Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The subway ride home from uni was a long one, but today, Harry wasn’t doing as much complaining to his mate, Zayn, as he usually would. No, today was much more tolerable because there was a handsome lad located right beside Harry. A really handsome lad. Not that Harry actually planned on, well, acting on it. That would be absolutely ridiculous, wouldn’t it? He probably wasn’t even into dudes. Even if he was slightly… Okay, stereotyping people isn’t right. Nope. Not right at all. Harry definitely disapproved of such things. This guy could very well be very heterosexual with a dog and a female companion. Yeah. So let’s not go getting any hopes up here.

Harry looked down at his phone and turned up his music a bit. He really did not need to be anymore smitten with random dude number one than he already was, so if turning up his music was what had to be done, then what else could he do? It’s not his fault that super-cute-hedgehog-mcfluffy-hair had an adorable laugh as he read from something on his phone that was probably from his female of choosing. Woah there, Harry. Bad, bad thoughts, Harry. He sighed and put his phone in his pocket. That was just another one of Harry’s mistakes of the day because as soon as he did, one of the worst possible songs that could have started playing, started playing. Alli Simpson’s “Notice Me” rang clearly in his ears as he took a peek at the giggling ball of fluffy adorableness beside him. He had adorable little crinkles beside his eyes as a smile accompanied his giggled. Harry felt thoroughly and utterly fucked. Something he unfortunately hadn’t been in a while. Closing his eyes, he leaned his head back against the seat. He quietly spent the next few minutes tapping his foot and willing away Simpson’s song. He really wanted something else to play. It could be anything. Absolutely anything would be better than this song.

He was wrong. Really wrong. “Look After You” by the Fray is far from better. So far from better that it physically hurt. At least fuzzy-adorable-eye-crinkle boy had stopped giggling. That was better. That helped a decent amount. It wasn’t the best, but it would do.

He decided to open an eye ever-so-slightly to see what he was up to. The results were catastrophic at best. Heavenly-cheekbones was dozing off. What the hell made this angel think it was okay to fall asleep with his phone laying unlocked in his lap? Doesn’t he know what could happen to him if he wasn’t sitting by the Harry? Someone could steal his phone or maybe even him. He was totally cute enough for someone to steal him. Harry would definitely steal him if he didn’t, you know, have common human decency or something. No, no. Harry was a good person that would not take advantage of a sleeping beauty.

Maybe now was the time to text Zayn and complain. Now seemed like a really good time for that. So he did. His very eloquent message looked something like, “ASDFGHJKL!!!! ZAYNIE, MY FUTURE HUSBAND FELL ASLEEP NEXT TO ME ON THE SUBWAY. WTF DO I DO??????” Yep. Harry was the king of calm. The king.

Or he was the king of calm until he decided to turn down his music thinking that he was finally safe from the sunshine filled male’s noises. He was not. Right at the very moment the lovely chipmunk shifted in his sleep and made a-way-too-cute-to-possibly-be-from-this-planet moan or mewing noise. Whatever it was, it had Harry shifting in his seat. It really didn’t help that when foxypants shifted, his head had fallen on Harry’s shoulder.

Harry willed for Zayn to reply soon. He willed it really hard. And, after five minutes of intense sweating, his willing worked. He just wished he had willed a more helpful reply. All he had gotten was: you send your lonely best friend a picture

Deciding not to be a creep he opted not to do that. Instead he replied with: He is my flower child and you shan’t have him. I dare say that neither of us can have him. However, he is using my shoulder as a pillow and I really just can’t.

Zayn’s replied came almost instantaneously. “just can’t what harry? you have to be specific with these things. otherwise i’ll assume you just can’t help out your best friend. didn’t you promise you’d bring me home a boyfriend? can’t i have this one?”

Harry knew exactly where this was going and it wasn’t going to be helpful. In fact, it would be far from it, but maybe it would help keep his mind off of cuddlemuffin.

Harry: You and I both know that you’re still in love with our neighbor and neighborhood starbucks barista of choice. Face it, love. You melt under his puppy dog eyes.

Zayn: A.) you’re an awful friend. B.) everyone melts under his puppy dog eyes. it’s a scientifically proven fact.

Harry: Actually, it is not a scientifically proven fact. I don’t melt… often.

Zayn: hah! everyone melts. now, how far from home are you? i’m hungry and too lazy to cook for myself.

Harry: I’ll be home soon and maybe I’ll even stop by Starbucks. I know someone in need of your number.

Zayn: that’s not funny. very not funny. go back to your future husband. i’m going to take a nap. don’t do anything that i would kill you for.

Harry: No promises.

Putting away his phone, Harry tried really, really hard to control himself and not look at boobear. He failed. He failed miserably. Moving his head as little as possibly, he sneaked a quick look at him. This was yet another major mistake because his lips were slightly parted and he was all sleepy soft and cuddly looking and Harry really wanted to kiss him. However, he was a firm believer in it being rude to wake up strangers with a kiss. He really wanted to not be a firm believer in such a horrible thing, but there wasn’t much he could do about it. Or anything, really. Kissing strangers in usually something that gets you in trouble for sexual harassment or assault or something.

Harry needed something to do. Something to keep his mind busy. He examined the other passengers, but there weren’t many. There was a mother ignoring her kid, some guy on his phone and an old couple that were reading from the same book. Well. That could have been more exciting.

Tapping his fingers on his legs, he started humming. He wasn’t really sure what he was humming, but it didn’t sound bad. Far from it. Apparently kitten-britches didn’t think it sounded bad either because he burrowed in closer to Harry. That made him feel extremely conflicted. His arm was kind of squished between their bodies and he could feel it started to lose feeling, but he didn’t want to wake him up by moving because he seemed like the type to be grumpy when he was rudely awakened.

Harry decided that he could probably tough it out. According to the time of fuzzy-wuzzy’s still unlocked phone, he only had about ten-ish more minutes until he reached his stop anyway. He could live with it till then.

But those ten minutes needed to be spent somehow, so he took out a small notebook from inside his coat pocket. Writing wasn’t necessarily easy like this, but he made do. He wrote about baby hedgehogs and then he wrote in the margins a reminder to look up what baby hedgehogs were called because it would have to be a pretty cute name to make any sense.

He heard the conductor announce that they’d be arriving within five minutes and since that still didn’t wake up attractive-mcfluffy-face, he decided he need to figure out whether or not this was his stop. Barely moving, Harry pulled out the boy’s wallet and looked for some indication of where this Louis-well isn’t that just the lovelies name you’ve ever heard?- might live. He student ID that he lived on campus. But he wasn’t going there because it was Harry’s school and Harry’s school was the other way. Fuck. He went to Harry’s school. Harry might get to see him again.

He shook his head slightly to get him to focus and he went back to snooping. Er, not snooping- helping. He couldn’t just leave him here, asleep and shivering, And shivering? Harry turned his attention back to Lou and looked at him, really looked at him. Poor lad wasn’t even wearing a coat. Not having found anything useful, Harry slipped him back his wallet and just decided to set the timer on Louis’s phone for about thirty seconds.

The train was pulling into the station so Harry stood up and gently lowered Louis to where he was occupying both of their seats. He took everything out of his coat pockets and stuffed them into his satchel before draping it over the fluffy hedgehog. Staring at the cute sleeping form of his possible soul mate, he scribbled down a mostly legible note containing a way to contact him so he could get his coat back. Just as the doors were opening, he stuffed the note in Louis’s adorably small hand and pressed start or the timer.

He walked out of there with his hands stuffed in his pockets and a huge smile on his face.

Chapter Text

Zayn slowly opened one eye as he heard the front door open, but as soon as he saw Harry coming, he shut it. Harry knew better than to wake him up when he was sleeping, so he wouldn’t have to worry about Harry waking him up to help him make dinner or set the table or some other energy using thing.

Zayn lied there for a while just listening to Harry humming as he slowly waiting for the smell of food to invade the air. It took longer than expected. In fact, it didn’t happen at all. Instead, he felt a Harry sit down on the edge of the couch near his feet and kept humming. Okay, something was off. But Zayn refused to give up. If he “woke up” before he smelled food, it would be game over and Harry would know that he was faking. If Harry knew, then he could never fake sleep to get out of cleaning or cooking or something else ever again. And that was something that Zayn just absolutely could not live with. So, there he stayed.

There he stayed for what felt like hours. He didn’t care. He’d starve if it meant he didn’t have to ever help with cleaning. Well, at least not that often.

“Zaynie,” he heard Harry whisper. “Zayyyynnnnnnn, you know I wouldn’t wake you up if it wasn’t important but…” his voice died off as he lightly shook Zayn’s shoulder.

But what? But what? C’mon ‘arry. You can’t just do that and stop yourself. Please, please finish your thought now.

“But Zayn,” thank god, “I kind of, sort of, maybe, might have left myjacketonthetrainwithmynumberonanotewiththeguythatItextedyouabout (my jacket on the train with my number on a note with the guy that I texted you about).”

“You what?” Zayn said, in his best semi-conscious voice.

“You heard me. I think. My jacket is currently in the hands of the god of hedgehogs and I’m worried I won’t get it back. It was a gift from my mom too…”

“The God of hedgehogs? Harry, what are you on about?” Zayn pushed up on his elbows and looked over at him.

“You know, the guy I texted you about? My future husband that used my shoulder as a pillow on the train?”

“Harry… You probably won’t get it back. Also, you’re an idiot. But an idiot that can cook, so please get to your talent.” Zayn made a half-assed attempt at shooing him toward the kitchen, but Harry just stared at him sadly.

“That’s it. I’m inviting Liam over for dinner. He shall be my new best friend. You’re too much of a jerk. I’m really worried that my cutie will be a meanie jacket stealer. What if I see him wearing it at uni?”

“Harry, I swear you won’t even get to see our school again if you invite Liam over for dinner. You will be dead. I actually think that would solve your problem of having a jerk for best friend. So, death and Liam, or finding your jacket and hedgehog god?” Zayn gave him his best death glare in hopes of swaying him.

“Hedgehog god…” Harry sighed and got up to start making dinner.

“Thanks, Haz! Wake me when it’s ready!” Zayn lied back down and burrowed in the pillows and blanket he had brought to the couch.

“You’re lucky I kind of like you.”

Zayn smiled. “I know.”

***

Zayn woke up to the sound of laughing, but not just any laughing. This was the laughter of two separate people. One of those people was now dead to him.

“I think that lump on the couch just moved,” semi-whispered an unfortunately familiar voice. He actually sounded a little worried. Huh.

“Oh that’s just Zayn. He told me to wake him up when the food was ready, but maybe he heard us.”

“Of course I heard you. Harry, you’re laugh is already loud enough. I’d be worried if I hadn’t woken up because of the both of you.” Zayn sat up and looked at the culprits of his rude awakening and suddenly wished he hadn’t. Zayn was not wearing a shirt and he just knew that he probably had serious bed head. And Liam was staring at him. Well, there goes their house on the hill with three kids and twelve dogs and maybe a few other animals.
He put his feet on the floor one at a time and said, “I’m going to go get on a shirt since somebody didn’t tell me there would be company.”

“Oh god. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude. I can go if you’d like. Really I-” Zayn rushed out of the room before he could finish. How could he stay there and listen to Liam apologie when he was the one who’d be rude- again? Plus, he could feel his cheeks heating up and he really didn’t want Liam to see him blush. That would be way too embarrassing and he was already embarrassed enough.

Digging through his drawers as quickly as possible, he found a nice, tight baseball tee that smelled clean enough. He quickly tugged it on and grabbed a beanie off his nightstand to cover up the mess on his head and pulled it on as he walked back out of his room. “Sorry if I was kinda short with you before. I just get grumpy when I’m woken up.”

“It’s alright.” Liam laughed and it was super, super something. Zayn really didn’t know what to call that noise. “Harry already said something.”

Zayn looked down and willed the heat to go away. He didn’t know what to say. Was he even supposed to say anything? How should he know? He hasn’t ever been able to hold a conversation with this guy. How could he when the first time he met this guy, Liam had been getting his mail in only his boxers? Granted that was a few years ago and he’d probably gotten even more… Okay Zayn. Let’s not go there. Popping a stiffy before dinner is not the way to get the guy. Not that he had a chance anyway. Liam was pretty obviously straight. Zayn wasn’t blind or deaf. He heard what went on next door and he had seen the girl leave the next morning a couple times. That was a rather depressing thought. “So, uh, Harreh, how close is dinner to being done?”

“Oh, um, should be any minute now.” Harry scurried into the kitchen area as if to get out of the awkward tension that could most like be cut with a knife. It was that bad, and it only got worse as Zayn made his way closer to the table where Liam was still seated. As soon as Zayn got there, that bastard Liam did something absolutely despicable. He stood up like a cute proper gentleman. “You do realize that you’re only supposed to stand up for ladies, right?” Zayn asked as he sat down.

“I stand up for everyone. Gets rid of the sexism and is still polite.” Huh. Zayn blinked at him a couple times trying to see if he’d disappear because he was actually a hallucination.

He was not. “You’re really something else, you know that?”

“Is that a compliment or should I be offended?” Liam had a cute little smirk on his face and he breathed out small giggle. The sexy beast fucking giggled. Well that was just rude.

Smiling, Zayn leaned forward a little and placed him elbows on the table. “Definitely a compliment, Leeyum.”

Now it was Liam’s turn to blink quite a bit. That worried Zayn. Maybe he’d gone to far. Maybe now Liam hated him. Maybe- “Thanks…” Liam looked away and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly and blushed bright fucking red.

“Oh, um, no problem…” Zayn looked down and they just sat there like that until Harry busted out of the kitchen singing, “Dinner is served,” all Harry like.

“Did I miss something? It’s kinda awkward in here. Did someone see someone’s dick? That always makes things awkward.” Harry looked back and forth between the two like he actually expected one of them to admit to seeing the others dick. Why would Harry even ask something like that?

“Harry, why the hell would you ask something like that and expect someone to be like ‘oh, it was me! I accidentally showed the other person my dick!’ ?” Zayn asked.

“So it was you!” Harry yelled like he’d only listened to what he wanted to hear.

At that, Liam burst out laughing. “No, Harry,” he had to pause to keep laughing before finishing with, “I didn’t see ‘is dick.”

Well Zayn quite liked the sound of that word coming out of Liam’s mouth and-

“So, Zayn saw yours?”

Zayn just gave Harry this look. “Are you fucking serious? No one saw anyone’s penis so please shut up. Thank you very much.”

For a moment there was silence and he and Harry just stared at each other. Then Liam just started laughing out of nowhere. “Zayn, Zayn,” he said between laughs, “your face.” He just kept laughing after that and Zayn thought it was magical, but he’d be damned if he let Liam know that.

“What about my face? You’ll have to be specific or I’ll just be bloody confused.” He gave Liam his best serious face, but it only seemed to make things worse. He kept laughing, and Zayn thought that he was laughing even harder now.

“Zayn, I’m not sure, but I think you broke him. Not even the first date and you already-” Zayn elbowed Harry. Really, really hard. As a matter of fact, he elbowed him so hard that had Harry brought dinner with him from the kitchen, it would now have been all over the floor.

Liam seemed to finally quiet down after that though and just looked at them curiously before asking if he’d missed something.

“Oh nothing,” Harry had replied, a bit out of breath. “Zayn, would you mind helping me bring out the dinner?”

Zayn shrugged and said, “Sure,” before following Harry into the kitchen.

Harry demanded, “What the hell was that?” as soon as the doors had closed behind them.

“I think you know very well that if I’d seen his dick, I would not have still been sitting at that table, and, with luck, neither would he.” Zayn was very serious about that, but Harry laughed anyway. “Harry, you’re not funny. The broken thing was terrible.”

“It was funny!” Harry exclaimed.

“It wouldn’t have been funny if he’d heard it. Actually,” Zayn paused for a second, “It might have been funny because my elbow would have gone lower and that, that would’ve been fu-nny.” Zayn smiled at Harry as Harry handed him a plate with a pout on his face.

“That would have just been mean, Zaynie. I brought over your boyfriend and this is the thanks I get! Rude! The lot of you!”

“Harry… It’s only me…”

“Indeed. Now get out of my kitchen and here, take some silverware.” Harry shoved some forks and spoons at him and shooed him out of the kitchen. “Go get ‘em, tiger!”

“I hate you,” Zayn replied as he pushed out of the kitchen and placed the things on the table. Liam seemed to twitch a bit when he saw the spoons though. “You okay?” Zayn asked curiously.

“Yeah, um, I’m fine.” He smiled at Zayn reassuringly, but the tension in his shoulders lessened when Zayn put the spoons at the far end of the table and he gave Zayn a real smile.

Zayn returned it wholeheartedly.

***

After they finished eating dinner, Liam thanked them and saw himself out, promising to come back if they’d have him. Zayn would cry if he didn’t come over again soon so that was great. And Zayn let Harry know that as soon as he’d closed the door behind Liam.

Harry had just smiled. “You still didn’t get his number.”

Shit. “I forgot. Crap… that kind of makes it difficult to plan a movie marathon without his number.” Zayn was such an idiot. How could he have forgotten? Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

“You could always just stop by starbucks tomorrow and ask him to write it on your cup. Hey!” Harry grabbed Zayn by the shoulders like he just had the greatest idea. “Maybe you won’t even have to ask! Maybe he’ll just give it to you!”

Zayn shoved him off pretty quickly. “I wish I knew what goes on in that head of yours. Are you just a hopeless romantic, or does something else go on up there?”

Harry smirked. “Oh don’t give me that crap. One time when Liam and his girlfriend were doing it next door, you got drunk and spilled your “plan” with the three kids and everything.” Shit.

“No I didn’t.” Yeah. Denial. That’s the best plan, right there.

“Isn’t twelve dogs a bit excessive?” Fuck.

“I’m going to bed.” Zayn tried to push past Harry, but failed because Harry grabbed him by the arm and pleaded with him.

“Zaynie, pleaseeeeee, I wanna talk to you about thingssssssss!”

“Like what?”

“What do you mean? Isn’t it obvious?” Harry asked incredulously.

“No?” Zayn looked at Harry. “Why would it be obvious?”

“He still hasn’t texted me or called me! What am I going to do?” Harry looked like he was pretty much on the brink of tears.

“Haz, maybe he’s going to find you at uni?” Zayn suggested hopefully.

Harry gave him a weird look. “How would he know that we go to uni together?”

Zayn sighed. “Harry, that train is never crowded on your way home. Was that any different today?”

“No, but-”

“But, Harry, did you ever stop to think that it was weird that he was sitting beside you when he had pretty much the entire train to sit elsewhere?”

“Huh…” Harry said quietly. “Do you think that maybe he-?”

“That’s exactly what I think, Harold. Exactly.”

They just stood there and Harry seemed to think about it really, really hard. “That’s kind of romantic…” Harry finally said.

“Go to bed. You obviously need sleep if your messed up brain thinks that’s romantic. It’s actually more on the creepy side.” He shoved Harry toward his room and ruffled his hair. “Go on little one. Off to bed.”

“You are a meanie. It’s romantic! But I’ll go to bed as long as you promise to help me find him tomorrow at uni!” Harry gave him a serious look that Zayn only nodded in response to before heading in the direction of his own room.

“Night, Zayn!”

Zayn chuckled. “G’ night.”

***

Harry has classes earlier than Zayn so he’s gone when Zayn wakes up. Following Harry’s advice for some unknown reason, he got dressed and started walking toward the nearest Starbucks. Liam didn’t have classes today so he’d probably be working. Wait, did Liam even go to a uni? Zayn had always just assumed it was the schedule of his classes that he working around, but he didn’t actually know. He would have to ask because not knowing just wouldn’t do. But he definitely wasn’t going to ask Liam, so he’d have to ask Harry later instead.

He put in his earbuds and turned up some music before shoving his hands in his pockets and bowed his head to the cold. He hated the cold. He hated the cold when it wasn’t even particularly cold. He cursed the gene that made him get cold easily when none of his family did. It was just him.

Zayn started thinking about a lot of things in order to try and keep his mind off it. That’s just what Zayn did and not a lot of people really understood it. At school people had just always thought that he was being rude, but he was really just introverted and was always thinking. Right now his was thinking about his next art project. It wasn’t for school, it was just for him personally to post on tumblr or some shit like that. Art was just a hobby for him. Maybe he’d design another tattoo. That was always fun.

Zayn was so caught up in his planning that he just walked right into someone. He apologized a few times before he even looked up, which was why he was really confused when they person he’d walked right into just started laughing. Taking out an earbud, he looked up for the first time to find none other than Liam and holy hell. What was wrong with this idiot? He was in a wife beater and gym shorts, his coat thrown over one of his shoulders and he was sweaty. He’d just come from the gym.

Zayn just stared at him for a minutes because, god, this man’s body was killer. His arms alone were-
Liam laughed quietly. “Um, are you just going to keep staring at me or do you want to go get coffee with me before I freeze to death?” Oh crap.

Zayn blushed and looked away. “I opt for the coffee. I’m too tired for human interaction, as you must have noticed.” He hoped more than anything that Liam would believe that’s why he’d been staring so much and not that he was pretty sure this man was a sex god.

“I’m more of a morning person myself, but it’s rather cold out and my shift starts in,” he paused to look at his watch, “twenty minutes. If we can get there in ten, someone else can make my coffee for once which would be great.”

“Why didn’t you change into something else first? Or take a shower or something?” Zayn asked, once again, probably being what most people consider to be rude.

Liam just laughed it off. “I was running a bit late and didn’t really expect to run into someone on the way. Do you mind if we walk a bit faster? It’ll keep us warmer.”

Zayn knew a few other ways to keep them warm that he much preferred to walking faster, but he kept those to himself. So instead he just mumbled, “Sure thing…”

Suddenly Liam just stopped and looked at him. “You don’t want to walk faster, do you?”

Zayn shook his head, worried that he’d offended Liam and that he would just walk away. “Not really…”

“Okay then.” Zayn looked down just expecting Liam to go on his merry way, but instead something else happened and Zayn was suddenly upside down, his face closer to Liam’s ass than he’d ever expected to getting.

“What are you doing?” He asked, extremely glad that’d he’d actually zipped his backpack today.

“You said you didn’t want to walk faster so I just decided to carry you.” Liam stated matter of factly.

“You’re a ridiculous show off, you know that? Also, won’t this just slow you down?” Zayn could feel people looking at them and it made him blush.

“Nah, I’ve carried more weight than you before and gotten to work in five minutes.”
“Are you insinuating I’m fat?” Zayn said jokingly.

“No, no, no, no,” Liam said quickly as if he hadn’t picked up on the sarcasm. Hadn’t he? “Was just stating a fact. You’re actually quite light.”

“Whatever, boy wonder. You’re still a show off. Also, don’t be surprised if I fall asleep before we get there.” Zayn made a noise something like a scoff, but not quite.

“You won’t be able to fall asleep that quickly, plus, I doubt my shoulder in your stomach is that comfortable.” Liam seemed rather sure of himself so Zayn made sure to prove him wrong.

“You underestimate me, good sir. Now, I bid you a good night. Parting is such sweet sorrow and what not.”

Liam said something in response that Zayn didn’t bother listening to and Zayn fell asleep. Just. Like. That.

***

Zayn woke up to the feeling of being put down, but he wasn’t quite ready to open his eyes yet. So without really remembering why he was being put down in the first place he did what every person just woken up would do, he mumbled, “Five more minutes,” and snuggled back into his… not bed. Huh. Slightly startled, he sat straight up and blinked awaked at Liam who just chuckled.

“I didn’t think you would actually do it!” he exclaimed. “I mean, I couldn’t fall asleep that fast if I tried.”

Zayn still wasn’t sure what had just happened. He’d been on his way to uni when- oh. Ohhh. Alright Zayn, time to not be an ass. Act cool, act cool, act cool. He tilted his head to the side with a smirk on his face and looked Liam straight in the eyes to say, “Well, maybe it’s just my talent.” ‘Oh my God. I am an idiot. Stupid, stupid, idiot...’ His thoughts went on like that until Liam smiled and laughed. Zayn figured it was out of pity, but he’d take it.

“Pretty lame talent. I’m going to go get our drinks. You want your usual?”

Zayn was dumbstruck. He memorized Zayn’s usually drink? “You know my usual?”
Liam just laughed and said, “I have a good memory. And it doesn’t hurt that you come in almost every day,” before walking away.

Zayn watched him go every single step of the way. He didn’t care if staring was rule. Liam was attractive. Really, really attractive, even if he didn’t have that much of a rear end. There were still things that he could do to it and- Zayn looked away really quickly. Liam had caught him. Liam had fucking caught him and now Zayn could never look at him again. Okay. Zayn just couldn’t do that. He had to peek and see- Liam smiling at him. Well then, guess he hadn’t screwed up too much. Smiling, he turned back around and stared at the table.

“Here you go,” Liam said quietly as he slid next to Zayn in the booth. Don’t people usually sit on the other side? Well, not Liam apparently.

Zayn mumbled a thank you and put his hands around his coffee. It put warmth back into his hands which was an absolute delight.

“You know, the first time you ordered something I was really surprised. You don’t seem like the type to like so much sugar in you drink. I wouldn’t thought that you liked it black.”

Zayn was quiet for a moment. He was actually kind of surprised the Liam would bring something like that up. “I don’t know. ‘ve just always had a soft spot for sweets.” He leaned back and took a sip of his coffee and felt it slightly burn his mouth. Ow. “What do you get anyway?”

Liam was warm against his side as he said, “Tea. I’m not a super big fan of coffee, but when I do drink it, I get closer to black. Just one or two sugars, depending on my mood.” He pulled out his phone and looked at it for a moment before sliding it unlocked. “We need to start planning that movie marathon.”

What did his phone and a movie marathon have to do with each other? Zayn spoke his next words quietly, unsure of where this was going. “We do.”

“So, um,” Liam was blushing and if that wasn’t the cutest thing Zayn had even seen, he didn’t know what was, “um, would you mind giving me your uh…” He faded out of he handed Zayn his phone with the new contact screen already up.

“Sure, mate! Harry’s not really into the movies I am. He’s more of a rom com kinda guy.” Zayn was super excited as he put his number into Liam’s phone. He didn’t send himself a text because that felt a little desperate. Instead he handed it back to Liam and was thrilled when he felt his phone buzz, assuming it was from Liam.

“I don’t really mind rom coms myself. I like pretty much everything ‘cept horror.” He shivered a little and Zayn felt mesmerized.

“It’s alright, Leeyum, I’ll protect you.” He smiled at Liam brightly and Liam just giggled.

“Much appreciated, but I think I’d better go change now.” He looked at the time on his phone and sighed, “Only three minutes left until I start my shift.” Liam finished up his tea in a few large gulps. “We should do this again sometime,” he said as his warmth left Zayn’s side.

“I’d love to,” Zayn said softly before shooing Liam off, “Now off you go then. You have work to get to and I have uni to attend.”

Liam backed off with his hands up stating, “As you wish,” before disappearing into the bathroom with a bow.

Zayn was now one hundred percent sure that Liam was far from real.