ZIAM ONE-SHOTS (BOTTOM LIAM)

I Really Wanna Touch Somebody

Author: HisTwenty7Tattoos

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3139847/chapters/6807716

Liam and Niall exited the coffee shop, Niall with his plain, black coffee and Liam with his tea (he wasn't that fond of coffee or the lingering breath it caused). Liam had been having a pretty shitty week at campus: he despised the other students, they despised him, and he and his parents had gotten an email over the weekend notifying them that he was failing his English class. His mom had called him immediately-

"Mum, I'm sorry. I'm trying, I really am, I just can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. I don't mean to upset you, and I'm not trying to waste this opportunity, I promise."

"I know you are, love. It's okay. Your father and I know you're working so hard for this, but we were talking and we think it would be best for you to apply for a tutor. The email your professor sent said you could still pass the class if you improved. It wouldn't hurt to try, love."

"Yeah, okay. I've got to go, mum. Love you."-

And he did apply for a tutor, just like his mom had asked. His first session is today, and to say he is dreading it is an understatement. The students at his private school all come from rich families, and therefore, all have the same sense of entitlement. The guys are all arseholes, and the girls are extremely high maintenance. He had a thing with a girl at the beginning of the year, or so he thought, but apparently she couldn't be with him because he didn't take her out to eat at an expensive enough restaurant on the first date. Needless to say, he stopped seeing anyone here as potential friends, acquaintances, or significant others after about the first month. In fact, one of the only people he likes on campus is Niall, his roommate. He thanks the heavens above every day that he had been paired with Niall, and that Niall was just a normal lad who didn't let his wealth rule his personality.

So now, as he's making his way with Niall to their shared math class, he thinks his week might be getting a little better. He's wrong. One minute Liam is listening to Niall animatedly recall a fantastic football play he had seen last night, and the next he's gasping in a labored breath as he feels his scalding tea run down the front of his shirt. His eyes make their way upwards seeing the sleeve of tattoos on the stranger's arm, beautiful eyes the color of honey, and black hair styled up on his head.

Liam knows of the boy standing in front of him, everyone does, but Liam doesn't exactly know his name. The boy has a pretty impressive reputation. Niall has told Liam quite a few stories about him, the most recent one about the boy's summer. He had went back to his home to spend time with his old friends. His parents had come home one night to find their house littered with drunk college students and half a sail boat smashed into the rocks along the beach a few meters from their house. And apparently, parents don't like coming home to that, because he had spent the next morning sobering up and the afternoon listening to his parents lecture him about responsibility and growing up. They weren't really concerned about the money for the repairs, it was a dip in the ocean to pay for those. But it hadn't stopped them from pushing the boy back to his apartment a bit sooner than normal for the upcoming school year.

Liam notices, after the initial shock wears away, that the other boy is frowning and his eyebrows are pushed down like he's trying to concentrate. Any hope of him acting like a normal person about this leaves Liam after he sees his face.

"You fucking ruined my shirt," and it's not a shout like Liam expected. It's more of a statement filled with disappointment.

"I'm sorry, didn't mean to," Liam mumbles, and just as he's starting to walk away after an extended period of silence on the boy's part, he hears him speak.