Liam Deserves Better

This fandom has become nasty and downright cruel in the past few years. I don’t have the patience to deal with it anymore, and I’m bound to start being a downright dick to my dear, dear hate anons, so consider this blog officially abandoned. To anyone who has sent in a prompt in the past that I haven’t filled: I’m extremely sorry. But writing has become a chore for me, especially in a fandom that would rather tell me I’m a disgrace and disappointment than just like.......ignore things they don’t like. I’m not going to delete this blog, because a lot of my writing is under a read more and I don’t want to take it away from the handful of people who actually enjoy it! I might (big might tho, it’s not likely) pop on from time to time, but again, it’s not likely.

Like do y’all think about the fact that Liam was completely blindsided by the really because he was SO happy touring and meeting fans, singing live and living in the moment and Zayn was....very much not. Do y’all think about the fact that Zayn knew he wanted to leave the band, wanted to live a more calm, settled in life style, all while knowing Liam....didn’t. Do y’all think about Zayn contemplating a break up day and night for WEEKS, wondering if that’s what would benefit both of them. Wondering if he could even live a life without Liam. Wondering if Liam even notices Zayn was struggling to keep up in their constant, nonstop life, even though Zayn actively lied about being happy.

Do y’all think about Zayn finally, FINALLY, breaking up with Liam because it’s the only way—zayn wants to quit the band, by the cant take it away from Liam—to make both of them happy, and then Liam being,,,,,,COMPLETELY blond sided by this. Just. So fucking SHOCKED. Because zayn...Zayn was it for him. Zayn was his one true love and he jut.....he broke yon with Liam with NO explanation and....liams so fucking lost/ he’s hurt and confused and just.....he needs Zayn but Zayn’s not there. And him and Luis have gotten close in recent year, so he turns to Louis with all this hurt and it causes this huge divide between Louis and Zayn, who have always been close in the past, but Louis is looking out for Liam because SOMEONE has to (and Louis May have hated lim when the band first got together, but that’s because he didn’t know him and he assumes Liam was just....Liam was this stuck up, rule follower and he didn’t...he didn’t realize how much liam was just trying to be himself and fit in at the same time. How much Liam CRAVED someone to just love him for him, and so Louis decided to be that for him). So Louis gets PISSED at Zayn, and that’s continues the trend for MOMTHS until Liam finally reaches out.....because he finally understand. Zayn wasn’t happy....and Liam wasn’t enough to change that. And that’s FINE. Liam’s. Okay with that, he understands. Zayn needs so much lore than a person to make him happy. Sure, home is a person, but that’s not ALL home is. He would follow Zayn to the. Ends of the earth....but he’d never made Zayn feel like he could Ask For That.

Who me? Ignoring a BUNCH of other prompts in my inbox to write birthday fluff.....😅 Anyway you’re so so sweet, thank you so much for this. I’m,,,,,,,soft over it. Anyway!! Happy birthday, Liam 🤪🎉

Zayn was standing at the stove when Liam finally managed to pull himself away from his sisters at half past 3 in the afternoon. He had his back to Liam as Liam wandered into the room, hips saying to the music softly pouring from their sound system. It was an old song, one Liam couldn’t quite place, but it was obviously one Zayn knew well as he hummed along to the beat.

Liam leaned against the door jam, taking in the scene in front of him with a small, fond smile on his face. He wasn’t sure how Zayn hadn’t heard him come in—the dogs weren’t exactly quiet—but he was thankful. Thankful to be able to stand there and just soak in Zayn’s presence, enjoy the carefree sway of his body and the utterly relaxed set of his shoulder. This version of Zayn—content, confident, happy—was Liam’s favorite. Their lives were always so hectic; they hardly ever got a chance to breathe, so being able to see Zayn so comfortable and loose warmed Liam from the toes up.

A few moments later, though, Zayn did a graceless spin as the music crescendoed, stopping with a startled jump as he finally noticed Liam in the doorway.

“Liam!” Zayn exclaimed, dropping the mixing spoon in his hand to the counter before crossing the space between them. “I missed you,” he muttered against Liam’s lips, his arms wrapped around Liam’s neck as he went on his toes to press a feather-light kiss against Liam’s mouth.

Liam hummed in response, dipping his head to deepen the kiss; his own hands came up to wrap around Zayn’s hips as he pried Zayn’s lips apart, seeking out the familiar taste of want on Zayn’s lips—always so willing to surrender it to Liam. After a few moments, Liam pulled back, resting his forehead against Zayn’s with his eyes still closed.

For a moment, both men just stood there, soaking in each other’s warmth and proximity. It was weirdly soothing, Liam had to admit, just knowing Zayn was there. Knowing Zayn would always be there.

Finally, Zayn broke the silence with a quiet, “How was your birthday lunch with your sisters?”

Liam groaned, dropping his head to Zayn’s shoulder as he felt his ears heat up. “Awful. Absolutely awful. They live to embarrass me. And they wouldn’t know how not to pry if their lives depended on it.”

Zayn let out a loud laugh, one of his palms moving to run calming circles into Liam’s back.

It brought a big, sappy grin to Liam’s face.

“I’m sure you’re being dramatic,” Zayn said. Liam opened his mouth to protest, but Zayn continued with, “I think it’s just your life they want to pry in. I’m sure they don’t have the same issue with loads of other people.”

Liam let out a short, loud laugh, pinching the skin under his hands and making Zayn jump as he brought his head up to meet Zayn’s eyes.

“You’re the worst,” Liam said, but there was no heat in it, just a lingering fondness that he was hopeless to erase from his tone. What could he say? He was fond. Absolutely, completely and totally smitten.

“Yeah,” Zayn agreed, “but you still love me.”

“I really, really do,” Liam said, ducking forward to steal another kiss from Zayn’s lips before straightening up again. “What are you making?” Liam nodded towards the stove and counter next to it, where there were several bowls filled with some kind of batter, various mixing tools, and a fine powder—Liam assumes flour, maybe even sugar—littering the surface of both the stove and the counter.

“Well,” Zayn started, biting his lips and wincing a little when he took in the disaster behind him. “It’s supposed to be a birthday cake. Eventually. I, uh, make no promises on whether it actually turns into a proper one or not.”

Liam laughed again, that familiar love and fondness swelling in his chest and spreading until he was warm all over and about to burst with it.

God, but did he love this boy so much.

“I’m sure it’s going to turn out amazing, Zed. I can’t wait to eat it.”

Zayn rolled his eyes, turning so that Liam couldn’t see the pleased smile or the red tint his ears took, but it was too late. Liam had already seen both, and it made his own smile soften.

He was so incredibly in love with Zayn, and it was because of all the small things—like this—that he did. Understanding Liam’s need to just stay in for his birthday—no big party, no crowded club, no faking it for the cameras. Insisting on Liam keeping up his birthday tradition of lunch with his sisters—something that had taken a back seat since the band got really famous, something he’d been itching to pick up again—just knowing it was something Liam missed so much, even though he’d never actually voiced that fact. Making him a homemade cake because he knew Liam appreciated subtle gestures.

Sometimes Liam was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of affection he felt for Zayn, surprised by the amount of love he was capable of feeling for one person.

He walked up to the counter, examining the bowls with a purposefully innocent face. “It looks like you’ve got a good start with all the batter. How long have you been at it?”

Zayn followed him, walking up behind him and tucking his chin over Liam’s shoulder.

“Dunno,” Zayn murmured. “Like, a little under an hour, maybe?”

Liam hummed, bringing a hand up to pull one of the bowls closer to himself. He shot a quick glance Zayn’s way, but Zayn wasn’t paying him any attention. He was focused on the various batters littering the counter, his brow furrowed in concentration.

Recognizing his opportunity to strike, Liam dipped his middle and pointer finger in the batter, scooping some up to quickly wipe it down Zayn’s nose, the batter running sluggishly to the tip.

Zayn let out a startled noise, jerking back from Liam and fat drops of it dripped off his nose and onto his lips, down his chin. He lifted wide, shocked eyes up to Liam

“Oops,” Liam said, a faux innocent look painted on his features that was fooling neither of them.

“Oho ho,” Zayn muttered, taking a step back into Liam’s space. “It is on.” And with that he was reaching his own hand forward, scooping a handful of batter before smearing it down Liam’s face before Liam could make a run for it.

Liam laughed as the batter trickled down his face, the thick rivulets tickling and sticking uncomfortablely to his eyelashes. He brought a hand up to wipe his eyes—see also: uselessly smear batter everywhere—before a wicked grin lit up his face. “Oh it absolutely is on.”

And then him and Zayn were off, both trapping the nearest bowl of batter and running around the kitchen, flinging it at each other while ducking behind various furniture, throwing empty insults and wildly inaccurate trash talk at each other all while laughing.

“Okay!” Zayn finally shouted, hiding behind tall-backed chair, his head peeking out over the top just enough that he could see Liam. “I’m all out of batter, I yield.”

“Promise?” Liam asked. “Because if I come out from here and you throw more batter at me, I will crush you, Malik.”

Zayn laughed, fully rising from his hiding spot so he could show Liam his empty bowl and raised hands. “I promise,” he said. “I don’t even have any batter to trick you with.”

Liam grinned, letting out a crow of victory as he stood up from his own crouch. He swiftly closed the space between him and Zayn, taking both of their bowls and setting them on the counter.

“I win.” Liam grinned at Zayn, who rolled his eyes in response.

“You did,” Zayn agreed. “All hail the birthday king.”

Liam laughed, sending a wink Zayn’s way. Zayn just grinned back up at him, his smile fond and disgustingly in love. It made Liam’s heart beat out a stattico rhythm against his rib cage. That smile was addicting. It was what their friends had dubbed his Liam smile, and it never failed to make Liam’s knees go a little weak.

“I love you,” Liam murmured, reaching forward to cup Zayn’s sticky, batter covered cheek. “So fucking much.”

Zayn’s grin softened, his eyes falling shut as he leaned into Liam’s hand. “You, too, Li. I love you so much, too.”

Liam sighed, contentment coursing through him as he leaned forward to place a sweet, thorough kiss to Zayn’s lips. It tasted like too sweet batter, but it was perfect. Zayn was perfect.

“Good,” Liam whispered when he finally pulled away. “Because it’s my birthday, and that means I get a free pass on cleaning up the mess we’ve made in the kitchen.”