#please marvel you must realise the public loves him now (me and twenty other people)

[demigod-of-the-agni]

me when I see Spider-Gwen get another run after 20 issues or so of the previous run: can I get a waffle? can i pLEASE get a waffle???

[letsyesnomaybe]

Never Gonna Wanna Let Me Go | Part 5

Zayn Malik is one of the highest paid escorts in London. He’s good at his job, he knows this. But it’s not his chosen field, it’s easy money so he can have a chance to pursue his chosen field without becoming homeless. His employer Caroline has many rules to keep him safe but Zayn only has one ‘Don’t Get Attached’. Of course, there was always going to be one, the guy who would come in to the picture and make Zayn’s easy job almost impossible.

Liam Payne. Twenty Six. Made his money by inheriting his father’s music business after he passed away. Quite well known so expect publicity. Wants a pretty face on his arm to cover the events he has to attend while in town on business. Make sure he knows if he wants extra he has to pay. You’ve got your usual expenses on your card, don’t go overboard like last time. I mean it, Malik! Your share for the weekend will go in your account on Monday when you’ve done your job.

Love you babes, stay safe, C x

Part 1, 2 ,3 & 4  (also on ao3)

Liam’s father’s cabin is a literal cabin, which Zayn wasn’t expecting. He also wasn’t expecting it to be in the middle of nowhere, they have to take a plane, helicopter and car to get there. He actually starts to worry a bit as the driver pulls away from them that he’s suddenly trapped in a remote part of Scotland with a guy he’s only known for three days. 

But then Liam announces he wants to fuck on the deck out back and he offers Zayn the biggest goofiest smile imaginable and he thinks if this is how he dies then it’s not that bad of a way to go. 

After they get done being exhibitionist they split to shower in two of the five bathrooms inside the cabin. 

Zayn’s washing both his and Liam’s come off what feels like is every inch of his body and singing ‘Can’t help falling in love with you’ loudly to combat against the water pounding down when Liam enters the bathroom he’s in. 

He doesn’t notice straight away because the glass of the shower is quite steamed up so he doesn’t halt his singing but the moment he opens the shower door to find the other lad leaning on the sink, he instantly clamps his mouth shut. 

“Your voice is beautiful.” Liam compliments with wide curious eyes. 

Zayn offers him a smile as he steps out of the shower and wraps a towel around his waist. 

“You shouldn’t let a voice like that go to waste, Zayn.” Liam tells him. 

“I don’t sing in front of other people,” Zayn informs him and steps closer so he can cup Liam’s cheek, gently stroking his thumb across the younger lad’s freshly shaved cheek. “You’re one of the very lucky few.” 

“I know but you could,” Liam argues and he looks suddenly very serious. “I could set it up for you.” 

“I don’t want another contract from you, Liam.” Zayn snaps and drops his hand, it’s harsh but he hopes it gets his point across. 

Liam doesn’t look hurt like he expects and Zayn realises it’s because he’s not even listening when Zayn speaks, he’s suddenly got his business hat on. 

“This could change your life.” Liam decides. 

Zayn decides he’s obviously not going to get anywhere with whatever train of thought Liam is on so instead he decides to leave the bathroom, thinking if he walks away from the conversation then Liam might finally realise he doesn’t want to take part in it. 

“You won’t take money from me because you said you pay your own way in this life,“ Liam continues as he follows him out, obviously not getting the hint. “This could be an honest way to make your money.” 

Zayn feels like that’s a punch to the gut, even if it wasn’t supposed to be and he only has to spin around to look at Liam, for him to quickly retract the words and have guilt consume his face instead. 

"I’m sorry,” Liam says quickly. “I didn’t mean it like that, I swear, Z, it wasn’t supposed to come out that way.” 

Zayn gets a little smile on his lips from the nickname he wasn’t expecting and the moment he does, one appears on Liam’s lips too. 

“It could change your life, Z.” Liam states again, picked up on the fact the nickname was what made Zayn smile. 

“It doesn’t always change it for the better.” Zayn argues. 

Liam looks curious. 

“Harry’s mate was a busker in London, got picked up by some big record company.” Zayn explains. “It changed his life but in my opinion, it wasn’t for the better.” 

Liam looks curious. “What’s his name?” 

"What?” Zayn asks confused. 

“The busker,” Liam pushes. “What’s his name?” 

“Ed.” Zayn replies but doesn’t expand because he knows that’s all Liam will need. 

“As in Ed Sheeran?!” Liam expresses. 

Zayn nods his head. "It didn’t change Ed, he’ll pop in to Harry’s bakery for a chat now and then and he’s still the best person to have a quiet pint with. But god forbid if you wanted to go for more than one, he isn’t left alone, his face is so well known now that even walking down the street is a task. 

“Surely, people look at you when you walk down the street anyway?” Liam scoffs. 

“Maybe,” Zayn agrees because he’s not oblivious to how he looks, he knows it’s why he’s so good at what he does. “But having people glance at you as you pass them on the street is very different to attention artists like Ed get when they go out in public.” 

“There’s way to combat though,” Liam tries. “It’s not as bad as you’re making it out to be.” 

“I’m not a performer, Liam.” Zayn says finally. “I don’t want to be one either so will you drop it, please?” 

“You don’t think what you do is a performance?” Liam asks. “You don’t put on a show with every bloke Caroline sets you up with?” 

Zayn steps closer so he can reach out to slip his hands over Liam’s hips and offers him a sweet smile. 

“Not every bloke.” He points out. 

“This isn’t a show?” Liam checks. 

Zayn drops his hands and takes a physical step back. “You think that it is?” 

“No, no.” Liam says quickly and drags his fingers through his hair, it gives Zayn a perfect view of his bicep and the nail marks Zayn had dug in to not an hour ago. “Fuck, I’m really putting my foot in it today, aren’t I?” 

“Liam?” Zayn asks. 

Liam drops his hand and looks at him expectantly. 

“I wanted you to stop talking.” Zayn decides. 

Liam face goes through many emotions before it finally settles on humour. “You dick! I thought you were really pissed at me!” 

“I will be if you don’t come over here and fuck me again.” Zayn decides with a loose grin. 

Liam doesn’t need anymore instruction as he stalks across the room and kisses Zayn with so much passion, it makes him wish he’d never have to stop. 

***

They manage three peaceful days at the cabin before it all turns to shit. 

Zayn truly believes they didn’t have to fly all the way to Scotland to spend three days fucking each other raw, watching every marvel movie known to man and eating so much shitty food that Zayn’s sure Liam’s perfect body is slowly turning in to a dad bod. 

They’ve moved on to a Harry Potter marathon because they’d had an argument over which house they should both to belong to while showering together that morning. 

They’ve got ‘Goblet Of Fire’ ready and set to go when Liam’s phone buzzes with a name unfamiliar to Zayn. 

Liam picks up and frowns. “I’ll be right back.” 

“I’ll make more popcorn.” Zayn decides. 

Liam leans over and steals a quick kiss and when he pulls back, he smiles so hard his eyes disappear which he had started doing on their second day there and it hadn’t taken long for Zayn decide it was his favourite Liam smile. 

“I won’t be long.” Liam promises 

“I’ll be here waiting for you, Liam.” Zayn says with his own cheeky grin that he thinks Liam loves himself because he usually gets his favourite Liam smile in return to it. 

Liam grasps him by the chin this time and Zayn’s worried he’s done something wrong before Liam presses a more demanding kiss to his lips. 

“Your phone.” Zayn mumbles against 

“I’ll ring them back.” Liam decides and throws the phone aside so he can continue with what he’d started. 

They don’t let it go too far, only far enough that when they both pull apart, they have to adjust themselves before heading off to do their separate tasks. 

Though Zayn only manages a few minutes in the kitchen before he remembers he has no idea how to work the microwave so goes on the search for Liam to demand he be shown how to do it again. It’s not his fault, each time Liam has shown him how do it, he’d got distracted by how adorable he is while being instructive. 

He only makes it to the sliding door that leads out to the balcony Liam had taken his call on, when the other lad’s voice stops him. 

“--to myself,” Liam says to whoever is on the phone. “I wanted to relax, that’s all. I’ll be going to LA in a few days, I need to or Simmons will use it as his chance to turn the board completely against him.” 

The person on the other end must not be happy with that response because he sighs. 

“I wanted to show him I’m not a fucking coward,” He argues. “I won’t hide who I am just because he doesn’t approve.” 

Zayn feels a little proud that the boy he’s sure he’s slowly falling in love with is so sure of who he is and is happy to make sure other people know that too. 

“No, he was just someone I paid to attend with me.” Liam continues. “I know, yeah, he was worth the money for sure.” 

Zayn feels suddenly sick because those words hurt. Of course, he’s been called worse and to his face. But for some reason hearing Liam say it made him feel far dirtier and far more 

“I’m no hiding anything,” Liam argues. “I’m here alone, I told you, I needed a break but I’ll fly out in a few days.” 

Zayn doesn’t wait for the conversation to continue and for have himself hurt by more words. 

Instead, he drops the bowl of popcorn kernels on to the table by the door, making sure it makes a loud of noise to catch Liam’s attention. 

Though he doesn’t wait for Liam to come back inside, instead he rushes through the house to what they had claimed as ‘their’ bedroom to pack his bags to get away from what’s causing him pain as soon as possible. 

Liam’s worried call of his name follows him upstairs and Zayn waits in the centre of the bedroom for him to enter. 

“What am I?” He asks, the moment the other lad walks through the door. 

“I didn’t mean it like you heard it.” Liam tries. 

“What am I?” Zayn demands again. “Because you’re not paying me anymore but you made damn sure whoever was on that call knew you were alone so what the fuck am I, Liam? Why the fuck did you bring me here?” 

Liam looks lost on how he’s supposed to reply, his mouth opening and closing like a fish.

“What am I?!” Zayn ask a little louder but he doesn’t give Liam a chance to answer.

‘You’re a warm body to fuck,’ Louis’ voice echoes in his memory. ‘That’s all you ever were to me, babe’. 

Zayn starts walking around room, collecting things that are his to shove back in his suitcase so he can leave.

“Stop.” Liam pleads, reaching for his arm after he’s dumped a load of clothes in to the suitcase.

Zayn does stop but his chest is heaving as he stands now toe to toe with Liam. “I can’t do this again.”

“What do you mean again?” Liam worries.

Zayn moves away from him to collect his shoes from the bottom of the wardrobe.

“Zayn, stop.” Liam pleads. 

Zayn feels frantic and he must look it because the moment he stops in the middle of the room, he can feel how fast his heart is racing 

“Can we talk about this, please?” Liam requests. “More rationally than we currently are.”

‘We can talk about it,’ Louis says. ‘If you want to, if it will help.’ 

“Fuck off.” Zee screams at the memories. 

Liam’s eyes go wide and he takes a slight step back from Zayn. 

“I want to go.” Zayn decides. 

“Zayn,” Liam pleads. 

“I want to go, Liam.” Zayn states more demanding. 

Liam lets out a haggard breath and he’s almost pulling his hair out now. “Can’t you stay and talk to me for a little bit longer?” 

“I’ll let Caroline know you ned to be charged for four extra days and three nights.” Zayn replies because he wants Liam to hurt as much as him. 

“Z, please.” He says this time. 

Zayn snaps his eyes in Liam’s direction and he’s now even more furious because how dare he try to use what’s supposed to be an attentive nickname to make Zayn submit. 

“Book me a fucking car, Liam.” He barks. 

Liam nods obediently and walks back out of the bedroom. 

Zayn turns back around and zips up his suitcase before dragging it off the bed. He’d managed to pull on a hoodie over his bare torso and slipped on the trainers Liam had bought him at the airport on the way over, before the younger boy returns to the room. 

“Your cars on it’s way,” Liam says and he’s got his wallet in his hand. “Five hundred a night, right? Three hundred for the days? That’s almost three grand.” 

“Two thousand seven hundred.” Zayn tells him quietly because his plan had backfired and now his chest is physically aching with how much it hurts to return to being treated like a prostitute when he’s spent almost four days feeling like a boyfriend. 

“I’ve only got one grand on me,” Liam explains, as he holds out the cash. “I’ll send the rest to Caroline.” 

Zayn looks from the cash and up to meet Liam’s eyes but the soft boy he’d had for the past four days has somehow disappeared (like he’d been some dream Zayn had made up) and the arsehole he’d met almost a week ago now had returned. 

“You need the money, Zayn.” Liam tells him as he shakes the hand that’s holding it, to intrigue Zayn to take it. “Take it.” 

Zayn puffs his chest out, determined to hold his own, at least until he’s safely in the back of the car and on his way back to London where he will soon be reunited with the one in his man in his life he’s sure loves him for nothing more than simply existing. 

“Take it.” Liam says more demanding. 

“Fuck you.” Zayn spits at him. 

Liam at least looks taken back by Zayn’s outburst and Zayn uses that shock to his advantage as he picks up his suitcase and makes sure to barge his shoulders in to Liam's as he storms past him to get out of the room. 

Liam doesn’t follow him and Zayn is slightly glad that he doesn’t because he doesn’t last until he’s in the safety of the car. Instead the moment he’s outside the cabin, the door slamming closed behind him, he’s crying so hard it feels like he’s never going to be able to breathe again. 

The car turns up ten minutes later and he’d managed to calm himself down enough that he can coherently tell the driver where he wants to go. 

***

One he’s back in London Zayn heads straight to the pub that Caroline and her husband own (and she runs her side business out of) to get the inevitable bollocking over with. 

“Alright, man.” John greets as he enters. “She’s out back, cursing your name I reckon.” 

Zayn nods thankfully and offers John a sultry smile as he passes to get to where Caroline’s office is at the back of the pub. 

“Not a chance,” John shouts after him. “She’d have my balls if I went anywhere near your right now.” 

Zayn laughs and blows the older man a kiss before heading to the back room where Caroline conducts her business. 

Caroline doesn’t look with her usual bright smile when he enters and that’s all he needs to know she’s well and truly pissed. 

“I have six main rules, Zayn.” Caroline starts gently. “What are they?”

Zayn sighs. “I know.”

“What are they?!” She demands, finally looking up and she looks more upset than angry.

“Text you if plans change, never go out of the country, don’t go near Styles, don’t smoke, always use protection and don’t let feelings get in the way of business.” Zayn lists off.

“And how many of those rules did you break with Liam?” Caroline asks.

“All of them.” Zayn mumbles.

“How many?” She insists.

“All of them.” He says louder. “But technically Scotland is still in the same country or same nation, at least.”

“City,” Caroline corrects. “You’re not supposed to leave the city unless I’ve given the okay.”

“Sorry.” Zayn says simply.

Caroline sighs and sinks back in to her desk chair. “Do you think I do these things because I don’t care?”

“I know you care, Lin.” Zayn tells her.

“Then why would you put yourself in situations that could get you hurt?” Caroline cries. 

“You know why,” He says and shakes his head. “Do you really think I wouldn’t find out he got our number through Louis?”

“So?” Caroline replies. “I thought we were over the Louis drama?”

Zayn sighs. “We are.”

“Is Liam our new Louis?” Caroline wonders.

“He’s not anything,” Zayn assures her. “I think,”

Caroline raises her eyebrows when he pauses.

“Yeah.” He says to himself as he makes the final decision. “I quit.”

Caroline nods like that’s what she was expecting.

“You’re not going to try and talk me out of it?” Zayn asks.

Caroline shakes her head and gets up from her chair. “It’s been a long time coming, right?”

Zayn nods. “Think I needed the push, you know.”

“Yeah,” Caroline agrees and walks around the desk. “You’ve always been too good for this line of work, babe. It’s about time you got out there to show the world what you’ve really got to offer.”

“Didn’t have you down for soppy goodbyes.” Zayn teases.

“It’s not goodbye,” Caroline scolds. “Livy’s birthday is next week and Styles promised he’d make cupcakes.”

“He’s gonna burn down our kitchen again.” Zayn complains.

Caroline smiles and gestures for him to get up so she can pull him in to a hug. 

“You let me know if you need anything, okay?” She requests. “Money or somewhere to hold one those like art gallery things.”

“Sure,” Zayn agrees. “Thanks, Lin. For everything.”

“It’s always been you, babe.” Lin argues. “You’ve been the brains and beauty.”

Zayn squeezes her when he hears her sniffle.

“Right, I’ll see you next week for Livy’s birthday.” She says as she lets him go and ushers him out. “Tell Styles if those cupcakes are burnt he better not show his face.”

“I’ll make sure to.” Zayn promises and walks towards the door.

“Zayn?”

Zayn turns around with his hand holding open the door.

“You deserve the world,” Caroline tells him. “Don’t ever let some dickhead have you believe you don’t. If he’s not willing to give you it then he’s not worth your time.”

“You should write hallmark cards.” Zayn teases.

“Bugger off already.” Caroline retorts but she’s smiling.

Zayn blows her a kiss and finally leaves, walking away from the only reason he’d managed keep food on the table and clothes on his back, for the past seven years.