30 Day OTP Writing Challenge Day 16 - Ziam - Surprise Gifts
[Masterpost]
BECAUSE IM SHIT, HERE I AM TWO WEEKS LATER YET AGAIN WITH DAY 16! This one is based off of two things-- my favorite vloggers (who no longer daily vlog sadly) Shep689 (Will & RJ) and that one video of those girls who got engaged playing Pictionary. This is dedicated to Amira (@biconziam) who’s support on my 30 Days makes me want to cry. I appreciate it so much ❤️
Zayn blinks his eyes open slowly. He’s woken up by kisses peppered on his cheeks, nose, and neck, a tuft of brown hair in his face, and Liam’s gruff morning voice whispering a, “Happy anniversary.”
“Well good morning to you, too,” Zayn says with a laugh moving his arms to wrap around Liam. “Happy anniversary.”
Today would mark them being together for six years. Six entire years dealing with one another. Not that it was all that difficult or anything. Zayn didn’t think that he could find someone as perfect as Liam for himself. Someone who shares his interests and loves him unconditionally, even when he’s being a bit stupid. Liam is someone who’s proven to be his actual soulmate, and six years has felt like one and an eternity simultaneously.
Which was why Zayn completely ignored Liam’s suggestion for no gifts this year.
It was time that they took a step further into their relationship, and Zayn was ready. They’d talked about it, about getting married. They wanted it, but it never felt like the right time, especially with this whole YouTube Vlogging thing they started taking off. It wasn’t meant to be anything huge at first.
It had started when Liam was preparing for a semester abroad in Spain. It wasn’t too far, but they’d just been together for about a year and Zayn knew he was going to miss him like crazy. Zayn was taking a video editing course and he decided to record quick Video logs of his day for Liam, which Liam eventually caught on to and created some in return.
They posted them on YouTube, and eventually, the views came pouring in.
So once Liam returned and they moved out of the brick-wall dorms of their University and to their first apartment, they decided to record the process of it all.
Five years and millions of subscribers later, the whole vlogging thing became second nature, picking up a camera in the morning and starting with a quick ‘Good morning guys!’ And taking their viewers on adventures of their day, showing just how normal a Gay relationship was to the world. It was something that was so ingrained in their days that it hardly took any time out of their schedules. With set limits on what they could disclose on camera and keep private, their relationship had grown even more stronger with support.
It’s when they’d attended a friend’s wedding when the comments on their vlogs began asking why they weren’t engaged yet. And Zayn, who had reluctantly hovered over the respond button one night while Liam was asleep on the sofa beside him, couldn’t even think of reasons why. Why they hadn’t just gotten married the day Liam got back from Spain. The day they moved into their first apartment in London. When they moved to Los Angeles just two years ago for better opportunities.
It’s the moment he decided that on their anniversary, he was going to finally propose.
“So I have a surprise,” Liam says as he presses a quick kiss to his lips.
Zayn quirks an eyebrow, grinning like an idiot. “I thought no presents this year.”
“Well, it’s kind of not a present I bought. Kind of. We have to get to the airport at about 1, though,” he responds, grinning down at Zayn.
“Liam-“ he starts, feeling his heart stop in his chest. He’d told Liam’s parents about his plans, and they’d been so supportive and excited. Karen just about cried when he was on the FaceTime call with them and went on about how much she loved Zayn as her own son and she was happy Liam had him in his life. He’d also told his own parents, and his own mum went on to cry about it as well, talking about how proud she was and excited. He didn’t think, however, they’d be here to witness it.
“Are they coming?” Zayn asks with a little bit of an incredulous laugh.
Liam nods with a grin. “Your parents and mine, actually. Thought we could have a big family day, show them around LA, then dinner at ours. Your mum mentioned something about wanting to cook with my mum for us.”
Zayn just shakes his head, laughing, and goes to kiss Liam soft and slow. “I love you, have I ever told you?”
“What? You do? I had no idea,” Liam giggles and Zayn shoves at him, reaching over to the side table to grab his Vlogging camera. “I love you too, by the way.” Liam says as Zayn turns the camera on them both with the preview screen turned so they can see themselves, and presses record.
“Good morning guys. There’s lot’s going on today,” Zayn says, and Liam kisses his cheek. “What day is it today, Li?”
“Tuesday.” Liam says with a grin, making Zayn roll his eyes. “Oh, and our anniversary.”
“Yeah, our anniversary. Anyway, we’ve got lots planned so you’ll be seeing some of the fun and some familiar faces.”
Zayn turns to look at Liam, who’s looking back at him all fondly, and kisses him quickly before pushing the button to stop recording. He lets the camera fall on the bed beside him before he moves his body over Liam’s. “We’ve got a couple hours to kill,” he hums, nose brushing against Liam’s.
“This calls for a celebration” Liam grins, hands tangling in Zayn’s hair as he pulls him closer.
~*~
They end up leaving a bit late from their house for the airport, and Liam swears its Zayn’s fault, but Zayn knows it’s Liam who decided to hop in the shower with him (an idea that’s proven very time consuming rather than preserving). Their parents had been waiting outside the arrival gate by the time they’d gotten there, knowing looks on their faces when the pair blamed traffic for the tardiness with red cheeks.
They’d opted for a quick trip to Hollywood, which wasn’t too far from their home. They watched as their mothers got excited over the stars of their favorite celebrities, and the handprints of Marilyn Monroe at the Chinese Theater. Their dad’s followed their mothers around taking photos, and Zayn and Liam stood together nearly the entire time, fond of their family and recording every moment for their compilation of the day.
The sun was low when they arrived back at their home, their mothers quick to get to work on dinner.
“You know what we should play?” Geoff asked, nudging Liam. “Pictionary. Just like we used to all the time when you were younger.”
“Zayn loved Pictionary,” Yaser says. “Mostly because this kid loved to draw on any surface.”
They laugh, and Liam wraps an arm around Zayn. “It’s settled then. We’re playing Pictionary after dinner.”
Their dinner is lovely, a mix of Tricia and Karen’s cooking into one Chicken Curry dish that warmed Zayn’s soul. He was nervous as dinner ended, however. It was close to the time he’d planned to propose, and the box was sitting heavy and prominent in his pocket. I could do it now, Zayn thought as Liam set up the game for Pictionary, bringing out their Idea Easel from their office. But he’d opted to wait. After we win the game, he thinks.
“So are we doing couple’s teams?” Tricia says, sitting beside Yaser with her head on his shoulder.
“I think so,” Geoff says pulling Karen towards him.
“Good, because I wasn’t about to give up my drawing champ,” Liam says with a wink toward Zayn.
“Alright then lets get the game started.”
It goes smoothly for the entire first half of the game. Karen guesses Geoff’s Golf Course. Tricia barely guesses Yaser’s Carrot Farm. Liam gets Zayn’s rock concert in nearly seconds. Zayn records every round, cheering when he and Liam get it right.
Now it’s back to their turn. Liam has the word in his hand, and he begins with “it’s a phrase.” And he begins to draw what looks like a circle with lines emitting from the ring, then points at it.
“A halo, a watch, a ring-“ Liam nods, cutting Zayn off and continuing to draw what looked like two stick figures, one kneeling down.
“A proposal?” Zayn guesses and Liam nods.
“The phrase, Zee,” he says and Zayn thinks for a minute, his heart catching in his throat as he thinks of the answer.
“Uh— will you marry me?”
And he’s dizzy. Liam’s in front of him, on one knee with a box open on his hands, a silver ring sitting in the box. “So will you?” Liam asks, a cheesy smile plastered on his face. Zayn looks around, and he sees both Karen and Tricia tearing up as Geoff records with Liam’s vlogging camera.
“Oh my god,” is all Zayn could say before he’s laughing, tears forming in his eyes.
Liam looks confused, and Zayn just holds a finger out at him and pulls his own box from his pocket. “You beat me to it,” he says, opening the box for him, and he watches Liam’s face go from shocked, to confused, and then he begins laughing. “You were going to propose?”
Zayn nods with a laugh. “After Pictionary.”
“Oh my god,” Liam says, and they’re both laughing. Karen’s wiping her tears when she says, “It’s been killing me knowing that you guys were doing this.” Tricia nodding with her.
“You knew?” They both ask simultaneously, and their parents all laugh.
“It was such a cute plan, of course we knew. And we couldn’t spoil it so-“
“So you let Liam propose first? Why didn’t you guys help me!” Zayn says with a laugh to his parents.
Once the laughter dies, Liam, who’s still kneeling before him, turns to Zayn again. “So, what do you say?”
“I’ll Marry you.” Zayn says with a grin. “But only if you marry me.”
“Of course I’ll marry you,” Liam says before his lips crash against Zayn’s.
They kiss for a quick moment until they hear the grunt of one of their fathers, and separate to exchange rings.
“I can’t believe this,” Zayn says with a laugh. “Who plans to propose on the same day? No wonder you didn’t want me to get a gift.”
“Soulmates. And you still did anyway,” Liam grins, pecking a kiss one more time to Zayn’s lips. “This is gonna be a fun day to edit,” he says after, and Zayn just laughs, thinking about the shots he’d had of him planning the proposal that he’d recorded when he was on his own that he wanted to add in to the final cut.
“God, I love you, Liam,” He says, shaking his head unable to believe that his life ended up this perfect.
“I love you too, my fiancé,” Liam hums, ignoring their parents bustling around them for celebratory champagne.














