As He Moves

Chapter 11

"It's weird with the lights on," Zayn says, looking around the club. It's smaller than it had looked in the dark, and the low lighting hid the fact that some of the booths need to be reupholstered, and the rings from drinks on the bar, and the fact that the walls could use a new coat of paint.

But something about the strip club during the day is almost... homey. It's warmer, quieter, and they're alone, for the most part. Or they are until Louis comes out onto the stage and gives Liam a long, curious look.

"Giving the boyfriend a tour, then?" he smirks. "You show him the change rooms and all the costumes?"

Instantly Zayn's interest is perked. "Costumes?"

"Down, boy," Louis says. "This is a family establishment."

Liam laughs, offering Louis a hand down off the stage that Louis takes before hopping down. He grins between Zayn and Liam for a long moment before he adds, "I'm glad this worked out." He looks at Zayn. "He's been into you forever now. It was getting sad, honestly. Pining is not a good look on you, Payne."

"At least I have emotions," Liam teases, not at all embarrassed about Louis telling Zayn that Liam had obviously talked about him enough that Louis knew who he was before they'd even met.

Louis sighs dramatically. "I know. I'm such a cliché. Stripper with a heart of stone and a dream in my pocket. Where's my lifetime movie? Where's my Cam Gigandet?"

"What are you even doing here?" Liam asks him, amused.

"Helping Alex with unmentionable things," Louis says darkly.

"You punched a guy who got too handsy again and she made you clean the bathrooms, didn't she?"

"Possibly." Louis pushes a few strands of hair off his forehead. "What are you doing here?"

Zayn feels heat in his cheeks, but he knows that he isn't an obvious blusher, thank god. "Just came to show Zayn some things," Liam says easily, which is true, technically.

But the real reason they're here is Liam wanted to give him 'lessons'. He's not exactly sure where the idea came from, but Zayn hadn't exactly fought him on it. Not if it means getting on stage and Liam's hands all over his body as he tries to show Zayn how to do what he does.

Plus, Zayn wants to impress him. Liam is so— he's fucking hot, honestly. Everything about Liam is just— and Zayn wants that. Wants Liam to think the same way of him, and he wants to see Liam's eyes widen as he moves his hips and pulls off his clothes. He wants that a lot.

"Don't fuck in my change room," Louis warns. "Only I'm allowed to do that."

Zayn makes a spluttering sound that Liam mimics, and Louis laughs as he walks away, heading for the door that he and Liam came in through after Liam introduced him to Alex, the woman who owns the club. She'd been nice enough, if not a little intimidating, and she seemed to really care about Liam. And she'd waved Liam off inside to use the club as long as he promised to be out of here before the girls working tonight show up.

"Now what?" Zayn asks. His voice echoes in the room, and he shoves his hands in his pockets.

"You wait here," Liam says. "I'll put music on."

Zayn nods, and Liam hops up on stage before ducking inside a door that's just off the left of it, invisible to the untrained eye. When he's gone, Zayn looks around again. There's the main stage, the one Liam had been on that night Zayn came in. There are two other stages on either side of it, and each one of them houses a long, thick pole about the width of his wrist that goes from the stage floor all the way to the ceiling.