#also HELP I don't know who teddy-bear-tears IS I'm guessing it's someone who changed their name after I'd recognize it but before they

[applepi-1]

They overhear someone say something bad about them to you

mha x haikyuu

Bakugou x y/n

Bokuto x y/n

Akaashi x y/n

--

You were standing by a door waiting for Bakugou, you decided to occupy yourself by playing a game on your phone. "Y/n?" You hummed as someone called your name, it didn't sound like anyone you knew, so you didn't lift your head. "Whatcha playing?"

"Piano tiles." You turned your phone off and looked at the stranger, seeing it was a guy from your class.

"Oh, what are you doing today?"

"Oh... uh, probably hang out in Bakugou's dorm, and draw." You shrug a shoulder and placed your phone in your -Bakugou's- jacket pocket.

"Why are you still with him, if you don't mind me asking..."

"I do mind, actually."

"I mean all he does is yell and call you dumbass."

"I'm sorry, are you with us 24/7?" The boy stayed silent, proving your point, "Exactly." He looked at you as you looked back at the door watching it open.

"Teddy bear!" You smiled as he yelled at you, which would confuse a lot of people. But not you.

"Hey, you ready?"

"YEAH!" He grabbed your hand and began to walk away, dragging you with him. Once you reached his house, you changed into one of his shirts and a pair of shorts you left. Bakugou walked over to you and wrapped his arms around your waist. "Look beautiful in my shirt." You smiled as he nuzzled his head into your neck.

"Hm." You kissed his cheek before hugging him back.

"Why are you still with me...?" you sighed, and grabbed his face making him look at you.

"Is this about what that asshole said?"

"Maybe..." You're the only one who's seen Bakugou like this.

"Your eyes."

"Huh?"

"It was your eyes. When I first met you, I saw the pain and the hard work you went through to get here today. I saw the real you. Eyes tell the story of where ones been and where ones going. I saw someone who was dedicated to his dream, remembering why he's here in the first place. I saw someone who wanted to open up to someone, but was scared of being judged." Bakugou's heart melted at your words. "But I am the last person to judge you, Baku-babe. I love you, and I can care less if you call me a dumbass. Or yell. Because I know you still love me." Bakugou smiled at your and kissed you softly.

"I love you."

"The brightest eyes have cried the most tears, and I will never let you cry another tear, my love."

--

You sighed against your desk, letting your head rest against it. Today you felt drained, and tired. Bokuto knew that so he made it his goal to make you feel better. He stopped at your class door seeing your head on your desk, he sighed and was about to walk in till he heard some girls talk to you. "You okay, Y/n?"

"Hm? Yeah, just tired."

"Yeah, you've been going to your boyfriend's practice?"

"Yeah, it's supposed to be a practice match with Karasuno."

"Isn't that the team where Bakuto goes into Emo mode?" You furred your brows as they laughed.

"Yeah... I guess..."

"Does that ever get annoying?"

"No, why would it?"

"He's like a child. One minute he's smiling the next he's moping."

"And why does he smile so much? I mean he's also very-"

"Excuse me?" The girls shut up as you spoke. "Bakuto is no child, trust me. And Emo mode is not just one emotion, it's every emotion, it can be when he's happy, or sad, mad, anything. Even sexual." You smirked standing up throwing your bag over your shoulder, the girl's eyes grew. "He smiles because he knows he's not letting anyone down, and trust me, he doesn't. Even if he goes into Emo Mode, sad mode. It's because he thinks he's letting them down. But Akaashi is on the court, reminding him he's not. I'm in the stands reminding him, he's not. Now if you excuse me, I have a boyfriend to cheer on." You went to walk to the door stopping when you see black and white hair, sighing you walked over to him slipping your hand into his. He jumped looking down at you.

"Oh, hey baby owl." You smiled at the nickname before kissing his cheek.

"Don't let what they said to go to the heart. I love your smile. The prettiest smiles hide the most secrets. But I know all your secrets and I love your pretty smile no less."

--

You were walking into the gym when you felt arms wrap around you. You laughed at your touchy boyfriend, pulling away to see him. "Hey, Aka."

"Hey, baby. How was your day?" You shrugged your shoulders as kids from your school and his gathered into the gym, giving you both jealousy glares. You rolled your eyes at them before kissing your boyfriend quickly.

"It was okay, I was missing you all day though." Going to a different school meant distance.

"Oi, get your hands off our manager!" You looked at Noya and sighed.

"Noya, he's my boyfriend, he can touch me all he wants." To be honest, that came out wrong, Tsukishima and Tanaka smirked at you two as Asahi bent down to your level.

"Would you like a bible? Or some holy water?"

"Asahi, I hate to break it to you buddy, you're the only holy one here." He sighed at you patted his head.

"I want head pats." Bokuto looked at his friend then at you.

"He's always so soft when it comes to you, Y/n." You laughed running your fingers through his hair.

"Hm, I like it."

"Okay! You guys... Y/n, remove the boyfriend." You looked at Couch Ukai and laughed.

"Babes, you have to let me go." He sighed before kissing you softly.

"Fine, see you after?"

"Hm," You leaned your head down, lowering your voice so only he could hear. "I'll be secretly cheering you on." He smiled to himself before kissing you once more. You looked at the team who were giving you looks, you sighed placing your hands on your hips. "It was something holy and sweet, trust me Asahi." He looked at you closely.

"She's not lying, come on we need to stretch and stuff." You watched as they did that, sitting down beside Kiyoko. You snuck a glance at your boyfriend who was also stretching, you heard girls wolf whistle at your man as he bent over.

"Quit staring at your man's ass." You blushed and looked at Kiyoko.

"Can't help it. He has a nice ass." Akaashi looked at you as if he knew you were talking about him, you winked at him making him send one back.

He wishes he can hold you, but he knows he needs to win for that to happen. "Akaashi, your girls checking you out." That's when he looked at you and saw you staring, he winked back at you, smiling to himself. "You are so lucky."

"I know."

Once the match started you cheered on your team, but secretly cheered for your boyfriend.

"Akaashi can't stop looking at his girlfriend."

"Can you blame him, she's hot."

"Yeah, Akaashi is hot too, tho." You tried to block out the voices you heard focusing on the game, but you saw how your boyfriend's jaw clenched, can he hear them too? "How can she get a guy like him?"

"Right, he's clingy, the other day I saw Bokuto pry Akaashi off her. I mean dude, I don't blame ya, but damn." You rolled your eyes at the comment.

"More like, she has him hooked. Poor guy fell for someone so ugly." They were talking about you two in two different ways, the boys were talking about how hot you are and the girl was talking about how hot your boyfriend is. You looked at Akaashi, seeing him frown a little, so he can hear them. Your boyfriend really is a big softy, he's also very insecure. You love it when he clings on to you, and he does it because all his exes cheated on him because he'd either not give them attention, or because he gave too much attention. To you, he gave just enough, never too much. You can be studying, and he'd make you stand before setting you down on his lap so he can hold you while you study. Or sometimes he's just dragged you away from everyone so he can hold you. Moments like those made you happy knowing he just wanted to hold you out of nowhere. You love him for that. Once the game was over you made your way to your winner boyfriend and smiled.

"You played so well, baby." You kissed his head, but he wouldn't even wrap his arms around you, that was the confirmation you needed before you lifted his head kissing him. He grabbed your waist hesitantly and kissed you back. You could hear some cheering and some scoffing, but you didn't care. You pulled away and whispered against his lips, "You can never be too clingy to me, baby. I love you no matter what." He looked you in the eye, seeing how serious you were, making him sigh and wrap his arms around you, holding you tightly. "The kindest hearts, have felt the most pain. But baby, with me, your heart never has to fear being in pain again. I love your kind heart the way it is. Nobody or nothing can change my mind. You're stuck with me."

[ziamminds]

𝐿𝑖𝑎𝑚'𝑠 16𝑡ℎ 𝑏𝑖𝑟𝑡ℎ𝑑𝑎𝑦 𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑎 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒 𝑢𝑛𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑

Mrs. Payne cut a slice of cake and gave it to Liam. "Liam, darling, just eat a little." She looks at her watch and tries to give a smile. "Your friends are only two hours late--I think that's what most kids do; they always come late to parties and--" Liam's eyes start tearing up. "They're not my friends and they don't like me mum." He gets up and runs to his room, more tears filling his eyes.

Liam slammed his door shut and jumped on his bed, landing on his stomach. Bursting in tears in his pillow, fully sobbing. He had been lonely for years, constantly getting bullied, yet he gave all his classmates an invitation to his party, hoping someone, anyone would come along. He felt like a fool, giving himself hope that someone would give him a chance, even though no one liked him.

"Liam?" His mother softly asks from outside his door. "Someone's here to see you." Liam wipes his eyes. "Go away." He shouts half heartedly. "It's someone from your school. He's here for your party." Liam's eyes widen and immediately sits up. His heart steadily beats faster. He gets up and quickly wipes his eyes. He doesn't care who showed up, he was just happy that someone came.

He quietly walks downstairs and peaks around the corner to try and see who came. He sees a raven haired boy, wearing a white shirt and khakis. His beautiful big Brown eyes and long eyelashes fluttering, as he talks with his mom. He turns his head back around before the boy can see him. 'Who is he?' He thinks. He's never seen the boy from his school, but he's not against someone coming to his party.

He slowly walks around the corner and goes into the kitchen. Mrs.Payne sees Liam and smiles. "Liam, Zayn has come to join your party." 'Zayn. What a beautiful name' He thinks as his heart beats faster. "Hi." He says shyly. Zayn smiles. "I didn't know what to get you, so I got you a teddy bear." He says, giving him a small Brown bear. Liam hesitantly takes the bear and blushes. Mrs.Payne smiles and walks over to Liam. "I'll leave you two to the party. I have to go help at work. I'll be home either later tonight or tomorrow morning." She kisses Liam's forehead and heads out the door.

Liam, still blushing, says a quiet thank you and sits down. "I'm sorry I don't remember you from any of my classes." Zayn shakes his head. "I'm not. I actually saw a lot of invitations to this party. I decided to come since it looked like it would be a crowded party but I guess not." Sadness washes over Liam. "But that's okay. I like small parties like this, too. It's more intimate." He gives a smile.

"So what did you have planned for this party?" Liam looks up. "I'm not sure honestly. I just wanted a simple party where we ate cake and opened presents." Zayn nods. "Sounds good to me, especially that cake." He raises his eyebrows. He grabs the cake and cuts a slice for himself. "So Liam. Since I technically barged in, I will introduce myself. My name is Zayn Malik. I'm from Bradford and I love art. I love drawing and spray painting, honestly anything." He takes a bite out of his cake. Liam smiles and introduces himselfhimself.

"Wolverhampton. Nice" He says. "You know, it's kind of hard to believe no one wouldn't come to a party to celebrate someone so beautiful." Liam chokes on his cake. He's never been complimented before. He clears his throat and takes a drink of his tea. "Th-Thank you. But, I'm not popular. I don't really have... any friends." He says quietly. Zayn gets up and kneels in front of Liam. "Hey, don't worry about it." He lifts Liam's chin. "They're horrible if they can't see a great friend." He wipes Liam's tears away. "And it's the birthday. Let's go celebrate it." He takes Liam's hand and takes him outside. "Where are we going?" He asks. "It's a surprise." Zayn says, opening the passenger door for Liam. He then gets in and starts driving.

They go around the town, drinking lightly at a bar, before heading to a fancy restaurant that's dimly lit. They talk about their interests, likes and dislikes, future, before heading back on the road. Zayn drives for a while, until they get to seemingly nowhere, a sandy place far from the city with no lights.

Zayn parks and looks at Liam. "I go here when I want to get away for a while." He lifts the rooftop of the car. "You can perfectly see all the wonderful stars." Liam looks up in awe. The night sky was beautifully lit, the stars seemingly twinkles extra bright tonight. He looks over to Zayn and smiles. "Thank you. This was the best birthday ever." Zayn looks back at him and takes his hand. "I'm glad you liked it. Everyone deserves a great birthday. Although I'm sad no one came to your party, I'm also glad that they didn't. Otherwise I wouldn't have shared a great night with you." Liam blushes, his heart beating fast.

They slowly lean in, until their lips touch. A small peck was given, until Liam pushes forward, giving a bigger kiss. Zayn puts his hand on Liam's cheek and gives him another kiss. They hold on for a while, until Zayn slides his tongue across Liam's lips, asking for entrance. Liam parts his lips, now fully making out with Zayn. He climbs onto Zayn's lap, wrapping his legs around Zayn's hips and arms wrapped around his neck. Zayn wrapping his arms around Liam's waist. They continue making out until their lips get tired.

Liam puts his forehead against Zayn's, breathing heavily. They sit like that for a while, not talking or moving, just taking each other in.

After a couple of hours, Zayn drives them back to Liam's house. The air feeling a little crisper than usual, as they both come down from their high, realizing how much they want to stay together. The ride coming to a close, as Zayn stops at Liam's house. "Don't leave. Please." He begs with his eyes. Zayn smiles. "Of course not."

When they get inside the house, Liam takes Zayn hand and runs upstairs to his bedroom. He turns on the light and puts his house keys on his dresser, before taking his shoes off and changing into a t shirt and sweats. Zayn looks around. He sees Liam's toy story toys and some Batman posters. "Batman. Nice." Liam looks at his poster and blushes. He sits on his bed and twiddles his thumbs. "Do you mind laying with me? I don't want to be alone tonight." He asks softly with his head down.

Zayn takes his shoes off and goes to the other side of the bed and lays down on his side, behind Liam. He softly grabs Liam's waist, pulling him closer. Liam lays down and faces Zayn, as Zayn holds onto his waist. "You'll never be alone with me." He whispers before kissing Liam's forehead. Liam smiles and buries his head into Zayn's neck, taking in his scent, as he slowly drifts asleep.

Wow, what a lovely surprise! I don't know why you decided to send me this amazing story, but thank you so much 🤧 Keep going:)

[skinnyziamlove]

𝐿𝑖𝑎𝑚'𝑠 16𝑡ℎ 𝑏𝑖𝑟𝑡ℎ𝑑𝑎𝑦 𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑎 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒 𝑢𝑛𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑

Mrs. Payne cut a slice of cake and gave it to Liam. "Liam, darling, just eat a little." She looks at her watch and tries to give a smile. "Your friends are only two hours late--I think that's what most kids do; they always come late to parties and--" Liam's eyes start tearing up. "They're not my friends and they don't like me mum." He gets up and runs to his room, more tears filling his eyes.

Liam slammed his door shut and jumped on his bed, landing on his stomach. Bursting in tears in his pillow, fully sobbing. He had been lonely for years, constantly getting bullied, yet he gave all his classmates an invitation to his party, hoping someone, anyone would come along. He felt like a fool, giving himself hope that someone would give him a chance, even though no one liked him.

"Liam?" His mother softly asks from outside his door. "Someone's here to see you." Liam wipes his eyes. "Go away." He shouts half heartedly. "It's someone from your school. He's here for your party." Liam's eyes widen and immediately sits up. "Really?" "Yes, Liam." "Who is it?" His mother smiles. "You have to come down here too see." She says before walking away. His heart steadily beats faster. He gets up and quickly wipes his eyes. He doesn't care who showed up, he was just happy that someone came.

He quietly walks downstairs and peaks around the corner to try and see who came. He sees a raven haired boy, wearing a white shirt and khakis. His beautiful big Brown eyes and long eyelashes fluttering, as he talks with his mom. He turns his head back around before the boy can see him. 'Who is he?' He thinks. He's never seen the boy from his school, but he's not against someone coming to his party.

He slowly walks around the corner and goes into the kitchen. Mrs.Payne sees Liam and smiles. "Liam, Zayn has come to join your party." 'Zayn. What a beautiful name' He thinks as his heart beats faster. "Hi." He says shyly. Zayn smiles. "I didn't know what to get you, so I got you a teddy bear." He says, giving him a small Brown bear. Liam hesitantly takes the bear and blushes. Mrs.Payne smiles and walks over to Liam. "I'll leave you two to the party. I have to go help at work. I'll be home either later tonight or tomorrow morning." She kisses Liam's forehead and heads out the door.

Liam, still blushing, says a quiet thank you and sits down. "I'm sorry I don't remember you from any of my classes." Zayn shakes his head. "I'm not. I actually saw a lot of invitations to this party. I decided to come since it looked like it would be a crowded party but I guess not." Sadness washes over Liam. "But that's okay. I like small parties like this, too. It's more intimate." He gives a smile.

"So what did you have planned for this party?" Liam looks up. "I'm not sure honestly. I just wanted a simple party where we ate cake and opened presents." Zayn nods. "Sounds good to me, especially that cake." He raises his eyebrows. He grabs the cake and cuts a slice for himself. "So Liam. Since I technically barged in, I will introduce myself. My name is Zayn Malik. I'm from Bradford and I love art. I love drawing and spray painting, honestly anything." He takes a bite out of his cake. Liam smiles and introduces himself.

"Wolverhampton. Nice" He says. "You know, it's kind of hard to believe no one wouldn't come to a party to celebrate someone so beautiful." Liam chokes on his cake. He's never been complimented before. He clears his throat and takes a drink of his tea. "Th-Thank you. But, I'm not popular. I don't really have... any friends." He says quietly. Zayn gets up and kneels in front of Liam. "Hey, don't worry about it." He lifts Liam's chin. "They're horrible if they can't see a great friend." He wipes Liam's tears away. "And it's the birthday. Let's go celebrate it." He takes Liam's hand and takes him outside. "Where are we going?" He asks. "It's a surprise." Zayn says, opening the passenger door for Liam. He then gets in and starts driving.

They go around the town, drinking lightly at a bar, before heading to a fancy restaurant that's dimly lit. They talk about their interests, likes and dislikes, future, before heading back on the road. Zayn drives for a while, until they get to seemingly nowhere, a sandy place far from the city with no lights.

Zayn parks and looks at Liam. "I go here when I want to get away for a while." He lifts the rooftop of the car. "You can perfectly see all the wonderful stars." Liam looks up in awe. The night sky was beautifully lit, the stars seemingly twinkles extra bright tonight. He looks over to Zayn and smiles. "Thank you. This was the best birthday ever." Zayn looks back at him and takes his hand. "I'm glad you liked it. Everyone deserves a great birthday. Although I'm sad no one came to your party, I'm also glad that they didn't. Otherwise I wouldn't have shared a great night with you." Liam blushes, his heart beating fast.

They slowly lean in, until their lips touch. A small peck was given, until Liam pushes forward, giving a bigger kiss. Zayn puts his hand on Liam's cheek and gives him another kiss. They hold on for a while, until Zayn slides his tongue across Liam's lips, asking for entrance. Liam parts his lips, now fully making out with Zayn. He climbs onto Zayn's lap, wrapping his legs around Zayn's hips and arms wrapped around his neck. Zayn wrapping his arms around Liam's waist. They continue making out until their lips get tired.

Liam puts his forehead against Zayn's, breathing heavily. They sit like that for a while, not talking or moving, just taking each other in.

After a couple of hours, Zayn drives them back to Liam's house. The air feeling a little crisper than usual, as they both come down from their high, realizing how much they want to stay together. The ride coming to a close, as Zayn stops at Liam's house. "Don't leave. Please." He begs with his eyes. Zayn smiles. "Of course not."

When they get inside the house, Liam takes Zayn hand and runs upstairs to his bedroom. He turns on the light and puts his house keys on his dresser, before taking his shoes off and changing into a t shirt and sweats. Zayn looks around. He sees Liam's toy story toys and some Batman posters. "Batman. Nice." Liam looks at his poster and blushes. He sits on his bed and twiddles his thumbs. "Do you mind laying with me? I don't want to be alone tonight." He asks softly with his head down.

Zayn takes his shoes off and goes to the other side of the bed and lays down on his side, behind Liam. He softly grabs Liam's waist, pulling him closer. Liam lays down and faces Zayn, as Zayn holds onto his waist. "You'll never be alone with me." He whispers before kissing Liam's forehead. Liam smiles and buries his head into Zayn's neck, taking in his scent, as he slowly drifts asleep.

AAAAAAW THIS WAS REALLY CUTE!!!!

it started a bit sad but i'm glad how it got cuter as it kept going!!!

zayn taking liam around town 😭😭😭 they kissing 😭😭😭 it was so freaking cute, you're such a talented writer <3

thanks for sending me this !!!!

[ziamhaze]

𝐿𝑖𝑎𝑚'𝑠 16𝑡ℎ 𝑏𝑖𝑟𝑡ℎ𝑑𝑎𝑦 𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑎 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒 𝑢𝑛𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑

Mrs. Payne cut a slice of cake and gave it to Liam. "Liam, darling, just eat a little." She looks at her watch and tries to give a smile. "Your friends are only two hours late--I think that's what most kids do; they always come late to parties and--" Liam's eyes start tearing up. "They're not my friends and they don't like me mum." He gets up and runs to his room, more tears filling his eyes.

Liam slammed his door shut and jumped on his bed, landing on his stomach. Bursting in tears in his pillow, fully sobbing. He had been lonely for years, constantly getting bullied, yet he gave all his classmates an invitation to his party, hoping someone, anyone would come along. He felt like a fool, giving himself hope that someone would give him a chance, even though no one liked him.

"Liam?" His mother softly asks from outside his door. "Someone's here to see you." Liam wipes his eyes. "Go away." He shouts half heartedly. "It's someone from your school. He's here for your party." Liam's eyes widen and immediately sits up. "Really?" "Yes, Liam." "Who is it?" His mother smiles. "You have to come down here too see." She says before walking away. His heart steadily beats faster. He gets up and quickly wipes his eyes. He doesn't care who showed up, he was just happy that someone came.

He quietly walks downstairs and peaks around the corner to try and see who came. He sees a raven haired boy, wearing a white shirt and khakis. His beautiful big Brown eyes and long eyelashes fluttering, as he talks with his mom. He turns his head back around before the boy can see him. 'Who is he?' He thinks. He's never seen the boy from his school, but he's not against someone coming to his party.

He slowly walks around the corner and goes into the kitchen. Mrs.Payne sees Liam and smiles. "Liam, Zayn has come to join your party." 'Zayn. What a beautiful name' He thinks as his heart beats faster. "Hi." He says shyly. Zayn smiles. "I didn't know what to get you, so I got you a teddy bear." He says, giving him a small Brown bear. Liam hesitantly takes the bear and blushes. Mrs.Payne smiles and walks over to Liam. "I'll leave you two to the party. I have to go help at work. I'll be home either later tonight or tomorrow morning." She kisses Liam's forehead and heads out the door.

Liam, still blushing, says a quiet thank you and sits down. "I'm sorry I don't remember you from any of my classes." Zayn shakes his head. "I'm not. I actually saw a lot of invitations to this party. I decided to come since it looked like it would be a crowded party but I guess not." Sadness washes over Liam. "But that's okay. I like small parties like this, too. It's more intimate." He gives a smile.

"So what did you have planned for this party?" Liam looks up. "I'm not sure honestly. I just wanted a simple party where we ate cake and opened presents." Zayn nods. "Sounds good to me, especially that cake." He raises his eyebrows. He grabs the cake and cuts a slice for himself. "So Liam. Since I technically barged in, I will introduce myself. My name is Zayn Malik. I'm from Bradford and I love art. I love drawing and spray painting, honestly anything." He takes a bite out of his cake. Liam smiles and introduces himself.

"Wolverhampton. Nice" He says. "You know, it's kind of hard to believe no one wouldn't come to a party to celebrate someone so beautiful." Liam chokes on his cake. He's never been complimented before. He clears his throat and takes a drink of his tea. "Th-Thank you. But, I'm not popular. I don't really have... any friends." He says quietly. Zayn gets up and kneels in front of Liam. "Hey, don't worry about it." He lifts Liam's chin. "They're horrible if they can't see a great friend." He wipes Liam's tears away. "And it's the birthday. Let's go celebrate it." He takes Liam's hand and takes him outside. "Where are we going?" He asks. "It's a surprise." Zayn says, opening the passenger door for Liam. He then gets in and starts driving.

They go around the town, drinking lightly at a bar, before heading to a fancy restaurant that's dimly lit. They talk about their interests, likes and dislikes, future, before heading back on the road. Zayn drives for a while, until they get to seemingly nowhere, a sandy place far from the city with no lights.

Zayn parks and looks at Liam. "I go here when I want to get away for a while." He lifts the rooftop of the car. "You can perfectly see all the wonderful stars." Liam looks up in awe. The night sky was beautifully lit, the stars seemingly twinkles extra bright tonight. He looks over to Zayn and smiles. "Thank you. This was the best birthday ever." Zayn looks back at him and takes his hand. "I'm glad you liked it. Everyone deserves a great birthday. Although I'm sad no one came to your party, I'm also glad that they didn't. Otherwise I wouldn't have shared a great night with you." Liam blushes, his heart beating fast.

They slowly lean in, until their lips touch. A small peck was given, until Liam pushes forward, giving a bigger kiss. Zayn puts his hand on Liam's cheek and gives him another kiss. They hold on for a while, until Zayn slides his tongue across Liam's lips, asking for entrance. Liam parts his lips, now fully making out with Zayn. He climbs onto Zayn's lap, wrapping his legs around Zayn's hips and arms wrapped around his neck. Zayn wrapping his arms around Liam's waist. They continue making out until their lips get tired.

Liam puts his forehead against Zayn's, breathing heavily. They sit like that for a while, not talking or moving, just taking each other in.

After a couple of hours, Zayn drives them back to Liam's house. The air feeling a little crisper than usual, as they both come down from their high, realizing how much they want to stay together. The ride coming to a close, as Zayn stops at Liam's house. "Don't leave. Please." He begs with his eyes. Zayn smiles. "Of course not."

When they get inside the house, Liam takes Zayn hand and runs upstairs to his bedroom. He turns on the light and puts his house keys on his dresser, before taking his shoes off and changing into a t shirt and sweats. Zayn looks around. He sees Liam's toy story toys and some Batman posters. "Batman. Nice." Liam looks at his poster and blushes. He sits on his bed and twiddles his thumbs. "Do you mind laying with me? I don't want to be alone tonight." He asks softly with his head down.

Zayn takes his shoes off and goes to the other side of the bed and lays down on his side, behind Liam. He softly grabs Liam's waist, pulling him closer. Liam lays down and faces Zayn, as Zayn holds onto his waist. "You'll never be alone with me." He whispers before kissing Liam's forehead. Liam smiles and buries his head into Zayn's neck, taking in his scent, as he slowly drifts asleep.

Is this a little drabble of yours?  Thanks so much for sharing!  You should definitely post this on your blog if you haven’t already!

[ziamscolours]

𝐿𝑖𝑎𝑚'𝑠 16𝑡ℎ 𝑏𝑖𝑟𝑡ℎ𝑑𝑎𝑦 𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑎 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒 𝑢𝑛𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑

Mrs. Payne cut a slice of cake and gave it to Liam. "Liam, darling, just eat a little." She looks at her watch and tries to give a smile. "Your friends are only two hours late--I think that's what most kids do; they always come late to parties and--" Liam's eyes start tearing up. "They're not my friends and they don't like me mum." He gets up and runs to his room, more tears filling his eyes.

Liam slammed his door shut and jumped on his bed, landing on his stomach. Bursting in tears in his pillow, fully sobbing. He had been lonely for years, constantly getting bullied, yet he gave all his classmates an invitation to his party, hoping someone, anyone would come along. He felt like a fool, giving himself hope that someone would give him a chance, even though no one liked him.

"Liam?" His mother softly asks from outside his door. "Someone's here to see you." Liam wipes his eyes. "Go away." He shouts half heartedly. "It's someone from your school. He's here for your party." Liam's eyes widen and immediately sits up. "Really?" "Yes, Liam." "Who is it?" His mother smiles. "You have to come down here too see." She says before walking away. His heart steadily beats faster. He gets up and quickly wipes his eyes. He doesn't care who showed up, he was just happy that someone came.

He quietly walks downstairs and peaks around the corner to try and see who came. He sees a raven haired boy, wearing a white shirt and khakis. His beautiful big Brown eyes and long eyelashes fluttering, as he talks with his mom. He turns his head back around before the boy can see him. 'Who is he?' He thinks. He's never seen the boy from his school, but he's not against someone coming to his party.

He slowly walks around the corner and goes into the kitchen. Mrs.Payne sees Liam and smiles. "Liam, Zayn has come to join your party." 'Zayn. What a beautiful name' He thinks as his heart beats faster. "Hi." He says shyly. Zayn smiles. "I didn't know what to get you, so I got you a teddy bear." He says, giving him a small Brown bear. Liam hesitantly takes the bear and blushes. Mrs.Payne smiles and walks over to Liam. "I'll leave you two to the party. I have to go help at work. I'll be home either later tonight or tomorrow morning." She kisses Liam's forehead and heads out the door.

Liam, still blushing, says a quiet thank you and sits down. "I'm sorry I don't remember you from any of my classes." Zayn shakes his head. "I'm not. I actually saw a lot of invitations to this party. I decided to come since it looked like it would be a crowded party but I guess not." Sadness washes over Liam. "But that's okay. I like small parties like this, too. It's more intimate." He gives a smile.

"So what did you have planned for this party?" Liam looks up. "I'm not sure honestly. I just wanted a simple party where we ate cake and opened presents." Zayn nods. "Sounds good to me, especially that cake." He raises his eyebrows. He grabs the cake and cuts a slice for himself. "So Liam. Since I technically barged in, I will introduce myself. My name is Zayn Malik. I'm from Bradford and I love art. I love drawing and spray painting, honestly anything." He takes a bite out of his cake. Liam smiles and introduces himself.

"Wolverhampton. Nice" He says. "You know, it's kind of hard to believe no one wouldn't come to a party to celebrate someone so beautiful." Liam chokes on his cake. He's never been complimented before. He clears his throat and takes a drink of his tea. "Th-Thank you. But, I'm not popular. I don't really have... any friends." He says quietly. Zayn gets up and kneels in front of Liam. "Hey, don't worry about it." He lifts Liam's chin. "They're horrible if they can't see a great friend." He wipes Liam's tears away. "And it's the birthday. Let's go celebrate it." He takes Liam's hand and takes him outside. "Where are we going?" He asks. "It's a surprise." Zayn says, opening the passenger door for Liam. He then gets in and starts driving.

They go around the town, drinking lightly at a bar, before heading to a fancy restaurant that's dimly lit. They talk about their interests, likes and dislikes, future, before heading back on the road. Zayn drives for a while, until they get to seemingly nowhere, a sandy place far from the city with no lights.

Zayn parks and looks at Liam. "I go here when I want to get away for a while." He lifts the rooftop of the car. "You can perfectly see all the wonderful stars." Liam looks up in awe. The night sky was beautifully lit, the stars seemingly twinkles extra bright tonight. He looks over to Zayn and smiles. "Thank you. This was the best birthday ever." Zayn looks back at him and takes his hand. "I'm glad you liked it. Everyone deserves a great birthday. Although I'm sad no one came to your party, I'm also glad that they didn't. Otherwise I wouldn't have shared a great night with you." Liam blushes, his heart beating fast.

They slowly lean in, until their lips touch. A small peck was given, until Liam pushes forward, giving a bigger kiss. Zayn puts his hand on Liam's cheek and gives him another kiss. They hold on for a while, until Zayn slides his tongue across Liam's lips, asking for entrance. Liam parts his lips, now fully making out with Zayn. He climbs onto Zayn's lap, wrapping his legs around Zayn's hips and arms wrapped around his neck. Zayn wrapping his arms around Liam's waist. They continue making out until their lips get tired.

Liam puts his forehead against Zayn's, breathing heavily. They sit like that for a while, not talking or moving, just taking each other in.

After a couple of hours, Zayn drives them back to Liam's house. The air feeling a little crisper than usual, as they both come down from their high, realizing how much they want to stay together. The ride coming to a close, as Zayn stops at Liam's house. "Don't leave. Please." He begs with his eyes. Zayn smiles. "Of course not."

When they get inside the house, Liam takes Zayn hand and runs upstairs to his bedroom. He turns on the light and puts his house keys on his dresser, before taking his shoes off and changing into a t shirt and sweats. Zayn looks around. He sees Liam's toy story toys and some Batman posters. "Batman. Nice." Liam looks at his poster and blushes. He sits on his bed and twiddles his thumbs. "Do you mind laying with me? I don't want to be alone tonight." He asks softly with his head down.

Zayn takes his shoes off and goes to the other side of the bed and lays down on his side, behind Liam. He softly grabs Liam's waist, pulling him closer. Liam lays down and faces Zayn, as Zayn holds onto his waist. "You'll never be alone with me." He whispers before kissing Liam's forehead. Liam smiles and buries his head into Zayn's neck, taking in his scent, as he slowly drifts asleep.

cute

[chaudhavi-ka-chand]

𝐿𝑖𝑎𝑚'𝑠 16𝑡ℎ 𝑏𝑖𝑟𝑡ℎ𝑑𝑎𝑦 𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑎 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒 𝑢𝑛𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑

Mrs. Payne cut a slice of cake and gave it to Liam. "Liam, darling, just eat a little." She looks at her watch and tries to give a smile. "Your friends are only two hours late--I think that's what most kids do; they always come late to parties and--" Liam's eyes start tearing up. "They're not my friends and they don't like me mum." He gets up and runs to his room, more tears filling his eyes.

Liam slammed his door shut and jumped on his bed, landing on his stomach. Bursting in tears in his pillow, fully sobbing. He had been lonely for years, constantly getting bullied, yet he gave all his classmates an invitation to his party, hoping someone, anyone would come along. He felt like a fool, giving himself hope that someone would give him a chance, even though no one liked him.

"Liam?" His mother softly asks from outside his door. "Someone's here to see you." Liam wipes his eyes. "Go away." He shouts half heartedly. "It's someone from your school. He's here for your party." Liam's eyes widen and immediately sits up. "Really?" "Yes, Liam." "Who is it?" His mother smiles. "You have to come down here too see." She says before walking away. His heart steadily beats faster. He gets up and quickly wipes his eyes. He doesn't care who showed up, he was just happy that someone came.

He quietly walks downstairs and peaks around the corner to try and see who came. He sees a raven haired boy, wearing a white shirt and khakis. His beautiful big Brown eyes and long eyelashes fluttering, as he talks with his mom. He turns his head back around before the boy can see him. 'Who is he?' He thinks. He's never seen the boy from his school, but he's not against someone coming to his party.

He slowly walks around the corner and goes into the kitchen. Mrs.Payne sees Liam and smiles. "Liam, Zayn has come to join your party." 'Zayn. What a beautiful name' He thinks as his heart beats faster. "Hi." He says shyly. Zayn smiles. "I didn't know what to get you, so I got you a teddy bear." He says, giving him a small Brown bear. Liam hesitantly takes the bear and blushes. Mrs.Payne smiles and walks over to Liam. "I'll leave you two to the party. I have to go help at work. I'll be home either later tonight or tomorrow morning." She kisses Liam's forehead and heads out the door.

Liam, still blushing, says a quiet thank you and sits down. "I'm sorry I don't remember you from any of my classes." Zayn shakes his head. "I'm not. I actually saw a lot of invitations to this party. I decided to come since it looked like it would be a crowded party but I guess not." Sadness washes over Liam. "But that's okay. I like small parties like this, too. It's more intimate." He gives a smile.

"So what did you have planned for this party?" Liam looks up. "I'm not sure honestly. I just wanted a simple party where we ate cake and opened presents." Zayn nods. "Sounds good to me, especially that cake." He raises his eyebrows. He grabs the cake and cuts a slice for himself. "So Liam. Since I technically barged in, I will introduce myself. My name is Zayn Malik. I'm from Bradford and I love art. I love drawing and spray painting, honestly anything." He takes a bite out of his cake. Liam smiles and introduces himself.

"Wolverhampton. Nice" He says. "You know, it's kind of hard to believe no one wouldn't come to a party to celebrate someone so beautiful." Liam chokes on his cake. He's never been complimented before. He clears his throat and takes a drink of his tea. "Th-Thank you. But, I'm not popular. I don't really have... any friends." He says quietly. Zayn gets up and kneels in front of Liam. "Hey, don't worry about it." He lifts Liam's chin. "They're horrible if they can't see a great friend." He wipes Liam's tears away. "And it's the birthday. Let's go celebrate it." He takes Liam's hand and takes him outside. "Where are we going?" He asks. "It's a surprise." Zayn says, opening the passenger door for Liam. He then gets in and starts driving.

They go around the town, drinking lightly at a bar, before heading to a fancy restaurant that's dimly lit. They talk about their interests, likes and dislikes, future, before heading back on the road. Zayn drives for a while, until they get to seemingly nowhere, a sandy place far from the city with no lights.

Zayn parks and looks at Liam. "I go here when I want to get away for a while." He lifts the rooftop of the car. "You can perfectly see all the wonderful stars." Liam looks up in awe. The night sky was beautifully lit, the stars seemingly twinkles extra bright tonight. He looks over to Zayn and smiles. "Thank you. This was the best birthday ever." Zayn looks back at him and takes his hand. "I'm glad you liked it. Everyone deserves a great birthday. Although I'm sad no one came to your party, I'm also glad that they didn't. Otherwise I wouldn't have shared a great night with you." Liam blushes, his heart beating fast.

They slowly lean in, until their lips touch. A small peck was given, until Liam pushes forward, giving a bigger kiss. Zayn puts his hand on Liam's cheek and gives him another kiss. They hold on for a while, until Zayn slides his tongue across Liam's lips, asking for entrance. Liam parts his lips, now fully making out with Zayn. He climbs onto Zayn's lap, wrapping his legs around Zayn's hips and arms wrapped around his neck. Zayn wrapping his arms around Liam's waist. They continue making out until their lips get tired.

Liam puts his forehead against Zayn's, breathing heavily. They sit like that for a while, not talking or moving, just taking each other in.

After a couple of hours, Zayn drives them back to Liam's house. The air feeling a little crisper than usual, as they both come down from their high, realizing how much they want to stay together. The ride coming to a close, as Zayn stops at Liam's house. "Don't leave. Please." He begs with his eyes. Zayn smiles. "Of course not."

When they get inside the house, Liam takes Zayn hand and runs upstairs to his bedroom. He turns on the light and puts his house keys on his dresser, before taking his shoes off and changing into a t shirt and sweats. Zayn looks around. He sees Liam's toy story toys and some Batman posters. "Batman. Nice." Liam looks at his poster and blushes. He sits on his bed and twiddles his thumbs. "Do you mind laying with me? I don't want to be alone tonight." He asks softly with his head down.

Zayn takes his shoes off and goes to the other side of the bed and lays down on his side, behind Liam. He softly grabs Liam's waist, pulling him closer. Liam lays down and faces Zayn, as Zayn holds onto his waist. "You'll never be alone with me." He whispers before kissing Liam's forehead. Liam smiles and buries his head into Zayn's neck, taking in his scent, as he slowly drifts asleep.

So sweet 😍

[vogueziam]

𝐿𝑖𝑎𝑚'𝑠 16𝑡ℎ 𝑏𝑖𝑟𝑡ℎ𝑑𝑎𝑦 𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑎 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒 𝑢𝑛𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑

Mrs. Payne cut a slice of cake and gave it to Liam. "Liam, darling, just eat a little." She looks at her watch and tries to give a smile. "Your friends are only two hours late--I think that's what most kids do; they always come late to parties and--" Liam's eyes start tearing up. "They're not my friends and they don't like me mum." He gets up and runs to his room, more tears filling his eyes.

Liam slammed his door shut and jumped on his bed, landing on his stomach. Bursting in tears in his pillow, fully sobbing. He had been lonely for years, constantly getting bullied, yet he gave all his classmates an invitation to his party, hoping someone, anyone would come along. He felt like a fool, giving himself hope that someone would give him a chance, even though no one liked him.

"Liam?" His mother softly asks from outside his door. "Someone's here to see you." Liam wipes his eyes. "Go away." He shouts half heartedly. "It's someone from your school. He's here for your party." Liam's eyes widen and immediately sits up. His heart steadily beats faster. He gets up and quickly wipes his eyes. He doesn't care who showed up, he was just happy that someone came.

He quietly walks downstairs and peaks around the corner to try and see who came. He sees a raven haired boy, wearing a white shirt and khakis. His beautiful big Brown eyes and long eyelashes fluttering, as he talks with his mom. He turns his head back around before the boy can see him. 'Who is he?' He thinks. He's never seen the boy from his school, but he's not against someone coming to his party.

He slowly walks around the corner and goes into the kitchen. Mrs.Payne sees Liam and smiles. "Liam, Zayn has come to join your party." 'Zayn. What a beautiful name' He thinks as his heart beats faster. "Hi." He says shyly. Zayn smiles. "I didn't know what to get you, so I got you a teddy bear." He says, giving him a small Brown bear. Liam hesitantly takes the bear and blushes. Mrs.Payne smiles and walks over to Liam. "I'll leave you two to the party. I have to go help at work. I'll be home either later tonight or tomorrow morning." She kisses Liam's forehead and heads out the door.

Liam, still blushing, says a quiet thank you and sits down. "I'm sorry I don't remember you from any of my classes." Zayn shakes his head. "I'm not. I actually saw a lot of invitations to this party. I decided to come since it looked like it would be a crowded party but I guess not." Sadness washes over Liam. "But that's okay. I like small parties like this, too. It's more intimate." He gives a smile.

"So what did you have planned for this party?" Liam looks up. "I'm not sure honestly. I just wanted a simple party where we ate cake and opened presents." Zayn nods. "Sounds good to me, especially that cake." He raises his eyebrows. He grabs the cake and cuts a slice for himself. "So Liam. Since I technically barged in, I will introduce myself. My name is Zayn Malik. I'm from Bradford and I love art. I love drawing and spray painting, honestly anything." He takes a bite out of his cake. Liam smiles and introduces himselfhimself.

"Wolverhampton. Nice" He says. "You know, it's kind of hard to believe no one wouldn't come to a party to celebrate someone so beautiful." Liam chokes on his cake. He's never been complimented before. He clears his throat and takes a drink of his tea. "Th-Thank you. But, I'm not popular. I don't really have... any friends." He says quietly. Zayn gets up and kneels in front of Liam. "Hey, don't worry about it." He lifts Liam's chin. "They're horrible if they can't see a great friend." He wipes Liam's tears away. "And it's the birthday. Let's go celebrate it." He takes Liam's hand and takes him outside. "Where are we going?" He asks. "It's a surprise." Zayn says, opening the passenger door for Liam. He then gets in and starts driving.

They go around the town, drinking lightly at a bar, before heading to a fancy restaurant that's dimly lit. They talk about their interests, likes and dislikes, future, before heading back on the road. Zayn drives for a while, until they get to seemingly nowhere, a sandy place far from the city with no lights.

Zayn parks and looks at Liam. "I go here when I want to get away for a while." He lifts the rooftop of the car. "You can perfectly see all the wonderful stars." Liam looks up in awe. The night sky was beautifully lit, the stars seemingly twinkles extra bright tonight. He looks over to Zayn and smiles. "Thank you. This was the best birthday ever." Zayn looks back at him and takes his hand. "I'm glad you liked it. Everyone deserves a great birthday. Although I'm sad no one came to your party, I'm also glad that they didn't. Otherwise I wouldn't have shared a great night with you." Liam blushes, his heart beating fast.

They slowly lean in, until their lips touch. A small peck was given, until Liam pushes forward, giving a bigger kiss. Zayn puts his hand on Liam's cheek and gives him another kiss. They hold on for a while, until Zayn slides his tongue across Liam's lips, asking for entrance. Liam parts his lips, now fully making out with Zayn. He climbs onto Zayn's lap, wrapping his legs around Zayn's hips and arms wrapped around his neck. Zayn wrapping his arms around Liam's waist. They continue making out until their lips get tired.

Liam puts his forehead against Zayn's, breathing heavily. They sit like that for a while, not talking or moving, just taking each other in.

After a couple of hours, Zayn drives them back to Liam's house. The air feeling a little crisper than usual, as they both come down from their high, realizing how much they want to stay together. The ride coming to a close, as Zayn stops at Liam's house. "Don't leave. Please." He begs with his eyes. Zayn smiles. "Of course not."

When they get inside the house, Liam takes Zayn hand and runs upstairs to his bedroom. He turns on the light and puts his house keys on his dresser, before taking his shoes off and changing into a t shirt and sweats. Zayn looks around. He sees Liam's toy story toys and some Batman posters. "Batman. Nice." Liam looks at his poster and blushes. He sits on his bed and twiddles his thumbs. "Do you mind laying with me? I don't want to be alone tonight." He asks softly with his head down.

Zayn takes his shoes off and goes to the other side of the bed and lays down on his side, behind Liam. He softly grabs Liam's waist, pulling him closer. Liam lays down and faces Zayn, as Zayn holds onto his waist. "You'll never be alone with me." He whispers before kissing Liam's forehead. Liam smiles and buries his head into Zayn's neck, taking in his scent, as he slowly drifts asleep.

My god!!! I loved reading this 🥺❤

[spicycreativity]

Soft-Shoe Shuffle - Ch 9

Chapter: 9/12 Additional Notes: See Ch 1 for more information. Read on AO3 under "WizardGlick." Any formatting/italics errors are holdovers from AO3 that I was too lazy to fix. Chapter Content Warnings: N/A; ask to tag Excerpt: "You don't think he's in love with you, do you?" Roman asked in a strained tone. Silence. "Do you?" Roman demanded. "Oh my god," Virgil said through gritted teeth. Janus could practically hear his jaw creaking. "Virgil!" Roman whisper-shouted.

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it

That's my life and all that I've got

Call me a liar, call me a writer

Believe me or not, believe me or not

The sound of a door open and closing startled Janus out of his dreams so violently that he jerked and gasped before falling still again.

Silence followed, but he kept his eyes closed and tried to orient himself. He felt like Remus had used him as a training dummy and remembered very little of the reason why .

Roman's voice broke the silence. "It's not your shift yet, Smoke on the Water."

"I thought you could use the company," Virgil said. "And maybe I missed you."

"Oh, don't lie." Roman sighed and his breath ghosted over Janus' cheek. He was close, then. "That's his job."

Virgil scoffed. "Not anymore, apparently."

Janus focused on keeping his breathing even. It wouldn't do to get caught now of all times.

"You don't buy it?" Roman asked.

"I don't know!" Virgil exclaimed, loud enough to make Janus flinch. In a softer voice, he continued, "I guess people can change. I mean, I did. But it was gradual, and this seems… It seems awfully sudden for a change of heart, especially for someone as stubborn as him."

"You don't think he's in love with you, do you?" Roman asked in a strained tone.

Silence.

"Do you?" Roman demanded.

"Oh my god," Virgil said through gritted teeth. Janus could practically hear his jaw creaking.

"Virgil!" Roman whisper-shouted.

"Have you noticed Patton calling him 'honey'?" Virgil whispered back.

"Wait… You don't think--"

"I don't know!"

"But Patton wouldn't--" Roman tripped over the end of his sentence. "Not him-- "

"You don't just fall in love overnight. What if this some… some campaign for Patton's love?"

"Like a quest?" Roman asked.

Janus nearly laughed. Leave it to Virgil to land three steps to the left of the correct conclusion. And leave it to Roman to spur him on.

Despite the ache in his joints and desperate dryness of his mouth, Janus could feel his mind sliding back toward sleep. There would be no fighting it unless he moved, and he couldn't move without giving up the game.

Oh, well.

"It makes sense, doesn't it?" Virgil asked. "Janus doesn't apologize. Janus doesn't do anything unless it serves some sort of end."

"And where does collapsing in my room factor into this master plan?"

"I don't know," Virgil said. "Maybe this part was just bad luck." He sighed and pulled the covers higher up Janus' chest. "It's weird seeing him like this?"

"...Asleep?"

"No, genius. Vulnerable. He doesn't show weakness either."

"Ah, Virgil," Roman said delicately, after a moment's silence. "Not that I'm the best at math, mind you, but something isn't adding up."

"What do you mean?"

"According to Logan, Janus knew he was sick when he came to visit me. Nearly fainted in the kitchen, from what he said. If he's so averse to showing weakness, as you say, why wouldn't he just, you know, wait?"

"...Huh."

"And why would he apologize to me in private? If he wanted to look good in front of Patton, surely he would have found some way to confront me in front of Patton. Janus is still a part of Thomas; he likes an audience. "

Virgil let out a short puff of air through his nose and said nothing for a few moments. "Well… Maybe I shouldn't jump to conclusions like that."

"It's good that you want to be careful," Roman said with undisguised fondness in his voice. Janus almost frowned. Roman and Virgil, really?

"I guess I'll have to wait and see. I really want to know why he keeps calling my name. Rem-- Uh. Okay. Remus said he did it a bunch yesterday."

"He's not Voldemort; you can say his name around me."

"I don't want to make you upset, that's all."

Virgil's words spun lazy circles in Janus' mind, and whatever Roman replied was lost in the rolling fog.

He had expected Virgil to be mistrustful of him; he had every right to be. Janus had expected him to make conspiracies out of nothing and it didn't hurt his feelings.

It also didn't make him happy, not at all, that Roman had defended him with nothing to gain from it.

Sleep came languid and slow, and for once not accompanied by tongues of fire.

--

Maybe it was luck or maybe it was Virgil's sense of duty, but the next time Janus opened his eyes, it was Virgil that he saw.

Virgil's eyes widened almost comically and he froze.

For a moment, they just stared at each other. Then Janus regained his wits and said, in a tone like they were coworkers who had just passed each other in the hall, "Good morning, Virgil."

Virgil opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again. "It's afternoon."

"Well. Forgive me for not counting the hours when I was unconscious," Janus said with venom. Because he was scared.

Virgil scowled at him. "Whatever. Glad you're not dead. I'll go get Patton now."

"No, wait." Janus tried to sit up, hating how his arms shook. He brought out another set to assist, as Virgil seemed disinclined to help, or do anything other than just stare at him. "Force of habit."

"Yeah," Virgil said. "I heard you were on an honesty campaign." The disdain in his voice was almost painful. "Let me guess: You're so sorry for how you treated me in the past. You were jealous because I got what you always wanted and you didn't know how to handle it so you lashed out like the snake you are. And then you couldn't apologize because you were trapped in the image you'd created for yourself, only now, now it's falling down around you and you don't even have your precious pride to stand on, and now there's only one thing left to do." Virgil broke off, a little out of breath. "So you come crawling on your belly to me. The last item on your little 'good person' checklist."

Janus shook , and no amount of blankets could melt the ice that crawled down his veins. Virgil's image blurred, cold tears threatening to spill over. And really, what did Janus have left to lose? Hadn't he earned this? At the end of the day, he was the architect of his own demise.

"For what's it's worth, Virgil," he said, his voice so cracked and rasping he barely even recognized it, "I am sorry. I was jealous. And… I tied my own hands. I see that now."

"So you're saying…" Virgil straightened a little. "You were wrong?"

"Yes, Virgil. I was wrong."

Virgil laughed.

He doubled over, shoulders spasming, and laughed until his face turned red and tears ran down his cheeks. "I can't-- I can't believe this…"

"Um, Virgil?" Janus' humiliation gave way to concern as Virgil's breaths became more and more erratic.

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting to hear you say," Virgil said. "I had so many ideas for how I was going to throw it back in your stupid, smug snake face." He wiped his eyes even as more tears fell.

Janus just stared at him.

"Here's what's funny," Virgil continued. "Now… Now that it finally happened and I have you right where I want you, I don't want to do it ."

"You--" Janus' heart leapt. "You believe me?"

"I believe you." Virgil looked at him, eyes still shining. "But only because you look so sweet holding that teddy bear."

"What?" Janus looked down and realized with a jolt that he did indeed have a stuffed bear tucked under his arm. It was pale brown with white felt on the paws and ears, and was wearing a little T-shirt with 'get well beary soon!' printed on it. "Patton."

"Patton," Virgil said with a nod.

Janus looked around properly for the first time and he realized that Patton was not the only one who had left a gift.

A magnificent bouquet of white roses dominated his nightstand, nearly overshadowing a smaller bouquet of baby's breath and hydrangeas in a Mason jar. Behind the vases stood a 6-pack of blue Gatorade, and balanced on the lids was a small, handmade book.

Virgil noticed him staring and passed over one of the Gatorades, breaking the seal on the lid so Janus wouldn't have to struggle with it.

"Um, Virgil," Janus said, taking a shaky sip and realizing he wasn't wearing his gloves. He grit his teeth and tried not to mind. "I do understand if you don't want to be around me right away."

Virgil shook his head. "I'm done being mad."

"...Just like that?"

"I…" Virgil bit down hard on his lip. "I'm making the choice to forgive you. And maybe I'm being naïve and maybe you'll sink your fangs into my neck the second my guard is down, but… Well, you know, maybe for once the best-case scenario will happen and we'll all be best friends and Thomas will never have problems again."

Janus smiled. "You've changed, Virgil. A lot."

"Yeah, well." Virgil shrugged. "So have you, I think."

Janus raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Virgil leaned in, his grin wolfish and wide. "You're still holding the teddy bear."

Janus' face burned, but he for once made no effort to hide it. "It was a gift, Virgil, it would be rude to--"

"Stop snuggling it and put it with your other gifts?"

Janus closed his eyes and let his head rest against his headboard. "Yes."

"Airtight argument," Virgil said, but the laughter was gone from his voice. "I should get Logan. And you should finish your Gatorade. You probably feel pretty shitty, huh?"

"No, Virgil, I feel fantastic."

"I'm gonna let that slide because you're half-dead."

"Mm." Janus slid further down, gently aware of the Gatorade bottle tipping in his hand.

"Okay." Virgil grabbed the bottle. "No spilling. I'm gonna leave this here with a straw in it. You'd better drink some."

"Okay," Janus said, though he had no intention of doing so. Exhaustion washed over him, a rising tide promising to drag him under.

"You know, once word gets out that you're… not, like, delirious anymore, everybody's going to come running."

"Then don't tell," Janus mumbled, rolling over and pulling the covers up over his head.

"Are you really going back to sleep? You just woke up!"

"Just readjusting."

"Sure."

Janus sighed and wriggled so just his face was poking out from underneath the covers. "Happy?"

"I just don't think you should go back to sleep without drinking something. And no, one tiny sip of Gatorade doesn't count."

"You want to talk to me." Janus was too tired to properly revel in his information, so he settled for a smirk. It was difficult to do with half his face smushed into the mattress, but he was well-practiced.

"Keep pushing and I'm gonna start reading to you from Remus' book of dirty limericks. He hand-wrote that for you, by the way."

"What?" Janus fought to keep the nervous edge out of his voice.

"He said it was an inside joke."

With a concentrated effort, Janus sent the booklet to the top shelf of his closet. He doubted even Remus was reckless enough to expose Janus'... total lack of romantic feelings for Patton in such a careless manner, but still. Better safe than sorry. "Virgil?"

"Hm?"

"What did you get me? I assume the roses are from Roman and the Gatorade is from Logan."

"And the blue flowers are from Patton also."

"Surely they guilt-tripped you into livening up my deathbed as well?"

"My gift was more... abstract."

"Not smothering me to death with Patton's teddy bear does not count as a gift."

"Oh, no." Virgil smirked. "I told Patton how you really take your coffee."

The uncomfortable feeling of being not only seen, but known made Janus hide his face under the comforter again. "You didn't."

"Oh, I did. He knows all about your whipped cream addiction."

" Virgil."

"You're welcome, honey."

Janus went completely still. Half-formed memories of Roman and Virgil conversing in his room swam around his head and oh. Virgil had guessed it. Part of it, anyway. Janus had thought he'd let it go with the rest of his little conspiracy theory, but… And now he'd just completely missed his chance to bluff. He tried anyway. "If this is your way of calling me sweet--"

"Busted," Virgil interrupted.

"Go back to being scared of me," Janus muttered into the blankets.

"Look," Virgil said, voice deadly serious. "I can't tell you what to do, but I swear to all things dark and stormy, if you break Patton's heart, I'll break you ."

"I don't--" Janus tried. "I-- We're not…" He made an exaggerated, high-pitched coughing sound. "I'm going to tell Logan that you antagonized me while I was trying to sleep."

"Oh, please."

"And Patton and I aren't-- He doesn't-- He doesn't feel that way about me."

"That fever must have evaporated some of your brain cells," Virgil said.

Janus was inclined to agree, although for different reasons-- He couldn't think of a single way to change the subject. He settled for a long, drawn-out hiss.

"Just talk to him, okay?" Virgil said. "Or don't. Actually, don't."

"I don't need your permission to start dating Patton," Janus spat, forgetting himself.

"So you do want to date him."

"...No."

"I believe you."

"I'm going back to sleep now."

"Gatorade first." Virgil drew the covers back and held the bottle up to Janus. There was a straw in it now, a purple bendy straw that poked Janus in the lip. He fixed Virgil with a death glare and was privately relieved to see Virgil shrink back under its intensity. Like a river changing course, the parts of Janus that made him who he was were still there, even if his direction had altered.

That was good enough for him.

But he still wasn't going to let Virgil nurse him like he was some kind of helpless baby animal.

Careful not to drop the teddy bear, Janus sat up and took the bottle from Virgil. He drank half of it before his shaking hands gave up on him.

"Go to sleep," Virgil said, setting the bottle on the nightstand. "I'll tell the others not to crowd you." He turned to leave.

Janus almost let him. "Thank you, Virgil. And…" He'd had quite enough of showing his belly, and yet…. "I really am sorry. For everything."

"I know, Janus. Get some rest."