In The Nick Of Time

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 9

Summary:

Feel.

As night came, the thunder and rain slowed. The three managed to sit around the table together while Zayn had missed dinner for being asleep, after dinner Niall was feeding Babby and Liam was helping Lin clean the dishes. Zayn's portion of the meal still sitting on the stove with a cap over it. "I think we should wake up Zen, he should eat soon." Lin suggested.

"I'll go up and do it." Liam said as he wiped down his last plate.

"You sure? You don't have to."

"It's alright." He smiled to her, and out of sudden fondness she reached up and stroked his cheek. Liam wasn't taken back by her mother like tone, she just reeked of it when she'd helped Niall with dinner and was the one to clean the mud in the front.

Scooping Zayn's food onto a plate, which consisted of rice, green beans, and Niall's self cut potatoes from the back of the house, he grabbed a fork and started for the hall. Niall glanced at him and went back to focusing on Babby as she ate her food. Staring at the stair case, he took a breath and continued on his way. The top of the stairs felt like climbing a mountain, and looking back down wasn't an option. Passing Niall's and Lin's door, he stood in front of Zayn's door. The door was cracked open, and darkness poured out. It dawned on him he didn't have a clue where the light was, the last time he'd come into the room it was early afternoon.

Pushing the door open slowly he looked into the dark infested room. The window open as a breeze came in, the sound of rain hitting the roof beside it loud compared to the soft sound of sleep resting over Zayn. Standing in the door way a moment, he took another breath as a flash of lightning lit his way. He quickly took advantage and looked to the bed, where Zayn was lost in the waves of pattern blankets. The cabin lantern was a dim light beside his bedside and casted a glow over the slim lines of his bare back, stepping into the silent room he set the plate beside the bed and looked down at the still figure.

Even in the dark, Liam could make out the beacon of light that was Zayn. The patterned blanket was pulled up to his waist, his back in the open air, and it cradled the back of his head propped on a pillow. He was quiet, and still. Some thing Liam had never seen in a sleeping form. A strike of lightning cracked him from his stare, and he leaned down a bit.

"Z?" He called, and he didn't move. "Z, wake up." He said a little louder.

Thunder rumbled outside the window, low and long.

Sighing, Liam held out his hand. Debating whether he should or not, his hand floated above Zayn's shoulder. He pressed it down lightly into the soft, warm flesh. The contact was keen on his hand, and yet he was instantly attached to it. He shook his hand lightly, "Zayn?"

His eyes only clenched heavier and heavier.

"Zayn." He called again, his hand never leaving the flexing and stretching muscle under it.

With a slow wave of long eyelashes, Zayn's vision zoned in on Liam leaned down with his head tilted looking at him with nothing but the glow of the candle light just inches from his face. He blinked awake.

"Hey-uh, you missed dinner." He stepped back as Zayn slowly sat up on his elbows, and then sat up leaning against the head board rubbing at the corners of his eyes. "So, I thought I'd bring you your plate." Liam picked up the plate on the table, and held it until Zayn dropped his hands. "Here," He mumbled placing the plate in his lap cautiously. "If you need anything else-."

"Sit." His voice raspy and deep, making Liam's heart drop.

Liam's throat turned dry, and he nodded. Slowly he turned and sat on the bed beside Zayn's knee, fiddling with his thumb he turned slightly towards Zayn as he moved.