Playing the part (Ziam)

Chapter 24: Shirts off walls up

After everything that had gone down earlier, the lads decided to keep things chill for a while. They barged into Zayn and Liam's room with bags of food, all of them laughing and bickering as if the last few days hadn't been an absolute circus of arguments, sarcastic flirting, and utter chaos.

"You lot better appreciate this," Niall said, setting down what looked like an entire buffet's worth of food on the table. "I ordered extra sides of chips because I know how much Zayn likes to hog them."

Zayn rolled his eyes as he grabbed a plate. "Don't flatter yourself, Horan. I don't even like chips that much."

"Bullshit," Niall retorted, already munching on his own portion. "You could live off chips if it meant you didn't have to cook."

Louis leaned back in his chair, tossing a chip at Zayn's head. "Maybe if you two stopped trying to kill each other, you'd actually notice how much Liam steals your fries."

Liam, mid-bite, looked up with a smirk. "That's because he doesn't deserve them."

Zayn narrowed his eyes, pointing a fork at Liam. "Touch my food again, Payne, and I swear I'll—"

"You'll what?" Liam interrupted, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Bite me? Oh wait, you already did."

That set Harry off, who nearly choked on his drink. "I swear, you two are either gonna kill each other or start shagging by the end of this."

"Shut up," Liam and Zayn said in unison, glaring at Harry while the rest of the lads erupted into laughter.

After about three hours of eating, bantering, and being complete idiots together, the lads finally decided to give Zayn and Liam some space.

Louis stretched as he got up from the couch. "Alright, lovebirds, we're heading to our room. Try not to kill each other while we're gone."

Harry smirked as he followed Louis out. "Or, you know, try to get along for once."

"Don't wait up for us," Niall added with a wink before closing the door behind him.

As soon as the lads left, the silence in the room felt heavier than it should have. Liam sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing the back of his neck, while Zayn leaned against the dresser, his arms crossed as if trying to act nonchalant.

"So," Liam said after a beat, "guess it's just us now."

Zayn raised an eyebrow, his lips curling into a smirk. "What, scared to be alone with me, Payne?"

Liam scoffed, kicking off his shoes. "Scared? Of you? Don't make me laugh."

Zayn's eyes flickered to Liam's shirt as he tugged it off, revealing the toned muscles beneath. For a moment, Zayn's gaze lingered a little too long, and Liam noticed.

"What? Enjoying the view?" Liam teased, raising an eyebrow.

Zayn rolled his eyes, but the corner of his mouth twitched. "Please, mate. I've seen better."

"Oh yeah?" Liam shot back, standing up and taking a step closer. "Go on, then. Take your shirt off. Let's compare."

Zayn didn't hesitate. He yanked his shirt off and tossed it onto the bed, standing toe-to-toe with Liam. "Happy now?"

Liam's gaze flickered over Zayn's chest, and for a split second, he forgot how to form words. "Yeah, real impressive," he muttered, though his voice lacked conviction.

Zayn smirked, noticing the way Liam's eyes had darkened. "Admit it, Payne. You're just mad because I look better than you."

Liam barked out a laugh, stepping even closer. "You wish, Malik. If anything, you're jealous that I'm pulling off this whole fake relationship thing better than you are."

"Oh yeah?" Zayn leaned in, his voice dropping to a low murmur. "Because from where I'm standing, it looks like you're the one struggling to keep your hands to yourself."

Liam's breath hitched, but he quickly covered it with a sarcastic grin. "You're delusional."

"Am I?" Zayn whispered, his gaze flickering down to Liam's lips for just a fraction of a second.

Liam's pulse quickened, but he refused to let Zayn win. "You know what your problem is?" he asked, his voice laced with sarcasm.

"Oh, please enlighten me," Zayn drawled, crossing his arms.

"You think you're irresistible," Liam said, taking another step forward until there was barely any space left between them. "But newsflash, mate: you're not."

Zayn's grin widened. "Then why are you still standing so close?"

Liam opened his mouth to retort, but the words didn't come. Instead, the tension between them grew thicker, and for a moment, it felt like the world had stopped spinning.

Finally, Liam took a step back, running a hand through his hair. "You're impossible," he muttered, climbing into bed and pulling the covers over himself.

Zayn chuckled softly, turning off the light before sliding into bed on the other side. "Goodnight, babe," he teased, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Fuck off," Liam mumbled, but there was no real heat behind his words.

As they lay there in the darkness, the tension lingered, unspoken but undeniable. The lines between fake and real were blurring, and neither of them seemed ready to admit it yet.

But one thing was certain: this dare was far from over.