𝐓𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐞 ⸙

2.27༊*·˚

He turned the handle and cringe at the short squeak when he peeked into the room lit by only the moonlight. It levelled perfectly with the skylight, basking Zayn in a silver glow. He was curled on his side of the bed, and on top of the duvet wearing only black pyjama bottoms.

Liam sighed sadly when he noticed the cushion in Zayn's arms, Liam's cushion. Zayn's face was pressed into it, most likely to fall asleep with Liam's scent.

He slipped through the gap in the door and cringed again when it clicked closed. Zayn didn't stir, but Liam still stood for a few seconds, making sure he didn't wake him. He eyed the couch opposite the window, planning to curl up on there with his blanket, but the bed was so inviting, Liam attempted to climb on without waking his sleeping werewolf.

Even the floor was against him as he tried to go around the bed. Every step creaked every board, but Liam made it to his side, and Zayn was still curled up facing the window.

Liam pursed his lips and lifted a knee to the bed, stopping when the mattress dipped. He kept his eye on Zayn and crawled over the duvet. Zayn had his pillow, but Liam was just glad to have company, especially Zayn's company, even if he was asleep.

But as soon as Liam sat down, Zayn quickly turned his head with squinted eyes, sensing someone there.

Liam froze as Zayn stared through the darkness, fighting his way out of sleep. He stared for a long moment, deciding if he was still dreaming.

"Liam?" he whispered.

Liam really didn't want him to be awake, but he couldn't simply turn over and ignore him.

"I had a bad dream," he said truthfully. "I just needed to be-" 

Zayn rolled onto his back, rubbing his eyes. "Are you okay?" he whispered.

"Yes." Liam felt a little anxious about the dream, and worried that he would fall back into the same one, but if he did, at least someone would be with him to comfort him.

"Go back to sleep." Liam laid on his side and Zayn gave him his pillow.

Zayn laid on his side too, so they were facing each other.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Zayn asked
quietly.

"Not now."

"Okay." Zayn let the silence stretch out before asking, "You feel uneasy. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Liam knew exactly what Zayn could do to help. He hadn't felt his strong arms around him in four or five days, he hadn't nuzzled his face into Zayn's shoulder, or felt his lips all over his face, or felt his hands on his waist as Zayn hugged Liam from behind, or felt his hands in his hair, on his cheeks, on his body.

As Liam laid next to him on the bed with a few feet between them, he suddenly wanted all the comfort in the world. Why should he suffer through another sleepless night? Zayn could help him feel better in an instant, and they both needed to feel better, and think better, and be better, together.

"If we're a bit closer it might help me fall asleep."

Liam imagined Zayn's eyes glistening, but
they just looked black in the dim light. Zayn, very slowly, shuffled closer, leaving only one foot between them, rather than a few. He didn't want to overstep his boundaries, but how close was close?

Liam sighed weakly. Zayn was being very respectful, but Liam wanted his affection.

"Is that close enough?" Zayn asked, detecting disappointment but not wanting to believe it. His voice was a little husky after broken sleep.

"No."

Zayn paused, blinking in the darkness, then shuffled even closer until he felt Liam's forearms that tucked against his chest. Zayn rested his head on Liam's pillow. Their faces were inches apart, and their bodies were almost touching.

Zayn's heat radiated all around Liam, but he wanted his hot skin against his own.

"Is this close enough?" Zayn whispered.

His breath brushed Liam's lips, and as though his mouth had lost control, he said, "No."

Zayn was surprised. He never stalled at being closer, but now he was savouring the moment, not thinking a hug would come so soon. But this hug was very important. His mate had been spooked by a bad dream and needed to feel safe. Zayn was ecstatic that Liam came to him first. He had hoped he would always be Liam's first choice, but these days, he was no longer certain of how much Liam wanted from him.

Zayn slotted an arm under Liam's head and moved so close, their chests touched, and their legs intertwined. Zayn's heart thumped like this was their first time being so close. Zayn remembered their first hug, when he squeezed the life out of Liam, and the human stood awkwardly, not hugging back.

This time, Liam gripped him as tightly as Zayn's arms wrapped around him. Liam knew how much he needed him, and he knew his comfort would feel incredible, but words would have failed to describe how breath-taking Zayn's touch, smell, and warmth was for a soul who had been deprived of its life-support for so long.

"Please never hurt me again," Liam whispered before he could stop himself. "Please Zayn. I can't go through this again."

"I never will," Zayn vowed into his hair, holding him even tighter and gripping the back of his top.

"I promise I will never put you through this again. Never."

Liam closed his eyes, and relaxed. Every breath was Zayn's scent, and each breath was easier to inhale than the last.

Eventually, Zayn's heart stopped thumping so hard, and they melted into each other. Liam calmed swiftly, and sleep soon sat just behind his eyes, but when Zayn's thumb softly caressed the space between his shoulder blades, Liam's heart fluttered. The reminder of why he felt so good was because Zayn's arms were holding him, his lips were in Liam's hair, his warmth surrounded him like a blanket of its own, and Zayn's love worked to stitch their souls back together after Zayn had pulled too hard.

Soon, they fell asleep, the human and the werewolf, happy and comfortable in their natural soulmate state, snugly against one another.