Keep This Love (In a Photograph)

Chapter 17

Zayn pulls up to the fire station fully prepared for the day ahead. He's had a huge breakfast at the cafe down his street, he's had a good night's sleep aside from where he kept waking up hard and aching but he's barely counting that being a thing anymore since it happens so frequently at the moment, and he's got every single piece of equipment in his car that he could possibly need. The fire engine is out ready in the main drive and there's a table that's been thoughtfully put out for him this time.

It all goes to hell when he sees Liam coming out of the station with Lou by his side, a huge bag in Liam's hand that Zayn knows belongs to the stylist.

"Hey Lou," Zayn murmurs as they draw near and he accepts her hug. "You managed to make something decent out of this mess then?"

"Well, it was tough but I did what I could." Lou's tone manages to sound both long-suffering and fond and Zayn knows exactly how she feels.

"Hey," Liam pouts prettily next to her.

"Oh shush, you're about to shoot your own calendar so no pouting unless there's a camera aimed your way," Lou says, reaching up to give Liam's shoulder a squeeze. "Take it easy on the poor lad, Zayn. He's a bit nervous."

"I will, and thanks for helping Lou," Zayn says as Liam puts her bag into her car for her and Zayn tries not to find that adorable. "You'll send your invoice to Harry, yeah?"

"Yeah, we're due a little shopping trip anyway." Lou climbs into her car and winds down the window. "Have fun, boys! Try not to get into too much mischief!"

They watch her out to the road, her arm still out waving furiously until she pulls out onto the main road and then it's just the two of them.

"Right, today you get to be both model and assistant, Liam," Zayn says, turning towards his car and opening up the trunk. He starts handing Liam bags and boxes for him to ferry over to the table. "You make a much better assistant than Harry so far, mate. Harry can barely be trusted with one thing to carry."

When all the stuff is out of the car, Zayn busies himself with setting up and orders Liam, who's hovering behind him and making Zayn anxious, to go make coffee. It gives Zayn enough time to set up for the pole shots and by the time Liam wanders back with two steaming cups of coffee, Zayn's calmer and ready.

"Alright, you're going to have to strip and change into your other trousers for this, with the braces hanging down." Zayn keeps his tone matter-of-fact and business-like. Liam puts his half-finished coffee down and starts stripping right in front of him; Zayn's jaw drops and business is the last thing he's thinking about. Liam shimmies out of his trousers and Zayn sees long, tanned legs with a light dusting of fair hair and he has to look away and swallow hard.

Just for a moment though because soon enough he sneaks another peek, relieved to find Liam now wearing trousers but he's tugging his shirt off and Zayn almost chokes on his coffee.

"Have you got baby oil on?" Zayn asks faintly. Liam's skin is almost glowing and it's suspiciously gleaming.

"No!" Liam's blushing hard. "I did some press ups while the kettle was boiling. Niall suggested it to make my body look better or something?"

"Like you need help with that," Zayn mutters under his breath. In a more normal voice, he asks Liam to stand in front of the pole. "Okay, just lift your arms above your head and wrap both your hands around the pole."

Liam complies and Zayn has to swallow hard at the way Liam's muscles flex and his abs tighten. "I'd break several bones if I went down the pole this way," he points out.

Zayn ignores him in the pursuit of creativity. "Now arch your back slightly - no not that much. Okay good, perfect. Tilt your head slightly to the left and look down at the floor."