It’s two in the morning in London, and six in the evening in LA. Liam’s probably busy, at the gym or at a radio show or eating dinner, but Niall’s lonely, and he just…he can’t sleep.
His thumb hovers over Liam’s name, unsure. Liam’s always been one of his best mates, but recently, things between them have been getting a bit strange. Suddenly Niall finds that he prefers it when he and Liam go out alone, finds that he sleeps better when they share a bed. Finds that he’s unable to sleep without at least hearing Liam’s voice, even if it’s only for five seconds.
And he’s not dumb–he knows what this all means, can see the way the pieces of the puzzle fall, but. Acknowledging it makes it real, and when it does, there’ll be no turning back from that. It could ruin the nice thing they already have between them.
But it’s just. It’s been two days of this, and Niall just really, really misses him.
Feeling a burst of courage, he presses the number, places his phone to his ear before he can end the call. It rings once, twice, and midway through the third ring, Liam picks up.
“Hey, Nialler,” Liam’s voice is tinny in Niall’s ear, but it’s enough to calm him. “What’s going on?”
Niall lets out a quiet breath, then another. “Not much,” he says. “Felt I couldn’t sleep without talking to ya, that’s all.”
“Missing my voice?” Liam asks, and Niall can hear the grin on his face.
Niall laughs. “Your Brummie accent, yep,” he says. “And your scent.”
“It’s not a scent, it’s a musk,” Liam protests. “A manly musk.”
“Whatever you say, Payno,” Niall teases. Liam laughs, then falls quiet after that.
It doesn’t feel real, this phone call; the breadth of it, this weird hyperspace they’re in–it doesn’t feel like real life. It feels like a dream, like it’s something he could wake up from, like anything he says in it will have no consequences, no impact whatsoever.
And that makes Niall feel brave, so he grips his phone tighter, closes his eyes. “I miss you,” he says, and it comes out much too sincere to be anything but pure, raw, unfettered feeling.
It’s quiet, and he wonders for a moment if maybe he’s been a bit too forward, but then there’s a quiet exhale. “I miss you too,” Liam answers, sounding sad. “So, so much, Nialler.”