Talk To Me - Ziam

Chapter 9

The late afternoon sun filtered through the blinds of their small apartment, casting long shadows on the floor. Zayn sat at the kitchen table, flipping through a textbook half-heartedly, trying to focus on his studies. It wasn't that finals weren't important—it was just that his mind kept drifting, and not to anything academic.

He glanced over at Liam, who was sitting on the couch, scribbling notes on a piece of paper. Liam's intense focus always amazed him, the way he could tune out the world and lose himself in his work. Zayn admired it but also found it comforting. It reminded him that, despite all the chaos in his own head, Liam always knew exactly where he was headed. That steadiness was something Zayn had come to rely on, something he wasn't sure he'd ever had before.

Liam caught his gaze from across the room and smiled, a soft, genuine curve of his lips that made Zayn's chest tighten in that familiar way. He didn't even have to say anything. It was the kind of smile that told Zayn everything he needed to know—Liam was here. And that was all Zayn really needed.

But even though Zayn knew he'd never felt more settled with someone, the future still loomed in his mind like a distant mountain—something he couldn't avoid, but didn't know how to climb.

Liam put down his notes and stood up, walking over to the kitchen counter, his expression thoughtful. "Hey," he began, pouring himself a glass of water. "You've been a little quiet today. Is everything okay?"

Zayn turned in his seat, leaning back and rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, just... thinking about stuff."

Liam raised an eyebrow, setting the glass down and taking a seat next to him. "Stuff like what?"

Zayn hesitated, unsure how to put into words the jumble of thoughts in his head. "I don't know. Just the future, you know? College is almost over. We'll have to figure out what's next... for both of us." He paused, looking out the window as if the answers were out there, somewhere in the fading sunlight. "I've never really thought that far ahead."

Liam watched him closely, a slight frown pulling at the edges of his lips. "You're worried about it?"

Zayn shrugged. "I guess. I've always just taken things day by day, you know? It was easier that way."

"Yeah, I get that," Liam said quietly, his hand finding Zayn's on the table. "But sometimes it's okay to think about what's coming next. We don't have to have everything figured out, but... it's nice to think about what we want. Together."

Zayn felt the warmth of Liam's hand against his and looked down, feeling a strange mixture of fear and hope. He hadn't imagined this before—being in a relationship where the future mattered. Where it wasn't just about the present moment, but something more lasting, something that could stretch far beyond graduation day.

"I never thought about this kind of stuff before," Zayn admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "The idea of a future with someone. I always figured I'd just go through life on my own. But now... now I can't imagine it any other way. I don't know how to navigate it, though."

Liam smiled softly, his thumb brushing over Zayn's knuckles in a slow, comforting motion. "We'll figure it out. Together. You don't have to have all the answers, Zayn. I'm not asking you to. But I think it's okay to want something more. Something lasting."

Zayn's heart clenched, and for the first time in a long while, the thought of commitment didn't feel like a prison. It felt like freedom—freedom to build something with someone who genuinely cared, someone who saw him, not the wall he'd always put up.

"I think I'm ready for that," Zayn said quietly, looking up at Liam, his eyes finally meeting his. "I think I want more. With you."

Liam's smile deepened, and he squeezed Zayn's hand, his eyes shining with something that made Zayn's chest feel warm. "I'm glad," Liam whispered. "Because I want that too. More, with you."

They stayed like that for a few moments, the weight of their words settling between them, filling the space with an undeniable sense of certainty. The future was still a little unclear—there were still so many things to figure out. But Zayn realized, looking at Liam, that he wasn't afraid anymore. The unknown didn't feel as daunting when they faced it together.

The days leading up to finals passed in a blur of study sessions and late nights, but there was a shift in the air. Zayn no longer felt like he was just marking time, trying to get through. He was living, fully present in his relationship with Liam, in his friendships, and even in his academics. The anxiety that had once gripped him about his future was now tempered with a sense of clarity and direction he hadn't known before.

On the night before the last exam, Zayn and Liam sat together in their apartment, surrounded by textbooks and papers. Zayn closed his book with a sigh, rubbing his eyes.

"Do you ever stop thinking?" Zayn asked, looking over at Liam, who was still scribbling down notes, as focused as ever.

Liam smiled, but there was a softness in his eyes. "I think I'd be a little lost if I stopped. But right now, I'm thinking about how amazing it'll be to just relax after this is over. Maybe we could go out and celebrate—just the two of us."

Zayn nodded, feeling the tension of the past few weeks finally start to ebb away. "Yeah. I think we both deserve a break." He paused, then added with a grin, "And maybe we can even talk about something other than finals for once."

Liam laughed, the sound light and easy. "Deal."

When the last exam finally arrived, Zayn walked out of the testing room with a feeling of accomplishment. He hadn't just finished the semester—he had navigated it with grace and strength, supported by Liam and his friends. And it had been the most fulfilling semester of his life.

That night, Zayn and Liam went out for a quiet dinner, just the two of them. They talked about everything and nothing, sharing the kind of conversation that made Zayn feel like the world was a little less heavy. They were building something real, and Zayn finally felt like he had a place in it.

As they walked back to their apartment, Zayn felt a sense of peace wash over him, a feeling that hadn't been there before. He didn't know what the future held, but with Liam at his side, he knew it was something worth facing.

And for the first time, Zayn was ready to embrace whatever came next—together.