i'll show you

twenty four

i apologize for calling y'all snakes. y'all gave some good ideas...

"you see that window over there?" liam asks and points behind him. "i'm gonna jump out that window."

"liam stop." zayn chuckles. they were currently sitting in liam's office during his lunch break. it's been fifteen minutes since zayn has arrived with food but liam hasn't eaten anything yet.

"i'm so stressed." liam groans. "you see all this paperwork? i have to have all of this completed and entered into our files by tonight." there was a huge stack of papers on liam's desk. it looked impossible to even make a dent in it in such little time.

"wow." is all zayn says.

"yeah wow. that window hasn't ever looked more tempting, hasn't it?" liam runs his hands down his face.

"i don't like seeing you so stressed li." it's not a good look for liam. he likes to see him happy and not having a care in the world.

"well i don't like being stressed. this is the downside of my job." liam types something into his computer. "i can't complain though." there's a knock on the door, then in walks dylan. he looks the same as liam. "what's up?"

"i'm about to jump off the roof." dylan grumbles and takes a seat next to zayn.

"i'm jumping out of the window. you think i'll beat you to the ground?" liam jokes.

"you guys are mental." zayn says.

"this job is making us mental." dylan groans. "i swear if i see another paper i'm going fucking ballistic."

"how do you think i feel?" liam gestures to the stack of papers on his desk.

"yours is smaller than mine." he sinks down in his chair. his eyes flick over to the clock on the wall and dylan groans again. "it's one-thirty already?" he reluctantly stands up. "i guess my lunch break is over."

"so is mine." liam grumbles. dylan sighs and starts to walk out liam's office. "and dylan," dylan turns around, "i'll meet you on the roof after work."

i'll be looking forward to it." dylan smiles tightly before slamming the door behind him.

"as much as i hate to say this, my lunch break is over. so you have to leave." liam juts out his bottom lip and crosses his arms.

"okay but before i go, i have a proposition for you."

"go on."

"since you're off for the rest of the week and you've been really stressed lately, how about i take you out on saturday? we'll go to a nice restaurant and i'll pay for everything." zayn proposes.

"nope." liam says quickly. "that's called a date and that'd be cheated."

"it's not a date. it's just a hangout where we go to a nice restaurant and i'll pay for everything." zayn repeats.

liam gives him an unimpressed look and leans back in his chair with his arms still crossed. "so you want to take me on date that you won't call a date because you know i won't say yes if you call it a date?"

"pretty much."

a small smile grows on liam's face as he nods. "alright."

"yeah?" zayn bounces on his feet. "you'll let me take you out on saturday?"

"sure." liam shrugs. "i like free food at nice restaurants." he chuckles. "now get out of here. i've got work to do." liam smiles.

"alright. i'll probably see you tomorrow." zayn says as he stands up from the chair. "please refrain from jumping out the window."

"i'll try." zayn shakes his head at him one last time before he walks out of the office.

as soon as zayn leaves the building, he heads straight to louis' house. he's freaking out. he didn't expect liam to say yes, hell- he didn't think about asking him until it happened. now he has nothing planned and it's only three days away.

"louis!" zayn yells as he barges into this his room. "i need your help."

louis sits up in his bed. "you know, one of the days i'm going to be butt ass naked. that'll show you not to keep on walking into my house."

"i need your help." zayn repeats and sits on the bed.

"what dumb thing did your ass do this time?"

"i didn't do anything." zayn rolls his eyes at his best friend. "i asked liam on a date and he said yes so now i need your help planning a date."

"he said yes to a date? that's surprising." louis says. "i mean he said he refused to cheat but going on a date with someone who has a girlfriend is technically cheating."

"well i didn't call it a date." zayn explains. "i just said i would take him to a nice restaurant and pay for everything."

"so a date?"

"no. a hangout where-"

"yeah yeah . shut up. it's a date." louis cuts him off. "so you're just taking him to a nice restaurant." zayn nods. "that's stupid."

"what? why?"

"people who don't normally eat at nice restaurants usually don't enjoy the food."

"who said he doesn't eat at fancy restaurants?"

"he literally has fast food delivered to him everyday." louis points out. "i'm not saying don't take him to a nice restaurant, but there needs to be other parts to the date."

"like what?" zayn asks. it shouldn't be this hard. he's been on plenty of dates.

"i'm supposed to help you with the date, not plan it myself."

"louis." zayn whines. "i don't know what to do."

"you said he's been stressed right? take him to get a massage." louis suggests.

"that sounds like a good idea."

"why aren't you taking notes?"

"i'm pretty sure i can remember-"

"but what if you don't?" louis challenges. "what if you forget everything i just said after you leave?" zayn sighs and takes out his phone. he opens a new note and types in massage.

"what else?" zayn asks.

"shut up. i'm thinking." louis looks at the ceiling. he then gasps and clasps his hands. "doesn't your aunt own that music store downtown?"

"yeah. why?"

"didn't you tell me liam said he loved boybands? have your aunt pick out some cds and shit."

zayn sits up from the bed. "louis you're a genius!" he says and types it into his phone.

"i know." louis says. "seems like i should be the one going on the date, not you."

"ha ha." zayn says sarcastically.

"now you go call your aunt while i make the reservations for the restaurant."

"what about the massage?"

"i'm not about to do everything. you can call and make the appointment." louis says sassily.

"asshole." zayn mutters under his breath but louis hears him.

"you love me." zayn doesn't deny it and searches through his contacts for his aunt's number. once he finds it, he clicks on it and holds the phone up to his ear.

"hey aunt zileh? it's zayn."

i won't update until tomorrow so i can perfect the date. see y'all then ✌️