the only time i feel i might get better (is when we are together) - ziam

Eighteen ‎✧ ೃ༄

Zayn packed away his cluttered art materials and picked up his teddy out of his backpack which he had taken to University earlier, shyly holding it to his chest. It still felt odd to hold his teddy around Liam as he was still, deep down, petrified that the lad would mock or make fun of him for having it: even though he was sure that they were, hopefully, well past the stage of making fun of each other for silly things like that. (Especially after everything they had discussed recently, they were getting closer and more personal as the days went on.)

Letting out a content sigh, he nuzzled his face against the teddy, feeling the soft fabric against his gentle skin before pulling it into his arms and cuddling it close again.

"You took your teddy in your bag to Uni with you?" Liam asked with a chuckle, "He really does mean a lot to you." The boy nodded with a big grin, holding his teddy even closer. "Goes everywhere pretty much. He's my safety."

"You make me want to invest in one myself."

"Mmm.. Perhaps you should. Everybody needs a teddy," He smiled, covering his face with the stuffed puppy. His legs out, sitting in a very toddler like position, he was truthfully taking up the majority of the bed but really, Liam didn't mind at all because Zayn looked quite content and happy which he was very grateful to see, especially knowing he was usually the cause of the lad's agitated behaviour. He doesn't want to be that any longer. "You will have to help me find a good one then."

"I will. We can go to build-a-bear, if you'd like." The boy said shyly, keeping his face hidden behind the velvet plush to which Liam laughed at. Build-A-Bear certainly did not seem like the kind of place in which Liam would like to be seen in, but Zayn figured that if he and Liam were to go, he could buy himself a new teddy without feeling embarrassed to do so. So it'd be a win to him. (He did have to admit that walking around a store surrounded by toddlers and 10 year olds with the intention of buying something for himself was slightly awkward.)

"Can do. Haven't been before." Liam lay back and chuckled, he rested his body against the back of the bed, by the wall. He never had the chance to go as a kid and never had the opportunity or time to go as an adult. "Did you know Ellen DeGeneres voiced dory? Because I didn't."

Zayn moved his teddy away and looked towards the screen, the animated blue fish moving across it, "Didn't know but I always wondered why her name was in the credits... m' wont be able to unhear her voice now though that you've said that. What's your favourite fish in it? ...Mine is Crush, the turtle, cause he's funny."

Liam thought about it and grinned, "Definitely Gill, you know the black and white one with the scar and one fin? Him."

"The scary one." Zayn giggled and Liam shook his head, smiling. The boy figured that Gil was the right character for Liam as they both were very similar. "He's really not scary, none of them are. What films don't you find scary then?"

"Paw Patrol movie."

"Paw Patrol. Right. Maybe we should put that one on?" He laughed and picked up the remote to which Zayn shook his head and gently took it from him, "N'uh uh." He held it to his chest and watched Liam closely. "Why not?" Liam asked and easily took the remote back and away from Zayn's delicate touch, holding it above the boy's reach: Zayn whined. "'Causeeeee."

"Because?" The boy held the electronic controller to himself and smirked. He then moved the remote so that it was behind his back and out of Zayn's reach, the poor lad tried to reach for it but instead Liam just took off the Disney film and opened up Netflix.  "Liam..." he huffed, "It makes me little."

Liam raised an eyebrow, "And that's what you're getting all whiney about?"

"Yeah." He blushed, biting his lip anxiously. Liam had never experienced Zayn's little space in full - no one had ever done so properly, and Zayn was extremely shy to share such a large part of himself with Liam just yet, even if Liam did know a lot about age regression in general and was slightly educated on the topic. He was still afraid. "Well. You know I won't judge you." Liam said, clicking onto Zayn's profile and scrolling through the wide range of movies and series that Netflix had to offer. "I mean, I don't fully know that," He giggled, teasingly with a smirk before frowning, "I'm just like, anxious." He muttered, chewing at his lower lip.

"I suppose it's understandable." He started, "If you really don't want it on, I won't put it on. I'm just provoking you." The boy responded and Zayn nodded, picking at a piece of string that was loose on his teddy, fidgeting in thought. It was nice of Liam to be thoughtful of the situation, still very odd to see. Zayn was sure it would take months before he got used to Liam's newfound kindness. "Mmm... I guess... Put it on. But if I do slip, please don't make a big deal of it. Okay?"

The boy beamed in response and flicked through the streaming platform until he found Zayn's recently watched. When he acknowledged it was full of animated films, he was certainly not shocked at all and was quick to find Paw Patrol at the front of it all, "Okay. I won't."

"You pinky promise?" Zayn asked, "I pinky promise." The two locked their fingers together and Zayn tucked himself under the cozy duvet, watching the TV intensely as the intro blared out. Liam just simply watched, watching how Zayn's eyes lit up when the dogs ran around the screen and their child-like voices spoke. Paw Patrol was certainly new for Liam, as when he was younger the only popular thing he could remember watching was Peppa Pig so it was interesting to see how Zayn was very quickly infatuated with the bright colours that were arraying across the digital screen.

"Now which is your favourite character in this one then? I haven't seen Paw Patrol before so I can't answer on mine just yet," Liam said, eyes on the screen, "Though that little.. Dalmatian, is it? Looks sweet."

"Chase." Zayn said instantly, and it was as if it should have been common knowledge to Liam that Chase was his favoruite. "And the Dalmatian is called Marshall."

"Ah," Liam grinned.