Replay Your Love For Me (lilo one shot)

It’s the first interview of the day when they’re asked who they’d date in the band if they were a girl.

“I think I’d probably go for Liam.” Niall says.

Liam waits as Zayn pauses for a moment and looks at all of the boys in turn.

“Harry.”

Louis wastes no time in agreeing with him and then when Harry says ‘Louis’ it’s no surprise, because honestly, who would they choose other than each other?

It takes Liam a few seconds to realize that the interviewer is waiting for his answer, and then a few more to think about who he would actually want to date.

“Erm, I’d date Louis.”

He doesn’t miss the way Louis smirks slightly but Liam’s certainly not excepting it when Louis leans in so close Liam can feel his breath against his ear.

“Replay.” Louis whispers.

He looks at him incredulously as Louis pulls away, and Louis just shrugs as if it doesn’t matter, because really, it shouldn’t.

“I’d date Louis.” he repeats, hoping the burning in his cheeks isn’t too visible (saying it again is bad enough, let alone blushing as he says it).

Everyone looks incredibly confused, but Louis smiles delightedly and nudges Liam in the ribs like it’s all a really fun game.

*

They’re in the middle of the third interview when Liam says that he’s secretly batman, and before Louis has even said anything he can guess what he’s opened his mouth to say.

“Slow motion replay, Liam.” Louis says.

Liam huffs slightly and tries to act like he’s at least annoyed about the whole thing, but fails spectacularly when he smiles because Louis is laughing. He thinks that Louis’ happiness might be contagious or something, but he’s not quite sure enough to blame everything on that.

The whole thing’s partly his fault anyway, him and Louis are like the front men of replay, and he’s only got himself to blame for the fact that Louis is constantly telling him to repeat things and he just does it.

“I’m secretly batman.” he says slowly.

Louis grins at him and Liam can’t help but grin back, despite the fact that he hates Louis for making him say and do really stupid things.

“Wait, why did you do that?” the interviewer asks him.

“Yeah, why did you do that?” Louis seconds.

Liam sighs and avoids Louis’ eyes as he mutters a reply.

“Because you told me to.”

Louis launches into a discussion about the rules of replay, but Liam’s not listening, because he’s wondering exactly why he does it too.

*

When they’re asked who they think is the best kisser in the band Liam almost refuses to answer.

It’s not that he doesn’t want to, he just doesn’t know (the question’s kind of ridiculous if you ask him, unless they’ve all kissed each other nobody’s going to know who can kiss the best anyway). Liam’s also almost afraid of what Louis will say when he says his answer (he really doesn’t want to have to repeat the fact that Harry’s a really good kisser or something loudly).

It’s too late to go back when he finds himself imagining what kissing all of them would be like, and while he badly wants to stop, he doesn’t know how to. Niall’s like his little brother, and Liam can’t imagine Harry kissing anyone but a girl, and while Zayn’s extremely pretty Liam just doesn’t find him attractive. For a while Liam is glad because not having an answer is an extremely good thing in his eyes.

Then Liam thinks about kissing Louis and it’s like the whole world stops, because Louis is sitting right next to him with his legs sprawled across Liam’s lap and his face is so close. Liam can see his cheekbones and his eyelashes and even though he doesn’t know what Louis is saying he can see the way his lips move. He can see his eyes and he’s not quite sure how to describe the shade of blue they are, and suddenly, he desperately wants to kiss him.

“Liam? What about you?” Zayn asks, startling him.

“Oh-” Liam says.

He looks away as Louis turns to him and hopes he doesn’t notice that he was staring at him because god, he’s so confused and he’s not supposed to be staring at his band mate or thinking about kissing him or even doing every single thing he tells him to do.

“I think... Paul’s probably the best kisser.”

Everyone laughs except Louis, and this time Louis doesn’t say replay or smile or hit him.

Liam tries not to read too much into it.

*

Why,” Louis starts, “why do you always do what I tell you to do?”

When Liam doesn’t reply straight away, Louis continues.

“I mean, you don’t have to. You don’t have to listen to me; you don’t have to do any of it. So, why?”

Liam glances at the floor and then back up at Louis who’s sitting cross-legged on his bed and waiting for an answer to a question that Liam doesn’t know the answer to himself.

“I- I don’t know why, Louis.” he says.

Louis bites his lip and looks at the door quickly.

 “I’m going to say something to you, and then I want you to replay what I say, but only if you want to, and only if you meant it. And don’t say it just because you’re ridiculously nice, just- just only if you really mean it. Please.”

Liam has no idea what Louis is on about, but Louis smiles tentatively and he smiles back, which seems to make everything better because Louis stands up and smiles a bit brighter.

“Wow. Okay.” Louis says shakily.

Louis grabs Liam’s hand and Liam starts to wonder if this is all some sort of elaborate joke, like let’s see how many things we can make Liam do just because Louis tells him to, and he starts to panic.

“I think- I mean, oh god. I really fancy you, Liam.” Louis rushes.

There’s a moment of silence before Liam says anything because, god, Louis fancies him and maybe he didn’t think he wanted him to before, but he does now, he really does because the thing is, Liam fancies him too, and it’s taken one stupid word to realise it.

 (It turns out to be his favourite replay Louis ever comes up with).

“I think- I mean- I really fancy you too, Louis.” Liam says.

Louis’ eyes widen in surprise, like he doesn’t believe him even though he told Liam to say it only if he wanted to and only if he meant it.

“Really? Are you- do you really mean it? If you-”

“Shut up, Louis.” Liam interrupts.

“Oh, okay.” Louis says quietly.

Neither of them say anything for a split second, and Liam can look at Louis’ face without feeling embarrassed or stupid or anything like that because Louis likes him.

“Kiss me, then.” Louis says.

Liam grins and Louis says something just as he leans in.

“Wait, wait, why are you doing what I’m telling you to do again?”

“Because I want to.” Liam whispers.