Altitude ~Liam Payne AU~

Chapter 41

~Day 32~

I couldn't believe what had conspired over the past 24 hours. I went from hoping that maybe the RAF would take a better look at my case, to having my job back. Plus I had been on flights for a total of 30 hours now, technically making this entire journey over 2 days long.

Liam and I were absolutely exhausted. We had just landed back in London and were waiting for our luggage at the carousel. Annoyed I had even packed a bag, I huffed, my head leaning onto Liam's shoulder so I could close my eyes. He reached his hand up to gently pat me on the cheek before reaching his arm around my waist.

"What time even is it?" I asked my eyes still shut. I could feel Liam shift to pull out his phone.

"5 in the morning," he responded making me pretend to cry.

"I didn't know I could get more jet-lagged than I already am," I said dramatically, opening my eyes to see the bags finally rolling out onto the conveyor belt. "Shit I forgot to text William," I remembered pulling out my phone knowing he was our ride home.

"No-Ronnie I'm just going to get us a cab it's too early," Liam said making me nod remembering it was literally 5 in the morning. We watched the luggage roll out, me spotting both our bags a few spots down from each other. We hurried over to the belt, picking our suitcases up before walking outside to the pick-up area. Liam had ordered a cab on his phone so we walked out to see a small black sedan waiting for us already.

Liam opened the trunk, throwing our bags in before we both hopped into the backseat. Liam gave the driver his address and we both put our seatbelts on. I looked out the window reminiscing on the last time I was at the airport. I had surprised Liam and we had been bombarded with paparazzi. I looked back into the car to see Liam staring over at me with a soft smile. I pouted back at him wondering why he had been staring, making him laugh.

"Come here," he said quietly, opening his arms up. I leaned over, pulling my arm out of my seatbelt so I could reach him, nuzzling my head in his chest. "Go to sleep, I'll wake you when we get back," he said gently, kissing the top of my forehead as I drifted off to sleep.

No more than 30 minutes later I felt Liam shaking me softly, mumbling at me to wake up. I looked up, the sky still pitch black except for a little light starting to form near the edge of the sky. I rubbed my eyes to see we were outside of Liam's house. Liam got out of the car and to the back, grabbing our bags from the driver as I followed, both of us walking up to his front door.

"You're staying here till we both get some rest," he ordered opening the door and leading me inside.

"That was the shortest nap of my entire life," I said making him chuckle as he immediately walked up the stairs without turning a single light on. I grasped the railing barely being able to see anything with my eyes still adjusting. Once inside his room he flicked on a small lamp in the corner, setting our bags on his bed. I walked over to mine pulling out one of the pair of pajamas I had packed thinking we'd be staying on base a few nights. I also grabbed my toothbrush before walking into Liam's bathroom. I turned the light on, blinding myself in the process making me groan. I quickly changed my clothes and brushed my teeth so I could turn the light off as soon as possible.

I entered back into Liam's room to see him sitting on the edge of the bed without a shirt on, looking down at his phone. I sucked in a huge breath seeing his chiseled back muscles being reminded he had been working out a lot lately. Liam heard me because he turned around cocking an eyebrow at me before standing up off the bed.

"I liked it better when you had to wear my clothes," he smirked, walking past me into the bathroom making my jaw drop. My cheeks heated up immediately, my stomach being flooded with butterflies as I threw my clothes into my bag and pushed it onto the floor. I walked over climbing into the left side of his bed, throwing the covers back and pulling the sheet up over my legs. He then walked back out still no shirt on, so I could see his abs this time. He smirked at me knowing he had caught me looking making me roll my eyes and lay down. If he didn't cut it out I was not going to be able to sleep.