Crawled Out of the Sea (Straight into my Arms)
Title: Crawled Out of the Sea (Straight into my Arms)
Pairing: Liam/Zayn with a little side Harry/Louis
Rating: NC-17
Word count: ~8,100
Summary: Inspired by this prompt at the kink meme: "Times New Roman"">Liam is a lifeguard; Zayn is the patron he constantly finds himself having to save from drowning in the ocean/sea. And maybe he doesn’t mind that, so much. Extra points if you include some sex on the beach.
Warnings: So much fluff that you’ll want to rip your eyes out. Two men having consensual, unprotected sex.
Disclaimer: This is entirely fictional.
A/N: Wow, hi, so this somehow turned into a monster. Definitely not my favorite thing I’ve written, but I’ve left the prompter hanging for a while and I feel like if I don’t give it up now, it’ll never be posted. Title comes from ‘Crawled Out of the Sea (Interlude)’ by Laura Marling. I am also apparently incapable of writing canon!verse fic.
NOW WITH A HARRY/LOUIS SEQUEL: If You Were an Ocean, I'd Learn to Float
This, Liam thinks, is getting ridiculous.
Really, if this guy is as dangerous to himself as he seems to be, he should just stay away from the beach. And sharp objects. And heights. And anything else that could do him bodily harm because honestly, he should not have to run out after the same bloke three times in one week.
He doesn’t know what Zayn’s problem is, but he first saw him about two weeks ago, arriving at the beach with two other boys. The first thing he noticed about him was that he was hot, like ridiculously, terribly hot and okay, Liam’s a pretty sensitive guy. He doesn’t go searching for just a pretty face; personality is a big factor too. And Liam doesn’t know what to even make of Zayn’s personality.
The first day he arrived, Liam saw him chatting up several different girls, while he and his friends ran around screaming and annoying all the sweet old ladies that come to the beach (Liam wishes they would keep their tracksuits on because really but they’re all so nice and sometimes they bring him lemon squares so and he can’t really refute that). They ran out in the water and splashed around and knocked people over and were just generally obnoxious and Liam doesn’t care how hot you are, not on his beach.
He was contemplating whether or not to get up and kick them out when he was snapped out of his reverie by the sound of shouting.
He squinted, trying to decipher where the sound was coming from when it hit him that maybe the thrashing around wasn’t just boys being immature. He gets up from his chair to lean over the railing of the lifeguard tower and observe when he sees the panicked expression on the blond boy’s face that hot-guy arrived with. He immediately snaps into action, running toward the area of water where both of the dark haired boy’s comrades are shouting and looking so completely horrified that Liam’s stomach sinks with a feeling of dread. He’s never had someone get severely injured or (heaven-forbid) die while he was on duty there’s no way he could live with that on his conscience.
He ran over to the two boys, a pale blond that really has no business on a beach in the first place, and a taller, older-looking boy with sandy brown hair and golden skin. “What happened? Who’s hurt?” he shouted to them.
“It’s our friend,” the blond one said, looking so worried that it sent a new wave of nausea through Liam. “He got sucked in and now we can’t see him anywhere. There was a wave and he’s just - he’s gone!”
Liam was already halfway under the water before the boy even finished his sentence, diving down until he could feel the rocky sand underneath his fingers. Ignoring the stinging in his eyes, he began feeling around for any sign of a person struggling for the surface, but he couldn’t feel or see anything. He rose up for breath.
“Do you have him?!” The tan one screamed.
“I’m not done yet!” Liam dove under the water once more, trying to ignore the thought that this guy might have already drowned and if he did it would be his fault and oh, god -
And then he saw it. A flash of skin, slowly sinking out near the designated water line. Liam swam as fast as he could, eyes on fire, until he reached the body and, as quick as he could, rose to the surface.
The boy was unconscious, breathing incredibly shallow and Liam knew that he had to work quickly. When he reached the shore and tried, as gently as he could, to lay the boy down, a crowd had already formed, the boy’s two friends at the very front.
“Get back!” he shouted. He quickly set to work trying to force the water out of the boys lungs, unsuccessfully the first few times. Then, thankfully, he coughed the water up and took a huge breath.
The crowd around them cheered and Liam couldn’t help but smile in relief. He glanced at the boy, who was looking up at him intently, breathing heavily. “Are you okay?” Liam asked.
The boy smiled a full-toothed, albeit strained, smile. “Yeah. Thanks,” he started to slowly rise up, his two friends automatically by his sides and helping him up, even though he tried to smack their hands away. “I’m not handicapped,” he grumbled.
“You sure?” The blonde one muttered.
The guy smacked him on the side of the head, “Shuddup, Niall.”
Liam smiled at their exchange. “Well, I think we should probably call the paramedics to check you out. You seemed like you were unconscious for a while.” He noted the way that the boys face dropped. “It won’t take too long, I promise. Better safe than sorry.”
He sighed, “All right. Niall, you and Louis can head back. I’ll be back soon enough.”
The tan one, who he guessed was Louis, protested. “No way, man. We’re not gonna leave you alone after almost drowning.”
“I can stay with him,” Liam piped up. All three boys turned their heads toward him. “I can get the lifeguard under me to cover the stand. I won’t let him out of my sight.”
“Oi, I’m not a child!” The boy protested.
“Yes, you are.” Louis said. “You’re okay with this, Z?”
The guy looked at Liam, then turned back to his friends and nodded. “Yeah. It’s gonna get dark here in a few anyway and one of you should call my mum so I don’t have to.” He grimaced. “She’s gonna freak. “
Niall nodded sympathetically. Liam interrupted their conversation. “I’m just gonna go tell the other lifeguard to cover me. I’ll be right back.” He ran back to the lifeguard station where Harry was laying sideways on a chair in the office, fast asleep. Liam punched him in the shoulder.
Harry jumped. “What the bloody fuck was that, Payne?”
“Some kid almost drowned while you were sleeping. Need you to watch the stand while I wait with him while the medics examine him.” He didn’t wait for Harry’s answer, just smiled at his indignant squawk and returned to the beach.
***
Liam and the guy were sitting under the paramedics tent, rather awkwardly, when the guy spoke. “So, you saved my life. I think that puts us on a first name basis, don’t you? I’m Zayn.” He held his hand out for Liam to shake.
Liam looked at it, rather apprehensively and finally took it, “Liam.”
Zayn smiled and took his hand back. “So, um… thanks. For doing that. I could’ve died. I’m glad you were there.”
Liam shrugged. “It’s what I’m here for.”
They talked for a few more minutes before the paramedics came in and started examining Zayn, and Liam was surprised at how nice he was. Not at as obnoxious (he’s a little cocky, but nothing Liam can’t handle) and he seemed just excited to interact with Liam. Liam didn’t know why it made his stomach swoop, but it did. He tried not to think about it.
Once he got the okay to leave, they both got up and started making their way out of the tent.
“So, my shifts over. Do you need a ride home or anything?” Liam asked.
“Nah, I just live down the block.”
Liam was surprised. “Oh, really? I’ve never seen you around here. Usually all the locals come to this beach.”
“Well, I’m not really all that local. I just moved here for uni.” Zayn shrugs.
“Oh, that’s cool. This is a really cool town, I think. I’ve lived here with my friend Harry,” he points to the lifeguards tower where Harry is paying little to no attention, “for about two years now. You’ll love it.”
Zayn nodded. Liam looked at the sky. “Well, it’s about dark now. I guess I’ll see you around, Zayn. Hopefully next time I see you, you won’t be drowning.” He joked.
Zayn pulled an odd, calculating face. Then he smiled what Liam would think was an almost mischievous grin. “Yeah, I’ll see you around, Liam.”
***
And now, Liam finds himself eating his own words.
He doesn’t know what is with Zayn, doesn’t know if he’s accident-prone or if he just wants to give Liam a heart attack, but it seems like every time he’s at the beach, something is going wrong.
He just keeps drowning, and Liam doesn’t know what to do with him.
All these times seem… different to Liam. It’s more exaggerated, Zayn making more of a show and Niall and Louis positively shrieking when he goes under. Liam doesn’t want to think that he’s faking, he doesn’t know Zayn very well and even though he’s kind of a prick, the past few times Liam’s talked to him he’s not unkind. He doesn’t think he’d pretend to drown to get other peoples attention.
But he’s been wrong before.
***
This is the fourth time’s Zayn’s drowned, Liam reasons, and he’s got a right to know whether Zayn’s just a massive dick with an inferiority complex so big that he’s got to act like he’s dying to get people to like him, or if misfortune just follows him. He does have to save him, after all. And for some reason, Zayn never drowns when Harry’s on duty. Harry works (well, he’s in the chair. You can’t really call what Harry does ‘working’; He’d probably just let Zayn die) as many days out of the week as Liam does.
What sucks about it the most, he thinks, is that Liam wishes Zayn wasn’t dying all the time so that they could just… talk. He’s liked Zayn the past few times that they’ve interacted. And Zayn’s just really, super attractive. At the times where Zayn isn’t dying, Liam watches him from behind his sunglasses. He’s got Olive skin and sleek black hair that sticks to his forehead adorably when he comes out of the water and tattoos and Liam never thought he’d be into that but holy fuck, he is.
So, Liam may or may not have a crush on the guy with a death wish.
They’re back in the paramedic’s tent, and Liam looks up to where Zayn is talking animatedly about one thing or another and interrupts him. “Do you drown for attention?” and oh, wow, not how that was supposed to come out.
Zayn immediately tenses. “What?”
Oh, god. Here it goes. “I didn’t mean to ask it like that, I swear.”
Zayn’s eyes are cold and they look nothing like how Liam’s seen them in the past. His stature is defensive. Liam doesn’t know what to make of it. “Then how did you mean it to ask it?”
Liam inhales, “I just… don’t get it. If you are so accident-prone, why come to the beach? You can swim; I’ve seen you do it. It doesn’t make any sense, Zayn. Look, if you’re insecure and want to be taken care of, I understand, but I think you’re a great person-“
“Stop,” Zayn snaps, “Believe it or not, I’m not as completely pathetic as you think. If it makes it easier on you, Liam, I just won’t come here anymore. I’d hate to be an inconvenience.” He looks so hurt and Liam wants to take back everything he’s said but before he can, Zayn is leaving the tent.
Liam’s heart is in his throat, but he doesn’t have the guts to go after him.
***
When he gets home, he must look miserable, because Harry turns his attention away from the TV. “Who killed your kitten?”
“What?”
Harry shakes his head. “Nothing, Li. What’s wrong?”
“I’m fine,” Liam says as he slings his bag off his shoulder and sprawls, face-first, onto the couch. “Just dandy.”
He hears Harry sigh and feels a dip in the sofa. “Want to talk about it?”
“No, mother.” Liam grumbles. “I just want to become one with this sofa right now, thank you. I’ve had a long day.”
Harry’s quiet for a moment, then, “Is it the beach guy? Zayn, right?”
Liam’s head shoots up and he tries his best to look at his friend from the awkward position. “Why would you think it was about Zayn?”
“So it is about Zayn!” Harry moves to the floor and scoots so he’s right in Liam’s line of sight. “Tell me everything.”
Liam buries his face back in the couch cushions. “I ast im f’e rown er tenshin.”
“Come again?”
He looks up. “I asked him if he drowns for attention.”
Harry looks affronted and that’s when he knows he’s messed up because Harry is his best friend, but he could also win the cup for least observant man on Earth. “Li, tell me you’re joking. Tell me you didn’t say it like that.”
“… In my defense-“
“No, Liam, you don’t have a defense here. Why would you say that to someone? Jesus Christ, man! When did you turn into me?”
“I was gonna bring it up slowly, but it just came out, okay? One second we were just chatting like the other times and then I just asked and oh, god, Hazza, you should’ve seen his face. He told me he wasn’t coming back to the beach and then left and I am such a fucking idiot.” He groans and buries his face in his hands.
Harry pats him on the back, which Liam thinks should be reassuring but it’s more awkward than anything. “You like him, yeah?” Harry says.
Liam looks at Harry, and he looks so sincere that he just can’t lie to him. “Yeah. I do. But it doesn’t really matter anyway. I mean, it was a stupid crush and I see him flirting with girls all the time and even if he was into blokes, there’s no way he’d find me attractive. I’m too… Liam.”
Harry bumps his shoulder. “Hey, now. None of that. You’re a catch,” Liam chuckles despite himself. “And I dunno, I don’t think he’s as straight as you think he is. I came down to take over the chair that first time you saved him and he looked like he was gonna swoon. You were his hero.”
Liam smacks Harry’s shoulder half-heartedly. “Well, it doesn’t really matter anymore, does it? He won’t speak to me. I don’t even know that much about him. I know that he lives somewhere around the beach but I’m not creepy enough to go looking for him. I don’t know what to do, Haz.”
Harry doesn’t know either, but he’s not going to tell Liam that.
***
It’s been a week since he last saw Zayn, and Liam is pining.
He’s almost obsessively checking for Zayn every day, nearly leaping out of his chair every time he sees a familiar shock of black hair hoping to God that’s it’s Zayn.
But it never is.
It’s his day off now, and Harry has forbidden him from entering their apartment on the grounds of, “If you’re not at work, you’re sulking. It’s stinking up my living quarters.”
They’re sitting at their favorite little coffee shop they discovered when they moved here. Harry’s typing furiously on his laptop and Liam is trying, unsuccessfully to do some reading when he hears footsteps stop at his table. He looks up and barely recognizes him with his shirt on and hair hidden under a beanie, but it’s Zayn’s friend, Louis. His heart clenches. He was distracted for a few good minutes there.
Louis is smiling kindly, not what he was expecting because, well, he basically called his friend a liar and pathetic right to his face. He knows that if someone did that to Harry, he probably wouldn’t be very polite. “Hey, Liam. How’re you, mate?”
“I’m doing well, how about you?” He tries his hardest not to ask about Zayn like a needy 13 year old with a crush. In his surprise, he all but forgets that Harry’s there. “Um, this is my friend, Harry. Harry, this is Louis.”
But Harry’s already looking at Louis and oh shit, Liam knows that look. Harry’s currently looking at Louis like he’s magical and Liam could smack him so hard he sees stars because this is the closest link he’s had to Zayn in a week, damnit, and it is not going to be ruined because Harry wants to get in Louis’ pants. He kicks him under the table.
Harry springs to action and waves and smiles politely at Louis, and then acts like he’s back on the computer. Louis waves back, but Liam notices he looks at Harry a little longer than absolutely necessary. Huh.
He eventually turns back toward Liam and says, “So, uh, I was just kind of wondering if we could… talk, just for a moment? Outside, maybe?”
Fuck. That can only mean one thing: Louis is going to rip him a new one over hurting his friend. He supposes he deserves it, really. At least Louis has the decency to take him outside before screaming at him.
He nods and stands up. Harry shoots him a worried look and Liam tries to look reassuring but it must not work because Harry grimaces.
When they get outside, instead of unleashing the fucking fury on Liam, Louis turns to him and sighs.
“Look, it’s really none of my business and Zayn would absolutely kill me if he knew I was speaking to you about this,” he winces, “but I really think you should talk to him. Honestly. He told me what you guys argued about and really, it’s a lot simpler than it seems but Zayn just… he has a hard time expressing what he wants to say. We’ve been friends for a long time, and just know that he’s really upset about what happened the other day between you two.”
He’s confused and he doesn’t know what to say, but Liam nods anyway. “I really would’ve talked to him, but I have no clue how to reach him. I know he lives somewhere near the beach but that’s about it. Also, he doesn’t seem like he really wants to talk to me. I was… a jerk. I presumed too much and it must have really made him angry because he just left. I don’t want to upset him more.”
“No, Liam, you were just asking. It’s not your fault, okay? Zayn’s just… you really need to talk to him. And I won’t give you his mobile number or address because, no offence, I don’t know you that well and you could be a crazy, lifeguard murderer,” Liam chuckles at that and Louis smiles, “but he gets out of class at noon and usually goes to the library. He usually sits in one of the chairs near the lifts on the second floor. Do you know where the campus is?”
Liam nods, and asks, “Can I ask you why he got so upset with me?”
Louis shakes his head, “Not my business to tell, mate. Go and speak with him, all right? He’s all surly and unapproachable when he’s upset.” He pats his shoulder and turns to leave, then turns back around, “Oh, and Liam. Your friend, Harry, was it? Is he…?” He makes a vague motion with his hands.
Liam lets out a belly laugh at that, “Is he into blokes? Yeah, Harry’s into just about everyone.”
Louis smiles. “Good to know.”
***
He gets to the library about 10 minutes after noon and, palms sweating, rides the lift up to the second floor. When the doors open, he can’t help but smile because there’s Zayn, headphones in, a book in his lap, completely unaware of his presence.
He looks at him for a moment before he inhales deeply and grabs one of the chairs by the lift doors and pulls it up in front of Zayn. He looks up from what he’s reading and looks at Liam straight in the face, and even like this, where Liam is absolutely terrified that Zayn’s going to scream at him and make him leave, he thinks Zayn is absolutely gorgeous. His hair is different than it usually is, styled up with what must be an entire jar of product but it still manages to look soft and natural and Liam wants to run his hands through it. He’s wearing a simple blue shirt and some black jeans but he looks perfect. Zayn is beautiful, there’s no denying.
He pulls out his headphones and just stares at Liam for a second like he doesn’t know what to do. Oh, good start. “Hi,” Liam says quietly.
Zayn’s still looking at him like he’s going to disappear any second. “Hi, Liam.” He finally looks away and closes his book. “How’d you find me?”
“Well, uh - if I tell you, will you promise not to kill him?”
“Louis or Niall?”
“Louis. But he was worried about you and -“
“I’m glad he did,” Zayn interrupts, “I wouldn’t have talked to you otherwise. Pride issues, you know.”
Liam has spend the last week sulking in his room over a boy, so no, he really doesn’t.
“Look, Zayn, I know that you probably don’t want to talk for long but I just need to say that I’m so sorry for what happened. I was presumptuous and an asshole -“
“I wasn’t really drowning.”
Liam freezes. “What?”
Zayn corrects himself, “Every time except the first time! The first time was real! Really, you saved my life, Liam. Just the other times… weren’t.”
Liam’s heart sinks. The prospect that he Zayn was lying hadn’t crossed his mind since he stormed out on Liam, but now he knows it’s true and the realization crushes him, making it hard to breathe. Zayn lied, and made him feel like shit, and Liam wanted something more with him the whole time. He wants to cry, but instead he looks at him and, stoically, asks “why?”
“You’ll think it’s dumb.”
“I already think it’s pretty fucking stupid, Zayn, so you can tell the truth, now,” He snaps. Zayn winces and he automatically feels bad, “I’m sorry, that was rude of me. Just, explain to me why you did it.”
Zayn looks up from where he’s been fiddling with his pencil for the past minute and inhales, “I did it so I could talk to you.”
“Excuse me?”
Zayn sighs, “Look, I know it’s stupid. It was an idiotic thing to do; I understand that. But Jesus, Liam, I really like you, alright? And I don’t know if you like guys and how awkward would it have been if I had just gone up to you and started flirting with you? You probably would’ve shot me down on the spot,” he picks at frays on the spine of his book, “As stupid as it sounds, I was just desperate to get to know you. When I ran out after that conversation, I was more embarrassed than anything. “
Liam gapes, trying to get his thoughts together. “Let me get this straight,” he inhales, “You wanted to get to know me, so instead of walking up to my post and talking to me, you acted like you were drowning. So I’d rescue you and we’d have a conversation. Is that right?”
Zayn’s looking anywhere but at Liam. “Essentially, yeah.”
He doesn’t know whether to laugh or punch Zayn square in his mouth. “That is the most fucked up logic I’ve ever heard in my entire life, Zayn.”
Zayn nods and laughs, entirely self-deprecating. “Now that we’ve established this, can you leave, please? I’d like to wallow in my self-pity by myself, to be quite frank.”
Liam stays seated.
Zayn sighs and starts to stand up. “Okay, then. I’ll save you the trouble.” He starts to walk away when Liam realizes what’s happening and grabs his forearm.
“I’m sorry, I was just shocked. Let me -” he falters, “I want to talk to you about this more. I’m not going to yell at you or anything. I just want to talk, alright?” Zayn looks apprehensive. “Please, Zayn. You owe me this, at least.”
Zayn nods and takes his seat again and looks expectant while Liam tries to figure out where to start.
“I like you too, Zayn,” he says quietly, and Zayn looks at him straight in the face for what feels like the first time since they’ve been sitting there, “a lot. But this, this is not okay. I was worried, and then the past week I’ve been sitting in my room feeling like a dick and making my roommate miserable because I thought I’d fucked up and in the end it turns out that you lied to me.”
The miserable expression on Zayn’s face is enough to make Liam rethink what he wanted to say. He’s not dumb; ordinarily, this would be enough to kick someone to the curb over, but the thing, Liam realizes, is that Zayn isn’t ordinary. Liam likes to think of himself as independent - he doesn’t need someone else by his side at all times to make him feel secure in himself. He’s also got a quick recovery time, and when he gets dumped, he usually feels bad about it for a few hours and then gets over it; but he’s been moping over the same boy for a week now and they weren’t even dating. He’d like to think it means something.
“I think what you did was ridiculously stupid. You’re also incredibly unobservant. And all the time that you were drowning I was thinking about how I’d just like to go to coffee with you instead of saving your life,” he sighs, “but I really do like you. A crazy amount.”
Zayn reaches for his hand tentatively, runs his thumb over Liam’s knuckles. Liam doesn’t pull back. “I want to make this right. What can I do to make this right?”
“No more lies, okay? This is going to take some time, because I’m not entirely sure where we stand right now. But I’d like to try.” He looks at Zayn with pleading eyes and his heart melts when Zayn nods automatically.
“I want to get to know you better, outside of my work. Can I borrow a sheet of that?” He points towards Zayn’s notebook, lying unopened by his chair. Zayn complies and Liam takes the pencil off of his lap. “This,” he says as he writes, “is my phone number. I know that you’re busy with uni and I’ve got work, but call me sometime this week and we can go do something, yeah?”
“Okay, yeah. We’ll do that.”
Liam nods and stands up. “Well, I’ll let you get back to what you were doing. He doesn’t know whether to hug Zayn or not so he just gives him affectionate rub on the shoulder. “I’ll see you, Zayn,” he says softly.
A radiant smile lights up Zayn’s face, and he looks the happiest he has since Liam’s met him. “Yeah. See you, Liam."
***
He missed Zayn’s call the first time because his boss has a no cell phone policy, so it’s about 7 o’clock that night when Liam gets to ring him back, and when he answers the phone, he sounds so incredibly hopeful and nervous that Liam isn’t sure he’s got the right number.
He hears a clatter of dishes, then a crash, and then a “shit!” before a voice on the other end comes on. “Liam? Is that you?”
He sounds frantic and Liam’s a little worried, “Yeah, it’s me. Are you alright?”
Zayn breathes a sigh, and Liam can tell that he’s relieved, even through the phone. “Yeah, I’m- I’m fine. I just… didn’t think you’d call me back. You know, when you didn’t answer your phone and stuff…” he says.
“I’m sorry about that, I was at working and Simon would have my head if he saw me with my phone,” he remembers the crashing sound, “Um, are you okay, though? I heard something break.”
Liam can practically feel Zayn’s blush through the phone. “Oh, uh, yeah. I think I’m still getting used to living on my own.”
“I thought you lived with Louis and Niall?”
“I do,” Zayn sighs, “but Niall’s on a date with his girlfriend so he’ll be there until morning and Lou is at work; He takes the night shift most of the time. So, I’m on my own tonight. Not that they’re great cooks, either, but most of the time we can whip something up that’s at least edible. The three of us together make one mediocre chef.”
Liam laughs, and thinks about what he’s going to say next. “Would you like some help cooking? Or some company, even? I don’t have to work in the morning and it’s Harry’s TV night.”
“Are you serious?” Zayn asks, then corrects himself, “That’s not what I meant! I mean… you’d want to? After what we talked about the other day?”
Liam shrugs even though he knows Zayn can’t see it, “Starting over, remember?”
He swears he can hear Zayn’s smile. “Yeah,” he says softly, “D’you want my address?”
They chat for a minute longer and then Liam is out the door, Zayn’s address in his pocket.
***
Zayn opens the door tentatively. “Hi,” he says. “I’m going to let you in, now, but you can’t make fun of me.”
Liam’s confused, but agrees nonetheless. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
At first, he doesn’t know why Zayn’s so apprehensive about letting him in, but when he’s further inside the flat and facing the tiny kitchen, he’s afraid his eyes have bulged out of his skull. The kitchen is an absolute disaster, there are pots sitting out everywhere, what looks like the contents entire fridge is left on the countertop, broken glass and some white powdered substance on the floor and what looks disturbingly like blood on the kitchen cabinets.
“Jesus Christ, Zayn,” he breathes, “What were you making?”
“I dunno,” he blushes, “I was going to make grilled cheese, and then I got distracted by the prospect of French fries, and then I wanted pizza, so I just kind of got everything out. Then, after many failed attempts, I realized I didn’t know how to make any of those things.”
“What’s on the floor?”
“…Flour. Pizza dough, remember?”
Liam nods, “Did you bleed on the cabinets?” He reaches out for Zayn’s hands to inspect for cuts.
“S’ketchup,” Zayn mumbles.
He’s an absolute mess; he’s got flour everywhere, in his hair and his nice black shirt, there’s some on his nose and caked under his fingernails. He looks ridiculous and Liam thinks it’s almost sickeningly adorable.
Liam sighs and finally lets go of Zayn’s hands, “Well. The first step is to clean this up, and then we’re going to figure out what to cook, alright?”
Zayn nods and Liam takes off his jacket, “Let’s get started.”
They clean in relative silence except for the clank of pots being put in cabinets and Liam sweeping flour and glass off the floor. In the end, it’s not exactly spotless.
They decide to make pasta because even though Liam’s can cook, he’s not exactly an Iron Chef, but Zayn seems happy enough to have something edible that he doesn’t have to pay extra for with his meager earnings as a university student.
“Can you boil water?” Liam asks.
Zayn puts his hand to his chest in mock offence, “Do I look deficient?”
“Do I need to divert back to the fact that I thought your kitchen was a crime scene when I first walked in?”
Zayn scoffs but says nothing, and goes to fill a pot up with water.
Liam looks in Zayn’s cabinet and smiles when he sees that he, indeed, has marinara sauce. He doesn’t need to look for cheese because he remembers putting in back in the fridge.
“What now?” Zayn asks.
“Well, now, we’ve got to wait for that water to boil. The sauce won’t take long to heat. We can do whatever.”
Things are tenser now that there’s nothing to do and Zayn looks around, rocking back on his heels, “So, would you like to watch some telly?”
Liam nods, thankful for the distraction.
They’re a few minutes into some quiz show that Zayn apparently thinks is hilarious, and Liam is just staring at him. He thinks about how Zayn lied to him, and there’s a bit of him that still resents that but he remembers the reason why he lied, because he was so sure that Liam would reject him otherwise. Liam can hardly believe that someone like Zayn would ever be afraid of rejection from someone like him. It makes him seem more human behind his perfectly coiffed hair and toothy smile.
Zayn looks over at him with a grin still on his face, eyes watery from laughing and Liam is hit with the stunning realization that he hasn’t felt like this for someone in ages. Not just because Zayn’s pretty to look at but because he’s nice and he cares for people and he wants Liam. Liam’s breath hitches he needs to kiss Zayn until he believes that no matter what’s happened, Liam wants him just as badly. Maybe more.
So he does.
It’s nothing really romantic or sexual, just a quick press of lips but when Liam pulls back, apprehensive, Zayn looks so completely happy that Liam can’t help but laugh. It spurs Zayn on, and they both end up clutching each other while they giggle helplessly into each others shoulders and just like that, all the previous tension, all the lies and i-don’t-knows and the apprehension is gone. Liam feels like he should say ‘I forgive you’, but from the way Zayn has gone from breathless laughter to wrapping his arms around Liam and holding him close, he thinks like he already knows.
They start kissing again, and only stop when the sound of the pot boiling over snaps them out of it.
***
By now, they’re so used to having one of their flats to themselves that when Louis decides to start working day shifts and Niall breaks up with his girlfriend, they’re unpleasantly surprised that their dates are usually spent with absolutely no privacy.
Liam adores Louis and Niall, he does, but he accepted a while ago that they’re complete and utter cockblocks. It’s like no one knocks in their flat. You can only get walked in on while someone’s dick is in your mouth so many times before you just give up on that location completely.
They would go back to Liam’s, but whenever they’re there Harry’s always ‘nonchalantly’ asking about Louis or trying to defend Liam’s honor, and while he appreciates that Harry cares, it’s in no way how he wants to spend an evening with his boyfriend.
In some ways, Liam is thankful for the lack of alone time because he gets to plan how to make it up to Zayn, and, well, he’s wanted to do that for a while.
It’s been a few months since they’ve been together, and so far they’ve only had the time to give each other a some rushed handjobs (well, a lot of rushed handjobs) and, when they have a couple of blessed extra minutes, a few blowjobs. It’s not that Liam is desperate to get into Zayn’s pants, but he really, really is. It doesn’t help that Zayn’s bum is absolutely delightful, and he relishes the few quick squeezes he gets whenever they’re making out.
But they haven’t even had time for that lately. Zayn’s just finished exams, so he was always stressed and Liam knew that what he needed was for someone to read him his notes back and snuggle up with him when it was all too much (‘I’m going to fail, Liam. I’m going to fail uni and I’m going to work at McDonald’s for the rest of my life. It’s going to be your job to be my lifeguard-in-shining armor and bring me home the bacon, Liam.’), and not to be heckled into relieving Liam’s sexual frustration.
It seems like everyone is in his flat this evening when Harry swore that he’d be out so that they could have some alone time, and while he’s frustrated, he decides that this would be the perfect time to put his plan into action.
They’re on the couch in the living room and all of Harry’s friends are drunk and loud while Zayn has a headache; he’s been rubbing his temples and the girls leaning over his lap and trying to kiss him aren’t helping in the least. Liam stands up and grabs his hand, pulling him up and off the couch, making the girls whine in protest.
“Where are we going?” Zayn asks, not objecting in the slightest.
They go into Liam’s room and he shoos a couple of Harry’s friends off his bed absentmindedly while rushing to his closet to grab one of his old backpacks. “We’re getting the hell out of here. I’m so sorry, I didn’t know that this was going to happen.”
Zayn comes up behind him and rubs his back soothingly, and Liam is pleased when some of the built-up tension drains out of his body. “It’s okay,” he says softly, “It’s not your fault. What are you doing with that, then?” He points at the backpack, where Liam is shoving a blanket inside and zipping it up.
Liam gets everything packed in and grabs his car keys. He turns to Zayn and kisses him softly, “Just trust me.”
Zayn nods automatically. Liam smiles and they make their way out of the catastrophe that is his flat and down to his car.
***
When they get to the beach, Zayn is looking at him like he’s crazy. “Why are we here? At night?”
Liam really is absurdly proud of himself for this plan. It’s been dark for a while now, so the beach is deserted and he can see just make out the entrance of the little hidden spot he scouted out while he was working a dead day. The moon is perfect tonight, bright enough to let him see Zayn but not enough to illuminate them completely. The waves are crashing just hard enough. He grabs Zayn’s hand and leads him, Zayn protesting all the while.
“Liam, what are we doing? We can’t be here, it’s after sundown!” he whisper-yells.
“Relax,” Liam soothes, “It’s fine, no one will see us, I promise.”
“Have you gone mad? Have you lost your mind, and you’ve decided that this would be the perfect place to kill me and hide the body?”
Liam laughs out loud and Zayn shushes him.
When they reach the hidden little patch of beach, Liam finally turns around and looks at him. “It’s alright, yeah? I wouldn’t bring you here if I didn’t know we’d be 100% alone.” He turns back around and slings the backpack off, unzipping it and flinging the blanket out on the sand. The breeze is subtle enough that it won’t disturb them or, god forbid, blow sand over them. He looks up when he feels Zayn touch his shoulder.
“You planned this,” he says. It’s not a question.
Liam shrugs and suddenly Zayn’s on him, his mouth covering Liam’s in a searing kiss and Liam remembers full-force what he brought Zayn here to do, his cock filling up with blood at the prospect and the feeling of Zayn’s tongue twining with his. He pulls away and motions to the blanket before sitting down, Zayn following suit.
Liam rolls on top of him, bracing his hands on either side of his head and leaning down to kiss him again. It’s what he’s been craving for so long, just the ability to kiss Zayn for an extended period of time and feel his body pressed up against his own. It’s almost enough. Almost.
He pulls back and looks down at Zayn, whose lips are swollen and red, and Liam can tell even in the dull light that his eyes are dark. He places a kiss on Zayn’s mouth again before kissing down over his jaw and to his neck, back up to his ear. “Want to fuck you,” he breathes.
“God, I am so glad you said that,” Zayn chokes out. Liam smiles before lifting Zayn’s shirt over his head and flinging it somewhere near the backpack. He kisses over the tattoos on his upper chest, running his tongue over the script and sucking a mark into where the one on his collarbone ends. Zayn’s making little noises in the back of his throat and fingering the hem of Liam’s shirt. “You too,” he says.
Liam complies, and Zayn’s fingers reach up to toy with his nipples. “Fuck,” he breathes out. His hands move to unzip Zayn’s jeans and wastes no time pulling them down with his boxer briefs in one movement.
Zayn looks gorgeous, spread out, completely bare on the blanket. It’s so cheesy, what they’re doing, the entire premise of it, but Liam can’t bring himself to feel ashamed when Zayn is looking at him from hooded eyes and rubbing at the bulge in his jeans before unbuttoning his pants and pushing them and his boxers down his thighs.
Liam kicks them off, grabbing a condom and a travel-sized bottle of lube from his pocket before discarding the jeans. Zayn raises a dark eyebrow and Liam shrugs “No shame,” he says.
Zayn laughs and pulls Liam down so their bodies are aligned, their cocks pressed together. Liam rocks down a little bit, the head of his cock catching on Zayn’s and he moans out. Zayn snakes a hand down between them and fists Liam’s cock twice, pulling back his foreskin and running his thumb over the head before he whispers, “fuck me, Li,” in his ear.
The air is salty and Liam can hear the waves crashing, but he’s not paying attention to anything but the way Zayn is biting at his neck and rubbing down his back. Liam stretches out and grabs the lube again, popping open the bottle and coating his fingers before he hitches Zayn’s leg up on his hip and strokes over his hole.
Zayn shudders. “Please,” he whines. Liam complies, pushing in one finger to the knuckle and relishing the heat and the squeeze when Zayn clenches down. He leans up to kiss Zayn while he thrusts his finger in and out. “You are so gorgeous, you don’t even know,” he whispers. Zayn kisses him and hisses out, “More, Liam.”
Liam pulls his finger out before pressing two at Zayn’s entrance and pushing in, slower this time; Zayn hisses, rocking down nonetheless. Liam crooks his fingers just so and Zayn grabs his arm, scrunches his eyes as his mouth drops open. He keeps steadily rubbing over Zayn’s prostate and Zayn is close to sobbing, all sense of coherency gone. Liam lets up and pushes a third finger in next to the first two, pumping in but avoiding the sensitive little nub.
Zayn’s breathing is harsh and he’s grinding down on Liam’s fingers, and Liam thinks he could come just by watching this when Zayn grabs his wrist. “No more,” he says, “Need you now.”
Liam goes to roll on the condom when Zayn stops him. “No, I don’t -“, he cuts himself off, “Just… we’re both clean, yeah? Let’s just leave it. Want to feel you.”
Liam can see how sincere he looks even in the dull light and he wonders how anything this perfect could ever happen to him; Wonders what he did before Zayn. “I love you,” he says. It’s the first time he’s said it, and the weight of it should be crashing down on him right now, but he’s so sure of it that he can’t bring himself to feel apprehensive.
Zayn smiles, “I love you too,” he pulls Liam down to lay on top of him, “Now let’s get this show on the road.”
Liam laughs and pulls Zayn’s legs up so his feet are resting on the blanket. Liam braces himself and presses his cock to Zayn’s entrance before pushing in the slightest bit, making Zayn grab his bicep and squeeze, willing away the pain as Liam pushes in further. When Liam’s hips are resting flush against his ass, he whispers, “Hold on a second, ‘kay?”
Liam nods and wills himself to stay still while Zayn adjusts, shaking with the effort. When Zayn relaxes and gives him the okay, he pulls back out slowly, and thrusts back in with more force than before. Zayn moans out, but Liam can tell that the angle could be better for him, so he pulls back out, sits up slightly and moves Zayn’s calves to rest on his shoulders before pushing back in.
Just like that, everything snaps into place; the angle is making Liam’s cock hit Zayn’s prostate just right, his hole clenching around Liam and making him cry out. Liam starts fucking him at a steady pace, and Zayn’s head is thrown back, his hair getting mussed by rubbing against the sheets. Liam can hear the waves crashing in the background; can taste the salt from the mist on his tongue. He can hardly believe they’re doing this here, but it’s even better than he’d hoped. With Zayn grinding his ass back on Liam’s cock, pulling him down so he can grab Liam’s hair for purchase.
Zayn looks positively filthy. Liam’s imagined how Zayn would look while he was getting fucked a lot, but nothing responds to the reality of it. Zayn is just so responsive, every little push of Liam’s hips is sending another sound out of his mouth, and if Liam weren’t so close to him, he wouldn’t be able to hear by the sound of rushing water behind them. He’s desperate for it, grabbing onto Liam and raking his nails down his back. Zayn rarely lets go, not even in front of him, but right now he can’t help but feel a sense of pride and ownership, knowing that he’s caused ever-composed Zayn, who is always locked up so tight, to lose all control of his composure.
Liam starts fucking in with more force, making the blanket bunch up around Zayn’s head as he moves up the fabric. He reaches down to his cock, heavy and leaking precome on his stomach, and starts pulling in time with Liam’s thrusts and Liam makes sure he hits right where Zayn wants him.
Liam’s close, so close, but he refuses to come before Zayn does. A few choice thrusts later, and Zayn’s mouth is dropping open, letting out little desperate mewling sounds and coming between them. Liam feels it splash on his chest and thrusts in a few more times before coming, buried deep inside Zayn.
He lands on top of Zayn, chest heaving. “You’re heavy,” Zayn whines, but he makes no effort to push Liam off.
Liam regains his breath and pulls out of Zayn, and he has to see. He spreads Zayn’s cheeks a little, looks at where he’s open and raw and wet, and if he hadn’t just come minutes before, he’d already be halfway to hard because it’s obscene how gorgeous Zayn looks with Liam’s come leaking out of him.
Zayn tugs on Liam’s hair a little to make him lean up to him. “You dirty freak,” he chides, not unkindly. Liam smiles and takes one of their shirts to wipe the come off his chest before sliding next to him on the blanket.
“Should’ve brought tissues or something, can feel you leaking down my thighs,” Zayn says and Liam groans and buries his face in the blanket
“Jesus Christ, you can’t say things like that while I’m not capable of getting an erection.”
Zayn laughs, and Liam reaches over to the backpack before finding the pack of tissues hidden in the side pocket.
Zayn looks surprised. “Well, aren’t you prepared?”
Liam shrugs, “I was in scouts.”
Zayn smiles, “I think this was better than sitting in your flat and getting molested by drunk women.”
Liam pulls Zayn into his side, “Much better.”
Pairing: Liam/Zayn with a little side Harry/Louis
Rating: NC-17
Word count: ~8,100
Summary: Inspired by this prompt at the kink meme: "Times New Roman"">Liam is a lifeguard; Zayn is the patron he constantly finds himself having to save from drowning in the ocean/sea. And maybe he doesn’t mind that, so much. Extra points if you include some sex on the beach.
Warnings: So much fluff that you’ll want to rip your eyes out. Two men having consensual, unprotected sex.
Disclaimer: This is entirely fictional.
A/N: Wow, hi, so this somehow turned into a monster. Definitely not my favorite thing I’ve written, but I’ve left the prompter hanging for a while and I feel like if I don’t give it up now, it’ll never be posted. Title comes from ‘Crawled Out of the Sea (Interlude)’ by Laura Marling. I am also apparently incapable of writing canon!verse fic.
NOW WITH A HARRY/LOUIS SEQUEL: If You Were an Ocean, I'd Learn to Float
This, Liam thinks, is getting ridiculous.
Really, if this guy is as dangerous to himself as he seems to be, he should just stay away from the beach. And sharp objects. And heights. And anything else that could do him bodily harm because honestly, he should not have to run out after the same bloke three times in one week.
He doesn’t know what Zayn’s problem is, but he first saw him about two weeks ago, arriving at the beach with two other boys. The first thing he noticed about him was that he was hot, like ridiculously, terribly hot and okay, Liam’s a pretty sensitive guy. He doesn’t go searching for just a pretty face; personality is a big factor too. And Liam doesn’t know what to even make of Zayn’s personality.
The first day he arrived, Liam saw him chatting up several different girls, while he and his friends ran around screaming and annoying all the sweet old ladies that come to the beach (Liam wishes they would keep their tracksuits on because really but they’re all so nice and sometimes they bring him lemon squares so and he can’t really refute that). They ran out in the water and splashed around and knocked people over and were just generally obnoxious and Liam doesn’t care how hot you are, not on his beach.
He was contemplating whether or not to get up and kick them out when he was snapped out of his reverie by the sound of shouting.
He squinted, trying to decipher where the sound was coming from when it hit him that maybe the thrashing around wasn’t just boys being immature. He gets up from his chair to lean over the railing of the lifeguard tower and observe when he sees the panicked expression on the blond boy’s face that hot-guy arrived with. He immediately snaps into action, running toward the area of water where both of the dark haired boy’s comrades are shouting and looking so completely horrified that Liam’s stomach sinks with a feeling of dread. He’s never had someone get severely injured or (heaven-forbid) die while he was on duty there’s no way he could live with that on his conscience.
He ran over to the two boys, a pale blond that really has no business on a beach in the first place, and a taller, older-looking boy with sandy brown hair and golden skin. “What happened? Who’s hurt?” he shouted to them.
“It’s our friend,” the blond one said, looking so worried that it sent a new wave of nausea through Liam. “He got sucked in and now we can’t see him anywhere. There was a wave and he’s just - he’s gone!”
Liam was already halfway under the water before the boy even finished his sentence, diving down until he could feel the rocky sand underneath his fingers. Ignoring the stinging in his eyes, he began feeling around for any sign of a person struggling for the surface, but he couldn’t feel or see anything. He rose up for breath.
“Do you have him?!” The tan one screamed.
“I’m not done yet!” Liam dove under the water once more, trying to ignore the thought that this guy might have already drowned and if he did it would be his fault and oh, god -
And then he saw it. A flash of skin, slowly sinking out near the designated water line. Liam swam as fast as he could, eyes on fire, until he reached the body and, as quick as he could, rose to the surface.
The boy was unconscious, breathing incredibly shallow and Liam knew that he had to work quickly. When he reached the shore and tried, as gently as he could, to lay the boy down, a crowd had already formed, the boy’s two friends at the very front.
“Get back!” he shouted. He quickly set to work trying to force the water out of the boys lungs, unsuccessfully the first few times. Then, thankfully, he coughed the water up and took a huge breath.
The crowd around them cheered and Liam couldn’t help but smile in relief. He glanced at the boy, who was looking up at him intently, breathing heavily. “Are you okay?” Liam asked.
The boy smiled a full-toothed, albeit strained, smile. “Yeah. Thanks,” he started to slowly rise up, his two friends automatically by his sides and helping him up, even though he tried to smack their hands away. “I’m not handicapped,” he grumbled.
“You sure?” The blonde one muttered.
The guy smacked him on the side of the head, “Shuddup, Niall.”
Liam smiled at their exchange. “Well, I think we should probably call the paramedics to check you out. You seemed like you were unconscious for a while.” He noted the way that the boys face dropped. “It won’t take too long, I promise. Better safe than sorry.”
He sighed, “All right. Niall, you and Louis can head back. I’ll be back soon enough.”
The tan one, who he guessed was Louis, protested. “No way, man. We’re not gonna leave you alone after almost drowning.”
“I can stay with him,” Liam piped up. All three boys turned their heads toward him. “I can get the lifeguard under me to cover the stand. I won’t let him out of my sight.”
“Oi, I’m not a child!” The boy protested.
“Yes, you are.” Louis said. “You’re okay with this, Z?”
The guy looked at Liam, then turned back to his friends and nodded. “Yeah. It’s gonna get dark here in a few anyway and one of you should call my mum so I don’t have to.” He grimaced. “She’s gonna freak. “
Niall nodded sympathetically. Liam interrupted their conversation. “I’m just gonna go tell the other lifeguard to cover me. I’ll be right back.” He ran back to the lifeguard station where Harry was laying sideways on a chair in the office, fast asleep. Liam punched him in the shoulder.
Harry jumped. “What the bloody fuck was that, Payne?”
“Some kid almost drowned while you were sleeping. Need you to watch the stand while I wait with him while the medics examine him.” He didn’t wait for Harry’s answer, just smiled at his indignant squawk and returned to the beach.
***
Liam and the guy were sitting under the paramedics tent, rather awkwardly, when the guy spoke. “So, you saved my life. I think that puts us on a first name basis, don’t you? I’m Zayn.” He held his hand out for Liam to shake.
Liam looked at it, rather apprehensively and finally took it, “Liam.”
Zayn smiled and took his hand back. “So, um… thanks. For doing that. I could’ve died. I’m glad you were there.”
Liam shrugged. “It’s what I’m here for.”
They talked for a few more minutes before the paramedics came in and started examining Zayn, and Liam was surprised at how nice he was. Not at as obnoxious (he’s a little cocky, but nothing Liam can’t handle) and he seemed just excited to interact with Liam. Liam didn’t know why it made his stomach swoop, but it did. He tried not to think about it.
Once he got the okay to leave, they both got up and started making their way out of the tent.
“So, my shifts over. Do you need a ride home or anything?” Liam asked.
“Nah, I just live down the block.”
Liam was surprised. “Oh, really? I’ve never seen you around here. Usually all the locals come to this beach.”
“Well, I’m not really all that local. I just moved here for uni.” Zayn shrugs.
“Oh, that’s cool. This is a really cool town, I think. I’ve lived here with my friend Harry,” he points to the lifeguards tower where Harry is paying little to no attention, “for about two years now. You’ll love it.”
Zayn nodded. Liam looked at the sky. “Well, it’s about dark now. I guess I’ll see you around, Zayn. Hopefully next time I see you, you won’t be drowning.” He joked.
Zayn pulled an odd, calculating face. Then he smiled what Liam would think was an almost mischievous grin. “Yeah, I’ll see you around, Liam.”
***
And now, Liam finds himself eating his own words.
He doesn’t know what is with Zayn, doesn’t know if he’s accident-prone or if he just wants to give Liam a heart attack, but it seems like every time he’s at the beach, something is going wrong.
He just keeps drowning, and Liam doesn’t know what to do with him.
All these times seem… different to Liam. It’s more exaggerated, Zayn making more of a show and Niall and Louis positively shrieking when he goes under. Liam doesn’t want to think that he’s faking, he doesn’t know Zayn very well and even though he’s kind of a prick, the past few times Liam’s talked to him he’s not unkind. He doesn’t think he’d pretend to drown to get other peoples attention.
But he’s been wrong before.
***
This is the fourth time’s Zayn’s drowned, Liam reasons, and he’s got a right to know whether Zayn’s just a massive dick with an inferiority complex so big that he’s got to act like he’s dying to get people to like him, or if misfortune just follows him. He does have to save him, after all. And for some reason, Zayn never drowns when Harry’s on duty. Harry works (well, he’s in the chair. You can’t really call what Harry does ‘working’; He’d probably just let Zayn die) as many days out of the week as Liam does.
What sucks about it the most, he thinks, is that Liam wishes Zayn wasn’t dying all the time so that they could just… talk. He’s liked Zayn the past few times that they’ve interacted. And Zayn’s just really, super attractive. At the times where Zayn isn’t dying, Liam watches him from behind his sunglasses. He’s got Olive skin and sleek black hair that sticks to his forehead adorably when he comes out of the water and tattoos and Liam never thought he’d be into that but holy fuck, he is.
So, Liam may or may not have a crush on the guy with a death wish.
They’re back in the paramedic’s tent, and Liam looks up to where Zayn is talking animatedly about one thing or another and interrupts him. “Do you drown for attention?” and oh, wow, not how that was supposed to come out.
Zayn immediately tenses. “What?”
Oh, god. Here it goes. “I didn’t mean to ask it like that, I swear.”
Zayn’s eyes are cold and they look nothing like how Liam’s seen them in the past. His stature is defensive. Liam doesn’t know what to make of it. “Then how did you mean it to ask it?”
Liam inhales, “I just… don’t get it. If you are so accident-prone, why come to the beach? You can swim; I’ve seen you do it. It doesn’t make any sense, Zayn. Look, if you’re insecure and want to be taken care of, I understand, but I think you’re a great person-“
“Stop,” Zayn snaps, “Believe it or not, I’m not as completely pathetic as you think. If it makes it easier on you, Liam, I just won’t come here anymore. I’d hate to be an inconvenience.” He looks so hurt and Liam wants to take back everything he’s said but before he can, Zayn is leaving the tent.
Liam’s heart is in his throat, but he doesn’t have the guts to go after him.
***
When he gets home, he must look miserable, because Harry turns his attention away from the TV. “Who killed your kitten?”
“What?”
Harry shakes his head. “Nothing, Li. What’s wrong?”
“I’m fine,” Liam says as he slings his bag off his shoulder and sprawls, face-first, onto the couch. “Just dandy.”
He hears Harry sigh and feels a dip in the sofa. “Want to talk about it?”
“No, mother.” Liam grumbles. “I just want to become one with this sofa right now, thank you. I’ve had a long day.”
Harry’s quiet for a moment, then, “Is it the beach guy? Zayn, right?”
Liam’s head shoots up and he tries his best to look at his friend from the awkward position. “Why would you think it was about Zayn?”
“So it is about Zayn!” Harry moves to the floor and scoots so he’s right in Liam’s line of sight. “Tell me everything.”
Liam buries his face back in the couch cushions. “I ast im f’e rown er tenshin.”
“Come again?”
He looks up. “I asked him if he drowns for attention.”
Harry looks affronted and that’s when he knows he’s messed up because Harry is his best friend, but he could also win the cup for least observant man on Earth. “Li, tell me you’re joking. Tell me you didn’t say it like that.”
“… In my defense-“
“No, Liam, you don’t have a defense here. Why would you say that to someone? Jesus Christ, man! When did you turn into me?”
“I was gonna bring it up slowly, but it just came out, okay? One second we were just chatting like the other times and then I just asked and oh, god, Hazza, you should’ve seen his face. He told me he wasn’t coming back to the beach and then left and I am such a fucking idiot.” He groans and buries his face in his hands.
Harry pats him on the back, which Liam thinks should be reassuring but it’s more awkward than anything. “You like him, yeah?” Harry says.
Liam looks at Harry, and he looks so sincere that he just can’t lie to him. “Yeah. I do. But it doesn’t really matter anyway. I mean, it was a stupid crush and I see him flirting with girls all the time and even if he was into blokes, there’s no way he’d find me attractive. I’m too… Liam.”
Harry bumps his shoulder. “Hey, now. None of that. You’re a catch,” Liam chuckles despite himself. “And I dunno, I don’t think he’s as straight as you think he is. I came down to take over the chair that first time you saved him and he looked like he was gonna swoon. You were his hero.”
Liam smacks Harry’s shoulder half-heartedly. “Well, it doesn’t really matter anymore, does it? He won’t speak to me. I don’t even know that much about him. I know that he lives somewhere around the beach but I’m not creepy enough to go looking for him. I don’t know what to do, Haz.”
Harry doesn’t know either, but he’s not going to tell Liam that.
***
It’s been a week since he last saw Zayn, and Liam is pining.
He’s almost obsessively checking for Zayn every day, nearly leaping out of his chair every time he sees a familiar shock of black hair hoping to God that’s it’s Zayn.
But it never is.
It’s his day off now, and Harry has forbidden him from entering their apartment on the grounds of, “If you’re not at work, you’re sulking. It’s stinking up my living quarters.”
They’re sitting at their favorite little coffee shop they discovered when they moved here. Harry’s typing furiously on his laptop and Liam is trying, unsuccessfully to do some reading when he hears footsteps stop at his table. He looks up and barely recognizes him with his shirt on and hair hidden under a beanie, but it’s Zayn’s friend, Louis. His heart clenches. He was distracted for a few good minutes there.
Louis is smiling kindly, not what he was expecting because, well, he basically called his friend a liar and pathetic right to his face. He knows that if someone did that to Harry, he probably wouldn’t be very polite. “Hey, Liam. How’re you, mate?”
“I’m doing well, how about you?” He tries his hardest not to ask about Zayn like a needy 13 year old with a crush. In his surprise, he all but forgets that Harry’s there. “Um, this is my friend, Harry. Harry, this is Louis.”
But Harry’s already looking at Louis and oh shit, Liam knows that look. Harry’s currently looking at Louis like he’s magical and Liam could smack him so hard he sees stars because this is the closest link he’s had to Zayn in a week, damnit, and it is not going to be ruined because Harry wants to get in Louis’ pants. He kicks him under the table.
Harry springs to action and waves and smiles politely at Louis, and then acts like he’s back on the computer. Louis waves back, but Liam notices he looks at Harry a little longer than absolutely necessary. Huh.
He eventually turns back toward Liam and says, “So, uh, I was just kind of wondering if we could… talk, just for a moment? Outside, maybe?”
Fuck. That can only mean one thing: Louis is going to rip him a new one over hurting his friend. He supposes he deserves it, really. At least Louis has the decency to take him outside before screaming at him.
He nods and stands up. Harry shoots him a worried look and Liam tries to look reassuring but it must not work because Harry grimaces.
When they get outside, instead of unleashing the fucking fury on Liam, Louis turns to him and sighs.
“Look, it’s really none of my business and Zayn would absolutely kill me if he knew I was speaking to you about this,” he winces, “but I really think you should talk to him. Honestly. He told me what you guys argued about and really, it’s a lot simpler than it seems but Zayn just… he has a hard time expressing what he wants to say. We’ve been friends for a long time, and just know that he’s really upset about what happened the other day between you two.”
He’s confused and he doesn’t know what to say, but Liam nods anyway. “I really would’ve talked to him, but I have no clue how to reach him. I know he lives somewhere near the beach but that’s about it. Also, he doesn’t seem like he really wants to talk to me. I was… a jerk. I presumed too much and it must have really made him angry because he just left. I don’t want to upset him more.”
“No, Liam, you were just asking. It’s not your fault, okay? Zayn’s just… you really need to talk to him. And I won’t give you his mobile number or address because, no offence, I don’t know you that well and you could be a crazy, lifeguard murderer,” Liam chuckles at that and Louis smiles, “but he gets out of class at noon and usually goes to the library. He usually sits in one of the chairs near the lifts on the second floor. Do you know where the campus is?”
Liam nods, and asks, “Can I ask you why he got so upset with me?”
Louis shakes his head, “Not my business to tell, mate. Go and speak with him, all right? He’s all surly and unapproachable when he’s upset.” He pats his shoulder and turns to leave, then turns back around, “Oh, and Liam. Your friend, Harry, was it? Is he…?” He makes a vague motion with his hands.
Liam lets out a belly laugh at that, “Is he into blokes? Yeah, Harry’s into just about everyone.”
Louis smiles. “Good to know.”
***
He gets to the library about 10 minutes after noon and, palms sweating, rides the lift up to the second floor. When the doors open, he can’t help but smile because there’s Zayn, headphones in, a book in his lap, completely unaware of his presence.
He looks at him for a moment before he inhales deeply and grabs one of the chairs by the lift doors and pulls it up in front of Zayn. He looks up from what he’s reading and looks at Liam straight in the face, and even like this, where Liam is absolutely terrified that Zayn’s going to scream at him and make him leave, he thinks Zayn is absolutely gorgeous. His hair is different than it usually is, styled up with what must be an entire jar of product but it still manages to look soft and natural and Liam wants to run his hands through it. He’s wearing a simple blue shirt and some black jeans but he looks perfect. Zayn is beautiful, there’s no denying.
He pulls out his headphones and just stares at Liam for a second like he doesn’t know what to do. Oh, good start. “Hi,” Liam says quietly.
Zayn’s still looking at him like he’s going to disappear any second. “Hi, Liam.” He finally looks away and closes his book. “How’d you find me?”
“Well, uh - if I tell you, will you promise not to kill him?”
“Louis or Niall?”
“Louis. But he was worried about you and -“
“I’m glad he did,” Zayn interrupts, “I wouldn’t have talked to you otherwise. Pride issues, you know.”
Liam has spend the last week sulking in his room over a boy, so no, he really doesn’t.
“Look, Zayn, I know that you probably don’t want to talk for long but I just need to say that I’m so sorry for what happened. I was presumptuous and an asshole -“
“I wasn’t really drowning.”
Liam freezes. “What?”
Zayn corrects himself, “Every time except the first time! The first time was real! Really, you saved my life, Liam. Just the other times… weren’t.”
Liam’s heart sinks. The prospect that he Zayn was lying hadn’t crossed his mind since he stormed out on Liam, but now he knows it’s true and the realization crushes him, making it hard to breathe. Zayn lied, and made him feel like shit, and Liam wanted something more with him the whole time. He wants to cry, but instead he looks at him and, stoically, asks “why?”
“You’ll think it’s dumb.”
“I already think it’s pretty fucking stupid, Zayn, so you can tell the truth, now,” He snaps. Zayn winces and he automatically feels bad, “I’m sorry, that was rude of me. Just, explain to me why you did it.”
Zayn looks up from where he’s been fiddling with his pencil for the past minute and inhales, “I did it so I could talk to you.”
“Excuse me?”
Zayn sighs, “Look, I know it’s stupid. It was an idiotic thing to do; I understand that. But Jesus, Liam, I really like you, alright? And I don’t know if you like guys and how awkward would it have been if I had just gone up to you and started flirting with you? You probably would’ve shot me down on the spot,” he picks at frays on the spine of his book, “As stupid as it sounds, I was just desperate to get to know you. When I ran out after that conversation, I was more embarrassed than anything. “
Liam gapes, trying to get his thoughts together. “Let me get this straight,” he inhales, “You wanted to get to know me, so instead of walking up to my post and talking to me, you acted like you were drowning. So I’d rescue you and we’d have a conversation. Is that right?”
Zayn’s looking anywhere but at Liam. “Essentially, yeah.”
He doesn’t know whether to laugh or punch Zayn square in his mouth. “That is the most fucked up logic I’ve ever heard in my entire life, Zayn.”
Zayn nods and laughs, entirely self-deprecating. “Now that we’ve established this, can you leave, please? I’d like to wallow in my self-pity by myself, to be quite frank.”
Liam stays seated.
Zayn sighs and starts to stand up. “Okay, then. I’ll save you the trouble.” He starts to walk away when Liam realizes what’s happening and grabs his forearm.
“I’m sorry, I was just shocked. Let me -” he falters, “I want to talk to you about this more. I’m not going to yell at you or anything. I just want to talk, alright?” Zayn looks apprehensive. “Please, Zayn. You owe me this, at least.”
Zayn nods and takes his seat again and looks expectant while Liam tries to figure out where to start.
“I like you too, Zayn,” he says quietly, and Zayn looks at him straight in the face for what feels like the first time since they’ve been sitting there, “a lot. But this, this is not okay. I was worried, and then the past week I’ve been sitting in my room feeling like a dick and making my roommate miserable because I thought I’d fucked up and in the end it turns out that you lied to me.”
The miserable expression on Zayn’s face is enough to make Liam rethink what he wanted to say. He’s not dumb; ordinarily, this would be enough to kick someone to the curb over, but the thing, Liam realizes, is that Zayn isn’t ordinary. Liam likes to think of himself as independent - he doesn’t need someone else by his side at all times to make him feel secure in himself. He’s also got a quick recovery time, and when he gets dumped, he usually feels bad about it for a few hours and then gets over it; but he’s been moping over the same boy for a week now and they weren’t even dating. He’d like to think it means something.
“I think what you did was ridiculously stupid. You’re also incredibly unobservant. And all the time that you were drowning I was thinking about how I’d just like to go to coffee with you instead of saving your life,” he sighs, “but I really do like you. A crazy amount.”
Zayn reaches for his hand tentatively, runs his thumb over Liam’s knuckles. Liam doesn’t pull back. “I want to make this right. What can I do to make this right?”
“No more lies, okay? This is going to take some time, because I’m not entirely sure where we stand right now. But I’d like to try.” He looks at Zayn with pleading eyes and his heart melts when Zayn nods automatically.
“I want to get to know you better, outside of my work. Can I borrow a sheet of that?” He points towards Zayn’s notebook, lying unopened by his chair. Zayn complies and Liam takes the pencil off of his lap. “This,” he says as he writes, “is my phone number. I know that you’re busy with uni and I’ve got work, but call me sometime this week and we can go do something, yeah?”
“Okay, yeah. We’ll do that.”
Liam nods and stands up. “Well, I’ll let you get back to what you were doing. He doesn’t know whether to hug Zayn or not so he just gives him affectionate rub on the shoulder. “I’ll see you, Zayn,” he says softly.
A radiant smile lights up Zayn’s face, and he looks the happiest he has since Liam’s met him. “Yeah. See you, Liam."
***
He missed Zayn’s call the first time because his boss has a no cell phone policy, so it’s about 7 o’clock that night when Liam gets to ring him back, and when he answers the phone, he sounds so incredibly hopeful and nervous that Liam isn’t sure he’s got the right number.
He hears a clatter of dishes, then a crash, and then a “shit!” before a voice on the other end comes on. “Liam? Is that you?”
He sounds frantic and Liam’s a little worried, “Yeah, it’s me. Are you alright?”
Zayn breathes a sigh, and Liam can tell that he’s relieved, even through the phone. “Yeah, I’m- I’m fine. I just… didn’t think you’d call me back. You know, when you didn’t answer your phone and stuff…” he says.
“I’m sorry about that, I was at working and Simon would have my head if he saw me with my phone,” he remembers the crashing sound, “Um, are you okay, though? I heard something break.”
Liam can practically feel Zayn’s blush through the phone. “Oh, uh, yeah. I think I’m still getting used to living on my own.”
“I thought you lived with Louis and Niall?”
“I do,” Zayn sighs, “but Niall’s on a date with his girlfriend so he’ll be there until morning and Lou is at work; He takes the night shift most of the time. So, I’m on my own tonight. Not that they’re great cooks, either, but most of the time we can whip something up that’s at least edible. The three of us together make one mediocre chef.”
Liam laughs, and thinks about what he’s going to say next. “Would you like some help cooking? Or some company, even? I don’t have to work in the morning and it’s Harry’s TV night.”
“Are you serious?” Zayn asks, then corrects himself, “That’s not what I meant! I mean… you’d want to? After what we talked about the other day?”
Liam shrugs even though he knows Zayn can’t see it, “Starting over, remember?”
He swears he can hear Zayn’s smile. “Yeah,” he says softly, “D’you want my address?”
They chat for a minute longer and then Liam is out the door, Zayn’s address in his pocket.
***
Zayn opens the door tentatively. “Hi,” he says. “I’m going to let you in, now, but you can’t make fun of me.”
Liam’s confused, but agrees nonetheless. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
At first, he doesn’t know why Zayn’s so apprehensive about letting him in, but when he’s further inside the flat and facing the tiny kitchen, he’s afraid his eyes have bulged out of his skull. The kitchen is an absolute disaster, there are pots sitting out everywhere, what looks like the contents entire fridge is left on the countertop, broken glass and some white powdered substance on the floor and what looks disturbingly like blood on the kitchen cabinets.
“Jesus Christ, Zayn,” he breathes, “What were you making?”
“I dunno,” he blushes, “I was going to make grilled cheese, and then I got distracted by the prospect of French fries, and then I wanted pizza, so I just kind of got everything out. Then, after many failed attempts, I realized I didn’t know how to make any of those things.”
“What’s on the floor?”
“…Flour. Pizza dough, remember?”
Liam nods, “Did you bleed on the cabinets?” He reaches out for Zayn’s hands to inspect for cuts.
“S’ketchup,” Zayn mumbles.
He’s an absolute mess; he’s got flour everywhere, in his hair and his nice black shirt, there’s some on his nose and caked under his fingernails. He looks ridiculous and Liam thinks it’s almost sickeningly adorable.
Liam sighs and finally lets go of Zayn’s hands, “Well. The first step is to clean this up, and then we’re going to figure out what to cook, alright?”
Zayn nods and Liam takes off his jacket, “Let’s get started.”
They clean in relative silence except for the clank of pots being put in cabinets and Liam sweeping flour and glass off the floor. In the end, it’s not exactly spotless.
They decide to make pasta because even though Liam’s can cook, he’s not exactly an Iron Chef, but Zayn seems happy enough to have something edible that he doesn’t have to pay extra for with his meager earnings as a university student.
“Can you boil water?” Liam asks.
Zayn puts his hand to his chest in mock offence, “Do I look deficient?”
“Do I need to divert back to the fact that I thought your kitchen was a crime scene when I first walked in?”
Zayn scoffs but says nothing, and goes to fill a pot up with water.
Liam looks in Zayn’s cabinet and smiles when he sees that he, indeed, has marinara sauce. He doesn’t need to look for cheese because he remembers putting in back in the fridge.
“What now?” Zayn asks.
“Well, now, we’ve got to wait for that water to boil. The sauce won’t take long to heat. We can do whatever.”
Things are tenser now that there’s nothing to do and Zayn looks around, rocking back on his heels, “So, would you like to watch some telly?”
Liam nods, thankful for the distraction.
They’re a few minutes into some quiz show that Zayn apparently thinks is hilarious, and Liam is just staring at him. He thinks about how Zayn lied to him, and there’s a bit of him that still resents that but he remembers the reason why he lied, because he was so sure that Liam would reject him otherwise. Liam can hardly believe that someone like Zayn would ever be afraid of rejection from someone like him. It makes him seem more human behind his perfectly coiffed hair and toothy smile.
Zayn looks over at him with a grin still on his face, eyes watery from laughing and Liam is hit with the stunning realization that he hasn’t felt like this for someone in ages. Not just because Zayn’s pretty to look at but because he’s nice and he cares for people and he wants Liam. Liam’s breath hitches he needs to kiss Zayn until he believes that no matter what’s happened, Liam wants him just as badly. Maybe more.
So he does.
It’s nothing really romantic or sexual, just a quick press of lips but when Liam pulls back, apprehensive, Zayn looks so completely happy that Liam can’t help but laugh. It spurs Zayn on, and they both end up clutching each other while they giggle helplessly into each others shoulders and just like that, all the previous tension, all the lies and i-don’t-knows and the apprehension is gone. Liam feels like he should say ‘I forgive you’, but from the way Zayn has gone from breathless laughter to wrapping his arms around Liam and holding him close, he thinks like he already knows.
They start kissing again, and only stop when the sound of the pot boiling over snaps them out of it.
***
By now, they’re so used to having one of their flats to themselves that when Louis decides to start working day shifts and Niall breaks up with his girlfriend, they’re unpleasantly surprised that their dates are usually spent with absolutely no privacy.
Liam adores Louis and Niall, he does, but he accepted a while ago that they’re complete and utter cockblocks. It’s like no one knocks in their flat. You can only get walked in on while someone’s dick is in your mouth so many times before you just give up on that location completely.
They would go back to Liam’s, but whenever they’re there Harry’s always ‘nonchalantly’ asking about Louis or trying to defend Liam’s honor, and while he appreciates that Harry cares, it’s in no way how he wants to spend an evening with his boyfriend.
In some ways, Liam is thankful for the lack of alone time because he gets to plan how to make it up to Zayn, and, well, he’s wanted to do that for a while.
It’s been a few months since they’ve been together, and so far they’ve only had the time to give each other a some rushed handjobs (well, a lot of rushed handjobs) and, when they have a couple of blessed extra minutes, a few blowjobs. It’s not that Liam is desperate to get into Zayn’s pants, but he really, really is. It doesn’t help that Zayn’s bum is absolutely delightful, and he relishes the few quick squeezes he gets whenever they’re making out.
But they haven’t even had time for that lately. Zayn’s just finished exams, so he was always stressed and Liam knew that what he needed was for someone to read him his notes back and snuggle up with him when it was all too much (‘I’m going to fail, Liam. I’m going to fail uni and I’m going to work at McDonald’s for the rest of my life. It’s going to be your job to be my lifeguard-in-shining armor and bring me home the bacon, Liam.’), and not to be heckled into relieving Liam’s sexual frustration.
It seems like everyone is in his flat this evening when Harry swore that he’d be out so that they could have some alone time, and while he’s frustrated, he decides that this would be the perfect time to put his plan into action.
They’re on the couch in the living room and all of Harry’s friends are drunk and loud while Zayn has a headache; he’s been rubbing his temples and the girls leaning over his lap and trying to kiss him aren’t helping in the least. Liam stands up and grabs his hand, pulling him up and off the couch, making the girls whine in protest.
“Where are we going?” Zayn asks, not objecting in the slightest.
They go into Liam’s room and he shoos a couple of Harry’s friends off his bed absentmindedly while rushing to his closet to grab one of his old backpacks. “We’re getting the hell out of here. I’m so sorry, I didn’t know that this was going to happen.”
Zayn comes up behind him and rubs his back soothingly, and Liam is pleased when some of the built-up tension drains out of his body. “It’s okay,” he says softly, “It’s not your fault. What are you doing with that, then?” He points at the backpack, where Liam is shoving a blanket inside and zipping it up.
Liam gets everything packed in and grabs his car keys. He turns to Zayn and kisses him softly, “Just trust me.”
Zayn nods automatically. Liam smiles and they make their way out of the catastrophe that is his flat and down to his car.
***
When they get to the beach, Zayn is looking at him like he’s crazy. “Why are we here? At night?”
Liam really is absurdly proud of himself for this plan. It’s been dark for a while now, so the beach is deserted and he can see just make out the entrance of the little hidden spot he scouted out while he was working a dead day. The moon is perfect tonight, bright enough to let him see Zayn but not enough to illuminate them completely. The waves are crashing just hard enough. He grabs Zayn’s hand and leads him, Zayn protesting all the while.
“Liam, what are we doing? We can’t be here, it’s after sundown!” he whisper-yells.
“Relax,” Liam soothes, “It’s fine, no one will see us, I promise.”
“Have you gone mad? Have you lost your mind, and you’ve decided that this would be the perfect place to kill me and hide the body?”
Liam laughs out loud and Zayn shushes him.
When they reach the hidden little patch of beach, Liam finally turns around and looks at him. “It’s alright, yeah? I wouldn’t bring you here if I didn’t know we’d be 100% alone.” He turns back around and slings the backpack off, unzipping it and flinging the blanket out on the sand. The breeze is subtle enough that it won’t disturb them or, god forbid, blow sand over them. He looks up when he feels Zayn touch his shoulder.
“You planned this,” he says. It’s not a question.
Liam shrugs and suddenly Zayn’s on him, his mouth covering Liam’s in a searing kiss and Liam remembers full-force what he brought Zayn here to do, his cock filling up with blood at the prospect and the feeling of Zayn’s tongue twining with his. He pulls away and motions to the blanket before sitting down, Zayn following suit.
Liam rolls on top of him, bracing his hands on either side of his head and leaning down to kiss him again. It’s what he’s been craving for so long, just the ability to kiss Zayn for an extended period of time and feel his body pressed up against his own. It’s almost enough. Almost.
He pulls back and looks down at Zayn, whose lips are swollen and red, and Liam can tell even in the dull light that his eyes are dark. He places a kiss on Zayn’s mouth again before kissing down over his jaw and to his neck, back up to his ear. “Want to fuck you,” he breathes.
“God, I am so glad you said that,” Zayn chokes out. Liam smiles before lifting Zayn’s shirt over his head and flinging it somewhere near the backpack. He kisses over the tattoos on his upper chest, running his tongue over the script and sucking a mark into where the one on his collarbone ends. Zayn’s making little noises in the back of his throat and fingering the hem of Liam’s shirt. “You too,” he says.
Liam complies, and Zayn’s fingers reach up to toy with his nipples. “Fuck,” he breathes out. His hands move to unzip Zayn’s jeans and wastes no time pulling them down with his boxer briefs in one movement.
Zayn looks gorgeous, spread out, completely bare on the blanket. It’s so cheesy, what they’re doing, the entire premise of it, but Liam can’t bring himself to feel ashamed when Zayn is looking at him from hooded eyes and rubbing at the bulge in his jeans before unbuttoning his pants and pushing them and his boxers down his thighs.
Liam kicks them off, grabbing a condom and a travel-sized bottle of lube from his pocket before discarding the jeans. Zayn raises a dark eyebrow and Liam shrugs “No shame,” he says.
Zayn laughs and pulls Liam down so their bodies are aligned, their cocks pressed together. Liam rocks down a little bit, the head of his cock catching on Zayn’s and he moans out. Zayn snakes a hand down between them and fists Liam’s cock twice, pulling back his foreskin and running his thumb over the head before he whispers, “fuck me, Li,” in his ear.
The air is salty and Liam can hear the waves crashing, but he’s not paying attention to anything but the way Zayn is biting at his neck and rubbing down his back. Liam stretches out and grabs the lube again, popping open the bottle and coating his fingers before he hitches Zayn’s leg up on his hip and strokes over his hole.
Zayn shudders. “Please,” he whines. Liam complies, pushing in one finger to the knuckle and relishing the heat and the squeeze when Zayn clenches down. He leans up to kiss Zayn while he thrusts his finger in and out. “You are so gorgeous, you don’t even know,” he whispers. Zayn kisses him and hisses out, “More, Liam.”
Liam pulls his finger out before pressing two at Zayn’s entrance and pushing in, slower this time; Zayn hisses, rocking down nonetheless. Liam crooks his fingers just so and Zayn grabs his arm, scrunches his eyes as his mouth drops open. He keeps steadily rubbing over Zayn’s prostate and Zayn is close to sobbing, all sense of coherency gone. Liam lets up and pushes a third finger in next to the first two, pumping in but avoiding the sensitive little nub.
Zayn’s breathing is harsh and he’s grinding down on Liam’s fingers, and Liam thinks he could come just by watching this when Zayn grabs his wrist. “No more,” he says, “Need you now.”
Liam goes to roll on the condom when Zayn stops him. “No, I don’t -“, he cuts himself off, “Just… we’re both clean, yeah? Let’s just leave it. Want to feel you.”
Liam can see how sincere he looks even in the dull light and he wonders how anything this perfect could ever happen to him; Wonders what he did before Zayn. “I love you,” he says. It’s the first time he’s said it, and the weight of it should be crashing down on him right now, but he’s so sure of it that he can’t bring himself to feel apprehensive.
Zayn smiles, “I love you too,” he pulls Liam down to lay on top of him, “Now let’s get this show on the road.”
Liam laughs and pulls Zayn’s legs up so his feet are resting on the blanket. Liam braces himself and presses his cock to Zayn’s entrance before pushing in the slightest bit, making Zayn grab his bicep and squeeze, willing away the pain as Liam pushes in further. When Liam’s hips are resting flush against his ass, he whispers, “Hold on a second, ‘kay?”
Liam nods and wills himself to stay still while Zayn adjusts, shaking with the effort. When Zayn relaxes and gives him the okay, he pulls back out slowly, and thrusts back in with more force than before. Zayn moans out, but Liam can tell that the angle could be better for him, so he pulls back out, sits up slightly and moves Zayn’s calves to rest on his shoulders before pushing back in.
Just like that, everything snaps into place; the angle is making Liam’s cock hit Zayn’s prostate just right, his hole clenching around Liam and making him cry out. Liam starts fucking him at a steady pace, and Zayn’s head is thrown back, his hair getting mussed by rubbing against the sheets. Liam can hear the waves crashing in the background; can taste the salt from the mist on his tongue. He can hardly believe they’re doing this here, but it’s even better than he’d hoped. With Zayn grinding his ass back on Liam’s cock, pulling him down so he can grab Liam’s hair for purchase.
Zayn looks positively filthy. Liam’s imagined how Zayn would look while he was getting fucked a lot, but nothing responds to the reality of it. Zayn is just so responsive, every little push of Liam’s hips is sending another sound out of his mouth, and if Liam weren’t so close to him, he wouldn’t be able to hear by the sound of rushing water behind them. He’s desperate for it, grabbing onto Liam and raking his nails down his back. Zayn rarely lets go, not even in front of him, but right now he can’t help but feel a sense of pride and ownership, knowing that he’s caused ever-composed Zayn, who is always locked up so tight, to lose all control of his composure.
Liam starts fucking in with more force, making the blanket bunch up around Zayn’s head as he moves up the fabric. He reaches down to his cock, heavy and leaking precome on his stomach, and starts pulling in time with Liam’s thrusts and Liam makes sure he hits right where Zayn wants him.
Liam’s close, so close, but he refuses to come before Zayn does. A few choice thrusts later, and Zayn’s mouth is dropping open, letting out little desperate mewling sounds and coming between them. Liam feels it splash on his chest and thrusts in a few more times before coming, buried deep inside Zayn.
He lands on top of Zayn, chest heaving. “You’re heavy,” Zayn whines, but he makes no effort to push Liam off.
Liam regains his breath and pulls out of Zayn, and he has to see. He spreads Zayn’s cheeks a little, looks at where he’s open and raw and wet, and if he hadn’t just come minutes before, he’d already be halfway to hard because it’s obscene how gorgeous Zayn looks with Liam’s come leaking out of him.
Zayn tugs on Liam’s hair a little to make him lean up to him. “You dirty freak,” he chides, not unkindly. Liam smiles and takes one of their shirts to wipe the come off his chest before sliding next to him on the blanket.
“Should’ve brought tissues or something, can feel you leaking down my thighs,” Zayn says and Liam groans and buries his face in the blanket
“Jesus Christ, you can’t say things like that while I’m not capable of getting an erection.”
Zayn laughs, and Liam reaches over to the backpack before finding the pack of tissues hidden in the side pocket.
Zayn looks surprised. “Well, aren’t you prepared?”
Liam shrugs, “I was in scouts.”
Zayn smiles, “I think this was better than sitting in your flat and getting molested by drunk women.”
Liam pulls Zayn into his side, “Much better.”