You're The Shining Distraction That Makes Me Fly

Chapter 12

When Zayn woke up on Christmas morning his nose was being tickled by soft hair, limbs thrown casually over him. He cuddled closer to the body next to him, opening his eyes to find Mezi cuddled warmly between Liam and him, the boy's mouth open as he breathed deeply.

"Did he come on his own or you went to get him again?" whispered Zayn when he saw Liam's eyes open, tracing the sleepy lines on his face.

Liam shrugged, a guilty smile appearing on his face as he reached over the small boy to touch Zayn's hand, smoothing his fingers along the lines of the lotus tattoo there.

"Its Christmas morning," Liam said as though it explained everything.

And normally Zayn would argue, tell Liam that it was important Mezi woke up in his own bed to develop his sense of self and independence, but for once Zayn stayed silent. The feeling of his son wrapped in his arms, pressed between him and Liam on Christmas morning was too good to deny.

They had spent the previous night playing bored games and drinking chocolate as Liam's entire family had stayed the night. It was apparently a Payne family tradition to wake up Christmas morning and unwrap the presents still dressed in their pyjama, something that had Zayn a little nervous.

Most days he had spent here, his tattoos had been covered by Liam's big wool sweaters, barely peaking out of the cuffs of his shirt. Now however, in Liam's short sleeved t-shirts, his entire arms would be exposed and even though the Payne family had been nothing but accepting of him, he still worried his appearance would be an issue.

"I want to give you your gift now," Liam said as he untangled himself from Mezi's small arms, stretching as the sheets fell from his body, the morning sun glowing along his tan body. He brought back Zayn from his sporadic anxiety immediately, as always acting like the anchor Zayn needed, his life line to sanity.

And even if Zayn had seen Liam shirtless more than once, the sight always left him a little breathless, a tight knot settling in his stomach as he watched every inch of Liam's skin.

"I thought we agreed no gifts," grumbled Zayn trying to distract himself from the very obvious morning wood he was sporting because he knew there was no time to take care of that. Soon there would probably be a knock on the door, Karen telling them coffee was ready or Geoff looking for Mezi so they could watch the Charie Brown Christmas Special together.

"I didn't pay anything for it though," argued Liam as he came to sit next to Zayn on the bed, a small box in hand that was clumsily wrapped in paper that had the Hulk on it with a Christmas hat. "So it doesn't count."

Rather than argue, Zayn accepted the box, arching a brow at the choice of paper that had Liam giggling in his neck.

"It's what my mom bought to wrap Mezi's gifts," Liam explained, slipping behind Zayn so he could wrap his arms around the smaller man's waist. "For what it's worth, I'm the one that wrapped it. That's why it looks like shit."

Chuckling lowly, Zayn leaned back into Liam's chest, sighing when he felt his boyfriend's chin settle on his shoulder. "Your parents really didn't have to buy him anything."

"Non-sense," muttered Liam, flicking the back of Zayn's ear. He sounded so much like his father that Zayn couldn't help but roll his eyes at the response.

"My parents really do think of Mezrhad as their grandson, just like Ella."

"I know," Zayn said, still emotional at the thought. "I just don't want to look like a bad father that can't afford to give anything to my son."

"They don't think that, they love you, love him." Liam assured, kissing Zayn's neck as his hands travelled up and down Zayn's stomach. "C'mon babe, just open your gift now."