Work Text:
Liam was curious by nature. Growing up, he was always asking anybody he came into contact with questions. He knew it could be annoying, but his parents always humored him and his mother was especially fond of his curious nature. His teachers weren’t always so receptive to his multitude of questions, but it’s not like they could tell Liam that. They were teachers, after all, and answering his questions was their job. Still, Liam could always tell when his countless questions started grating on people’s nerves. So he stopped asking so many. It was tragic, really. He still had so many questions. He was brimming with curiosity and no outlet.
Which is why he was so thankful the day he met Zayn. Aside from his mother, no one had ever had the patience to deal with all of Liam’s questions. But Zayn? Zayn was a saint. If he was being honest, the thing he was most thankful for from One Direction was Zayn. When the band first formed, he was too excited to tamper all of his questions. He was quickly brought back down to earth after he noticed the annoyance radiating from the other three boys, but Zayn had only smiled encouragingly at Liam and that had been it. He’s been a fountain of questions thrown as Zayn ever since.
That’s why he’s so confused now. He can see Zayn is starting to lose his patience with Liam’s questions, but he can’t understand why. He’s always been so receptive before, but now he’s tense on the couch next to Liam and his face is growing more and more closed off. Liam really should take the hint, but he’s determined to get to the bottom of this.
“But who is it, Zayn? At least give me some hints. You haven’t given me anything so far. How did you meet them? When did you know you liked them? Do you guys have anything in common?”
“Liam,” Zayn said, his voice more gruff than Liam remembered.
“Oooh, do they like comic books? If they do, which ones are their favorite? Are they famous? Do I know them?”
“Liam, geeze. What is this? 20 questions?”
Liam lit up at that, an idea already forming in his head. “Zayn! That’s a great idea! Let’s do 20 questions, and if I can’t guess after 20 I’ll drop it. You won’t have to tell me who you have a crush on.”
Liam watched as the gears started turning in Zayn’s head. He was obviously torn between not wanting to answer the questions and wanting the questions to just be over with. Liam new he was victorious when he watched his shoulders drop down.
“Fine,” Zayn agreed. Liam squealed, bouncing rapidly on the couch before settling back down next to Zayn. A reluctant smile spread across Zayn’s lips at Liam’s reaction. “But only yes or no questions. That’s how the game works.”
“Okay, first question. Is it a girl?”
Zayn quickly adverted his eyes, looking down at his hands in his lap. Zayn’s bisexuality was something he had just recently confessed to Liam, and he knew Zayn was still suspicious of people’s reactions.
“Um, no,” he mumbled out.
“Do I know them?”
“Geeze, Liam, you really don’t mess around, do you?” Liam only grinned in response, waiting for Zayn’s answer.
“Yes.” Liam’s grin grew. That made it so much easier.
“Okay, okay. Do you have common interests with them? Like, obvious common interests?”
“Yes.”
“So do they like comic books?”
Zayn rolled his eyes before, “Yes.”
“Are they famous?” Zayn nodded.
“Are they a singer?” Another nod.
“Are you friends with them?” Again, Zayn rolled his eyes.
“Obviously. Don’t reckon I’d have a crush on someone I didn’t know all that well.”
Liam let the jibe slide, to busy thinking of other questions to ask Zayn.
“Okay, okay. Are they friends with the band? Like all of us? Do all of us like him?”
Zayn gave Liam a little smile. “That was technically three questions. What does that put you up to now, 10?”
Liam giggled. “Shut up, that doesn’t count! It was clarification of the original question. You can’t cheat, Zayn!”
Zayn heaved out a sigh, shifting to face Liam more fully.
“Yes, he’s friends with you lot.”
“Is it someone we see a lot?”
“Honestly? Probably too much.” It was an offhand comment, mostly meant to be sarcastic, but it made a sudden thought pop into Liam’s head. The five of them always joked around about how they spent too much time with each other, so did that mean Zayn had a crush on one of them? The thought of Zayn having a crush on one of the boys made a heavy weight settle in Liam’s stomach. He didn’t want Zayn to have a crush on them, he wanted Zayn to have a crush on him. At least if it was someone outside of the band at least Liam could avoid them and pretend like they didn’t exist.
“Is it…someone in the band?” As soon as the question left Liam’s mouth, Zayn’s entire body went rigid. He looked at Liam with wide eyes, and Liam was almost entirely convinced Zayn was about to run for the door. He looked terrified, and Liam thought about taking the question back for a moment. He couldn’t, though. The answer was too important to him. If Zayn said yes, he had a one in four chance of being the receiver of Zayn’s affection and that was all he wanted.
“It, um…” Zayn began. He still looked so scared and Liam had to push down the urge to wrap him in his arms. “Yes,” he finally whispered, his gaze focused on his lap and refusing to meet Liam’s eye.
Liam felt his heart speed up in his chest. Zayn’s reaction meant one of two things: either he had a crush on one of the boys and he was ashamed of it or he had a crush on Liam and didn’t want Liam to find out. Liam was pretty sure it was the latter. God, Liam really hoped it was the latter.
He inched closer to Zayn, drawing the other man’s attention even though he still refused to meet Liam’s eyes. “Is it Niall? I wouldn’t blame you, he does have a really infectious laugh.”
Zayn let out a soft snort, a tiny bit of tension leaking out of his shoulders.
“No,” Liam said, closing the distance a little more. “I bet it’s Harry! Something about that George of the Jungle vibe that really does it for people.” Liam watched as the corner Zayn’s mouth lifted. Again, Liam didn’t wait for a response before he continued. “Mmm, no. It’s definitely gotta be Louis. Sure, some people claim he’s got a bad attitude, but that ass? To die for.”
Liam erased the last bit of distance from them, all but sitting in Zayn’s lap. When Zayn looked up, his eyes were still filled with that unmistakable fear, but there was also a glimmer of hope hidden among it this time. “Or is it me? The lad who’s been half in love with you since the moment you smiled at him in that shitty McDonalds?”
Zayn’s eyes widened, shock spreading rapidly across his features as a blush rose in his cheeks. “W-what?”
“Please say it’s me, Zayn.” Zayn stared at Liam for a couple seconds longer before rushing out a quick yes and surging forward to meet Liam’s lips with his own.