Something Great (Ziam AU)

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen – Liam

Liam sighs as he slumps against the door to his apartment, Jim and Alec had insisted they drop Zayn off after the incident at the ice cream parlour and get him right home. He looks around his large apartment and frowns, there’s plenty of things around to keep him busy, he has every game system known to man, as well as pretty much every game worth playing, his satellite package contains more channels then he could ever watch, and he owns more movies than is necessary for most people. But as he looks around now, the large, full apartment he has always loved feels empty and lifeless, he knows he could call Louis and he would drop everything and come over to keep him company, but he doesn’t want to do that because he knows Louis was heading over to Harry’s after the interviews and he doesn’t want to interrupt them. What Liam really wants is to have Zayn come over, and hang out with him, he has two weeks off now, and then he’ll be gone on his UK tour, he wants to spend as much time getting to know Zayn as humanly possible during these next two weeks. Jim although sympathetic to Liam, when he whined about it to him earlier, had told him bringing Zayn home today wasn’t the best plan, just in case someone got a picture of them at Two Scoopz. Logically Liam knows that Jim is right, and his management will have a fit if a rumour starts about him and Zayn, but emotionally Liam doesn’t care about all that, for once he wants to do what he wants and not worry about the consequences.

After ten minutes Liam heads into his bedroom and pulls out his laptop, it’s been awhile since he’s answered some of his fans on twitter and chatting with his fans always makes him happy. His laptop starts up quickly and he’s logged into twitter within minutes, @Real_Liam_Payne heyyyyyyy guyyssss, I’m borrreeedddd send me things he types quickly, hitting send before getting up and sliding down the hall to the kitchen. He grabs a bottle of water and heads back to his bedroom and awaiting laptop. Liam’s eyes widen as he opens his replies tab and its full with new mentions, he never gets used to how quickly and often people will tweet him when they know he’s online, even when he’s not to be honest. There’s all the usual things,  people begging him for a follow, which he does as many as he can, several asking if he has a girlfriend, and he politely ignores those ones. His favourite tweets though, are the ones that make him laugh, like people demanding to know what he would do if he could only eat one food for the rest of his life, what song he absolutely despises, and of course all the would you rathers. He’s just answered that he would rather lick Louis’ toe, than let a lion lick his face when, a tweet catches his eye. @ZaynMalik hey @Real_Liam_Payne what’s your favourite ice cream flavour? ;) Liam chuckles and shakes his head before quickly typing a response @Real_Liam_Payne @ZaynMalik I’m definitely a vanilla fan, although I may branch out and try something else one day he sends the tweet just as his phone starts ringing beside him, glancing at it quickly he sees it’s his sister calling and quickly says goodbye and logs off twitter before answering.

Liam frowns as he presses accept and holds the phone to his ear “hello?” he grins into the phone, “hey Liam” Ruth answers him and he can hear in her voice that something is off, he may not see his family very often anymore, but he’s always been able to read Ruth like a book. “What is it Ruth?” he asks sighing and hears her sigh as well, “have you seen the pictures Li?” she asks quietly and he furrows his eyebrows confused “What pictures? Ruth I’ve only been home for like half an hour” he says biting his bottom lip. Ruth sighs again, “just go back on twitter and search ‘Liam Payne, mystery boy’ Li and you’ll see them. Who is he Li?” she asks and he runs his hand through his hair, “I don’t know I haven’t seen the pictures yet, who is who?” Liam shoots back frustrated. “Calm down Li, you know I’ll never judge you, but who is the boy you were with today, you went for ice cream” Ruth soothes and Liam’s eyes widen as he goes to search on twitter typing in what Ruth told him quickly. His face pales as sure enough there’s a picture of him and Zayn in the booth, the picture is poor enough quality you can’t make out Zayn’s face very clearly, but it’s very obvious he’s male. The picture was taken after the mob had left, and was obviously taken and posted by one of the employees, “shit” Liam curses and Ruth chuckles humourlessly, “Ruth I’m sorry I, I have to go” he stumbles, “just calm down Liam, we all love you and support you. I’ll call you later yeah?” Ruth soothes and Liam nods even though she can’t see him, “I love you too, I’ll talk to you later” he mumbles before disconnecting.

Liam has looked at the picture and all the comments wondering who Zayn is, and what he is to Liam, for the last ten minutes, and he can’t figure out how he feels about it, his management can’t have seen it yet be because he hasn’t gotten an angry call asking what the hell he was thinking. Zayn can’t know yet either because, he hasn’t called or texted Liam about it yet either, he can feel his breathing speeding up, and feels like he’s not getting any oxygen as he stares at the grainy picture on his screen, this one the poster has circled in red where their hands would be, under the table, speculating whether they were actually holding hands or not. Liam needs Louis right now, he needs him to be the voice of reason, to be his rock, to keep him from having a full blown panic attack, but he’s not selfish enough to call him away from his own date to do that. He reaches for his phone with trembling fingers and searches through it for Zayn’s contact, knowing he needs to call him, do some damage control with him if nothing else, and he’s also selfishly hoping Zayn will have a soothing effect on him. He presses call and waits for Zayn to pick up biting his fingernails the whole time.

“Hello…?” Zayn’s voice much like melted chocolate to Liam’s ears floats through the phone, Liam opens his mouth to speak but only a squeak comes out. “Liam? Liam are you alright?” Zayn asks a note of panic in his voice, “yea, yea Zayn I’m ok” Liam mumbles and even he isn’t convinced he sounds alright. “No you aren’t, what happened?” Zayn asks quietly and Liam can hear a door closing on the other end of the phone, “I, have you seen, they’re on twitter” Liam rambles, shaking his head at the nonsense that comes out of his mouth, “Liam what’s on twitter, I saw your tweet spree, did something else happen?’ Zayn asks quietly. Liam frowns and shakes his head but doesn’t speak, “Liam, you’re freaking me out, do I need to send you Louis. Because he’s still here with Harry, they’re being gross on my couch, but I can pull them apart and send him to you” Zayn says seriously and Liam chuckles at the thought, “I’m sorry Zee, no I don’t need him, leave them alone” he says. “If you’re sure, what is it Li, talk to me” Zayn murmurs, “I, you, we” Liam starts before cutting himself off and taking a deep breath, “someone posted a picture of us together at Two Scoopz, and now everyone’s wondering who you are, and what we are” Liam answers slowly, and hears Zayn release a long breath. Zayn doesn’t respond for a few minutes and if Liam couldn’t hear him breathing, and hear the clicking of keys he would have thought Zayn hung up on him. Zayn whistles after a moment, “I don’t think it’s that bad Li, I mean you can’t see my face, and we were just eating ice cream” he soothes and Liam feels himself relaxing and realises he was upset because he thought Zayn would be angry, “you think so?” Liam asks and Zayn chuckles “yea, I mean we both kinda look like blobs” he jokes and Liam grins, “what are Louis and Harry doing that’s so gross?” Liam asks, remembering Zayn’s earlier comment. Zayn snorts “well I think they’ve gotten to know each other, Louis is trying to suck Harry’s face off right now” he whines, and Liam smiles at how adorable he is, even on the phone. “Do you want to come over here? Get away from them, we can watch a movie or something, and order some take away” Liam asks before he can change his mind, Zayn’s quiet for a moment “yea, sure, as long as you’re sure Li” he mumbles after a moment, “I’m sure” Liam answers.

They talk for a few more minutes before Liam gives Zayn his address and they hang up, Liam is now quickly attempting to tidy his apartment before Zayn arrives, he’s just finished kicking some random junk under his couch when Manny buzzes him “yeah?” Liam asks distractedly, looking around, “Mr. Payne, there’s a Zayn Malik here to see you?” Manny asks, his voice crackly through the speaker “yea, send him up please Manny” Liam answers quickly. “This is it” Liam murmurs to himself “I’m about to be alone with Zayn” he says out loud just as there’s a knock on his door.