CHAPTER 5

            Louis sighed softly, when he noticed at the end of their flight into the Denver airport that Niall and Liam were still holding hands. Because of the sight he reached over and tweaked Niall’s nipple, smirking at the boy when he heard a gasp and his hand trying to get Louis’ hand away.
            “What was that for?” Niall grumbled, the hand he had used to push away Louis’ was the one that had been holding Liam’s.
            “You were holding hands with Liam and not with me, so I tweaked you,” Louis said shrugging.
            “Oh, stop being jealous Lou, we aren’t together, unlike some people that I know that should be,” Liam scolded, the last part of his sentence a murmur. Louis had defiantly caught it, but Niall hadn’t because Louis was playing with his hair, hell bent on messing it up.
            “Come on you two, we’re at the airport, we have to catch the next plane,” Zayn chuckled.
            Niall looked up and Zayn and then back to Louis who had stopped bothering him. “What did Liam mean by ‘unlike some people that I know that should be’?” Niall asked slipping out of his seat to get off of the plane, and shrugged his jacket on since it was below forty degrees. Louis shrugged acting like he didn’t know at all, but he did. He pushed Niall down the small walkway, and pushed him down the narrow steps.
            “Hey, Lou, stop pushing Nialler, he could fall down!” Liam said from the bottom of the steps.
            “Yeah, babes, he has a trick knee,” Zayn said dropping his arm on Niall’s shoulder once he was off of the plane. Louis ignored them, and twisted Niall’s nipple. The boy flinched and turned his body towards Zayn, who still had his arm wrapped around him. Louis stomped ahead of the pair, and Harry followed after him, Liam walking between the two group of boys.
            “Why are you being so mean to Niall? I thought you fancied him,” Harry asked putting his hand in Louis’ back pocket while Louis placed his hand at the back of Harry’s neck, tangling his fingers in the boy’s hair.
            “Because he knows I fancy him, and he told me, that he fancies me, and now look, he’s clinging onto you lads and not me,” Louis grumbled. Harry looked down at Louis and nodded, it was understandable to know someone likes you back and be frustrated with them that they won’t further the relationship.
            Harry’s hand moved around Louis’ waist, while Louis’ arm slinked around Harry’s neck, pulling at each other so that their heads were touching. “Are you trying to make him jealous Lou?” Harry asked softly, glancing behind them to see that Zayn still had his arm wrapped Niall’s shoulders, and they were talking quietly.
            “Maybe,” Louis responded quietly, making Harry look back to him.
            “I think you’re just making him feel worse,” Harry replied frowning.
            “Are you okay Nialler?” Zayn asked softly, not getting the usual Niall mimicking his movements after he dropped his arm on the shorter boy’s shoulders.
            “Yeah, I’m totally fine!” Niall said in his best American accent, this made Zayn laugh.
            “Great, great, but seriously, are you and Lou okay?” Zayn pressed.
            “Yea-No, we’re not. Kaiden broke up with me because of him, she found out his feelings for me, and I’m guessing she figured out mine for him,” Niall whispered, ashamed.
            “Then why aren’t you two together if you both have the same feelings, and you both are free?” Zayn asked curiously.
            “Because… I’m… I don’t know,” Niall muttered shaking his head, staring at the ground. He didn’t notice at all when they had entered the airport from outside where their plane landed.
            “Nialler, I think you do know,” Zayn urged, he didn’t like seeing the small Irish boy so sad, it would cause problems between the group if the funny one wasn’t so funny.
            “I just… I can’t right now, Zayn. It’s too soon,” Niall whispered, slowly pulling away from Zayn, when girls in the airport suddenly crowded the band. Harry and Louis had the most around them; of course, Niall was bunched together with Zayn and Liam, both of them knowing how he got claustrophobic sometimes when this happened.  
            Finally the air marshal and their body guards stepped in, needing to get the five boys to the plane that would fly them to LAX, which had been chaotic the first time they arrived at the airport to start their tour that had just ended. They were going to do another interview with Ellen, a few local good morning shows, and then fly to New York for the shows there, and spend the rest of their time back at home.
            They had to bored the plane immediately, having a quick flight change, and all found their seats on the larger plane. Harry and Zayn sat together, an empty seat next to them, Niall, Louis, and Liam sat behind the two boys, Niall and Louis kicking the other two’s seats, Liam occasionally musing the boys’ hair as well.
            Liam had fallen asleep only moments after the plane had taken off, Harry and Zayn falling asleep after the kicking fight had ended. “So are you and Harry back together now?” Niall asked quietly, looking out the window.
            Louis laughed quietly, “No we aren’t together, and we never were. Why do you ask?” He asked his hand slipping over to take Niall’s.
            “Well, you two were all over each other like you used to be, so I just thought…” Niall mumbled shrugging.
            “No, he’s not my type, and I’m not his. He likes them older, while I like them when they’re you,” Louis whispered in Niall’s ear, just in case Liam wasn’t asleep.
            Niall jumped when he felt Louis’ lips against his ear. “So, I’m your type?” Niall asked quietly, looking at Louis from under his lashes.
            “I thought that was obvious when we were kissing in that closet, telling each other we fancied each other,” Louis continued to whisper, his face moving  to look into Niall’s eyes.
            “I didn’t realize that meant that meant you fancied me since you are being mean to me, and you and Harry are hanging on each other,” Niall whispered back, looking down and away.
            “Hey, boys, I’m going to the restroom, behave Lou,” Liam said suddenly, making both boys jump.
            “Why do I have to behave?” Lou yelled at him, his voice cracking.
            “Because you’ll be mean to me or something, that’s why he’s not sitting up there with the other boys,” Niall whispered, glancing over at Louis.
            “I’m never mean to you,” Louis denied, Niall just turned his head back towards the window, watching as they flew over the mountains.
            “Niall, I really fancy you, please look at me,” Louis said taking Niall’s face into his hand turning it towards his own. “Why don’t you want us to happen?” Louis asked quietly.
            “Lou… I just got dumped because of you. I don’t want to be in a relationship with you right after I thought I was in a relationship with someone I thought I was going to be with for, maybe, ever,” Niall whispered sadly, looking down.
            “Nialler… I… I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you had it that bad for her,” Louis whispered.
            “Of course you didn’t,” Niall whispered, pulling away from Louis looking back out the window. Louis stared at the Irish-man and got up to go to the restroom when Liam came back. Liam sat down next to Niall, taking Louis’ seat.
            “Is that real reason you don’t want to be with him Nialler?” Liam asked softly, kindly.
            “That’s part of it,” Niall whispered looking over his shoulder to Liam.
            “What’s the other part?” Liam asked placing his hand on Niall’s, tangling their fingers together.
            “I… There’s… I can’t talk about it right now, it’s… I don’t want to worry about hi-it right now,” Niall said looking down at their hands.
            “Is it about Se-.”
            “I don’t want to talk about him right now either,” Niall snapped, pulling his hand away from Liam’s hand.
            “If you’re scared he’ll find out, he’ll love you no matter what,” Liam said softly, his hand petting Niall’s hair.
            “I will not discuss anything surrounding him right now Liam… Later, much later, when we go home. I’ll talk to you then,” Niall whispered softly, his voice being hoarse.
            “Okay, Nialler, it’s a date,” Liam whispered, ruffling the boy’s hair. “In the mean time, give Lou some lovin’, he’ll take your mind off of messy things like Matt,” Liam continued, standing up, and sat in the empty seat with Harry and Zayn, joining them in their long slumber.
            Niall blushed at Liam’s comment, but he was ready to face Louis with a perkier outlook. He leaned out of his isle looking around for Louis, seeing a girl staring at him, her mouth a gape, phone at the ready. He sat in Louis’ seat seeing if he could see her from the seat, just incase Lou and him decided to get busy. He smirked when he couldn’t see her, and didn’t see any other girls that could possibly be interested in what they could be up to.
            Just in case, Niall looked over his chair, to look at the people behind him, all adults, who were all asleep, and looked ahead to look at the three boys. He mused with each of their hair, none of them waking up, surprisingly, he did it again and they stirred. It didn’t really matter if they noticed Louis and him getting down to some business because it was obvious they all supported it.
            Niall sat back down, going back to his own seat, just in time for Louis to come back and sit in his own seat, looking away from Niall, obviously ashamed that he’d done something to break Niall’s heart unintentionally.
            “Lou?” Niall asked softly, placing his hand on Louis’ shoulder.
            “Hmm?” He responded turning around to look at Niall, only to meet soft lips. His eyes widened, not expecting such a pleasant attack. One of Niall’s hands clung to Louis’ stripped shirt, the other tugging at the bottom of his hair. Louis was glad that the armrest was not in their way as he pushed Niall up against the wall of the airplane, his hands wandering down to the boy’s hips.
            “Vas Happenin’ Boys!” Zayn said loudly.
            “Yeah, Lou! Get some!” Harry chanted.
            “Be gentle Lou, he bruises easily,” Liam said a smirk firmly planted on his face.
            Louis pulled his face away when the boys began being obnoxious, Niall’s face turning completely red. He slid his hands down and softly pushed Louis off of him. Niall frowned when he saw that all three boys held a camera, all having taken a picture.
            “We’re totally tweeting this,” Harry said smirking down at his phone.
            “Harry! No! You can’t!” Niall said jumping up trying to grab Harry’s phone.
            “I can’t do it now, we’re on an airplane,” Harry said snorting, sinking down in his seat. The other two boys sat down in their seats, giggling like they were Directioners that had just seen One Direction, although it wasn’t far from it.
            Niall sat down in his seat blushing darkly, Louis sat next to him, cuddling him gently. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to embarrass you, you got me excited when you kissed me,” Louis whispered.
            “It’s fine Lou, if you can be calm, we can kiss more,” Niall whispered, looking at the older male from under his lashes. Louis smirked and kissed Niall softly, his arms wrapping around Niall’s waist. Niall’s hands found their way into Louis’ hair, causing the hair to stand up more than it usually did. They jumped when the pilot began to speak.
            Niall looked out the window to see LA for the third time, of course it was busy, a change from the mountainous village they had just come from. Louis was still wrapped around Niall, not wanting to let go.
            “We can still hold hands Boo Bear,” Niall said with a snort when he pulled away from Louis, of course the boy took the opportunity to hold Niall’s hand when he couldn’t hug him.
            “Nialler are you trying to say that you’re scared with out actually saying it?” Louis asked smiling. Niall looked over at Louis his eyes wide, and Louis chuckled, squeezing Niall’s hand, bringing it up to his lips to kiss his hand.
            The plane landed thirty minutes later, Niall ending up being hugged by Louis because Niall practically crawled into his lap. “Why every time we get on a plane does there have to be a storm?” Niall whimpered, causing Louis to chuckle.
            The boys had to wait for everyone to get off the plane so that their security could watch and keep track of them better, and to laugh at Niall for being scared of the plane shaking.
            “It’s Liam’s fault for saying that bigger planes aren’t as safe as small planes,” Niall pouted, letting Louis cling to him, even after Niall had pulled away.
            “Niall it’s more likely for you to dislocate your knee walking than die in a plane crash,” Liam said patting the boy’s head.
            “That’s only because I have a sixty percent chance of that,” Niall said with a frown.
            They all stood up when their security guard came back to tell them it was okay to go.  Louis continued to hold Niall’s hand, Harry holding Louis’, Liam holding Niall’s and Zayn’s. Of course there were fans waiting for them, and had taken a picture of this beautiful event. The boys had learned to do this in big cities with big crowds in order to keep track of each other and make sure Niall was okay, since they knew that he was easily overwhelmed.
                        They slid into the shuttle that took them to the studio where they were being interviewed, then back to their hotel, and back to the airport the next day. They flew back to London, to probably go their separate ways for the rest of their vacation time.