End Up Here (Ziam AU)

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven – Zayn

Zayn wakes up a week later with a pounding headache, he knows he should be getting up to go to uni, but he just doesn't think he can, not today. He groans loudly, knowing Bella will be in any moment, demanding breakfast, and asking about Liam. Zayn's been so busy between classes, homework, and working,that they haven't seen the older man since he came over for dinner aweek ago. Louis appears in the doorway, "you look like shit, mate"he murmurs, coming over to the bed to rest a cool hand on the Zayn's forehead, "'s'how I feel" Zayn mumbles. Louis makes a strange sound "you feel warm" he murmurs and Zayn groans again, flopping against the pillows, "can't be sick" he grumbles and Louis laughs, "but I think you are" he teases. "I'll take Bells to your mum's on the way to Uni, you stay home and rest, maybe call Harry to work your shift tonight" Louis says, his tone contemplative "you sure?" Zayn asks making a face, and Louis nods, "you need some rest, and I only have one class today, so I'll bring the munchkin home again before lunch" he assures Zayn, who nods, and allows himself to close his eyes as he rests back in his bed.

Zayn doesn't waste any time in calling Harry, chewing his lip as he waits for his friend to answer his phone, "'ello...?" Harry slurs into his phone, and Zayn feels slightly bad for waking the younger boy up, "hey Haz, it's Zayn"he mumbles. Harry chuckles, "I know who you are, what did you want?" he asks, yawning, Zayn sighs "I hate to ask this, but I feel like a tiny crew of workers with jack hammers, has taken up residence in my skull, and-" Harry cuts him off, "you need me to work for you tonight?" Harry asks. Zayn sighs and nods, knowing Harry can't see him, "if you don't mind?" he asks quietly, Harry scoffs, "it's not a problem, feel better" he chimes. Zayn grins despite the pain in his head, "thanks, Hazza I owe you one" he mumbles, but Harry laughs him off, "don't worry about it, see you soon" he cheers, hanging up before Zayn can say anything to him. Zayn hangs up his phone and tosses it onto the bed beside him, before digging through his night table to find some drugs for his head, he pulls out the bottle and takes a couple pills, before flopping against his pillows and drifting off to sleep.

When Zayn wakes up it's several hours later and he can hear Bella and Louis playing together in the living room, he's grateful for his best friend, knows things would be so much more difficult without him. He hears another voice that makes him freeze, because what is he doing here, he should be working, before he hears footsteps and his bedroom door creaks open, "good, you're awake" Liam mumbles, closing the door behind himself as he steps inside Zayn's room. Zayn nods, unable to remember how the English language works, and confused as to why Liam is here, in his room, in the middle of the day. Zayn watches as Liam sits on the edge of his bed, "how're you feeling?" he asks gently and Zayn shrugs, biting his lip, he does feel slightly better, less like there's a demon bent on escaping his brain, but still not great. "Been better" Zayn mumbles as a response and Liam grins nodding his head, Zayn reaches for the water he always keeps beside his bed, taking a long drink as he tries to clear his head. Once he's set the bottle back down he looks at Liam, "why are you here? I mean I'm happy to see you just...why?" he asks, making Liam laugh. Liam shrugs, "I called you on my lunch just to say hi, and that I miss you. Louis answered your phone, said you were ill, and sleeping. So I moved some things around and here I am" he explains, carefully. "If you're not okay with this, I can just go home, I mean-" Liam adds quickly, but Zayn shakes his head, "no stay" he mumbles, "can't promise I'll be good company, but stay, please?" he adds. Liam nods and looks around Zayn's messy room, "this is the first time I've seen your bedroom" he muses and Zayn grins, "yeah, and do you want to talk about that or come up here and cuddle me?" he challenges. Liam grins before moving quickly up the bed to situate himself around Zayn, holding the younger man close to his chest.

Zayn lifts his head off of where he's been resting it on Liam's toned chest, when he hears a light tapping on his door, "Baba?" Bella asks softly, her voice more of a stage whisper then anything else. Zayn smiles and motions for her to come closer, the toddler grins before running across the room and jumping onto the bed, "Leeyum?" she asks, crawling closer to the pair. Zayn watches as Liam reaches out with the arm not around himself and hums to indicate he's listening. Bella grins and scampers closer to tuck herself under Liam's arm, it makes his heart swell a little to see how comfortable his daughter is with his boyfriend, and he hopes this relationship will last, and they could be a real family. "Watch Dora?" Arabella asks once she's comfortable, having pulled Liam's arm around her, reaching across to tangle her small fingers in Zayn's hair. Zayn sighs, because it's always Dora, and he finds the cartoon obnoxious, but Bella loves it so he deals, nodding his head and reaching for the remotes to turn on the TV and Netflix. Once it's pulled up he chuckles as he listens to his daughter sing along to the theme song, smiling when he sees Liam's hand moving gently up and down Bella's arm. Arabella is completely engrossed in the show, and Zayn looks up at Liam to find the older man looking down at him "what?" he asks self consciously and Liam shakes his head,fingers rubbing gently at Zayn's side, "nothing,  just you're kind of beautiful" Liam murmurs, Zayn's blushing, he can feel it, and he shakes his head before wincing as it aggravates his headache that apparently hasn't actually gone away. Liam frowns, "you okay?" he asks, and Zayn sighs "my head still hurts" he whines, and he's completely aware that he sounds like his two year old does when she's sick, but he really doesn't care. Liam coos and moves so he can rub Zayn's temples lightly.