Work Text:
“My god, did you hear what happened at American Eagle?” Carla snickers, nodding over to the store across the way. Zayn’s eyes dart over upon hearing the store name, his attention immediately caught.
“No! What?” Jen asks, scooting closer to catch up on the newest mall gossip. About five other employees huddle close, leaning in to try to catch a hint of the news.
Zayn seems to be caught up in the middle of the whole thing, pretending to fold Harry Potter shirts as he keeps sneaking glances to the group. “This tight-ass teenager was super pissed that the floor was wet and she slipped. A legit fit, threatening to sue or some shit.”
Carla pauses for dramatic effect, pausing to make sure she’s got everyone on their toes before she sighs and finishes with a smirk, “And when Liam got involved, trying to calm her down or whatever, she kicked him in the shin hard before kicking the wet sign down on her way out, cursing him out the whole way.”
They all snicker, trying to imagine the broad guy being hurt by a girl half his size. But Zayn just feels bad for Liam, knowing how awful some customers can be. Can imagine how sweet Liam must have been, how hard he must have tried to calm her down.
“He got hurt by a little bitch,” one of them cackles.
“Thank God Hot Topic isn’t that pretentious,” another one snorts.
With a sneer, Jen looks up to see Zayn’s eyes glassed over, still thinking about Liam as he continues to absentmindedly fold shirts. “Z can’t laugh with us,” she teases with an all-knowing grin. “Cause he’s got a crush.”
“Leave me alone,” he mumbles under his breath, his eyes boring into the suddenly very interesting shirts.
“Really? Him?” Carla scoffs, gesturing to Liam across the way, bustling around trying to help some mom find the perfect popped-collar shirt. “Wouldn’t have said he was your type,” she smirks.
Feeling his face reddening, he blows up air onto his face in an attempt to keep it in control. Carla continues on, enjoying this all just a little bit too much, “The do-gooder, my-dad-owns-a-country-club kind of guy, the one that’ll try just a little too hard to get your attention.” Gesturing to the black, emo clothes around her, she finishes, “You’re just a bit off yourself from that.”
Zayn rolls his eyes, not wanting to talk about his crush to Carla, the biggest gossiper in the whole tri-state area. “Thank you,” he says sarcastically. “That’s enough.”
“Okay, okay,” she says, lifting her arms up in surrender as she backs up a bit. “Why don’t you talk to him?” She smirks, raising her eyebrows before she turns on her heel and heads back to the counter.
---
“Haz, I don’t think he even knows who I am,” Liam whines, already annoyed by Harry’s persistence. He always told things to Harry that he ended up regretting later, because apparently he never learned. He hoped this wasn’t another one of those.
Harry just sighs, looking up from the tropical lotions to give him the you’re-such-a-dumbass look. “You just told me that you both closed the stores at the same time, and you swore you felt his eyes on you.”
“That doesn’t mean anything,” Liam counters, already feeling a bit sick, knowing Harry’s getting a bit too involved in all this for his liking.
“And!” Harry continues on, pretending he hasn’t heard Liam. “You said he smiled and gave you a little wave.” Harry leans in, catching Liam’s eye. “Pardon my French, but what the fuck do you think that means, Li?”
“Harry,” Liam warns, not liking how excitable Harry’s being about the whole thing.
“I won’t get involved,” he sighs, and once he gets a suspicious glare from Liam, he raises his right hand as a promise. “I swear it.”
Harry keeps his promise. For a few days. Until Louis, with a gleam in his eye, tells him exactly what to do (“Cause Z needs to get laid,” Louis had said with a grin).
“Liammmm,” Harry moans through a bite of kale salad. “My phone case broke yesterday, and I need a new one. Come with me?” He pleads with that wide-eyed look he’s so good at.
“Alright,” Liam shrugs. “I got an hour before I’m on again,” he says with an easy smile. “Beats just sitting here alone.”
“Awesome!” Harry grins, eating the rest of his salad in one big bite before quickly standing up and running to throw his trash away. “Ready?” He says enthusiastically, practically jumping with joy.
“I didn’t know you were into phone cases that much,” Liam says apprehensively, side-eyeing him. “Is that boy you like gonna be there?”
“No, I just really love hanging out with you, Li,” Harry smiles before pulling Liam along without another word. They’re not even halfway across the mall when Harry stops.
“Lou?” He asks, his voice raising when he sees the small, punk boy.
“Harry!” Louis says with a wave. “What a shock to see you here!”
Liam has the sudden urge to run at these (badly acted) words, every single behavior adding up to become more and more suspicious. But at this point, he’s already fallen into the trap. With a sigh, he says dejectedly, “I suppose you need to get something at Hot Topic, Tommo?”
“How’d you know?” Louis replies with a big grin, linking his arm around Liam’s as he slides him along the floor.
“I thought you said you wouldn’t get involved!” Liam yells out behind him to Harry, squinting hard at the bastard who’s just waving and chuckling at Liam.
“But Louis didn’t say any such thing,” he grins, a twinkle in his eye.
Liam just groans, ready to make a complete fool of himself, no thanks to Louis. “Dude” is all Liam says with a sigh, giving Louis an annoyed look as they continue to the store.
“It’s for your own good,” he promises with a little poke. “Besides, you can’t get away now,” he smirks as he pulls Liam into the store.
“Oh, Zaynnnnnn,” one of the girls calls out behind her with a grin as she sees them walk in. “I think someone’s here to seeeeee you.”
“Carla!” Zayn says sharply as he comes out from behind the back. “You know I—” He stops suddenly when he sees the boy before him, blinking twice to make sure it’s really him.
“Zayn, this is Liam,” Louis says smugly, pushing Liam into Zayn.
“I know,” Zayn blushes, avoiding Liam’s eye as his hands fall against Liam’s (admittedly buff) chest for a moment too long before he takes a step back, his arms finding their place at his side. “What brings you both here?” Zayn asks, fixing his hair as he attempts to sound as nonchalant as possible.
“Liam wants to ask you out,” Louis says with a grin before he promptly spins on his heel towards the door. “I’m just third wheeling at this point. Have fun, you two!” He chuckles, almost to the door. “Not too much though, you know,” he winks before he races out of the store, his laugh echoing in Liam’s mind long after he leaves.
Zayn gives Liam a perplexed look, gauging his reaction. Waiting until Louis is actually gone, he mutters, head cocking to one side, “Is that true?”
Liam clears his throat, his hands suddenly sweaty. He can’t figure out where to place his eyes, and looks up and around at the ceiling tiles before finally placing them back on Zayn. “Yeah…” he starts quietly. “I mean… if you’d want to… I know I’m just some rando, walking into your store and…” Liam gulps, trailing off a bit, hating Louis a bit more and more as the seconds pass.
“Okay,” Zayn says with a smile, nodding his head.
“Okay?” Liam says, his eyebrows shooting up.
“Okay like yes, I accept,” Zayn chuckles. “And you’re not random,” he responds easily. “I haven’t forgotten the other day.”
Liam nods, heart pounding in his ears by this turn of events. “Coffee tomorrow then at four?” He asks, can’t believe he’s actually saying the words out loud.
Zayn nods, grinning before he says, “Can’t wait.”
“Awesome,” Liam responds slowly as he turns to the door. “Quick question,” he says as an afterthought, biting his lip as he turns his head to Zayn. “Were you flirting with me the other day when you smiled and waved at me?” He rubs the back of his neck, feeling like an idiot just asking the question, knowing how dumb he sounds. But he wants to know.
“Yeah,” Zayn admits with a laugh. “Glad it worked,” he jokes, giving him a wink before he spins around to go back to folding shirts.