Liam didn't want to ask for a bathroom to change into the clothes the Beta wolf had given him. Liam was so cold and tired; he simply turned his back to Zayn and pulled off his damp jumper. His top underneath was wet too and making him even colder.
Liam stripped to his underwear, glad to have his wet shoes and socks off, and his soggy jeans. His feet were like blocks ofice.
As he fumbled with the shorts, he felt Zayn's eyes on him.
Instead of being embarrassed and wanting to shy away, Liam liked that Zayn was watching him. Liam started to crave Zayn's attention.
"I bet these clothes will smell I-like other werewolves." Liam chuckled nervously, chattering his teeth. "Is that weird for you?"
"Yes."
Liam paused. Zayn was right behind him because he felt his breath against his ear. When he turned his head, Zayn's lips brushed his cheek. Zayn gazed over Liam's shoulder and to his chest. Liam didn't feel self-conscious like usual; he felt no judgement from Zayn.
"I'd prefer it if you didn't wear those and let me warm you instead." Zayn's voice was deeper, vibrating through Liam
Liam stood in his black boxers. The chilled air crawled up his skin. Zayn lifted hands to Liam's waist, touching him with hot palms.
Liam craved more warmth immediately. He turned, leaving the shorts and t-shirt on the floor. Zayn's eyes trailed him up and down. His pupils dilated.
Zayn then took off his black blazer and his black t-shirt underneath. He slipped the t-shirt over Liam's head, and it rested half-way down Liam's thigh.
"There," he said, tugging on the material, pleased that Liam was coated in his scent. "That's better."
Zayn pulled him to the small single bed and folded back the duvet.
Liam was under the duvet in seconds, desperate to stop shivering. Zayn sat next to him and pulled Liam into his bare chest. Liam settled with his body pressed to Zayn and the duvet up to his chin. They had to lie close for them both to fit on the single bed.
Their eyes were level and they stared at each other with pounding hearts.
"Do you feel different after hugging my wolf?" Zayn asked with his hand on the curve of Liam's lower back.
Liam nodded, trying not to fret over the fact that Zayn had given him his t-shirt, which was much too big for him, and was warming Liam up by holding him close.
"I feel..." Liam blushed, "m-more connected to you. I don't really know how to explain. Um, well, when I stopped hugging your wolf, I didn't feel scared of you. I was still scared of Louis'wolf, but with you, I just suddenly knew that I could trust you."
Zayn wasn't even sure that his mother trusted him. A mate was what Zayn needed to fall back in touch with the human side of himself. "What about here, now. Does anything feel different?"
"It feels, um, normal to be this close to you. I'm not as nervous about it. Also, I think I understand your emotions a little more. This is tricky to explain, but I- I think when I look at you, I can almost feel what you're feeling." Liam shook his head. "That sounds stupid."
"I understand completely." Zayn's hazel eyes were melting. "I've felt that way since I saw you in the library."
He ran a hand through Liam's hair, slowly letting his guard down.
"From when I first had the dream about you, just thinking about you makes me breathless." Zayn tried his best to block out the first time they really met, when Liam was in the cellar, scared out ofhis mind.
Liam looked around Zayn's relaxed face, cherishing the rare sight of Zayn exposing emotion. He opened his mouth but couldn't find his words for a while. Liam wondered how open he should be, but the way Zayn looked at him made Liam feel like he could tell him anything.
"A-After my parents died, and I lived with my aunt and uncle, I forgot what it was like to- to know that someone cared. I think I accepted that I'd be on my own for a lot of my life. I never imagined that this would happen. I don't think any human would." Liam fidgeted with the duvet.
"It's strange to say this in this current situation, b-but I'm realy glad we met. I'm really thankful for you."
Liam tried to imagine going back to his mundane life of college and the library and long shifts at the café. He thought about going back to a life without Zayn, and his heart ached at such a troubling thought.
"I'm thankful for you too." The corners of Zayn's lips curled towards a smile. His frown completely left his face.
"These past few months have been hell for me. If it wasn't for my mother I would've.." Zayn's other arm tightened around Liam. "I'm stronger with you."
"I'm stronger with you too." Liam smiled. His happiness swarmed his chest. To Liam's surprise, a small smile painted Zayn's lips, brightening his face, warming his eyes, blunting his sharpness, and proving to Liam that Zayn had emotion. Zayn just stored it in unreachable places.
The fact that Liam had only seen snippets of Zayn's smile saddened him. Zayn had his bad moments, but there was a lot of good in him waiting to be seen. Zayn needed a chance to redeem himself to everyone around him, but not to Liam. He already saw who Zayn could be.
They stared at each other for a little while longer. Liam was tired, and the night was very late, but he couldn't sleep. He didn't want to cut the night short when Zayn was being so open and vulnerable.
"I can't believe you threw Harry's phone like that" Liam chuckled.
"I can't believe I didn't bite his face off when I had the chance," Zayn mumbled. His smile was gone as quickly as it arrived.
"Because you care about Louis. Harry is-" Liam sighed. "A fucking idiot. But let him be Louis' idiot."
Zayn cocked a brow at his choice of words. "You're cute when you swear."
Liam blushed. "I'm serious, you should really try and ignore him."
"It's hard to ignore someone who bullies the person you care about." Zayn's frown crawled back onto his face.
"What is his problem anyway? I don't understand why he hates you so much."
"He blames my parents for the death of his dad."
Zayn's frown deepened.
"His dad died the night my parents died, you know, from the wolf attack. My parents were the ones to invite his parents and insist that they went on the camping trip. I guess Harry has had to deal with the aftermath. His mother has never been the same."
Zayn sat up, and so did Liam."That's not a reason to make your life shit. Your parents died that night. His mother survived. He should count himself lucky."
"I know it's not a reason to bully me." Liam linked his fingers to stop himself from fidgeting. "I don't know what would be worse, having no parents, or living with a parent who never recovered from the attack, and dealing with that every single day. I'm not saying that to give Harry an excuse to be a terrible person, but I'm sure it doesn't help."
Zayn shook his head. "You lost both of your parents and lived with shitty family members for years. That's a constant reminder of what happened, and you're the nicest person I've ever met. Nothing in the world gives anyone the right to be cruel to others." Zayn then paused.
"Don't add me into this. I know I'm a twat."
"At least you can admit it" Liam chuckled.
"Are you calling me a twat?"
Liam laughed and Zayn's eyes darkened with amusement.
"Yes." Liam grinned from ear to ear. "You can be very, um, difficult."
"I know." Zayn grabbed Liam's waist and pulled him on top of him. He covered them both in the duvet when he felt Liam's cold fingers against his chest. "You know, if anyone else spoke this way to me, I would've punched them in the face by now."
"Because you can't accept the truth?"
Zayn scoffed at Liam's honesty. "Brutal."
Liam rested his head on Zayn's shoulder, smiling into the crook of his neck. He had never felt so comfortable in someone else's presence.
"I'm glad though," Zayn continued. "I need someone to tell me to back down when I'm getting too much."
"Someone who won't just make you angrier."
"Exactly. Someone kind and cute." Zayn's eyes trailed him. "And someone short and human, with really nice lips."
Liam pursed his lips, feeling the redness spread all over his face. "Nobody ever sees this side of you, do they?"
Zayn shook his head. "It's a weakness to others."
"Well, I think I- I think it makes you more attractive."
Zayn stared deeply into Liam's eyes, like he was seeing more than just the brown. Liam wanted Zayn to look at him like that forever.
"I'm so glad you're my mate" Zayn said before kissing Liam. With his body on top of Zayn, happy and comfortable, Zayn couldn't be more content.
"I'm happy- I'm your mate- too," Liam said in-between kisses. Now that they had known each other Properly, and Liam was comfortable with Zayn's wolf, Liam felt like he was kissing someone he had known for years. But he hadn't known Zayn for years. He had known him for just under a month, so how had they grown so close?
The bond thing, Liam thought, smiling against Zayn's lips.