i'll show you

forty

it's the fortieth chapter meaning this story will be ending in precisely ten chapters :(

BUT

if y'all want a sequel, just say so because i have a few ideas for it 🤔

"i'm glad you came over. i was worried about you." trisha says and caresses his knuckles from across the table.

"yeah, i'm sorry. i just needed a little time to think." zayn didn't want to admit that he was a little embarrassed to face his mom again.

"are you okay now though?" his mom asks, concern lacing her voice.

"definitely." zayn says and grins to himself. of course he wasn't going to tell his mom about him making love with liam, but he sure can think it.

trisha gives her son a weird look. "well, i'm just waiting for your father to come downstairs so we can talk about this."

zayn had told her mom about perrie moving out. now, zayn was never the one to be alone. even when he lived with his parents, he like his privacy but being alone was never his thing. trisha didn't think her son was ready to live by himself, especially after what he told her the other day.

yaser slugs into the kitchen, his eyes squinting to block out the light. zayn feels a little bit guilty. he knows his father works a lot and the last thing he wants is to bombard him with his problems.

his father sits down at the table across from zayn, and zayn can't help but realize how formal this is.

"so if i'm understanding correctly, perrie moved out?" yaser cuts to the chase. zayn nods. "did you guys break up?"

"no. she just thought- we thought that it'd be best for both of us if she moved out. our relationship wasn't on that good of terms." zayn had asked his mom not to tell his father about liam. at least not yet. even zayn doesn't know where he stands with liam.

"zayn, we asked you multiple times if you were ready for this kind of responsibility." yaser sighs.

"how was he supposed to know something like this was going to happen?" zayn's mom comes to his defense. he loves his mom. "other than this, he's been very responsible. you should be proud of him."

yeah dad, you should be proud of me, zayn wants to say mockingly but he was never the one to disrespect his parents. and he doesn't want to get slapped.

"so are you wanting to stay there by yourself?" trisha asks her son. "or did you want to come back here? what's your plan?"

over the few days since perrie's moved out, he's been fine. that might've been because louis has been with him the whole time so he hasn't got a taste of what it's like to live alone.

"i don't know yet." zayn admits. "i liked the privacy of my own house. i liked being able to invite people over without having to consult with you guys first. but that house is not my home. my home is here."

trisha and yaser give each other a look. they've always done this and zayn has picked up on it multiple times. this was their i told you so look.

"when you were younger, you always said how you couldn't want to get out of here. now that you're out, you can't wait to get back in." yaser chuckles.

"you're a family boy and you know it." trisha teases.

"leave me alone." zayn grumbles. this only encourages his parents.

"zayn loves his family! zayn loves his family!" trisha and yaser sing-song.

zayn rolls his eyes but he doesn't deny it. zayn misses seeing his family everyday. he misses all of it. the arguments, the laughter, the teasing. his parents making fun of him only helps him further his decision.

he's moving back in.

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"i don't see what's so wrong about living alone." louis says through a mouth full of pizza. "i've been doing it for nearly five years and i'm just fine."

"yeah but either i'm here or lottie's always here." zayn points out.

"so? most of the nights i go to sleep alone." louis says. "you're just a pussy." he says and grabs another slice of pizza.

"i am not!"

"you are."

"no i'm not."

"have you even talked to liam since you guys slept together?" louis asks him. the truth is, zayn hasn't. he feels like if he does, liam will just hit him with a it was a mistake. zayn's not ready for that so he wants to just to keep recalling the night they spent together before reality catches up to him. "see? you're a pussy."

"you know, you have some nerve talking about how i handle my relationships. when was the last time you dated someone?"

"i'm a strong, independent white man with a nice ass who don't need no man." louis says sassily.

"oh, my bad." zayn rolls his eyes. "but seriously, when are you going to get a boyfriend?"

"i don't want anyone." louis shrugs. "except your man. i want your man. who's really not your man, he's harry's man. i want harry too. but i guess liam is both yours and harry's man since he can't seem to choose."

"liam's my man. i don't care what anyone else says." zayn can't believe he's having this conversation right now. they sound like two teenage girls with petty high school drama.

"i don't know." louis says teasingly. "there's more than a few people who are rooting for harry and liam."

"i don't care about them."

"that's okay. i'm here for you and liam." louis says and punches zayn's shoulder lightly. "ziam all the way."

"good to know that you'll always have my back." zayn says sarcastically. but he's grateful for his best friend. he knows that no matter what, louis will be at his side. he hopes that louis knows it's the same for him.

zayn hears the front door open and shut and watches louis look over the couch to see who it was. "hey little sis."

"hey big bro." lottie mumbles and throws herself on the couch. she situated herself so that her head was laying on louis' lap. she looks over at zayn. "hey zayn."

"hey zayn? that's all?" louis is just as surprised as zayn. lottie has never been this calm when seeing zayn.

"i'm just really tired." lottie explains with a sigh.

"why?" louis asks his sister.

"i've been watching ernest and doris all day while mom and dad worked."

"why didn't you call me? you know i would've helped." louis says and starts to run his hands through her hair. just like zayn, louis is a family person. he loves his sisters and his mom with all of his heart, no matter what he says.

"i always call you. i wanted to do this by myself. and i did, they just wore me out." lottie admits with a chuckle.

"well i'm proud of you." louis says softly. "you can go ahead and go upstairs to your room. i won't keep you up any longer."

lottie smiles up at his brother. "i love you."

"yeah yeah." louis smirks. "i love you too, i guess." lottie laughs and stands up from the couch. she grabs the overnight bag she brought with her and hoists it on her shoulder.

"goodnight zayn." she says before she heads up the stairs.

"night." zayn waits for her to be completely upstairs before he speaks again. "weak ass."

"fuck you, you're the same way you weak ass bitch." louis says and throws a pillow at zayn. zayn retaliates and throws it right back.

that quickly leads to a pillow fight and their night ends with them calling a truce after zayn throws a pillow at louis, misses, and breaks louis' lamp.