NIAM STORIES (BXB ONE SHOTS)

Telephone Confessions

Liam was reading an article on his phone.

As of the moment, that is all he could do. He was lying in bed, pillows propped up behind him, and a chilling feeling surging through his skin. He'd been reading, plenteously so, but then he was interrupted.

Interrupted by a phone call.

"Hi," Liam said with a smile.

"Hi," replied the caller.

"You do know you'll be up on stage in fifteen minutes, right?"

"Monitoring us from afar, Daddy Direction?"

"Stop patronising me, Nialler."

There was silence.

From Niall's end of the line, there were some shallow breaths, a thick swallow, and a muffled mewl. "I wish you could be here with us."

"You know I'd want nothing more than that," replied Liam.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Would that have made any difference?"

"Yes, it fucking would!"

"Niall, we've been through this."

"Louis and Harry knew. Even Zayn knew and he isn't even with the band anymore!" Niall sounded broken, betrayed. "Why am I the last to know?"

Liam bit his lip, a wheezy feeling seeping through his lungs. "Don't take it personally, Niall."

"This is bullshit."

"Niall," Liam said warningly.

"I'm..." Niall's voice cracked. "I'm sorry."

"Niall, I didn't do that to hurt you."

"Still hurt."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

Liam's jaws clenched. "You know why."

Niall scoffed. "Is this a confession then?"

"Yes," replied Liam, "because I want to know why."

"It's fucking simple, really."

"Enlighten me then," challenged Liam.

"You can't handle the truth."

"Try me."

"You see? You see? You have no clue!"

"Then tell me—!"

"I LOVE YOU, OKAY?!"

The words echoes thoroughly through Liam's head, bouncing off the walls of his skull like a harrowing shrill. Of course, he knew. He knew it long before, but hearing it from Niall himself was something he didn't seem ready to hear — nor will he ever be ready.

"Say something..." Niall sobbed. "Fuck, I messed it up, didn't I?"

"Niall—"

"There it is. That tone. The next thing you know I have a restraining order. Five meter distance from Liam Payne."

"You're exaggerating the situation."

"I shouldn't have told you."

"You were right to tell me. No secrets, remember?"

"Well, it's no secret you'll choose her over me."

"Niall, that's not fair."

"What am I really? I'm just a guy you met seven years ago. She's the girl who has been in your life since you were a kid. She's your childhood sweetheart, what fucking leverage do I have against that?!"

Liam was having trouble breathing. "Niall, stop it."

"Why should I stop, because it's the truth? You know you can't—"

"I said stop!"

"May I shouldn't have called."

"I'm glad you called."

"Why so you could tell me the obvious?"

"Niall, in all honesty, I love you just as much but..."

"...you can't give me what I want. Typical. Life's bitchy cliche."

"All the things I've shown you, the way I've been towards you, they're all real, Ni."

"Thank you for the consolation prize."

"I can't leave her. I won't."

"The show's gonna start."

"Niall, wait—"

"Louis' calling me on stage."

"Niall, please just listen to me—"

"Good-bye, Liam."

As the line went dead, Liam leaned back onto his pillow, the wheezy feeling in his chest was subsiding but a different kind of pain was starting to act up. Whether or not it's true, he knew he had just lost Niall.

Knocking lightly on the bedroom door, Sophia slipped in with a tray in hand. "Hey, your mom said you were hungry."

Liam frowned. "You heard everything, didn't you?"

Placing the tray with food on the bedside table, Sophia sat down beside Liam on the bed and held his hand tightly. She smiled and then sighed heavily. "You know, I could always go back to being your weirdo childhood best friend."

"Don't say that. Niall's just upset I didn't tell him sooner."

"He's not upset, Liam, he's heartbroken," replied Sophia. "The fact that he's shared with you a life for the past seven years and then you'd go choosing me over him, that's murder from the inside, Liam."

"You see how he is, how reacted when he found out about..." Liam swallowed. "He'll only be even more heartbroken if I chose him and then this would happen."

"I'm just saying, Liam, I'm always your wingwoman just like Dani was."

"I'm happy with you."

"And I'm grateful for that," Sophia assured him, "but then again, I can't help but wonder how all of this would've been if you fell in love with him just as he fell for you."

"Guess we'll never know."

Sophia nodded sadly. "Oh, and Zayn called this morning. He was asking if we could go to Bradford tomorrow and have lunch with him and Perrie and little Zahir. Should we go?"

"Let's," agreed Liam. "Need a little fresh air. Plus, it's my first time to see the little rascal."

With a change in atmosphere, Sophia managed to smile hopefully. She stood up, kissed Liam on the forehead, and headed out the room. "I'll be downstairs with Karen if you need me. Just holler."

"I will," replied Liam.

After the door had closed, Liam turned his attention back to the article he was reading — the article that bore the reason for the things that had been set in motion. Tired of reading it endlessly ever since day one, he slipped his phone under the pillows and grabbed the sandwich on the tray, forgetting the words written in a bold, jet black fashion:

ONE DIRECTION TO CONTINUE AS A TRIO, BANDMATE LIAM PAYNE DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER