Ziam one shots

Mad About the Boys

Ao3
By: suburbanmotel
Summary: (The first time I meet them it's a beautiful summer evening at a party of some kind. I don't know. I'm not really paying attention. All I know is that someone is drowning. Someone is dying and I'm waiting for them to die. It's my job and I'm happy to do it. I mean, someone has to, and you don't want to, right? Right. I've been doing it for millennia and I've never had an issue. Never given it a second thought.

Until I meet them.)

Or: Five times Zayn and Liam cheat Death and then one more time for good measure.

--

1. Near Drowning (it's all fine until it suddenly isn't)

(The first time I meet them it's a beautiful summer evening at a party of some kind. I don't know. I'm not really paying attention. All I know is that someone is drowning. Someone is dying and I'm waiting for them to die. It's my job and I'm happy to do it. I mean, someone has to, and you don't want to, right? Right. I've been doing it for millennia and I've never had an issue. Never given it a second thought.

Until I meet them.)

--

(When they are very young and have their whole lives ahead of them, they don't think about me much. They never do, though. I'm used to it, and really, it's fine. What young, fit, healthy boy gives a second thought about Death?

I don't pay much attention to their lives before I come for them, the humans. There's no point, really. They're born, they live, they die. How they live and die is really of no importance to me.

I'm very busy, obviously, and have a lot to get done in a day. I have no time to get emotional over the humans I've come to take. As the old saying goes, when it's their time, it's their time and sadness and empathy serve me no good.

But contrary to popular belief, I'm not a monster. I try very hard to make the passing as comfortable as possible, if I can. I have no desire to frighten anyone. Sometimes, when I come, I'm the mum you lost when you were 10 years old. Sometimes I'm the brother who died in the car crash, the grandfather who passed of lung cancer. I'm genderless. Faceless. But you will recognize me when you see me and you won't be afraid.

I make sure of that.)

--

It starts at a party.

It's a launch event in some famous producer's gigantic backyard and Liam still has to pinch himself that this is Real and this is his Life now. Well, for the time being. Until it all disappears because it has to disappear, right? This can't possibly last. Singing and recording and performing with his boys. It's all too good to be true and nothing this good can last forever, there's just no way. So, he will try to enjoy it for as long as possible and not worry about what lies ahead. He will try very hard. He pauses at the patio doors, overwhelmed by the noise and the people and the music. He briefly considers turning around and heading back inside to collect himself and calm his nerves when he feels hands on his shoulders, hands that are familiar to him already. Then there are lips at his ear, soft hair brushing against his cheek.

"Pretty sick, huh?" It's Zayn, mouth close to his ear, voice slightly breathless, grinning, grinning, eyes bright, taking it all in and obviously loving it. "I can't believe it's actually happening. I mean, where are we? Who are we?" And Liam melts at that, because of course, of course Zaynie gets it, like he gets everything about Liam, without Liam even having to say a word.