The Way We Do (Ziam)

Chapter 4

I roll and I roll 'til I'm out of luck, yeah...

Two drinks in, and Zayn was struggling. It was all Liam's fault, really. Liam, with his big dumb grin and his stupid crinkly eyes. Liam, with his irritatingly broad shoulders and his perfect fucking hair. Zayn kept having to remind himself that Liam was, in fact, an asshole. It was just so easy to forget that they weren't actually on a date - that he and Liam weren't even friends - what with Liam being all charming and shit. He was almost obnoxiously adorable, all sweet smiles and soft giggles, no matter how rude Zayn was to him. But Zayn was always up for a challenge, so he'd just have to try a bit harder.

"Man, do you ever shut up?" he groaned, earning another laugh from Liam, like he thought Zayn was joking. Zayn sighed heavily, resigning himself to another hour or so of forced conversation before he could leave.

It could be worse, he supposed. Liam had been talking nonstop, mostly about dumb shit that Zayn really didn't give a damn about, but he had to admit that there was something about the way that his lips moved when he spoke that wasn't completely unattractive. They were bright pink and looked so soft, like they were made to pout, or for sucking c-

Shit. Zayn really needed another drink, or maybe some fresh air to clear his head. Actually, what he really needed was for this night to end. They'd moved from the bar to a table for two, and with Liam sitting across from him, their knees bumping under the table and their hands resting only inches apart, Zayn found himself unsure of where to look or what to say. Being this close to Liam was making him feel hot all over and he didn't know why. All he knew for sure was that Liam got under his skin in a way that no one else ever had, making him feel equal parts annoyed and turned on, and he fucking hated it. 

And Liam would not stop with the questions, like he wanted to learn every single thing he could about Zayn, from what he did for fun to why he'd joined the force. Zayn searched Liam's intrusive inquiries for hints that it was really Doniya that Liam wanted information on, but his interest seemed genuine. Realizing this only served to make Zayn more uncomfortable, certain now that Liam just wanted to find out about Zayn's tragic past. He opened his mouth to fill Liam in on all the gory details, wanting to get it over with, but was struck silent when he recognized a familiar face walking into the restaurant.

"Louis?" he called uncertainly, raising a hand in greeting before he could think better of it. "What're you doing here?"

Louis turned at the sound of his name, plastering a grin on his face as he walked towards Zayn and Liam. He slapped a hand on Zayn's shoulder when he reached their table, his grip tight as his smile turned sharp. 

"Just picking up some carryout. How 'bout you?" he asked, eyeing Liam.

Zayn forced his smile to match Louis'. "Oh, um. I'm here with my...this is Liam. Liam, this is Louis," he introduced the two. "Louis was my training officer. He molded me into the mediocre cop you see before you today."

"Don't be silly, Zayn," Louis chided him. "You're far from mediocre. You're downright terrible." They all laughed automatically, and Zayn searched for something more to say. There were just so many topics that were off limits when it came to Louis. Louis seemed to be having the same issue, and Zayn was relieved when he made an excuse to leave, both men promising that they'd get together soon, though Zayn knew that they never would.

"Dude," Liam let out a breath after Louis'd left, pulling a face. "That was like, really awkward. Do you still work with him?"

Zayn let the fake smile fall from his face as he shook his head. "He's actually not on the force anymore," he told Liam, not offering any further details, since it was really none of his business. "He and Doniya used to date," he added casually. "She prefers cops to firemen, just so you know."