Chapter Forty Two – Liam
Liam tightens his grip on Zayn's hand, as he leans on the bar to order them a drink, before glancing around the too busy, too loud bar. Louis and Harry are apparently regulars at this particular place because the bouncer out front knew them, greeting the pair by name, before letting all four of them in without question. "We'll just stay for a little, then sneak back out, okay?" Liam asks knowing Zayn is uncomfortable, Zayn bites his lip and nods as the bartender passes Liam their drinks, "thanks" he says, passing the man a bill to cover the cost and a tip, before passing Zayn one of the glasses in his hands, Zayn smiles at him, before they make their way back towards the table where they left Louis and Harry not long before. Liam looks around the room once more, and can't help feeling old and out of place, he's not really a fan of bars, and clubs either, if he's being honest. Zayn leans against him, making a strangled sound, "you okay?" Liam asks, pressing a kiss to his hair, and Zayn nods, "yeah, just not really my scene, you know?" he asks. Liam chuckles nodding "I know, it's not mine either, but like I said before, we'll stay, have a couple drinks then leave,okay?" Liam asks. Zayn nods his head slowly and Liam grins, sipping his drink, as he looks around again.
It's been a couple hours and Liam is ready to just go back to Zayn's and fall into bed with Zayn, but his younger boyfriend has apparently decided to have a little more to drink than Liam. Liam's not upset, he's glad that Zayn's enjoying himself, but he's never seen this side of him before. Zayn lands in his lap, hands squishing Liam's cheeks, much like Bella always does to him, "you're kind of beautiful, you know?" Zayn asks, cocking an eyebrow. Liam laughs, gently removing Zayn's hands from his face and holding them in his own, "so are you, and I think you're kind of drunk" he teases, Zayn pouts, shaking his head, "not drunk, Louis' drunk" he slurs. Liam chuckles, "I hate to tell you this, babe, but so are you" he says. Zayn glances around the bar before flopping against Liam "okay, maybe a little, can we go now?" he asks. Liam smirks, pulling Zayn into his arms, "of course, you want to tell Louis, and Harry?" he asks. Zayn shakes his head "nah, they're kinda busy" he mumbles gesturing across the room. When Liam follows his arm he sees Louis pushed against the wall by Harry, while they make out wildly, and grind their hips against each other, nodding he kisses Zayn's temple "let's go then" he says, pulling Zayn to his feet.
Liam's only had one drink so he knows he's alright to drive Zayn back to the apartment, he struggles to get Zayn into his car, the younger babbling almost incoherently, about Liam's eyes as far as he cantell. "Liiiiiiiiiii" Zayn whines once they start to drive and Liam arches an eyebrow humming to indicate he heard Zayn. "Where's my Arabella?" he pouts, and Liam chuckles "she's staying at Ruth's remember?" he asks. Zayn laughs, nodding his head "oh yeah" he mumbles. Liam shakes his head at Zayn and keeps driving towards Zayn's apartment, "she's getting so big, used to be soo tiny, miss the tiny" Zayn rambles as they drive. Liam chuckles looking at Zayn as he stops at a red light, "that's what happens babe, babies grow up" he reasons. Zayn pouts again, "no" he says stubbornly and Liam just laughs, shaking his head, as he starts to drive again. Zayn's quiet, too quiet after that, and Liam's pretty sure he's fallen asleep, but then he's speaking again and what he says catches Liam a little off guard, "I want another one" Zayn mumbles, reaching out to grab Liam's hand. Liam furrows his eyebrows,"another what?" he asks, although he's pretty sure what Zayn's talking about. "Another baby, your baby" Zayn says slowly, Liam glances over to see Zayn biting his lip, "one day, Zayn" he answers, eyes going back to the road, a slight grin on his lips, because there's honestly nothing he could want more than to have a baby that was his and Zayn's, somehow.
If getting Zayn into the car was a challenge, getting him back out again is practically impossible, he's still mumbling incoherently, but now he's not even attempting to help Liam, as he undoes his seatbelt and pulls him from the vehicle. Liam grunts as he tries to support Zayn while opening the door to the building, "you know this would be a lot easier if you stood on your own" he groans. Zayn giggles at him and it may be the cutest sound Liam's ever heard, "too tired" he whines and Liam rolls his eyes, as he tugs Zayn into the elevator. Once on Zayn's floor getting a now very sleepy looking Zayn back out of the elevator is another task Liam never really wants to repeat, once he has him inside, he lets Zayn slump to the floor, where he curls into a ball. Liam sets about locking the door, and then sending a text to Louis that they had gone home, "c'mon then, let's get you into bed" Liam cheers nudging Zayn with his foot. Zayn just groans and swats aimlessly at Liam's foot which makes him chuckle. "I'm not carrying you" Liam warns, Zayn whines and bats his ridiculously long eyelashes at him, the same eyelashes Bella uses as a weapon. And Liam knows he's going to give in and carry his drunk boyfriend to bed "I'll pay you" Zayn groans and Liam laughs, "uhuh" he says slowly, bending down to pick Zayn up into his arms.
The next morning Liam is up before Zayn, unsurprisingly, and Zayn has kicked all the blankets off his body, curling into Liam for warmth. Liam watches the steady rise and all of his chest for a few moments before, carefully disentangling himself from Zayn. Once he's free Liam heads into the bathroom, finding some pain killers quickly, he heads to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee and gets Zayn a glass of water. Once he's successful Liam returns to the bedroom to find Zayn stirring, and groaning in his sleep, "Li" he whines when he blinks his eyes open, "my head hurts" Zayn adds. Liam chuckles and steps closer to pass Zayn the pills and water, "I don't doubt that" he teases, while Zayn pouts and swallows the pills. Liam watches as Zayn pushes himself so he's sitting, leaning against his headboard, he looks beautiful, and Liam wants to just kiss him, so he does. Liam closes what little space there is between them quickly and presses his lips to Zayn's, who balks, before kissing back. Once they pull away they're both breathless and Zayn is looking at Liam in away he can't quite place. "What?" he asks slowly and Zayn shakes his head, "nothing, just I love you" he mumbles. Liam grins "I love you too. Now go have a shower and get dressed, we can go pick up Bella and then I want to take you two somewhere" he orders. Zayn groans but Liam ignores him, in favour of heading back out to the kitchen to get himself some coffee.
Liam laughs when Zayn slumps into the kitchen just over thirty minutes later, his hair still wet and unstyled, but he looks far more awake than before. Zayn doesn't say anything, just drops into Liam's lap stealing his mug to take a large sip. "You okay?" Liam asks, nuzzling against the back of Zayn's neck, Zayn just nods in response as he finishes Liam's coffee off, and Liam would be mad, but Zayn's just too adorable, and it's already his third cup. "So where are we going today?" Zayn asks, Liam just shakes his head, "not telling you, you'll have to wait and see" he chuckles and Zayn pouts. "Nice try" Liam sighs, shaking his head at his boyfriend who huffs, "fine, let's go get my daughter then" Zayn mutters and Liam laughs again, before carefully moving Zayn off his lap to stand up.
Once they're in the car heading towards Ruth's Liam chances a glance at Zayn, who is fidgeting with his fingers "you okay?" Liam asks not for the first time that morning. Zayn nods, "yeah, just what did I say last night?" Zayn asks, squinting his eyes against the sun, until Liam hands him his sunglasses. Liam laughs, "you offered to pay me, if I would carry you to bed" he teases and Zayn groans, "okay what else?" he presses. Liam knows instantly what Zayn wants to know, and looks over at his younger boyfriend once he stops at a red light, "you told me you miss how tiny Arabella used to be, and then told me you wanted another baby, my baby" he explains. Zayn groans, shaking his head and dropping it into his hands, as Liam starts driving again, "it's okay Zayn. I mean you had been drinking, I understand" Liam says softly, reaching across to grab Zayn's hand. Because it is okay, Liam would love if Zayn had meant it, but he understands it was probably just the alcohol talking. Zayn sighs, squeezing Liam's hand, "would it still be okay if I meant it?" he asks quietly and Liam nearly chokes on his own saliva. "I mean not right now or anything, but in, like, a couple years" Zayn adds. Liam pulls over to the side of the road so he can give Zayn his complete attention, "yes, it would be okay, because I love you Zayn, and I would love to expand our family together" he murmurs. Zayn's head snaps up and he pulls his sunglasses off to look at Liam, his eyebrows furrowed. "Really?" Zayn asks, slowly, and Liam chuckles, nodding his head, "yes really. I love you Zayn and I don't know how, but I would love for us to have more children" he says seriously. Zayn blinks, but doesn't say anything and Liam starts to worry, until Zayn is fumbling with his seatbelt and diving across the car to wrap Liam in a hug.
Liam lets Zayn hug him for a few minutes, before he carefully pulls him off him, holding Zayn out at arm's length, "we should really go pick up Arabella" Liam explains when Zayn gives him a funny look. Zayn just nods his head, shifting himself back into his seat, Liam waits until he's buckled up again, to pull back onto the road and start driving again, glancing at his boyfriend a few times as he does. Liam bites his lip for a moment before saying what he's been thinking about since the night before, "you know, we could always use a surrogate and one of us, to have a baby together. Ruth has offered to do it for me before" he explains. Zayn raises his eyebrows and grins at Liam, "that would be cool, but like I said not right now Li, I have to finish school first" he says. Liam grins, "I know that, but I was just letting you know we do have options, whenever we're ready" he adds, pulling into Ruth's driveway, seeing the curtains twitch as he does. Liam knows it's Bella, before they even get to the door, he can hear her cheering, as he leads Zayn towards the front door.
They stop outside the door, but before Liam or Zayn can knock Ethan pulls it open and Bella comes bounding out onto the porch, she's still in her pyjamas, but Ruth has expertly pulled her hair up into a bun on the top of her head. "Baba! Daddy!" Bella cheers, jumping into Zayn's arms, Liam watches as Zayn catches her, hugging her close to his chest, while murmuring things into her ear. Bella starts squirming away from Zayn, reaching for Liam as she does "Daddy"she whines, when Zayn doesn't immediately let her go to him. Liam finally reaches out and takes the squirming toddler from Zayn, chuckling when his boyfriend pouts at him, "did you have fun?" Liam asks, Bella nods enthusiastically, but doesn't say anything. Ruth steps out onto the porch then, "morning guys, did you enjoy your night last night?" she asks side hugging Liam around Bella, before stepping over to fully hug Zayn. "Yeah, we got dragged out by Harry and Louis, but it was kind of fun" Liam answers, setting Bella down on her feet and watching her run back into the house with Ethan, Kenzi and Mason hot on her trail. "Was she good?" Zayn asks, and Liam pulls his attention from the kids, back to his sister, who laughs, "she's always good Zayn" she teases making the younger man roll his eyes "not always" he mutters, and Liam chuckles, knowing Zayn's remembering the many tantrums he's been navigating lately. "I just made some tea, if you guys would like to come in for a bit, I don't think Bella's going to be ready to go anytime soon" Ruth offers, Liam looks to Zayn to see him shrug and nod before turning to his sister "sure, sounds good Roo" he answers, allowing her to lead the way into the house, wrapping his fingers in Zayn's as they go.
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A/N: MERRY CHRISTMAS! (Unless you don't celebrate Christmas in which case I hope you're having a great week!) I hope you enjoyed these chapters, there was some Zayn Ruth bonding time, followed by a particularly drunk Zayn, with of course lots of Ziam. Let me know what you thought by commenting and or voting, (not that I can force you to, but I do enjoy comments).
I've been working on a Christmas part, that I may post separately (cause it's only like August in the story) but it's not done yet so it might be up a day or two after Christmas, (if you guys want it)
I hope everyone has a good holiday, I'm off to bake cookies for Santa, the three year old demands it.
I really love all of you guys and am thankful for every single one of you who takes time to read this and leave comments, and everything, you're all the best.
Until next time xoxo
Also Happy Christmas Eve andddd a huge happy birthday to my boy Louis!
okay now I'm done :)