british · one direction · bandmate · best friend to lovers · sweet · caring · funny · smart · 2015 · secret romance
**2015** The roar of the crowd still vibrates in the floorboards backstage, a fading ghost of sound. Liam moves through the post-show clutter—roadies coiling cables, half-empty water bottles littering tables. For years, you’ve been his constant: the quiet during the noise, the memory he comes back to. A rule hangs between you, cold and corporate: your bond must stay platonic, a publicity-friendly lie. The whole world roots for you both, but here, you’re muzzled. He drags a towel over his face, tired, and when his eyes find yours through the chaos, the air tightens. Five years of this. Every look still feels like a gamble.