Chapter 9 We Had A Deal

"Thank you." Liam's face was very serious while talking to Louis inside his car.

Liam drove him from the hospital and is now in front of the boy's house.

Louis brushed off the serious atmosphere with a smile. "Welcome. Goodnight, Li."

He's about to get out when Liam spoke again. "Why do you do that?"

Louis furrowed his eyebrows. "Do what?"

"Help people unconditionally. Why do you do that?" Liam continued, still staring in front of the car. "There's no reason for you to help Dad. There's no reason for you to spend your time with him. We're not exactly friends and I wasn't exactly very nice to you either, specially at the beginning. You don't need to do this. If I was in your place, I won't."

Louis sat properly again in the front passenger seat. "People help other people because they needed help. Is there any other reason aside from that?" He said like it was a very obvious thing.

Liam laughed in a sarcastic way. "That's just so naïve and stupid." Even his tone was sardonic.

Louis' jaw dropped. "You mean I'm stupid?"

Liam shrugged. "Sometimes."

Louis is about to attack Liam with a derisive remark but the man spoke again. "But thanks to your stupid kindness, my father is doing very well." The man looked at him and smiled simply. "Thank you, Lou." He said sincerely.

Louis' mouth was agape, then he just shook his head and giggled. Only Liam has the ability to change his emotions drastically.

Since he met the man, he was always surprised by Liam. One minute, he was infuriating him, then saying things that stirred his emotions on the next. Liam could make him feel repulsed, sometimes sad, then smiling.. even giggling, like now.

Even the use of nicknames between them had been a wonder to him. Who and when did it start, he can't remember. But he is comfortable about it. And so is Liam.

"Is this your way of expressing gratitude? You really have a funny way of doing things sometimes." Louis just shook his head. "Okay, 'Night."

He went out of the man's car and entered their house- all the while shaking his head and smiling.

*****

"Hey Dude, how is your problem with your fiancé?"

Liam looked at the interrogating Josh, one of his close friends since high school.

"Why are you interested?" He questioned back as he drank his beer. They were sitting in their usual spot inside their favorite bar- him, Josh and Stan.

"Nothing. Just these last days, you're busy being with your fiancé. So is there any progress?" The waiter brought their orders and placed it on the table. Accidentally, the waiter's hand brushed an open bottle of beer and it spilled on the table.

"Hey! What the fuck!" Josh said. They managed to stand up immediately and did not get wet by the drink.

"Sir, I'm sorry. It was an accident." The waiter quickly moved to clean the poured out drink.

"Hell! Is it that hard to serve drinks-"

"Josh." Liam stopped his friend.

"What?" Josh snapped at him.

"I'm really sorry, Sir." The waiter apologized nervously while frantically cleaning the mess on the table.

"Yeah, you should be sorry-"

"It's okay. Could you just please change the beer that was spilled?" Liam interjected to what Josh was about to say.

"Yes, Sir. I'm really sorry again." The waiter quickly moved to walk away.

"Don't worry about it." Liam answered. "What?" He innocently asked when he noticed the unusual look his two friends are throwing his way.

To his further confusion, Josh and Stan laughed.

"Man, what have you eaten?" Stan asked. "Between the three of us, you have the worst temper. Normally, you would have blown off with what happened. You might even have called the manager." The two were still grinning like idiots.

"That's an exaggeration." He denied.

"Nope. You've always been the perfectionist. You don't accept other's mistakes. So what happened to you?"

Liam stared at his bottle of beer. They're right. But somehow, these last days, it's becoming easier for him to understand other people's small mistakes and to not make a big deal out of it.

He shrugged. "Maybe I'm maturing."

"Yeah, right." His two friends laughed again.

Liam did not mind them as his eyes went towards the entrance of the bar and he was surprised to see Louis enter there.

He instantly smiled. He also automatically stood up to walk towards the boy, but he also stopped abruptly when he saw that Louis was with someone. His smile disappeared. It was the same guy that's been with him when he first saw him in this same bar before.

Scowling, he continue walking towards his fiancé in big steps and ignored his two friends that were calling his name- surprised by his sudden departure from their table.

"Lou, I never thought I'd see you here." Louis' eyes widen upon seeing him, sign of panic. Then, Louis quickly looked to the guy he is with. Liam's scowl deepened.

"Boo, Zee, let's head upstairs... Oh, who's this hunk here?"

Liam's eyes shot to the lady who just arrived. She was taller than Louis, but it's unnoticeable if you won't look closely.

"Hi there, I'm Eleanor, single and available. You are..?" The lady eagerly reached her hand to him. A wicked thought entered his mind. He threw a glare to the guy who's with Louis before smiling at the blunt lady.

"Hi, I'm Liam Payne.” He introduced himself without second thoughts. “And I am Louis' fiancé."

He saw how Louis' two companions froze while Louis paled.

"Ah, guys.. excuse us for a while." Louis said, quickly grabbing his hand and pulling him away from Eleanor and Zayn.

*****

"We had a deal. So what are you doing?" Louis whisper-yelled, annoyance and irritation evident in his voice as he pulled Liam away from his two friends.

"I'm not doing anything." Liam said feigning innocence.

"I thought we're not supposed to sabotage each other, and you telling them that I'm your fiancé qualifies as sabotaging my chances with Zayn!" Louis placed his hands on his hips and Liam scowled at him while trying not to stare at Louis' curves.

"What do you like about him anyway? He's not even that good-looking." He said along with his trademark dry tone. That's not true. The 'Zayn' guy was very good-looking. And him and Louis look so perfect together that it makes Liam feel so.. so...argh!

Liam ignored Louis' glare and continued. "He looked like a wimp. Besides, I was under the impression that you're not exactly fond of the bourgeoisie lifestyle, but what's this? Why have I seen you here twice now?" And with him, the voice in his head irritatingly added.

Louis inhaled a lungful of air, obviously controlling himself from snapping at Liam.

"I'm here because El has a free pass. And since it's her birthday, I want to celebrate it with her. The last time I was here, it's because... Wait!" Louis glared at him when he realized what he's doing. "Why should I explain myself to you?" Louis said indignantly. "Stop annoying me." The boy irritatingly turned his back to him and walked away.

Liam frustratingly stared at Louis' retreating form. He took a deep breath and quickly ran after Louis, grabbing his arm and turning him gently to face him again.

"Are you mad?" Frustration was in Liam's voice.

"Oh no. I 'm not mad. In fact, I'm very happy!" Louis said sarcastically.

"I'm sorry."

"Oh, sure. You always do- what did you say?" Louis' face was surprised. "Did I hear you right? You said 'sorry'?" Shock was still on Louis' expression, like Liam just did the most unbelievable thing ever, making Liam feel even more irritated. Then unexpectedly, Louis grinned at him and he looked breathtaking.

"Well, since you apologized, I guess it's okay now. Apology accepted. See yah." And before he could even open his mouth to answer, Louis already walked away.

He just stared at Louis like a complete idiot, then he shook his head. How could Louis be so mature and yet so childlike?

He directed his gaze at Louis again. And just like before, he felt a tug inside him. He doesn't know where does the urge to touch Louis came from. It wasn't even sexual. He just want to reach out to him and hold his hand, or wound his arms around the boy’s waist, or shoulder. And he don't understand himself, too.

Liam let out a sigh and went back to his friends' table, but his eyes immediately glued themselves to the table where Louis' at. The irritation inside him welled up again as he watch Louis' sweet smile directed to Zayn. He felt his insides tighten. Louis never smiled like that to him- and he is the fiancé.

"Liam, if looks could kill, that raven-haired guy would've been bleeding and dead on the floor already."

He sharply looked at a smirking Josh.

"Hey, cool, Man. Don't get mad at us." Josh said stifling a laugh.

"I am not mad." He said, then he downed his beer and slammed it on the table, creating a loud 'thud' and shaking the table itself, fingers denting the empty can of beer.

Josh and Stan looked at each other knowingly.