Playing the part (Ziam)

Chapter 12: Babe this is our moment

The lads were all bustling around backstage, the chaotic energy of pre-show preparation making everything feel like a whirlwind. Harry was pacing back and forth, checking his outfit, making sure everything was in place, while Louis was busy giving Niall an impromptu pep talk about his hair.

"Mate, you gotta stop with the—what's it called?—the 'windswept beach look,'" Louis grumbled, running his hands through Niall's hair for what felt like the fiftieth time.

"I'm just tryin' to look cool, alright?" Niall shot back, batting Louis's hands away. "Not all of us can have perfect hair like you."

"Hey, at least I'm not the one who spends ten minutes combing through my hair every day like some bloody teenager," Louis said with a smirk.

Niall rolled his eyes, but before he could retort, he caught sight of Zayn and Liam walking past. The two of them were practically attached at the hip, their hands entwined, walking as if they didn't even notice how close they were getting.

"Wait, hold up," Harry said, catching the movement out of the corner of his eye. "Are we really doing this now?"

Louis, Niall, and Harry all turned to look at Zayn and Liam, who were now chatting away, their heads leaning close, their bodies practically touching. Zayn was smirking as Liam, despite his earlier protests, had his hand laced firmly with Zayn's, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Shit, look at them," Niall snickered, leaning over to Louis. "They're practically a fucking couple now."

"I'm not going to lie, I kind of think they're actually into this," Louis said, an eyebrow raised as he watched them banter back and forth. "Not that I'm complaining."

Meanwhile, Harry just shook his head, grinning to himself. "Yeah, no shit, they've been practically glued together for days. I can't believe they're pretending to hate it anymore."

Zayn and Liam's constant bickering had slowly started to fade into a kind of teasing flirtation. Zayn had taken to calling Liam "babe" under his breath, almost as a joke at first. But now, Liam had started responding in kind, and Harry couldn't help but snicker at the absurdity of it all. They were supposed to be hating each other, right? Well, it didn't seem that way anymore.

"Babe, I'm not gonna lie, you really need to stop adjusting your outfit like that," Zayn teased, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he nudged Liam's shoulder. "You're gonna make us late for the bloody show."

"Shut up, I just want to look good for the fans," Liam shot back, his tone still playful but with a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "You don't have to make me sound like an idiot."

"I'm just sayin', babe," Zayn continued, his grin widening as he leaned in closer to Liam. "You look fine, but maybe a little less pretty boy and more rockstar would be better, yeah?"

Liam rolled his eyes but didn't pull away, adjusting his jacket. "You just hate how good I look, don't you?"

Zayn's response was immediate, his eyes narrowing with a mischievous glint. "Fuck yes. You look too good. It's annoying."

"Babe, stop being a prick," Liam shot back with a laugh, leaning into Zayn's shoulder for a second.

The rest of the lads couldn't help but watch in complete amusement as the two of them went back and forth, calling each other "babe" and "pretty boy" like it was part of a damn routine.

"Jesus Christ, someone kill me now," Niall muttered, but his smirk told a different story. "They're practically dating already. I can't fucking deal with this."

"Who would've thought it would be them?" Louis said, shaking his head. "I thought for sure Zayn would be the last one to get roped into something like this."

"I still can't believe Liam's going along with it," Harry chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest. "This is just ridiculous, and I love it."

Meanwhile, Zayn and Liam were still flirting like they were alone in their own little world. Zayn pulled Liam close, wrapping an arm around his shoulders as they entered the corridor that led to the stage.

Liam leaned into the touch, shaking his head with a mock frown. "You're such a fucking handful, you know that?"

"I know," Zayn replied with a grin, his fingers lightly brushing Liam's side. "But I'm your handful, so deal with it."

Liam rolled his eyes but didn't pull away. "Fuck off, babe."

"Gladly," Zayn said smoothly, with a wink.

As they reached the backstage area, the rest of the lads were clearly trying to hide their amusement, but it wasn't working. The two of them were just too obvious now. Zayn and Liam exchanged another look, their hands still firmly clasped, completely ignoring the show they were putting on for the others.

"Right," Harry said, clearing his throat as he tried to stifle his laughter. "So are we going on stage or just gonna sit here and watch these two try to outdo each other with their cuteness?"

"Oh, fuck off," Zayn called over his shoulder as he rolled his eyes.

Liam smirked, squeezing his hand tighter. "Yeah, you guys better hurry up, or we'll really be late."

Louis snorted, watching them as they took their places near the entrance to the stage. "Who are these two, and what have they done with our bickering, sarcastic best friends?"

"Seriously," Niall said with a shit-eating grin. "They're like the poster children for love-hate relationships now."

"Should we be worried?" Harry asked, only half-joking. "Because they're literally about to go on stage holding hands like a fucking couple. I don't think that's how this was meant to go."

"Who cares?" Louis said, smiling. "This is the best part. It's like watching them realize they like each other but still not wanting to admit it. Fucking priceless."

The lads made their way to the stage, Zayn and Liam trailing behind, still holding hands. They were practically acting like the perfect couple, and the rest of the band just watched in amazement.

When they stepped out onto the stage and faced the crowd, the fans went wild. Zayn and Liam barely acknowledged the crowd, too busy trading glances and smirking at each other. They looked like a couple, even if they didn't want to admit it yet. But as the performance went on, the teasing continued between them—subtle, but enough to make everyone watching notice.

"Alright, babe," Zayn called out during a slow song, giving Liam a quick wink. "You ready to make all these people jealous?"

Liam rolled his eyes but didn't miss a beat. "As long as I don't have to kiss you in front of them, then yeah, sure."

"Already did that, remember?" Zayn shot back, causing Liam to laugh and elbow him.

And as the song ended, the crowd's applause filled the arena, and the band exchanged high-fives. But Zayn and Liam? They were still looking at each other like they hadn't noticed how close they had become. They were still bickering, sure, but something about it was different now.

And as they walked off stage, still holding hands, there was no denying it.

They were fucked. But in the best way possible.