London Bridges

Chapter 14: Ziall

When Louis opens his door to their flat, he's welcomed by the beautiful sight of a laughing Liam.  He's vaguely aware of Niall  gesturing wildly while telling a story, and of Zayn hesitating by the door, but his focus is on the shine in Liam's eyes, the upward pull of his pink lips, the way his neck extends when he throws his head  back in delight. 

The door clicks shut behind them, Liam's attention snapping to Louis as a result.  His eyes get impossibly brighter, his smile going from amused to soft and fond.  Louis is surprised to find that after all this time, his knees still go weak from seeing Liam after a long, hard day.

"Hey babe," Liam says from the kitchen table while Louis kicks his shoes off and hangs his jumper by the door.  "Are you hungry? We saved you guys some pizza."

"Starving," Louis answers, nudging an elbow into Zayn's ribs to get him to stop staring open-mouthed at the Irish lad seated across from Liam.  "Safe trip, Nialler?"

"Yeah, cheers mate," Niall answers.  "How've you been?"

"Brilliant," Louis says.

Louis grabs a slice of pizza, not stopping as he continues towards Liam.  Crashing his lips to Liam's, he wraps the lads legs around his waist and lifts him off the chair.  Liam gives a squeak of surprise but Louis is already carrying him away, calling out something about giving Niall and Zayn time to catch up and seeing them in a few hours.

Niall laughs as he watches Louis kick his bedroom door shut behind them.

"Some things just don't change," he says, turning his gaze back to Zayn who is still standing dumbfounded by the door. 

The silence between the two lads stretch on, occasionally broken up by a particularly loud moan or giggle from the next room.

"Aren't you gonna say anything?" Niall asks, the moments stretching into minutes of Zayn not moving, not speaking, just staring at him like he's been raised from the dead.

Suddenly, a million emotions wash over Zayn at once.  Seeing Niall sitting there, laughing, a mere three feet out of his reach, Zayn realizes he's hurt and angry. 

"Z, please," Niall begs, his voice gone soft and sheepish.

Zayn doesn't answer.  Instead he turns away and walks into his room, slamming the door behind him.

"Did you hear that?" Liam asks from his bedroom, detaching his lips from Louis'.

Louis grunts, moving down to suck a lovebite into Liam's necks.

"I think they're fighting," Liam says.

"So let them fight," Louis says, his hands now moving to the waistband of Liam's boxers.  "We fought a thousand times before we actually got our shit together."

"Don't you want to know what's happening?"

Louis sighs, exasperated.  "I want to get off with my boyfriend, but seeing as you're so preoccupied I guess I'll have to settle for a wank while eating my cold pizza."

Liam at least has the decency to look a little guilty. 

"I'll make it up to you later?" he offers.

Louis can't help but laugh, tweaking Liam's nipple in retaliation before rolling off the lad.  He grabs the slice of pizza waiting for him on the bedside table and settles himself comfortably by the door.  Liam follows quickly, and together they try to listen for any hint of what might be going on with their best mates.

"Zayn, let me in," Niall pleads, knocking on the door that was just slammed in his face.
"We need to talk."

Niall doesn't expect Zayn to actually let him in, so when the older lad yanks it open, he takes three steps back in surprise.

"Now you want to talk?" Zayn asks.  "After weeks of radio silence?"

"I'm sorry," Niall says.

"You're sorry?" Zayn repeats, incredulous.  "I fucking called you everyday for two weeks.  You kissed me and then you fucked off to Ireland like I did something wrong."

"I know," Niall admits, quickly moving into the doorframe before Zayn can slam it shut again.  "And I'm sorry, and I have no excuse.  But I'm here now, Zayn, and you're my best mate.  Please, please can we try to work this out?"

Zayn storms away again, but this time he leaves the opportunity for Niall to follow him into the bedroom.

"I'm sorry," Niall repeats, standing across from Zayn in a room that has traces of the pain he caused painted all over the walls.

"You keep saying that," Zayn mumbles.

"Because I am," Niall insists.  "I was impulsive, and I did something massively stupid, but I never meant to hurt you.  I never meant to ruin our friendship, Z."

"Do you regret it?  Kissing me?"

"I regret making a move before knowing what I really wanted, and I regret taking off before we could figure it out.  But despite everything, that kiss felt right."

Back in his room with Louis, Liam listens with his ear pressed to the door.  Louis, already amused by how intently Liam is eavesdropping, has to stifle a loud giggle when he hears the breathy exclamation of "aww" that escapes his boyfriend's lips upon hearing Niall's confession. 

"They're so adorable," Liam whisper squeals.

"Easy love," Louis chuckles, laying his head in Liam's lap and humming contently when the lad's fingers immediately card through his hair.  "Don't get too excited about double dates just yet."

"Why?" Liam asks, stoping his ministrations.  "What do you know?"

"I know nothing," Louis says, whining at Liam's neglect of his hair.

"You must know something, otherwise you wouldn't be warning me away from excitement."

Louis huffs, pouting until Liam finally rolls his eyes and begins gently scratching at Louis's scalp again.

"I don't know anything," Louis repeats, letting his eyes drift close.  "But neither do they.  Zayn has no idea how he feels about Niall, and even if Niall knows how he feels about Zayn, he has no idea how to be in a relationship."

"Cus you were such an expert when we started," Liam scoffs.

"Rude," Louis snips back.  "I may not have known much about relationships in general but I knew plenty about ours.  I knew I wanted loved you, I knew I'd do anything to make it work, I knew it was the first, only, and last thing I'd ever want in my life."

Liam kisses him, then, and although they don't know it, caught up in their own little world, on the other side of the flat Niall is pressing a soft peck into the corner of Zayn's mouth.

"I don't know where we go from here," he says softly, his Irish accent thick.  "But I know I want to get there slowly, and I want us to be best mates every step of the way."