#librasign

♎ Libra Libra is moving into a new phase of relationships and partnership.

The focus is shifting toward who you truly want to face, what kind of connection feels equal, and what balance means when your own truth is included.

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Liam hears the low sniffles outside his door before he can make out the hesitant knock against the wood. 

Letting out a large breath–pent up from an already stressful day–he stands slowly, his creaky joints reminding him that he’s not in much better shape than the stranger behind his door.

He considers looking through his peep hole before he flips the knob, but decides against it. After all, he can’t exactly leave anyone outside of his flat when they’re on the verge of tears, can he? Even if it is almost 10 o’clock. 

When he flings open the door, though, he realizes he can. Not only that, but he probably should have. 

Because standing before him is the last person Liam needs to see after a long day.

Frown etching onto his face, he’s halfway through closing the door in his face when the other boy pouts, “Wait, Leeyum.”

And maybe it’s the way Zayn drawls out his name, elongating it, savoring it as if they have all the time in the world–maybe it’s that, or maybe it’s just that Liam’s weak when it comes to Zayn. Either way, he obliges. While he doesn’t move to open the door any further, he also doesn’t go to close it, either.

Instead, he does as Zayn asks and he waits.

“I shouldn’t have left like that, okay?” Zayn admits in a shaky whisper, forcing himself to speak the words–knowing that he just has to dive into what he wants to say before Liam completely shuts him out. “But, ‘cause I’m stubborn as fuck.” He chastises himself with a little shake of his head. “I tried so hard to force myself to move on. To pretend like it was better that I’d stormed out.” At this sudden vulnerability, these words that Zayn would normally never share, Liam gulps. He allows himself to peek his head around the crack in the door so he can watch Zayn closer.

“But I can’t take another sleepless night,” he moans, the tears prickling up behind his eyes once more. “I can’t sleep alone anymore.” 

He looks much smaller than normal, curled in on himself. Liam’s too-large Batman-printed pajama pants do nothing to help, either. 

Part of Liam wants to agree, wants to lament how he hasn’t been able to sleep the same, either, ever since he left.

Instead, he feigns indifference as he sighs, “Z, I waited for you for almost two weeks, tried calling and calling and… nothing.” He shrugs. “I’m seeing someone else now.”

Not necessarily a lie. But. Not necessarily the truth, either. He’d been on one date with the girl, a date that his coworker had forced him to go on. 

He hadn’t planned to schedule another. Not that Zayn needed to know that.

Zayn flinches at his words, his chest quaking in a hitched breath. 

“But it’s not serious,” Liam finishes quickly, if only because he wants so badly to get rid of the hurt that’s painting Zayn’s face. Really, he shouldn’t have said what he did in the first place, but it’s too late to take it back now. Seems to be quite a common occurrence between the two of them, actually.

“Are you wanting to spend the night at my place then?” Liam asks quietly, attempting to change the subject as his eyes move down Zayn’s attire. 

Zayn nods sleepily, suddenly looking much more relaxed as he offers a small smile. “Just one more nap together, please?” He sniffs, voice low and sweet in a way he knows Liam won’t be able to ignore.

“Come in, then.” Liam gives in with a tip of his head as he pulls the door open further. “I was just gonna head to bed, anyway.”

Zayn nods a bit excitedly as he steps through the doorway, taking an appreciative look around the familiar flat as Liam quickly picks up a few items from the living room floor. “Wasn’t expecting–err–guests,” Liam gulps. 

Zayn waves off the comment. “Your stuff didn’t bother me then, still doesn’t bother me now.”

Liam ignores this. Clearing his throat, he avoids Zayn’s gaze as he moves the pile of things to his room. “I’m going to change into my pajamas–well, what I have left of them, anyway.” Poking his head out of the room, he quirks an eyebrow at Zayn’s pajama pants, giving a faux chastising look before slipping into the room. 

By the time Liam’s changed, Zayn’s evaluated the whole flat to find any changes Liam has made to the place since he’s been gone. (Which, for the record, turns out to be nothing. Bookshelf exactly as Zayn organized it, picture frame right where he hung it… Even the fridge still has a few of Zayn’s items in it.) “Come on in,” Liam calls down the hall from inside the room. The yawn in his voice gives him away before Zayn can even see his sleepy form spread out along his side of the bed. 

“It’s like a crime scene in there,” Zayn says lightly as he pads to Liam’s room–is it just Liam’s or is it, could it be, Zayn’s room, too? He guesses it’ll depend on what Liam says next.

Liam’s giving him an unimpressed look when he walks through the door, but a grin breaks when he sees Zayn try to imitate it back.

“Not like there’s blood or anything.” Zayn rolls his eyes. “I mean, it’s untouched. Like I never left.”

Liam pulls himself under the covers, focusing his eyes on the task as he responds quietly, “Maybe ‘cause I thought you’d come back.” 

Zayn doesn’t say anything for a moment, not quite sure how to respond. Finally, he huffs, “I wanted to, Li.” Spreading out along the mattress, he’s soothed by how familiar it feels. Of how the presence of the warm body–that still smells distinctly like a hybrid of mint and soap–next to him calms him. “I’m sorry,” he bemoans barely audibly. 

And at this soft voice, Liam’s reminded of the sniffles he’d first heard before opening the door. Of how maybe Zayn is telling the truth. And any residual anger dissipates as Liam takes in everything that Zayn's said. Though he shouldn't be surprised--he always has been shit at staying mad at Zayn.

There’s a moment of silence before Liam confesses sheepishly, ”There’s not really anyone else. Went on one date, but she wasn’t you, Z.”

Scooching his body a bit closer to Zayn, he doesn’t miss the low hum that buzzes from the other boy’s throat. “Good,” Zayn says with conviction. “’Cause I didn’t even mean it. What I said,” he clarifies. “I shouldn’t have left. It was a dumb argument, anyway.”

“Yeah?” Liam asks hopefully as he pulls the covers up higher around his body. 

“Yeah, I mean, it doesn’t really matter where we live, does it?” Zayn thinks aloud. “As long as I have my laptop, I can work anywhere. And you have the dogs, who can’t live in my place, so–” He stops suddenly, throat suddenly tightening at the thought. “You do still have the dogs, don’t you? Please don’t tell me you did something ‘cause I was an idiot.”

Liam considers lying, hooking Zayn in about how he felt he just had to give up his dogs because of him… But he decides against it when he sees Zayn’s wide-eyed shock. “No, I still have them,” Liam chuckles lowly, amused by the sudden shift in Zayn’s demeanor. “Niall wanted to take them camping with him this weekend, so I let him.” 

Zayn sighs in relief, pushing his body forward so he can gently press his face to Liam’s chest. “Glad to hear it,” Zayn whispers. His voice gets a little quieter, a little shier before he’s asking, “Does that mean I can still move in with you then? Or is there a statute of limitations on your offer?”

Liam snorts, a crinkle forming by his eyes as a soft laugh bubbles up and out of his mouth. “That’s not how statute of limitations work, Zed,” Liam informs him fondly as he wraps an arm around Zayn’s waist to pull him closer.

“How would you know?” Zayn asks cheekily, lifting his head just slightly to ghost a kiss over his collarbone.

“I’m a police officer, babe. That’s kind of my job.”

Zayn groans against Liam’s skin. “Logistics.” 

“But yes,” he finishes with a smile, ignoring Zayn. “You’re always welcome here. To live, too, I mean.” He pats the slight bit of bed next to him. “Got one side of the bed just for you and way too much space just for me, Loki, and Watson.” 

At this, Zayn happily nuzzles into Liam further. “Awesome. Can we work all that out tomorrow, though? I’m–” He breaks into a yawn. “Sleepy. Too many nights without you.”

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@zyahie's request!!!

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