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(go)
‘Can I ask you now?’ whispers Liam, brushing away Zayn’s fringe.
Zayn smiles and closes his eyes. ‘Not yet. I think I’ll make you wait a little more like you made me wait.’
Liam pouts. ‘Mean.’
‘Love you, though.’
(don’t stop)
‘Can I ask you now?’ whispers Liam, pulling away from their first kiss of the new year.
Zayn smiles and opens his eyes. ‘Not yet. I don’t want to say “yes” in the bitter cold.’
Liam rolls his eyes. ‘That doesn’t make sense.’
‘You still love me though, even if I don’t.’
‘Of course, silly.’
(go)
‘Aren’t you going to ask me now?’ snarls Zayn, hurling the pillow at the wall. ‘Huh? Or are you afraid of asking a fucking cheater?’
Liam shakes his head. ‘Don’t believe the lies they tell the world, Zayn. That’s not who you are. You know that.’
‘No, only you know that.’ Zayn pushes the heels of his hands into his eyes. ‘Fuck, I can’t believe - fuck, fuck!‘
In a few short steps, Liam is there, curling his arms protectively around Zayn. ‘I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I love you. I know you. I’ve got you, shhhh.’
(don’t stop)
‘Can I ask you now?’ whispers Liam, only it’s to the microphone, and his voice echoes from the speakers.
Zayn’s eyes grow wide. ‘Liam - ‘
‘Zayn - ’ Liam glances down at the floor before looking up at him. A teasing smile curls the corners of his lips. ’ - which Friends’ character are you again?’
‘You fucker,’ whispers Louis’ into his ear a few minutes later, when Zayn is huddled with Harry at the other side of the stage, eyes darting sullenly to where Liam is every few seconds. ‘He’s going to make you pay for that.’
Liam bites down on his laugh. ‘I know. Can’t wait.’
(go)
‘Ask me now,’ whispers Zayn through the tears blocking his throat. ‘I don’t want to feel like this. Unwanted. Wrong. Disowned. Because I’m not wrong when I’m with you. Please, Li.’
The shouts from downstairs are growing louder by the minute. Liam nuzzles closer and kisses Zayn’s tears away. ‘Not like this, Zayn,’ he says, aching when Zayn’s bottom lip trembles. ‘I want you smiling, I want you laughing, I even want you shivering in the bitter cold - ‘
Liam curls their fingers together tightly when Zayn lets out a sob.
‘I want you happy when I ask you.’
(don’t stop)
‘Can I ask you now?’ whispers Liam, and there might be the slightest hint of impatience in his tone.
Zayn finishes signing his signature on their new contract. He puts the pen down.
Liam is tapping his foot, arms crossed over his chest; his wide eyes are imploring.
‘No,’ says Zayn, heart jumping and skipping inside of his chest when Liam’s face falls.
‘Oh - ‘
‘Not because I don’t love you,’ Zayn quickly tells him. ‘I do, so much, too much, you know that. You’ve always been there for me. You never complain. You just. You just love me, Liam.’
Liam’s face softens. ‘Zayn.’
‘And that’s why I’m going to ask you.’ He already has Liam’s left hand in his, and he presses the ring into the centre of Liam’s palm with shaky fingers. ‘Will you marry me, Li?’
Liam gapes at him, and Zayn licks his lips. His hands are sweaty.
‘What? But that’s - I’ve been - You are - What?’
Niall rolls his eyes. ‘In behalf of everyone in this room,’ he says, gesturing to the other people smiling at the two of them, ‘will you fucking say yes already? Christ, we’ve been waiting to hear this for years!’
And that breaks something in Liam because this huge smile takes over his face and he tugs Zayn into him and kisses him, only he can’t, really, with the way he’s saying ‘Yes, yes, yes, a million times yes’ into Zayn’s mouth.
Zayn nearly drops the ring in his haste to get it on Liam’s finger. ‘Oops. Sorry.’
Liam sniffs and wipes at Zayn’s wet eyes. ‘Silly. So silly.’
‘Yeah, but you’re going to marry me anyway.’