Floating in The Water

Chapter 12

He feels a lot better in the morning. Still not 100%, and his body is exhausted, but he doesn't feel like dying.

There's a pair of lips at his neck, and it takes Liam a moment to register that they're real, and that someone is in bed with him. Someone who whispers, "Morning, Wonderboy," against his skin.

Liam almost rolls all the way out of bed. His feet his the ground before he can go sprawling, though.

"I've got to shower," Liam says quickly, not looking at Zayn. He ducks into the bathroom before Zayn can answer, but he still gets to hear Zayn's amused chuckle.

Liam runs a hot shower and undresses in record time, given the fact that his body doesn't feel like fully cooperating with him yet. He needs another good ten hours of sleep, he figures. He's got work, though. He can't take another day off and stick someone with his shift. He's just going to have to deal with it.

And deal with the boy in his bed. Why was he still there? Oh, right, Harry went to Louis'. And shit, he's going to have to explain to Harry why Zayn was even in his bed in the first place. For some reason, he really doubts Harry is going to believe the honest truth, that Liam was just cold and Zayn had been too warm to turn away.

Okay, so the neck kissing thing didn't go along with that story, but that was Zayn, not him. Zayn, who just keeps confusing Liam more and more everyday. Did he get off on fucking with Liam's head? Is that what's going on here? Because the day before he'd been nothing but rude to Liam, and then yesterday he'd been-- almost sweet, if Zayn Malik was even capable of sweet, which Liam seriously doubted.

He can't stay in the shower forever, sadly, and he turns the water off and grabs a towel. He brushes his teeth and finishes the rest of his bathroom routine before realizing that he didn't bring extra clothes in with him. He pulls on the sweatpants he wore to bed yesterday and carries the rest of his clothes back into the room.

Zayn's not there. Liam feels a slight pang in his chest for a moment, taking in the perfectly made bed, but then he sighs in relief. It's easier this way and he knows it.

Everyone's apparently heard about how sick he was yesterday, because after going down to the locker room and changing into his uniform, everyone is smiling at him and patting his cheeks and telling him how happy they are that he's feeling better.

No one's allowing him to do his job, though. He's supposed to be on room service, but Mary and Jess have him running around the main building instead of all the way across the resort like he normally would. Every time he goes to ask what the hell they're doing, they send him on another pointless errand.

"Can you go tell Eleanor that I need her to call in an extra order of hamburger for tomorrow?" Mary asks.

Liam doesn't want to get testy with her because she doesn't deserve it. He can't help the slightly snippy, "Why don't you just call down there?" anyways. He doesn't like people treating him like he's not capable. Yes, he's still tired. Yes, he felt like shit yesterday. He's fine to do his job today, though.

"She's not answering," Mary tells him. Liam thinks she's lying, but he can tell she's not going to let him do his room service today.

"Fine," Liam sighs out.

He heads down to the receptionist desk. He hadn't realized Zayn was working again today, but when he gets down there Liam finds him talking to his mother, dressed in full uniform again. Zayn's mother is a nice woman. In fact, as far as bosses go, both of Zayn's parents are nice.

He's never seen that pinched, annoyed look on Patricia's face before, though. Without even thinking, Liam heads over to the two of them.

"Everything okay?" Liam asks.