Count On Me | Niam

Chapter Forty-Six

Niall/Liam

"Wait...we're not staying to watch?"

The two of them had somehow managed to get Chloe to her swimming lesson on time, even after the near-hour long debacle including Liam's atrocious attempts at pancakes and the flour fight he and Chloe had whilst Niall made actually edible pancakes. It had been a rush to be ready in the end, and Loki had had to forgo his walk, the Husky flopping down into his basket and whining as they left without him. But they'd made it to the gym complex where Chloe's lessons took place, and they'd made it on time. Chloe had joined the other children in the pool and Liam and Niall were heading back upstairs, but not, as Liam presumed, to the waiting area from which they'd watched the lesson before.

Liam glanced over his shoulder in the direction of the swimming pool as he asked, trying not seem overly confused as Niall led him away, shaking his head as Liam as he did so. "Nope. There's a café. Thought we could maybe get a coffee and, you know, talk."

"Sounds like a plan, guess." Liam didn't bother to ask about what, there were more than enough things that they should really discuss, the list starting with the ever-rapidly-approaching issue of tour and ending with what the hell had actually happened at Niall's work the day before, what could have happened that was bad enough to warrant the police being called out, instead linking his fingers through Niall's and giving him a small smile as they headed in the direction of the café Liam had never bothered to go to before when he used to use the gym there, letting Niall choose their table, one over in the corner, and order them both coffee's before he asked, "Where do you wanna start?"

"Tour. If that's okay." Niall looked away from Liam for second, wrapping both hands around the mug of coffee sat in front of him and using it as a distraction as he tried to organise his thoughts and figure out where he wanted to begin. He looked back up at Liam to see him shrug, taking that to mean 'go ahead' and biting his lip before he began. "We never talked about tour. Not really. You...you didn't tell me and when we got that sorted, you never told me any of the details, not properly. Basically, when, for how long, and where. I want to know how long you'll be gone."

"Afraid you'll miss me?" Liam tried for a smile and managed a sort of lopsided grin, his grin widening as Niall let out a quiet snort of laughter, shaking his head at Liam again as he said, "Something like that."

Liam's expression sobered then as he tried to remember all of the details off of the top of his head, giving up after a few seconds and pulling out his phone and scrolling through for the latest emails regarding his itinerary, aware of the grim look on Niall's face, replacing his grin and the bright mood between them almost instantly. Counting on his fingers, Liam mentally ran through the weeks until rehearsals started in January and then the month there would be before their promo tour which would lead directly on to their actual tour. All in all, there was just over a month and a half until he would be on a plane with the other boys, heading to the other side of the North Atlantic Ocean. Away from Niall and Chloe.

He told Niall as much, looking down at the table and keeping his gaze on the little packets of sugar as he spoke, only looking up when Niall didn't say anything. "There are breaks, you know. Two of three week-long stretches in between certain legs of the tour. And you and Chloe could come, to the UK ones, at least."

Niall still remained silent, thinking over everything Liam had just said, chewing his lip as he tried to acknowledge that Liam leaving, leaving, leaving him and Chloe and would be gone for months. He'd known that, of course, but there was a difference between knowing something, and knowing something. Liam would go away on tour and Niall would be left behind, waiting for him to pick up the phone.

Though would there even be phone calls? Overseas phone calls cost a fortune and then there were times zones and Liam would be busy, busy with his career, with people and what if...what if Liam just...didn't answer?