"Sooooo? What happened next?" Chris asked Zayn, literally on the edge of her seat. Herself, Meg and Zayn where at Kay's apartment. Kay was in the kitchen starting to throw together dinner, whilst the other three were in the living room. Zayn was sitting with his feet up on one section of the corner sofa, Chris on the other, whilst Meg sat cross legged on the floor by the coffee table, using it to skin up a joint. They each had a glass of red wine and were discussing Zayn's 'date' with Liam.
"What do you think happened?" Meg drawled sarcastically. The truth was she already knew. Liam had called her that very afternoon, whilst Zayn was at the Prada shoot with Kay.
Liam closed his front door, his heart fluttering like a humming bird in his chest. If last night had been wonderful, this morning had somehow managed to be even better. He had made a vow to himself, in bed with a slumbering Zayn at peace in his arms. He had sworn he would make this beautiful, quirky, kind souled man, his. That every night would be as special as the night before.
At 5am he had disentangled himself from Zayn and crept downstairs to the kitchen. Zayn had a car coming to meet him at 6:30 and Liam wanted to spend some time with him before then. He threw together some scrambled eggs, bacon, toast and coffee as well as some freshly squeezed orange juice and placed it all on a tray. He contemplated nipping out to the garden and cutting a flower to pop in a vase on the tray as well but decided it was a bit too, for want of a better word, gay.
Zayn was just waking when he got back to his bedroom. "Morning babe."
"Morning. Is that for me?" Zayn asked propping himself up against the headboard. When Liam indicated that it was indeed for him Zayn smiled shyly "No one has ever made me breakfast in bed before. Thank you darlin'."
Liam got a delicious little tight feeling in his stomach from Zayn calling him that. He placed the tray on Zee's lap and got back into bed beside him. "Are you not having anything?"
"I'll eat an hour or so before I go to the gym. I've got a title fight in seven weeks so I'm training really intensely right now. That means a crazy calorific diet."
Zayn took a bite on his toast and started asking Liam about his work, eating and listening to Li talk, prompting him to continue in between mouthfuls, by asking more questions. It was all very fascinating to Zayn. He loved hearing this athlete, this former Olympian, talk about pushing his body to the very limits, about being the very best in the world at something. He had finishing eating (discreetly avoiding the bacon) and the boys were laying on their sides facing one other. Zayn was about to ask about what it felt like to win gold at the Olympics, to represent your country and become a national hero, when Liam has said with a smile "Sure you understand about being the best. You're at the top of your game right?" He ran a hand along Zayn's cheek and brushed his sleep flattened hair from his face "You're the best model." Zayn chuckled derisively, "You're kidding right? That's hardly the same and it's an objective thing anyway. Lots of people think I suck at the whole clothes pony thing and lots think others are better."
"You're stunning. No one else comes close." Liam said playfully dropping a kiss on the tip of Zee's nose and winking. Zayn laughed, taking the compliment in the spirit it was meant "Well thank you, but being good looking is only a part of my job. There's the brand ambassador stuff, the being seen in the right places, with the right people, being personable and not forgetting the actual modelling itself. Understanding the camera, the lighting, my face, my body all that jazz. And believe me there are people who do it much better than me."
"You are the highest earner in your profession, you have the most covers of GQ, Maxim, PoP, iD, Nylon Guys, Vogue and Dazed and Confused. You're about to launch a line you designed with Vivienne Westwood who has publicly said you are not only the greatest model living or dead but her personal inspiration. You can definitely claim the 'best in the world at' title...and yeah, I googled you when we first met."
Much to Liam's joy, Zayn threw his head back, roaring with laughter.
"I need to start getting ready. Am I ok to jump in the shower?"
"Am I ok to jump in with you?" Liam shot back cheekily. Zayn grabbed his hand and together they went towards the bathroom.
Zayn snapped his Breguet watch closed around his wrist and pulling on Liam's beanie, he checked himself out in the mirror. That shower had eaten away the time he was supposed to have stopped back at the hotel for a change of clothes. This meant that he'd had to borrow some things from Liam's closet. He had gone for scruffy, yet stylish. Basically your standard 'model in downtime' outfit. When they'd be pulling clothes out of various draws and wardrobes Liam had passed him a pair of socks and some underpants. Seeing Zayn hesitate before taking Liam was a little offended "You're kidding right? You're skeeved out about wearing my pants, clean pants I'd like to add, yet not half an hour ago you had your tongue in my-"
"Haha no you idiot." Zayn laughed, pulling Liam into his chest "I was just thinking about timings and how long I'll be in hair and makeup and what have ya before the first shot."
"What?"
"Lines. I'm doing an underwear photo shoot, that means practically naked. I can't wear anything that will dig in and leave marks for about three hours before the first frame. I know. My job is ridiculous."
"It is a bit haha. I'm learning all this stuff that's going to come in super handy for when I'm next doing press."
"One of the perks of having a model for a boyfriend I guess." Zayn replied casually.
A huge grin spread across Liam's face, making him light up "Boyfriend huh? What about all that stuff you said before? Because I'm not ready to go public Zayn. I'm just not"
"We'll cross that bridge if and when we come to it. In the meantime I can deal. The sneaking about might be quite exciting. So yeah I wanna give this a try...if that's still what you want?" He had barely finished the last syllable before Liam crashed his lips into Zayn's knocking the breath right out of him. Zee allowed himself to surrender to it for a few, all too short, moments before he regretfully pulled away "I really have to go to work now. I'm already late and I'm never late. You're a bad influence Payne."
"I'll call you?"
"You do that."
Liam leaned across him to open the front door, invading his personal space once more. Zayn knew Li was teasing him, not so accidentally brushing against him, trying to get him wound up again. It was working. Zayn closed the tiny gap between them and kissed Liam again, pulling at his bottom lip. "I am so not done with you Payno." he promised resting his forehead against Liam's before, with one last little kiss and a frustrated groan, he left the house, Liam closing the door behind him.
Liam closed his office door at the gym and dialed Meg's number.
"Yo!" she said on answering.
"Hi Meg? It's Liam. You said to call?"
"Hey man. How'd last night go then?"
"Really well." Meg could hear the smile in his voice. "Erm, he's going to give me a chance."
"That's great. Really great. Now I have to give you the obligatory he's my mate, and if you hurt him I'll cut you speech ok?"
"Errr sure." Liam would like to think she was joking but he couldn't actually be sure. She seemed a bit of a bad ass. In the nicest possible way of course.
They talked a little while longer but Liam had to hang up quickly when Niall barged into his office "How did last night go mate? Did you get lucky? Because its not going to be long before you ca-"
"Niall I'm on the effin' phone! Sorry babe, I'm going to have to go. Thank you for everything though Meg." He said sincerely. As Liam hung up Niall's eyes narrowed "Meg 'ey? So that's the mystery woman's name!".
"Is there any point in arguing? Telling you it's not?"
"Nope."
"He brought me breakfast in bed." Zayn answered Chis, throwing Meg a little scowl, which just made her pull tongues at him.
"Aww thats so sweet! What a likkle cupcake." Chris smiled across at Zayn indulgently.
"It was really sweet."
"Awww look at that smile! You're smitten. Is breakfast all it takes to make you grin like that?" Chris teased gently, thrilled to see Zayn looking so happy. It had been too long since she'd seen him glowing like that.
"I reckon it was the shared shower that put that smile on his grid." Meg winked.
"How do you know that? I was just about to get to that part." Zayn asked, his eyebrows threaded together in confusion.
"Erm, Kay must have told me." She invented wildly.
"I didn't tell Kay about that, we ran out of time."
"Lucky guess? Here, you have the first blast on that." Meg offered the joint to distract him.
"Cheers. Anyway yeah, we showered together and ya know..." He trailed off, lighting the spliff with a self satisfied wiggle of his brows. "Then when I was leaving I told him I was willing to give it a go."
"Aww it's lovely to see you so happy babe." Kay said coming through from the kitchen. "I like Liam, he seems like a nice guy." Zayn smiled goofily back at her. "Chris? Text Ed for me love, find out how long he's going to be so I know when to have dinner ready for."
"Sooooo...are we telling Harry soon? Not that the gobshite deserves it like but he is my brother and I'm not loving being stuck in the middle on this one." Edward asked two hours later, when everyone was enjoying a post dinner blaze.
"I'm not sure," Zayn sighed "I'm not bothered if he knows Liam's name, not now I know he's gonna hopefully be around for a while, it's just...he wouldn't do something stupid like out Li would he?"
Ed exhaled uncomfortably, "I'd hate to think he'd do anything like that but when it comes to you? I couldn't be sure. He's incapable of thinking rationally when its anything to do with you. He's still completely caught up on you. I'm worried about him to be honest, he's been-"
"Ed." Kay warned.
"What's he done now?" Zayn looked between his four friends, waiting for one of them to answer. "Guys, you're kinda freaking me out, what's going on?" He noticed the hesitant looks they were giving one another. "Seriously. Guys? Is he ok? He's not in trouble right?"
"Oh fuck it! Its no biggie, he's just been caning it a bit too hard recently, that's all." Meg was not one to lie but, but Zee got the feeling she was downplaying the situation.
"What's he been on?" He asked flatly.
"Alcohol, a bit of blow, valium for the comedowns."Chris shrugged.
"More than usual?"
"Yeah. He was dabbling with Ketamine too, but I've talked him out of that." Ed admitted
"Ket?! Shit."
"That's why I've been spending so much time with him recently." Kay shrugged. "I've been looking in on him fairly regularly."
"It's not as bad as it sounds." Meg cut in, feeling bad for discussing Harry in this way behind his back. Zayn raised his eyebrows as if to ask 'really?'
"It's not. Honestly. We're concerned more than worried. We're keeping an eye on him and if looks like he's starting to go down a bad path, I'll call Marcel, and get some advice." Ed reassured him, referring to his and Harry's cousin from New York, Dr Marcel Styles, who had worked at a rehab during his residency. "This is nothing you need to stress about Zayn. To be honest I think you getting involved would just make him worse."
"You just concentrate on you and Liam Boo, have fun getting to know that amazing body of his." Chris added more diplomatically than her boyfriend. A little while late a quite high Kay leaned across and whispered into a relatively high Meg's ear "I talked to Payne today too. I'm guessing he told you about the-"
"Yep."
"And Zee has no idea." The pair looked at each other and burst out laughing.
"You look happier than I've seen you in a looooong while mate" Louis smiled at his oldest friend.
"Damn I've never seen Li look this happy!" David joked. Kind of.
"I'm...excited to see where it goes." Liam admitted shyly. The three where having a beer together at Lou and David's whilst setting up poker tables, snack and whatnot.
"We want to meet him, have him over for dinner or something. Oh I'll cook!" David clasped his hands together excited at the prospect of being able to hang with another couple.
"Liam, I loooove having a retired partner. Seriously. All he does is cook and keep the house nice." Louis winked, genuinely pleased with his lot in life.
"And bug you about when we can start having a family. I'll make a great dad." David sounded and looked so sincere and Louis looked terrified for a moment, until David starting laughing his head off "No rush honey. Some day yeah?"
"Some day." Louis smiled sadly, knowing David was about to leave. The couple had another flat, one they could use if one of them had someone who wasn't in the know visiting. Louis hosted a poker night for his teammates once a week and David spent that night at the flat. He used to stay and play but it was difficult to not do all the little tiny subconscious gestures that long term couples do without thinking or even realising.
"Is it all worth it?" Liam asked when Lou came back in from seeing his boyfriend off.
"David? Of course!"
"No you idiot. I mean is worth hiding it?" Li clarified, amused than Louis would think for a second he was questioning his friends devotion to David. You only had to spend five minutes with them, when they were relaxed and not putting on a facade, to see how deeply the loved one another.
"Remember last season when I got that two match ban?" Louis started, snapping Liam out of his musings. "When I elbowed John Terry in the face? Did I ever tell you what made me do it? It wasn't just because he's a racist prick" Louis asked, his tone of voice showing he was obviously taking Liam's question very seriously. "Well," he continued when Li indicated no "he called me a faggot. Not because he'd guessed anything," He added quickly seeing his friends eyes widen "but because I'd pulled a tackle earlier in the game that showed off how quick my footwork is. He looked a ham fisted fool and didn't like it. We earn hundreds of thousands of pounds a month, better money than doctors, barristers, professors and scientists earn in a year. Yet we are some of the most ill educated, ignorant wankers in the country. Football is 21st century when it come to money, 18th century when it comes to being gay. He didn't even know, it's just a normal insult in his world. If you've got quick feet you're a faggot, if you read The Guardian you're a poof, if you go the theatre your a queer. That's how his brain works. It's how football's brain works. If I get called faggot when he doesn't even know, what am I going to be called when they do? So yeah, I hit him. It was stupid but I'd just had enough."
"Its bigger than that. You hit out at the prejudice, ignorance and the silence that football demands from you." Liam was quite intuitive when it came to his best friend.
"I've been with two people, my whole life. I've been in a loving committed relationship with David for six years. I've never so much as kissed another guy in that time. Yet those other players, the straight ones, the ones that have wives, a couple of girlfriends on the side and hook up with with random women every weekend... they'd be seen as less perverted than me. The fans used to give David shit for having long hair. To them, that made him gay. But yeah, I wanted to come out a little while ago. David is desperate to start a family, he makes out he's joking but he's right, he will make an excellent father. So I was all set to tell the club, the players, the fans...but Dave talked me out of it." Lou finished with a shrug.
"Why? If that's what he wants? The family and that. And the only way it's going to get better is if players are brave enough to make that leap, come out." Liam had been thinking about this alot since Zayn had seen the photograph on his shelves. "Someone has to be the first."
"He was scared for me. Actually scared for my safety. And he wasn't wrong really. Footie and homophobia go hand in hand. One of the top paid players in world coming out in a World Cup year? Some people might not take to kindly to that. So in answer to your question, yes it's worth it. For now. You know my two great loves in life are Football and David, for now I'm not going to do anything to jeopardise either one."
Louis looked so downhearted than Liam gave him a quick hug. "Fuck, pay no notice to me. I'm a fine one to talk. Lets get set up before the lads arrive." They did as Liam suggested and continued to chat as they did so. "Have you told Zayn about the se-"
"Not yet." Liam grimaced "I'm not really sure how to bring it up to be honest."
"Dude. You need to just straight up tell him. The next time you see him you'll have to just tell him Payno." Lou chuckled as the doorbell chimed, signalling the first guests arrival.
A/N
Ugh! So sorry I've taken forever to update bambinos. Also I know this may seem a bit of a filler but some stuff in it will become important later in the story. Hope it's ok for y'all. If it is please don't forget to vote/comment/share and all that good stuff teehee loves ya xxx