“Li?”
Liam jumped, he was so distracted by the view outside the tour bus window that he hadn’t even noticed Harry approach, but as he turned he noticed everything. The way Harry’s hair was mussed like he had just been lying in a bunk, the crease in his brow that was only there when he was thinking hard, and the way he was rubbing his hands up and down his pants like he did when he was nervous. Harry look disheveled, Liam concluded, absolutely wrecked, and it concerned him because no matter how open Harry was, he was never willingly vulnerable.
Harry closed in on himself and although his eyes sometimes gave away his heart, it was never intentionally. Liam always noticed. Liam always noticed because Liam was always looking and dying that one day the heart in Harry’s eyes would be for him instead of Louis or a mix tape or Nick. Liam was tired of waiting, but he would do it forever because it’s Harry Styles and you can’t see the curve of those lips, and memorize the outline of those curls without falling unabashedly, unashamedly, and unequivocally in love with him.
“Tell me what happened,” Liam blurted out before he could even get the butterflies out of his stomach. “Did someone hurt you? Are you okay? What’s wrong?”
“Li, I’m just. It’s just. I’m fine.”
“Haz. I know you’re not fine. You can tell just by looking at you something’s wrong.”
“No one else noticed,” Harry casually replied, making Liam’s breathe hitch. Liam stared at the floor with dramatic intent, hoping that he wasn’t so obvious that Harry could tell that he watched every move the lad made. Liam wanted to protect him so badly. Harry wasn’t only a thing of beauty, he was pure innocence. Obviously not in the he’s never fucked around kind of way, but in the I only act with good intentions, I aim to please, and I’ll love you in a way that’s so unlimited you would wonder why a God would be necessary to have faith in, kind of way.
“I pay attention.”
“Sometimes,” Harry retorted, sounding a little bitter. Alarmed Liam sat up and stared the other lad in the eyes.
“What are you getting at? What have I done?”
“I’ve been with Louis a lot recently.”
“You’re always with Louis.”
“And I had this plan that we could”
“I rather not hear about your sex affairs,” Liam muttered, bitterness coursing through his words this time.
“What?!”
“Aren’t you two together?”
“Fuck. He was right. You’re an idiot,” Harry exclaimed aloud to no one exactly.
“What?”
“I genuinely thought you couldn’t be arsed to care, but you’re just dense.”
“Um, I’m still right here and I don’t know where this insulting me thing is supposed to be taking us, but I’m just concerned with whether or not you’re alright.”
“You twat. I’ve been prancing around with Louis for months now trying to get a rise out of you. Do you know how good you are? You’re like perfection at it’s finest and I don’t know when I fell in love you, but I did and now I’m petrified that you just see how shitty I am,” Harry confessed, staring at the wall behind Liam’s head.
“You’re joking right? What’s the punchline? I may not be able to spell Harry, but I’m not stupid,” Liam growled, the angriest he had ever sounded to himself. It’s just that he’s been holding on to these feelings for so long that he wasn’t ready for jokes.
“What?”
“You can’t be serious.”
“I’m rather sure I’m serious Liam.”
“You can’t be, what about Lou?”
“What about Lou?”
“You’re with Lou.”
“I thought we already went over this Li,” Harry groaned.
Liam went to grip at his hair and remembered it wasn’t there anymore. He drug his hands down his face and shook his head as if the memories would just shuffle around until they were hidden. Liam racked his head for every memory and thought he had of Harry. He tried to piece together every word in a way that would show how long he had been completely enamored with the boy. Then he figured it would just be best to ask.
“Do you know how long I’ve been in love with you Haz?”
Harry coughed, choking on his own spit from the sharp intake of breath the confesstion caused.
“What?”
“I have loved you since you walked on that stage in that stupid over sized beanie singing Stevie Wonder.”
“What?!”
“I’ve been hiding it since I saw Louis jump into your arms and decided that it was my time to surrender before I got ahead of myself. But you see, I never really did because you made it bloody impossible. Do you know how hard it is to not fall in love with someone who hums Coldplay songs while cooking breakfast? Or bites their lips when they’re concentrating? Or is so sincere with their emotions that they occasionally make people speechless? Do you know how good you look when you wake up in the morning? Hair pointed in every direction and your talking is so slow is sounds like a drawl?”
“Li…”
“How could I not fall in love with someone who cries over hate? How could I not want to protect you? How could I not love you Harry, when it seems like you were put on this planet just to remind everyone that perfection is possible? I’ve loved you for a long time,” Liam finished, throat sore from his speech, but shoulders lighter from the release of stress.
Harry stared past him, or through him, Liam didn’t really know. He was frozen it seemed, stuck in the harsh realities of the wrong band made being in love with you. Liam just let his head hang down between his shoulders, so when Harry’s fingers lifted his chin, and their lips touched, Liam was pretty sure he’d died and gone to heaven.
“I was faking with Louis because I wanted to make you jealous. I forgot that you’re so wonderful that you would never let yourself hurt another person. Even if it means that you hurt yourself in the process. And God, that’s so fucking admirable Liam and I’ve been waiting forever for you.”
Liam sighed, pulling Harry closer to his lap before tugging him down on top of him.
“You know, everything is brighter now,” Liam whispered to no one. Harry settled into position and when Louis came by later and offered a pinch and a pun, Harry kissed away the frown on Liam’s face.
“It’s because my body just reflects your magnificence back on to you Li.”
