the song of persephone ♡ ziall/niam au [COMPLETE]

douze

liam's gaze was intense, but zayn wasn't afraid. or -- well -- he was, but he didn't show it. he was good at that. he leveled his stare and looked liam right back in the face, unblinking, until a smile softened liam's whole face. it surprised zayn, how a smile could transform him.

"li?" niall asked quietly. in the heavy silence, zayn had almost forgotten he was there, though the blond was still hugging him around the waist.

"i can't send him back." liam stood from where he was sitting. he crossed the room to the window, stared pensively out through the glass. niall loved this boy, he could tell. that made liam very nervous. his jaw was tight. "i wish i could, but i can't." he let out a tired sigh and then turned around, his face automatically softening when his eyes met niall's. it made zayn's stomach tighten. 

"why not?" zayn asked.

"the portal only works twice a year," liam explained. he sat on the couch, and niall went and curled up beside him. zayn awkwardly stood next to the elevator; he was overwhelmed with the sensation that he didn't belong here. 

liam did, obviously, with his dark eyes and hair and clothing matching the dark tone of the furniture. niall belonged here, too, somehow, the perfect contrast of everything. and zayn, well -- he wasn't either. he was just grey, a bland, unfeeling color. that was something he'd always been before niall, and the blond had given him small bits of pink and yellow, bits of warmth, but zayn was constant. 

"if i used it again, niall would have to go back with you. i'm sorry, but i want my six months with him," liam finished, large hand resting on niall's thigh. it was all zayn could see.

selfish, he thought, but he would never say that. besides, he would've done the same, honestly. niall leaned up and kissed liam's cheek, and liam smiled, touching niall's cheek affectionately.

"where can i sleep?" zayn interrupted. "i'd like to be gone before you two start fucking on the sofa."

"zayn," niall gasped, embarrassed. his cheeks turned an angry red-pink; it wasn't a color zayn was familiar with, and he felt guilty. he hadn't meant to hurt niall, but this was hard. this was so hard. it was so hard to see them like this. hearing about liam had been manageable; zayn hadn't known who he was. but now, seeing him, with his dark eyes and sharp jaw and attractive face -- zayn felt threatened. 

"sorry," he said finally. he took a deep breath. for niall, he could manage this. "i'm sorry."

liam's jaw was tense. "i'll show you to the guest room." zayn could hear the anger in his voice under the surface. they walked down the hallway in silence, and zayn stopped behind liam when he opened a door. "here you are."

"thanks," zayn mumbled quietly. 

liam caught his elbow before he shut the door. "i know you love him," he said quietly. "he loves you, too, and for him, i'm letting you stay. but --" he glanced behind him, as if to make sure niall couldn't hear them, "if you upset him, zayn, if you hurt my angel, i'll --" he cut himself off, but the threat was clear enough.

"i would never," zayn said quietly, and he meant it. liam glared into his eyes and then nodded. his jaw was still stiff; he was really angry.

"goodnight," he said stiffly, but his voice wasn't void of kindness.

"goodnight."

- - -

zayn woke up early. there wasn't any particular reason, and he was still tired when he woke up. he tossed and turned, but he couldn't fall back asleep, so he left the bedroom. he trudged down the hall towards the smell of coffee and saw liam standing shirtless, staring out the window. he was holding a coffee mug and a newspaper, wearing only a pair of pajama pants.

"you look so domestic," zayn said softly, startling liam. "i'm sorry. i didn't mean to scare you."

"it's okay. good morning."

"morning." zayn stopped at the counter. "can i have some coffee?"

liam nodded. "help yourself."

zayn poured himself a cup of coffee and added a bit of sugar. "i'm sorry, again. about last night, i'm just not used to --" he cut himself. sharing niall, he was going to say, but he kept that to himself.

liam knew anyway. "i understand. i'm not either."

that made zayn smile a little. "at least we both know how the other feels, i guess."

liam nodded. no smile crossed his face, but zayn could see it in his eyes, and that was enough. they sat in silence and watched the sun rise. zayn asked for the crossword puzzle out of liam's newspaper, and they solved it together, liam laughing at zayn's idiotic suggestions.

"armpit is not a six letter word for cave," liam was laughing when niall stumbled into the room, bleary eyed and sleepy.

"hi," he sighed exhaustedly, dumping himself in zayn's lap, to zayn's surprise. liam just smiled into his mug.

"hi, flower," zayn said gently. "sleep okay?"

niall nodded tiredly, taking a sip of zayn's coffee and scowling. "that's awful," he gags, and reaches for liam's. with a sip of liam's, his face relaxed, and he smiled. "he gets it," niall grinned at liam, and liam just winked at him.

zayn, watching them, had the fleeting thought that this wasn't so bad. being sort of friends(?) with liam wasn't bad. he was funny, and kind, and niall was still niall. the niall he'd loved for so long, he was still there, and this way, they could both be happy.