2. Who wants to be immortal and who wants to die before they’re old?
Zayn is afraid that life will even out for him some day. That he’ll wake up one day amidst all the chaos and it will no longer be the life he chose to live, but rather the life chosen for him. And he’ll be stuck playing a part that he has no desire to. That thought scares him more than his fear of drowning, more than his fear of heights. Practically more than anything else he can imagine. If he could choose, then, he would die before he had the chance to lose that sense of wonder.
Liam, however, doesn’t ever want to stop. Being a doctor can be tiring, sure, but no worse than med school, where he’d stayed up all night, memorizing the hundred most common diseases and their symptoms. And he wouldn’t have done all that if it wasn’t at least somewhat helpful to keep the world around him turning, every day and every hour. At least, that’s what he tells himself when he’s on the last hour of his eighteen hour shift, blinking images of a warm bed away, pushing out thoughts of being dozed to sleep by a soft and cuddly Zayn.
The longer he lived, the more patients he could help. The more smiles he could bring to faces, the more tears he could wipe away as he told them, at last, it would all be okay. If he could choose, then, he would be immortal so he could help those at their weakest without fail.
But if it’s life with the other by their side, neither Liam nor Zayn hope to be immortal, nor do they want to die early. Because it’s not the same, none of it’s the same without Liam by Zayn’s side, encouraging him to do what he loves until the end of the line. And without Zayn to come home to, to kiss away the harrowing images of those Liam couldn’t save, it wouldn’t be worth it. None of it would be worth it.
5. Who plays candy crush in important meetings and who elbows them in the ribs to make them pay attention?
Zayn is a doodler. Always has been, since the first grade when he’d already perfected his alphabet and needed something more to do with the pencil and paper he’d been given. But Liam? Liam is a gamer. Not anything intense, just gets set on beating whatever game has currently caught his eye.
Right now, it’s Candy Crush, passing level 127 with ease on the train ride to work this morning. Level 128, though? A whole other story. He’s played the level at least twelve times now, spending his money twice today to buy more lives in the hopes that he’ll get it… he just needs just one more try. But not only is today Beat Level 128 Even If It Kills Liam Day, it’s also Meet Your Boss’ Boss Day.
Partway through the meeting, as Liam struggles to keep his eyes from drooping closed, he carefully pulls out his phone under the table to attempt another round. Setting it on his thigh, he’s not even halfway through the level when Zayn gives him a worried look, quickly elbowing Liam in the ribs before he has time to think it over. Pouting, Liam dramatically rubs at his now-sore side before sliding his phone back into his pocket with a low huff. “Fine…” Liam moans, just low enough for Zayn to hear.
“I’ll help you beat it as soon as we’re done,” Zayn promises in a whisper, lips quirking up as he gently places his hand over Liam’s thigh, circling his thumb over where his phone had been cradled just a second ago.
17. Who grabs the other’s hand just as they’re getting out of bed and pulls them back under for cuddles?
Zayn groans as the warm body flesh against his is suddenly rolling away from him, taking not only the heat but also part of his covers. “No,” Zayn gets out in a gravelly grumble, the last letter droning on through his chest. Letting out a little exhale, he jets his hand out from under the covers to reach for Liam’s arm, finding it after a moment of flailing. Lips upturning at the warmth against his skin, practically feeling the familiar ink wrapped around it, Zayn pulls hard so Liam stumbles back onto the bed, giggling as he goes. “Stay with me,” Zayn pleads, wrapping his cold arm around Liam’s middle so he can slide him closer.
“Someone wants a cuddle, eh?” Liam teases, but he scoots closer to the coziness of the comforter, the softness of Zayn’s hand still draped around his waist as if holding him prisoner.
“I’d like ten cuddles, to be exact,” Zayn gets out, sounding groggy again as if he’s used every ounce of energy to bring Liam back to him. His hand finds its way to Liam’s chest, giving him a gentle push so that he’ll fall back onto the pillows. “Maybe more, if you’ll let me,” he continues quietly as he nuzzles into Liam’s chest, humming as Liam’s hand flies up to card his fingers through Zayn’s messy hair.
“I’ll give you one hundred cuddles, even, if that’s what you want,” Liam yawns, picking up a handful of blankets so he can drape them over his already cold legs. “You know, because I only do this cuddling business for you, of course,” Liam taunts, ghosting his lips to the top of Zayn’s head as he breaths out a laugh.
“Hrmmm” is all Zayn can find in him to say as he gently fists Liam’s t-shirt. Working hard to open his mouth, he whispers “Sure, babe. Keep telling yourself that” before his eyes aren’t able to stay open anymore and he’s softly snoring into the cottony material below him.
