Good Years || ziam au✔️

f o r t y || happy ending

Present
Five years later
August 29th, 2024
Thursday afternoon
1.28 P.M.
Malik-Payne Farm
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

"Happy birthday... to... you!" Everyone dragged out the you once they were done singing. The room booked with claps and cheers as the brunet blew out the candles, a huge grin lingering on his lips. The twins squealed excitingly and hugged their father's sighed as Zayn snapped pictures of the moment. It was a beautiful summer day in Pennsylvania. There was not a single cloud in the sky. The sun was beaming down, a refreshing summer breeze drifting through the country side. The Payne farm was filled with many guests to celebrate the brunet's thirty-first birthday.

"Thank you so much for the amazing cakes, angels." Liam smiled down at his daughters and kissed their cheeks, looking at the messy frosted cake sitting on the table. The candles were crooked, but still managed to hold on. The girls had worked hard on baking and decorating the cake for their father's party, Zayn having had to clean up the entire mess once they were finished. Watson even ended up helping by licking the vanilla frosting from the tiles of the kitchen floor.

"Baba helped us make it." Isabella giggled.

"He did?" The thirty-one year old grinned, glancing over at his husband. Zayn blew a kiss his way, chuckling softly.

"Yes!" Evelyn chimed, jumping up and down excitingly. She was a very hyper girl, always running around the farm and chasing the animals. She would often be loud, wanting to go on multiple adventures and all that – opposite from her sister. Isabella was more the quiet type. She would rather sit on the benches in their garden and go through some books. She didn't talk very much unless she was very excited about something.

"Well, all three of you did a great job." Liam kissed their cheeks once more, the girls turning into a giggly mess.

The couple couldn't get any happier. After they decided to leave the fame business behind, things started looking up for them. While Liam got a job as a music professor at a near by university, Zayn decided to stay at home and raise the kids. Luckily, the brunet only taught two hours a day, therefore he could spend more time with the girls and him. It felt perfect. They hadn't heard anything from Niall since the thanksgiving dinner and they were glad about it. The drama they had faced during their years in one direction and after were enough for their nerves. They didn't need any more.

Louis and Harry were still happily together and finally adopted a kid of their own. It was a baby boy named Henry. He was about the same age as the twins, the couples agreeing to letting them grow up together. They bought a huge farm not too far from them so that the kids would be able to play together whenever they wanted. They all got along perfectly. Evelyn and Henry were best friends already and Isabella had an obvious crush on him. It was adorable.

"You're welcome, papa." The two spoke in unison, everyone cooing at the cuteness of the twins.

"Girls, why don't you help nonna with the plates?" Trisha suggested and held out her hands, smiling brightly at them. The twins left their father immediately and bolted towards the woman, grabbing her hands and walking towards the kitchen. The guests began to mingle once again and Zayn took the chance to approach the birthday boy.

"Hey stranger." Liam greeted him and wrapped an arm around his waist, moving his gaze up to meet his.

"Hey baby." Zayn grinned and leaned down, pecking his lips. "How do you like the party so far?" He questioned softly, running his fingers through his curls. The younger man had finally decided to let his hair grow a bit longer, having a headful of curls once again.

"I love it." Liam hummed. "Thank you." He said with a genuine voice, his hand rubbing at his lover's side.

"Anything for you." Zayn responded and sat down on his lap, smiling. "After the girls fall asleep, you're going to get my present." His smile turned into a cheeky smirk, Liam lifting a questionable brow. He already knew where this was leading too, but his husband always managed to sneak in a few surprises when it came to that gift.

"Oh yeah?"

"Mhmm." Zayn nodded his head and caressed Liam's cheek. "You're gonna love it." He whispered, his hot breath lingering above the man's lips. The brunet was intrigued, wanting to receive his gift now, yet he knew he had to wait until this evening.

"Well then, I can't wait." Liam mimicked his smirk, pecking his lips.

Zayn giggled. "I know." He rested his head on top of Liam's shoulder and watched their daughter carry out some plates for the cake. He smiled fondly. "How did we ever get so lucky?" He asked, sighing in content.

"If you must know, it started when we first met in two-thousand-eight. I approached you in Mc–" Before Liam could continue, Zayn had already shut his lips with his hand. He gave the younger male a look and rolled his eyes playfully.

"You're such a dork." He told him.

"Yeah, but I'm your dork." Liam gave him a friendly reminder, laughing softly. "I honestly don't know, babe. We just had that luck stored somewhere safely." He ended up saying, gently swaying them as he stared at the twins as well, having the same amount of fond lingering in his eyes and heart like Zayn.

"Yeah..." Zayn trailed with a soft smile on his lips, observing everything and everyone around them in awe. "We did." He moved his head up to look at the brunet and smiled, cupping one of his cheeks.

Liam looked down at him and returned the smile, turning his head and kissing him on the lips.

It was truly amazing knowing how far the two have come. They struggled for years, being forced to hide their relationship and into things they refused to do. Till that day, Zayn couldn't believe they made it this far together. To one day have a family and live peacefully somewhere outside of the flashy cameras and press. He was happy, finally after so long. Being with Liam every day and spending every waking second with their daughters was a blessing. Their friends and families had been supportive since day one, even though a few still had to adjust to the idea of it. It was a relieve knowing that they accepted it and still stuck around to help them through all of the mess.

Their lives were perfect the way they turned out in the end and they couldn't have asked for anything more.

The End.

****

Officially, this story is finished.

I want to thank you all for reading and supporting this story, specifically for getting it nominated at this year's wattyawards. I am very thankful for everything and just know that I love you all so so so so much.

Thank you for all the love and support, you guys are the best❤️