Entertainment

Watch Zayn & Niall's Awkward AMAs Interaction

by Michelle McGahan

The 2016 AMAs stage was perfectly set for a Niall Horan/Zayn Malik reunion: Both artists were in attendance — Malik accepted his award for New Artist of the Year, Horan performed his debut solo single "This Town" — and guys, it happened. Kind of. With the extremely brief, definitely awkward interaction captured by a very (very) lucky fan in attendance, the former One Direction bandmates shook hands for approximately one millisecond. It was a millisecond of enormous importance, considering how it was #Ziall's first public moment together since Malik quit the band in March 2015. And trust me when I say it was one that immediately spawned a million Twitter reactions and memes.

The behind-the-scenes moment consisted of the following: Horan walking past Malik, taking the "Pillowtalk" singer by surprise when he reached out to shake his hand. The video is exactly 10 seconds long, but it is the visual confirmation that fans needed in their lives (blurry photos of the moment just didn't do it justice). Of course, there is a wide variety of reactions here (some noting the awkwardness, others just grateful that Ziall is rising), but, as always with the One Direction fandom, the responses are absolutely hilarious.

Take a look at the reactions below.

It Gave Malik PTS(1)D

It Gave Fans Heart Palpitations

Zayn Was Shook AF

It Changed Fans' Entire Aesthetics

James Corden-Like Tears Happened

And The Mere Fact That They Said Hello Killed Everyone

R.I.P. to everyone.