ZIAM ONE-SHOTS (BOTTOM LIAM)

Make waves in a low tide

author: saynomore

link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4766375

Summary:

"You can't just turn down a flight on a private jet with one Zayn Malik, now can you?" Liam thinks he's good at feigning confidence. He's got the muscles to back it up, and when he wants to, he can be pretty menacing. He knows because he's always had a right laugh with Louis going through the post game pictures.

"S'pose that's true, in the same way that when you know Liam Payne's on his off season, you've got to show him how to really live."

or Liam is a footballer, Zayn is on his third world tour, and this isn't the first time they've done this.

"You made it." Liam hates the way Zayn's voice is always so smooth. He sounds like he could've just smoked a fag in the private bathroom, ashes carelessly tipped into the sink.

"Course I did. You can't just turn down a flight on a private jet with one Zayn Malik, now can you?" Liam thinks he's good at feigning confidence. He's got the muscles to back it up, and when he wants to, he can be pretty menacing. He knows because he's always had a right laugh with Louis going through the post game pictures.

"S'pose that's true, in the same way that when you know Liam Payne's on his off season, you've got to show him how to really live." Zayn's eyes glint mischievously in the deep plane lights. He swings his bag down and takes a seat next to Liam, folding his hands together. "But seriously, how are you?" Zayn's just inches away from Liam now, after months of being across continents. Their connection when they're together is so great that it almost has them fooled., until the inevitability takes them over when Liam gets called in to do a training, or Zayn gets called off to be featured on someone else's album. When you have a sold out world tour, Liam supposes, it's also a given. He hopes Zayn can't always see the way he affects Liam, written all over his face like a map of every moment they've spent together. Zayn looks-

Liam looks down instead, kicking resolutely at his duffel. There's no particular reason why he brought his clothes in his team duffel, other than resorting to habit. He feels like a schoolboy, carting around his track team bag like a shield to anyone who may question all that he'd fought for. It's insane to hide when they've already reached the point of no return.

With the lightest touch, Zayn spreads his hand over Liam's knee. It almost breaks his focus, the formation of words on his tongue slipping before he gets himself back on track. "I've been, um. Pretty good, actually. Just came back from Wolverhampton, and Ruthie's pregnant." Zayn smiles effortlessly, squeezing slightly over the denim.

"You're gonna be an uncle, yeah?"

"Yeah." They smile, and for the first time Liam really allows himself to look at Zayn. The last time they saw each other, Zayn was vibrating onstage, a work of art under the bright lights. He was even more vibrant later that night, twisted up in sheets with the stage colors painted all over his skin. But that was almost a year ago. The one thing that fame has taught Liam is that he should never underestimate how quickly things can change.

He looks as beautiful as ever, changing his aesthetics with the seasons and never ceasing to be more or less heart stopping. His clothes today remind Liam of their somewhat younger selves, when he first saw pictures of Zayn on the red carpet, on the Telly, plastered over billboard lists and albums. He dressed more simply back then, in mostly black with just two or three tattoos on his skin if you were really looking close. He's even got his old rucksack tucked between his ankles, the same worn material with his collected iron-on patches.