Work Text:
— 2011 —
Suddenly, fifteen years felt more like fifteen million years. Suddenly, sex was no longer as pleasurable as it once was. Suddenly, every word that came out of his mouth was bitter. Suddenly, his lyrics had no meaning. Suddenly, their relationship had become like a tree in autumn, with all its leaves falling until nothing was left. Suddenly, he no longer wanted to shine alongside Liam.
Oasis had lost its meaning about ten years ago, but no one had the courage to do anything about it. They weren’t as good as before, the audience wasn’t as good as before, and no one was excited about them anymore. Maybe it was temporary, he thought, but they would never again be the same as they were in the ’90s. The magic was gone.
Everything was different now, and he dreamed of waking up in 1992 again. Fame is good, of course—who wouldn’t want to be recognized for their talent? But he missed the simplicity and innocence of the old days. What’s the point of reaching the top if you have nothing to be proud of? When all he had was a guitar, a notebook full of lyrics, a pair of Adidas sneakers, and a pack of cigarettes, he felt real.
He knew Liam still loved him back then. They didn’t care about anything, they didn’t owe anyone explanations. They were happier than they would ever be again. They spent most of their time together, whether at the pub, rehearsing with the band, or sleeping side by side. It was funny, because they lived like a real couple.
It was easy to please Liam. He remembered playing the riff of Sally Cinnamon in one of their rehearsals, and Liam smiled at him with those shining eyes. They were more in love than ever. All of his songs were about Liam, even if he didn’t want to admit it.
They had something only they shared, something precious, something beyond anyone’s understanding. They were one; they completed and understood each other. It wasn’t unusual for them to fight, but they knew that the next day they would be together again. Love was Liam—everything about him was perfect: his voice, his eyes, his hands, his lips. It was just like in that Beatles song.
“Love is old, love is new, love is all, love is you.”
Love was everything Liam represented for him. But he couldn’t live with it. Their relationship was both wonderful and agonizing at the same time. He thought they would live forever, but of course, that was just another innocent dream that grew old and wore out.
Liam didn’t love him anymore, and he wasn’t even sure if he still loved Liam. He couldn’t—not after so many years. The magic was gone. They both had kids now, their own lives, and if Liam had moved on, then he should move on too.
His friends always told him to leave Oasis, to start a solo career, to live his life away from his brother. But how could he, if all he ever wanted was for things to go back to the way they were?
He knew it was time to leave, to end this relationship that was killing them both. They couldn’t keep depending on each other like that—it was sick. But the truth was, if he didn’t have the courage, no one else would. Maybe it was better this way, safer for both of them. It was easier to pretend nothing had ever happened than to face another argument with Liam, one that would probably last for months.
His world was still Liam, and Liam’s world was still him—everyone knew that. Whenever Liam’s name came up in an interview, he could feel his throat tighten. He always had to be the stronger one, the more independent and rational one. So, leaving Liam was the right thing to do, wasn’t it?
Despite everything, even after all that time, his songs were still about Liam. His whole world still revolved around him. It was torture. He was sure no one had ever felt a love like this before. How many people could say they were in love with their own brother? If God existed, he knew for certain he’d go to hell for it. Now he felt like he had another chance—he needed to forget everything. It was so foolish to be obsessed with his own past, wasn’t it? Nothing would ever be the same again, and we must simply accept that with grace. Liam was still a spoiled child even after all these years, and he couldn’t live with that anymore.
— 2025 —
It was all just nostalgia. Time began to move fast again, and his feelings weren’t as painful as before. Now he realized that nothing had truly changed, when he was on stage with Liam again—after so many years apart, after so much meaningless resentment—and he would always feel the same about his brother.
He would always find him fascinating. He would always be his soul. In the end, maybe they really would live forever. Their songs would be timeless, their love would never grow old—it would always exist somewhere.
Suddenly, everything made sense again. He was happier than he had ever been during all that time apart from Liam. When they were singing Wonderwall together and it all seemed to fit, Liam pointed at him, and he knew that Liam felt the same. He always had.
It was good to live it again.