ZIAM ONE-SHOTS (BOTTOM LIAM)

Can't Hold Us 2: Climax

Summary:

These are his friends. His mates. And his boyfriend. His boyfriend. And all of them are together in one place after a great night, a night full of laughing and jokes and more booze than any of them should probably be able to stomach but they're all teenagers and that's what you're supposed to do, innit?

So who gives a shit.

Liam is happy. He's so damn happy that he wonders how he ever could have had the good luck to be where he is with right now, surrounded by these boys he's come to love so much. He can feel the ginormous smile on his face and just laughs quietly, eyes closing as he snuggles closer to Zayn, silently mouthing along to the song that's started playing, and slides his hand into the other boy's so their fingers can lace.

And I'm feeling good.

Change is a part of life and Liam's definitely learned that since school began just a few weeks ago.

He's gotten used to a new school, new modules, and all new people in that time, or at least done the best he can. Those same people might seem entirely too interested in him because he's new to them and, whilst he's not exactly an introvert, he feels strange walking into a room and seeing all of the people in it look at him and wonder who he is. He grew up in an area where he at least knew most of the people he went to college with and now he sometimes feels like he's drowning in a sea of new faces. A sea of new faces who look at him like the outsider. He's come to learn the names of at least a handful of people in each class, which is helpful, but he still feels like he's gasping for breath more often than not. He's always been terrible with names and now he feels like he has to learn two hundred all over, on top of remembering where the bloody loo is when he needs it.

It's just a lot.

At least he has Zayn—and Louis and Niall and Harry. At least he knows them. And at least there's football and the guys who play it, all of whom he's come to know rather well since it started two weeks ago.

He really fucking loves the sport. Loves the intensity, the fast pace, and the overwhelming adoration for it that the nation has. He really loves playing it too. Loves running for a ball and sidetackling some tosser so a teammate can steal the ball. He loves outracing someone to get to the ball before them. He especially loves acing a particularly tricky shot and feeling like he's king of the world. He loves that, when he's on the pitch, he doesn't feel like the new kid anymore but part of a team; likes feeling like there's some familiarity in the sea of newness he's been thrown into.

He really loves playing football with Zayn—and Louis and Niall—but he only checks Zayn out in his kit and wants to get him out of it, so he thinks he likes playing with Zayn just the slightest bit more. It's one of the best parts of his day, even with all the inside jokes and desperate, pressed-for-time kisses they manage to snatch at school.

Which has caused problems.

James, the bloke that they ran into the first night they met, is a co-captain on the team alongside Louis. Whilst Liam and Louis get on famously, it's been more—difficult with James. He's a great co-captain and has done brilliantly inspiring the team and all that but Liam sees the looks. He's used to them and he absolutely knows when he's getting them, to the point where he could probably point to who they're coming from without looking. It's been a part of his life since he publicly came out as gay two years ago—he can spot the disgust and suspicion and, yeah, even the fear, from kilometers away. Especially since he got the same look from the guy when he first met Zayn and James saw them together. Friendly. Riding high from a really excellent time of snogging in the middle of the bloody street. It's all the more clear though since James is actually friends with Zayn and the rest of the lads and knows when something's afoot.