Chapter One Hundred Twenty Seven – Zayn
Zayn closes the door behind his mum and dad, after thanking them again for everything, not only had they spoiled the twins but Trisha had just handed him an envelope for his and Liam's anniversary as well. And if Zayn knows his mum as well as he thinks he does, it's not only a card but either money, or some kind of gift card for them to use. "Alright, let's go and find Daddy, Zack, Chloe, and all those crazy Uncles of yours" Zayn murmurs, scooping a giggling Bella into his arms and heading back up the stairs towards the living room. Zayn smiles as he sees Chloe passed out against Josh's chest, while Niall cleans up the last of the party debris, Harry is lying on the couch, watching fondly, where Louis is laying on the floor, playing with Zack who's giggling at him. But what confuses Zayn is Liam is nowhere to be seen, "hey, do you guys know where Liam went?" he asks, as Bella runs towards Harry climbing into his lap for a cuddle.
"Right here, Love" Liam answers from behind him, and Zayn spins around to face him, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion when he sees that Liam has put on a tie and his suit jacket, and is holding Zayn's in his hand. "What is-. I mean why are you wearing that?" Zayn stutters as their friends all chuckle, even Bella giggling where she's shoved her face into Harry's neck. "Just put this on Zee, and I'll explain everything on the way" Liam murmurs, passing the suit jacket to Zayn. Who blinks twice before he reaches out slowly to take the jacket and slip it on, "you're all welcome to crash in the guest rooms, we might be late. And thank you again for this" Liam says, guiding Zayn towards the door by his elbow. "Where are we- Liam what the hell is going on?" Zayn asks pulling his arm away and stopping. "Happy anniversary Baba" Bella calls out happily, and Zayn furrows his eyebrows, "thanks Boo" he mumbles. "The guys are going to watch the kids and you and I are going out. I've planned a surprise, because I love you. Now come on" Liam insists, once again steering Zayn towards the door by his elbow. Zayn nods slowly, before he allows himself to be led away, blindly following Liam as he takes him out towards his car.
They've been driving for ten minutes before Zayn finds his voice again, "I thought we weren't celebrating our anniversary?" he asks confused. Liam sends him an amused smirk, "I can't believe, you believed we wouldn't celebrate our first anniversary so easily" he teases, pulling Zayn's hand up to his lips, and kissing his knuckles gently. "But Li, where are we going?" Zayn mumbles, his stomach doing an involuntary flip at Liam's gentle kiss, him still working Zayn up like they just met. "You'll see" Liam hums, turning his attention back to the road. Zayn groans but doesn't bother to question him further, knowing his husband isn't going to tell him anything else.
Zayn's eyes narrow as they seem to be driving past his old university, and then he lets out a loud laugh when Liam pulls into the parking lot of the diner where they had their first date. "What are we doing here?" Zayn mumbles as Liam parks the car in the almost deserted parking lot, "and aren't we a little over dressed?" he adds looking around. Liam chuckles turning off the car, "we're reliving our past a little, and no, we aren't, because I called in a few favours, and this place that isn't normally open for dinner, is doing something special just for you and me" he explains. Zayn's speechless as he looks around, a large smile coming to his face, that he can't bite back. Liam is suddenly opening his door for him and reaching into the car to help Zayn out, Zayn smiles as he places his hand into Liam's and steps out of the car, "I love you" he murmurs, pressing up to kiss Liam gently. Liam breaks the kiss a moment later, "I love you" he mumbles as he leads Zayn towards the building.
Zayn can't hide his smile as they step inside the diner, and he lets out an audible gasp. The inside looks nothing like he remembers, sure there are still all the old worn booths around the windows, but the tables that usually crowded the middle of the room, have been pushed back leaving only one. The single table is covered in a white tablecloth with candles sitting in the middle, "you did this?" Zayn asks turning to see Liam smirking back at him. "I did, Bella helped, this was our top secret mission" he chuckles. "I love you" Zayn murmurs again, just as the owner of the diner Rick steps out from behind the bar. "Mr Malik-Payne, welcome back" Rick exclaims, gesturing for them to sit at the table, before he opens a bottle of wine and pours it into two glasses on the table. "Thank you" Liam hums, before Rick nods and disappears again. "So what do you think?" Liam hums and Zayn grins taking a sip of his wine, "this is amazing Li. But you know I would have been just as happy with a bottle of wine on the couch after the kids went to bed" he grins. Liam chuckles nodding his head, "I know, but today is special" he hums, reaching out to intertwine his fingers with Zayn's, who nods and squeezes his husband's hand back.
Rick is back a few minutes later with two plates of pasta, that he places in front of them before smiling and leaving them alone once again. Zayn smiles softly as he hooks his ankle around Liam's under the table, "thank you for this" he murmurs before taking a bite. Liam chuckles "so I'm not in trouble?" he asks quietly, Zayn snorts, "no, definitely not in trouble" he chuckles. Liam grins, "good. Because I got you this too" he hums, passing a small, expertly wrapped box across the table to Zayn, who sets his fork down, and eyes Liam and the gift suspiciously. "What is it?" he asks and Liam rolls his eyes, "open it and see" he teases. Zayn makes a face, before he starts tearing at the wrapping, inside he finds a small black box that makes him furrow his eyebrows in confusion, "it's not a ring right? Because you know we're already married" Zayn teases. Liam groans, "please just open it already" he moans.
Zayn grins, running his foot that is wrapped around Liam's ankle up his calf before moving it back down and hooking it around his ankle again. When Zayn snaps open the box he feels his breath catch in his throat and tears prick at his eyes, "you didn't" he mumbles and Liam grins, "you like it?" he asks nervously. Zayn grins, nodding his head, "he'd mentioned to Liam one time in passing that he'd seen a necklace he really wanted, it was like a locket, but not as delicate, with birthstones, across the front, and space for two pictures inside. Liam had gone out and found him that necklace, and had Bella's and the twins' birthstones set into it, Zayn carefully pulled it out and opened it up to see a picture of Bella by herself on the left side, and Zack and Chloe snuggled together on the right. "Li, thank you. This is-" Zayn murmurs, cutting off and shaking his head, Liam smiles coming around the table to press a kiss to Zayn's lips, who kisses back, fiercely.
Zayn pulls away to wipe at his eyes, "Liam, I love you" he murmurs, and Liam grins, "I love you too" he mumbles, before returning to his seat, "there's um, there's something else in the box too" Liam says, taking a sip of his wine. Zayn furrows his eyebrows and turns his attention back to the box the necklace was sitting in, before a smile stretches across his face, there's an appointment card for his favourite tattoo parlour, with both his and Liam's name's on it. "What's this?" he asks and Liam shrugs, "thought you and I could go get tattoos for the twins together. I'm actually getting one for Bella, and you too" Liam explains. Zayn bites his lip "you are the best. Have I ever told you that?" he asks and Liam laughs nodding, "never hurts to hear it again though" he murmurs. Zayn laughs and reaches into his own pocket, "I um. I got you something too" he mumbles passing the box across the table.
Liam takes the box from him and Zayn blushes, as Liam turns his attention to opening it, "Zee, Babe. This is perfect. Thank you" Liam gasps, "it's no problem" Zayn murmurs, watching as Liam pulls the custom watch out of the box. Zayn had gotten it made so that the face, behind the watch hands, was a picture of Bella, Zack and Chloe, and around the outer edge there were all of their birthstones set into it. Liam is suddenly back in his space pressing his lips onto Zayn's and Zayn just kisses back with as much if not more love. When they pull apart both of them are breathless, and Zayn thinks that this, this is where he was always supposed to be.
After the gifts they finish eating their dinner, with Liam moving to sit beside Zayn and both of them snuggling into each other as they eat. Zayn's eyes keep darting to the necklace Liam got him where it sits in front of his plate, still in the opened box. "I love you" he says suddenly and Liam sets his fork down to look at him, "I love you" he echoes. Zayn shakes his head, needing to make Liam understand just how much he loves him, "no, but I like really love you" he insists. Liam makes a face, "Zee, what is this about?" he murmurs and Zayn sighs, shaking his head. "I just, before you I didn't think I would ever have...this. I never thought I would have more kids, and a husband. And I just need you to know how much I love you, because as much as we say it all the time, I need to know you know, that you mean everything to me, you and those three kids of ours, you're everything" Zayn explains, looking into Liam's eyes to see something shining there, that he can't quite decipher. He doesn't have long to think about it as Liam is suddenly pressing his lips onto Zayn's. Zayn kisses back and the kiss quickly deepens, with Liam pushing into Zayn's space and licking across his bottom lip, Zayn lets out a little whimper and moves one hand up into Liam's hair, while the other cups his husband's jaw. Liam's hands grip onto Zayn's hips, like he's afraid Zayn's going to go away, even though Zayn thinks that's the most unlikely thing in the universe right now. They only break the kiss when someone clears their throat, Zayn blinks the room back into focus to see Rick standing there holding dessert, and he blushes as Liam smiles at the man, who chuckles as he sets the plate in his hands down and walks away without a word.
"You know..." Liam starts and Zayn looks at him confused for a moment, "that I love you too. I mean I never think I say it enough, to express just how much I love you. And I am so thankful everyday that you chose me. That you married me. I know you say that I'm everything to you, but you and the kids are the most important things in my world" Liam finishes. Zayn bites his lip before leaning over to kiss Liam tenderly for a minute, before he pulls away again, neither of them really say anything after that, they just eat their dessert in a comfortable silence, tucked into each other's side.