The notification pinged, a familiar thrill jolting through Liam’s phone screen. He’d been refreshing Twitter for an hour, willing something, *anything*, to break the stagnant silence. Now, finally, *LarryUpdates* had tweeted. + 

“Tweet: Louis just commented on Harry’s post. Who else is freaking out?!” + 

Liam’s fingers trembled as he tapped the retweet button. 8,629 likes bloomed within minutes, the numbers escalating with a frenzied pace. 3,683 retweets followed, each one a desperate cry of shared excitement. He scrolled through the replies, a giddy smile spreading across his face. + 

“larryasfuck: HIIIIII” + 

“Stylinson: HIIIIII” + 

“oursunshinelou: HE JUST REPLIED FML” + 

The replies were a chaotic scramble of caps-locked enthusiasm. Liam scrolled further, heart pounding. + 

“wellwellwellington: Did he just? I’m—” + 

Then, a reply from Harry himself. Liam nearly choked on his own breath. + 

“Harry_Styles: @/louis_tomlinson Stop killing my fans!!” + 

The comment hung in the timeline, a playful accusation laced with a dangerous undercurrent of longing. It wasn’t a denial. It wasn't a dismissal. It was… acknowledgment. A direct line drawn between their names, a spark igniting in the digital space. + 

Liam stared at the screen, the glow illuminating his wide eyes. The implications slammed into him. He wasn’t alone in this feverish obsession. Thousands were watching, waiting for every breadcrumb, every digital touch. + 

He felt a need to comment, to add his voice to the chorus. A small, private message formed in his mind. He hesitated, then typed it out. + 

“Comment what you think!” + 

He posted it, and then watched as the number of comments grew. The feed was a swirling vortex of hope and anticipation. This was it. This was the beginning. + 