I Know Places - Ziam AU

16. La Tamise, Paris, France

"I'm sorry." Liam whispered.

He was standing on the balcony, the morning lights did almost blind Zayn that he couldn't see his husband's face clearly which he had to blink his eyes several times. Birds were chirping and tweeting out there but they stayed still, facing each other.

Zayn managed to tighten the fluffy blanket around himself while eyeing his husband up and down in sadness. And when Liam took a step closer to him, he finally broke it. "Not now, please." He whispered weakly.

"I apologized." Liam leaned to the door frame. A deep sigh left his mouth. By the look on his face, Zayn could tell that he was upset. But Zayn couldn't blame himself, it wasn't his fault that Liam made him so confused and turned him into a mess, just like now.

"It doesn't matter, Li. What matter is, what are you doing to me?" Zayn couldn't hold his tears any longer and he didn't want Liam to see it, so he turned his face away from him and looked down at his blanket covered feet. He mumbled, "That's all I wanna know."

"I'm doing nothing to you, baby." And when Zayn turned back to face him, Liam wasn't there. He sat on the edge of the bed, looking at Zayn in the eye. "I'm loving you, that's all I do."

"W-What are you?" Zayn tried to be as calm as he could but he knew that he already failed at it. Liam only gave him a small smile before leaning in to caress his cheek and wipe his tears away. Zayn tensed a bit at the touch but he closed his eyes anyway and he had to admit, "it feels real.. everything we've done felt so real. Why?"

"Because you made it so." Liam answered simply.

"I must be crazy.." It made the older man let out a soft laugh, he placed both of his hands on his lover's cheeks. "No, you're not."

A silence then filled the room but didn't last long when Zayn started humming quietly, his eyes were still closed. He loved the feeling of Liam's touch. It was tender and gentle. And it was even more addicting when their skin touched each other, uncovered by any string of fabric. Zayn swore to himself he would never forget the feeling.

"I promise I'll take you somewhere better." Liam said and that's when someone rang a bell, Zayn quickly shot his eyes open when the door was being opened, it revealed Trisha standing there.

"Mum." He greeted quietly.

"Oh, sunshine.. I struggled finding this hotel." She said approaching his one and only son, wrapping him in her arms immediately which made Zayn hug her back.

"Are you okay?" Trisha stroked his hair between her fingers carefully, afraid that he would just break in time. Zayn nodded, "better than ever."

"Is Liam here?" His mom asked hesitantly, getting up from the bed and went to the wardrobe to help him with packing his clothes. Zayn looked down at his lap, fumbling with his fingers. "He was here," Trisha stopped doing what she was doing and waited for her son to continue his unfinished sentence. "I don't feel him around anymore. He's gone by the time you opened the door." He shrugged.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt." She felt guilty after hearing her son. He probably didn't want to go home, yet. Probably her son and his husband had 'planned' everything together for the next few days. And maybe he was just shocked yesterday that he made a quick decision without even thinking.

But this wasn't healthy. Keeping her son in a state like this was not healthy at all. Soon or later, someone had to tell him the truth so it would be less painful for him. And Trisha knew that someone would be her, and the time is soon. Sooner than she had ever expected.

"It's fine," Zayn dragged his mother out of her thoughts, "we're going home anyway." He got up then walked straight to the bathroom.

_____

"So," Trisha sat down as Zayn stuffing his duffel bag in the cabin above their heads, "is Liam coming with us?"

Zayn sighed but still managed to look around, finally spotting Liam sat five seats behind them, smiling at him.

"Yes, he is." Zayn smiled back.