Playing the part (Ziam)

Chapter 36: The Great Interrogation

By the time the lads settled themselves in Zayn and Liam's room, it was clear there was no escaping the questioning. Louis sat on the edge of the bed, Harry leaned against the dresser with his arms crossed, and Niall—already halfway through Liam's bag of crisps—was perched on the arm of a chair.

Liam and Zayn exchanged a glance. They were absolutely fucked.

"So," Louis started, his tone casual but his smirk devilish, "where exactly did you two disappear to yesterday? Don't even think about lying."

"Yeah, you think we didn't notice your little escape?" Harry added, eyebrows raised. "You're not that sneaky."

Zayn flopped onto the couch dramatically, throwing an arm over his face. "Can't a man have some privacy without being interrogated?"

"Not when you're under our dare," Louis shot back, pointing a finger. "So spill."

Liam, standing awkwardly by the door, rubbed the back of his neck. "We didn't 'disappear.' We just...went for a walk."

"A walk?" Niall repeated, clearly unimpressed. "That's the best you've got?"

"It's true!" Liam said, a little too defensively.

Harry leaned forward, his green eyes narrowing. "A walk that conveniently ended with a romantic Twitter selfie, tagging all of us?"

Zayn snorted from the couch. "What can I say? We're generous with our fans."

"Cut the crap," Louis said, narrowing his eyes. "What really happened? Don't make me start guessing, because I've got a vivid imagination."

Liam groaned, sinking into a chair. "Nothing happened, okay? We went to a café, then the pier, then the fair."

"That's it?" Harry asked, clearly unconvinced.

Zayn sat up slightly, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Well, I did win him a teddy bear."

"Aww," Niall cooed mockingly, clutching his chest. "So romantic!"

"Fuck off," Liam muttered, though his cheeks turned pink.

Louis, however, wasn't satisfied. He stood and walked over to Zayn, leaning down until they were practically nose-to-nose. "Did you two...hold hands?"

Zayn smirked. "What if we did?"

"And what else?" Louis pressed, his tone dripping with mock interrogation.

"None of your bloody business," Zayn replied, leaning back with a shit-eating grin.

"Oh, it's my business," Louis said, stepping back and gesturing wildly. "Because we created this dare to fix your constant bickering, and now you're posting cozy selfies, sneaking off on dates, and looking like two blokes who—"

"Don't say it," Liam interrupted, holding up a hand.

"—spent the night shagging," Louis finished with a flourish, ignoring Liam entirely.

"Jesus Christ," Liam groaned, burying his face in his hands.

Niall cackled, nearly choking on a crisp. "He's not wrong, mate."

"Nothing like that happened," Liam lied through his teeth, his voice muffled.

"Sure," Harry said, smirking as he leaned back against the dresser. "And the marks on your neck are from, what, a rogue vacuum cleaner?"

"Let it go, Styles," Zayn said, standing up and stretching lazily. "You'll never get the details out of us."

Louis crossed his arms. "Oh, we will. You've got one day left on this dare, Malik. I'm not letting this end without answers."

The Turning Tables

"Fine," Zayn said, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "You want details?"

Louis faltered slightly. "Uh...yes?"

Zayn turned to Liam, who looked like he was about to crawl under the bed. "Shall we?"

"Don't you fucking dare," Liam hissed.

"Oh, I dare," Zayn replied. He turned back to the lads, who were watching with wide eyes. "Let's just say our 'walk' included some very...hands-on moments."

Niall choked on air, Harry blinked, and Louis' jaw dropped.

"Hands-on?" Louis repeated, his voice pitching slightly higher.

"Hands, lips, teeth," Zayn added, clearly enjoying their reactions.

"Bloody hell," Niall muttered, looking both impressed and horrified.

"Is that what the teddy bear was for?" Harry asked, his face torn between amusement and disbelief.

Liam groaned. "For fuck's sake, Zayn."

"You wanted answers," Zayn said, shrugging innocently.

"I wanted real answers, not this cryptic bullshit!" Louis snapped.

"It's not cryptic," Zayn replied smoothly. "It's just...suggestive."

Harry shook his head, a grin tugging at his lips. "You two are the worst."

"Glad we could live up to expectations," Zayn said, throwing an arm around Liam, who looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him whole.

"Don't think this is over," Louis said, pointing at them both. "We'll get the truth eventually."

"Good luck with that," Zayn called as the lads finally left the room, muttering amongst themselves.

Aftermath

As soon as the door closed, Liam turned to Zayn. "Hands-on? Really?"

Zayn smirked. "What? It's not a lie."

Liam groaned, flopping onto the bed. "You're impossible."

"And you love it," Zayn said, lying down next to him and stealing his coffee.

"Fuck off," Liam muttered, though the faint smile on his lips betrayed him.