They had been hanging in Niall’s dressing room after his most recent concert, joking, catching up, shooting the breeze, when Niall blurted the words out with a deep appreciation that made Liam’s cheeks flush pink.
“Yeah, well, I know you’d do the same for me, mate.” Liam scratched the back of his neck, self-conscious at the intensity with which his friend was regarding him.
“I would. I will.” Niall promised. “You’re very important to me, Liam.”
Liam’s blush deepened, and his heart may have even sped up a little. He laughed nervously.
“No need to be so serious.”
Niall looked at him for a moment longer, then his expression changed. He chuckled and clapped Liam on his shoulder.
“Didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”
“I’m not…” Liam’s voice had squeaked. He cleared his throat. “I’m not uncomfortable.”
“Good.” Niall smiled easily, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Wouldn’t want you to think I cared too much or anything.”
Liam felt disappointment roil in his gut, and he leaned much closer in toward his friend before he could think better of it. “Niall…I…”
Niall searched the other man’s face, hopeful.
There was a sharp knock on the door, and both men jumped.
“Mr. Horan?” A woman’s head popped through the threshold. “We really need to get going.”
“Right,” Niall looked reluctant to allow the previous moment to pass unresolved, but he was swiftly ushered out of the room, barely given enough time to say goodnight.
Left alone, Liam sighed, sank back into the sofa and rubbed his face with his hands. He’d blown it again.
But every show was a new opportunity to confess his true feelings, and maybe, just maybe, one of these nights he’d get it right.
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
FILL
Date: 2017-10-04 09:01 pm (UTC)They had been hanging in Niall’s dressing room after his most recent concert, joking, catching up, shooting the breeze, when Niall blurted the words out with a deep appreciation that made Liam’s cheeks flush pink.
“Yeah, well, I know you’d do the same for me, mate.” Liam scratched the back of his neck, self-conscious at the intensity with which his friend was regarding him.
“I would. I will.” Niall promised. “You’re very important to me, Liam.”
Liam’s blush deepened, and his heart may have even sped up a little. He laughed nervously.
“No need to be so serious.”
Niall looked at him for a moment longer, then his expression changed. He chuckled and clapped Liam on his shoulder.
“Didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”
“I’m not…” Liam’s voice had squeaked. He cleared his throat. “I’m not uncomfortable.”
“Good.” Niall smiled easily, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Wouldn’t want you to think I cared too much or anything.”
Liam felt disappointment roil in his gut, and he leaned much closer in toward his friend before he could think better of it. “Niall…I…”
Niall searched the other man’s face, hopeful.
There was a sharp knock on the door, and both men jumped.
“Mr. Horan?” A woman’s head popped through the threshold. “We really need to get going.”
“Right,” Niall looked reluctant to allow the previous moment to pass unresolved, but he was swiftly ushered out of the room, barely given enough time to say goodnight.
Left alone, Liam sighed, sank back into the sofa and rubbed his face with his hands. He’d blown it again.
But every show was a new opportunity to confess his true feelings, and maybe, just maybe, one of these nights he’d get it right.