love, cheater ➳ ziam au

|twenty four|

It took eleven hours.

Eleven hours of Liam screeching at the top of his lungs. Eleven hours of Zayn being shoved out by Liam then being brought in by Liam's pleas. Eleven hours of two cups of coffee in an hour consumed by the dark-skinned man. Eleven hours of Karen pacing around, thinking that she had forgotten something. Eleven hours of pain and excruciating screams until Landon Orion Malik-Payne, a little ball of pink swamped in a blue blanket, was put into an extremely tired Liam's arms.

Eleven hours later, they were blessed.

Liam. The only words escaping Zayn's mouth as soon as he set eyes on his baby boy were Liam and an occasional "I love you". He was so happy, joyous even. He finally had his baby boy- the baby boy he missed more than half the pregnancy of because of his screwed up actions- but his baby boy nonetheless.

"Zayn." Liam's voice was soft and tired, but the lips that let his name seep through were stretched into a smile, "Do you want to hold Landon?"

Zayn's heart skipped and his breath hitched as he scrambled towards Liam's side, extending his hand to press it against Liam's cheek dubiously, trying to refrain from whooping with undeniable joy when Liam leaned into his touch and let him caress his cheek. "C-could I?"

"Of course, Zee. He's your son too." Liam smiled softly, transferring Landon from his arms and into Zayn's.

Zayn smiled at Liam and stared at him for a good few minutes, taking in his beautiful husband, his forehead damp and sweaty, tears marks drawn across his cheeks, his lips chapped, dry inheriting a pale pink color. But of course, to Zayn, he looked like a God- a God who could make Zayn fall at his feet with a snap of his fingers.

"Hi baby." Zayn cooed, averting his eyes and setting it on the little infant in front of him. Huge hazel eyes gazed up at him, a cute button nose scrunching up as Zayn's finger pushed away a strand of light brown wispy hair. His finger was then immediately clasped in a small fist, Zayn admiring the way the soft skin matched his skin tone. Landon was beautiful and Zayn could cry. And so, he did.

"Zee?" Liam whispered uneasily as he noticed tears dripping down his husband's chin, "What's wrong?"

Zayn released a shuttering breath as he looked at Liam through watery eyes and it was then that Liam was hit with the fact about how vulnerable his husband was.

"Liam," Zayn hiccuped, "I-I don't deserve this, Li. I don't deserve this beautiful boy, I-I don't. I don't deserve anything by now, fuck Li, I love you."

Liam's heart raced as he heard Zayn profess his love, and his throat begged and itched to say how much he still loved the raven haired man but his lips sealed themselves, stubborn, not allowing the words to pass.

"Zayn." Liam finally mumbled, his heart thumping against his chest as Zayn looked at him with hazel eyes that seemed to flash his love for Liam, "Don't say that, alright. You screwed up, yes. You hurt me, yes. But despite what alcohol makes you, Zayn Malik, you are a beautiful person inside and out and this little boy is extremely lucky to have you."

Zayn's beamed at him and Liam felt so in love. Liam was so in love with Zayn, his love had never stopped. He never did, which was why he had stayed with Zayn for a year while he was being hurt. But he couldn't tell Zayn, he couldn't let Zayn hurt him, he couldn't give up his heart again, he couldn't--

"I just." Zayn breathed out through his nose, staring down at his baby boy fondly before looking at Liam, breaking him from his thoughts, "I just hope I treat him better than how I treated Louis. Fuck, Li. I treated him so bad. Made him grow up faster than he should, didn't give him love for a year. Need to make that up to him, yeah? Louis and Landon, my little-- Liam? Li, what's wrong?"

Zayn cut himself off as he stared down at Liam, who's face had gone deathly white and pale, his warm brown eyes blown wide and full of frantic madness. Liam jerked up into a sitting position and Zayn was about to protest- about to tell Liam that this was bad for his health considering the fact that he had just given birth but Liam opened his mouth to speak before clamping it shut. His eyes filled with water as he stared up at Zayn urgently, "Louis. Nobody fucking picked Louis from school! He's been alone for twelve hours!"

--

~Harry