Z.A.Y.N.

Track 1

Five days later, Liam receives a text.

It's not what he expects on a Saturday, given that most people his - and he can only guess Zain's - age are usually preoccupied with friends or making the most of their weekend. Because of this, Liam feels a bit special at having crossed Zain's mind at three in the afternoon enough to finally award him a time slot in his busy schedule.

I should be free tomorrow at midnight. That work?

Life as a musician has made Liam a night owl on tour and an early bird during bouts of promotion. Any other time of the year was his to do with as he pleased. All one month of it.

Yeah. I'll see what studio has free space

Technically, recording put him within the night owl phase of life, albeit leniently since he only had plans to add to his third album if it was with any songs he and Zain penned together. Or if Zain was the sole writer. As long as Liam was able to witness the process of that magic, he wasn't going to be picky.

No, meet me here

Liam hits the address that was sent in the next text, quirking an eyebrow when he sees that it's for a 24/7 diner in the center of the city. Was this the place Zain worked? From what Liam knew, diner's didn't typically have a fish centric menu. Maybe this was just a neutral meeting spot. It was only a fifteen minute walk from Sony's publishing offices they had met at earlier on in the week.

As long as you're paying

Aha, your accountant run away with your money?

Liam smiles to himself.

He'd be picking a shit time right before I drop my third album

Zain's reply takes a couple minutes instead of a couple seconds, making Liam wonder if he's actually forced the other to stop and think up a witty enough response, or if he's just gotten distracted.

You're going under the assumption that it'll do well

Liam really shouldn't be laughing at that. A career as an entertainer's as fickle as they come, but he can't help it; the man's got a good sense of humour and he's not afraid to show it at Liam's expense.

Ouch. I'll see you tomorrow night, dream crusher

See ya dreamer

Liam stares down at his text thread the next night in the back of his Uber. He'd opened it up again to retrieve the diner's address and look up pictures that people have posted to get a leg up on what he's going to get to eat.

The sight of decadent pancakes make him wish he had gone harder in the gym that morning, and also contemplate whether or not he can still order them, just make up for it tomorrow morning. Which, in theory, was only ten minutes away. Monday's the start of a new week. Or something like that.

"Hi," Liam grins at the server who welcomes him when he walks through the door to the restaurant. He's about to inform her that he's here for a Zain... Well, just a Zain. Which not only sounds pathetic because he doesn't know the lad's real last name, but also due to the fact that a diner wasn't exactly a place that a person would normally put a reservation in for.

"Perfect timing."

Another all black Zain appears to Liam's right, a tired smile gracing his lips. When he directs it towards the server, the woman looks to have just put two and two together with how she knows the singer.

"We'll take the corner booth in the back." Zain grabs the menus that the woman's fetched from behind her podium and leads the way to where he's mentioned they'll sit. Before he follows behind the writer, Liam throws the girl a courteous nod.