ZIAM ONE-SHOTS (BOTTOM LIAM)

Can't Hold Us 4: Happily Ever After

"Pass us a drink, would ya, Lou?"

Zayn just as easily could have grabbed the pitcher himself, but he didn't want to end up leaning across the table by Niall's plate because, one, it's rude and, two, Niall would've killed him for interrupting the all-you-can-eat fest so he'd asked. Besides, it's not like Louis minds. He actually smiles quite cheerily at Zayn, half-chewed food in his mouth and all—which is a bit disgusting but he'll let it pass.

"Anything for you, mate."

Zayn grabs the pitcher from him and ignores the feeling that something isn't quite right for the thousandth time. Everything is fine. Everything is brilliant, even. So he pours himself another drink, focusing on Louis reprimanding Niall for chewing with his mouth open, even though he'd done it first, and doesn't think of anything else. He doesn't think about how there's just four of them, sitting at a little table, and how normally they'd be even more crammed. He doesn't think about how there's four of them there and that it's this that feels lopsided and unnatural. He fills up his drink and turns his attention to his burger because he's out with his best mates and has no reason to feel off-balanced.

Even if he has been for the last two weeks, even if he feels like the world's been turned upside down and he's struggling to hold onto the ceiling so he doesn't fall.

Fuck. He's not thinking about it, he's not thinking about it, he's nothing thinking about it...

"...got maths on top of all of that too. I think I'm going to die. Fuck end of term exams. I'm convinced that the teachers are all sadistic bastards wanting to have their way with us."

"You like Pritchett though," Harry murmurs. "You're always telling me how much you like Pritchett."

"Yeah, well, that's because he's a bit mad, innit?"

"And Fowler isn't that bad either."

"No," Louis agrees. "Not that bad."

"She even gave you an extension on that one paper."

"Yeah, that was nice and—and besides the point, Harold. We have end of term exams in just a couple of weeks before Christmas hols and it's bullshit that we have to do them."

"We have like three weeks off after that, mate," Niall points out, going so far as to actually point with a chip. "They gotta make sure we know what's what before we go off and fill our heads with pints and our stomachs with cakes and shit."

Harry nods. "Yeah, what if we forget it all? Three weeks is a long time."

"It's like I don't even know you," Louis hisses. He leans across the table to pin Zayn with a look. "Come on, mate, back me up. Aren't end of term exams a bit dodgy?"

Zayn shrugs, taking a careful bite of his burger before he answers. He knows what Louis is asking for. He knows Louis wants him to back him up but— "Three weeks is a long time."

"For fuck's sake." Louis throws up his hands and leans back against the seat back, scowling. "D'you all like doing coursework then? Liam would have—"

Zayn doesn't need to hear Louis' sharp "ow!" to know that Harry kicked him under the table. There's been a lot of that happening lately. He glances down at his burger and takes another bite, the food tasteless now. That's been happening often lately too. He chews and swallows because he's expected to, tuning back into the conversation when he's sure that Louis has recovered and changed the topic. His chest might be aching and tight, but he ignores it.

That's been happening a lot too.

"—but yeah, Mum said you lot are free to come over for New Year's again."