i'll show you

forty six

i didn't proofread this whoops

zayn buttons up every single button but three. he adjusts his belt and runs his palms down his pants. he hates dressing up.

dylan had invited him to an office party. why? the sole reason that liam would be there of course.

it's been about a week since liam had showed up to louis'. zayn had thought he'd dreamt it, but when dylan asked about it in the morning, zayn realized it had actually happened.

"goddamn." dylan says from behind him. zayn looks at him in the mirror and raises his eyebrow at him. "you look sexy as fuck. fuck the party, let's stay here."

"nice try buddy."

"oh come on! think about it. we can have our own little party here, arrive at the office late, have people thinking the obvious..."

zayn rolls his eyes. he thought louis was blunt, but dylan gives him a run for his money. "no."

"fine." dylan shrugs. "doesn't mean i'll give up though." he sing-songs.

***

they ended up being late.

dylan had decided to take a few shots before they even left the house. apparently dylan had a reputation for being the drunk one at the office party and he wasn't about to hurt it just because zayn was there.

they go through a different entrance than they usually do. it was getting late. the party started at seven, but it was nearing eight thirty and they haven't even made it inside yet.

dylan steps into the elevator and goes to follow suit, but sees a girl rushing to the elevator as fast as she can in her heels. he holds his hand between the doors and waits for her. dylan peers over zayn's shoulder. "oh hell no." dylan says and grabs zayn's hand and pulls him in. zayn's slams into dylan causing them to stumble back into the corner. dylan then presses the close door button with his foot multiple times before it closes, leaving the girl outside.

"dude, there was someone coming."

"i know." dylan says. "i hate that bitch." zayn rolls his eyes, something he finds himself doing a lot around him. dylan smirks and looks up at zayn. zayn still had dylan pinned up in the corner. "well, well, well. i like where this is going."

zayn backs up just as the door opens. the room was full of people dressed in the same attire as zayn and dylan. well, zayn wouldn't say full because not too many people were there. it looked boring as hell. the first thing he does is look for liam. and he finds him. he's sitting near the snacks table, his full attention focused on his phone.

"the party don't start till i walk in." dylan sings loudly as he grabs zayn's hand and steps out of the elevator. all eyes turn to them and zayn wants to cower and hide behind dylan. various people chuckle and call out dylan's name. "either i introduce you or they're going to introduce themselves and expect you to introduce yourself afterwards so might as well get this over with."

zayn doesn't want to meet anyone and goes to tell him this, but dylan is already dragging him to a table.

"glad you could make it, mr.o'brien." a middle aged man says. "it took you long enough."

"first of all, simon, we're at a party. call me dylan. second, i'm fashionably late." dylan says. "anyway, i'd like for you to meet my date, zayn."

this certainly wasn't a date but zayn just holds out his hand for simon to shake. "nice to meet you."

"likewise." simon says. "you have a nice smile. ever thought about joining real estate?"