Louis decided to rescue Zayn a month into his soul-searching. He found him right where he had left him: in their old apartment on the lumpy garage-sale couch. Everything looked the same as when Louis had left him there, with the exception of a few stray dishes. Even the calendar was still set back to March from two years ago, when they had moved out. This time, however, there was company.
"Oh my god!" Louis shielded his eyes and swiveled around, only to ram straight into the doorframe. Loud cursing rang out behind him, as Louis willed his heart to stop thumping, preferably forever, considering what he had just stumbled upon.
"Louis- oh my god, let me explain!"
Louis kept his hands over his eyes, staring through the slits between his fingers at the chipped paint of the doorframe. He listened to the sound of zippers and belt buckling behind him.
"Zayn, just- are you dressed?" Louis tried to remain as calm as possible. Think deep vibrant blue. Dot in the center of the circle. A happy serene place.
"Yeah," Zayn murmured weakly after the sound of one last zipper. Oddly enough, Louis was more horrified about catching his husband naked rather than the fact that this husband was lying on a small couch in close proximity with a strange unknown man. That was quite a statement about their sex life.
Louis turned around slowly, using all his strength to meet Zayn in the eyes. He looked away two seconds later.
"So, uh, wow!" Louis laughed a bit hysterically, fists clenching tightly around the end of his shirt. Zayn eyed him cautiously. He moved towards Louis, reaching an olive colored hand out, and resting his fingers on the crook of Louis' elbow. Louis used to love Zayn's skin. It was the cocoa creamy color of hot chocolate when the marshmallows started melting, and as smooth as those satin couches in hotels that Louis loved to trace patterns on.
"Lou, you alri-"
"Yes! Better than ever! Wait- no. I mean no! I'm not good!" Louis screwed his eyes shut, wishing that he had a shutdown button in his head, or at least a delete image button. Deep vibrant blue. Dot in the center. Happy serene place.
"Lou-"
"Okay!" Louis clapped his hands together, opening his eyes and grinning widely. "I think we can handle this situation as adults, so, shall we?" Louis extended a hand towards the wary stranger to Zayn's left, although the gesture was more of a robot jerk of the arm.
"Hi, I'm Louis Malik-Tomlinson, or I guess just Louis Tomlinson in a few weeks" he joked nervously, shaking the other man's hand. No one else laughed. Too soon?
As Louis let go of the man's hand, he realized his own hand was still shaking a bit on its own. It was a nervous habit, one that has failed him many times in job interviews and college finals.
"I'm Liam. Liam Payne," the other man said. Louis surveyed him up and down. Despite the situation, Louis was quite surprised with Zayn's choice of hook-ups. While Louis himself never grew an inch taller after Sophomore year of highschool, Liam, here, was even a few inches taller than Zayn, and much more built. From his face, Liam seemed like the giant cuddly teddy bear kind, the kind that woke up early to work out in the gym and on the way home helped old ladies cross the street. It was intriguing to Louis that Zayn found this man attractive to a substantial degree, considering the fact that Zayn had been married to Louis for a good twelve years, and Louis was no giant cuddly teddy bear.
"I, uh, I think I better go," Liam murmured, before shuffling out the room.
"You left your jacket!" Louis called out. Liam responded with a firm shut of the front door.
