As He Moves

Chapter 6

Liam acts like it's no big deal, so Zayn does the same. When he's sitting in the living room, feet propped up in Liam's lap as he reads over a passage for class the next day, and Liam abruptly gets up and pockets his phone with a sigh and a short, "Gotta go into work. Louis cancelled on me," they both act like it's normal. Like Liam's going to assemble burgers or pack groceries or something instead of going to take his clothes off in front of about forty women.

And while he still has trouble sleeping without dreaming of it, while he still can't let his eyes trail lower than Liam's face because he starts remembering how what's hidden underneath his t-shirt and sweats looks as he's humping a fucking stage, he's sort of glad that he knows. It's like a secret between the two of them now, one no one else is in on. When Harry 'discreetly' asks Liam about work and he deflects the questions easily, Zayn isn't on Harry's side anymore, wondering what the hell is up.

So he gets over it. Liam is a fucking stripper. Whatever. Big deal.

Or he thinks he's over it until he comes home early from school because of a headache. He can afford to miss one class, it won't kill him, and his head feels like it possibly might. He knows Liam's home as he unlocks the door, knows his classes ended two hours ago and he'll probably be on the sofa, flicking through the TV, or napping or cooking or something.

He's not. He's on the floor in front of the TV, shirtless, doing sit-ups that make his breathing heavy and his brow sweaty. Zayn freezes, door still halfway open as Liam pauses and looks over at him.

"Hey," Liam says, eyebrows scrunching up in concern. "You're home early."

"Uh." Zayn licks his lips, trying not to look at Liam as much as he can. "Got a headache. Thought I'd come home and sleep it off."

Liam pushes himself up easily, and the move is too similar to one he'd done on stage that night for Zayn to handle. And he doesn't stop there; he walks right across the apartment, coming over to press a hand against Zayn's forehead.

"You don't have a fever, at least," he says. "Anything else? I can make you some soup, if you'd like. It's coming out of a can, but I'll put it in the pot and not the microwave and everything."

Zayn laughs weakly, trying not to inhale the scent of sweat and deodorant radiating from Liam's way too close body. "It's just a headache," he says. "I'll be fine. Just need to sleep for a bit."

"Cool," Liam says easily. He thumbs at the drawstring of his sweats in a way that's probably not supposed to be provocative but is. "I'm gonna finish working out, if you don't mind."

"Yeah, you— go ahead," Zayn says, removing his shoes before he heads to his room.

At the last second he pauses, hand on his doorknob, ready to shut the door. But if he leaves it open just a bit he has a perfect view of the living room from his bed, and Liam's back on the floor, midway through a sit-up already, and he can't make himself do it. Instead he leaves his door open just enough, ignoring the guilty feeling inside of him.

He doesn't bother getting out of his clothes before he climbs into bed, and then he rolls onto his side, facing away from the door, trying to resist temptation.

That last about five seconds, because Liam lets out a loud grunt and he can't help it. He rolls over, trying to be discreet as possible as he watching Liam work out in their living room. There's more grunting, loud and almost exaggerated. Liam's face and chest are red and slick with sweat, and the way his calf muscles flex with the force of keeping them planted on the ground shouldn't be as hot as it is.

He's way too fucking hard to keep watching that, and he's about to pull his pillow over his head and block out the light when Liam falls back against the ground, panting, and then he tilts his head, meeting Zayn's eyes.

Shit. There's a grin tugging at Liam's lips, but he looks away quick enough that maybe he didn't actually see Zayn watching him. Like, his room is dark and it's— maybe he didn't see.

Liam gets up, scratching at his stomach, and Zayn bites his lip, realizing just how creepy he's being but apparently incapable of stopping. Liam stretches, hands reaching above his head, and then he disappears out of sight and Zayn lets out a breath he hadn't realize he'd been holding.

o|o