“Hello everybody, welcome back to ITV News! I’m here with the boys from One Direction, what a treat! Boys, care to introduce yourselves?”

“Hello, I’m Liam Payne, 18 and from Wolverhampton. That’s Niall Horan, 18 and from Mullingar, Louis Tomlinson, 20 and from Doncaster, Harry Styles, 18 and from Holmes Chapel, and Zayn Malik, 19 and from Bradford…” He trailed off, signaling the rest of us to join him, “and we’re One Direction!” We smiled, remembering when we used to do things like that in our video diaries.

“Again, welcome, we’re glad to have you with us,” the anchorman excitedly smiled, “My name is Reis and I’ll be your host this afternoon! How have you guys been since the tour?”

Zayn spoke up, “We’ve been doing well, thanks. We’re just enjoying our time off, relaxing, and catching up on our regular lives. Tour was quite crazy; it was just insane! So actually coming back and not having something to do all the time is a huge change that we have to get used to.”

“And how was the tour?”

“For our first time having our own tour under our own name, it was amazing! So many fans came to see us, in fact the tour sold out, and we love our fans so much and we can never really even say how much we appreciate them, because without them we wouldn’t be here right now, so THANK YOU DIRECTIONERS!” Louis felt a need to scream the last bit. Why? I’m not sure, that’s Louis in general though.

The anchorman continued to ask about our career. “And I hear you’re starting to work on a new album? What’s happening?”

Zayn laughed, “VAS HAPPENIN’?” and we all had to choke back violent giggles. Liam decided it was his turn to answer the question, since the rest of us couldn’t control ourselves.

“Yes, that is true. We’re thinking of ideas for our new songs, as we’re still in the songwriting process and haven’t actually done recording yet, so tweet or email us your suggestions! The album will be released hopefully mid next year.”

“Thank you, boys! Enough about that, let’s get to the questions everyone’s just dying to know the answers to. Let’s have the fans tweet us questions, and we’ll select ten random questions that you all have to answer?” He smirked as if he knew what we had to announce today. Oh no, it must be coming soon, during these questions… I hope Louis has a strong hand because I’d really hate to break his hand on live television as I announce we’re dating. Somehow, I don’t think that would go over well with management or our fans.

Niall answered, “Sounds good, mate! Tweet us your questions, well actually tweet the questions to Reis, and we will see what you guys come up with!”

“And… looks like we’ve got a thousand question submissions! Sorry fans, time is UP! Let’s see what we’ve got!” Does this Reis guy enjoy making situations awkward? I think Simon must’ve told him we had a big announcement, ‘cause he has this knowing smirk on while talking about fan questions, which I’m thinking isn’t good for Louis and I at all.

“First we got a question from bringstairsback! She would like to know why you buys stopped doing video diaries?”

“Well, I’m not sure why we aren’t allowed to record them anymore,” Liam said, “but I know that we needed to focus more on recording and touring and making those diaries can be quite a distraction. Keep your eyes peeled, though, the diaries might be coming back soon!”

“loverofstories seriously wants to hear which of the other boys in the band each of you would date, if you didn’t have to worry about management or the fans and everyone would be okay with it. This should be interesting.” Well, I guess I can kind of lead into the whole Louis and I situation starting here. Everyone expects us to say each other anyway.

“I pick… BOOBEAR!” I lie on his shoulder and grin happily at Reis, as Lou puts his head on top of my own and whispers, “Want to know a secret? I choose you too, Haz… I LOVE YOU!” he ends up screaming. Everyone just laughs at us, shaking his or her heads.

Niall looks around before saying, “I’d have to go with Liam. He’s the serious side to my craziness.” Liam wraps his arm around Niall’s shoulders before stating, “I guess Niall is mine then!” and happily hugging him. Zayn considers the question for a few more seconds before choosing Niall.

“On to the next one, ActressAlexisss is wondering why you guys don’t follow back a lot of fans on twitter?”

I responded, “We try to follow our favorites and people we remember meeting, but we’ve just got so many fans, and also this way a follow from us means something special.”

“PigeonsrAdorable wants to know your favorite colors!”

Niall said, “Red, red, orange, purple, and blue,” pointing to Zayn, Louis, me, Liam, and himself.

Reis continued asking the fan questions, and we took turns answering them.

“Marni122193 would like to know which of you are single?” I gulped; here it comes. Louis and I’s hands were squeezed together in a death grip.

“I am!” Liam, Niall, and Zayn chorused. Reis turned to Lou and I. “And you two? Single or taken?” I took a deep breath, knowing Louis would want me to speak first.

“Taken,” I say right into the camera. “Same here,” I hear Louis add. The first part is over, now all that’s left is the actual relationship.

“And, last but not least, in_L_O_V_E wants you to tell us who you have your eye on, if anyone, or who you are dating?” I’m out of time. The only thing left between the announcement and me is whatever the other three boys are going to say.

Niall starts off, “Well, I’ve got my eye on a certain someone, but they don’t have any clue about it and I’m not going to share their name at the moment.” As the crowd ‘aw’s at his sweetness, I wonder who he’s talking about, since he never told any of us he liked somebody. “I’m actually in the same situation,” Liam admitted. Hold up, Liam and Niall each have their sights set on someone and didn’t tell us? Since when are we not close enough to share something like that?

Zayn is up next. “I haven’t got a special someone yet, but I’m looking for her! Don’t give up on me quite yet, ladies!” Ah, yes, he’s the next biggest ladies’ man after me. Well, after the old me, since I obviously won’t be able to do that after this.

Reis just asked Louis and I who we are dating. I noticed how he didn’t ask who our girlfriends are, he asked who we’re dating. Does he know already?

“I know this may come as a shock to some of you, but I have an announcement to make along with my answer to this question.” I heard whispers in the audience, everything from wondering if I was going to propose to my girlfriend to wondering if I was gay. “I’m… I’m… erm… basically…” I tried to settle my stomach before drawing another breath, “I’m gay and Louis is my boyfriend.”

I watched as the audience’s faces turned to total shock. Some looked overjoyed, likely those who ship ‘Larry Stylinson’. However, I saw quite a few who did not look pleased. In the same sentence, I heard Louis and my name with words like ‘faggot’ and ‘queer’, and those words hurt me even if they’re not true. Just because I claim to like the same gender in a romantic sense, people don’t accept me? It’s hard to wrap my mind around.

I turn back to face Reis, who has regained his composure and is smiling brightly at us once again. “Wow, isn’t that just wonderful? You heard it from us on ITV News first, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson are gay and in a relationship!”

Louis hand is stiff in mine and I notice his body trembling slightly. I really hope he didn’t hear what those awful people were calling us; I don’t want him to be hurt or ashamed, especially of something he didn’t do.

The interview continues, but I’m totally zoned out, and so is Louis. Eventually Reis realizes we’re not paying all that much attention and decides to close up, with a “Thank you all for watching!” and “This was One Direction’s interview with ITV News! We’ll be back after the break with the weather.”

As soon as the cameras stop rolling, the five of us are pulled and shoved until we reach the van and are stuffed inside. I’m numb with shock, alongside a frozen Louis. Liam has to pick us up and set us in our seats, buckling us in like we’re small children. I can’t think, I can’t move, I can’t breathe. Louis and I just admitted to the world that we love each other, as an act our management told us to do. Sure, some fans are pleased like they expected. But did they think about the fans that don’t ship ‘Larry’ or tolerate homosexuals? The same type who were calling us rude names from the audience? I think they might’ve forgotten something in this screwed up plan I never wanted to go through with in the first place.

Not everybody loves a gay pop star.