liam! Please! I need you!”
Through the pitch-black room, you felt him move closer. “Hey, hey, it’s okay, I’m right here,” he said quickly. His hands found yours, grounding you as you started to hyperventilate. “It’s just dark, love, but I’m right here. You’re safe.”
“I can’t see,” you whimpered, gripping his hand tightly. “I can’t—I’m so scared!”
Liam didn’t waste a second. “Hang on, I’ve got my phone.”
Pulling his phone from his pocket, he turned on the flashlight, the bright beam instantly illuminating the room. He aimed it toward the ground so it wouldn’t blind you, then brought it closer to your face.
“See? I’ve got you,” he murmured softly. “Look at me. Breathe with me, okay?”
His calm, soothing tone broke through the haze of your panic. You focused on his face, the light making his features look even softer as he crouched down in front of you. Slowly, you began to match his breathing.
Outside, James and the production team had been watching everything unfold on their monitors. When they saw your reaction, James’ face went pale. “Oh no. Oh my god, I didn’t know,” he muttered, genuinely horrified.
Back in the room, Liam stayed with you, keeping the flashlight steady and holding your hand. “Do you want to leave?” he asked gently.
You nodded quickly, still trembling. “Please.”
Without hesitation, he stood, keeping his phone in one hand while guiding you with the other. “Alright, we’re getting out of here. Don’t worry about the game.”
