ZIAM ONE-SHOTS (BOTTOM LIAM)

Tragedy: You'll Remember Me When I'm Gone

Author: insomniacjams

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3690504/chapters/8163171

Summary:

Five moments Liam spent with Zayn, and one he spent without

Chapter 1: Days of Rage

When he was growing up, his mum used to call him her "little soldier." Liam never thought he made a good soldier – he'd pick love over war any day, or so he said. "You don't know what a soldier is, Liam," Zayn tells him after the story, but Liam thinks he does.

Zayn says he chose martyrdom of art over military, but Liam thinks they're one in the same, barrelling forward and fighting for something better, something bigger than he'd ever known. Liam likes to think he has that type of passion, but he's never been good at standing up for what he believes in either.

Instead, he stands on the overpass and hands Zayn cans of spray paint as he dangles precariously from the edge, the worn stencil dangling from between his lips as he gets situated. "This isn't art," Liam's mum had told him once, a long time ago. It may have been the first time Liam didn't believe what she said. There were many times after that – when Zayn shaved the sides of his head, when they snuck into the eastside club, when they got so drunk they forgot their own names – many times Liam didn't believe what she said.

Now, Liam's clothes smell like paint fumes and cheap cologne – Liam's clothes smell like Zayn, and he showers when he gets home, too late, or too early as the sun starts to rise. He showers the smell from his body, but he curls up on his bed with those clothes, breathing in the chemicals, like they'll make him feel at home again.

Because these days, nothing feels more like home than Zayn.

His mum had told him once, that this was "Home sweet home."

He used to believe her, back then.

Now, he's not so sure if he wants home to be "sweet" anymore.