'Cause nobody knows you, baby, the way I do...
Unfortunately, Liam's next words told him that that wasn't what he was thinking, not at all.
"You wanna go see how plan B is coming along? Since we don't have a game today?" he asked, sitting up and stretching his arms above his head.
Zayn thought that it was a terrible idea, one of the worst he'd ever heard honestly, if the alternative was staying in bed with Liam and pretending that plan C was the only option.
"Sounds good," he said anyway, running his hand through his hair to stop himself from reaching out for Liam as he climbed out of bed and began to move about the room with way too much energy, like he hadn't just fucked Zayn into the mattress for the better part of an hour. Zayn, on the other hand, made no move to get up, his limbs still too heavy from the force of his orgasm to even consider attempting to stand.
"Cool. Just gonna hop in the shower, then we can head back to the house and pick the girls up," Liam said as he grabbed his towel from the floor and headed towards the bathroom. Zayn frowned at his retreating back, because if anything could have persuaded him to get out of this big, comfy bed, it would have been the chance to shower with Liam again.
Luckily, Liam seemed to be thinking along the same lines, pausing in the doorway to look back at him. "You coming?" he asked, one side of his mouth curled up in a hopeful smile.
"Wouldn't want to waste water, I guess," Zayn grumbled, ignoring the skeptical look Liam shot him as he pushed himself out of bed and joined him in the bathroom.
This shower was a lot less intense than their last one had been, but just as nice in its own way, Liam's laughter loud in the small room as Zayn used up all of the shampoo trying to shape both of their hair into mohawks, Zayn's own laughter quieter but just as genuine when Liam dragged him out of the stall so that they could look in the mirror to see whose looked better (Zayn's did, he was sure of it, despite Liam's insistence otherwise).
And then there were the kisses, Liam's mouth pressing distractedly against Zayn's chest when he reached for the body wash, his lips dropping casually onto Zayn's shoulder as he spun him around to wash his back, like kissing him had become instinctive, something he was unconsciously driven to do every single time he got the chance.
Zayn welcomed this new development, because Liam kissing him was infinitely better than Liam not kissing him, even when he knew that it wasn't going to lead to anything more. Not that this stopped him from trying to get Liam at least a little worked up, his teeth and tongue unrelenting on Liam's neck when he tilted his head back to rinse his hair.
Liam groaned as Zayn mouthed just under his ear, pushing him away from him before Zayn could make sure that it turned into a moan. "I know you're probably thinking that I'm some sort of sex god, based on my performances last night and this morning, but I think I'm gonna need at least like, an hour, and probably some food, before I can go again."
"Weak," Zayn chided, before looking down and arching an eyebrow, his gaze fixed on where it seemed like Liam might be at least a little interested in another round. "You sure about that?"
Liam sighed. "I'm actually a billion percent positive that you could convince me otherwise very easily. Pretty sure we've already determined that I'm not very good at saying no to you," he said with a pointed look.
Zayn smiled at that, taking it as proof that maybe Liam was just as whipped as he was. Not that Zayn was actually whipped. If he was, could he really have turned away from Liam then, climbing out of the shower despite the fact that sex was still very much a possibility? Obviously not.
"I'll have to remember that for later," he smirked, handing Liam a towel as he followed him out of the shower.
"Why do I get the feeling I'm going to regret admitting that?" Liam asked, stepping up beside Zayn where he stood in front of the sink.
"Don't worry, I'll make it worth your while," Zayn promised, squeezing toothpaste onto Liam's brush before adding some to his own.
"I'm gonna hold you to that," Liam told him, his hand finding Zayn's side as they began to brush their teeth, watching each other in the foggy mirror. Zayn elbowed Liam as his fingers turned tickling, trying and failing to shove him away when he turned his head so that he could slobber a frothy kiss onto his cheek.
"So fucking gross," he groaned, trying to sound stern despite his laughter as he wiped his face off. "Don't do that again," he warned him.
Liam turned to Zayn with an evil grin, his lips still coated in white. "Or what?" he asked, reaching for him.
Zayn backed away just in time, calling, "Come try it and find out," over his shoulder as he darted into the bedroom.
Liam seemed perfectly willing to do just that, following Zayn from the bathroom a second later and groaning when he saw him sprawled out on the bed, waiting for him with a smile. "You really are nothing but trouble, aren't you?" he asked, lifting his towel to wipe his mouth off.
Zayn dropped his head to the side and batted his eyelashes prettily in response, his fingers playing over the knot holding his towel together.
"Don't," Liam pleaded, holding a hand up. "We only have ten minutes 'til checkout, and even if we had longer we need to be at your apartment by noon."
Zayn narrowed his eyes, wondering how visiting his disaster of a house could possibly be more important than having sex with him. "Whatever," he muttered under his breath as he rose to his feet. "Didn't want to fuck you anyway."
Liam laughed at that, and just looking at his happy face made Zayn want to laugh too. The happiness he'd felt the night before was still there, buzzing under his skin, making him feel wired and awake and alive. So while a part of him was dreading the end of their first date, a bigger part of him was already looking forward to their second, and their third. How could he not be, when Liam was looking at him like that, his gaze soft and his smile bright as they packed up their supplies.
"Hey, honey bunny?" he asked from across the room.
"Yeah?" Zayn responded automatically, then immediately cursed himself for having answered to one of Liam's stupid nicknames so easily.
Liam's face was lit up like he'd just won the lottery when Zayn chanced a glance at him, but he must not have been as dumb as he looked, because he didn't say anything about Zayn's slip-up. "Can you call my phone? I can't find it."
"Sure," Zayn mumbled, still embarrassed as he pulled his cell out of his pocket. He smiled when he opened it to see that Liam had added a picture to his contact information, a selfie of him lying in bed that he must have taken while Zayn had been sleeping filling his screen. He looked so handsome that Zayn didn't even care that he'd gone into his phone without asking, especially since for the first time in a long time he didn't have anything to hide.
And then he saw that Liam had also changed his contact name and his smile fell, his lips pressing into a thin line as he struggled not to laugh.
"'The Payne Train?' Really, Liam?"
Liam shrugged unapologetically. "You're obviously not as good at giving nicknames as I am, so I thought I should think of one for me."
"And that's the best you could come up with?"
"Come on, sunshine," Liam said with a knowing smile, "you know you can't wait to hop aboard the Payne Train again."
Zayn groaned but didn't deny it, turning his attention back to his phone. "You don't look very happy in this picture," he said, noting Liam's frown and the lines marring his forehead where his head lay against the pillow.
"I was being sexy," Liam scolded, like that should have been clear.
Zayn scrunched his face up. "Were you though?"
Liam laughed wholeheartedly, closing the distance between them and pushing the phone out of the way so that he could place his hands on Zayn's hips. "Now whenever I call or text you, you'll see that pic and remember our first date," he said, bending his knees a bit to better see Zayn's expression.
Zayn was pretty sure that he'd be thinking about last night a lot, with or without this picture. But he still liked it, and he kissed Liam to let him know just that, leaning in until their lips were slotted together, his hands landing on Liam's chest. "Do you still need me to call your phone?" he asked when he pulled away.
"No, it's been right here the whole time," Liam admitted unabashedly, patting his pocket.
Zayn rolled his eyes and gave him a light shove, wondering how he'd managed to fall for the biggest dork on the planet. But maybe deep down he was a dork too, because he kind of loved all the effort Liam put into everything, not only with their date but also with little stuff like this, like he was completely unafraid to show Zayn just how much he liked him.
He felt that it was only fair for him to at least try to do the same. "Do you want me to take a picture on your phone? For when I call you?"
Liam shook his head and Zayn felt a flash of disappointment, one that vanished when Liam stepped back and pulled his cell out, handing it over to show him that he'd already added a picture to Zayn's contact information. It was one of the ones that he'd taken their first night together, before the fight and the fire and everything that had followed. Zayn's hair was a mess in it, his skin flushed and sweaty and his lips swollen and red, and even though he wasn't smiling it was somehow evident how happy he'd been in that moment.
"I was so mad at you when I woke up the next morning, but I still couldn't stop myself from emailing it to my phone so that I could see it every time you called," Liam confessed. "You have no idea how hard it was not to answer with this face looking up at me."
I'm sorry, Zayn thought, because he really was, for how long he'd taken to get his head out of his ass when it came to Liam, and for how much he'd hurt him in the meantime. But he was also really happy, because this meant that Liam had been thinking about him and missing him even when he was unwilling to take his calls. He took a deep breath, not wanting to think about any of that, let alone say it out loud, not now that things were so different between them.
"I do look pretty fucking hot," he agreed solemnly, earning an eager nod of agreement from Liam that made him smile. "But I gotta say I'm a little disappointed. No nickname?" he added, pointing at the screen of Liam's phone.
Liam laughed, taking the phone back. "An oversight on my part, clearly. Gonna change it to 'Honey Bunny' right now."
"Don't you dare."
"What, I thought you liked that one? How about 'My Boo'?"
"You know what? Let's just stick with Zayn," Zayn decided, picking up the bags and heading towards the door.
"'Bae'?" Liam suggested as he followed him into the hallway. "Isn't that what the kids call each other these days?"
Zayn shook his head in feigned disdain, now more certain than ever that he'd never be able to match Liam's level of dorkiness. But apparently a lack of enthusiasm on his part did nothing to dampen Liam's, his smile still bright when they stepped off the elevator despite the fact that Zayn had shot down his last dozen suggestions. "Don't worry, I'll find one you like eventually," he promised.
Honestly, Zayn was more than okay with that, because he never wanted him to stop trying.
The old woman at the front desk had been replaced by a much younger, much prettier girl, one who smiled a little too big at Zayn as he dropped their room key off, flipping her blonde hair off of her shoulder as her gaze flitted briefly to Liam before returning to him. Zayn smiled back, but he could see Liam looking back and forth between them out of the corner of his eye, and it took everything he had not to flirt with her, just to get Liam back for embarrassing him the night before.
Zayn smirked when Liam draped an arm over his shoulder and turned him away from the woman, the movement easy yet somehow still possessive. "Don't worry," he said, nudging Liam with an elbow to get him to look at him. "I've recently discovered that she might not really be my type."
"Oh yeah?" Liam asked, curling his arm around Zayn's neck to tug him a little closer. "And what is your type?"
Zayn shrugged. "Ask me again when our first date is officially over. I'm still weighing my options."
"Guess I better make sure our kiss goodnight is perfect then, huh?" Liam asked, his smirk matching Zayn's.
"I guess you better," Zayn agreed, feeling a ridiculous flutter of excitement low in his belly, his lips tingling in anticipation of their next kiss despite all the ones they'd already shared.
It was raining when they pulled up in front of Liam's, one of those heavy downpours that had the potential to turn into a beautiful snowfall if the temperature would just drop by a few degrees. But Zayn found himself not even minding the dreary weather when Liam ran around to his side of the car, unzipping his jacket so that he could hold it over their heads as they ran towards the house. The makeshift umbrella was mostly ineffectual against the rain, but that was okay with Zayn, since it gave him an excuse to wrap an arm around Liam's waist, holding him so close that their heads bumped together as they stepped into the garage.
Liam laughed as he laid his jacket on the floor, moving his head from side to side like a dog to shake off the rain before lifting a hand to wipe a stray drop from Zayn's cheek. Zayn leaned into the touch, resisting the urge to brush his wet hair off of his forehead because he didn't want Liam to move away from him. He took a sharp intake of breath, the air between them suddenly electric as he watched Liam's eyes fall to his lips. Liam inched closer and Zayn didn't back up, couldn't back up, really, because all he wanted to be was closer.
He felt breathless from the short jog in the rain, and from the way Liam was looking at him, and he wanted nothing more than to push him up against the wall and kiss him, hard, or to drag him back outside and into his car; anything, really, that would keep their date from officially ending and reality from crash landing on top of him.
Liam smiled and inclined his head towards the stairs, and Zayn could tell that even though Liam wanted to kiss him as badly as Zayn wanted him to, he had his heart set on a proper end of date kiss on his doorstep. It made Zayn smile to know that Liam had it all planned out in his head, and he followed eagerly behind him as he hurried up the stairs, wanting it to be just as perfect as Liam had imagined it. And yeah, he'd probably be lying if he said that he hadn't imagined it a few times as well.
As they neared the door Zayn looked over at Liam to find that Liam was looking at him, too, and he couldn't stop himself from reaching for his hand, their fingers lacing so that their palms could press together. The simple touch calmed some of the nerves that had started creeping in, and Zayn took a deep breath, trying to come up with a way to put into words exactly how he was feeling without giving away too much.
Liam pulled him to a stop when they reached the front door but made no move to open it, instead turning to face him and taking his other hand. Zayn could tell that he had something that he wanted to say, but he cut him off, needing to speak first so that Liam would know just how much the past sixteen hours had meant to him.
"That was the best date I've ever had," he blurted out quickly, biting back the with a guy on the tip of his tongue, because he didn't want to lessen the weight of his words with a joke. "Like, ever ever," he added instead.
"Me too," Liam admitted shyly. "I feel like I'm never gonna stop smiling."
His happiness was infectious, his smile somehow spreading to Zayn's face, like the width of it, and the joy contained within it, were too great for one person to keep to themselves. His tongue darting out to lick his lips didn't hurt either, nor did the way he leaned in slowly, his movements hesitant like he wasn't perfectly aware that Zayn was dying to kiss him again. Because Zayn was dying to, his hands reaching for the front of Liam's shirt to tug him closer as he tilted his head to the side.
Their mouths met in a gentle kiss, their lips pressing together softly. Zayn sighed into it, his hand moving to the back of Liam's neck, wishing that they could stay like this forever as they kissed again, and again. Their lips barely parted, and their tongues never touched, but with Liam's arm wrapped around his waist and his hand cupping his face to hold him in place and the memory of their perfect night embedded in his brain, Zayn felt like it was the most meaningful kiss they'd ever shared.
"Well...?" Liam prompted when they finally broke apart, his arm still curled protectively around Zayn's back and his thumb still caressing his cheek.
"I don't know," Zayn smiled, knowing immediately what he was after, "I think I might need another kiss before I can make an educated decision."
"I guess I can live with that," Liam murmured, leaning in to kiss him again, a little dirtier this time, his teeth dragging across Zayn's lower lip as his hands settled enticingly low on Zayn's back, pulling him flush against him.
"Alright," Zayn said when they broke apart. "She's definitely not my type."
Liam's eyes lit up. "She isn't?"
"No," Zayn said, shaking his head resolutely. "I like brunettes."
Liam frowned at that, obviously hoping for more, and Zayn couldn't resist giving it to him. "You," he said softly, ducking his head for an instant before looking up from under his eyelashes to meet Liam's eyes. "You're my type."
Liam's answering smile was blinding, and Zayn had to fight to urge to match it with one of his own as he added, "Apart from the fact that you're a fucking fireman."
Liam laughed and kissed him again, moaning a little as Zayn slotted his thigh in between his legs, his arms wrapping around his back to hold him tight as he slid his tongue into his mouth.
"They're home!" he heard Safaa shriek as he pushed Liam into the door, his back hitting it with a thud. Zayn groaned when Liam pushed him away, chuckling as he dug in his pocket for his key. "I missed you!" she yelled as he pushed the key into the lock and swung the door open.
Zayn crouched down and opened his arms for her, but she ran right past him, barreling into Liam and wrapping her arms around his legs.
"Hey," he pouted, poking her in the side repeatedly until she finally let go of Liam and turned to give him a hug. "Didn't you miss me too?
"I guess," she conceded, patting his back distractedly before pulling back to look up at him with wide, questioning eyes. "What's a walk of shame?"
Zayn turned his head sharply towards his other sisters, who were sitting on the sofa and attempting to look innocent. "Ain't no shame in my game," he told them with a sly grin, one that grew wider when he saw that Liam's expression was identical to his own; a little bit conceited and very much satisfied.
"Would you look at that smile," Doniya murmured in wonder, before turning to Liam. "Nice work, Li. Don't think I've ever seen him look this happy."
"Zayn?" Safaa tugged on his sleeve, trying to bring his attention back to her. "Did Liam make you smile?"
"He sure did," he told her, then looked at the older girls and added, "A couple times actually."
The only thing louder than Doniya's laughter was the sound of Waliyha groaning from beneath the pillow she'd buried her head under.
"That was nice of him," Safaa said, shifting from one foot to the other and looking confused as to her sisters' reactions.
Zayn couldn't help but agree. "It really was, wasn't it?"
Liam took a step closer, sliding his arm around Zayn's waist as he leaned in to whisper in his ear. "The pleasure was all mine. Can't wait to do it again tonight."
Suddenly Zayn was the one who felt like he was never going to stop smiling. That was, until Liam reminded him of the plan for the day.
"You guys ready to go see how your apartment's coming along?" he asked, receiving three yeses in varying degrees of excitement from the girls and silence from Zayn in response. "Perfect. We're just gonna get changed and then we can go."
Zayn followed him into the bedroom, trying to work up some enthusiasm for the task ahead and instead being met with an empty suitcase and a hamper full of dirty clothes. "Remind me to pick up some clean clothes when we're at the house, okay?"
"You can wear this if you want," Liam offered from where he stood in front of his dresser, tossing a sweatshirt back towards Zayn.
Zayn caught it and quickly threw off his shirt from the night before, knowing at once that the sweatshirt would look fantastic on him, its light blue a striking contrast to his dark skin and hair. It fit him perfectly, and had been made so soft from frequent washings and wearings that it almost made up for the firehouse emblem on the breast. "You know you're never getting this back, right?" he said, deciding right then and there that he was keeping it forever.
Liam turned to look at him, his eyebrows raising as he looked Zayn up and down. "That's okay," he breathed. "I kinda like seeing you in my clothes."
Zayn liked that he liked it. "Think we've got time for a quickie?" he asked hopefully, inclining his head towards the bed.
"Oh my god, I've created a monster," Liam groaned, rolling his eyes and pushing him back into the living room and out the front door. They were on the road a minute later, Zayn in the passenger seat next to Liam and his sisters filling the backseat as the rain pounded down around them.
"So, how was your date?" Waliyha asked.
"Well... ," Zayn started, turning to look back at them before glancing over at Liam, who was biting his lip. "The restaurant was terrible and the food sucked."
"Oh," his sisters gasped in unison, all clearly disappointed.
"So you didn't have a good time?" Waliyha pressed.
Zayn and Liam locked eyes, their pinkie fingers brushing on the console between them. "It was perfect," they said at the same time, which was met by a chorus of awwws.
Liam quickly turned his face back towards the road, but not before Zayn noted that he looked as happy as Zayn felt.
"Ready for plan B?" Liam asked as he pulled to a stop in front of Zayn's apartment.
Zayn looked out of the window, past the rain to the building in front of him, wondering if it would ever feel like home again.
"As ready as I'll ever be," he sighed, opening his door and squatting down so that Safaa could hop on his back, knowing that she was probably a little bit scared to see the house again for the first time since the fire and hoping that keeping her close would make her feel safer.
By the time they reached the fourth floor Zayn knew that one thing he definitely hadn't missed was the stairs, and he could only hope his response to his apartment, and plan B in general, was more positive. "You mind getting my keys, Liam?" he asked when they reached his front door, motioning his head towards his pocket as he raised his eyebrows suggestively.
Liam shook his head, grinning as he opened the already unlocked door to reveal an apartment that looked far less damaged than it had the last time Zayn had seen it, along with a very sweaty Harry and a paint splattered Niall.
Zayn took a step inside, moving Safaa to his hip as he looked around. The busted out window had been replaced, and while scorch marks on the floor were still clearly visible, the ones on the wall had been covered by fresh drywall, its half-painted state explaining Niall's yellow streaked face and clothes. Large white splotches revealed where the ceiling had been patched, and all in all Zayn could barely believe that this was the same room that had been so recently declared unlivable. He turned to Liam, overwhelmed by everything.
"Did you do all this?" he asked him, rubbing circles into Safaa's back as she tucked her face into his neck.
Liam shook his head fervently, unwilling to take credit even though Zayn knew that none of this would have been possible without him. "I just made the initial phone calls. These guys handled the rest."
Doniya took a step towards Niall as Zayn passed Safaa to Waliyha so that they could go grab some things from their bedroom. "You did this?"
"Nah," Niall said, his face turning a shade of red that Zayn hadn't known could occur outside of a cartoon. "Harry here did most of the heavy lifting."
Harry shook his head, clapping Niall on the shoulder. "He's being modest. I'd barely have been able to get started if it was for him."
"It was nothing," Niall insisted. "Nate's dad owns a hardware store and donated the window, and the captain passed a hat around the station to cover to cost of drywall and paint. Not sure what we're going to do about the floor, maybe a rug for-"
"Thank you," Doniya interrupted, rushing forward to give him a hug, and yep, apparently it was possible for his face to get even redder.
Niall looked anywhere but at her when she released him, clearly flustered until his eyes landed on Zayn. Or more namely, on Zayn's shirt. "You traitor," he gasped.
Zayn looked down, confused until he remembered that he was wearing Liam's firehouse shirt. Harry noticed at the same time, his booming laughter filling Zayn's ears as he turned to glare at Liam. And Liam, the bastard, was laughing too. Zayn realized at once that Liam had known they were about to meet up with the boys and that he'd encouraged him to wear the shirt anyway, and his mind immediately went to all of the ways he could murder a man without getting caught. Actually, he didn't even give a fuck if he got caught, as long as-
"One slide down your pole and he's ready to hang up his badge and become a firefighter," Harry stage whispered to Liam, practically wheezing from the force of his laughter.
"Look who's got jokes," Zayn grumbled, deciding that this was the perfect time to grab some clean clothes. He stomped towards the closet and began shoving clothes into his backpack, Niall joining him just as he zipped it closed, the disgusted look he'd been wearing a minute earlier (mostly) gone from his face.
"So, how was it?" he asked excitedly, because Zayn may or may not have talked of nothing but Liam and their upcoming date for their entire shift.
Zayn sighed, all of his anger draining out of him as quickly as it'd come. He felt a little lightheaded at the memory of everything that had happened since Liam had picked him up the night before. "He's a talker," he whispered conspiratorially before he could stop himself, chuckling because of course the guy who never shut up would carry that trait into the bedroom.
"What?" Niall's face was a mask of confusion, his forehead scrunched up until his eyes suddenly widened, realization dawning. "Ew, gross," he groaned, bringing his hands up to cover his ears. "I was talking about your date, you daft prick."
Zayn felt his face flush. "Oh, whoops. It was okay, I guess."
"Just okay?"
"No, it was uh, it was good," he said quietly. "Better than good, really. Like, kinda great." He was trying to sound unimpressed but didn't think it was working; he could feel the corner of his mouth creeping up in a smile against his will but couldn't bring himself to turn it into a frown.
Niall smiled like that was exactly what he wanted to hear, punching Zayn in the shoulder. "Good for you, mate. I'm happy for ya."
Zayn shook his head, trying not to smile. "It's no big deal; just one dumb date."
"Must of been something special, to make you switch teams like that," Niall continued, and Zayn wasn't sure if he was talking about the girl/guy thing or the cop/fireman thing, so he just rolled his eyes, waving his hand dismissively as he looked over at Liam. He was on the receiving end of a fist bump from Harry, and Zayn wondered if they were having a similar conversation.
"You think you two will be a real couple now?"
"What?" Zayn asked, turning back to Niall. "Oh um, I don't know. It's complicated."
Niall looked dubious. "Is it really though?"
Zayn couldn't even think about the possibility that Liam might not want to be a couple, so he definitely didn't want to talk about it. "I'm gonna go check out the kitchen," he told Niall in lieu of answering, because he really did want to look at the repairs more closely. It had nothing at all to do with the fact that that was where Liam was.
"Thank god this survived," Liam said as he approached, jerking a thumb towards the calendar he'd pinned to the cork board what seemed like forever ago. It was singed around the edges but that only seemed to add to the overall effect, like the picture of Liam was so hot that it might have caused the fire in the first place.
"I dunno, I was kind of hoping it'd be destroyed so we could replace it with a photo shoot of our own."
Liam patted his pockets frantically, before calling out, "Does anyone have a lighter?"
Zayn smirked, spinning on his heel and heading into the living room before he did something stupid like kiss Liam in front of everyone. He sat down on the sofa that had served as his bed for so long, letting out a deep sigh. It felt more uncomfortable than he remembered it being, all hard lumps and soft dips and broken springs, and he wondered how he'd ever get used to sleeping on it again.
But he would have to, he realized as he looked over to see Liam picking Safaa up, his hand looking huge on her back as he led her around the kitchen, his voice carrying enough to let Zayn know that he was telling her that she would be safe here now.
This was what Liam wanted; for Zayn and his sisters to be out of his apartment. That much was clear, but what wasn't so clear was what that meant for Zayn and Liam. Maybe this was just a casual thing for Liam, and maybe he didn't see their relationship going anywhere long-term. Which was- it was fine, honestly. Zayn would just stay with Liam for as long as he wanted him and after that, well whatever. He'd move on. That was what people did when casual relationships - ones where people were only maybe in love with each other and definitely weren't whipped - ended, right?
The problem was that Zayn wasn't exactly sure, because he'd never had a casual relationship before. He didn't even know how one was supposed to work. But that was obviously what Liam wanted; otherwise he wouldn't have worked so hard to ensure that Zayn and his sisters could leave his apartment as soon as possible.
So Zayn could do that, no problem. If casual was what Liam wanted, then casual was what he was going to get. He could date other people, for all Zayn cared, or-
"I didn't think they'd be able to get this much done this fast," Liam said as he sat down beside Zayn, startling him. Zayn looked over at him curiously, noting that he didn't sound overly thrilled that the repairs were coming along so quickly.
"I can't believe you set all this up," he said, before pausing. "It's um, it's great," he finally forced himself to add.
"Yeah, really great," Liam agreed, his voice monotone as he stared down at his hands.
Zayn looked away from him, biting his lip as he twisted his fingers into the hem of his sweatshirt. "So...I guess we can move back any time now?"
Liam turned his head towards him, a question in his eyes. "I guess, but...I mean, the fire inspector still has to sign off on it. I uh, I can try to pull some strings if you want to get back here over the next few days, but-"
"No," Zayn said, a little too quickly. "I mean, you've already done so much for us, and there's no rush, right? Unless you want us out right away, which is fine-"
"No no, there's no rush for me either. And I wouldn't want to bother him over the holidays, you know?"
Zayn nodded his head slowly, aiming for nonchalant and probably missing by a mile. "Yeah, I bet Christmas is a busy time for him."
"Besides, I don't think your tree would survive another trip," Liam added, his sudden smile making its absence over the last few minutes all the more noticeable.
"So, it's okay if we stay with you until Christmas?" Zayn asked, just to be sure.
"Yeah. It's more than okay," Liam assured him quietly, nudging his knee against Zayn's.
Zayn gave Liam a small smile, finding his hand where it rested on the couch between them. Liam threaded their fingers together as he scooted a little closer, and Zayn felt a spark of hope shoot through him, because there was nothing casual about the way Liam was looking at him, or how tightly he held onto his hand even as the others joined them.
By the time they'd finished the pizza he'd ordered and he'd had to begrudgingly admit that he was grateful to not just one but multiple firemen, Zayn felt exhausted, the prospect of not being able to see Liam everyday overwhelming. He collapsed onto his and Liam's bed the moment they got home, planning on a short nap but instead waking to find that night had already fallen.
"Wake up, sleepyhead," Liam murmured. He was leaning over Zayn, his breath warm on Zayn's cheek as he kissed along his jaw. Zayn reached for him, tugging him down on the bed next to him. Liam went willingly, allowing Zayn one chaste kiss before pulling back. "How do I look?" he asked.
Zayn leaned back to glance up and down Liam's body, squinting his eyes to see him better in the dim light. "Not bad," he lied.
"Just 'not bad'?" Liam pouted, and fuck he really did look adorable when he stuck his lower lip out like that.
"You a'ight," Zayn conceded, admiring the way Liam's tight navy henley stretched across his broad chest, and the way his jeans clung to his thighs. "And while I appreciate the effort," he said, smoothing his hand down Liam's side to rest on his hip, "you really didn't have to get all dressed up just to hang out with me."
Liam sat up, his expression troubled as he looked down at Zayn. "Don didn't tell you?"
Zayn frowned, pushing himself up. "Tell me what?" he asked warily.
"She asked me to come to the club with her tonight," Liam said as he rose to his feet. "Just to like, hang out at the bar while she works."
"I'm sorry, what?" Zayn demanded.
"It's just- some weird shit's been happening, so she wants me to be there."
Zayn swung his legs over the side of the bed, picking up his sweatshirt from the floor and pulling it over his head. "What kind of weird shit?"
"Notes in her locker, a rose left on the bar for her, that kind of stuff. She's pretty sure it's this new manager who's always hitting on her, so she figures that if I'm around..." Liam trailed off, shoving his hands into his pockets.
"That he'll think you're her boyfriend and leave her alone," Zayn finished for him.
"Exactly!" Liam said, thrilled that Zayn seemed to be seeing it the same way.
Zayn did not see it in the same way, and he was about as far from thrilled as one could get.
He pursed his lips and looked at the ceiling, like he was actually considering that this might be a good idea. "So, basically you're saying that instead of having a second date here with me you're going out to a club without me, so that you can pretend to be my sister's boyfriend?"
"Um...yeah, that's pretty much the plan," Liam said, his voice a lot less sure than it had been a moment ago as he picked up on Zayn's mood.
Zayn stood, needing a minute to wrap his head around this. He didn't look at Liam, instead heading directly towards the kitchen.
"Zayn? Are you-" Liam began as Zayn started to leave the room.
"Just grabbing a drink; be right back," he called to him without slowing.
He walked into the kitchen to find Waliyha standing in front of the open refrigerator door and he stopped, tapping his foot impatiently to get her attention. "You planning on moving some time today?" he asked when that didn't work. "I need to get some water."
She took a step back, gesturing towards the fridge with a sarcastic flourish. "What's your problem? You and Liam get in a fight or something?"
"Liam who?" Zayn muttered, grabbing a water bottle and untwisting the cap as Doniya walked into the kitchen. "Hemsworth? Neeson? I know a lot of Liams."
Waliyha just shook her head, backing out of the room as Doniya started to clear away their dinner plates.
"I take it you heard about the plan for tonight?" she asked wearily.
"Yes and what a fine plan it is," he exclaimed, then immediately felt bad when her face fell. "Why didn't you tell me someone was messing with you?"
She shrugged. "You've had a lot going on, with Clark and all, and I didn't want to bother you."
"You wouldn't have bothered me. Maybe there's something I could have done."
"I'm doing something. This was the only thing I could think of, to let my manager know I'm not interested without risking my job."
Zayn couldn't really fault her for her plan, just for Liam's role in it. And if he were to think too deeply about it he might be forced to admit that what bothered him more than anything was that Doniya was going to be, for a few hours at least, calling Liam her boyfriend, which was something Zayn didn't know if he'd ever be able to do.
"Liam's just being a good friend," she said, interrupting his thoughts. "Don't take this out on him."
"Um, I'm not?"
"You are, otherwise you'd be in there saying goodbye to him, instead of in here sulking."
He shot her a dirty look, wondering why he couldn't be free from persecution in any room of the house. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm just really thirsty," he insisted, taking a big gulp of his water to prove his point.
"I'm sorry I'm taking your man for the night, and I promise I'll bring him back in one piece," she said, and suddenly Zayn couldn't be mad at her anymore, not when she'd just referred to Liam as his man. But he could still be mad at Liam, he decided a second later when none other than the pretend boyfriend himself walked into the room, his eyebrows raising when he saw Zayn leaning against the kitchen table. "I'll give you two a minute," Doniya said.
Zayn stopped her before she could leave the room, bending forward to give her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Be careful tonight," he told her.
"Everything alright?" Liam asked once they were alone. "I thought you were coming back to the bedroom."
"I was going to," Zayn said in a clipped voice, "just as soon as I finish my drink."
"Can I have a sip?" he asked, holding his hand out as he closed some of the distance between them. Zayn turned his head, looking Liam dead in the eye as he screwed the lid back on the bottle and calmly placed it on the table behind him, just out of Liam's reach.
Liam stifled a giggle, like he thought this whole situation was hilarious, so Zayn, of course, had no choice but to glare at him as he folded his arms across his chest. "Something funny, Liam?"
"No, of course not," Liam said, clearing his throat and trying to look serious. "I just came in here to tell you that I really wish you could come tonight."
"Well, I don't. It sounds super boring," Zayn said, moving as far away from Liam as possible, making sure to bring the bottle of water with him.
Liam immediately took a step towards him, looking conciliatory. Zayn let him move closer, but only so that he could reach up and ruffle a hand through Liam's hair to keep it from making that annoyingly attractive swoop that it always did. Liam didn't stop him, but one look at him and Zayn was smoothing his hair back into place again, not because he felt bad, but because Liam looked even sexier all rumpled like that, and Zayn didn't need for him to be any more of a temptation for others than he already was. He tried buttoning up his henley next, but despite his best efforts he couldn't keep Liam's chest hair from peeking out, and he definitely couldn't keep Liam from looking hot as fuck.
"Anyway," Zayn said, abandoning the impossible task of trying to make Liam look bad, "how are you going to convince people you're her boyfriend?" he asked, before getting more to the point. "Will there be kissing?"
"Only if she's really lucky," Liam laughed.
Zayn took a step away from him so that he could properly stare him down. Liam sucked his lips into his mouth, obviously trying not to laugh even as he held his hands up in surrender. "Listen, I'm a really good actor, so I'm sure I won't have any problem convincing everyone, even without any kissing. Hey, do you think I should do an accent? How about British? Good day, mate! Fancy a spot of tea?"
"I thought you were supposed to pretend to be her boyfriend, not embarrass her to death."
"Bloody hell," Liam continued, his accent getting thicker with every word. "Don't get your knickers in a bunch, love."
"Back to the kissing thing," Zayn said, ignoring him. "Will there be any?"
"Hey," Liam said, placing a tentative hand on Zayn's waist. "You know there's only one Malik I want to be kissing, right?"
"I don't know," Zayn shrugged, looking down at the floor. "You guys make a very cute couple."
"Not as cute as you and me though," Liam assured him, earning a half smile from Zayn. "And I can promise I won't have as good a time as I would if you were there," he told him, nudging Zayn's chin up with his finger so that he could see his face.
"Obviously," Zayn said dryly.
Liam laughed and leaned in, trying to kiss him, but Zayn turned his head away at the last second, forcing Liam's lips to land on his cheek.
"Come on, don't be mad."
Zayn huffed, rolling his eyes. "I'm not mad, Liam; I'm just very busy and important and I don't have time to be kissing you every time you want me to."
Liam slid his arm around Zayn's side, his hand a warm presence on his back. "What if I promise to make it up to you later?"
Zayn's face softened slightly, but he still refused to look at him. "Tell me more, about this making up," he grumbled, allowing Liam to pull him a little closer.
"I was thinking," Liam started, skimming his lips along Zayn's jaw to his ear, his voice low, "that by the time I get home your sisters will all be asleep or out, and that I could bend you over this table and show you how much I missed you." He punctuated his words by pushing Zayn up against said table, his hand slipping under the hem of his shirt to trail his fingers across his lower back to the waistband of his boxers.
Zayn felt his pulse pick up and he turned his head, tilting it so that his lips were level with Liam's. "That sounds like a lot more fun for you than me," he lied. Liam barked out a laugh and then they were kissing, and Zayn was more upset than ever that Liam was leaving, because this was all he wanted to do for the rest of the night.
"Oh god," he heard Waliyha groan. He pulled away from Liam to see her standing in the doorway, one hand covering Safaa's eyes as the other landed on her hip. "You guys are going to be one of those gross couples who can't keep their hands off of each other and make everyone around them sick, aren't you?"
Zayn laughed nervously, unsure of how Liam would react to her calling them a couple. But he just smiled and looked back at Zayn. "Fingers crossed," he said quietly.
Zayn didn't know how to respond to that, but he was saved from having to when Waliyha spoke first. "Anyways, Zayn? Can I spend the night at Charlotte's tonight?"
Zayn turned towards her, stepping out of Liam's grasp. "Are her parents going to be home?"
"Yes," she groaned, clearly annoyed.
"That's fine then, just text me their number and I'll walk you over there."
He expected her to put up a fight, but instead she turned her attention towards Liam. "Or maybe Liam could drive me? Please please please?"
"Sure," Liam agreed easily. "But go get ready now. Don and I need to leave in a minute."
"Thank you!" she called as she disappeared out of sight.
"I guess all my sisters need you tonight," Zayn scoffed. "Maybe we should work out a shared custody agreement."
Liam smirked. "Aww, you want full custody of me, don't you? That mean you're gonna miss me tonight?"
No," Zayn insisted, glaring at him. "Safaa and I have tons of fun stuff planned to do while you're gone, don't we, Saf?"
Safaa shrugged, looking bored already. "Not really."
Liam looked down at her before looking back at Zayn, hesitating for a second before surging forward to give him a kiss on the cheek, like he couldn't stop himself. "I guess I'll just have to miss you enough for the both of us then," he whispered, before turning and heading towards the door. "Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone," he called over his shoulder.
"How can I?" Zayn said automatically. "You're taking all the stupid with you."
Liam paused in the doorway, turning around slowly until he was facing Zayn, a look of wonder on his face. "Did you just quote Captain America to me?"
Zayn shrugged. "Maybe," he said, trying to keep his voice light.
"Just when I thought you couldn't get any more perfect," he said. His voice was filled with awe, which didn't make any sense to Zayn. He knew what he was, and perfect wasn't it. Sure, he was incredibly good looking, and a fantastic football player, but Zayn was well aware that he could also occasionally be a tiny bit moody, and that once or maybe even twice he'd been known to exhibit what some might describe as brat-like behavior.
But here was Liam - the most obnoxiously perfect person Zayn had ever met - calling him perfect. Zayn was once again at a loss for words, but it didn't matter because an instant later Doniya and Waliyha were rushing into the room, everyone moving urgently as kisses were exchanged and goodbyes were said.
"Cheerio," Liam called from the living room, his British accent firmly back in place, ensuring that Zayn's smile was the last thing he saw before he shut the door.
Zayn reached for Safaa's hand, swinging it in between them. "Looks like it's just you and me, kid. You ready for your bath?"
Safaa shot off towards the corner of the kitchen, bending down to pick something up. "Benjamin needs a bath too."
"Who?"
"The dog," she said slowly, like he was stupid. And maybe he was, if the pang in his heart over how grown up she sounded was getting was anything to go by.
"When did you get so big?" he asked, scuffing her head.
"Benjamin's the big one," she grunted, her arms stretched out in front of her as she appeared to struggle under the dog's weight.
Zayn held out his arms, taking the dog from her, bending his knees dramatically as he pretended to lift her. "Oh my god, she's huge."
Safaa smiled brightly, skipping ahead to the bathroom.
"Is Liam your boyfriend?" she asked as he started to run her bath.
"What? No," Zayn insisted quickly.
"But I saw you kissing him," she pointed out, her words getting muffled as Zayn pulled her shirt over her head.
"You saw that?" he asked, frowning a little when she nodded. "Sometimes friends kiss, when they're much, much older than you. It doesn't necessarily mean that they're dating."
"So he's just your friend?" she asked, climbing over the edge of the tub to plop down in the water.
"Well, no," Zayn began, squirting some shampoo into his hand. "I guess I'm not really sure what he is."
"Does Don kiss him too?" she asked excitedly. "Since they're friends?"
"No, he doesn't want to kiss Don," Zayn said. "They don't like each other like that."
Safaa was quiet as he started to rub the shampoo into her scalp, and he assumed that the matter was closed.
He was wrong.
"But you like him like that?"
"Hmmm?" Zayn asked as he gathered all of her hair on top of her head, making it as tall as he possibly could before drying his hands so that he could pull out his cell.
"You like Liam? Like you used to like Clark?" she continued, and Zayn was really going to have to start being more careful with what he said around her.
Zayn let out a deep breath. "Yeah, I guess."
"And you think he has a cute butt," she giggled.
"I'm not gonna answer that, because someone," he said, holding up his phone to take a picture of her, "has a big mouth."
He bit his lip as he sent the picture to Liam, following it with a quick text.
Zayn: I think she beats us both.
Liam's response was immediate, and Zayn had to bite his lip even harder to keep from smiling too big.
The Payne Train: mines still the best
"Do Benjamin next," Safaa ordered as he tilted her head back to rinse out the shampoo. She pushed her hands through the water, some of it splashing over the side, Zayn's sweats getting wet where he knelt on the floor as he pretended to shape Benjamin's hair into soapy spikes.
"Say cheese," he told her, holding his phone up again.
Safaa smiled and wrapped her arm around Benjamin's neck, yelling "Cheeeeese!" through clenched teeth. As soon as he'd taken the picture and set his phone down Safaa surprised him, blurting out, "I've got a boyfriend."
"You do?" Zayn asked with narrowed eyes, his hands pausing where he was about to start smoothing conditioner into her hair. "What's his name?"
"Garrett."
"Garrett, huh?" Zayn muttered, wondering just how much paperwork would be involved in transferring her to an all girls school. "And how do you know Garrett is your boyfriend, and not just a regular friend?"
She shrugged, accepting the soapy washcloth Zayn handed her. "We hold hands sometimes, and he's got a shark tooth and an aldergater tooth and he lets me hold them even though nobody else gets to."
"That's pretty nice, I guess," Zayn acknowledged reluctantly. "But no kissing, right?"
"Ew," she cringed, wrinkling her nose up. "Don't be gross, Zayn."
He smiled fondly, motioning for her to move closer so that he could rinse her hair out. "Sorry."
"So you gonna ask Liam to be your boyfriend?" she asked, pouring a cup of water over where Benjamin was supposed to be.
"I'm not sure. He might not want to be my boyfriend."
"Yeah," she said solemnly, and Zayn really wished she hadn't agreed so readily.
He was silent for a minute, but soon found himself asking, "You don't think he wants to be my boyfriend?"
"How should I know?" she asked, hunching her shoulders up as she looked up at him. "I'm only five and a half."
Zayn chuckled as he stood to lift her out of the tub. "Smartest five and a half year old I've ever met," he told her, wrapping a giant towel around her. He grabbed a second towel to dry her hair, taking extra care around her temple, his thumb swiping gently over where her bump was already healed, the dark purple bruise a lingering figment of Zayn's imagination, a remnant of too many bad dreams. "How 'bout we stop talking about my boring old love life and watch a movie?"
"Minions?" she asked.
"Sure. Go get dressed and I'll get it started."
They'd just settled down to watch the movie, Zayn wondering if he'd look too needy if he texted Liam again, when he heard a key in the lock. His hands froze where he was combing the tangles out of Safaa's hair as they both turned towards the door just in time to see Liam walk through it.
"You're home early," Zayn said, feeling his smile overtake his face even as he willed himself not to read too much into it.
Liam shrugged. "I missed you guys," he said sheepishly, looking right at Zayn.
"We missed you too," Safaa piped up excitedly. "Zayn says he wants to be-"
"Hey hey hey! What did I say, about big mouths needing to stay shut?" Zayn reminded her hurriedly, tickling her sides to distract her. It worked, Safaa lunging away from him just as Liam plopped down next to him. His eyes were glassy and his breath smelled like whiskey when he leaned close, and Zayn had never been so happy to see him. "You have a good night?"
"Better now," he smiled.
"You look a little tipsy, babe," Zayn said without thinking, his hand coming to rest on Liam's knee where it was pressed against his own.
Liam smiled hugely, knocking his head against Zayn's shoulder. "It turns out that being the bartender's boyfriend means you don't have to pay for drinks."
"Did anything weird happen? Did you see the manager?"
Liam shook his head. "He left about half an hour ago, so I asked Don if it was alright if I headed out. Niall showed up right before I left, said he'd give her a ride home. Pretty sure we don't have anything to worry about if he's around."
Zayn snorted. "He's probably the one who left the rose on the bar for her."
Liam snickered, his hand finding Zayn's leg as he lifted it to rest it on top of his own. Zayn's breath hitched as Liam began to smooth his palm up and down his thigh, subtly forcing his legs farther apart as he raised his head to look at Zayn directly.
"Hey Saf? Will you go get me a bottle of water please?" Liam asked, his eyes never leaving Zayn's face even as she stood and scurried out of the room.
"Thirsty?" Zayn asked quietly.
Liam shook his head. "Nope. Just kinda wanted to kiss you."
"What are you waiting for then?" Zayn wondered aloud, licking his lips. They were kissing a second later, Liam moaning softly into his mouth when he deepened the kiss immediately, like he needed to taste as much of Zayn as possible in the few precious seconds they had before Safaa came back.
Zayn pushed him off of him just in time, the pitter patter of her bare feet on the hardwood floor the only warning he got before she was standing right beside them.
"Here you go," she said, hopefully not noticing that Zayn's shirt was now rucked up around his stomach, or that Liam's breathing had suddenly got a lot heavier.
"Thanks Saf. You think you could get me a glass for this?" Liam asked. She agreed without protest, giving them another minute alone, but by the time Liam had asked her for ice, and then a straw, she'd had enough.
"You're making me miss the whole movie," she whined, sitting down on the floor and pretzeling her legs, her arms folded over her chest as she stared pointedly at the screen, letting them know that she wasn't planning on leaving the room again any time soon.
Zayn was almost relieved that she'd refused, because in the few trips she'd made to the kitchen Liam had managed to work him into quite a state, not just from the kisses but from the filthy words coming out of his mouth, every press of his lips accompanied by an I can't stop thinking about last night or a Can't wait to be inside you again.
Luckily, now that Safaa was back in the room for good Liam seemed content to just watch the movie, his hand straying a little too high on Zayn's thigh every once in a while the only clue that something less G-rated might be on his mind.
Zayn let himself relax, tossing an arm over the back of the couch so that he could run his fingers through Liam's hair. Liam melted into the touch, practically purring as he turned his body to the side so that he could look at Zayn. His eyes were doing that twinkly thing again, and god fucking dammit Zayn could swear that this man was going to be the death of him. He glanced at Safaa before leaning in to give Liam a quick kiss, unable to stop himself. He smiled as he sat back, unconsciously bringing a hand up to his lips as he turned to face the TV.
"You look happy," Liam murmured, his eyes locked on Zayn's profile.
"Minions just make me really happy, okay?" Zayn said, motioning towards the screen. He could feel his cheeks heat, the sneaking suspicion that Liam could read his mind making him blush. "I love them."
"You love me."
"Please," Zayn scoffed, rolling his eyes before becoming intensely focused on a loosening thread in the seam of his sweatpants.
Liam opened his mouth to say something else but didn't get the chance, Safaa rising to her feet and walking over to them. "Will you read me a story?" she asked Liam.
"I'll be honest, I can't read," Liam said quickly, earning a pout from Safaa and a raised eyebrow from Zayn.
"I'll read to you," Zayn told her. "But it's gotta be a short one, 'cause it's late."
Safaa shook her head no. "You don't do the voices like he does."
"Come on, Saf, no whining," Zayn scolded, starting to rise to his feet until Liam stopped him by grabbing his hand and pulling him back down.
"It's okay, I don't mind. Go pick out a book, Saf. A short one, like your brother said," he called after her as she skipped from the room, happy now that she'd gotten what she wanted.
"How much trouble will I be in if I say that your sister is a huge cockblock?" Liam whispered.
Zayn punched him in the shoulder, because he couldn't have people going around calling his little sister a cockblock, even if it was true. Liam laughed, clutching his shoulder as he shoved Zayn with his free hand. Zayn shoved him right back and Liam pounced on him, pushing him onto his back as he stretched out on top of him.
"I'm gonna go read her the quickest story in the history of stories, and then I believe I have some making up to do."
"I like this plan," Zayn said with a nod. Liam smiled but made no move to get up, so he added, "You know you have to actually get off of me in order for the plan to work, right?"
Liam shook his head. "I can't let you leave until you pay the toll."
"What's the toll?" he asked. Liam just puckered his lips in response, making Zayn laugh. "You are such a dork."
"I don't make the rules, Zayn," Liam told him somberly, leaning on his side so that he could tap his finger against his lips.
"Alright, if I have to," Zayn relented, lifting his head so that he could kiss him. Liam smiled into the kiss and Zayn found himself smiling too. He dropped his head back down to the sofa before Liam could deepen the kiss, smacking him on the ass to urge him to get up so that they could get to the good stuff sooner rather than later. Liam didn't put up too much of a fight, pulling Zayn to his feet after he'd stood and giving him a smack on the ass of his own.
Zayn laughed as he watched Liam head to the girls' room, wondering how he'd gotten so lucky. He sat back down to wait and cocked his head to the side after a few minutes, expecting to hear Liam's voice but instead being met with silence.
He stood and crept down the hallway as quietly as he could, popping his head into the open doorway to see Safaa giggling softly as Liam whispered something to her. He felt a wave of affection cascade over him as he watched them, their heads ducked together in front of an open book that neither of them were looking at. Liam was lying on top of the covers, Safaa tucked underneath the comforter beside him, and they both looked so amused that Zayn knew that they had to be up to something.
"I don't hear much reading going on in here," he said, leaning against the door frame.
Liam looked up and grinned at him before clearing his throat, turning his attention back to the book on his lap and beginning to read in a loud accent that sounded vaguely Australian. Zayn waved goodnight to Safaa and headed into the kitchen, figuring that Liam was probably hungry. He could hear Liam reading as he fixed him a grilled cheese, doing all of the voices but definitely saying the words more quickly than he normally did. It made him smile, knowing that Liam was in a hurry to be back with him.
He was in a hurry to see Liam too, and was just cutting his sandwich into triangles the way he knew Liam liked it when he heard him come up behind him, his hands sliding around Zayn's hips as he pressed him against the counter.
"Your sister should be a therapist," he murmured into Zayn's neck.
Zayn stiffened. "What'd she say to you?" he asked, turning around.
"Wouldn't you like to know," Liam smirked, before his eyes went wide. "Is that for me?" he asked hopefully.
Zayn pushed the plate towards him with a shrug. "Thought you might be hungry."
"I am. And it's my favorite, too."
"I know," was Zayn's only response.
"Mmmm," Liam moaned wantonly as he took a bite, his eyes rolling back in his head.
"You are a menace, Liam Payne," Zayn groaned, hopping up on the counter beside him.
"It's just so good," Liam swore around another giant bite, licking his fingers clean as soon as he'd swallowed.
"Can I get a taste?"
"Oh, you want a taste?" Liam asked, his eyes dancing with mischief as he pushed his plate aside in favor of leaning in, his mouth open wide as Zayn tried to back away from him, his head hitting the cabinet behind him. Liam took pity on him, closing his mouth at the last second to kiss him softly. Zayn slid his hands over his shoulders, pulling him between his legs until their bodies were flush against each other. Zayn decided that Liam did, in fact, taste good, so he kissed him again, and again.
"I can't believe I get to do this whenever I want now," he said as he pulled back to take a breath, his hands fisted in the front of Liam's shirt.
"Not so fast," Liam stopped him from tugging him closer with a hand to the chest. "I don't just go around kissing people who aren't my boyfriend on a regular basis."
Zayn arched an eyebrow, because really? But then he realized what Liam was saying, or asking, and found himself speechless for about the tenth time in the past twenty-four hours, his heart hammering too loudly in his chest for him to be able to form a coherent thought.
Liam looked unexpectedly nervous, swallowing deeply before he opened his mouth to speak, the words tumbling out of him like he'd been wanting to say them for a while. "I know you might want to take some time, to get over her, or to be single, and I totally get that, but-" he stopped suddenly, taking a step away from Zayn.
Zayn couldn't let him leave, not when he was possibly about to say what Zayn hoped he was. He reached for him, stopping him from moving farther away with a hand to the arm and pulling him back to him. Liam resisted coming closer, his face still a mask of worry, and Zayn knew that it was now or never. "I don't want to be single, you big dummy," he told him, his fingers digging into Liam's shoulder. "Not if the every night option is still available."
Liam's eyes brightened. "Every night?"
Now it was Zayn's turn to be hesitant. "If that's still what you want?"
"It is," he said quickly.
"So...what does that mean, exactly?"
Liam considered this for a second before smiling slowly as he took a step back. "Boyfriends?" he asked, holding his hand out for Zayn to shake, just like he had that day in the park so many weeks before.
"Boyfriends," Zayn agreed with a roll of his eyes, knowing that he was probably grinning like a fool as he clasped Liam's hand and tugged him forward. Liam fell into his arms, kissing Zayn's right cheek and then his left and then his nose while Zayn giggled and cupped his face, trying to hold him still. "Boyfriends," he said again, letting the word roll off of his tongue and onto Liam's lips.
Liam repeated the word back to him and scooped him up off of the counter, Zayn's legs automatically wrapping around his waist as his arms slid around his neck.
And then they were spinning and smiling and laughing and bumping into walls, and spinning and smiling and laughing some more. And then they were kissing, and kissing, and kissing. They landed against the fridge, the air being forced from Zayn's lungs as Liam pressed him harshly against it. Zayn dug his heels into Liam's back, his hands gripping his cheeks as he kissed him harder.
His boyfriend. He was kissing his boyfriend, and he couldn't get enough.
Liam couldn't seem to get enough either, kissing Zayn dizzy until they somehow ended up sitting on the floor, a tangled mess of limbs, every part of Zayn touching every part of Liam that he could reach. Zayn didn't know how long they stayed like that, just that he never wanted to forget this moment. He took the memory of how hard his heart had started beating the instant Liam had asked him to be his boyfriend and tucked it away in the corner of his mind, knowing that it'd be one that he'd call on again and again, whenever he needed to be reminded of what it felt like to be truly happy.
And then Liam, once again being his annoyingly perfect self, managed to make the moment even better.
He backed up just enough from Zayn to be able to pull his phone out of his pocket, typing quickly as he leaned back so that Zayn couldn't see what he was doing. "How about this one?" he said finally, holding his phone up so that Zayn could see.
Zayn's face heated as he read the name above his photo, very much liking Liam's new nickname for him.
Boyfriend.
"Yeah, I guess we can keep that one for now," he smiled, before pulling Liam back to him, needing another kiss from his boyfriend.