NIAM STORIES (BXB ONE SHOTS)

Distances

[Is it not obvious enough that I'm too lazy to update my chaptered stories? :)]

Kiss me. Just kiss me.

Niall blinked awake. His vision was blurry but he could make the faint outlines of his childhood room -- remodeled but still the same feel and smell. Sunlight creeped through the slits of his window blinds, dust specks dancing in the visible light. His guitar was on the floor along with several sheets of paper with lyrics on them, three different colored pens, two empty Red Bulls, and a box of pizza.

Struggling to even get out of bed, Niall found it hard to go to the bathroom. He grunted, grabbing the bedside drawer as help, and dragged himself out of his bed until he eventually found himself of the carpeted floor, his face beside his monkey slippers. "Fuck..." he cursed.

Niall scrambled to get up and finally, he reached the bathroom and slammed the door behind him.

You like this, baby?

"I told you not to stay up late," Maura mustered, placing a plate in front of Niall: the usual stuff. "You could write those songs during the day."

Niall just nodded. He didn't have the energy to answer, even to just agree with his mother. He didn't have the appetite either which is weird considering he only ate three slices of pizza that night, and it was his favorite breakfast. The scrambled eggs shifted back and forth on the plate as Niall toyed around with it and the French toast haven't even been touched.

"What's wrong?" Maura stood up and laid her cup of coffee on the table. She pressed her hand on Niall's forehead and Niall swore she almost had a heart attack. "James, you're burning up!"

"Mum, calm down..." he managed to say. "It's just a fever. I already took some paracetamol."

 Maura sighed. "No need to worry?"

"Mum," Niall put down his fork, "I've been sick while on tour before... I can handle myself."

Maura chuckled. "You had four boys to take care of you then, plus the entire tour crew."

Niall blushed and then smiled. "I have you now..."

Taking a sip of her coffee, Maura considered for a moment, taking note of how Niall kept playing with the strap of his blue-white bracelet. Their eyes met and Maura whispered, "You miss him, don't you?"

Niall pulled his hand away from his bracelet and looked down at his plate. Of course he missed him -- him and his brown eyes, strong arms, and corny sense of humor which was dry most of the time. "No," he replied. Niall loved to deny it because he knew he was wrong, a sardonic way to remind him they weren't free...yet.

"At least call him," said Maura. "Staying up late at night, writing those songs just to keep yourself otherwise occupied isn't the right way to go, James."

Of course his mother was right: He was drowing himself in work to keep his sense of longing numb for a while, at least until they were together again. His voice was stuck in his head, teasing him to complete insanity and mocking him that distances tear relationships apart.

How do you want me? Naked?

Surprisingly, the fever didn't worsen that night. But Niall had to retreat back to his bed, laptop on his lap, and comforter cocooned all over his body. His feet felt cold and everytime he turned too fast his head would hurt.

Chicken soup was slowly cooling on the bedside table beside his charging phone which he decidedly pulled out of his travel bag after three days of unuse just in case he suddenly decided to call someone. Anyone, actually. Niall leaned closer to the screen, opening his Skype, and there he is: Liam Payne was online.

He found it particularly stupid to think that Liam would be bothered if he called him. He was the boyfriend after all, Niall considered. With his index finger hovering over the trackpad, Niall clicked call and apparently he wasn't ready when Liam answered with a video call in all his glory: wet hair and shirtless with only a towel hanging losely on his hips.

"Hey babe." Liam's seductive smile suddenly turned into a worrying frown upon seeing Niall smiling back at him whilst being wrapped inside a comforter, all paler than usual with a bright blush on his cheeks. "You okay?"

Oh no. Niall braced himself. "Just a bit of fever," he croaked.

"Why didn't you call me?!" And Liam was off on his mother-hen state. He disappeared for a moment only to appear back on the screen with a shirt and boxers on. "You should've called me!" continued Liam, eyes blown wide and were the color of glistening chocolate. "I could've easily flown there--"

"Stop right there!" Niall glared at Liam. "I'm not letting you ruin your break just because I'm sick."

Liam slumped back on his own bed. "You should've called me," he grumbled again. He flashed an accusing glare on the webcam. "Plus you haven't been replying to my text ever since we separated at the airport!"

Shit. This was what Niall was afraid of: the fighting. "Li, I--"

"I miss you," whispered Liam. He crawled closer to the laptop webcam, frustration evident on his face. "Dammit, Ni, it's driving me crazy ever second that passes when you don't reply. I thought I was your boyfriend?"

Niall couldn't fight the sob from coming out. He was an awful boyfriend, wasn't he? He liked the seclusion so much that it had become selfish even, making him oblivious to his actions distancing Liam himself from him. "Y-You are, Li! But I just--I wanted--Oh, I'm sorry!"

"Shit." Liam panicked on the other end of the line. "Ni, baby, don't cry... I didn't mean to get angry." But Niall was still sobbing, hiccuping now and then. Liam frowned, his eyes getting a bit stingy. "Babe, please, I'm sorry. You're gonna make me cry too."

Niall was still on shallow breaths but he had stopped sobbing, chewing on his bottom lip like it was taffy. Liam finally smiled though his eyes were watery, and scooted closer to the screen. "You need to sleep," he said. "Call me tomorrow when you're feeling better."

"I will." Niall nodded.

Liam smiled. "Good night," he murmured before staring at Niall for a moment and then signing off of the video call. Niall closed his laptop and as soon as his head landed on his pillow, sleep wasn't so elusive to find.

I love you.

The headache was gone when Niall woke up the next morning. The sun was already up and was pouring through the window. But as he tried to get up, he felt restrained and something coiled tighter around his stomach.

He shifted and found Liam droopily staring at him with a lopsided smile. Niall's eyes widened but Liam just chuckled, pulling the younger lad closer to him. Just as the blonde was about to protest, Liam pressed a kiss on his lips.

"Your mom won't be back until this afternoon," whispered Liam into Niall's ear. "Which means...I could do whatever I want with you."

Niall blushed deep scarlet. "H-How did you--"

"Get here?" finished Liam. "I took the final flight last night, arrived around three at the airport, and had tea with your mom until your brother called earlier this morning."

NIall's eyebrows knitted together. "You didn't have to--"

"Shhh." Liam pressed their noses together. "I don't care if this ruined my break. As long as I knew you were okay, that's alright with me. You are more important. I love you more than my job--than my dream."

"Y-You don't mean that..."

"I do," answered Liam. They stared at each other for a moment, Niall's fingers curling around Liam's shirt afterward as he slowly went back to sleep. "And you don't have to worry... 'Cause I'm not going anywhere."

Niall's fingers curled tighter around Liam's shirt in reply.