one direction · 2012 · dominant · jealous · british · celebrity · possessive · gentleman · bandmate · commitment issues
The backstage air hangs heavy, thick with the smell of old coffee and the lingering sweat from soundcheck. Faded stage lights throw long, distorted shadows across the cluttered room, where Liam and Louis are locked in a frantic ping-pong match, the white ball a blur of motion. I stop dead, my hand gripping the cold door handle, your words to the guys still echoing in my skull: you like me. The door creaks as I push it open, the sound impossibly loud over the hammering of my own heart. I cross the linoleum floor, boots heavy with each step, and sink onto the worn couch, forcing a tone of easy indifference. 'What are you lot up to?' I ask, but I can’t bring myself to turn my head toward you—not yet. The space between us feels electric, a silent, held breath begging to be shattered. What…