𝑍𝐼𝐴𝑀 𝑂𝑁𝐸 𝑆𝐻𝑂𝑇𝑆☁︎

5. Airport (Part 2)

The boy’s face broke into a grin so wide, his eyes crinkled at the corners. It was definitely Liam.
Liam Payne, Zayn thought. What are the odds?

Liam had not thought this through.

He shouldn’t have said anything. He should have just let Zayn argue with the clerk, walk away, and move on with his life.

He was clearly lightheaded from hunger, and it was starting to affect his decision making.

Because even though Liam hadn’t seen Zayn since he was twelve, even though he was now faced with interacting with someone who was not only beautiful, but also had no idea what it was like not to be able to afford things, Liam had felt pulled toward Zayn. Like a hook behind his chest. Like he’d been looking for him this whole time.

Zayn walked over, his eyes lighting up with recognition, and now Liam was certain. He’d made a huge mistake.

But he couldn’t keep the answering smile off his face.

He could feel it in his chest, like the feeling you get right before you cry, but bigger. Like this was the beginning of something amazing.

Liam didn’t have time for amazing. He was just trying to survive today.

§§§§§§§

Zayn could see something fall back in Liam’s eyes as he got closer, but that smile remained in place.
That smile.

Liam had worn a smile just like that when they’d met, at ten, on the playground outside their elementary school.

Liam hadn’t been as thin or as chiseled then. He was chubby, all thick arms and fluffy cheeks and a tuft of dark hair on his head. When he’d looked at Zayn, his eyes had brightened just the way they did then, light and full, crinkling around his nose and eyes.

Zayn had been sitting on the edge of the playground, stacking rocks in battle formations. He’d been watching Star Wars a lot since he’d moved to Austin—it was easier than getting to know people again. Zayn had long since reached the point where the effort it took to make friends was too great, especially when you were only going to move away in a year or two anyway.

But Liam hadn’t known any of that. He’d just walked over and asked Zayn to play Star Wars. Like it was easy. Like it hadn’t occurred to him to act differently.

It was the first time Zayn had thought that going to a new place didn’t have to be so scary.

“I have an extra phone charger,” Liam blurted, before he could marshal up anything more intelligent, or appropriate, to say.

“Here.” He pulled his backpack out in front of him and rummaged through it before pulling out the long, white cord.

Liam ducked his head over the contents and stepped back, hoping that Zayn wouldn’t see the poor state of his bag’s contents. Dirty laundry and old gum wrappers, a couple of well-worn paperbacks and a laptop that looked like it had been top of the line ten years ago.

Liam had meant to clean it out before he left, but then he’d been waiting for a call from his mom, and trying not to think about pizza, and it had all felt like too much effort.

But Zayn didn’t seem to notice Liam’s discomfort. “Thank you so much,” he said, as Liam handed him the charger. “You saved my life."

The both blushed at that. For a moment, their palms touched, and something jolted through Liam, making him snatch his hand away.