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“And you must be Mr. Zayn Malik.”
Zayn looked up at the elderly secretary and straightened slightly from his slumped position in one of six chairs lined up in the office, trying gauge from the tone of her voice just where he stood at this school. His reputation, after all, did precede him and the last thing he needed was for the teachers to already hate him before the first day had even begun. But he knew how rumors could spread- especially in a small, private academy like this.
“Yes ma’am.” He said, catching her eye as she nodded.
“Mr. Harrison is ready to see you, so if you just want to go right through these doors and to your left his office should be open. When you’re done, come back out here and I’ll have your schedule ready.” She seemed nice enough and even gave Zayn a small smile before turning back to her work.
Standing and grabbing his bag before walking in the direction she had indicated, he mumbled another quick ‘Yes ma’am’ as he walked by her desk. (If there’s one thing he’d learned in his time as a student, it was that you could never be too nice to the office staff. Not that being in their good graces had always been able to dig him out of tricky situations.)
Thus his numerous expulsions and transfers.
And now the reason for his impending lecture. Because if the principle wanted to speak to him, it was probably going to be fifteen minutes of how this school was going to be the one to change him, straighten him out, how they didn’t tolerate any form of violence, and then would come the thinly veiled threats of what should happen to him if he were to start up any trouble.
He wasn’t disappointed.
Fifteen minutes later, he was back out in the lobby accepting his schedule and reviving himself from the lecture-induced coma he had fallen into. Scanning over the paper, he was relieved to see that all of the classes he had chosen were on the list. Maybe not in the exact order he had hoped (who would ever want Maths first thing in the morning?) but otherwise there wasn’t too much to complain about.
“Do you need help finding your first class, dear?”
Zayn glanced up at the elderly secretary and shook his head. “No, I think I’ve got it. Thanks, though.”
“Alright then,” She said. “I’ll just call ahead and let your teacher know you’re coming.” She picked up the phone and Zayn headed out into the hallway, checking the room numbers as he passed and looking for B213.
Making his way up a flight of stairs and taking a left, he found his room at the end of the hall and knocked once before pushing open the door. He was greeted by an awkward hush and a stout bald man who quickly ushered him in and pointed him towards a seat before resuming the lesson, not so much as sparing Zayn a second glance. Well, he did give Zayn one scathing glare before turning back to the white board, leaving Zayn to sink down in his seat and curse humanity’s penchant for gossip.
But, once the bell rang, Zayn was relieved that he had for the most part been ignored. The teacher didn’t single him out or introduce him, so it was easy to evade the stares of his classmates. He even managed to duck out the door before anyone could try to talk to him. He didn’t want to anyway. He knew they were all just eager to learn what they could about the new kid and report back to the powers at be. It was creepy, really, how schools ran themselves. A little adolescent mafia.
Second period, unfortunately, was a different story.
The teacher was a middle-aged man, probably a few years younger than Zayn’s father. He was upbeat but ran a tight ship, and seemed to genuinely enjoy what he was teaching. Zayn could respect that.
He did not, however, appreciate the introduction he had been given.
Making it in before the bell, Zayn had chosen a seat in the back of the class and hoped to continue his quiet first day. But as soon as class started, the teacher made a show about saying something was different, before pointing out Zayn, insisting he introduce himself, and then proclaiming that Zayn say one interesting thing about himself in order to sate the curiosity of the class.
Zayn said he had three sisters.
The teacher had given him an unimpressed look then allowed him to sit down, but the damage was already done. He had spoken. And for the rest of the class he could feel the eyes of the other students boring into him. Meaning that when the bell rang, he made his way out into the hall without raising his head, brushing off anyone’s advances with a wave of his hand and a mumbled sorry, gotta get to my next class.
Unfortunately, because he had been in such a rush to escape, he made it to his next class with a lot of time to spare. And it was free period. So he strode straight into a mass of over-excited students who immediately quieted when he came in, then burst into poorly hidden giggles and appraising glances.
He had no choice but to make his way through the mob clogging up the door in order to make it into the room itself, so he ducked his head and hoped for the best. But of course he had no sooner taken the first step then a girl bounced up to his side.
“Hi, my name’s Clara. And you must be the new student everyone’s going on about. Zayn, right?”
Zayn nodded and took another step forward, internally cursing when Clara moved with him. Along with her group of friends.
“So, have you made any friends yet?” She pressed.
Zayn shook his head. “Not really, no.” He tried to put enough edge to his voice to come off as uninterested but not offensive. He really didn’t need to be making enemies this early in the game but he didn’t particularly want to be making any friends either. At least, not these types of friends.
“Oh, well don’t worry.” She looked him up and down like a farmer inspecting a sheep for slaughter and grinned. “You can hang out with us if you’d like?”
Zayn grimaced. “I think I’m fine, thanks.” By this point he had made it through the crowd enough that he could see the rows of desks making up the room. They were all empty, thus the traffic jam at the door, save for one seat on the far side of the room. The boy at the desk was working on some kind of paper, pen moving furiously across the page. Long, brown curls obscured the top part of his face but Zayn could make out where his bottom lip was crushed firmly between his teeth.
His inspection of the mysterious boy was suddenly interrupted when Clara nudged his shoulder. (He hated when people did that. No one needed to touch him.)
“C’mon, don’t worry about it. You can sit with us today and we can even show you around the lunchroom later. We have an entire table, so there’ll definitely be a seat for you.”
Deciding it was way past time to escape, Zayn hefted his bag further up his shoulder and started edging away from the group. “I’ll just go sit over there, thanks for the offer though.”
“What? Next to Liam?” Clara scoffed. “But he doesn’t even talk.” Zayn noticed the curly haired boy glance up for just a moment, locking eyes with Zayn before quickly turning back to his paper. Zayn narrowed his eyes.
“Perfect,” he said between gritted teeth. “Then maybe I’ll finally get some peace and quiet.” He smirked internally at the shocked expressions on the girls’ faces and let the corner of his mouth pull up as he turned away, walking the rest of the way across the room with an easy gait.
He threw his bag down at the desk right next to Liam’s and dropped down into the seat. Liam continued to work furiously at his paper, not even acknowledging Zayn was there. Which was fine, a bit weird, but fine. Zayn had wanted to be left alone and he was getting it.
And he kept getting it.
As advertised, Liam didn’t say a word the entire period. When the teacher did roll, she simply called Liam’s name, looked in his direction, then checked him off the list. When the students around them started breaking off into conversations, Liam didn’t even look up from whatever he was working on. When there was a break for lunch, Liam didn’t move. It was like he was in his own little world.
When the bell rang, Liam didn’t even acknowledge it except for the cessation of his writing, his hand going still on the paper, pulling away so he could cap the pen. Zayn stood up and grabbed his bag in silence, waiting for the rest of the room to clear out before stepping towards the door, not willing to chance another ambush like earlier.
On his way past Liam’s desk, he couldn’t help but glance down to see what the other boy had been working on so intensely, and was shocked to see a single sheet of notebook paper, covered almost entirely in black ink: loops and curves and angles, doodles and scratched out words, hardly any white left. He didn’t have any idea what to make of it.
He walked to his art class going over Liam’s curious actions in his head, knowing he should be trying to forget them but overall not succeeding. Nothing else during the day had managed to catch his attention so it was impossible not to dwell.
He placed his pencil above a fresh sheet of sketch paper, grateful for the outlet, and let his mind’s eye recreate the object of his fascination. A rough approximation of Liam’s hunched form appeared on the page and Zayn bit his own lip as he looked down at the picture. There was something he couldn’t quite put his finger on, but he decided it was better not to get involved. If Liam was content to spend his time filling a page with aimless scribbles, who was Zayn to stop him?
But, Zayn realized, adding a few more details to the drawing and thinking back to the tightness that had been in Liam’s hand, perhaps the scribbles hadn’t been so aimless after all.
---
Appropriately shunned by the masses after his consistent brush-offs and blatant refusals of their attention, Zayn ended up permanently sitting by Liam in both free period and in their shared first period English class. Not that that was to say Zayn was only sitting by him because he had to. In fact, Zayn knew he would’ve chosen to stay there regardless, considering Liam was the only person who caught Zayn’s interest in the entire school (for the right reasons, anyway). They still hadn’t exchanged a single word between them, but Zayn felt like he had been accepted either way.
Because after a few days, Zayn had come to recognize Liam’s doodling as some kind of a coping mechanism, and Liam hadn’t felt the need to destroy a paper in at least two weeks, spending his free period working on actual papers and worksheets instead. He no longer tensed when Zayn sat beside him, or flinched when Zayn leaned closer to dig in his bag. Zayn felt like he had begun to enter the outskirts of Liam’s exclusive world.
Sure, the first few weeks had been rough, with Liam acting cagey and Zayn not understanding what the hell was going on, but things had since settled down. And Zayn felt pretty special for having gotten to that point. He had no idea why he felt that way. But he did. And couldn’t be fucked to read into it anymore than that.
They had a routine, after all. One where Zayn would sit down and pull out his things, start working on whatever assignments he had that day, and Liam would glance at him out of the corner of his eye before slowly reaching down and pulling out his own things, pencil scratching slowly at the pages of whatever workbook or notebook he had chosen to take out. There was never any conversation, but the silence was comfortable and relaxing for both of them.
They had a routine and Zayn liked it, it gave him something to look forward to and a chance to clear his head.
Which is why he was a bit blindsided when one day the teacher got a phone call, frowned, and looked over in his and Liam’s direction.
“Liam?” She called.
Liam slowly lifted his head from the workbook he had been filling in, not quite meeting her eyes but acknowledging that he had heard.
“Mr. Drugery wants you to come to his room right away. He says to bring your things and that you’ll be staying there the rest of class.”
Zayn frowned. Mr. Drugery wasn’t particularly liked by any of the students, and not just because he taught maths, but because he tended to be a royal asshole. Zayn glanced over to where Liam was slowly gathering his things and felt a pang of sympathy for the boy, knowing he was probably in for an hour and a half of boredom and misery.
He tried to ignore the way Liam’s hands seemed to be shaking against the straps of his backpack as he made his way towards the door and averted his eyes to the back of the room instead, tuning out the quiet (and one-sided) conversation going on between Liam and the teacher at the doorway and listening in on some of his classmates instead.
“God, again? How is he even in class with the rest of us?”
“I’m just surprised he hasn’t been called in already. He actually made it a whole three weeks of the semester before failing out this time.”
Zayn felt his jaw clench as the whispers continued to grow around him.
“Shouldn’t he be in a special school? I mean, it’s almost pathetic to watch him try to struggle through normal classes.”
“I heard his parents got him enrolled in the primary school program and refuse to take him out. My mum works in the office, she says it was all pretty dodgy, how it happened.”
“Figures.”
There were a few more scoffs and noises of agreement but the conversation died out as their teacher returned to the room, taking up her spot at the front desk as Zayn’s vision went red. His hands clenched into fists and he forced himself to take deep breaths, knowing it would be stupid to start a fight in the middle of a classroom. But he wanted to yell, to scream, to punch, to do something to let out the anger that had grown into a furious roar inside his chest. They had no right to say those things about Liam. They had no right to laugh as if Liam’s situation was some kind of joke.
Taking another tight breath, Zayn forced himself to let it go. He wouldn’t fight. He wouldn’t yell. At least not yet.
He’d give them the benefit of the doubt just this once. He’d try to get Liam to explain what was happening. He’d just have to restrain himself until that time came.
---
“Hey, Liam.” Zayn said, trying to come off as casual even though he was freaking out on the inside. Because this was the first time he was even trying to talk to Liam, and he had no idea whether or not Liam would even talk back. (He really, really hoped he’d talk back.)
He dropped his bag between their desks and considered it a small victory that Liam turned his head to watch as he sat down, acknowledging that Zayn had spoken. Zayn cleared his throat then angled his shoulders. (But only so he was facing Liam a little bit, not entirely. He felt like he probably shouldn’t come off too strong or intimidating if this was going to work.)
“So,” he hedged, giving both of them a moment to settle into the situation before diving right in. “We’ve been sitting by each other for awhile and I guess we’ve never really talked…but I wanted to ask you a question.”
Liam didn’t say anything but he didn’t turn away either, just kept looking at Zayn with these wide brown eyes, bottom lip caught between his teeth. Zayn would take that as a good ahead.
“I just wanted to know…and you don’t have to answer if it’s, like, invasive, you know?...but I wanted to know if you’re bullied? Cos, like, the other day some kids said some shit and I- is that, like, is that normal?”
Liam tilted his head a bit and furrowed his brow, lifting a single eyebrow in Zayn’s direction as if he was confused, or possibly in disbelief.
Zayn tried to look as earnest as possible.
Finally, Liam’s face smoothed out and he gave Zayn a little nod before looking away and digging in his bag, setting a workbook on his desk and pulling out a pencil. As if that was all he was going to respond on the matter. Zayn wasn’t quite as ready to let it go.
“Wait, so like, that happens a lot? Why haven’t you said anything?”
Hand freezing, Liam slowly turned back to look at him and gave him a face like Zayn had suddenly grown a second head. Then he shrugged. He fucking shrugged.
Zayn wanted to kill something.
Or at least knock the blocks off the bastards who thought it was funny to pick on someone who was a bit different. Hell, Liam didn’t even really do anything. In fact, he actively avoided everyone else in school. It was like picking on a bunny or something, completely unjustified. And yet they had somehow managed to make it so normalized that Liam didn’t feel the need to tell, shrugged it off as easily as one would shrug off a rainstorm.
But Zayn’s hands were tied. Starting a fight wouldn’t help anything if that kind of bullying behavior was habit for the other kids. If it had been happening since before Zayn had transferred, it would continue happening if he got himself expelled.
If he truly wanted to change something, he would have to stay and do it himself.
And that was the exact day Zayn vowed to himself to do whatever it took to protect Liam. But not with his fists. If he was going to stay by Liam’s side, he was going to have to guard him with the weaponry his teenage status gave him: sharp words, sharper glares, and a cloud of hormonal angst and attitude that threatened to rain hellfire down on any who dared get too close.
---
The final bell rang and Zayn took his time grabbing his bag, making his way up the tiered steps up the room with an unhurried pace and ignoring the flurry of movement around him as the other students rushed to leave the room. They had things to do and people to see, but so did Zayn. His just required a bit more patience.
The teacher smiled at him knowingly as he finally pulled his bag onto his shoulder, still at the back of the room when the door opened up just enough to let Liam slip through. Their eyes connected for just a moment, but it was enough for Zayn to see the slow smile creeping across Liam’s face and feel a matching one start to grow on his own. His and Liam’s friendship had continued to move forward at a steady pace since that first conversation (and even though Liam still hadn’t said a word, Zayn considered their exchanges no different than ones he’d have with his family or other students). Which is why, when Zayn discovered that Liam worked as a teacher’s aid in the performing arts department during his choir class, Zayn waited after class for Liam so that they could walk out of school together. The practice had become seamlessly added to their routine.
He walked to the door and leaned against the frame while he waited for Liam to finish handing off whatever work he had been doing during the period. Considering the upcoming concert and the size paper Liam was holding, it was probably the prototype brochures for the performance- the ones that listed all of the students’ names and what they were singing. The teacher took them and gave Liam a smile, promising to get back to him with the selected design, and Liam nodded once before turning and walking towards the door.
He stopped when he reached Zayn’s side and glanced back at the teacher, giving her a wave. Expecting Liam to duck out quick as possible as usual, Zayn held open the door and waited, mouth opening slightly in shock when Liam instead stared him right in the eyes. The seconds felt like hours with Liam inspecting his face so intensely, searching for something Zayn wasn’t sure how to show. He settled for swallowing nervously then lifting an eyebrow in question. Liam’s mouth curled into a small smile and then he was through the door, walking slowly so that Zayn could catch up once his mind started working again.
Zayn took his place at Liam’s side as they made their way through the now mostly empty halls, lost in his thoughts as he considered what Liam’s earlier staring could mean. Had he done something differently? He didn’t think so, and Liam had made no move to correct him. Maybe Liam had just had a good day? That was possible, but still not anything Zayn could know for sure. Heaving a sigh, he shook his head and decided not to worry about it. Liam was still with him so obviously it wasn’t anything too terrible. He could deal with it later if need be.
A few minutes later and they had left the halls and the school behind. They arrived at the intersection a block away where they usually parted ways, and Zayn turned to nod his goodbye when he was surprised for the second time that day. Liam was staring at him intently, brow furrowed and lip beneath his teeth as his gaze flickered across Zayn’s face. One of his hands came up to clutch the strap of his bag and the other tangled in the hem of his shirt, clenching and unclenching in the fabric.
Understanding something was about to happen, Zayn rocked back on his heels and cocked his head at Liam curiously, aiming for an open and encouraging expression. Finally, Liam released his lower lip and sucked in a breath. “Z-Zayn…”
Both of Zayn’s eyebrows flew up, and his mouth opened slightly before he quickly snapped it shut. He had to be smooth about this. It was a huge deal, but he couldn’t make it awkward, couldn’t be condescending or mocking. So, he smiled and let out a simple, “Vas happenin?”
“I…” Liam continued, shirt now a wrinkled mess where he was gripping it half to death. “You…” He huffed and dug down on his lip again, obviously frustrated. Zayn wasn’t sure what the correct protocol was here, if he was supposed to wait or try to figure out what he was trying to say or…well, he just didn’t know.
He gave Liam a few more moments then decided to try to help with a bit of prompting. Hopefully Liam wasn’t going to be offended. “What’s up, mate? You want to ask me something?”
Liam’s expression softened and he nodded at Zayn gratefully.
“Alright well, is it like a question? A favor?” Liam shook his head so Zayn scratched the back of his neck. “Let’s see… Request? Advice?” Then, seeing the frustration growing on Liam’s face and daring himself a moment of hope, he asked, “An invitation?”
Liam’s eyes brightened and he nodded. Then, he pointed over his shoulder. “Follow…me…?”
Running over the assignments he had due the next day and whether or not his mum would be needing him to watch the girls, Zayn decided it would be alright to go with Liam for a couple of hours. Which, hallelujah, because if something had prevented him from going he would’ve felt like a royal asshole and probably regretted it for the rest of his life.
“Lead the way,” he said, matching Liam’s small smile with his own.
Before long, they were walking down a street Zayn had been to with his family a few times before. There were different shops and restaurants on the ground level but Liam wasn’t paying them any mind. He kept walking forward with a focused expression then abruptly stopped at the entryway to a small eatery, nearly causing Zayn to run into his back.
Zayn eyed the inside of the restaurant through the windows. “Are you hungry?” Zayn asked. Lunch break had only been a few hours ago but they were growing boys and all that so he supposed it wasn’t too odd. But Liam shook his head with an amused glint to his eyes then pushed open the door, walking underneath the jingling bell and straight past the little sign that said Please Wait to be Seated. “Um, Liam?” Zayn asked, following behind the boy and looking around himself awkwardly as they worked towards the back of the small place. “Are you sure we should be-”
“Liam!” A voice suddenly shouted into the mostly quiet space, causing Zayn to jump in surprise but Liam to smile and practically run in the direction of the sound.
“Uncle…Ash…” Liam said in response, with just enough extra volume to it that Zayn figured it was Liam’s version of yelling.
The taller man wrapped Liam into a tight hug then ruffled his hair. “How’re you doing today? Good?”
Liam nodded then glanced back to Zayn, causing the older man with him to do the same. Surprise flickered across the man’s face but was quickly overcome with a wide smile. “You brought a friend?” Liam nodded and the man stepped forward, holding out a hand which Zayn shook. “I’m Liam’s uncle, Ashton.”
“Zayn.”
“Zayn.” Ashton repeated. “Well, it’s awesome to meet you.”
“Uh, same.” Zayn said, still in a bit of shock. It wasn’t made any better when another man pushed out of the kitchen and immediately came over, setting down his tray of full plates with a loud clatter before pulling Liam into a headlock.
Then another man came out of nowhere, frowning slightly and shaking his head. “I swear, Calum, if you break anymore plates…”
The darker haired man who still had Liam trapped beneath a rather impressive bicep smirked and gestured to his tray. “Not even a crack.”
“Just be more careful, please.” The man sighed, then turned to Liam. “Hey Liam, how’s it going?”
Liam smiled, about to open his mouth and say something when he was interrupted by a shout from the kitchen. “Calum, where the hell are you?”
“Out here! Liam just got in!”
“Liam?” A head of wild electric blue hair popped out of the kitchen, accompanied by a wide smile that soon dropped into a scowl as he made his way over. “Stop hogging him, you bastards.” He rather unceremoniously plowed Ashton and Calum out of the way in order to crush Liam in a hug of his own.
“Ahh, I’m so glad you’re here, Liam. Luke’s been a real grump all day, go turn on the charm and see if you can’t get him to leave us alone.” The second part of that had been spoken lowly, but not enough to really mask any of what was being said, which Zayn assumed was intentional based on the impish look on the man’s face.
“I’m not grumpy, Michael.” The third man, who Zayn guessed was Luke, grumbled. “You’re all just immature.”
“Says the youngest one here besides Liam.” Michael laughed.
At that point, Zayn was feeling a bit out of place. He didn’t know where he was, or why Liam had brought him there. Don’t get him wrong, it was amazing seeing Liam so comfortable around people but at the same time it made something in Zayn’s chest constrict. Because as much as he’d liked to think of himself as Liam’s friend, it was now painfully clear he still had a long way to go.
“Guys, guys, shut up for a second. Liam has someone to introduce to you.” Ashton caught Zayn’s eye and winked encouragingly, as if he had somehow been able to sense Zayn’s growing unease. Suddenly, three more pairs of eyes were trained on his face as Liam wormed his way out of Michael’s hold to come stand by his side.
“This…” He began slowly. “Is Zayn…”
Something like recognition flickered across Michael’s face but it was Calum who said, “The one from school?”
Liam nodded.
“The one you’ve been telling us about?”
Liam flushed but nodded again. Zayn felt something start to burn hot in the pit of his stomach. Liam talked about him? Enough so that his name was recognizable?
“Well fuck, glad to finally meet you.” Michael clapped Zayn on the shoulder. “Michael, by the way. Liam’s favorite uncle.”
“Whatever,” Calum rolled his eyes then looked to Zayn to say, “Just ignore him. And I’m Calum, the cool uncle.”
“And I’m Luke,” A tall man stepped forward and held out his hand. Zayn shook it. “I’m probably the boring uncle. But only because I’m not as insane as the rest of them.”
“Yup, he’s just a big dork.” Calum smiled.
“You’re all…dorks…” Liam put it.
“Oh ho ho, so that’s how it is?” Michael said. “Well just for that I’m putting you on dish duty. But between you and me, that’s just because Luke and I are tired of having to replace the ones Calum keeps breaking.”
“Hey!”
“Shut up, you know it’s true.” Michael wrapped an arm around Liam’s shoulder then began tugging him towards the kitchens. “Now finish delivering those orders then get back to work. Liam won’t be able to help pull your weight today since he’ll be keeping his friend company.”
Calum grumbled but complied, picking up the tray and heading on his way. Luke smiled gratefully at Michael’s retreating back before turning to Ashton, “Are you okay looking over the place for an hour? I have to go check on some inventory.”
Ashton nodded, Luke left, and just like that Zayn was left standing in the middle of a restaurant with a man he’d just met ten minutes ago staring at him like he was some kind of puzzle.
“So you’re Zayn.” Ashton finally said, leaning a hip onto a nearby table and crossing his arms loosely over his chest.
Still dazed from the whirlwind of activity that had just occurred, it took Zayn a moment before he realized he was being scrutinized, and had no idea why. Well, okay, he had some idea why. “Yeah,” he said, straightening slightly. If this was going to be some kind of test, Zayn could only pray he was prepared. He felt like he’d been thrown to the lions.
“You and Liam have class together, right?”
Zayn nodded. “Our free period, English, and he’s a teacher’s aid when I’m in choir.”
“And Liam said you came here at the start of this semester?”
“Yeah, I transferred schools during the break.” He shifted on his feet, unsure of how much detail he should go into, but Ashton saved him the trouble.
“So how’re you liking it so far? I know changing schools can be tough, have you been making friends and all that?”
Zayn shrugged. “It’s alright. School’s school, you know? I’ve mostly just been hanging out with Liam.”
At that, Ashton’s eyebrows lifted. “Oh really? So you two are close?”
“Well, we’re mostly just comfortable with each other. Like, we're cool just sharing space.”
“I see,” Ashton hummed. “Well, you’re the first person he’s ever brought here.” He let the comment settle heavily between them and Zayn shifted in his spot, wishing Liam would come out and save him.
The irony of that sentiment stunned him for a moment. Because yeah, Liam was a lot more creative and talented than most people gave him credit for, he was gifted and smart in so many ways, but never in a million years did Zayn think he’d be praying for Liam to come get him out of a social situation. A wave of shame washed over him at the thought. Because how was he any different than the jerks who looked down at Liam at school if he didn’t believe in Liam either?
Zayn averted his eyes to the floor, suddenly unable to look Ashton in the face. It felt infinitely more wrong for him to be standing there, in Liam’s personal world.
But, realizing he still hadn’t answered Ashton, Zayn forced himself to smile weakly and shrug. “Don’t know why, Liam’s great. Anyone would be lucky to be his friend.”
Ashton nodded in agreement. “Yeah, but you’re the first one who’s even tried. And for that, I want to thank you.” He put a hand on Zayn’s shoulder and squeezed, drawing his eyes up. “I mean that. You’re a good kid, Zayn.”
Zayn swallowed nervously but was saved having to answer by a shout from the kitchen.
“Calum, what the fuck are you even doing?”
“I’m getting the fridge ready for the new shipment.” Came a muffled and rather contrite voice.
“No, you’re making a mess. That’s not how we organize things. The vegetables do not go next to the fish and what the hell are you doing with that chicken?”
“Whatever I want.” Calum sniffed. “Besides, you gave my job to Liam so what else am I supposed to do?”
“Okay no, I’d rather deal with buying new dishes than reorganizing the entire fridge. Liam, you’re free to go. Calum, get to scrubbing.”
Moments later, Liam came tumbling out the door, pushed by an unseen force into the dining area where he immediately looked up and smiled sheepishly in Zayn’s direction. Zayn’s breath caught in his throat, releasing in a whoosh when Liam came to stand beside him.
“Hey Liam,” He smiled softly.
Liam nudged his shoulder gently into Zayn’s, grinning then pointing to a table at the back of the restaurant where they soon settled to work on some of their assignments. But every once in a while Liam would look up and meet his eye, or even laugh quietly at something Zayn had said. Liam’s uncles came and went, adding bits of conversation that gave Zayn even more glimpses of what Liam was like when he was truly comfortable in his environment. And he’d never felt luckier before.
---
“Alright, the bell’s about to ring so if you’d all start packing up your supplies please.” Zayn glanced up at the teacher’s words, shocked that it was already the end of the day. He was finished with his major project but had started on a smaller piece, and still had a few finishing touches to add until it was perfect. So he went up and asked for a favor, then took to the halls as soon as the bell rang in order to try to find Liam at his locker.
Fortunately, Zayn arrived just as Liam was swinging the metal door shut. “Liam!” He called, causing more than a few heads to turn as he quickened his pace to reach Liam’s side.
Liam watched him curiously.
“I was wondering if you had a bit of time? After school today, I mean.”
Liam lifted an eyebrow.
“I’m working on a project for art and I could use your help. Just, like, help me focus kind of.” The lie was small, and hardly even a lie, more of a slight modification of the truth.
Liam chewed on his lip for a moment, then hoisted his bag farther up his shoulder and nodded. So Zayn led the way back to the art room, pulling out a chair for Liam before sitting back in his own seat directly across from the boy.
“So,” Zayn started, pausing a moment to bite a pen between his teeth and pull off the cap. “I’ve noticed you wear a lot of superhero t-shirts, comic book fan?”
Liam nodded and Zayn put his pen to paper, drawing in details as Liam gnawed at his lip. “Me and my…dad…read them…together…”
Zayn hummed thoughtfully, careful to keep his expression neutral even though he was cheering on the inside. “Oh really? Do you have a favorite?”
“Bat…man…” Liam said. Then he reached into his bag and pulled out his pencil case, which did in fact have a Batman insignia decorating the front. How Zayn had missed that before he didn’t know. “Batman…is just a…normal…person…” Liam went on, then stopped abruptly, chewing at his lip long enough that Zayn lifted his eyes and set down his pen.
“Just a normal person?” He asked. “Yeah, I suppose. But he still does some pretty amazing things. Goes to show you don't need to be able to fly or crush buildings to be a superhero.”
And then it hit him, just how special a hero Batman was, even if Liam hadn’t been able to articulate it clearly himself. Looking down at his drawing, he decided it could use a few more additions, like a cape, and maybe even some spandex underwear, before being handed off to its unknowing model.
---
“Louis, was that the door?”
Zayn stood in the hallway of Liam’s building, fidgeting slightly with his jacket as he listened to the commotion on the other side of the door.
“I don’t know, maybe. Liam! Liam did you buzz Zayn in?”
There was a faint click in front of him as a lock was turned and then the door was swinging open, revealing Liam and a medium sized black and white dog that immediately jumped on Zayn’s legs.
As the dog barked and turned away to weave through their legs, a middle-aged man appeared in the entryway. “I’ll take that as a yes,” He strode closer and held out one hand for Zayn to shake with the other grabbed the dog by the collar and sat it down at their feet. “You must be Zayn. I’m Mr. Tomlinson.”
Zayn quickly hid his shock at the name and shook the man’s hand. He’d assumed the man was Liam’s father but he knew Liam’s last name was Styles. Besides, he had heard another voice and had also already met four of Liam’s uncles so it was possible the boy just had a very big family. Or there could be some other reason for the name difference. Not like he could expect Liam to have explained his personal family business to him beforehand.
He was probably thinking too much into it.
He made it through the door and toed off his shoes before Mr. Tomlinson handed the dog over to Liam and walked back around the corner, responding to a call of, “Louis, could you come help me for a second please?”
Liam gave him a smile then glanced down when the dog jerked slightly at his hold, wanting to get back to Zayn to sniff and jump no doubt. “This…is Loki…” Liam explained. Loki gave a bark and tried again to get to Zayn but Liam gave a firm tug on his collar and sat him down with a murmured, “Sit...”
“Just as eager to get into things as his namesake, I see.” Zayn joked, bending down to scratch the dog behind its ears once it had settled down. Liam hummed his agreement then turned back towards the kitchen just in time for another man to poke his head around the corner. Zayn was immediately struck by the resemblance and he stood quickly in order to shake the other man’s hand as he approached.
“Zayn, right?” The man started, followed by a soft smile at Zayn’s nod in response. “Mr. Styles, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“You too,” Zayn said. “And thanks for having me over.”
“Of course, it’s not a problem. I heard from Liam that you don’t eat most meat so I made chicken salad for dinner, is that alright?”
“Oh, uh, yeah that’s fine. But you really didn’t have to-”
Harry quickly waved him off. “Oh please, it wasn’t any trouble. Besides, it’s one of Liam’s favorites as well.”
“Alright, well, thank you.”
“Not a problem,” Mr. Styles said, then turned to Liam. “Why don’t you go ahead and show him around and whatever it is you wanted to do, dinner won’t be ready for another hour.” Liam nodded and his dad disappeared with a final smile in Zayn’s direction.
Which had to be a good sign, right? Smiling was always a good sign. Zayn blew out a breath and let Liam lead him down the hall, telling himself to get it together the whole way because he shouldn’t even be nervous. There was no reason to. It was just him and Liam hanging out, studying, and having some dinner. Nothing wrong with that. Just two boys, two friend boys, boy friends…Zayn cut his eyes to Liam as they made it into his room. Liam’s bed against the far wall. No chairs. Zayn swallowed thickly and pushed all thoughts from his head, focusing instead on not making a complete arse of himself.
Just two friends spending some time together.
He was so screwed.
“So,” Zayn cleared his throat, looking around the room a bit before turning back to Liam. “This is your room?”
Liam nodded and Zayn hummed in response, giving himself more time to take in the movie posters on the walls and the stacks of CDs, DVDs, and comics lined up neatly in shelves around the room. “Pretty sick, guess you weren’t kidding about being into all the superhero stuff, huh?”
Liam nodded again. “I also…like music…”
“Yeah, can see that too.” He eyed the strange piece of equipment sitting in the far corner of the room and pointed to it. “That part of the music thing? It looks kind of like a mix table.”
“Yeah…” Liam said. “I like…to make my…own stuff…”
“Do you sing then? Play an instrument?”
Liam smiled ruefully, obviously seeing through Zayn’s ploy at not being too presumptuous about the singing. “Guitar…” He then reached under the bed and pulled out an acoustic one, placing it on his lap and going through a few chords with his head tilted to the side and his curls falling into his face. Zayn’s fingers twitched with the urge to draw but he held them in check, feeling like this moment could go in a different direction entirely.
“Do you know any songs, then?”
Liam stopped what he’d been doing, paused, then picked up strumming, fingers outlining the first chord progression to what Zayn quickly recognized as some ballad he’d heard recently on the radio. And consequently, thankfully, knew the words to.
Once Liam got around to the first verse, Zayn joined him, singing softly over what Liam had started. The next chord was slightly off, an errant jerk of hand caused by Liam looking over to Zayn in surprise, but Liam immediately recovered, playing a little louder so that Zayn could lift his voice as well.
Zayn smiled as he sang, closing his eyes and letting the music bring him closer to Liam than he’d ever been before. Because like this, Liam didn’t need words. They could connect without Liam having to struggle. It made Zayn itch to find more ways of getting closer and he resolved to think of anything he could.
The song ended and Zayn let out a sigh. “You’re really good,” He bumped Liam with his knee. “Any other secret talents I should know about?”
The flush that rose up the back of Liam’s neck was breathtaking, and Zayn forced himself to bite his lip and meet Liam’s eyes to wait for an actual response. A task Liam made infinitely more difficult by licking and chewing at his own lip before shaking his head. “Not unless…you count…knowing every single…Batman comic…ever made…and Superman…and most…of Marvel…”
“Yeah,” Zayn smirked. “I’d consider that a talent. That something you inherited from your dad? Is this some kind of super comic-nerd gene?”
Liam smiled and shook his head. “Not…that dad…”
Zayn lifted an eyebrow. “That dad?”
“Not…my biol-biolg-” Liam huffed in frustration and tightened his hold on his guitar, making the wood of the neck creak.
“Not your biological father?”
Liam nodded. “My other…dad…likes comics…My b-…first…dad doesn’t…”
“Okay.” Zayn nodded, still not quite getting it but at the same time not wanting to pry. He assumed Liam having a biological and non-biological father would mean he was adopted, since it would be a little out of the ordinary for him to end up with a step-dad had there been a divorce. But the second man he’d met that night had looked way too much like Liam for it to be a coincidence.
Liam seemed to sense his confusion and he leant over to grab a picture frame from his bedside table, holding it up for Zayn to see. In it was a picture of Liam as a toddler, being held between younger versions of the two men he’d just met.
“That…” Liam said, pointing to the man to the left, the one who had greeted Zayn first at the door. “That’s the…one…who likes comics…” Then he pointed to the man actually holding him, the one with curly hair and a wide smile. “That’s…my other…dad…”
“Oooh,” Zayn nodded. “Alright, I get it now.” He smiled at Liam and made some automated quip of how cute Liam looked as a kid but on the inside he was dying just a bit. Or a lot, actually. Because even though he had never actually thought it’d be a huge deal, he’d worried from the beginning of his and Liam’s friendship that his sexuality might become an issue.
Especially since his sexuality had lead him to be particularly appreciative of Liam’s pink lips and warm eyes as of late. So that was some pressure lifted off his shoulders.
Only to make room for an entire floodgate of new possibilities opening and spilling all over him.
His internal crisis was interrupted by a knock on the doorframe, followed by Mr. Tomlinson telling them to come to the table for dinner.
Sitting at the table beside Liam, Zayn could feel both of Liam’s fathers sneak glances at him throughout the meal. Mr. Styles for the most part asked basic questions and told stories about his day at work and kept eye contact with Zayn through socially acceptable means. And Mr. Tomlinson was no less obvious with his staring, but a lot less chatty. Any time Zayn was speaking, he was being stared at, any time Harry was speaking to him, he was being stared at. He felt like some kind of puzzle on display.
Harry was taking his time and having fun figuring out the challenge in front of him but Louis was trying to learn all of his secrets through sheer force of will alone. And that was more than a little intimidating. Zayn got the feeling that Louis was the one with the baseball bat hidden under the bed, ready to send anyone who hurt his baby to the emergency room.
It did nothing to calm Zayn’s racing nerves.
He felt like the older man could sense that Zayn liked his son, that Zayn like liked his son. And considering Zayn himself was still working on dealing with and possibility sharing that reality, he was less than thrilled.
But he smiled and ate his food, nodded and laughed in the right places, answered all their questions as best he could, and when the plates where cleared and he and Liam where back in Liam’s room, he finally let himself flop back on the bed in relief.
The last thing he’d expected when Liam had invited him for dinner a few days ago, struggling but determined with Zayn’s drawing tucked carefully into his bag, was to be so overwhelmed. He had so much new information to process through, so many more possibilities and explanations…but he could save all of that for later.
Turning his head to the side and curving his lips in a lazy smile, he looked up at Liam and said, “So, on a scale of one to ten, how do you think I did?”
Liam laughed lightly and poked Zayn’s side. “You definitely…passed…”
Zayn wasn’t as sure as Liam seemed to be but he took the reassurance for what it was and clung. Because he was going to need all of the reassurance he could get if he was going to try to figure out what was going on between them, and maybe act on it down the road.
---
“Hey Liam,” Zayn called, shifting his weight slightly so that he looped around where Liam was seated on a bench. “Do you know when the next Marvel film is coming out?”
Liam waited for Zayn to make his next pass to say, “May…16th…”
Zayn pushed off the ground with his foot to pick up some speed. “We’re going right?”
“Of…course…” Liam smiled, turning to watch as Zayn came to a stop and flipped up his board. He scootched over on the bench as Zayn approached so that the other boy could flop down beside him.
The park they were sitting in was a new discovery, somewhere Zayn had found where he could skateboard and Liam would have somewhere somewhat comfortable to sit, instead of the hard, cracked pavement of a parking lot edge. It was more peaceful, too, Zayn had to admit. Nature around them and without the constant need to be looking for cars or the grumpy elderly.
They slipped easily into the companionable silence that followed them everywhere they went, whether it be in the halls between classes or tucked away in Liam’s room with stacks of comics and snacks from Mr. Styles. And it worked well. For both of them.
Zayn had always been a more reserved individual, preferring and in some ways needing time to himself in the quiet. But he liked the times they did talk as well, discussing movies and teachers and anything at all. Zayn continued to draw Liam at frequent intervals, and Liam continued to invite Zayn into his private world.
And even though Liam tended to choose not to talk at all, either nodding or gesturing to get across what he wanted, they hardly had any problems communicating anymore. Zayn felt like he had already mastered Liam’s unique brand of communication and it gave him a smug sense of satisfaction when they would talk in school and other students would stare. Because yeah, Liam was fantastic, and it was their own fault for not realizing it sooner.
When he told Liam as much, the other boy had laughed in surprise then shoved Zayn lightly with his shoulder, shaking his head in disbelief. But there hadn’t been an argument. Liam knew how much Zayn cared, how much he truly believed in those words, so he let it be. The same way Liam got a certain gleam in his eye whenever Zayn turned away other people’s advances, offers for changing lunch tables or seats in class. They had become a single entity without even realizing it, an unbreakable ZaynandLiam, LiamandZayn. They fit together in every possible way; two puzzle pieces perfectly in line without room for anything else in between.
And that included no more bullies for Liam, and no more fighting for Zayn. At least, not while the other was around.
The sky darkened overhead and Zayn tipped back his head as the first raindrops started to fall. “Guess that means it’s time to go home,” Zayn sighed, sitting up and running a hand through his hair. He didn’t want to go home. It was Friday evening, and since Liam was taking a weekend trip with his dads, it meant he wouldn’t see Liam until Monday morning before school when Zayn picked him up outside his apartment building.
Liam just shook his head. “Rain…never hurt…anybody…” Then he smiled. “That's just what…parents…say to keep…mud off…floors…”
Zayn laughed at the explanation and settled back down against the bench, flinging an arm around Liam’s shoulders for good measure as he tipped his head back to the sky. “Then we’ll stay. In honor of all the children who want to be outside.”
Beside him, Liam smiled up into the rain.
---
Zayn paced in the doorway, back and forth, listening to the ticking of his family’s old clock in the living room like the countdown of a time bomb. Because what the fuck had he been thinking?
Well, he knew what he’d been thinking. He and Liam had been comfortably sprawled across the floor together, a comic book balanced against each of their chests, and Mr. Styles had just dropped off a fresh plate of apple slices when it suddenly struck Zayn that he wanted Liam to feel comfortable in his home as well. It had become so second nature for Zayn to walk through Liam’s front door, shuck off his shoes and jacket, and just make his way to Liam’s room with a shouted hello to whichever of his dads was home, that his own mum stared at him in confusion more often than not if he went home straight after school or didn’t end up at Liam’s after dinner. He had well and truly integrated Liam into his life, and Liam had allowed Zayn to become a part of his exclusive little world.
But Zayn wanted Liam to feel welcome in Zayn’s world as well.
It was a sappy notion, one that he didn’t think completely through, but he had already asked and Liam had already accepted and it was going to happen one way or another so he’d just have to suck it up and take responsibility. And that wasn’t to say he didn’t want Liam there. No, he’d still give anything to bring Liam further into his life. But as soon as he’d made it home and asked his mum when the best date would be for Liam to come over for dinner and she’d started going on about how nice it’d be for the family to finally have a chance to meet him, he’d realized his mistake.
Liam wasn’t just going to be introduced to Zayn’s world; he was going to be introduced to Zayn’s family. All five of them at once. Liam was probably going to kill him. Or he’d die from his own guilt.
The bell rang and Zayn rushed to get the door, opening it and ushering Liam inside so he could help him with his jacket and shoes, studiously ignoring the tension already in the other boy’s shoulders. He’d told his family to let Zayn come to them, that he’d let Liam get used to the house first and then he’d introduce them one at a time. Thankfully, they seemed to be heeding his advice. He didn’t need Liam to feel anymore uncomfortable than he already was.
“So,” He started, hoping Liam didn’t pick up on the way his voice was shaking. He had to stay calm. If Liam was going to be anxious, Zayn had to make sure to be his rock. “This is the entryway, obviously, through here is the living room…” He led the way through the door and stopped so Liam could take in his surroundings. “That’s my dad.”
His father looked up from the show he had been watching and nodded in their direction. “Hello Liam, it’s nice to meet you.” He waited for Liam to nod in response and then calmly turned back to his show, not pushing for more conversation. A wave of relief washed over Zayn’s shoulders. One down, four to go.
He decided that since the parents tended to be the scariest, he’d get them over with first. Besides, if they went to his mum early enough, she’d be too busy working on dinner to try to talk too much.
“Hello, boys!” His mum called, adjusting something on the stove before turning to smile at the both of them. “And you must be Liam.”
There was only a few seconds of hesitation before Liam nodded and got out a, “Yes…ma’am…”
“Oh please,” His mum laughed. “Just call me Mrs. Malik, or even Tricia if you’d like. But I know it’s weird for kids your age to be calling someone old as me by their first name.” She gave them a wink then seemed to suddenly remember something. “Oh right, I don’t know if Zayn told you but we’re having pasta salad for dinner. Is that alright?”
Liam nodded again, hands moving to grip at his shirt but nothing Zayn considered a sign of Liam being too uncomfortable to continue.
“Brilliant, it’ll be ready in half an hour. I’ll have one of your sisters call you down if you’re not already here.”
Zayn walked over and pulled her into a quick hug, murmuring, “thanks, mum” into her ear before pulling away. Everything they were going to be eating was simple, easy, and hopefully familiar to Liam. And she’d listened to Zayn’s warning against spoons as well, even though she’d looked at him a bit perplexedly at the time. He breathed another sigh of relief. Two down…And if he was lucky, they could avoid his sisters until dinner was-
“Zayn!”
He suppressed a groan as he heard the thunder of feet coming down the stairs and through the hall, shooting Liam what he hoped was a reassuring look before stooping down to catch his youngest sister as she rocketed into his arms.
“Hey, Safaa.” He smiled. His other two sisters entered the kitchen moments after, his oldest sister, Doniya, pulling Safa back into her legs as soon as Zayn set her down.
There was an awkward pause where all three girls stared at him expectantly before Zayn jerked and shook his head, “Right, uh, this is Liam. Liam, these are my sisters: Doniya, Waliyha, and Safaa.”
He hadn’t even completely finished the sentence before Safa was speaking over him. “You’re Zayn’s friend, right? The one he goes to see all the time? He’s hardly even home anymore so he must like you a lot. So you must be really fun. Are you really fun? What do you like to do?”
Zayn looked over to Liam, feeling his heart sink when he saw how Liam’s fingers where frantically clenching and unclenching in the hem of his shirt. He reached out and put a gentle hand on Liam’s waist. Liam didn’t even react. And his sisters were no help, just staring between the two of them and making the situation infinitely more awkward as silence settled in the room.
Squeezing Liam’s waist again, Zayn cleared his throat and started to pull Liam behind him as he spoke, putting himself between Liam and everyone else in the room and moving them towards the door back to the living room. And, hopefully, up the stairs and to his room.
“This is Liam, yes, the one I hang out with all the time. He’s a lot of fun. He likes comics, and movies, and music just like me. So, I’m gonna go ahead and take him upstairs to my room now and show him some of my stuff.”
Without waiting for a response, he maneuvered Liam the rest of the way out the door then headed quickly to his room, letting Liam inside before shutting the door and flicking the lock.
“I’m so sorry, Liam.” Zayn ran a hand through his hair, words falling from his mouth as he watched Liam settle cautiously on his bed. (Which was doing interesting things to his concentration, but he’d dwell on that later.) “I didn’t think this through and I told them to give us space but my sisters are…well, my sisters. And I’m just really, really sorry. I completely understand if you want to go home. It’s fine. We don’t even have to make a big deal of it, I’ll just say we changed our minds and we can go to your place and watch that one X-men film your dad has been wanting to see with us.”
He reached for the door handle but was stopped when Liam let out a simple, “No...”
Zayn felt his heart hit his stomach and swallowed thickly. “Okay, I- I don’t have to come with you. If you just want to be alone for a bit. I’ll just say something came up that you forgot about and it’ll be fine. I just, I’m sorry, I feel so stupid. I’ll go tell my mum now, okay? And then I’ll come back up and we’ll get you on your way home.”
He reached for the door handle again and this time there was a huff, followed by Liam saying his name, drawn out and kind of choked sounding. Like he was crying.
Zayn spun around quickly and rushed over to the bed, ducking down to try and see Liam’s face. “Liam? Liam, are you okay?” He waited a moment, forcing himself to take a few calming breaths before trying again. “Did I say something?” He asked slowly. Liam shook his head, but his shoulders were shaking. Zayn bit his lip. “Did I do something?”
Liam shook his head again. Zayn looked to the ceiling, cursing himself for being such an idiot and contemplating just calling Liam’s parents to help. It was obvious he wasn’t capable of taking care of Liam the way he thought he was.
He nearly jumped out of his skin when Liam suddenly put a hand on his thigh, squeezing it slightly before looking up to finally meet Zayn’s gaze. And Liam wasn’t crying. Maybe there were tears in his eyes, but it was because the little bastard was laughing. Face red and eyes crinkled deeply at the corners as his whole body shook with it.
Zayn didn’t know what to do.
“I- uh,” He stammered. “Do I get to know the joke?”
Liam patted his leg fondly then wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand. “You…You were…so…worried…”
Zayn lifted an eyebrow, not getting in the slightest why that was funny.
Liam sighed, expression softening and becoming more serious. “I want…to stay…” He pushed his hand nervously along the top of his thigh and bit at his lip. “With you and…your family…”
“Really?”
Liam nodded.
“Well…alright. If you’re sure.”
Liam nodded again.
Zayn allowed himself a smile. Maybe the night wasn’t turning out to be perfect, but it at least hadn’t turned into a disaster.
-
When they finally went back downstairs for dinner, Zayn’s entire family seemed much more understanding. His mum in particular gave Zayn a sympathetic smile and arranged the chairs so he and Liam were right beside one another, with an empty seat on Liam’s other side. His sisters were subtly apologetic, keeping conversation going around the table but never forcing Liam to join. It was slightly awkward (ignoring an elephant in the room always is) but handled better than Zayn could’ve hoped for.
It seemed as though Zayn’s warning about Liam being quiet had finally sunk in.
When he’d first told them, they’d all nodded and said it’d be fine and Zayn had been wary. Because Liam wasn’t the normal kind of quiet. But there wasn’t much else he felt he was entitled to say. He wasn’t comfortable making assumptions, after all. And the last thing he wanted was for his family to jump to conclusions or treat Liam any differently.
The clatter of silverware and the constant flow of conversation about which teachers were being pricks and what drama was happening at school and work distracted Zayn enough that when he felt Liam nudge tentatively at his left hand he jolted in surprise. His reaction caused Liam to start pulling away but Zayn immediately reached out and took Liam’s hand in his own, tamping down the blush on his face as he gave it a cautious squeeze.
Liam bit his lip beside him, then took in a breath. And proceeded to tell Zayn’s entire family that Zayn was going to be part of a miniature art show at school. That he was getting attention for being one of the youngest entrants.
And even though Zayn knew he wasn’t going to hear the end of it from his family, both for being chosen and for not telling them, he couldn’t find it in himself to care. Because Liam was next to him, trying his hardest to connect to his family, and that meant more to him than any peace and quiet ever could.
Zayn gave Liam’s hand another squeeze and didn’t let go for the rest of dinner, keeping their fingers entwined beneath the table.
---
Zayn slammed his fists into the bag in front of him, grunting as the blows rippled through his muscles and jarred his arms. The trainer who was spotting him continued his litany of encouragements, holding the bag tight as Zayn continued to pound it with all of his strength. Sweat was dripping down his neck, following the curve of his spine to the waistband of his shorts, streaking across his brow and down his hairline.
Across the room, Liam was in a similar state. Tucked off to the side and working with the owner of the gym, gloves hitting rhythmically against the pads on Paul’s hands. His bottom lip was tucked between his teeth and his brow furrowed, a look of complete concentration as he tried to perfectly emulate the different strikes and punches they’d been taught in the weeks before.
But even though their time training at the gym had been short, Liam had already become stronger. His arms were more muscled, his t-shirts more filled out, and there was an increased confidence to the way he held himself that Zayn couldn’t help but notice. Even some of the other kids at school seemed to realize Liam wasn't the same boy he’d been before and glared at him and Zayn from across the room rather than engaging them head on.
(It probably also helped that Zayn’s obnoxious gaggle of admirers had asked about his improved muscle tone and since spread rumors of his and Liam’s boxing prowess throughout the school.)
So even when Zayn couldn’t walk with Liam to class- or otherwise ward off any asshats who thought it their place to harass him-, he could rest somewhat comfortably with the knowledge that, worse come to worst, Liam had at least been taught how to throw a mean right hook.
And it hurt him to know, because Liam was so soft and kind and adorable. A gentle soul wrapped up in gentler edges. He wished that Liam never would’ve had to learn any kind of self-defense, that he would’ve been safe to be who he was and any recreational activity would be simply for the fun of it. But there was no denying safety had been a main motivation for Zayn suggesting signing up for boxing lessons together.
Sure, he’d always been interested and they could hang out together more (and those were the reasons he’d led with), but first and foremost he’d known it would enable Liam to stand up for himself and hopefully feel more self-assured. Even so, it had taken a fair amount of convincing before Liam would even consider it. And then he was worried about his parents, who Zayn spoke to and wanted to hug when they were both immediately on board. But there had been so many more obstacles along the way.
Zayn threw another punch into the bag in front of him, air leaving his lungs in a huff as he pushed himself harder, reaching the end of his endurance. But he would make it to the end, just like he always did. He refused to give up before reaching his goal.
A little ways away, Liam was much the same, bottom lip between his teeth as he went along with the numbers Paul was chanting, speed lagging slightly but arms still mustering up the strength to push back the pads.
Sweat dripped down into his eyes and Zayn had to blink and shake his head, skin itching for a shower. He landed another punch and then his trainer called time.
Paul did the same as well, tucking the pads beneath one arm before clapping a hand over Liam’s shoulder. Liam barely even flinched and Zayn couldn’t help but smile at the progress.
He’d known from the start it’d take Liam awhile to warm up to new people. He’d gone in to talk to Paul, the owner of the gym, about the situation and hadn’t really known what to expect but Paul had been more than accommodating, working with Liam and Zayn and Liam’s parents every step of the way.
He hadn’t fussed when Zayn explained it’d be best they train in a separate room, so there wouldn’t be other people watching. He hadn’t pushed when Liam just sat and watched the first day, observing his and Zayn’s interactions before joining in the week after. He hadn’t batted an eye when Liam struggled to communicate or when lessons took twice as long at first because Liam wasn’t comfortable without Zayn by his side.
Basically, Paul had been a gift. And Zayn was thankful every day for how much he’d helped Liam and the effort he’d put in not just to teach him but to also try and really connect with the younger boy.
A calloused hand squeezed the back of his neck and he jumped slightly before turning to look into Paul’s bemused expression. “You back with us then?”
Zayn nodded, “Yeah, yeah sorry.” It wasn’t the first time he’d gotten lost in his thoughts around Paul, and probably not the last. Paul just shook his head and started guiding them both off the mat.
“You both did real well today. Making progress…that’s what I like to see.” They were at the door to the main gym and he released them, letting them pick up their bags before shepherding them through to the entrance and holding open the door. “See you next week then, boys.”
“See you.” Zayn said, followed by a softer echo from Liam.
And with his bag over his shoulder and Liam taking his hand on the other side, they started out for home.
---
“You may now seal your marriage with a kiss.”
Zayn turned to Liam and watched as a wide smile stretched over the boy’s face. The happiness there was unbelievable. Even more so because Zayn knew it was all in response to Liam seeing his fathers happy. They meant so much to him and seeing them finally experience this moment together was making him smile bigger than Zayn had ever seen before.
Zayn had been told some of the story: how the two had met when Liam was a toddler, how they’d lived together for years and Liam’s childhood assumption for much of that time had been that they already were married. Then he had found out, and been confused, because he knew the way his parents looked at each other. He knew it was love. What he hadn’t known was how adorably, infuriately considerate Louis was trying to be. (Liam used the word daft but Zayn had seen where Louis was coming from.) Either way, knowing everything that went into the moment of making Tomlinson and Styles into Tomlinson-Styles, had Zayn smiling just as much as he watched Louis and Harry walk hand in hand down the aisle.
And he couldn’t help but keep smiling as Liam followed his parents out with the rest of the bridal party, looking absolutely stunning in his purple button-up and cream-colored suit. Zayn bit his lip, allowing his eyes to linger longer on Liam’s form than he usually would have. But he was allowed to now. And the thrill of that fact still made shivers rush up his spine.
He was Liam’s date.
And sitting in a mixture of all the Tomlinson-Styles’ family and friends, Zayn was constantly reminded of that fact by the curious glances and kind smiles everyone gave him. It was apparent that everyone had a soft spot for Liam and he was pleased that so far he had seemed to pass everyone’s tests. Somehow. Zayn oftentimes still couldn’t believe he had become a part of Liam’s life, that he was so incredibly, undeservedly lucky.
Once the bridal party filed out, everyone else slowly emptied into the reception area and found their assigned seats at tables scattered underneath the simple white pavilion that had been erected in the lawn of the church they had their ceremony. Liam was already sitting at a table, catching Zayn’s eye as soon as he walked in and waving him over. As he took his seat, he spared another glance around at the other tables, noting that they were very close to the grooms’ table (for obvious reasons) and that the uncles’ table was fairly close as well.
At their own table, Zayn could see a name card for one of Liam’s aunts –Louis’ sister- and could only assume they would be sitting with her husband and two kids.
Zayn cleared his throat and turned to Liam, lowering his voice a bit to have some privacy. “You ready?”
“I think…so…” Liam murmured, pulling a slightly bent notecard out of his back pocket and smoothing it out on the table. “I’ve got…it all…here…”
“Perfect, you’ll be great. And I’ll be right here if you need anything. Besides, your parents will love anything you say. So don’t worry, yeah?”
Liam nodded his head and reached down to give Zayn’s hand a desperate squeeze, having to pull away early when his aunt’s family arrived at the table and he stood to give them all a quick hug, Zayn shaking hands as they went down the line.
After that, time passed quickly, with drinks and food and small talk that often had Zayn at the center of a round of questioning. He nearly missed it when Niall stood up and cleared his throat, going quiet and turning around only because Liam gave him a nudge on the thigh before gripping tightly at the material of his pants.
The speeches had begun, and after Niall did his best man’s speech for Louis, there would only be one more speech before Liam had to go.
And it was going to be fine, Zayn knew it was. Because not only had he helped Liam prepare what he was going to say, making sure the sentences were short and simple, easy to pronounce and forgiving should something get garbled, it was also a complete surprise to everyone else at the wedding. No one had wanted to pressure Liam into making a speech, but he had pushed himself to do it for his dads. Had wanted to. They’d practiced it for hours and Liam was as ready as he was ever going to be. Zayn had every confidence that he’d be absolutely amazing. And that his parents would love it.
By the end of the second speech, his pants were crinkled beyond recognition where Liam had been gripping but he didn’t mind in the least, just leaned close to whisper, “You’ll do great, babe. Just hold on to my shoulder if you need to.”
And Liam looked at him with wide eyes before slowly standing and clamping one hand onto his shoulder. Everyone was still talking quietly after what they thought was the last speech so Zayn coughed lightly until he got a few people’s attention, and the silence rippled out like the tide, pulling everyone into a hushed kind of awe as they waited to see what Liam was going to do. The look on Louis and Harry’s faces alone was priceless.
Then when Liam opened his mouth, voice quivering with nerves, no one dared even move as he slowly made his way through the speech they’d prepared. He spoke about Harry raising him for a while as a single father, how much happier Louis had made them both. He talked about how Louis and Harry had always made him feel loved and special in all of the right ways. How they’d never made him feel wrong for taking longer to do things or being slightly different than everyone else.
Zayn knew he was nearing the end of the speech and listened intently as tears sprung to both fathers’ eyes.
“I’m proud to…call both…of you my…dads… And I’m…so…so...happy for…you…this moment…” His hand was shaking against Zayn’s shoulder, even with the way his fingers were digging into the fabric of his shirt. Zayn could tell Liam was at the end of his rope and thanked Allah that they hadn’t made the speech any longer. “I love…you…”
The words had no sooner left Liam’s mouth than he was practically collapsing back into his seat at Zayn’s side, hand still a trembling mess on Zayn’s arm.
“You did great, babe.” Zayn said, pulling Liam close and holding him tight to try and give him a sense of security. Liam had told him before that in moments like these he sometimes felt like he was falling apart, and he wanted to make sure that in this moment more than any other he knew Zayn was keeping him together, and that he could enjoy what he had just accomplished.
Everyone in the room seemed to get the hint, and gave a thunderous round of applause just like after the other two speeches, as if nothing was different with the way Liam had ended and was now shivering in his seat. Zayn felt a surge of love for Liam’s family and how obviously well taken care of he was even outside of his immediate family.
Eyes still teary, Louis and Harry both stood and announced that the dance floor was opening before coming down from their table, walking over to where Liam and Zayn were and smothering their son in hugs and kisses and thanks before moving along to take their first dance.
Slow music spun around them and rose up into the twinkling night sky as the eating area emptied out, more and more people making their way towards the dance floor and pairing off to sway in the summer breeze. After a few songs, Liam was calm again and rocking ever so slightly to the beat of the music in Zayn’s arms.
Zayn stroked the back of his neck once before guiding his head back up so Zayn could look in his eyes. They were clear, deep chocolate brown and Zayn was overcome with the sudden urge to just lean forward and drown in them. But he forced himself to blink and shake his head, bring himself back to the present before offering Liam a small smile. “You wanna go dance?”
Liam nodded and they both got to their feet, holding hands as they walked to where a dance floor had been constructed on the grass, stepping onto it and wrapping their arms around each other. The music flowed around them and Zayn bent down to press his forehead against Liam’s, closing his eyes and just breathing in the moment, the smell of a summer night, soft cologne, and Liam’s skin. He felt a hand brush against his face and pulled back just enough to blink into Liam’s twinkling eyes.
“Wha-?” he mumbled, trying to figure out what was happening as Liam wrapped fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck and held him still, not computing even as Liam rocked closer until their mouths were touching, noses brushing as he tilted his head to press their lips more firmly together.
His eyes stayed open in shock until Liam huffed out an amused breath, stepping closer so that their chests aligned and lifting his other hand to cup Zayn’s cheek. Then his eyes flickered closed and he melted into Liam’s touch.
The song had switched by the time Liam pulled away again, Zayn letting out a small sound of loss until Liam brushed a finger along his lower lip and coaxed him to open his eyes. “Liam,” he said softly. “What was that?”
“That…” Liam murmured back, a fondly exasperated smile on his face. “was me…telling you…not to be…stupid…”
“Not to be-” Zayn started, eyebrow furrowed as he tried to make sense of the words. Then it clicked. “Oh, you think I didn’t- because I wasn’t sure if you- ooooh.”
Liam nodded slowly. “Yeah…”
“Well, thanks for saving the day, Batman.” Zayn grinned, letting out a laugh of his own when Liam snorted and started giggling into his chest.
“You two kids having fun then?” Louis suddenly asked, appearing out of the crowd and startling them both.
Zayn cleared his throat and looked everywhere but at the man’s face, but Liam nodded with a soft smile on his face.
Louis narrowed his eyes, suspicious of their strange reactions, but didn’t have time to say anymore before Harry swooped in and hooked his arm. “C’mon, Lou. Stop bothering them and come dance some more with me.”
“I was going to see if Liam wanted to dance with me, actually. My toes are tired of getting crushed.” He winked at both of them, ignoring Harry’s affronted noises as he took Liam’s hand and led them both further into the dance floor.
Harry huffed a sigh after watching them go then turned to Zayn. “So, did Liam tell you what he did for us for a wedding gift?”
Zayn blinked at the sudden question and nodded. “He’s arranged something with his uncles so that you two can go on a honeymoon.”
“Exactly.” Harry nodded. “So he’ll be home alone quite a lot. At night especially. You might want to drop in sometimes, you know, keep him company. Only if you two would like.” He winked and Zayn felt a blush color his cheeks.
Harry was definitely one of the most forward thinking parents he’d ever met.
“I’ll, uh, I’ll keep that in mind.” He said.
Harry smiled and patted his shoulder. “You do that, now I’m going to go see if I can sneak another cupcake before Louis notices. Bye!”
“Bye…” Zayn said, pretty much to the air since Harry had already strode towards the dessert tables. He turned around to go wait for Liam at their table but instead smashed into whoever was standing awkwardly close behind him.
“Sorry about that.” Calum grinned. The look on his face said he wasn’t actually sorry at all. But whatever, Zayn already knew the uncles were troublemakers, looking to get a laugh wherever they could.
Zayn waved him off. “It’s fine. Did you need something or…?”
“Or was I just standing behind you for the hell of it?” Calum laughed. “No, we actually wanted to have a word with you.”
Zayn looked to where Calum had gestured over his shoulder and saw the other three uncles all standing in a group and staring in their direction.
Calum threw an arm around Zayn’s shoulders and started leading him over. “It’s about next week, actually. When Liam’s parents are gone…”
---
Zayn was laying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling and trying to figure out what exactly he was going to do with the uncles’ offer. There were so many possibilities…
His phone starting buzzing in his pocket and he answered it with a quick swipe of his finger. “Hello?”
“Zayn?” Liam’s voice came over the line. “You can come…over… They’re…gone…”
“Be there in a few, babe.” Zayn said, snapping the phone shut and heading for the door. His planning would have to wait.
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