#niall double icons

[justmybeautifulthings]

as requested, a list of highly very oddly specific AOTV predictions that wont happen:

hes trying to install LED lights on an object people really wouldnt

"Im in Payno" joke when hes feeling sad

welcome to my crib tour of his stash of random mancave expenses stored in a hoarderly fashion (think life sized superheroes, the forrest gump braces, tiny toy cars, unopened 3d printer, designer chair shaped like a dog, some very shiny unidentifiable object too large to fit anywhere in the middle of the room on the floor)

he pets a horse

he has friendly chitchat with the delivery person bc they know him bc he orders his coffee (bonus: throwing a fit bc his starbucks is taking too long just before)

hes recording a song but hasnt written the lyrics yet and hes singing "ya no wha a mean" as a placeholder

cinematographic subtle shade (like paralleling some [within fandom] iconic footage but no words used or context given and it actually is on purpose but well never know that for sure)

he's got a strand of niall's blonde hair framed

wears yellow and says "I look like a banana"

for whatever reason hes trying to glue something together and it doesnt work as hes not using the right glue and nobodys telling him

hes claiming he does know how to cut a tomato by now but then doesnt show any proof

shoutout lighthouses

an ad for barneys beanery in the middle

he makes an analogy that one direction is like a burger and then goes on a long ramble that hes the bun oh no wait hes the burger harry is the lettuce oh no wait harry is the bun niall is the tomatoes liam is the gerkin zayn is the sauce no wait harry is the sauce no wait he is the sauce no wait-

footage of him making a business call of placing an order for a ridiculous amount of black pants

A look into his closet and there will be some comment you can take as having a double meaning and it will make me feel bad for responding the way i will (bonus shows off the grease jacket he still has)

a total of 28 subtle dick jokes can you spot them all?

recorded zoom meetings during the pandemic with cliff barking in the background with dramatic music when hes like i need to take 5 guys this pandemic is getting to me

he reveals the weird hobbies he got into during the pandemic like everyone else

he makes nice comments about his own eyelashes like multiple times throughout unprompted

continuous zoom ins on unhinged signs in the crowd, if we list them all together the first letter of each sign will make a sentence but itll spell out "h a h a y o u f i g u r e d i t o u t"

every scene he wears the same pants but a size smaller till we notice (possibly related to the order of black pants this was not on purpose)

reveals his favorite color dramatically

drinks red wine and then trashes it but later in another fragment hes just drinking it like normal

hes watching some pawn shop /auction tv show screaming at it like as if hes bidding along

hes playing minecraft, there will be carrots in his hotbar also his hotbar will be a mess also hell get thrown of the mountain by a goat

silk pjs

he lights something on fire by accident

some kinda quick bambambambam pic collage edit thing that just like has a lot a lot a lot of unseens but it goes so fucking quick like youre like WAIT WHAT SHIT HOLD UP and ok ok unhinged then there are shirtless pics in between

home video of cutting his own hair (LHL around the euros)

covers sweet caroline while showing footage of football fans and his crowd back and forth

keeps confessing his deep love for his fans (will happen) but laying flat on the floor bawling making whiney noises completely unintelligible

there will be enough onions

AND THIS IS WHY WE'RE FRIENDS.

[bisluthq]

Niall is my favourite 1D boy like his music is good and he has the best press of all the 1D guys baring that thing with Ellie Goulding over ten years ago

the Ellie thing is one of the reasons I like him lmao like manz went and cucked Ed and got with a woman double his height. Iconic.

[webseriesviral]

'The Voice' announces Season 25 coaches, including first-ever coaching duo The Voice has announced its lineup of coaches for Season 25, including the show's first-ever, coaching duo. NBC has announced three-time Grammy Award winners Dan + Shay will serve as The Voice's first co-coaching team when the show returns with a new season in Spring 2024. Dan + Shay -- who will share a "red double chair," according to NBC -- will be joined by country icon Reba McEntire as well as veteran coaches John Legend and Chance the Rapper for Season 25. Reba and John signed on for back-to-back seasons of The Voice, as they'll also be serving as coaches on the show's 24th season this fall alongside veteran coaches Niall Horan and Gwen Stefani. Chance will be coaching artists again on Season 25 after serving as a coach on Season 23 earlier this year, when he brought new arrangements and a fresh musical perspective to the NBC reality series. One of The Voice's inaugural coaches, country singer Blake Shelton, retired from the show last season and won't be returning for the foreseeable future. Dan + Shay previously appeared on The Voice as a Battle-Round advisor for Blake's team on Season 20. Dan + Shay has achieved nine No. 1 singles on country radio. In 2021, the duo became the first artists to win the Grammy Award for Best Country Duo/Group Performance three times in a row since the category's inception. They are on the verge of releasing their fourth studio album titled "Good Things." The Voice crowned Gina Miles its Season 23 champion over runner-up Grace West during the Season 23 finale that aired in May 2023 on NBC. Gina, a 19-year-old from Paxton, IL, won by a vote that turned out to be "the closest margin of victory in The Voice history," according to show host Carson Daly. Gina was a member of Niall's team, giving Niall his first The Voice victory as a coach. Grace, a 19-year-old from Canton, MI, was a member of Blake's team.About The Author: Elizabeth KwiatkowskiElizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments); if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script', 'https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); fbq('init', '139494146798076'); fbq('track', 'PageView'); (function(d, s, id) var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1&appId=226191007403108"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); (document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); [ad_2] Read More

[berlinini]

Wait, so you came into the fandom through Project Defenceless?! That’s literally iconic!! Can you tell us how it happened?

Yes I did!!!

How to summarize this shortly... [narrator's voice: it will not be short]

So the year was 2021 and it was many months into a worldwide pandemic, which is important because it explains some unusual behaviour and unhealthy coping mechanisms due to the state of the world and the boredom of lockdown... *nervous laugh/cry*.

In short, one day, I heard Adore You by Harry Styles, started listening to his albums, fell into an youtube rabbit hole of mostly Harry but then 1D content, along with the inevitable blue and green hearts but also the #projectdefenseless hashtag. I kept seeing it and thought, well if everyone is talking about this song so much, I should check it out and then I heard Walls and it blew my mind. I was in a brief Larry tumblr rabbit hole (cringe) before I found Sea's blog, which confirmed a lot of the intuition I had towards Harry's fake-ass brand (breaking point for me was reflecting on holivia [the lack of professional behavior on his part + double standard, but that's just sexism in society i guess]+ the dead eyes at the Grammys).

At the same time the more I found out about Louis, his talent for writing, his love for music, his honesty, his work ethics, his positive message, his accent, his laugh, his smile, his dimples, his hands, his puppy eyes, his cheekbones, the way he looks like a baby, an angel, a man who will make you tea and cuddle you but also like a man who will fuck you up ANYWAYS I found my lane. I also found out that Louies are super cool, and funny, and "rad" and thus, here I am.

I'm sure there are new members in many fandoms due to the pandemic. And I can't help but think that as much as Harry tries to put distance between him and 1D/his former bandmates, him getting more famous will bring curious fans into the 1D rabbit hole and some might change lanes (sweet, sweet irony). Not the general public, but maybe fans who will be looking into "consuming" more HS (which is the bottom line of his marketing strategy), and I believe there is more of those fans due to the pandemic (what else is there to do, really). I literally picture a "Harry Styles highway" with a little 1D detour and then a road to merge back to HS or an exit into solo Louis/Niall/Liam/Zayn. Anyways I took the Louis exit (which is now getting close to the Zouis exit hehe!) and I'm very happy that I did!!!

I'm not gonna lie these last few weeks have been very intense, I feel like I got a crash course in the music industry, PR practices, 1D history, Louis' career, etc. which again is due to the fact that life's not normal at the moment. But, soon it will be *fingers crossed* and I will get to see Louis live, which wouldn't have happened if the world hadn't stopped in March 2020. So, silver lining?

TLDR: fan projects work because some people will be curious, defenseless worked for me, so talk about KMM ;)

[songandashadow]

august fic rec

so this list is a whole mess because I haven’t made one in so long and in the time since I last did, I discovered a whole bunch of new fics and authors that I can’t even begin to put in one rec. Instead here’s a small part of the massive amount of fics I read recently. Please give these authors kudos, comment and enjoy. :)

❀ This Could Be Something by 28sunflowers |  6k words

After a hookup gone wrong, Harry keeps getting sick at random times without reason. That is, until Louis shows up at his door with a wild explanation.

Sometimes, "happily ever after"s come in the strangest forms.

❀ (Take Me Home) Country Roads by Awriterwrites | 86k words

a Northern Exposure AU featuring Louis as the big city doctor, Harry as a natural healer, Niall as a secretive barkeep, Liam and Zayn head over heels for each other but they don't know it and a lot of hurt, comfort and moonshine in between.

❀ Love You a Latte by 1Diamondinthesun | 15k words

Louis Tomlinson doesn’t drink coffee and definitely doesn’t go to Starbucks. Enter barista Harry Styles. Add a double shot of espresso, stir in 90s references to taste, and top with whipped cream and love.

Or, the coffee shop AU featuring girl direction, creative espresso, and a professor and a barista falling in love in one beautiful autumn.

❀ Please Be Naked by Only_angel_28 | 17k words

Louis starts squirming, desperately needing something to do with his hands. Needing to do anything, really, to distract him from the perfect male specimen standing naked in front of him. In the end, the only thing he can do is strip out of his own jeans and briefs, which he does with trembling, clumsy fingers, his heart beating out a violent, chaotic rhythm in his chest the entire time.

He hears Harry’s sharp intake of breath, and slowly raises his eyes from where he was staring at his own bare feet to meet his gaze.

“So,” Harry says bashfully, his voice gone even deeper somehow. “We’re naked.”

“Yup,” Louis squeaks.

“You okay?”

No!

“Yup,” Louis repeats, sounding just as unstable as he did the first time.

This is the last favor Louis Tomlinson is ever doing for Zayn Malik. (Because, after today, he’ll be dead, but that’s neither here nor there.)

❀ The Sleeping Giant by LadyLondonderry | 3k words

In the centre of the pond, there is a sleeping giant.

He rises out of the water, eyes closed and face at peace, sitting as if in a trance. Moss grows up his back, tangles in his hair. He is at peace here, or perhaps he is peace. Perhaps he is what keeps the pond and the clearing so quiet and serene, blessing the forest with his presence.

❀ I Heard You Talking by lululawrence | 10k words

It had been an hour of their noise that Louis had been dealing with, and for some reason the fact that these grown men were being this rowdy in the quiet carriage over a game of Uno was the breaking point for him. He stood up and turned around, making his way down to where the group of five were somehow gathered around a table.

Louis stopped at the table and cleared his throat, mouth open and ready to politely request they keep it down when the man who was sitting with his back to Louis turned.

He was stunningly gorgeous.

Blinking a ridiculous number of times in an attempt to pull himself together, Louis coughed and spit out, “This is the quiet carriage.”

God, he was nearly forty and that was the best he could do in front of a set of pretty, green eyes?

Or the one where Harry is famous and Louis doesn't have a clue. Good thing his son is able to help him out.

❀ The Lonely Planet Guide to Second Chances by 1Diamondinthesun | 102k words

When Harry and Louis broke up, the last thing on Harry's mind was the non-refundable surprise trip he had booked for them across Europe. Harry was supposed to be moving on, not sightseeing with his ex. In hindsight, touring the continent with Louis was probably a bad idea. So naturally, that's exactly what Harry did.

Or, the breakup travel fic featuring romantic sunsets, awkward bed sharing, and second chances against a backdrop of some of Europe's most iconic cities.

❀ got the sunshine on my shoulders by hattalove | 124k words

five years ago, harry styles left his tiny home town to make it big as a recording artist. he didn't have much regard for what he left behind - a life, a family, and a husband, who woke up one morning to find him gone.

now, harry has everything he could possibly want: he's rich, famous, and adored by everyone he meets, including his boyfriend. but when said boyfriend proposes to him, he's forced to face the uncomfortable facts of his past - and louis, who's spent the last five years returning every set of divorce papers harry sent him.

(or, an au based on the movie sweet home alabama.)

❀ bright eyes, blue denim by 4ureyesonly28 | 2k words

Louis' favourite jeans have suddenly disappeared from where he always got them. Harry is a store manager with an affinity for customer care, particularly when the customer has bright blue eyes and happens to be very flirty.

❀ Take Your Time by Layne Faire (HisDarlin) | 11k words

When Harry finds himself in the middle of a messy break-up with no place to live, Louis offers a spare room in his flat. Unbeknownst to Harry, Louis has been infatuated for years. Over the objections of their friends, who know the truth, Harry accepts. Can Louis survive Harry moving into his home…and closer to his heart? Will Harry see what's right in front of him?

❀ I'm Tripping Over Your Every Single Move by lookingfortherainbow | 5k words

“I could pretend to drown,” Harry gasped, looking like he was in awe of his own genius. “Oh my god, what a story to tell our kids. He’d be my reason for almost dying, my reason for staying alive. By the way, have you been working out more lately?”

Liam stared in utter disbelief at his friend’s wild imagination, vaguely noting that Harry was now petting at his bicep in a daze, no longer holding it in a death grip. Sometimes, he wondered why Harry wasn’t at least minoring in theatre.

“Harry, babe. You’re here on a scholarship. For swimming. You’ve literally won multiple events in this very pool. Because you’re so good at swimming. You come here almost everyday to train, which I don’t think has escaped any of the lifeguards who work here. I don’t think that’s as good a plan as you think it is,” Liam said, eyebrows turned up with concern.

Or, Harry is the local swimming star athlete and Louis is the lifeguard that turns Harry into a fish out of water.

❀ the pinker, the bluer by docklands | 1k words

Harry comes out as a trans guy during the pandemic. Working from home and away from everyone, he finds liberty to explore his self-identity. One night, however, he decides to go out.

❀ Lovin' It Up by letsjustsee | 6k words

What did Niall know? This had nothing to do with the few times (okay, countless times) Louis had pined over the idea of Hot Neighbor while drinking. Nothing at all. So what if he had perfect lips and long legs and the cutest little curls around his ears? Certainly not Louis.

He continued to scribble away, most of his words indiscernible except for one written in large letters at the very top of the napkin: REVENGE

Or, a neighbors AU in which Louis vows to get revenge on the guy who didn't hold the elevator for him - no matter how ridiculously attractive he may be.

❀ My Strange Addiction by phdmama | I'm Hot for Teacher verse

The guy at the other end of the bar has been checking Harry out all night.

❀ take the time for you by pixies | 1k words

Dating hasn’t really been very easy for him, lately, not ever since he moved to London earlier in the year for his job. He’d had terrible luck with online dating and was too dedicated to his current projects at work to make time to go out to the bars or to try to socialize more than once every few weeks.

aka, Harry ends up at speed-dating to get his friend off his back and has a better night than expected.

[softths]

Can you do #2 and idk the number but it was "kiss me, again" I think. I love your writing btw🤍🤍

Prompt #2 : ‘You’re awake? Fuck.’ & Prompt #47: ‘Kiss me again’

A/N: this has been heavily requested, and is of course a friend to lovers as it’s my favourite thing to write and this is probably my favourite thing I’ve wrote in a while <33 also thank you very much to whoever asked this, ily xxx

word count: 2.3k

You and Harry had become immune to the questions now, it was all simply a routine. ‘Are you two….?’ Was the most common one, with the quick glance between the two of you and the finger that would flicker between the two. ‘No.’ Was always your reply, with a small smile while Harry would laugh lightly and always reply ‘Just good friends’ mate.’

In the beginning, it was awkward, for you at least. With every question came an awkward silence and not knowing what to say. Harry would laugh and you would feel awful about yourself because of it. Was it really that funny, the idea of him being with you? But now, now it was simple. It just was not like that and never would be between the two of you. So, you had thought.

‘It’s Li’s wedding in a few months, all the boys have dates and I don’t want to be fucking nineth wheeling the whole time. Fancy coming with?’ You looked over to Harry, eyebrows furrowed, as you took in what he had said. ‘You want me to come to Li’s wedding with you?’ Harry nodded in response to your question, taking another handful of popcorn and putting it into his mouth.

“Don’t you feel like that’s a bit weird? Why don’t you take that girl you’ve been seeing?” You say nonchalantly, returning your gaze back to the TV before Harry reaches to pause it. He sighs as he does, before facing you. “Look, I can’t just bring some random girl to one of my best mates’ weddings, she’ll be in the photos and it’ll just be weird. Like really weird. You’re a friend of all of us and Liam said he wants you there, please?” He asks, well pleads really.

You roll your eyes before sighing in defeat. “Fine, but I’m still pissed at Liam for not inviting me himself and just assuming I’d be fine going with you.” Harry shrugs before pressing play again, “He just know you can’t say no to the charm of Harry Styles.” You slap him lightly, “Get your head out of your arse Styles.” You retaliate.

“When and where is it again?” You ask, standing up to refill your glass with water. “This weekend and Italy.” You gasp after taking in a mouthful of water, causing yourself to choke slightly. Harry runs in as he hears you struggling to breathe. He helps by patting you on the back firmly as you begin to cough. “This fucking weekend Harry? As in four days?” Harry shrugged and nodded. “Yeah, what’s the issue?”

“I have a job Harry. A normal job unlike you. I’m not a musician who can just take time off when I need to. I don’t have anything to wear. Fuck Harry, why aren’t you more organised.” Harry interrupted your rambling quickly, “Woah, woah, woah, shush for a second. I’ve already spoken to your boss and he said it was fine. I gave his daughter tickets to a show and he said we were even. I’ll get Lambert to contact some people and you’ll have a dress, tailored to you that matches my suit in time for when we leave okay? Don’t stress.” You nodded as you took in Harry’s words and tried to not overthink too much about the coming days.

You were stressed. You had an hour until you had to be at the venue and you hadn’t even tried the dress on yet. Harry was busy getting his suit on in the other room as you paced up and down. “Stop pacing, you’re driving me insane.” Harry barks from the other room. You listen to him and grab the dress from the hanger. You place your legs inside the bottom, stepping into it as you pull it up around you. It was a beautiful blue satin dress with a low v neck which sat on top of your chest, it fitted you perfectly and you were so grateful. You admired yourself in the mirror and finally felt like you could breathe as you fell more and more in love with the dress that was wrapped around your figure.

Walking out to see Harry, you placed your earrings in. You rest against the doorframe leading into the bathroom as he fixes his tie in the mirror before sighing in defeat and throwing his arms around. He looked stunning in his double-breasted navy suit, his handkerchief matching the pattern of the tie he was struggling to put on. ‘Help.’ He whined as he pouted and looked at you for the first time. ‘Fuck.’ He mumbled as he walked towards you. ‘You look…’ He started as you just laugh and pretended to flick your hair over your shoulder. ‘You don’t need to tell me how good I look.’ You mutter with a small laugh as he continues to gawk at you.

You reach for his tie and begin to do it up as he continues speaking. ‘No honestly, you look so beautiful. See I told you, you didn’t need to stress. Plus I don’t think I’ve ever seen Gucci look so good on anyone compared to the way it looks on you.’ He says and it was your turn to gawk at him. You slap him lightly as you drop his half-finished tie. ‘What the fuck do you mean Gucci?’ He just shrugged as he looked at you, smiling cheekily, ‘What? Couldn’t let you turn up in anything less than you are worth.” You finish off his tie before placing your hands on either of his shoulders, looking at him in the eye.

“How much did this put you back Harry?” You ask, raising an eyebrow. “Does it matter?” He whines, rolling his eyes and walking passed you. “Yes it does, to me.” Harry just shakes his head, grabbing your purse, “Look can we just go?”

“Not until you tell me.” You state, placing a hand on your hip and he sighs knowing he never is going to win against you. “£2,700.” He mumbles but you hear him and he hears your gasp. “Harry!” You yell as you look at him and he instantly goes to defend himself. “Look it’s not everyday you get to go to a wedding in Rome with your best friend okay? I just wanted you to feel amazing and have an amazing time. Please, you don’t owe me anything. I did this off my own back and I hate to be that person but it didn’t even dent the figure in my bank okay? I wanted to do this! So just say thank you and let’s get going.” You sigh as he opens the door and signals for you to leave. “Okay! Okay. I’m very, very grateful and you’re the best friend ever but don’t go thinking I’ve dropped this okay?” You warn, pointing your finger at him as he follows behind you with a small laugh.

The whole day was magical. You teared up at the ceremony. You always have and always would. There was just something about love, that made you emotional. Niall passed you a tissue and Harry gave you a reassuring cuddle as you watched Liam and Maya tie the knot. You were sat on a table with all the boys and their partners at dinner and laughed along with them at Zayn’s best man speech. A few stories were spilt about all the boys and you could not help but gently slap Harry as you found out secret antics that he had partaken in when he was in his early twenties in the band. But as the night grew on, you became more and more tired.

“Harry, I think I’m going to head back to the room.” You muttered with a small yawn as you looked at your watch to see it was growing closer to one in the morning and Liam was about to lift Louis up in the air, attempting to recreate the iconic scene from Dirty Dancing. “One more drink and then I’ll come back with you.” Harry promised as his attention went from Lilo to you and then back to Lilo, yet now they were on the floor in a heap at the failed attempt. You giggle and give in, taking another sip of your drink as Harry gets up to have one more dance with the boys.

“So you and Harry, hey? He finally plucked up the courage then?” Maya says as she perches next to you, you look up as a loud roar comes from the dancefloor and recognise the all too familiar opening chord of What Makes You Beautiful. The boys begin getting over excited and shouting the lyrics at the top of their lungs. “Huh? Nothing’s going on between me and Harry.” You laugh as Maya reddens. “But what do you mean ‘finally plucked up the courage’?” Maya dismissed her comment saying it must have been ‘the alcohol talking’. You nod as she gets up to join Liam and dance with him to the overly played One Direction tune. Harry waltzed over to you before your head could begin to work at what Maya had said.

“Let’s get going love.” He said as he reached out for your hand, after reaching to pick up your heels that had been discarded onto the floor hours ago. “We’re off to bed lads. Night.” Harry yells waving, as the boys collectively wolf whistle and Niall yells, ‘Don’t do anything I wouldn’t.’ You roll your eyes at their childish behaviour before hobbling out of the hall, wincing at the pain. “Your feet hurting you love?” Harry asks stopping as you continue to seethe in pain. “Yeah a bit, don’t worry about it. It’s not far to the room.” Harry simply shook his head and reached down to scoop you up in his arms before you could even argue with him.

“Put me down.” You say as he carries you, but you don’t have enough energy to fight him as he tells you to shush, claiming you were ‘light as a feather’. You quickly passed out in his arms and only awoke slightly when you felt yourself fall onto the bed. You kept your eyes shut as you heard Harry moving around in the room, you heard the metal of his belt, understanding that he was stripping down to get into bed.

When he stopped you felt him tapping your arm lightly. “Y/n, lovie, turn over so I can undo your dress if that’s okay?” You did as he said and felt his delicate fingertips glide over your skin as he undone the zip of your dress, he pulled the small straps off your arms before pulling the dress off of you to reveal your underwear before he placed the cover over your exposed skin and slipped into bed beside you as you moved, your back now facing him.

This was normal for the two of you. You had shared a bed together dozens of times, only in your underwear, but tonight, it felt different. He waited for a while, waiting for your breathing to change to signal that you were asleep before wrapping his arms around you. He traced your skin lightly before beginning to speak, “You looked so beautiful today.” He whispered. “I wanted to tell people you were mine today. That I was the one who you loved. The one who knew all your secrets. The person who you returned to at the end of every single day. That I was the luckiest man alive to be able to call you mine. But I’m too scared to do it. To even tell you what I want. Because, what if it changes everything. What if I don’t even get to have a part of you. What if I don’t get to be the man you come to moan about other men to. What if I don’t get to be the man you trust with everything, even the secrets that your previous partners don’t. What if it fucks up everything? I can’t do that to us. I can’t do that to you.” He sighs, placing a kiss to the back of your neck before resting his head on you.

“You’re so selfish, do you know that?” You whisper back to him, not moving. “You’re awake? Fuck.”  You turn to look at him in the darkness of the room, still able to make out the features of his face.

“Yes I’m still awake. And I’m pissed that you’ve been making all these decisions for me to be honest Styles.” You say with a small laugh and he can’t help but laugh too. “I-…” He is lost for words and his mind is racing, as is yours but you know this is what you want. What you’ve always wanted.

So you don’t have to think twice before leaning down and placing your lips on his. He welcomes the feeling immediately, wrapping his arms around you to pull you even closer. You pull away to look at him as he breathes slowly, both of you registering what just happened.

“Kiss me again.” Harry states and you did just that, smiling as you kiss him again and he pulls you on top of him. When you pull away again this time, it’s you that speaks up. “Still just good friend’s?” Harry looked at you, expressionless.

“Are you fucking kidding?” He asked as he looked at you, a smile on your face that he could not help but mirror. “You bitch.” He said beginning to tickle you, as you laughed. “Don’t threaten me with the friend zone ever again, we are way past that now.’ He said, continuing to tickle you. “Okay, okay. Now stop.” You beg as you try your best to wiggle out of his grip.

“I’m in love you.” He says, placing a kiss to your head.

“I’m in love you too.”

[seeinganewlight]

do songs for MIRANDA (just do double for the a's)

move by little mix

irresistible by one directon

right this way from bandstand

apex predator from mean girls

nothing by niall horan

all too well (10 minute version) (taylor's version) by taylor swift

you get 2 songs for the two a's in your name because you're an icon

give me a letter and i’ll tell you my 5 favourite songs starting with that letter

[sunflowerim]

I LOVE YOU 3000!

-PART 48

After Harry, Niall and Taylor arrived at LAX, they stopped for a little to take pictures with the excited fans who'd spotted them on the airport. The management had arranged for their transport to the hotel and soon enough, they were fetched by cars sent by their teams.

Louis arrived a few hours later, with Zayn and Liam. He was among the set of hosts for the red carpet of Academy Awards as was Niall, Zayn had an invitation from both Harry and Taylor's teams, having designed both their outfits for the evening and the movie for which Liam was the music producer was nominated. They were greeted by enthusiastic fans too but managed to get out of the airport quickly.

And thankfully for everyone, Harry and Louis were staying at different places.

93rd Academy Awards

Situated at the heart of Hollywood, the red carpet is a very intricate program. The 500 feet long red carpet was adorned with artists, photographers and interviewers. Bleachers had been set up on one side of it which contained hundreds of enthusiastic fans who'd come across from different countries to have a glimpse of the glam event.

Stepping out of the limousine with Taylor, Harry tried ro calm his frantic heartbeats. It would be unwise to lose his cool in front of hundred cameras and so many highly esteemed artists and a certain someone.

He was clad in a striped red and dark blue suit and beside him, Taylor in a gorgeous body con dress. Zayn knew perfectly well what would suit the two of them. Harry nervously ran his fingers through his hair, which had grown out a bit and curled beautifully at the ends.

Numerous flashes went off as they made their way across together and the fans cheered and waved. Soon they were led to separate section which was roped off from the entrance ; the nominees were to be interviewed before they entered the building. Harry's heart skipped a beat as the air carried a voice with heavy northern accent, a voice he knew so well. Taylor had heard it too and to his utter horror, started leading them towards the voice. As they made their way through the crowd of people, he spotted Louis, having an animated conversation with Robert Downey Jr. He'd been nominated for his movie Dolittle. Louis looked so happy that Harry stopped dead in his tracks. He was seeing Louis laugh after a long time and he certainly didn't want to go stand in front of him and wipe it away.

Much to his reluctance, Taylor held his arm and walked over to Louis. Louis smiled heartily at Taylor and as soon as he spotted Harry beside her, his smile vanished, just as Harry had feared. Little did Harry know, that it took everything in Louis' power to hold his ground and not stupidly smile at Harry. Louis had been wondering for the past few days if he had indeed been hard on Harry and whether or not it was just a misunderstanding, but seeing him with Taylor again, sort of brought him back to square one.

"Hi," Taylor beamed.

"Hey Taylor, good to see you," Louis replied, looking around, possibly for Roman or somebody else to rescue him.

"Looking good," Taylor said with a smirk.

"Haha thanks," Louis blushed, "you look gorgeous."

"Thank you Louis. Are we on camera yet?"

"No, just one moment, someone will be here."

Louis was obviously confused at Taylor and Harry being in front of him. Had the list been changed? Why didn't anyone tell him? And WHAT are the odds of him getting the interview he dreaded.

In a few seconds a cameraman arrived and just when Louis was supposed to start, Roman appeared out of nowhere.

"Good lord, where have you been?" Louis asked.

"Sorry, something urgent came up," Roman replied and then turning to Taylor he said, "So Taylor, we have a special fan who has journeyed for 32 hours to see you. Would you like to meet her?"

"Why of course! Lead the way."

Harry made to join Taylor, but she just turned around and said, "I'll be back," leaving Harry with Louis and the cameraman, who was ready to start recording.

Seeing no way out, Louis decided to get it over with as soon as possible.

"So Harry," he started with an unusually high pitched voice. He cleared his throat and resumed, "this is your first time at the Academy Awards. How does it feel?"

Harry hadn't spoken even once when Taylor and Louis were talking. His voice seemed to have died away in his throat. At that moment, he just wanted to hug Louis and apologize. With great difficulty he regained his composure and replied, "I'm nervous obviously and also very excited. It's not everyday that I get to be in the same room with so many special people."

"Speaking of special people, it's really wonderful that both you and Taylor got nominated and it would be double the celebration if both of you won tonight."

Harry could feel the edge in Louis' voice, and tried to push back the pang of sadness that was rising in his stomach.

"Yeah, definitely, I do hope both of us win."

"Well then good luck."

Harry smiled and stepped back from Louis, and instantly Taylor arrived again and took his arm as they made their way inside.

After an hour more of interviews, Louis found his way inside to where Zayn and Liam were sitting. They had arrived with him before the red carpet event began. Zayn noticed how flustered Louis looked and understood what the reason could have been.

"You okay Lou?"

"Yeah I'm fine."

"You don't look so good."

"It was very warm outside, I'm tired."

"Sure there isn't anything else?"

"No."

Before Zayn could press further, the lights dimmed out and the voice of the host boomed through the speakers,

"Welcome to the 93rd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.."

Harry wasn't sitting that far and Louis had to force himself to look straight ahead. He wouldn't let his eyes stray to where Harry was sitting with his girlfriend. Harry on the other hand, couldn't help but steal glances every once in a while at Louis' direction.

The ceremony proceeded pleasantly, other than the prickling sensation Louis was having, a feeling of being watched, everything was good and soon it was time for Harry's category.

"The next award is for the Best Actor and I'd like to call Leonardo DiCaprio on the stage to present it."

Louis stiffened. He was sure Harry was super nervous. He'd wanted to win this so badly.

With as much subtlety he could muster, he looked at Harry's direction, hoping to catch his eyes and at that very moment, Harry looked at him too, brows slightly furrowed with anticipation. He gave a little nod in Harry's direction and hoped that Harry understood him ; that he was proud of Harry no matter what.

Both of them looked away at Leo DiCaprio's voice booming through the speakers, "and the Academy Award for best actor goes to-"

Silence filled the hall and Harry could only hear the sound of his heart hammering in his chest. Louis' acknowledgement had been a comfort, but nothing had prepared him for this moment.

"--Harry Styles!"

The hall erupted in a roar of applause and cheers and Harry nervously stood up. After hugging Taylor and Niall and glancing once at Louis' direction, he made his way to the stage.

Harry had always been a shy person and currently a hall full of people, looking at his direction didn't make it easy for him. His heart was racing, given the adrenaline rush and he couldn't stop smiling. He was given the microphone to give a speech, but he just couldn't think of anything proper to say.

As the applause subsided, he started,

"Thank you so so much for the award. When I was working on the movie, I certainly didn't realise that we would come this far. My Policeman is an important movie and I feel lucky that I was chosen for it. Thanks to my director and my entire team who guided me throughout. Thanks to my family, currently watching me from home, who always supported me in everything and thanks to my loved ones for always wishing the best for me."

He let his eyes linger on Louis as he said this and a second later, the hall echoed with claps again.

The next category was for Best Actress and as expected, Taylor Swift bagged it. Confidence radiated from every inch of her face as she took the microphone for her speech.

"Wow, I wasn't expecting this, and was really nervous about it, even though my friend told me that I ought not to because this is like my 100th Oscar."

She air quoted the last word and winked at Harry as the people around laughed. "But thanks to the people who supported me through out the years and got me where I am today. I would be nowhere without you guys. Love you all." The applause after her speech was deafening. She was truly an icon.

For the rest of the evening, it became increasingly difficult for Harry to sit still. He couldn't wait for it to get over so that he could talk to Louis. But these things are easier said than done. As soon as the ceremony was over, he was being dragged back to his limo, as they were supposed to go to the after party hosted by Jennifer Aniston. It was more like a get together really and if Harry tried, he could get away, but Taylor wouldn't let him.

"Louis is coming too," was all she had to say to make Harry voluntarily come with her. This time Zayn got in with them too and they stopped at Zayn's studio for the change of outfits.

PREVIOUS / NEXT

INTRO

[wellthatwasaletdown]

"Please stop with the conspiracies. He was a schoolboy aged 16 who got lucky on the XF. We've seen every step of his career. He hasn't come out of nowhere like these supposed 'plants'."

Truth hurts right, I'm talking about his solo career. Everything was handed to him without even working. It's unusual for a solo artist to get debut performance at SNL. Week long gig at Late show with James corden. You need to work hard to get to the top. But he just, he got positioned everywhere, he was placed everywhere before he even had a number 1 hit single. His singles didn't have longevity yet he was given A list treatment by the media. Media & Industry backed his solo career. Media claims before Fine Line that he was the successful 1D member when he was only successful in touring. Paying for top playlisting on streaming services. Radio support/payola - there was so much radio push for his songs. Are we supposed to take the articles praising him as some icon seriously?

Its his marketing and image during the band days that made him standout eventhough there wasn't anything special about him. They realised Harry would do anything for attention. He was pushed as the front man since beginning especially from Haylor onwards. In 2011 Harry was the popular member but by 2012 Niall and Zayn were popular than Harry. Sometimes Louis also had more popularity than Harry. There was even some Zolo rumours back then because Zayn was the best at every performance and his looks and fashion were far better than Harry. It all changed when Harry got a big push because of Taylor Swift.

There's this data published in 2013 just before Midnight memories that revealed the popularity of each member. Harry got about a thousand more stories published than the next member Niall or Liam. And Zayn got the least stories less than 100.

Eventhough Zayn got far less media attention he was the most popular member among fans in terms of page views per story. Zayn got more than double the amount of the second most popular member which was Louis. And Harry was only third. Zayn had to experience hate from fans, media and Islamophobic, racist remarks from people. Still there are lots of fans who blame Zayn for the bands breakup eventhough Harry is solely responsible for the bands breakup. Harry always got away with everything since the beginning.

.

[disgruntledkittenface]

Under the cut are links to over 25 fics that I’ve written for the following pairings: gryles, horchata (Niall/Nick Grimshaw), lilo, lirry, narry, payneshaw (Liam/Nick Grimshaw), shiall, stylinshaw, tomlinshaw, zarry, ziall and zourry!

gryles

this cookie’s baking (M, 8k)

Harry’s eyes flicker between Nick’s eyes and lips. “I just want to be your–”

“Baby,” Nick says softly, cupping Harry’s jaw, “you already are.”

Nick and Harry have a long-overdue conversation.

hold this thread (E, 26k)

On his way to visit Henry getting ready for his London Fashion Week show, Nick bumps into a (stupidly pretty) model and pulls a loose thread on the sample he’s wearing. Horrified, Nick tries to mend the simple mistake, but it may just unravel into the best thing that ever could have happened to him.

sad sex is... no (NR, 2k)

“Hey, are you…”

As he hesitates, a line appearing between his furrowed eyebrows and a pout forming on his puffy pink lips, the words “don’t say it” run on a loop in Nick’s head, like a prayer.

“... okay?”

He said it. Fuck.

A gryles AU based on Harry’s iconic quote from the Jools Holland interview.

obsessed (NR, 100 words)

Usually when Nick's a disaster, it sends men running. This one's different.

like sun on the rise (M, 9k)

“Sorry,” Nick says at last, a crooked grin replacing her usual friendly, but not too friendly, customer service smile. “It’s my second double this week, so I’m kind of out of it. What can I get you, pretty?”

“No, I know you,” the girl insists, her green eyes wide as she leans over the counter. “I have known you so many times, in so many different forms, in so many different lives.”

“Uh…” Nick blinks, speechless for maybe the first time in her life. The thing is, the girl looks totally sincere. Kind of awestruck really, her pretty pink lips parted slightly as she takes Nick in. Like she can’t believe her luck or something. It’s not Nick’s fault that she has no idea how to act; no one has ever looked at her like this before. “Okay?”

Harry isn’t like anyone Nick has ever met before. Maybe that’s why they work.

horchata

use your heart while it’s beating (M, 7k)

Nick’s not entirely sure how he ended up at a driving range being told that he’s “better than Shawn, at least, but don’t tell him I told you that.”

He’s also very much not complaining.

reach the stars (M, 19k)

Spring 2021. Four years after breaking up with Louis and moving to New York with his best friend Aimee, Nick runs into Niall and they start dating. When their relationship gets serious, Nick struggles to tell Niall how much he means to him. A companion (of sorts) to Own the Scars. 

lilo

still, somehow (NR, 1k)

Louis trims Liam's split ends.

lirry

you’re my rugged heart (NR, 500 words)

It's the first day of spring. And it's snowing.

just the thought of you (M, 2.7k)

Harry's been pining after her neighbor for two years. It only takes a small kitchen fire for her to make a move.

narry

a little tenderness (NR, 10.5k)

“Listen, my alpha and I broke up and it turns out that all of our friends were really his friends and I need someone to help me through–”

“No,” Harry practically shouts, the word bursting out of him unbidden. He cringes when he sees the shock on Niall’s face, his pale skin flushing lightly. “I’m sorry, but my answer has to be no. I don’t help omegas through heats. I’m really sorry, Liam knows that, so I don’t know why he would give you the idea–”

“It’s not heat, Harry,” Niall interrupts. “It’s depri.”

“Oh. Fuck.”

Touch deprivation makes a lot of sense now that Harry thinks about it. Niall seems generally unwell; he appears to be weak, his skin is pallid and his lips look chapped, and his breathing is ragged. He’s wearing a cozy-looking sweatshirt, but even over FaceTime, he kind of seems cold, hunched over with his arms wrapped around his body. Harry’s never been around an omega in depri as bad off as Niall looks; most of the time, there’s an alpha friend or family member who can help out with scenting and physical contact.

Oh.

payneshaw

don’t care if you’re too loud (M, 2k)

Inspired by this tweet

shiall

a bagel for all seasons (NR, 29k)

Niall is a lawyer from the big city who’s sent to a small town to get paperwork signed for his firm’s biggest client. He only expected to be there for one night, but the longer his stay lasts, the more he starts to fall in love with the town and its cast of quirky characters. One in particular.

A Shiall Hallmark Christmas AU.

an ivy hollow halloween (NR, 666 words)

Niall is pretty happy with the Halloween costumes he thought of for him and Shawn. That is, until he sees Louis and Harry's.

nervous (M, 2k)

Niall walks out of the bathroom and his mouth dries up at the sight in front of him. This isn’t fine. This isn’t anything remotely in the vicinity of fine.

Shawn is sitting by the window, slouched a bit, one elbow rested on the arm of the ugly motel chair. He would look ridiculous, the thing was clearly designed for guests well under six feet, if he didn’t look so fucking sexy.

stylinshaw

with love on the line (E, 7k)

Harry and Louis have always been Harry and Louis. Then they meet Nick.

A relationship in three snapshots.

tomlinshaw

hold on for one more day (M, 12k)

“Right? Anyway, s’not like he needs to put the reminder, if anyone’s going to fuck up live on air–” “It’d be you,” they say at the same time.

Louis appears on The Breakfast Show to promote Back to You.

ain’t no stopping your plans (M, 4k)

Louis wears Givenchy to the Royal Variety Performance. Nick has opinions about it.

walk, walk fashion baby (E, 23k)

Louis loves his supportive boyfriend, his passionate and interesting band of friends and coworkers, and his pair of quirky and dedicated dogs. What he doesn’t love is his job as co-editor of the Lifestyle section at a popular site aimed at millennials. But he was getting by until a new assignment landed in his lap: Let Your Boyfriend Dress You For A Week. His best mate Harry assured him it’d be a laugh, a bit of fun, but Louis was sure that Nick would dress him like an utter knob and his mates would take the piss all week.

He didn’t expect to actually learn something about himself.

leo season (NR, 5k)

“Didn’t catch your name earlier?” he asks, tilting his head to go along with his lilting voice.

“Nnrg,” Nick replies smoothly, failing to meet Louis’ hand with his own as he realizes just how garbled his smooth reply actually was. He overcorrects and vaguely slaps Louis’ hand before managing to wring it in his own, much to Louis’ apparent amusement.

Carefree. Confident. Over the top. Nick may be a bit of a disaster, but no one can deny the mood for Leo season suits him.

if you should try to kiss her (NR, 3k)

It’s kind of their thing now. They make relentless snarky comments to and about each other and exchange meaningful eye contact every time they think no one is looking. At least, that’s what Louis thinks they’re doing, like their own extended lesbian mating ritual. It seems obvious to her that they’re inevitable in some kind of cosmic, grand design type of way; they’re eventually going to end up together and fix up an old house and Nick will build a chicken coop for the backyard (or hire someone to build it, probably) and then they’ll live happily ever after, bickering the whole time.

If only she could be sure that’s what Nick thinks they’re doing.

Harry's annual Christmas party gives Louis her chance to be brave and tell Nick how she feels.

zarry

i fell in, i’m falling, i’m for you (M, 10k)

And that’s when he sees him.

Illuminated by the bright morning light pouring through the windows, clad in ugly corduroy pants and an embroidered green jacket with what looks like a purse slung over his shoulder, and totally unaware of Zayn’s presence. His ex-boyfriend. Harry. Or H, as he used to call him back in the days when he thought they’d stay together forever. Maybe even get married. Have the houseful of kids that Harry had always wanted.

Fuck. Harry.

When Zayn gets a job teaching at the same school where his ex Harry works, he realizes he wants a second chance. Now he just has to do something about it.

ziall

This Town (NR, 12k)

It’s not until he’s inside the venue and sees Zayn from a distance for the first time in person since trying to fall asleep curled around him their last night together that the nerves hit and his bravado starts to feel false. When Zayn left the band, he left Niall too.

flicker (NR, 5k)

Niall has waited so long to hear these words, imagined this scenario hundreds of times, and now that it’s here, he’s actually speechless. He’d hoped, but he’d never let himself believe they’d actually get here.

Because at Christmas, you tell the truth: A month after the AMAs, Niall and Zayn finally talk.

i get so lost inside your eyes (M, 3.6k)

“I’m just going to change into something more comfortable.”

“Babe,” Zayn says, reaching up to smooth Niall’s hair out of her face. “We’ve talked about this, you don’t have to do stuff like that for me, I’m not a guy–”

“Trust me, I know,” Niall says lightly, winking at Zayn before she shuffles back and climbs off her lap. “And it’s not for you, it’s for me.”

When Niall invites Zayn to stay over for the first time, Zayn has no idea that Niall has a surprise in store for her. Or that she’ll like it so much.

zourry

tempted by the fruit of another (E, 3k)

Zayn didn’t mean to look. And she certainly didn’t mean to watch.

It’s just that Louis and Harry are the worst hosts in the world; they’re in their bedroom, clearly fucking (again), and so loud that Zayn can’t concentrate on her game of Among Us in the living room. Liam has killed her twice. Liam. So she just went down the hallway to make sure their bedroom door was at least closed.

It wasn’t.

Zayn stumbles into a world of possibility when she stays with Harry and Louis for a few weeks.

[mikkomacko]

In The Shadows 3

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Y/n stumbles as she presses her foot into her shoe while simultaneously trying to pull a hoodie over her head. Zoe is waiting outside for them to head to the bus, and y/n has only been home for a few minutes.She wiggles her foot around until it’s comfortable in its shoe, grabbing the small travel bag she thankfully packed this morning and rushing out of the room. 

The house is still empty. for reasons unknown to y/n because Jess got out of class twenty minutes ago. She reminds herself that she doesn’t care, double checking for her keys and throwing open the front door. She waves at Zoe, locking the door before practically skipping down the pathway to her. 

The walk to the soccer field is quick,filled with small talk about their day and Zoe letting y/n know she brought a portable charger in case she needs it. They check in with the sponsor going with them, and y/n heads towards the back bus when Zoe grabs her elbow. 

“VIP, remember?” She winks, tugging her towards the front bus. A couple of the soccer boys greet Zoe as she walks down the aisle and they smile politely at y/n, who’s trying hard not to blush with so many eyes on her. As they reach the back of the bus y/n notices more girls, all of them sat with their respective soccer player. The girl y/n sat by the first game, Eleanor, gives y/n a bright smile as she walks by. At the very back of the bus is where Zoe finally sits down, taking the aisle seat with Niall. She’s immediately greeted with a kiss from Niall and y/n smiles sweetly. They’re absolutely adorable.

“Hey peanut, guess you’re stuck with me!”

Harry’s peeking over the seat at her, the crinkles by his green eyes giving away his covered smile,and y/n grins back. She can’t help but thank the heavens for sitting with her Harry, and she moves to sit down when he stands up. 

“Can I have the aisle? Legs are too long for window?” He asks, chuckling shyly. Y/n nods, not hesitating to clamber into next to the window. She sets her bag between her feet, and Harry settles next to her. He shuffles a bit, reaching up to the overhead racks and pulling down a reusable grocery bag.

“Ya still like the cinnamon poptarts, yeah?”

Y/n nods, eyebrows scrunching in confusion as Harry digs into his bag. After a few seconds of shuffling, Harry’s tongue poking out in concentration, he reveals a box of her favorite poptarts. 

“Ta-da!”

She giggles at his boyish smile, taking the box from him to pull a pack out. “What else did you stuff in there?”

Harry’s cheeks tinge pink, and y/n feels herself get starry eyed at the sight. She hasn’t seen him blush since Jess’ pool party her sophmore year when she openly oggled his naked chest. It was the first time she noticed he was starting to fill out and his abdomen getting grooves. 

He hands her the bag, and one quick glance makes her eyes widen. Harry has shoved bags of chips, packs of cookies, crackers, juice boxes, and numerous other snacks into the bag. And he doesn’t even eat half of these snacks!

“Harry!” She laughs as the bus begins rolling away. “You don’t even like Yahoos!”

He shrugs, taking the bag from her and settling it by his feet. “Yeah, but you do and well, I uh I like you. I mean I like you when you’re uh well fed and yeah.”

He averts his gaze, fishing out a bag of fruit snacks. Y/n watches his trembling fingers tear open the bag and he shoves an unnecessary amount into his mouth. She takes a bite of her poptart, observing his odd behavior while she’s chewing. Harry takes out another bag of fruit snacks.

“Thank you,” y/n finally says, “for the snacks and drinks and liking me I guess.” She feels like a fool for saying it, but it’s as honest as she can be without blatantly telling him she really likes him. “I like you when you’re well fed too.”

His smile is bashful but blinding, her stomach flooding with heat. Twin grins on their lips and gleaming eyes,they finish their snacks in silence. Y/n sinks down in the seat, resting her knees against the seat in front of her. Harry scoots down a bit too, wiggling his phone out of his sweatpants pocket. 

“Wanna listen to music?”

Y/n nods, and Harry hands her an airpod before scrolling through his Spotify. He shuffles a random album, closing the app but before he can lock is phone she spots a certain icon. 

“Can I play Mario Kart?”

Harry doesn’t hesitate to hand his phone over, and she opens the app. She squeals quietly when she sees that he’s got Dry Bones unlocked, clicking the character and starting a race. Harry scoots closer to her, head practically resting on hers while he watches her play. Y/n presses her foot against his thigh, pretending she doesn’t notice it, and wishing they were laying in the hammock at the frat house so she’d have an excuse to lay her head on his chest. 

~ 

The Warriors may be a good team, but their school is small. So small, the bleachers are practically on top of the players bench and y/n could lean forward to touch their shoulders if she wanted to. Her and Zoe managed to sit in the front again, and Eleanor sat with them too but this time she brought a girl named Asteria. They're both super nice, and give y/n kind hugs and a sweet little compliment of "you're so cute!" so she doesn't mind sitting with them. In fact, she's really fucking glad she listened to Zoe and decided to come.

The teams have taken the field, Harry and Niall meeting with the other two captains for the coin toss. Y/n can't hear them, but she sees Harry's proud grin and his little nudge to Niall letting her know they've won the toss. After shaking hands with each other, the four captains take their positions on the field, Niall staying by line and Harry up front. Thankfully, she's learned that Harry's called a forward and Niall a wing.

"How did Harry and Niall become captains?" Y/n asks, realizing that they're two of the youngest players on the team. The ref blows the whistle and the Warriors start passing the ball around.

"Older boys chose Harry," Zoe explains, eyes still following the soccer ball. "he had this really good game last year. Team was down by one and coach had just thrown kids in random spots because they assumed we'd lose anyway-"

"Was a playoff game," Astoria cuts in, "they had to win or they'd be eliminated."

"Right, anyway the other team got a hand ball around midfield and Harry was the only player on the team willing to take the free kick-" Zoe's cut off by a round of cheering and y/n realizes that Niall is taking the ball down the sideline. They jump to their feet as their team gets closer to the defensive line, Harry sneaking in with the other team as Niall comes to the penalty box.

"Let's go Ni!" Zoe cheers, and he pulls back like he's going to take a shot only to pass it into the line. Harry's quick to run forward, the goalie trying to dive over for the ball but he's too slow. Harry toes the ball into the back corner.

"Way to go Harry!" Y/n hollers, clapping and exchanging high fives with the girls. They sit back down as the ball goes back to the center circle.

"Anyway Harry took the free kick, and somehow he managed to score. Like barely fucking made it in the corner of the goal. The other team was so shocked that he managed to kick it that far the goalie didn't even jump. It was insane!"

Y/n finds herself smiling proudly, looking for Harry on the field. He's waiting in the circle by the Warrior's defense again, lightly pacing as they attempt to break through our defense. She pictures how happy he must of been after tying that game, how he'd probably been tackled by his teammates. Mostly, she thinks of how big his smile must have been.

"You two are so fucking cute!" Eleanor groans next to her, and y/n blushes. She tears her gaze from the field to the brunette next to her.

"What?"

"You and Harry. You both are like so grinny and giggley around each other, I love it." Eleanor squeezes her forearm for emphasis, and y/n isn't sure if Eleanor thinks her and Harry are together or not. She doesn't want to assume, but her heart does flutter at the thought. If she looked at them and thought they were dating that means maybe Harry likes her, right? Why else would she see a relationship between the two?

"I never thought Harry would be the giggley boy type, but it definitely fits him." Asteria adds, smiling cutely at y/n.

"He's always been that way," she quickly says, pushing herself to be more social. This is making friends, telling stories and sharing laughs. "I think he was laughing the first time I met him."

"How long have you known Harry?"

It was years ago, but she doesn't even have to think before responding. She could never forget that day. "Since I was nine. We lived across the street from each other."

'And his sister is my best friend...'

The coos and awes that leave the two girls lips makes her blush even more, and she nervously twirls a strand of hair around her finger.

"That's literally a Nickolas Sparks novel!"

"Why aren't you guys dating yet?"

Y/n freezes at the question, looking over at Zoe for help. Her friend shrugs with a teasing smirk. "I think it'd be worth it y/n."

The stands erupt into cheers as the Warriors score. Y/n's shoulders slump when she sees Harry shaking his head in disappoinment. And she feels a bit bad for not paying attention to the game.

"It's complicated," she says, cringing when she realizes the correct word to describe it would be forbidden. She can't imagine how upset Jess would be if her and Harry got together.

Asteria reaches over Eleanor, placing a comforting hand on her knee. "So is Zayn but I fucking love him."

Her brash words make y/n laugh, and then the other two are giggling as well. They focus back on the game, cheering wildly when someone on defense manages a perfect ball tackle without getting a penalty, but y/n can't help but replay Asteria's words over and over in her mind. It shouldn't matter if it'd be complicated to be with Harry, because it's her feelings that matter and it's his feelings that matter. If they both want to be with each other, that should be it right? No matter what anyone says?

She looks up just as Harry's being subbed for a quick water break, his messy hair flopping as he jogs to the bench. He gulps down water messily, watching the game continue without him. After a moment, he looks over his shoulder at the stands, raising a curious eyebrow at y/n. She feels the other girls' gazes, choosing to ignore them in favor of giving him a smile and a wave. He wiggles his fingers back at her, grinning broadly before he's moving to get back on the field.

"He hardly took a break," y/n says in confusion, eyebrows dropping down, "why is he already going back in?"

Zoe's doesn't even try to hide her snicker until Eleanor swats at her arm. "Well, it looks like he's trying to impress a certain someone."

Y/n blushes again at the wide smirks thrown her way, ducking her head down to watch the game through her eyelashes until she's managed to calm her racing heart. It's futile, because Harry's found a groove and completely dominates the field. And he always grins in her direction after a goal, earning her remarks from her three new friends. By the end of the game, Harry finishing with a whopping five goals, she thinks her face might be on fire, as well as her heated veins.

~

Harry's never walked on clouds, but if he did, he imagines it would feel like this. Heart racing, stomach fluttering, and cheeks aching from smiling. It doesn't matter how many times he sprinted the length of the field, because he doesn't feel tired at all. No, in fact, he feels lighter than usual, as if he were full of helium. And it's such a great feeling, running into the huddle of his cheering teammates, back swatted at with pride and shoulders squeezed in appreciation. It's even greater to look up and see y/n celebrating, smiling practically falling off the ends of her face as she shares high fives with the girls around her.

He can't help himself.

He jogs over to the fence, pushing his sweaty hair away from his forehead and leaping up the fence so he can be closer to y/n. His fingers dig into the chain link painfully, but he doesn't care.

"Come down here peanut." He requests over the cheers, nudging his head towards the field. Students behind her start exiting the bleachers, but she stays still, a lighthouse in the fog.

"Down there?" She asks, eyes widening as she looks around for a gate or some kind of entrance. Harry reaches out with one hand, tugging her closer by her shirt.

"I've got ya." He promises, cleats clacking as he jumps down. Y/n looks at the drop hesitantly, but one nod from him has her swinging a leg over the fence. She balances on her bottom, hands gripping the pole at the top and when she jumps down, he locks his hands on her hips to catch her.

Using his shoulders to ground herself, y/n giggles shyly when she blinks open her eyes and finds Harry's face inches away from hers. It's as if everything around them has stopped. The crowd's cheers fall on deaf ears, their movement goes unnoticed, and the team gathering together is forgotten.

"Thanks Har,"

"Of course,"

Their voices are no more than whispers, so close together his warm breath is felt on her face and she can smell the swear on his skin. Surprisingly (but not really) the musk fits him well, bringing out the oakiness of his cologne.

For too long they stay inches apart, Harry's hands firm on her waist and hers on his chest. She's stuck on his eyes, taking in the dark gem color until she realizes the utter happiness in them. Snapped back into reality, she moves her arms around his neck, face going into his shoulder as she squeezes him.

"You did so well!"

Harry chuckles breathlessly in her ear, arms looping around her waist and he lifts her up onto her tip toes. He mutters his thanks, squeezing her in return. She thinks it feels nice to hold him like this, to feel his heart pounding against hers.

He sets her back onto her feet, but his arms stay strong around her, keeping their hips flush. The warmth of his body and his brazen action makes her gasp and flush red, and before she can even think about this being her best friend's brother, his lips are on hers.

Harry's soft but sure as he kisses her, and she feels his lips quirk up when she puckers her mouth into his. Her heart jumps when he pulls back, forehead resting on hers and eyes fluttering open.

"I like you peanut," he breathes, "and not just when you're well fed."

Her giddiness bubbles over and she giggles, practically trembling in his hands as she pecks his mouth again.

"I like you all the time too."

Harry slots his mouth against hers again, and her arms tighten around his neck in hopes of holding him there forever. Evidently, their forever isn't that day because someone's tossing an empty water bottle at Harry and yelling for him to get back on the bus.

They don't say anything as Harry gathers his bags and takes her hand, leading her towards the bus, but their smiles say enough. It's as if the entire world has shifted around them when they climb on the bus, everyone either grinning cheekily or even clapping him on the back. Asteria even woops at y/n, making her body heat up.

She pointedly ignores all other gazes as she plops down by the window, biting her lip giddily when Harry smiles boyishly at her.

"Mind holding this peanut?"

Without hesitation she shakes her head, taking Harry's bag from him. He thanks her quietly, peeling off his sweaty jersey and dropping it into his lap. She tries to keep her eyes off his naked chest, but it's been awhile since she's seen Harry without a shirt and it seems he's got even more muscular over the years. Not to mention that his dark ink ripples with every move of a muscle.

He digs a towel out of the bag, wiping off his exposed skin and hair before dropping that into his lap as well. If he notices her nervously gnawing on her bottom lip, he doesn't say anything, instead pulling out a clean shirt and slipping it over his head. It's not until he's peeled off his cleats and shin guards, and rubbed more deodorant under his arms does he speak to her.

"S'okay to oggle peanut," he simpers, looking at her through his eyelashes as he leans over to pull on regular shoes. "m'bloody hot if I do say so myself."

Y/n giggles, tossing his bag at him with a roll of her eyes. A deep chuckle leaves his mouth, and he stands up to put his bag on the rack as the bus starts rolling forward. He falls back into the seat, groaning softly and flexing his shoulders.

Her smile falls. "You okay?"

"Exhausted, but m'fucking fantastic right now." He seals his words by pressing a wet kiss to her cheek. Again she giggles, and again his dimpled school boy smile jumps out.

"I'm fantastic too, Har."

His grin widens, and despite his exhausted eyes he looks absolutely breath taking. Y/n manages to squirm around until her back is nestled in the corner of the seat, feet up on Harry's lap. She pats her thighs shyly and he immediately understands.

Much like when they were kids stuck in the car on long road trips, Harry maneuvers until her legs are on either side of him, his back against her chest and she grins when he digs out a blanket from his travel bag. Her arms wrap around his shoulders, resting on his broad chest. They fall asleep like that, tucked in the shadows of street lights and gossiping whispers, not even thinking of the other Styles waiting back home.

[webseriesviral]

'The Voice' announces Season 25 coaches, including first-ever coaching duo The Voice has announced its lineup of coaches for Season 25, including the show's first-ever, coaching duo. NBC has announced three-time Grammy Award winners Dan + Shay will serve as The Voice's first co-coaching team when the show returns with a new season in Spring 2024. Dan + Shay -- who will share a "red double chair," according to NBC -- will be joined by country icon Reba McEntire as well as veteran coaches John Legend and Chance the Rapper for Season 25. Reba and John signed on for back-to-back seasons of The Voice, as they'll also be serving as coaches on the show's 24th season this fall alongside veteran coaches Niall Horan and Gwen Stefani. Chance will be coaching artists again on Season 25 after serving as a coach on Season 23 earlier this year, when he brought new arrangements and a fresh musical perspective to the NBC reality series. One of The Voice's inaugural coaches, country singer Blake Shelton, retired from the show last season and won't be returning for the foreseeable future. Dan + Shay previously appeared on The Voice as a Battle-Round advisor for Blake's team on Season 20. Dan + Shay has achieved nine No. 1 singles on country radio. In 2021, the duo became the first artists to win the Grammy Award for Best Country Duo/Group Performance three times in a row since the category's inception. They are on the verge of releasing their fourth studio album titled "Good Things." The Voice crowned Gina Miles its Season 23 champion over runner-up Grace West during the Season 23 finale that aired in May 2023 on NBC. Gina, a 19-year-old from Paxton, IL, won by a vote that turned out to be "the closest margin of victory in The Voice history," according to show host Carson Daly. Gina was a member of Niall's team, giving Niall his first The Voice victory as a coach. Grace, a 19-year-old from Canton, MI, was a member of Blake's team.About The Author: Elizabeth KwiatkowskiElizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments); if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script', 'https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); fbq('init', '139494146798076'); fbq('track', 'PageView'); (function(d, s, id) var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1&appId=226191007403108"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); (document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); [ad_2] Read More

[1dfangirls35]

Voir Dire (N.H.) A fake dating OU about contracts, soulmates and risking it all for love.

Masterlist // Tell Me What You Think!

twenty-eight

As the elevator ticked past each floor of the Capitol Records building, Niall began to wonder if this would be the last time he would ever step foot in this or any place related to music.

He still remembered the first time he stepped foot in the iconic building- fresh off the One Direction hiatus and unsure what he would be as an artist. His dreams for his solo career just within reach. He was a different person back then. A person that was willing to do whatever it took to make it in the music world and to make a name for himself. A person who believed that Capitol Records was the key to paving a career that fit his dreams perfectly. A person who still believed that the music industry wasn't all bad.

But today was the end of that. He would no longer give up his own relationships, hopes and dreams just because of an image that his label wanted him to portray. He would no longer be letting someone else dictate his life; what he sang, what he wore, who he loved. No today, for perhaps the first time in his career, Niall was going to take charge of his own destiny.

A part of Niall was still scared that something could go wrong. He'd asked Kelsey ten times last night whether she was sure she wanted to go through with this, knowing what might happen if their plan didn't quite go off without a hitch.

Each time he'd asked her, she'd nodded and smiled and told him there's nothing she'd ever been more sure about. Niall knew saying those words was hard for her. He also knew that the smile on her face was constructed with just as much fear as Niall had right now.  But he couldn't be happier to finally be at the place where he and Kelsey could have the life together he'd always dreamed of. Free of contracts and fake girlfriends and manipulation.

Niall didn't wait for Alan Michaels's secretary to greet him when he stepped off the elevator, or for her to notify Mr. Michaels that he had a visitor. Instead he headed full speed towards the double-glass doors of the Capitol executive's office and pushed them open, saying in his strongest, gutsiest voice "We need to talk."

Alan Michaels turned from his computer, snapping his head around to look at Niall with surprise. "Mr. Horan did we have a meeting today?"

"We do now." Niall said forcefully, taking a seat in the chair in front of the desk. He tried to ignore the light shake of his hands as he folded them in his lap, instead taking delight in the fact that Alan Michaels had no idea what was coming for him.

"And what can I do for you today Mr. Horan?" Mr. Michaels asked in a long drawn-out voice, shuffling a stack of papers around on his desktop.  

"Whatever you did to make Kelsey Benton break up with me- I want it nullified," Niall doesn't flinch as he says the words, staring straight into Mr. Michaels dark brown eyes as if they aren't the most intimidating pair he's ever seen.

Niall swears it takes five minutes before words leave Mr. Michaels mouth again, his heartbeat rapid in his ear.

"Excuse me?" Mr. Michaels said his face astonished. "I'm sorry Mr. Horan, I have no idea what you are talking about. Have you been in contact with Miss Benton?"

"Not at all." Niall said, his lips staying in a straight line. "And I've begun to realize that perhaps there is a reason why." Niall wondered if this small fib would be enough to convince Alan Michaels that Kelsey hadn't breeched the conditions of her contract, but even if Michaels suspected he did, there was no proof.

"I can assure you Mr. Horan, what Miss Benton chooses to do in her relationship is entirely under her control. Perhaps she simply decided you weren't the one for her," the lies slipped out of Mr. Michaels mouth with ease, and Niall can see why he has this job. He's good at it. The lying, the manipulating, the convincing. Niall wondered how many other artists have sat in this very spot and been convinced that the label was doing everything in their best interest. How many hearts had been broken, families changed, careers altered all under the power of Alan Michaels and his smug smile. That wouldn't be the case today.

Niall had not expected this to be a simple meeting. He knew Alan Michaels wouldn't admit to meddling in his relationship willingly, so Niall had come prepared with his own pretty little piece of blackmail.

"Let me make myself clear- ALAN," Niall's voice was strong. "I happen to know several journalists who are just a phone call away from releasing an interview with me about my fake relationship with Krystal. I'm sure it would be the talk of LA in a matter of minutes."

Niall watched as Mr. Michaels throat bobbed in a firm swallow, he had his attention now.

"You are under a contract Mr. Horan. These promotional tactics are not to be disclosed to the public."

"And if I chose to tell my fans the truth? That you've hired someone to be my girlfriend over the past year. That the dates, the music video, the "love" was entirely something of your own creation in order to help increase your record sales. That I was forced into this against my will? What would you do then?"

"Well we would have to terminate your contract with Capitol Records. You would no longer be one of our recording artists." The look on Alan Michaels face told Niall that he thought he had given the ultimate threat, but little did Alan Michaels know, that threat was exactly what Niall wanted him to say.

"I bet you'd hate to see that happen wouldn't you? I mean a number one album in 42 countries, a sold-out world tour, some of the most dedicated fans in the universe. There's a lot more where that came from," Niall was taunting him now, and the more Mr. Michaels smug grin transformed into a frown, the more fun Niall was having. He was getting to Alan Michaels, he could tell.

"We would hate to see one of Capitol's best artists leave the label, that's for certain," Mr. Michaels said, his voice now laced with nervousness instead of intimidation.

"So you see the dilemma here? Looks like you are going to have to choose between terminating whatever kind of threat you made with Miss Benton to ensure she didn't ruin your promotional plans or terminating your relationship with one of your most successful artists. I mean if it was me, Alan, I don't think I'd think twice about it. What's the girl to you?" Niall crossed his legs in the chair, staring Mr. Michaels with a soft grin on his face.

Mr. Michaels kept his hand folded. He didn't say anything, Niall thought he was considering it. He didn't even think he'd get this far. He assumed that Alan Michaels would be invincible to manipulation. But today was proof that if you play the right cards, the right threat can convince anyone to change their stance.

Alan Michaels took a deep breath. "Kelsey Benton's contract will be nullified."

"Now," Niall added firmly. He couldn't risk this not going through. Not with what he was about to do next. "You'll let her know now."

Mr. Michaels nodded, picking up his phone. "Samantha, can you get Kelsey Benton on the line for me please?" He hung up, looking Niall in the eyes. The two stare at each other, neither speaking. Until the phone rings again. Niall can only assume its Kelsey on the other line.

"Is this Miss Benton?" Mr. Michaels asked. Niall can't hear Kelsey on the other line, but he pictures her sitting on Niall's couch, still in her pajamas, smiling at the sound of Alan Michaels voice. The thought made a small smile break through Niall's otherwise serious expression.

"This is Alan Michaels with Capitol Records. We've decided to terminate the contract we've signed with you. All I need is your official signature and it's gone forever."

Mr. Michaels hung up the phone, turning to look at Niall expectantly, as if to say 'Happy now'.

"So that's official?" Niall asked, cautious to make any more moves before the pieces were set in place.

"Official as of my signature right now. Miss Benton's signature is mainly a formality. It's as if our agreement never existed."

"Good." Niall nodded, inhaling deeply before saying his next words. "Well now that that's taken care of. I'd like to notify you that I'm officially terminating my contract with Capitol Records."

"But..." Mr. Michaels protested.

"My lawyers have assured me that there is nothing in our current agreement limiting me from telling anyone about what went on here once our contract has been terminated. I'd get your PR team ready, Alan. My fans don't take too lightly to people messing with my life." He stood up, pulling down his charcoal suit jacket and reaching out a hand to shake. "Best of luck with everything."

"But Mr. Horan..." Mr. Michaels seemed to be at a loss for words. "We can work something out, we can come up with a new agreement. I promise you we will not hire anyone for your PR again..." Alan Michaels was stumbling through his words now, but Niall just smiled and made his way towards the office doors.

He walked past Mr. Michaels secretary, who has now stood up, looking towards the office and the still rambling Alan Michaels standing in his office doorway.

"You're going to regret this Mr. Horan!" Mr. Michaels yelled at him as Niall called the elevator.

As the elevator doors dinged open, Niall turned around, facing Alan Michaels one more time. "No Alan, I don't think I will." And with that he stepped inside the elevator, letting the doors close, literally and figuratively, on his time as a Capitol Records recording artist.

Tag List: @awomanindeniall @ihearthemcallingforyou​ , @niall-is-my-dream ,​  @stylishmuser​​​ , @thicksniall

[gabbiemp3]

one direction albums ranked

5. made in the am

energetic and dynamic, but probably no one’s favorite. the unexpected and uncharacteristic surprise dropping of its insanely successful lead single, drag me down, was the band’s less than subtle way of alerting the public that they were alive and well in the wake of zayn’s departure. i can’t help but feel like this is the motive of the entire album. with its regression to the safe pop its predecessor four dared to challenge, the album feels contrived and rushed. some moments on it sound like an AI algorithm that averaged out their entire discography to generate a “One Direction Song”. Its occasional attempts to try something new are nice but ultimately gimmicky, preventing it from overcoming its ulterior motives--to be the band’s last hurrah (commercially and culturally) before the “hiatus” (you can tell us you broke up) we all should’ve seen coming. 

this doesn’t mean there aren’t some tried-and-true fan favorites on this album. songs like infinity, olivia, if i could fly, and of course, the fandom-homage history (easily the album’s strongest single) hold a special place in fan’s hearts. 

best: what a feeling, wolves, history, olivia

4. up all night

the iconic red double decker bus. louis’ toms and blue stripes. niall’s adorable crooked teeth. the flaming jealousy we all experienced as we watched harry sing the bridge of WMYB to a girl on the beach. this is an album that brings me nostalgia for a time in the fandom i wasn’t even a part of.

up all night is shimmery, camp, and more than a little embarrassing. (i genuinely can’t listen to stole my heart without bursting into uncontrollable laughter.) 

it’d be a lie, though, to say it isn’t freaking EARNEST. gotta be you is melodramatic (what a mess i’ve made upon your innocence/no woman in the world deserves this) but the boys give it their all--shoutout to my mans harry. same mistakes is obviously too mature to be on this album but zayn delivers an emotional and skilled vocal performance indicative of the standout status he’ll claim for the rest of their discography (until it’s so potent he decides to move on to his own). 

although it’s not very re-listenable, i will always have a soft spot for it, and i’m sure you guys do too. 

best: one thing, stand up

3. four

ah, yes. the Mature album. coincidentally, my favorite album from my top artists always seems to be this said “mature” effort (see: Taylor Swift’s Speak Now, Paramore’s Brand New Eyes). not true in this case, but still a good album. 

one direction goes very middle-aged-white-dad on us (unsurprisingly it’s my own dad’s fav). the singles from this album sort of tell you all you need to know about their direction on this one--80s-inspired rocky, else folksy. four is smooth and genuinely pleasant to listen to. it’s possibly their most cohesive effort (other than take me home), minus the out-of-place the 1975 ripoff change your ticket (hey, i’m not saying i don’t like this song, it’s actually good fun) and closer act my age, which is only forgivable because it’s become a meme in the fandom. 

four sees one direction at a place in their career where they don’t need to (and are maybe even tired of) making typical bankable pop songs, so they decided to experiment, and overall it worked. 

best: 18, fool’s gold, no control

2. midnight memories

one direction tries to do a lot of things on this album. do they all work? no. is it still damn good and jam packed with ABSOLUTE bangers? yes!

this album came at the peak of their career. their first stadium tour was for this album. this was the album that came out when i was just starting to become a full-fledged 1d stan.

it’s their first album that they really had a say in, in terms of production and songwriting. and you can tell. the songs feel authentic. for the first time, these boys are singing about things they actually believe in or have experienced. it’s why i forgive it for being kind of a mess. (what other album boasts a cheeky but admittedly novel love song composed of titles of other songs and a McFly-written 'remember your roots’ anthem? songs as antithetical as the minimalistic guitar ballad half a heart and the 70s rock jam little black dress?) the boys had been waiting three years to take the reigns, and they wanted to try everything. who could blame them?

finally, this album exemplifies what makes one direction so great: heart. it’s a record that is alive (no pun intended), and full of genuinely poignant moments. 

side note: i am so glad that my first 1d concert was during the where we are tour, because these tracks were MADE for arenas. 

best: little white lies (duh), strong, happily, right now

1. take me home

if you know me, you know i love a good pop album, in all of its saccharine, cliche glory. tmh may not be one direction’s smartest or best-produced album, but it’s definitely the most dopamine-inducing (that neuroscientist in This is Us said it himself, folks). and isn’t that primarily what one direction is all about? let’s be honest. we never listened to one direction to become more cultured, or question the structures and relationships in place in our lives, we listened because they make us, for lack of a better word, happy. 

and this album makes me soar. it’s one direction at their most cheeky, their most infectious, their most head-over-heels for you, the listener. just try to listen to songs like i would and little things and not swoon. it’s impossible! 

it’s one direction at their most one direction. and it’s so much fun. 

i don’t care that some say this album is manufactured or carefully calculated under all those layers of carefree teenage energy. they’re probably right! one direction’s production team probably exacted this record to be eaten up by a young, doe-eyed tweeny bopper like i was the first time i heard it. and that’s exactly what i did. i gladly took it then, and i will gladly take it today. 

best: nobody compares, loved you first, last first kiss, heart attack, c’mon c’mon 

[1ddiscourseoftheday]

Sun 13 Jan

Zayn tweeted and posted a spookysexy selfie, acknowledging the birthday love; sister Safaa Malik posted an old Zayn pic with a birthday wish followed by a story reading "pretttty sure ur boyfriend is as huge as ur nose tho" which was then immediately deleted, which was... interesting.

And then there's Harry- for someone who's technically MIA he is hooking us up with the content!! More videos from Japan show him playing drums in a karaoke band and singing Nirvana in 2019 party glasses... just speechless over here. Plus, the introduction of Kurt Cobain into the narrative really recontextualizes the baggy pants and cardigans look! He's done the the nail polish and tiara... the shaggy bob....dresses... scruff... Huh actually I can't think of an iconic Kurt look he hasn't done in the last year?! I'm not holding my breath for a God Is Gay shirt, but Bikini Kill merch would be amazing if you're looking for more Kurt tribute ideas H

Kid Harpoon was visible in the videos which fed speculation that Harry is in Japan to record HS2 and told us that he was partying in gimmicky new year's swag on a day that was not NYE. That's like double party points right there! Tear it up babe.

And the mystery of the giant ring has been solved by the unsurprising revelation that it's from the new Gucci line. He's wearing an H and an S! Hilarious. You do that self love sweetie, good for you! If he is getting ready to deliver on the frequent requests to punch people in the face, he's ready to leave his mark in a really memorable way. Meanwhile the segment of the fandom that have spent the last fortnight sending anons saying he doesn't signal and you can't read into these things has apparently decided that these rings are a signal meaning, roughly, "still the only one that's been in love with me" so that's fairly entertaining.

Niall attended an L.A. Rams game with Shawn and they signed the wall of a restaurant.

Various tabloids with nothing better to do are publishing random things about Liam Cheryl and Bear which mostly amount to nothing probably, but some found it interesting to, in a single news cycle, be reminded of both the story that Cheryl just really wanted to have a baby and was trying to find a dude to make that happen and to read news items about her making out with her female bandmate.

Louis tweeted about musicians he liked and how to get your Yorkshire tea when stranded in the U.S. and was photographed in "an airport" with a person of whom all we could see was their panty lines. Rumors place him in NYC. Obviously we'll be revisiting this story tomorrow as this is a frustrating lack of detail but I can tell you that he looked very dapper and warm in his parka and beanie.

[diningpageantry]

No Wait Unblock Me

Archive Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18215168/chapters/43133210

Chapter 2/10 of It’s A Handheld Disaster

Word Count: 1580

Chapter Summary: Simon and Baz finally get to "mutuals" status.

BAZ

For the third time today, I see a similar notification slide through my drop down.

bi-sammy sent you a picture

Part of me initially wants to sigh, roll my eyes, and swipe it away, because apparently part of me wishes to be alone for the rest of my life. Thankfully, the reasonable, tiny sliver of my mind makes sure I don’t make such a mistake.

Given the situation, one would think we’d parted ways. He makes a post, we stop the argument, all is fair in fandom and war. Except, now I believe Snow has grown under an impression that after one exchange, it qualifies us for somewhat of a friendship, and therefore reason to send me memes. Don’t get me wrong, memes are a fantastic waste of time and barely a waste of energy, but it’s strange that he’s not fucking off like most people.

Maybe I’m used to others being scared of me.

Maybe I’m used to others following my tactics of scaring them away.

Whatever I’ve done hasn’t worked, since this arse is immune to my attempts at coldness and mild animosity. I’m starting to suspect there’s something genuinely wrong with him, like he doesn’t get enough love and attention.

Guess that makes two of us.

I guess I somewhat crave this friendship. I’ll speak the truth to that and say yes, I smile when his memes pop up. They’re almost always fandom, and definitely made on Photoshop. This one, I see as I tap and let it load, is the crudely drawn Kirby graphic shoving burgers into his mouth, but over Kirby is photoshopped a picture of Huxley’s face and the burgers are Sam's ass.

It’s all poorly done and, sadly, extremely endearing.

My thumbs hover over my keyboard, cheeks creasing as I stare down at the picture. I lay back against my pillows, the curtains drawn and my hair pulled out of my face. It’s quite lonely; my life’s a sterile mixture of quarantined education and age old settled dust in my ancient room. It’s nice to have his somewhat obnoxious messages pop onto my screen, but it feels so odd. So foreign, and barely understood.

I want to understand.

gaystrell: why are you still messaging me?

I get an answer not even a minute later.

bi-sammy: do you want me to stop?

I don’t even hesitate to send out a reply, feeling a steadily growing lump in my throat, choking me mindless.

gaystrell: no.

bi-sammy: then why did you ask?

gaystrell: i just

gaystrell: don’t get it

bi-sammy: get what?

gaystrell: why you’d want to talk to me

bi-sammy: because youre cool

gaystrell: vexing me won’t get you “street cred”, if that’s what you’re after

bi-sammy: shit no wait that’s not what i meant

bi-sammy: dont block me fukc wait

bi-sammy: id just meant that you wrote all that shit and i thought it was really cool and

bi-sammy: i dont know

bi-sammy: i thought we could be friends since you did all that

bi-sammy: ill stop if you want me to

gaystrell: calm down you’re clogging my notifs

gaystrell: do that again and i /will/ block you

gaystrell: but………. if you actually do want to be friends i suppose i’m willing to give forth a little attention

bi-sammy: im osrry i dont speak posh cunt

gaystrell: too bad, blocked

bi-sammy: no wait unblock me

gaystrell: fine last chance

bi-sammy: bitch

gaystrell: b l o c k e d

bi-sammy: no but,,,,,,, i do want to be friends

I’m smiling like a fucking loon, scrolling through our brief exchange. It’s strange. Most people aren’t upfront about wanting to talk, or wanting someone to talk with. Wanting a friend, even. I have the people follow me and ask me questions, and of that only a small handful of those who actually interact eith me (and even in that, we usually only speak to give each other a helping hand).

And despite that, here’s someone who wants to try.

I suck my lower lip into my mouth, trying to think of my course of actions.

There’s a simple one I can take now (and probably should’ve taken as an initiative). I click his icon, and click “Follow” on his page.

It doesn’t take very long before I get a notification come through, starting that he mentioned me in a post.

It isn’t very long, but it gets its point across in the best way possible. It’s just a mobile screenshot, reading “gaystrell started following bi-sammy” with a quick caption.

god himself entered the groupchat. how do i block him?

SIMON

I wonder what it’d be like to see me in the moment. It’s a real shame Penn wasn’t around to capture it, since I’m in the middle of French class, but I must’ve smiled so stupidly that it caught the attention of the professor. He gave me a stern look until I set down my mobile.

The moment he turned away, I opened it back up and grinned.

At first, I didn’t believe what I was seeing. Him. Following me.

Us. Mutuals. Mutuals.

Of course I had to screenshot and post as a brag (barely humble, more metaphorically sucking my own knob for all my followers to see). Nobody really cares, as expected.

Well, nobody except the single message from none other than Mr. Bitch.

gaystrell: blocked. unfollowed. reported. waste of space.

My smile creases back my cheeks as they flush pink. I send back a quick message before turning my mobile over, foot tapping double the speed of the analogue on the wall.

bi-sammy: ;)

BAZ

He winked. Interesting.

I’m out of breath.

Fuck?

I lay my phone flat away from me, face down as I squint at my wall. I should respond in a composed fashion. I have to be clever, and not one-upping him is never an option. After all, does this qualify as flirting? Friendly banter? What am I doing with this random fucking bloke that I don’t even have a face to put to?

He’s my age. Roughly. Yes?

I check his tumblr again, as if I hadn’t just read his bio earlier.

simon // he/him // 17 // hold my fucking hand (please)

Maybe he’s just straight and I’m misreading it. Yes. Probably. Aren’t most people straight? Is that still a fact? (I highly doubt it, given how boring that must be.) But he winked at me. Somewhat prompted, I’ll give him that, but it was still a fucking wink.

I wink in texts to Dev and Niall too, though, but that’s different, isn’t it? I’d never snog either of them (especially fucking Dev), but hey. If unfaced internet boy asked for a snog, would I?

I’m too wrapped up and starved for human interaction to properly deal with this.

gaystrell: i will carry on with my threats, snow

There it is. Perfectly biting, while not being entirely rejecting. Maybe I’m better at this than I thought.

Or, perhaps, I’m worse, because even an hour and a half after sending the text, he’s silent.

I remind myself every few minutes that he most likely attends an actual school and has classes, but it makes my chest ache in the most unfair way every time my mobile tempts me with an unrelated notification.

I work myself to the point of moping down in the kitchen, slumping against the fridge whilst watching Vera make tea. She’s relatively silent, knowing better than anybody to leave me to sulk.

“You’re a drama queen,” she tuts, looking over me. Granted, I dress like a slob and borderline haunt this godforsaken mansion, but I feel as though that makes me entitled to being the way I am.

“I’m lonely,” I sigh, head resting against the fridge. It hums beside me, the chromed metal cooling my cheek. “Am I not granted a dramatic spell every now and then?”

“Not unprovoked.”

I set a hand against the handle, then let it drop. I’m not hungry. “What if it was provoked?”

“Is it?”

Instinctively, I pull out my phone and click it on. Nothing. “Perhaps.”

Vera frowns at me, walking over and setting a hand on my arm. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling okay?”

My eyes slowly roll as I push myself off the appliance, standing upright. “Physically, yes. Don’t fuss. It’s just… online shit.”

“You spend too much time on the phone,” she sighs, letting go and going back to the tea as she fixes me a mug. “Don’t you think you’d be happier to disconnect from social media for a day or two? Go on a walk, see nature?”

I snort, looking outside. “And what? Trip and bust open my knee? That’d wind me back up in care for at least a few days.”

“You act like you’re made of paper and glass.” She offers over my mug, letting my fingers wind around the handle before she shakes her head.

“I might as well be,” I huff down before thanking her and blowing on my tea.

Once I leave back up to my room, I realise it's somehow more depressing in here over the kitchen with Vera’s disapproval of technology rantings. At least she’s some sort of company.

As I’m sipping my tea, I go back to scrolling on my laptop as a notif pops up, jarring me with the sound but letting me breathe again.

bi-sammy: why do you know my last name smh

I exhale slowly, smiling to myself.

gaystrell: you commented on my google doc, you idiot