Ziam oneshots ✔️

Trouble

"Knock knock!"

Liam starts slightly at the sudden, cheery greeting before automatically smiling at sight of the visitor.

"Louis!" He grins before suddenly looking alarmed. "Did we make plans that I've forgotten about?"

"Wouldn't I have you by your bollocks right now if that were the case, darling?" Louis breezes in, "No, I just missed your pretty face; it's been ages." He frowns as he stands and kisses his cheek.

"I know, I know," he groans, falling back into his seat and letting himself sag back for a few seconds in a rare display of exhaustion. "I've been--"

"Busy, yes, I thought it was safe to assume." He rolls his eyes as he inspects the silver framed photograph of Liam's parents on his desk. "It's why I thought it was time to rescue you for a bit – let's go get an early lunch," he says brightly.

"Shit, Lou, I wish I could." Liam looks desperately apologetic. "But I'm just--" He seemingly struggles for words as he indicates to his vast mahogany desk that was covered in sheets and sheets of paperwork, dozens of files, some lying open and spilling out more sheets of paperwork, three mobile phones, two of them charging, his laptop open and revealing him to be in the middle of typing out what looked to be an incredibly dull, interminable email, "--inundated," he finally sighs.

Louis rolls his eyes. "I told you," he says with a scowl, crossing his arms, enormous handbag hanging off the crook of one. "You rushed too quickly into this whole taking-over-the-family-business business. It's not like your father was hurrying you into it – you're all of twenty five. You're wasting prime years, darling." He perches on the desk, his arse landing right on top of a large green file.

"Don't sit on that." Liam hurries to yank the file out from her silk clad bum. "I'll need it for my meeting with Yasir Malik today," he grumbles, straightening out the small sheaf of papers that had folded over and creased under her.

"Yasir Malik?" Louis looks astonished. "As in, billionaire hotelier Yasir Malik?"

"The very same." The smug pride in his voice makes him snort loudly. "What? I have one meeting to knock his socks off," he says heatedly to her. "Even dad never managed to secure a contract with him, so imagine me snagging Malik's next project – and it's going to be right here in London."

"Wow," Louis intones, his expression wooden. "When was the last time you got shagged, darling?" He adds abruptly, apropos nothing.

Liam splutters for a moment. "Wha-- how is that relevant to our conversation?"

"I can't remember the last time you were this excited about a man." He looks slightly disgusted.

"I'm plenty excited about my men, thank you." Liam sniffs.

"When was the last time?"

He ignores him and turns back to his laptop though Louis couldn't have missed that slight pink tinge on his high cheekbones even if she'd been standing across the room.

"Oh my god, when?!" His voice rises shrilly.

"Eight months, give or take," he snaps without looking at him. When he doesn't reply for several seconds, he finally sneaks a glance. Louis looks horrified.

"You're--" He flounders for words. "You-- that's a joke," he finally declares. "You're joking, aren't you?"

He scowls. "Don't feel like you have to stick around."

"Eight months?!"

"Seriously, you can leave now, thank you."

"Oh, Liam, Oh, poor darling."