Let Me Show You How to Love Yourself (Larry Stylinson) ✅

Time

After Harry left the flat, time started to move slowly for Liam and Zayn. For weeks, they found themselves coming home and calling "we're here, Hazza" over their shoulders, half expecting him to be curled up in his usual spot on the couch under his blankets. But instead of Harry's tiny, familiar voice, they were always met with the deafening silence of an empty flat.

Liam and Zayn's relationship began to change in more ways than one after Harry left. Now that they didn't have to worry about taking care of Harry anymore, they could no longer avoid the tension that had been bubbling up between them for months. Pretty soon, Zayn began to confront Liam about his jealousy problems and Liam picked up on Zayn's wandering eye.

"I saw you checking out Louis in his skinny jeans the other day," Liam said sternly one day over breakfast. Zayn looked up at his boyfriend with a weak smile and tried to brush off his comment without drawing supsicion. "I hardly looked, love," he said, patting Liam on the shoulder as he reached for his coffee.

"I know.... but. You've been hanging out alone with him lately. That kind of bothers me, Z," Liam said defensively, thinking back to just the other day when Zayn and Louis had gotten tea together. Zayn shook his head, his dark brown hair moving out of place.

"That's not it, Li. We were talking about Harry..." Zayn started. But Liam slammed his fist on the table, sending the silverware clattering. "What the fuck is there to talk about regarding Harry? Harry isn't your best friend, Zayn. He's mine. How fucking hard is that to god damn understand? I knew him first... and you just waltz in here and all Harry wants to do is chat with you and blow me off..... what the fuck is that, Zayn? Why don't we talk about that?"

Zayn stood up, shaking a bit, and stared at Liam, who was now fuming, his eyes wide and chest rising and falling quickly. "So now it all comes out.... all this jealousy. I can't be friends with Harry? Or Louis? I have to just sit around all day with you and make sure you're not freaking out about me liking someone else. Fuck off," Zayn spat, grabbing his coat.

"Can we be adults here?" Liam asked, taking a deep breath as he realized how much damage he was causing. He followed after Zayn and touched his back gently, coaxing him to turn around and face him. "I'm sorry Zayn. Okay, I'm sorry I blew up on you. I know I have to work on my anger and jealousy... it's just ever since Harry got sick, I've hardly had time to go to therapy... It's not an excuse. I'm sorry," he said, a tiny tear welling in the back of his eye.

"Well now's the perfect time to go back to therapy. It's okay Liam. Just don't ever talk to me like that again because I'm not kidding, I will bloody leave this flat the next time you do," Zayn spat. He patted Liam's arm gently and then pulled away from his grip, walking to the door and muttering something about needing a cigarette.
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"Lou," Niall said, trying to catch his roommate's attention. It was December now and Louis and Niall were in that stage where they hardly ever wanted to leave the house because of how damn cold it was outside.

"Hmm..." Louis asked, looking up at Niall lazily with bloodshot eyes. It was hell week at the magazine--they had to pump out 30 new articles within the next two weeks for the upcoming holiday season. "Are you liking the movie?" Niall asked, crunching on a piece of popcorn. They were watching a romantic comedy, Louis' favorite. But he didn't seem to be interested in the movie at all, even though it was the one he had always begged Niall to see with him in theatres when it came out.

"Yeah, just tired. I like it. It's funny," Louis said with a strained smile. But Niall knew Louis too well. He clicked pause on the movie and moving the popcorn aside, cuddled up next to Louis and put a blanket around him. "Lou, we need to talk, love," Niall said. "You haven't been yourself lately. And it's not just because it's hell week at work. Can we chat about it?"