Will My Brother Let Me? // L.P.

Welcome Home Liam

Liam's POV

I take a deep breath as I ring the doorbell to my home, patiently waiting for either Mum or Dad to come and answer it.

"I've got it, Geoff!" I hear Mum yell, making me smile. God, I've missed them.

As the door opens, my face breaks into a smile. Mum looks right at me and her eyes grow wide as she recognizes.

"Geoff, get your arse over here!" she calls out before she wraps her arms around me.

"Hi, Mum," I smile, hugging her tightly. "I've missed you."

"Oh, love, I have missed you more!" she exclaims.

Dad comes into view, his eyes also growing wide and his face breaking into a smile.

"Liam!" he says excitedly as he joins us in our hug. "What are you doing here, son?"

"Simon gave us the weekend off," I tell them as they help me inside. "I can only stay for today, but I wanted to see all of you."

"Well, you picked a good day to come," Mum says. "Nicola and Ruth are coming over today!"

"Are you serious?" I ask excitedly.

As if on cue, the doorbell rings again. My face breaks into a smile and I ask, "Can I open it?"

"Yes, go ahead," she smiles.

I run to the door and open the door so I'm still hidden behind it. Both Nicola and Ruth walk in and immediately see Mum and Dad in the living room, confused looks on their faces. They turn to each other before turning back to the living room. I take a deep breath and I jump out from behind the door, exclaiming, "SURPRISE!"

They both scream, jump, and turn around to see me, their little brother, standing by them for the first time since August.

"Liam!" they exclaim, both pulling me into tight hugs.

"What on earth are you doing here?" Nicola asks.

"Well, Simon gave us the weekend off now that we're back from Japan," I tell them as we walk into the living room, joining our parents. "I went to visit Ally yesterday in Doncaster, and now I'm spending my day with you."

"So, you saw Ally," Ruth says in a sing-song tone, making me laugh. "And how is she?"

"She's doing well," I smile. "She looks great and, you know, going through school and studying for her final A-levels. I just...I loved seeing her and I genuinely wish it was for more than a day."

"God, you two are so clearly in love," Nicola sighs. "Young love is so cute, isn't it Ruth?"

"It's absolutely adorable," she chuckles. "Oh, to be young and in love."

"Shut up," I smile.

"Oh, Li, I think I have an idea for you," Ruth exclaims, turning to face me completely. "I know you'll be seeing her during the holidays and such, but...what if you surprised her near the end of the school year?"

"Oh, she would love that! Especially because she probably wouldn't have seen you since the holidays," Nicola replies.

"That's actually not a bad idea," I say. "For once."

"Hey!" she exclaims, slapping my arm.

"Hey!" I exclaim back, slapping her arm as well, knowing full well how this will end up.

"Oh, you are so dead!" Ruth yells, making me jump up and immediately run towards my childhood bedroom. Both Ruth and Nicola chase after me, yelling after me. I run into my room, slamming the door and locking it before they can reach me.

"Liam James Payne!" Nicola yells, slamming her hands against the door. "Open this damn door right now!"

"Never!" I yell back, smirking.

As they yell and bang on the door, I take videos, sending them to Ally and the boys. The boys could care less, but Ally loved them, and, of course, told her how much she wishes she was there. After a while, it stops, but neither of us says anything for what feels like hours. The next thing I hear is Mum yelling up the stairs that it's time for dinner. Where did the day go?

I open the door, where I find Nicola and Ruth sitting. "Nicola, Ruth," I say, looking at both of them.

"Liam," they both reply at the same time, sending shivers down my spine. 

"Come on, let's go and get dinner," I say, motioning towards the kitchen, "forget everything that's happened."

"No," they both say, making me roll my eyes. They are so similar.

"Come on, please?" I ask.

They give each other a look I know well - one they always gave each other when we would all argue. They look back at me and say, "Fine."

"Good," I smile. "Can we have a make-up hug?"

They both smile and come up to me to give me hugs. When I wrap my arms around Nicola, I lean in to give her what she thinks is a kiss on her cheek. At the last second, I quickly lick her then begin to run away while she yells, "You're so gross, Liam! How old are you, 5?"

I laugh as I run down the stairs, reaching the kitchen, where Mum has set out our plates.

"I hope you're okay with shepherd's pie, love," she says as I sit down in my normal spot.

"Oh, of course, Mum," I smile. "You know it's one of my favorites."

As we dig in, everyone begins to ask about Australia and Japan, the boys, Ally...everything. The night flies by, and everything feels normal. I do miss this sense of...normalcy, I guess. Eating dinner with your family on a Sunday night, spending time together before you all go your separate ways for the week...I miss it.

"So, Ally's been good?" Mum asks as we move the conversation to the living room again.

"Yeah, she has," I sigh, leaning back. "She's studying for her A-levels, figuring out what she wants to do with her life."

"What does she want to do with her life?" Dad asks. "Does it involve university?"

"Um, I don't know," I reply. "We haven't really talked about that..."

"Well, would you two still do long-distance?" he asks.

I stay silent for a minute then say, "I'm going to love and support Ally as long as we're together. May that be university, moving halfway across the world, or wanting to stay at home. I don't care because I love her and want to...want to support her dream like she supports mine and the boys'."

"Well, Geoff," Mum sighs, "we did at least one thing right when raising him."

"We did," he smiles. "Would you like a beer?"

I nod and he gets up. I begin to think about what life would be like if she decides to...do anything after school ends. I have my career, she'll have whatever she decides. But I don't want to be the one who forces her to decide between me and her own life.