silver diadem

day five (pick up the rings)

Liam wakes up hot. His right side of his body is almost sweating, the blankets ripped off of him and his body temperature unchanging. His frustrations wake him up.

"Why the fuck is it so hot?" he snaps, angered. Immediately, before Liam can open his eyes, the heat is gone, the bed moving frantically and a pound on the floor.

"So sorry, sir. I'm so sorry," Niall rushes out, flattening himself to the carpet. Liam's eyes shoot open in realization. He gets out of bed quickly, going straight to the boy on the floor.

"No, no. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped. I didn't know you slept with me last night, Ni." Liam reaches to pick his husband up. Niall flinches away from his outstretched hands. Liam's eyes fill with tears quickly. He knows this won't go away for a long time— Niall's fear.

"Pick me up. Please." Niall begged. He needed some type of affection now. His bum burned from falling to the floor and he was too sore to stand himself.

He kept himself from flinching away from Liam's hold. He wrapped himself around his dominant completely before giving a light kiss to his neck and laying his head there.

"I'm so sorry," Liam whispered, holding his boy tightly. "We need to put some more cream on you; Louis did yesterday, yes?"

Niall nodded. 

"Good, snowflake."

Liam carefully placed Niall on the bed, his chest down. He carefully peeled away the pajama pants Niall was wearing, revealing his bruised bum. Liam wanted to cry again but kept himself from doing so.  He kissed each spot before applying healing cream and picking up Niall again.

"We need to talk about it, Li," Niall reminded but didn't make any effort to do so. Liam sighed but nodded.

"I'm scared I'll be like my dad, ya know?"

Niall's eyes told that he understood. "You won't be, though. Your parents are the parents you don't want to be. It's like that for every person. Take that experience and promise to never be that way. You won't hurt our child just because you've been hurt," Niall informed.

Liam sighed and thought it over for a few moments. "We can look for a child, I suppose."

Niall smiled. "I forgive you, Liam. But never hit me like that again; I will not hesitate to divorce you." Niall ran his fingers over Liam's blackened eye. "Or worse, have Harry hit you."

Liam rolled his eyes playfully but agreed and promised it wouldn't happen again. "We need to communicate better."

Niall nodded in agreement before leading his husband down the stairs for breakfast.

•••

The stress of the wedding was clear. It was causing tension within in the home, Jay unwilling to say anything to anyone about it. Niall and Liam seemed un-phased to the awkwardness while Harry, Alex, and Louis consistently shared glares.

"So, 3 days until wedding day," Niall attempted.

"Yes, thanks for being able to count," Alex snapped. Liam felt a strong urge to hit the girl but ignored it in hopes to get through the end of the week.

"Don't. Speak. To. Him. Like. That." Louis seethed. The way she thought she had a right to anything ever annoyed him intensely.

"Shut it faggot," Alex mumbled, rolling her eyes.

Harry snapped up immediately, slamming his glass down onto the table. "Don't you ever sit in this household and speak to the host like that again. Since you arrived, you've treated all of these people with disrespect while they've helped you. I will not hesitate to cancel this wedding publicly if you continue to treat everything this way." His heart was racing, breaths thick. The glass he had slammed shattered on the table and his voice was deadly.

Niall and Louis, being submissives, immediately cowered away from Harry's harsh tone. Liam, trying to comfort them placed his hands on their thighs, letting the boys curl into him.

"Well, I'm tired of pretending like I want to marry you, Harry," Alex retorted sharply.

"It was your idea! I'm marrying you instead of having a good relationship with my mother! I'm marrying you instead of trying to be with the boy I've wanted to be with for nearly 10 years! I'm paying for the wedding, I'm speaking to the public about it. I'm doing everything to make your sorry ass career into something more than just some skank and you can't even be respectful!"

Everyone suddenly began craving some popcorn.

"If you weren't some faggot with no talent, you wouldn't have to marry me in the first place."

The dining room was silent. Jay had her fists clenched, keeping happy thoughts racing through her mind.

Niall flinched, shuttering with every loud syllable while Louis tried to imagine his mum leaping across the table for his own state of mind— a distraction. Liam wanted to take the boys away from the scene immediately, however, he kept them as still as he could with both of them in his lap.

"I'm staying in a hotel tonight, Harry," Alex informed, standing sharply.

Louis, not being able to contain it, muttered out a "finally," causing Niall to grunt in hiding his laughter.

"Oh hush it, gay boy." Alex turned to continue walking but then, "and I fucked him in your bed the night you were gone."

And Louis slipped.

Louis' headspace overcame him until he was little, immediately letting out a weak sob in frustration and shock.

Louis had slipped for the first time in 7 years.