#2016 is the year of ziam

[srslycris]

State of the Blogger

I've learned that some folks look for me under my old blog name, so I figured I'd leave this in case anyone was looking for me.

Yes, I'm the Cris that was a "big Larrie" back in the day.

No, I do not think Harry and Louis are still together.

I've changed my mind and I believe they were no longer "a thing" by the time Midnight Memories was released (late 2013).

I do however think it was a legit romantic relationship of some sort at the beginning of the band and that they may have been some on/off stuff going on. I also allow for information that disabuses that opinion.

I love Louis Tomlinson. I love his music and his heart and think he's just a really good person that deserves to have been dealt a better hand. But I'm leaving it there. I have lost interest in his personal life and don't follow that side of the fandom any longer.

I also still think that whatever was going on with Louis in 2015 and 2016 was weird and there are a lot of inconsistencies to his story.

However, while he has not explained any of it, he has repeatedly shown in word and action that he loves his son, therefore at this point I'm not challenging his version of events and don't want to.

I don't care for Harry's music and am not a particular fan of his outside his connection to One Direction. I love his stage persona, but I've come to believe that who he is onstage is not a reflection of anything but how much he loves performing. The person that has consistently treated his romantic partners like accessories and billboards while refusing EVER to name them as lovers is not someone I want to be a fan of. I finally quit making excuses for him and I just don't like him now.

I believe Taylor Swift about their relationship and I think Harry was sleeping with every one of those models he was linked to. Harry wasn't a ho at 17, but he is now.

I also am not a Harry-hater nor do I have any interest in bashing him for fun, so keep that to yourself.

Additionally:

I love One Direction with all my heart, but I'm not following any of their personal lives closely any longer.

My opinion on Ziam has never changed, it was never a thing.

My opinion on Zayn remains what it's been for several years now, confused fondness, but I don't care for his music.

I'm worried about Liam and hope he's better. But I don't care for his music, so I'm not following him.

I have so much love for Niall I could cry and I love a lot of his music, but I'm not following his personal life closely either.

======================

I had the time of my life being a Larrie and I love the friends I made. But I learned a lot about the power of group think and peer pressure and confirmation bias.

I also learned that there are some very misguided people out there that use their "love" for someone as a cudgel to harm and oppress others, sometimes even including the ones they supposedly love.

So there's that. If you have questions, feel free to ask, but I don't promise I'll answer.

[justapayneaway]

Hi ! Hope you're well.

So to preface this ask I just want to clarify I mean no negativity in the question I have!!

But, I was shown some old posts of yours (in those recommended posts section, not stalking you 🙈) where you were fully in support of liam and sophia, and I was just wondering what your thoughts are on the history of Liams public relationships over the years. When did you start believing that they're not fully legit like you seem to now? That these women/the people in charge of him don't actually have his best interests at heart? Was it Cheryl and the whole weird pregnancy thing ? Did you also support Liam and Danielle (1 and 2.0)? What about Zayn and the years' long perrie and gigi situationships? Do you think bear and khai are their children? or do you think it's more of a mutually beneficial, these women wanted kids and didn't want to be known as single mothers type cover?

Again, no hatred id love your thoughts on the issue. Obviously fans who've been around for years change their opinions (:

Hi :)

Oh wow those posts were made a long time ago lmao

But the honest answer is very simple: when I entered the fandom, I did it with a few friends and I was mostly keeping an eye on the larrie fandom (seeing the aspects of a possible relationship between Louis and Harry). I was already a big 1D fan and Liam was always my favorite, but I wasn't looking too deep into the other boys' relationships (Zayn and Perrie or even Liam and Sophia).

I wasn't in the fandom when Danielle was around so my opinion is based on past things I've seen about her. And it might have even been a real for a while, but later on it seemed a bit forced from the few things I saw.

I started to question the others relationships after the public break up with Sophia. Things seemed a bit weird, but I wasn't very vocal about it because I wasn't sure what it meant. But then things with Cheryl (aka the lady) started and that whole thing was a clusterfuck of PR from the very first moment! It was pretty obvious it was something that Liam needed to do even at the end of 2015 with Simon's push. After that I just couldn't believe anything that happened in regards to his public relationships... things always happened to fast and in such a fake way that made me label them all as PR relationships.

As for Zayn, I liked Perrie for a while but then again everything seemed fabricated to fit a narrative in 1D days and I never believed in that whole thing with Gigi! It always made me laugh and seemed forced as fuck. A strategic way to push her more into the world since when that thing started Zayn was very influential due to leaving the band. And not to even mention all the times they tried to bring it back in strategic moments to push her image into a more positive place.

I think me starting to believe in Ziam was a thing that happened mostly in 2016/2017 when I started to look a little more deeply into their story and connections. How narratives seemed to be similar and connect in a lot of moments!

So in regards to the kids that are mentioned, I'm always a bit on the defense and don't like to talk much about it because one can't ever be sure. But generally, I don't think those kids are theirs. A lot of things don't add up in both stories and were very weird, but I prefer not to mention it a lot because at the end of the day there are kids involved.

P.S. no worries and sorry it took me so long to answer you, but I wanted to have the time to explain it :)

[onedirection072310]

Ok, I have had about 24 hours to process it. I Long story short I’m doing the best I can at the moment. It’s up and down right now for me. I’m trying to do things that make me happy and that helps a bit. I just miss him so god damn much. It doesn’t feel real without him here. But here I go.

He was only 16 when he got put into the band. The first two years were hell, but when he and Zayn got together everything changed. They got together (officially) in September of 2012. Management closeted them just like they did Larry. He started getting depressed, the band started going on these world tours and started getting overworked constantly. They were locked up in hotel rooms most of the time. He turned to alcohol and developed alcoholism. He drank every night to the point where he couldn’t even focus. At that point he was killing himself. Louis started water fights every night to make him focus more on his singing and not on the alcohol that was taking over his body. He did this for years in the band. Zayn left on March 25th, 2015. He was heartbroken and him drinking and the water fights happened more often. He was obviously missing the love of his life.

The band went on hiatus in 2016. He started his own solo career. Harry and Niall were the two biggest, but Liam was vastly underrated (in my opinion) and of course most of y’all that will be reading this. He started getting so much hate for no reason whatsoever. Then baby gate 2.0 happened. Liam and Zayn probably had no idea what to do. Liam turned go alcohol and drugs more. The hate continued again for absolutely no reason.

It then reached quarantine. Baby gate 3.0 happened. Liam was finally sober at that moment and looked so happy. But Zayn and Liam hurt deeply inside knowing they were in for another round of stunting with another innocent child (this time Zayn’s child).

Liam continued to portray his happy, go lucky personality. But inside he was deeply hurting. He couldn’t love the love of his life publicly and they couldn’t be free. Then in 2021 the interview happened. It’s bullshit that management forced him to do that interview and to say that shit about his own husband. At this point. Zayn and Liam (behind the scenes) were stronger and more in love than ever. Knowing that nothing could ever between them, not even the gods (management) above.

Then a few months ago the allegations started circulating. Again I knew it wasn’t true. He wasn’t this a*user. It’s bullshit and heartbreaking that management and MH spread false allegations to push him further into the closet. Like what the fuck is wrong with people? In the year 2024? Bs. Liam and Zayn have always been as strong as ever, right up until his death

That brings us to yesterday. October 16th, 2024. When Liam jumped off of a building in Buenos Aires Argentina. He died thinking our whole fandom (besides the ppl that knew the truth) hated him.

Liam just a child. He was exploited for S*mons own monetary gain. Liam was the subject of so much hate (for no reason because people simply didn’t know the truth and didn’t bother to care/know about the truth) for 14 FUCKING years. Tbh since the hiatus started with how much hate Zayn and Liam got on a daily basis One Direction was just Niall, Louis and Harry to some people.

S*mon did so much horrendous shit to all of the boys. And now this to top it all off. If it wasn’t for S*mon, Liam would still be here rn allowed to love Zayn openly and freely. I hope S*mon has no peace for the rest of his fucking life and I hope it haunts him for the rest of his life what he did to those five KIDS.

I wanted Liam to be free so badly. Not like this, never like this. He never got to confirm Ziam and love Zayn openly and publicly without any judgement. It’s really heartbreaking how he never got to to be his true, authentic self.

I hope all of the boys are doing ok with what they are having to deal with right now. I hope his family is holding up and supporting each other and staying strong for him. And I hope Zayn is doing ok (it must be heartbreaking, beyond belief) losing his husband (which many people don’t know about) in this way so I hope Zayn is doing as best as he can rn and I hope he has the support around him.

Anyways you lovely people, I know that was a lot, but take care of yourselves and my inbox on here is always open if y’all want to talk about whatever <3 ❤️💛🇮🇪💙💚

[quietzap]

.

[allwaswell16]

This is a fic rec of my favorite One Direction fan fics with praise kink in them as requested in this ask. If you enjoy the fics, please leave kudos and comments for the writers! You can find my other fic recs here. Happy reading!

-Larry-

Missed Connection by @littlelouishiccups

(E, 39k, soulmates au, soul marks, strangers to friends to lovers, fwb, musician Harry, nurse Louis, dom /sub, angst with a happy ending, fluff, smut, oral sex, praise kink, sex toys)

Soulmate AU where your soulmate’s first words to you are tattooed on your skin.

Small Doses (Loving You It's Explosive) by QuickedWeen / @becomeawendybird

(E, 38k, boxing au, boxer Harry, personal trainer Harry, teacher Louis, dirty talk, praise kink, d/s, dom Louis, sub Harry, bondage, oral sex, teasing, lap dance, light angst, subspace, riding, rimming, smut)

Louis Tomlinson finds himself at Vitality Fitness to try and turn his life around after having left his cheating boyfriend of four years.

Here to Stay (here to Play) by @sadaveniren

(E, 28k, chapter 18, Kinktober, praise kink, lingerie, camboy, dom/sub, dom Louis, sub Harry, bondage, sex toys, smut)

“He’s such a pretty thing, isn’t he?” Louis watched the comments roll in, agreeing with him.

Time Out by Speechless / @smokingluckiesalltheway

(E, 27k, break up au, role play, getting back together, angst with a happy ending, fluff, jealousy, possessive behavior, d/s, kink, praise kink, smut, bl)

Harry and Louis are perfect for each other.

Oh Glory by @alivingfire

(E, 21k, Olympics au, sports, swimming, gymnastics, praise kink, bondage, swimmer Harry, gymnast Louis, smut)

Harry Styles is Team Great Britain's newest swimmer, and has spent his whole life training for this moment, a chance at the gold medal in the Rio 2016 Olympics.

Save your loving arms for a rainy day by BriaMaria / @briannamarguerite

(E, 18k, famous/not famous au, famous Louis, not famous Harry, pop star Louis, lost voice, angst with a happy ending, body worship, praise kink, smut)

the one where Louis is a pop star who has lost his voice and Harry helps him find it.

This Play Between The Sheets by Harriet1dfan

(E, 15k, first date, bdsm, dom Harry, sub Louis, embarrassing situation, online dating, texting, pwp, fluff, lingerie, praise kink, daddy kink, body worship, oral sex, coming untouched, size difference, smut, bl)

the totally gratuitous BDSM fic where Louis' is a drama queen and gets far too excited to pay attention to who he's texting.

the flower that blooms in adversity by docklands / @hershelsue

(E, 13k, a/b/o, alpha Louis, unlabeled Harry, camping, virgin Harry, first time, light angst, humiliation kink, praise kink, kink, fluff, smut)

Harry is twenty-six and he hasn't presented yet.

Shackles (I Just Want to Praise You) by theweightofmywords / @rockstarlouis

(E, 8k, bdsm au, dom Harry, sub Louis, actor Louis, Hollywood, subspace, aftercare, nervous Harry, praise kink, rough sex, pet names, mirror sex, smut)

Louis is an extra for a low-budget gladiator movie.

Every Good Boy Deserves Cookies by @fournipplesau

(E, 8k, chef Harry, teacher Harry, shy Harry, teasing, premature ejaculation, praise kink, food play, smut)

Harry is a chef who teaches a class and Louis swears it's only Harry's bossiness that turns him on, not the recipe for cookies and Harry likes being praised.

My Pleasure (to make you mine) by zanni_scaramouche / @zanniscaramouche

(E, 6k, piercing au, praise kink, light dom/sub, fluff, porn, coming untouched, piercings, smut)

Harry decides to get his nipples pierced.

Here, Kitty by dimpled_halo / @comebackassholes

(E, 4k, roommate au, friends to lovers, uni, fluff, kink discovery, master/pet, d/s, kink exploration, master Louis, kitten Harry, praise kink, love confessions, smut)

When Harry and Louis become roommates, Louis discovers a side of Harry that he's more than willing to explore with him.

Good boy by 28sunflowers / @vintageumbroshirt

(E, 2k, tattoo au, tattoo artist Louis, customer Harry, pwp, masturbation, bathroom sex, oral sex, praise kink, pain kink, kink discovery, smut)

Harry is startled out of his thoughts by the needle going over one of his ribs.

Mommy by @jaerie

(E, 2k, sugar baby Louis, lactation kink, rough oral sex, choking, caretaking, praise kink, kink, smut)

Louis is Harry's baby. Harry takes good care of him.

-Tomagher-

There’s A World There For The Taking, gayumbrella​

(E, 9k, Louis/Liam Gallagher, yes a made up ship name, canon, praise kink, recording studio, alcohol, smut)

Louis and Liam Gallagher at the same studio.

-Tomlinshaw-

Little Lion Man by Writcraft / @writcraft

(E, 123k, Louis/Nick Grimshaw, Harry Potter au, age difference, coming of age, supernatural elements, Hogwarts, homophobia, romance, mental health issues, hurt/comfort, injury, injury recovery, light bdsm, grief/mourning, character death, kink exploration, ghosts, praise kink, smut)

As Louis tries to negotiate coming of age, sexuality, first times, homophobia in the wizarding world and his growing feelings for Nick, a new evil emerges which puts Louis and Nick in serious danger.

-Ziam-

Just As Fast, Twice As Dangerous by lightswoodmagic / @lightwoodsmagic

(E, 45k, Zayn/Liam, superhero au, uni, empath, telekinesis, pining, friends to lovers, fwb, misunderstandings, angst, hurt/comfort, dom/sub, dom Liam, sub Zayn, praise kink, bondage, daddy kink, smut)

Zayn's a normal student by day, and a superhero by night.

[yaz-the-spaz]

i've been away from this fandom since 2015... and i miss ziam so much. is there any masterpost of what we have seen that is linked ziam since then?

not sure if there's anything quite that exhaustive (although if anyone else in the ziam fam knows of anything feel free to hit me up in the comments!) but there are definitely posts that sum-up certain periods/years separately that you can draw on info from collectively

@bakagamieru has some pretty good stuff like this post (kinda sums up about 2012-2015 or so) and there's plenty of other good nuggets in their tags/resources page that might be pretty close to what you're looking for too, and then there's some pretty good posts by other folks, for example this one's also a pretty good one and this one too (although unfortunately i think these both stop around 2016/2017-ish), but feel to also take a gander through my ziam masterposts tag which might have some other good sum-ups from other years, and let me know if you have any other questions!

happy reading!

UPDATE: see the comments for more links from @quietzap!

[blue-eyes-tattoos]

hey! i just saw you said you weren’t interested in most AU fics — do you have any good canon recs???

hello hello 💕 yes I do!! (also, I may have phrased my tags a bit...radical. I do like canon fics but I definitely read mostly AUs, there’s just lots of AUs i do not read)

Canon Compliant Fics

➡️ And Then a Bit by infinitelymint / @infinitelymint (E, 2015, 159k)

Harry and Louis fake a relationship for publicity. Eventually it becomes a lot less fake and a lot more real.

➡️  You’ve Got My Devotion (Hate You Sometimes) by lucythegoosey / @harryrainbows (E, 2020, 95k)

Harry and Louis are forced to fake-date after an old video from when they were dating emerges.

I’m putting the rest under a read more cause it’s getting a bit long.

➡️  To the Ends of the Earth by stylinsoncity (M, 2019, 68k)

During a yearlong hiatus, Louis visits Harry at his cabin in Idaho, where long-buried feelings ignite like the fire keeping them warm.

➡️  Live a Thousand Lifetimes by Layne Faire / @laynefaire (E, 2020, 58k)

It’s 2025.

After secretly writing and producing their first album in ten years, One Direction is weeks away from releasing their first new single and announcing a world tour.

With the whirlwind about to begin again, Liam re-evaluates the last ten years - the fame, the money, the people who changed his life forever - and the person who walked away.

[Ziam]

➡️  Need So Much of You by lululawrence / @lululawrence (NR, 2020, 47k)

The would-have-been canon compliant, fake relationship, friends with benefits, friends to lovers fic where Louis wonders if this thing going on with Harry is going to break him or change everything for the better.

➡️  like a timebomb ticking by infinitelymint / @infinitelymint (M, 2014, 32k)

Louis loses everything. Harry's still there. 

(Grief TW)

➡️  Autumn At My Window by TheCellarDoor (M, 2016, 20k)

A canon-compliant AU, in which Harry and Louis are both in the band and have been sharing flats and hotel rooms for nearly five years, but never made the leap past 'friends who are too close for comfort'.

➡️  Same White Shirt by lululawrence (NR, 2017, 10k)

The one where Harry's on the Late Late Show for a week and several misunderstandings with a certain mouthy assistant James recently hired make things that much more interesting. 

(This one’s more canon divergent than the others but still!!)

➡️  I learned how to love, 'cause you taught me how by flamboyo_xx / @chrysopon �� (M, 2020, 10k)

The aftermath of Liam’s naked photoshoot (+ some months later, when he has another photoshoot, but this time under his own terms). 

(Please read the tags for possible triggers)

[Ziam]

➡️  You got that something, I got me an appetite by Only_angel_28 (E, 2018, 6k)

After years of being forced to hide their relationship, Harry and Louis decide to come out with a bang.

➡️ whatever chains are holding you back by fairytalelights / @lookslikefairytale 💞 (T, 2015, 4k)

In 2016, Louis is a judge on the X-Factor. Things don't go exactly as planned.

➡️ Obligatory Sickfic by WhoopsImASinner (E, 2015, 3k)

Harry gets off stage after the Live Lounge and is more than a little upset about how sick he is. Louis takes it upon himself to get his boy home and cheer him up.

(Fun fact: This is one of the first 1d fics I remember reading)

[wmitomlinson]

FIC RECS- JAN 2021

if it’s not too late, happy 2021 everyone! i know the year hasn’t started out great but let’s keep our fingers crossed, and in case it doesn’t, i’ll be here to rec amazing fics to you! shoutout to all the authors of this fandom for being amazing <3

many of the fics mentioned below may have triggering topics. TW // DRUGS, ADDICTION, DRUG MENTION, ALCOHOL AS A COPING MECHANISM, ACCIDENTS, AMNESIA

never be by cherrystreet @cherrystreet (117k, study abroad au, strangers to friends to lovers, angst, pining, happy ending) this was the first ones i’ve read of this type and it was amazing. i loved the long distance dynamic. 

like a bastard on the burning sea by vashtaneradas (22k, infedility) i have no idea why i ever thought that reading h cheating on l would ever do me any good, but here it is. beautifully written. this had me ugly crying and howling the first time i read it. can confirm i hated irl harry for a while after this. 

we’re not who we used to be by louistomlinsons @adoredontour (30k, sharing a bed, accidental cuddling, exes to lovers, road trip) i absolutely loved the ziam and shiall content, coupled with stupid louis. road trip AUs are very cool and if you like them as much as i do you should read this.

search and rescue me by wild halos (17k, alternate universe - high school, confinement?) this was one of the very few stuck together ones i’ve found and i ADORE it. super exciting. their chemistry is amazing. the things that can happen in a day ,,,, *chef’s kiss*

candles on air by isthatyoularry @isthatyoularry (29k, friends to lovers, unrequited love, angst, pining) i read this during physics and i honestly had to work so hard not to let my self-restraint break because i was exhausted by the end of this. the angst is top-tier. 10/10 would recommend.

but me, i’m not a gamble by orphan_account (33k, football player louis, famous harry, popstar harry, footie au, niall is friends with all the footballers) a lovely posh&becks au featuring a cameo from none other than david and victoria beckham. i love the slow build and how louis leads harry on but can’t live without him either. oh and niall is a smug bastard but what’s new. 

spin me like a record by zarah5 @zarah5 (8k, alternate universe- college/university, friends to lovers, fake/pretend relationship, happy ending) let me start by saying that this author is my absolute favourite and that everything she writes is GOLD. so much captured in just 8k. loved it.

counting the steps between us by zarah5 @zarah5 (24k, friends to lovers, pining, so much pining, also camping) this fic is a gem. i absolutely love the dynamic between them and how easily they fall into step with each other. louis is kinda a dick to harry but they end up happy, so, who cares. 

say that you can see me (i’ll speak up i swear) by coffeelouis (20k, college au, liberal arts college, photographer harry, soccer/football player louis tomlinson) harry is an oblivious idiot and louis is the fool pining over him. zayn is not bothered, except for when he is. wonderful fic. 

larry heartbreak by coinmaisy (47k, cheating harry, angst with a happy ending, it gets worse before it gets better, infedility, heartbroken louis tomlinson, implied/referenced drug use, alcohol) when i first read the summary i was like “what is 47k going to do to me?” huge mistake i promise. this was so exhausting to read and it literally felt like my partner had cheated on me. you really feel for the characters. kind of unconventional with the way they deal with it but beautiful nevertheless.

joke’s on our parents by larrycaring @mystupidamours (alternate universe- high school, louis has a twin named carla, coming out, sort of, closeted character) short and sweet, an extremely adorable read. i wish it didn’t end here! i’d kill for parents like that no joke

life at shutter speed by zarah5 @zarah5 (20k, alternate universe- fashion & models, harry is very forward, louis is charmed even though he wishes he weren’t) photographer!louis au featuring stunning locations and even more stunning models.

oh glory by alivingfire (21k, alternate universe-olympics, 2016 summer olympics, gymnastics, mentions of past zouis, explicit sexual content, praise kink, slight mentions of homophobia typical in work environments) this was soooo good. i’m not particularly into sports fics unless it’s footie louis, but swimmer!harry was something i never knew i needed. wonderful setting and the ending *chef’s kiss*

hold my breath by zarah5 @zarah5 (19k, alternate universe- yoga, alternate universe- football, louis plays football and is a beast when injured, harry and louis ramble around london a lot) this is definitely one of my favourite fics for this month. yoga instructor!harry, football!louis AND angst? sign me up hjdhnjsk 

talk dirty to me by briamaria (13k, friends to lovers, dirty talk, mutual masturbation) uni au with best friends to lovers + dirty talk? this one was fireeeeeee. their chemistry is awesome

own the scars by crinkle-eyed-boo @crinkle-eyed-boo (144k, american au, drug addiction, drug overdose, larry is endgame, so don’t let the tomlinshaw scare you off, you’re gonna suffer, but you’ll be happy about it, lots of larry easter eggs) I AM BEGGING YOU TO READ THIS FIC, but more importantly, please please, READ THE TAGS. this had me ugly crying like crazy. this was very triggering for me but istg i don’t regret it. slow burn and angst and fluff and the jealousy,,, make this a must-read. even the memory of this fic gets me overwhelmed. incredible. ft. zouiall friendship that will most definitely make your heart melt.

no one does it better by nodibs (49k, alcohol abuse, alternate universe) amnesia fic with ot5 friendship, sloooooooooooow burn and a shit ton of tears. 

teenage dreams in a teenage circus by orphan_account (50k, first time, coming of age, alternate universe- high school) gemma/perrie/louis friendship that i never knew i needed. louis falls in love with harry, which, awkwarddd. but this fic gave me major coming of age movie vibes and now i’m angry that i don’t have a childhood like this

play the odds by alivingfire @alivingfire (25k, friends to lovers, bets&wagers, alternate universe- college & university) a bet where they have to kiss 1000 times. maybe it ends up being more than that. i loved the concept and how well it carried throughout the fic.

those are all for this month ! i hope you enjoy them, and if you do, make sure you leave kudos and comments. stay safe, sending love! x

[larryloverinfinity]

Does anyone else find it hilarious how Ziam hate began a few months ago when someone decided to write an article about Ziam and it was trending everywhere?

That was the first significant time where I saw Larries being hypocrites on it. Before that, every Larrie I met like myself were a Ziam too.

Nobody asked the journalist to write an article about these boys. But it goes to show that people outside of the fandom picked up on them even though they hadn’t had public interaction in years.

People were mad because Ziam was getting recognition and not Larry. Something that I hadn’t seen Larry have for years. The last thing I prominently remember being written about Larry was that one journalist a few years back maybe during 2016 who had his article taken down by management.

[bakagamieru]

hullo! I was wondering if u still believe ziam are in a relationship? (And I don’t mean this offensively just genuinely curious! bc zigi baby kinda sealed the deal for me)

Yes, I believe Ziam are still in a relationship.  

The fact that this is the 3rd babygate stunt makes it pretty easy to spot the patterns that suggest it’s fake.  1D’s team has always had this bizarre habit of repeating even the most specific and awkward of stunts over and over again.  

There’s a ridiculous amount of concrete evidence for babygate 1.0 (Louis) being fake.  There were several pretty egregious things for babygate 2.0 (Liam), but I stopped keeping track as rigorously by then.  Now that we’ve gotten to this third one, I just don’t have the energy to care.  Just by pattern alone, it’s extremely likely Zayn isn’t actually the father.  

He seems not at all invested or interested in the pregnancy/child.  He repeatedly tweeted about sports every time he came online instead of, you know, announcing he was going to be a father.  I think the most we’ve gotten is some pictures of his hands with the baby?  Which is one of the signs of photoshop, to be honest.  It’s easier to photoshop a hand than a face after all.  Anyway, if Zayn really had a child, he would be all over that.  He was adorable with Lux and he’s 1D’s resident group mom.  The fact that he’s ignoring it as much as possible is a big red flag.

The birth of the child being announced right when Zayn was announcing new music also fits the pattern where Gigi leaches off of Zayn’s career and drags all the spotlight to herself anytime he has a big release.  There’s no reason for Zayn to use a baby for promo when he has actual creative content being released, so the only reason to announce it at the same time as the baby is to bring attention to Gigi.  Their fake relationship has always been horrifically toxic above and beyond the average 1D fauxmance in that way.

Finally, at least Louis and Liam (and maybe Niall?) almost immediately and pointedly congratulated Zayn about the baby.  If you supposedly haven’t been on speaking terms for 5 years, is that really likely?  This stunt behavior exactly mirrors how Zayn, among other boys, was used to prop up the original babygate in 2016, even when he and Louis were supposed to be actively in the middle of fighting.

So yeah, even without the concrete evidence we have for babygate 1.0, the patterns for this being fake are all there.  Do I believe there’s a real baby?  Yes.  Do I believe Gigi is the mother?  Probably?  Do I think Zayn is the dad?  Nope.  

I say that there’s no concrete evidence (that I’m aware of), but keep in mind that: 

I’m clearly not as on top of this as I was for the first babygate

One of the reasons that there’s so much for babygate 1.0 is that there are YEARS of info

Another reason that there will probably be more for babygate 1.0 than for 3.0 is that Gigi’s stuff is actually being handled by a team while Brianna’s family just... posts whatever in the cringiest possible way

Yet another reason that there will probably be more for babygate 1.0 than 3.0 is that Zayn’s basically a career/social media hermit at this point, so there’s less to glean information from

So it makes sense that there’s not going to be as much concrete evidence for this babygate.  It doesn’t make it any less fake.  It’s just a different set of circumstances information-wise.

[bciwasinlove]

Hi. I have not been on twitter or even in the fandom long enough so i came here to ask you about something. What's with the song claiming thing? Suddenly ziams are claiming songs that have been claimed as larry song. No I'm not gate keeping. Pardon my word choice.I'm not English. But I'm just curious. As long as i have been in this fandom, no control was a larry song the moment it came out and everyone was ok with it and even ziams never claimed it before.now suddenly they are like oh liam also wrote it? Home has always been larry song considering the timeline, him leaking and all, ziams never claimed it before, now suddenly home is a ziam song too? 18 was taken as a larry song from the moment ed said it was written from 1D perspective and everyone was ok with it considering how Louis used to literally serenade Harry like turning his whole body,changing pronouns etc. No one had a problem untill now. Suddenly in 2020/21 ziams are claiming it. Why didn’t they do it before? Why now? I'm just curious.

Warning selfies have been a thing with Louis for years. Now suddenly it is linked with liam too? How? Did he do it before or something? I genuinely don't know. So let me know plz.

The whole devlin thing, devlin album came out in 2017 i guess and they comparing Louis tweet with zayn tweeting that is from 2016. How does that make sense?

Also some people say larry closeting didn’t work but ziam did...awful thing to say. If it didn’t work then there wouldn’t be so many antis and they are still going through so much. People wouldn’t believe Harry dates every woman that breaths around him. And they claim there are two bbg in ziam relationship right? Why did they need two bbg if it worked? I mean if the closeting worked? Bbg has nothing to do with relationships.

Idk if ziam was real or not but I'm sure gigi was pregnant, she had that symptoms, pregnancy glow,tired face and all. Now whoever the father may be..idk.

I'm not convinced about ziam and how does that make me hypocrite? Also there are some "if this counts(larry),this counts too(ziam)" thread. what's with the comparison?

Sorry about the rant.

Hello anon wow this is long a lot to unpack so I'll start with your song questions.

Idk why ziammies are suddenly trying to claim songs that have ALWAYS been larry related. Especially when Liam said in an interview that Louis and him were a song writing duo for 1D BUT that he wrote the melodies and it was Louis who wrote the song lyrics. Last I checked melodies don't equal meaning of a song so how are these songs about ziam?

Some examples of this....

They are trying to claim Home but Liam said the song was personal to Louis and how when he read the lyrics he didn't want to change them. Home is also a direct response to If I Could Fly with ONLY Harry on the credits. Home was leaked by Louis the night of Belfest when Larry found out BG was being taken pasted the birth of a kid and it pissed off Louis so he leaked Home as payback bc it was clearly a loud song management didn't want on the album.

They are trying to claim 18 but the song was written by Ed who said [compared to other 1D songs he wrote for them] he wrote 18 with a 1D member in mind. [That is why we claim the song at all.] Ed was closeted in the band to Harry next being Louis and Niall he was the least closeted to Zayn and Liam. Side note Ed has a song called Friends that he said was about 2 friends of his who fell in love and when a fan yelled L&H he laughed/smirked and said init so it makes the most sense 18 was written with Harry in mind. Plus 18 is about meeting/loving someone sense they were 18 and it was only Louis who was 18 when they all met and it was Harry who would scream NO 16 when singing the song. Also larry changed the lyrics to HIM and would stare directly at each other when singing 18 livem According to ziam MPs ziam weren't a couple until at least 2 years into the band so why would 18 make sense for them also given they were both 17 when they met & none ever went NO 17 when singing it.

They are trying to claim No Control but that song as we know is about the morning after sex and the second round they end up having. Like stated before Louis wrote the lyrics to 1D songs and Niall plus Larry always made it DAMN CLEAR what that song was about. Also remember when Harry would always jam out hard core when Louis would sing his part in No Control aka majority of the song. Yeah that song is Louis song no doubt.

They try to claim Alive which makes no sense bc Zayn nor Liam is on the credits at all only Louis. They say it's bc Liam said he related to the song ok I see that but still he didn't write it and still how does this song equate to ziam? Alive is more a song used as proof Louis isn't straight bc it's about self exceptance of who you are even tho others around you for along time made u feel there is something wrong with you. It's about Louis who is more confident part way through the story being told and then helping his lover [who seems to be a bit insecure about themselves] except and love who they are. Since Liam didn't write on it the relationship aspect couldn't be about him and Zayn. Since he said he just relates to Alive at BEST it could mean he might not be straight but it can't be used as proof of who his partner is when he didn't write on it.

There's others but I think you get the point they have always been larry or hinting at Louis sexuality songs so I don't get why or how they are suddenly saying their ziam songs? Myself @lovemylarents and @fearlessmoon09 think bored people in quarantine is what happened to change the landscape.

To your next question warning selfies...

So warning selfies was something Louis did everytime something BG stunt related was going to happen. He started it and did it a ton back in 2016/17 when BG stunting was massive for him. Liam never had anything to do with warning selfies and Louis warning selfies were ALWAYS like I said BG related so suddenly ziammies going Liam does warning selfies for things involving Maya or Gigi makes no sense. It was ALWAYS a Louis thing.

For the Devlin thing...

You hit the nail on the coffin with that one the album with the song Cold Blooded that had the lyrics "so is it true XXXX fathered a baby? I don't really think so, if you ask me he don't like ladies. Could have been HARRY, yeah, I bet it was HARRY" [emphasis on Harry bc I saw a ziammie change the lyrics to Liam] came out in 2017 while Zayns tweet was done in 2016. Unlike Louis tweet which was specifically about this album not just the artist and tweeted during the height of BG stunting. So not the best comparison. They really should fact check before making these "larries are hypocrites" threads bc veteran larries know and fact check everything.

Next thing you mentioned what I call their slogan "larries closeting didn't work but ziams did that is why less talk about/believe in ziam then larry" piss me off so much and what you said it right. If larry's closeting didn't work then we wouldn't be here complaing about how the GP sees Harry as a queerbaiting womanizer, how solo henries who want to have sex and suck Harry's dick exist and how some locals don't want to join Louis fandom bc they think Louis and his fans are homophobic or that twarries exist thinking Louis is a deadbeat dad. Tell me again ziammies how their closeting didn't work? It is so invalidating to everything larry has been put through. Also if larry's closeting didn't work but ziams did then why did they need 2 BGs for Ziam and only one for Larry? Myself @kaybutlarry @babyhoney-28 and @onlythebravestan are still waiting on an answer to that question haven't gotten one.

As you said about Gigi yes she definitely looked more pregnant then Briana ever did. The reason I don't believe in their BG with Gigi is bc their story is inconsistenent. Side note back when Liam had a kid no one besides a few on tumblr ever said it was BG 2.0 they didn't start saying BG 2&3 until Gigi happened. Back to inconsistenences so their original story when we first learned Gigi was pregnant was it's fake just like Briana there's no kid, then when Gigi did the livesteam showing she had a bump and a round face you get when pregnant the story changed to she's pregnant the kid is just not Zayn's.

Then I recently saw some who [after the kid was born] went back to the story the kid is fake there is no kid OR they are using a child actor. Unlike Louis BG they don't have a consistent story that makes sense. Also the kids are never shown unlike with Louis kid F gets posted every damn day with creepy and bad photoshop, and a million articles about how he is Louis twin to shove it down our throats the kid is Louis. The situations have NEVER been the same with Louis vs even just Liam kid.

To your last point ziammies keep calling and making threads about how larries are hypocrites bc we don't believe what they do which is damn annoying bc they constantly say just leave us alone why do you care we exist but then constantly make threads like that getting mad we aren't all ziammies. If your going to make threads against us then yeah were going to say something and respond to your threads the way we would to a debunking larry anti thread. Their threads like that are either using funny coincidences of larry that we don't use as concrete proof to compare to ziam OR their ziam version of our proof has been debunked already like the Ziam Levine Stylinson sticker on the bears. [If you want more info on that ask @lovemylarents.]

They constantly take what is a larry proof and say it's also about ziam [Example the songs] or have a ziam proof that mirrors a larry proof. [Example the devlin thing or selfies] In their threads they always compare miniscule larry things that aren't our MAIN proof. See the miniscule proofs are the house and the big proofs are the concrete foundation that without it those miniscule things would not be able to really count as proof of larry and the larry house would fall. Ziammies ONLY have miniscule proof not a very solid foundation so I'm unsure how long their house will last.

I have been in this fandom for 10 years I have seen MANY ships come and go [Examples: Ziam, Ziall and Narry] but the one ship that has always been here was Larry. Larries have been here for 10 years, Larries are the ones who are talked about in the media, Larries are the ones constsntly gaslighted, Larry is the one ship that needs to be denied a bunch [poorly might I add] there's NEVER been any other ship or ship group people have hated, gone against or talked about this much besides Larries/Larry.

Funny [not for us] but funny that Liam goes through all the trouble of gaslighting Larries and talking about EVERY Louis stunt but he never mentioned Ziam which is a ship that actually involves him or the Ziammies who say Bear isn't his kid. Why did he talk about US and not THEM which involve him? Also funny Liam can easily say the word Ziam but Louis can't pronounce an EASY @ just bc it has the word Eroda in it.

My mutrals and I all agreed we didn't give af that ziammies existed until they kept talking shit about how we aren't ziams to and then go why are larries acting like antis hating us. First off it was NEVER larries hating on them it was toxic solo Zsquad and solo Liam stans who were. We didn't get involved until the entire tl was LARRIES ARE HATING US AND BEING HYPOCRITES. Second off and my last thought it's easy if you don't want us in your replies then don't make threads about us being hypocrites and use easily debunked ziam proof or miniscule larry proof to mirror bc we will point it out bc you think were hypocrites thank you.

[justapayneaway]

How do Ziam people think about a possible band reunion for the anniversary? I am a solo Louie (never knew him when he was still part of the band) and I am not so happy about that possibility tbh. I am kind of asking different groups of fans to get some idea about their feelings. So far I got some very condescending response of a solo Harrie and a very positive answer from a Larrie since they look forward to see them in the same room again. Do you think Z would be a part of it?

I can only answer this taking into account my point of view of the fandom and everything that happened since early 2016. 

My honest answer is no. I don’t think there will be a band reunion for the anniversary, at least from the perspective that people want (them phisically meating or being in the same space). I think that the most we’ll get is some video or some tweets. Hell, even some unreleased content from back then. 

Also i don’t think Zayn will be included in an official thing. Probably we’ll get a tweet or a message, but I don’t think we’ll have all the things people are expecting from this anniversary. 

Personally, I don’t want a reunion right now! The reunion I want is in like 10/15 years. People were horrible towards Liam, but mainly towards Zayn. A lot of things were said by fans and even by themselves. If they comeback we won’t see what we were expecting to see (like in the past when they were still together). 

A lot of people want a reunion, but they are forgetting that all of them have solo concerts next year and are working in their solo careers. And being selfish, I don’t want Liam and Zayn involved in a lot of things related to this fandom. 

[getalittleclosey]

under 100k larry fic recs

hi! i’m becca and i read...so much fic. these rec lists are an accumulation of fic that i’ve read or reread and extra loved from 2016-now. there’s a wide range of stuff here and i think there’s definitely something for everyone!! i divided them up by length so you can check out all those categories below!

please make sure to read tags and warnings on all these fics!! the only things i think i can guarantee is that these are all larry, there’s no non-con, no age play, no eating disorders, no mentions of bg, they end happy, and they’re mostly aus. oh and they’re all on ao3 and some are locked so you’ll need an account! anyway i hope y’all enjoy!!!

under 5k

under 10k

under 25k

under 50k

100k+

☆ somethin’ bout you by missandrogyny 60k

Of all the government agents in the world, Louis had to go and land the most charming one.

☆ tug-of-war by cherrystreet 63k

Louis' husband dies suddenly and he is left with nothing. Well, not really nothing. He has Harry. And a St. Bernard puppy named Link, whom his late husband left behind for him. Louis takes care of Link and Harry takes care of Louis. Everything is okay until suddenly, it isn't.

☆ cameras flashing by juliusschmidt 82k

With his breakout single platinum three times over and his second album still selling out in stores around the world, Louis Tomlinson has made it to the top. However, his position as Pop Heartthrob of the Decade is threatened by the edgier, more artistic Zayn, who happens to be releasing an album a week after Louis’ upcoming third. Louis needs something groundbreaking- scandalous, even- to push past him in the charts. Much to Louis’ dismay, his PR team calls in The Sexpert.

Consulting with PR firm Shady, Lane and Associates pays the bills so that Harry Styles can spend his down time doing what he really loves: poring over data. On weekends and late into the evenings, he researches gender, presentation, and sexual orientation, analysing the longitudinal study that is his father’s life’s work. That is, until his newest client, the popstar with the fascinating secret, drags him off his couch and frighteningly close to the spotlight.

As the album’s release date approaches, will Tomlinson and Styles be able to pull off the most risky PR scheme of the millennium and beat Zayn in sales or will the heat of their feelings for each other compromise everything?

☆ home to you by crowsonthewire 54k

“If someone wrote that for me I’d probably be a crying mess before it was even over. I’m crying a little right now actually.”

It’s about you, Harry’s brain screamed. I wrote it about you.

Gemma appeared in the doorway then and dragged Louis away. With one winking smile he was gone. Harry curled up and stuffed his face into his duvet so he could cry with no one hearing.

**** At fifteen, Harry wrote his first song for an oblivious seventeen year old Louis Tomlinson. Ten years later he’s a singer/songwriter who cant find any words for his second album and Louis is a closeted actor tired of LA.

They both try to run from the things weighing them down and in the process, they find each other.

☆ fate don’t know you by sincewewereeighteen 99k

“Just. How bad is it?”

Zayn sighs. Shit.

“Not that bad, really,” he says quickly as he scans Louis’ face. “It depends, really. The freshmen are all right and I think you’ll manage just fine with the sophomores.”

“But?”

“Seniors are always shit because they think they rule the school, and this specific class of juniors… Well, let’s say you’ll find a real troublemaker there. Some say he used to be a soft kid, but- I don’t know. Most teachers just leave him alone.” Zayn shrugs. “He walks around with a tough crowd. Guess no one wants to take their chances with him. This is Chicago after all.”

“D’you know the name of the kid?” Louis asks, already very curious to meet said person.

“His name is Harry Styles.” The other man responds. “You’re in for a treat with this one.”

[Or: The one in which Louis always hears thunder when Harry speaks and sees lightning when he glances at him.]

note: this is student/teacher so if that makes you uncomfortable please skip! harry’s 17 but he is still a student so power unbalance and all that but from what i remember it was tastefully done. just like....don’t do that irl obv jfkdaj

☆ like an endless summer by objectlesson 87k

“You just wanna go fawn over Styles as soon as possible,” Zayn grumbles.

“I do not. Plus, he probably got ugly this year. Eighteen is an awkward time...I bet he’s got acne and one of those terrible fuckboy haircuts all the hipsters are getting these days, with the shaved sides? Just watch, the first year we’re gonna get any time together is gonna be the first year I don’t have a stupid crush on him.”

---

Or, Louis is a riding instructor at a summer camp, and Harry is a fellow counselor who he’s been successfully managing his crush on for the last two summers. That is, until Harry shows up this year leveled up and lethal, and all Louis’s formerly perfected veneer of nonchalance melts like a popsicle in the sun.

note: there’s a second part to this that’s 6k of pwp

☆ back to how it was by lululawrence 53k

Harry carefully stood up and was on his way to the window to look outside when he ran his hand through his hair, and it stopped entirely too soon.

He froze then began fervently patting all over his head. Where was his hair? He’d been growing it out for a couple of years now and it was finally almost to the length he’d had as a goal the entire time. How could it have gotten cut off overnight?

Harry rushed over to the mirror hung on the wall adjacent to the window.

Oh shit. What the hell was happening? Harry leaned closer and saw that not only was his hair cropped shorter than he’d ever wanted to go again, but it looked like he had the beginning of crow’s feet by his eyes. Those definitely weren’t there yesterday! And what happened to his tattoos? He still had some of them, like the star and the letters he’d gotten for his mum and Gemma, but most of the rest were missing and there were a few he’d never seen before instead.

What. The. Fuck.

Or the one where Harry goes to bed angry with his bandmates and wakes up in a universe where One Direction was never formed and he has to find a way back home. Home definitely has nothing to do with his best friend and bandmate, Louis. That would be ridiculous.

note: there’s a second part to this that’s 24k!

☆ when we were younger by dinosaursmate 76k

About a week after Harry started visiting this particular chat room, he was watching some kid argue with the whole room about football, personally disinterested as he tipped a bag of crisps into his mouth. He happily chomped on the crumbs, taking a swig from a glass of Ribena to wash them down, glancing at the screen and very nearly spat the squash back out again. His heart was pounding wildly. The display icon of the argumentative newcomer had caught his eye, and not in a good way. He gulped as he clicked the picture, and when it popped up in full resolution, his heart nearly fell right out of his arse. - Sixteen year old Harry Styles’ world turns upside down when he logs on to gay teen chat to discover somebody has stolen his photos and used them as their own.

note: there’s a second part that’s 3k ziam centric

extra note: you don’t want to know how many episodes of catfish i’ve seen

☆ like cabbages and kings by you_explode 61k

When Louis was a kid, he had a series of very vivid dreams about a place called Wonderland. There were rabbits wearing waistcoats and talking cats and ridiculous tea parties, and amidst all the absurdity, there was a boy. A boy with dimples, big green eyes and the sweetest soul Louis has ever known. Louis has always kept a place in his heart for that boy and for his funny dreamworld, and when he’s twenty-five and his life falls apart, it turns out Wonderland might not be so imaginary after all.

☆ knives don’t have your back by turnyourankle 51k

The lone survivor of an on campus massacre that claimed the lives of his four housemates, Harry is urged to take a sabbatical or transfer. Instead, he chooses to stay in school, move into the dorms, and overcome his fears.

He finds comfort in a budding friendship with Louis, an upperclassman who lives on his floor, not realizing that their relationship will bring him closer to his traumatizing past rather than further from it.

☆ loving you is free by littlelouishiccups 68k

Louis is a workaholic record label CEO who hasn't been on a date in nearly a year. Niall and Liam make an account for him on a sugar dating website as a joke. And then Louis meets Harry.

note: there are two other parts to this that are pretty much pwp. they’re 24k and 4k

☆  dance to the distortion by lis (domesticharry) 93k

Louis accidentally breaks Harry's camera lens and in order to get it fixed, they decide to participate in a romantic couples study. The only issue is that they are not actually couple. Well that and the fact they cannot stand each other.

☆ waiting on you by emma1234 77k

“Vampires,” Louis says with disgust, glaring over at the vampire who is noisily slurping from the woman’s neck nearby.

Zayn gives the neat fang marks on Louis’ neck a meaningful look.

“Can’t live with them, can’t live without them,” Louis finishes, ignoring Zayn when he rolls his eyes.

Louis takes a long sip of his milkshake, presses his fingers against the marks on his neck, and definitely doesn’t think about the vampire who left them there.

note: there’s a second part to this that’s 5k

☆ this wicked game by cherrystreet 70k

An AU in which The Bachelor is gay, Louis is a contestant, Harry is the bachelor, everyone drinks a lot of champagne, the entire world gets to watch them fall in love, and no one plays by the rules.

note: i’ve seen maybe five episodes of the bachelor in my life and hated it but i have read every larry bachelor fic 

☆ coax the cold by mediawhore 86k

England, 1897.

English Professor Louis Tomlinson’s passion for the occult has been a source of mockery and derision for most of his life. When he hears whispers of a travelling freak show newly established in London claiming the existence of a monstrous sea hybrid, half-man, half-fish, Louis sees it as his ticket to credibility amongst his peers. The summer he spends undercover working on the show, however, gives him much more than that.

☆ this feeling by orphan_account 59k

"Gonna play it back for you now." Louis clicked play and the song flooded through Harry’s headphones.

The sound of each others voices united into one, and the rhythm of the music carried their voices effortlessly. Harry’s insides tingled and a wave of shivers rolled down his spine.

Before the clip cut off, Harry turned to raise an eyebrow at Louis, and failed miserably at disguising his smile. Louis stared back at him in shock.

Or A Larry Duet AU

☆ love’s on the line, is that your final answer? by pearlydewdrops 53k

Harry can’t believe it when Louis, the boy he’s always had a tempestuous rivalry with, asks him to be his boyfriend. Well, pose as his boyfriend, that is—for a new television game show in which young couples are quizzed on how well they know each other for a jackpot of thirty grand.

Reluctantly, Harry agrees—because he's got student loans to pay off, hasn't he? What's the harm? And he can totally deal with keeping his secret thing for Louis under wraps too. This is all just to win some money. It's fine. No big deal. What could possibly go wrong?

Well, everything. Obviously.

☆ say your prayers by nothing_but 59k

Louis was left wondering what the fuck this encounter had been. Coming to this camp - especially after learning that it was a religious one - he had never expected to find himself in a bathroom with the attractive, strictly Catholic, not-gay-or-anything head counsellor making flirty remarks. Quite the opposite, to be honest.

Or the one where Harry, head counsellor at a Catholic summer camp, dedicates his time to what he loves most, year after year. It’s mostly the same every summer; the place, the topics, the games. This year, however, there’s a new assistant counsellor stumbling into his camp, and possibly his heart.

☆ i’ll crash until you notice me by stylinsoncity 61k

Louis sets off to Barbados to oversee the massive resort his family owns known as Sandy Hill. For years, he's been looking for a change in the monotony of his life, seeking adventure and perhaps love too. What he doesn't expect is the bright eyed boy who spills a milkshake on his shoes.

Cue the summer loving.

note: zendaya is listed as a character in this which desperately makes me want to reread it because i don’t remember that!!!

☆ nothing but you on my mind by nonsensedarling 84k

Louis Tomlinson is a PR manager hired to improve the image of royal bad-boy Prince Harry Styles. Unfortunately for him, that means being faced with the Prince's constant innuendos, incessant dirty jokes, and relentless flirting. Louis just wants to make it to Princess Gemma's coronation; once she's crowned Queen, his contract is up and he never has to see the Prince again.

☆ ghost note symphony by whoknows 96k

Louis is on tour when he first hears about it. It’s all over the news – Harry Styles Attacked By Fan runs in headlines for days. It’s not even just the gossip rags, either. Actual journalists are covering the story. It would have been impossible to avoid hearing about it. Technically, Oli is the one who tells Louis about it, but it’s not exactly being covered up. Harry doesn’t answer Louis’ text asking if he’s alright, but that’s not really surprising. They haven’t spoken for months, and it’s been a lot longer than that since they’ve had a real conversation. The sting of the text going unanswered is still there, less painful than it might have been a few years ago.

It’s not that it’s easy to forget about, exactly. Louis has a whole life outside of One Direction now, though. So Louis goes on with his life, figuring that if Harry was seriously hurt he would have heard about it by now. He might currently be in the same country as Harry, but being on opposite sides of it puts enough distance between them that putting it in the back of his mind is easy. There’s nothing Louis could do, even if he thought Harry might want him to.

That’s why everything that happens next comes as a complete shock to him.

☆ thinking about the t-shirt you sleep in by nonsense_darling 52k

Harry's alpha fraternity donates to a local thrift shop (because of Liam's latent crush on a cute beta in his lecture). Louis' financial situation (and confusing omega instincts) lead him to make some interesting fashion purchases. Lots of pizza, feelings, and not-really-lying.   

☆ here in the afterglow by fondleeds 89k

“If you hadn’t noticed, I don’t have many friends,” Louis whispers, the blossom of insecurity in his stomach unfurling and clawing its way into his throat.

Harry is silent for a long time, and then he speaks; a soft, slow uncurl that makes Louis’ stomach shake. “I’ll be your friend.”

-

1970’s AU. In a tiny town in Idaho, Louis’ life is changed forever by the arrival of a curious stranger.

note: i can’t believe i waited until 2020 to read this...it was life changing tbh and i cried

☆ just call me inspiration by hereforlou 52k

The truth is Louis knows he’s going to hell, if there is such a thing, but it isn’t because he writes erotic fiction for a living. If anything, it’s because his muse, the reason he’s inspired to write about people shagging in increasingly creative ways everyday, is the sweetest, loveliest, most genuine (and completely oblivious) future children-book illustrator in the world.

(Or, the one where Louis is a writer, Harry is an art student, and they inspire each other in very different ways.)

☆ truly, madly, deeply (10 things i hate about you) by sunsetmog 54k

The first Louis had heard of Harry auditioning for X Factor was the night he'd turned up on Louis' doorstep the day before leaving for Boot Camp, with a DVD and an illicit bottle of vodka.

Thing was, Louis hated secrets, and he really hated being made a fool of, and he really, really hated Harry Styles.

or: the one in which they're all in sixth form together, and Harry auditions for X Factor without them.

note: this has always been a fav

☆ the impossible now by stylinsoncity 65k

A wish on Christmas Eve sends Louis to an alternate dimension where Harry is a member of One Direction.

☆ swallow the knife by whoknows 76k

“You came,” Louis says, still breathless, clinging to Harry, uncaring that his sweat is getting all over Harry’s presumably clean dad shirt, or that he’s making Harry hold up all of his weight.

“Of course I came,” Harry says. He shifts, one arm curled underneath Louis’ arse, the other spreading wide in the middle of Louis’ back. “If I ignored you every time you pissed me off we would have stopped being friends a long time ago.”

Louis already knows that, of course. It doesn’t do anything to stop the pleased squirm in his belly every time Harry proves it, though. They fight like nobody’s business, both of them too stubborn to pull their punches when they’re arguing, and it used to get them in trouble, but they always make up.

Adrenaline makes Louis loose-lipped, and they both know it. He tightens his arms around Harry’s neck, buries his face in his hair. “I missed you,” he confesses, quiet. “Doesn’t feel the same up there by myself.”

note: i don’t even normally like non-aus but i have read this fic five times in the last nine months so. there’s that. 

extra note: there’s an 11k alternate sex scene here

☆ perfect storm by cherrystreet 80k

What do you do when your best friend asks you and your (now) ex to be the best men at his destination wedding? You can either tell him the truth, tell him you’re not together anymore, and deal with the consequences, or you can pretend you’re still together and roll with it, just pray you don’t spiral. Fake it ‘til you make it. You know, for the sake of the wedding.

Harry and Louis choose the latter.

☆ anyplace, anyhow, anytime by aimmyarrowshigh, colazitron 81k

Harry's going to audition for The X-Factor in a few days, he really can't use this persistent tickle in his throat. What's even worse is when the tickle turns into a full blown cough, and the cough makes him pass out only for Harry to wake up in a different world. And then another one, and another one, and another one. The only other person who seems to be as affected as he is, is a boy with blue eyes who keeps showing up in every single one of these worlds.

note: i reread all of aimmyarrowhigh’s larry fics this year including the 500k or whatever sheylinson verse and i thought about putting them all in here but like...felt excessive & i figured i’d give attention to a less well known one, plus this way we get colazitron too! 

☆ the second hand unwinds by kingsofeverything (fullonlarry) 52k

Louis Tomlinson is one of the first members of NASA's top secret Chrono Exploration Program. When things go wrong and he's sent further back in time than planned, he has no other option than to show up on his ex-boyfriend's doorstep.

☆ waiting for the tides to meet by nauticalleeds (metamorphosis) 60k

Louis lets out a deep breath, thinking about Harry’s soulmate. Thinking about how Harry’s soulmate is probably as beautiful as Harry, some person that Louis cannot compare to, and how the universe has chosen them to be Harry’s. Fuck the universe. “Fuck you,” he calls out to the universe. He’s aware of how crazy he sounds.

Maybe he is crazy, with how he’s falling for Harry. And fuck that, too.

Soulmate AU. Everyone is born with heterochromia — one eye is their own eye colour, while the other is the colour of their soulmate's. It's only when they meet their soulmate for the first time that their own eyes match properly. After a hazy night at a frat party, Louis wakes up to blue eyes and the shocking realization that he had met his soulmate, without any sober recollection. Seven years pass where Louis comes to terms with the fact that he'll never know who his soulmate is. Then one fated summer, a beautiful green-eyed photographer arrives at Louis' workplace, with promises of endless laughter and a familiar feeling in Louis' heart.

Featuring a lovely cup of OT5, a road trip down the coast, and a scene where Harry eats a whole head of lettuce. Don't ask why.

☆ keep my candle bright by whisperdlullaby 79k

louis returns to his hometown after four years to find that the reverend’s son has done some growing up of his own.

☆ strawberries & cigarettes by dimpled_halo 77k

Harry looks up and immediately freezes. Next to Ms. Archie stands the boy from just the other day. The boy with the leather jacket and chipped black nails, that might or might not be sketched in the very book Harry has just placed on the table in front of him. The leather jacket is missing today, probably because they aren’t allowed as part of their required uniform attire, but Harry can still see the fading black nail polish on his nails, and eyeliner around his eyes. Harry’s mouth goes a little dry. This boy is so intriguing to him.

“Ye-yes, Ms. Archie?” Harry tries to play it cool, but he’s almost positive that his cheeks are burning red, and he’s relieved neither of them can tell how fast his heart is beating in his chest.

The boy seems to also recognize Harry, because his lips curve into a knowing smirk.

“Harry is at the top of his class. He’s your best bet at getting familiar with things around here.” She explains.

Louis nods, his smirk still very prominent on his face. “Thank you Ms. Archie. I’ll be sure to take advantage of young Harold here.”

*

Summary: Two stories, eleven years, and the two boys that never stopped loving each other.

[cantquitu]

I think the true barometer for whether you're a fan of any of the 1D guys or not is to start at 2016 and look at them as individuals. Remove all the 1D baggage & preconceptions & determine your interest based solely on their solo careers & the information you learned about them during that time. If, after removing 1D/Larry/Zarry/Narry/Lilo/Ziam/etc from the equation, you can still say you like their music, their message, their personality, their style & their overall vibe, you truly are a fan.

I know what you mean but I don't agree. I think there are many 1D fans who remain fans of the guys (or one/some of them) because they became attached to them as members of the band they loved. They will remain attached and interested even if they don't necessarily love everything about their music, style, personality etc. I would not discount those people as fans. You don't have to enjoy everything about an artist to be a fan, I think that's too narrow a definition. I know what you're trying to say, but "remove 1D, do you still like them?" is too limiting. They were all members of 1D and for many people that will be what interests them about these guys regardless of what they've gone on to do or will do in the future. That's no different to people going to see bands they loved when they were young to recapture the feeling, even if they haven't liked any of their albums in years.

[yaz-the-spaz]

So I’m new to the Ziam fandom, I’m a strong larrie but I also couldn’t help to notice that there was something between Z*yn and L*am too. Could you tell me about the tiger tattoo? I keep hearing that its an iconic Ziam tattoo and I’m a little confused. Also, do you think Ziam is still together right now in 2020 and could you explain why? I hope this isn’t a bother.

hey nonnie, welcome to this side of the fandom! and please don’t worry, you are not a bother at all, and we are always happy to have new members! please accept this adorable gif of ziam waving hello as your welcoming gift into the ziam fandom lol! 😊🌈

now onto your question about the tiger tattoo...

hooo boy, nonnie

 idk if you know what you’re asking because this is a BIG life-altering question.

BIG.

...are you ready for this? 

are you ready to die? are you ready to have your soul ascend from your body up to the gay ziam heavens for all eternity? 

i mean it’s pretty nice up here and all but you may just wanna get your affairs in order before you continue, cause once you discover all the ways zayn javadd malik has professed his undying and eternal love for liam james payne all over his goddamn body there is no coming back.

are you absolutely sure you’re ready?

ok, here we go!

so. once upon a time way back in october 2013 zayn debuted a new tattoo of a tiger on his arm. at the time it seemed like just another tattoo in a quickly growing long list of (random) tattoos, and went by relatively untalked about among fandom (at least afaik) for a couple of years. but THEN, in early 2016 zayn followed that tattoo up with the addition of the full title of his m.o.m. album spelled out around the tiger...

seems normal, right?

first off, notice how the tiger’s tail is shaped suspiciously like an L?

well, that’s not all that’s gay i mean odd or interesting about this tattoo lol...some have also noticed that the muscles of the tiger’s back quite remarkably appear to resemble the muscles of a certain boy whose name also starts with L 

(and no i’m not talking about louis lol)

but here’s where shit really gets real because guess what? you may have noticed that the letters of the ‘mine’ part are kind of shuffled in an odd/not really consecutive order to spell out the word mine in a way that’s clearly or easily readable...that’s because zayn’s extra ass arranged it specifically so that only the i, e, and m, are all directly around the L-shaped tiger tail, while the n is just off to the side like a lonely forgotten reject

by now you might be saying to yourself okay, well that’s not really all that significant to liam, and the L could just be a coincidence/not really mean anything, couldn’t it?

wrong again!

because once more, zayn ‘i live to be as extra as humanly possible about my love for liam james payne because i don’t know any other way to live’ malik made sure to put a little tail/extra line on the side of the letter ‘e’ to make it interchangeable with an upside down letter ‘a.’ 

now again you might be thinking i don’t know if that’s really intentional or all that meaningful. but look closely. 

there is clearly an additional connected piece on that e that cannot be explained away or mistaken for just a weird blot of ink. it’s not just an error on the part of the tattoo artist (if it was i’m sure zayn would have had it fixed by now given that he’s had that tat for over 4 years at this point) and there’s also no letter ‘a’ in ‘mind of mine.’ 

so why is it there? and why does it just so happen to be right next to the i, the m, and the L-shaped tiger tail. why did zayn choose to arrange the letters of the word ‘mine’ in such a weird order instead of a more normal/easier to read format like the rest of the album title? and why did he choose put those exact letters all near each other? because it’s intentional. and because it’s meant to have a very particular double meaning.

if he was going for just a random order he could’ve put those letters anywhere. but he didn’t. and more than that he went out of his way to make sure that that additional piece on the e was added and distinct so that it could very clearly double as an (unnecessary) a. 

there’s no way you can argue that all of those things are just coincidence or that the random letter ‘a’ means absolutely nothing lol. that tattoo was clearly meant as both an homage to the album and to liam (who the album is largely believed to be about lol). and the fact that the muscles seem to match quite closely to liam’s is a nice added bonus that just helps confirm that imo. (plus there’s also the lovely little tidbit of knowledge that the tattoo is positioned in such a way that whenever zayn wears short-sleeve shirts the ‘Liam’ part is the only part clearly on display 😏😏😏)

BUT GUESS WHAT??

THAT IS NOT EVEN WHERE ZAYN’S TATTOO DEDICATIONS ENDDDD

never mind that he already had all of us ziams sobbing ourselves to death and morphing into withered soulless husks over this tattoo after he debuted the full thing in 2016, but there’s so! many! more!

boy’s body is literally a giant ass open love letter to liam and i am NOT OKAY. (have i mentioned i hate these extra ass romantic saps with every fiber of my being? no? well i do. and you’re about to find out all the reasons why)

reason #1 - all. the. goddamn. mandala. tattoos. (there are multiple but i’m only linking to this post featuring/talking about the main one, i.e. the very first one he got cause that’s the one that kills me the most but if you wanna see the others peep my ziam tattoos tag or my zayn’s tattoos tag)

reason #2 - love & marriage poem tattoo (read all the posts in this tag starting from the bottom first for full context)

reason #3 - red wolf & bat wings chest tattoo

reason #4 - wolf leg tattoo (more background details here too)

reason #5 - liam’s silhouette leg tattoo

reason #6 - smoking lips hand tattoo (which literally matches the album art for liam’s debut single exactly and was debuted on zayn’s hand months before the single’s release - scroll down to the part where you can see the red lip pics)

reason #7 - the snake tattoo (aka the snake habitat tattoo)

reason #8 - motherfuckin 25!! idk what it means but it clearly means SOMETHING important to the both of them and it still drives me insane to this day and probably will to my dying breath 🤬 

bonus - it’s not a tattoo but: zayn’s nose piercing. which along with the mandala wrist tat is literally a desi bride declaration of marriage; fun fact - tan france, a gay married british-pakistani tv personality who is part of the queer eye crew also has a mandala tat on his left hand that some have speculated may also be to symbolize his dedication to his husband)

anyway there are more tattoos of zayn’s that seem to also be related to liam (though more loosely imo) but this post is already beyonddd long enough so i figured it’s best to just stick to the main ones/most obvious ones here lol 

(side note: liam also has tattoos that are clearly dedicated to zayn/his and zayn’s relationship as well, but that’s for another post and also if my recall is correct i think zayn might actually have more?? well that we know of anyway lol)

(side note 2.0: one other thing that adds to the theory of the m.o.m. tiger tattoo being a dedication to liam/liam’s name, besides the obvious lettering thing described above, is that zayn is known to have a thing for tattooing the names of his closest loved ones on his body. the only person in his immediate family whose name he doesn’t appear to have tattooed on him is trisha’s and i’d be willing to bet that’s either because she specifically asked him not to, or he does have one but it’s just in a very hidden place. but we know that he has his father’s name, grandfather’s name, and all of his sister’s names tattooed on him so when you combine that with the weird lettering of the m.o.m. tiger tat and the fact that the album was very likely about liam/closely followed the story of the beginning of his relationship with liam, it becomes even less plausible imo that that tattoo is meant to be about anything else but liam. ain’t science grand?)

(side note 3.0: zayn’s whole left arm/left sleeve of tats seems to be specifically reserved for tattoos dedicated to liam and/or related/connected to liam’s own tattoos, and there’s a couple of good posts here - x, x, x, x - that go through some of the more specific parallels between their tattoos and how certain ones seem to mirror or directly pair with each other’s)

ok i promise that’s it for the side notes lol!

lastly, to your final question, i do believe that they are still together currently, especially considering this most recent soft outing/confirmation from one of zayn’s songwriters (who is also not the first to do that either btw lol) but that is not the only reason - see my post here for some of the biggest reasons why i believe ziam remains real and strong :)

[one-d-library]

Friends to Lovers (2)

My last Friends to Lovers fic rec was getting too long, so I have split it into 2 separate fic recs.  Ordered by length: 

~

What do you mean he’s coming? by MediaWhore {general audiences, 15k, famous/non famous, famous!Louis, non famous!Harry, wedding au}

When Harry accepted to be his sister’s Maid of Honour, despite how non-traditional of a choice he was, he didn’t think writing a speech for the wedding reception would be this hard. Now, not only does he have less than two weeks left to find something moving and inspirational to say, but Gemma just confided in him that her old childhood best friend is going to be in attendance. The one who moved to LA and they haven’t seen in fifteen years because he was too busy becoming an Academy Awards winner. But hey, no pressure. It’s just Louis Fucking Tomlinson.

Harry is screwed.

~

Oh Glory by alivingfire {explicit, 21k, olympics au, swimmer!Harry, gymnast!Louis, smut, ot4 involvement + friendship}

Tomlinson looks Liam over, tilting his head. “Are you a swimmer as well?”

“Yeah,” Liam says, a little cautiously. Harry wonders if it’s Tomlinson’s fame or the unimpressed eyebrow that’s making Liam wary. “Distance, I’m doing the 1500m. Harry here’s a sprinter.”

“Ah,” says Tomlinson, turning his glinting eyes back to Harry. “So you’re not an endurance man.” A beat passes, and his grin grows, wide and filthy. "Shame."

Harry Styles is Team Great Britain's newest swimmer, and has spent his whole life training for this moment, a chance at the gold medal in the Rio 2016 Olympics. All his training, hard work, and dedication to no distractions is tested when he's assigned to the same Rio apartment as Louis Tomlinson, British gymnast and Harry's childhood crush.

~

Long Before We Both Thought The Same Thing by allyasavedtheday {mature, 36k, OT5 friendship, childhood friends AU, first kiss, fluff, pining}

“So are you admitting you love Harry yet?”

Louis pauses in the middle of his story about the movie he and Harry went to see last night to raise an incredulous eyebrow. “What are you on about? Of course I love Harry.” 

Has Zayn lost his mind? He’s been friends with Louis for nearly seven years and Harry for six, under what circumstances did it appear like they didn’t love each other?

“Okay, let me rephrase,” Zayn says, an amused little quirk to his mouth like he knows something Louis doesn’t. “Are you admitting you’re in love with Harry yet?”

Louis stares at him in bewilderment, mouth working as he tries to form a response. “I…what?

”Or, Louis maybe, sort of realises he's in love with his best friend of almost twenty years and he maybe, sort of thinks that said best friend could love him back?

~

Faking It by TheCellarDoor {explicit, 46k, slow burn, fake relationship, OT4 friendship, fluff, smut, uni AU, angst, pining}

A uni AU in which Louis has been Harry’s best friend since he offered him cubed fruit on the playground, and they spend more time cuddling in their dorm beds than they do apart, but it’s not like that. Or is it?

Aka Harry pretends to date his best friend to escape unwanted attention from a too insistent classmate and hopes it won’t blow up in his face. Featuring embarrassing dildo accidents, awkward boners, longing, first times, late night conversations, emotional discoveries and Niall as the exasperated friend with bad advice.

~

Never Let Me Go by loveisalaserquest17 {explicit, 55k, 3 chapters, smut, slow burn, friends to lovers, fluff, jealousy, OT5 friendship, side ziam}

“Harry! I’ll tell you what,” Louis exclaims, clapping his hands together. There’s a big grin on his face. “If both of us are still single by your thirtieth birthday, we’ll marry each other.” Harry’s head snaps up, eyes widening. “What?”

Harry and Louis have been friends forever, but they couldn't be more different. One night, with a little too much alcohol, they make a pact to marry in ten years if they're both still single. Now, one month before the deadline, Louis is willing to do whatever it takes to avoid ending up with his best friend. But is he, really? | Loosely inspired by The 10 Year Plan

~

more fic recs can be found here!