"Is it awful?" Zayn was standing in front of the boys, twenty minutes to stage, and his new hair was styled artfully all to one side. The sides and back were shaved short, but his natural waves were hanging over one eye. Liam had seen the bun when Zayn got it cut, but this was the first they were seeing it done up...and Liam was about to clear the room to have some alone time with the darker boy because of it.

"It's...yeah, it's good," Liam finally got out, probably minutes after everyone else added their own comments. He kept staring while the others went back to getting ready. He just wanted to wind his fingers into the strands and tug.

"Alright, Leeyum?" Zayn was looking at Liam worriedly, head tilted in confusion.

Liam coughed and rubbed his hand over his own short hair. "Fine, yeah. I really, uh-the hair is good."

Zayn's lips twitched up. That knowing smirk that made Liam want to push him face down on a bed to shut him up even though he hadn't said anything. "You like it?"

Liam was sweating now; he was sure of it. His palms were sticky and his hairline shiny. It was just Zayn: best mate, confidant, right hand man; Zayn. But right now Liam wished he was so much more. Liam always knew Zayn was attractive- he's not blind- but something about the new cut was edgy and dangerous and..hot. God, Zayn looked hot.

He realized he still hadn't answered Zayn's question and now Zayn was closing the few comfortable feet between them and leaning in. He put a hand on Liam's shoulder and put his lips to Liam's ear. "It's really soft right now, just after the cut. You could touch, if you want."

Liam actually shivered, like shaking shoulders, tingles down the spine, and all. Zayn pulled back and looked at Liam through his dark lashes, his hair a choppy screen over half his face. He looked more mysterious than even his reputation preceded, and so alluring. Liam reached a hand out and ran his hand lightly over Zayn's hair, eyes locked on his darker ones.

"I mean really touch it, Li."

Liam bit his lip and brought his hand to Zayn's hair, fingers combing through the freshly cut locks. It was soft. Liam licked his lips and let his thumb trail down Zayn's hairline as his fingers fell through his hair and onto his shoulder. "Soft," Liam whispered, almost as a side note, because Zayn was looking at him like he wanted something from Liam, but Liam didn't know what.

"Boys!" Paul called from the door. "Time."

Liam dropped his hand from Zayn's shoulder quickly and straightened out his shirt, walking away from the other boy and not looking back.

***

Zayn was like a different person on stage. It was like he was anti-Sampson and cutting off his hair made him stronger. He sang louder and danced more and smiled wider. Liam, on the other hand, was drooling the whole night, eyes wandering every few seconds to Zayn's laughing form. He watched him joke with Louis and play with Niall's rosy cheeks and Harry's unruly curls.

When Zayn finally made his way over, Liam was ready to pull them both backstage and turn off their mics. "Having fun?" Zayn said into his empty ear over the music. Liam just nodded but couldn't look at Zayn, afraid he wouldn't look away. "What's wrong, Leeyum? You've been weird all night. Did I do something?"

"What? No!" Liam tried to laugh it off, but then Zayn ran a hand through his hair to get it off his face and the laugh died in Liam's throat.

Zayn definitely noticed. He smiled that crooked half smile that always had Liam questioning...well, everything. "You really like it, don't you?" Liam just shrugged, but it was more like an awkward twitch of his shoulders. "It's okay, you know, if you do. I want you to." Liam's cue to come in played in his ears and the brunet boy actually apologized before leaving Zayn to walk the platform singing his part.

Zayn didn't try to talk to him again for the rest of the show, but he was still this vibrant force of joy that stole everyone's attention, including Liam's. He watched as Zayn's hair went from styled to sweaty over the course of the concert. By the end Zayn had run his hands through it so many times that it was messy and rumpled. The look was killing Liam. He wanted to be the one to make Zayn's hair look like that. He wanted to pull at it, and brush it off his face, and twirl it around his fingers.

***

They were filing through the back tunnel to the dressing rooms and Liam was right behind Zayn. He couldn't help but pull Zayn back to walk with him, a good ten feet from the rest of the group. He kept Zayn's hand in his, not really holding it, but more just playing with his thin fingers.

"I do like it," he admitted.

"I know," Zayn returned. "You're not very subtle, Li."

"Sorry," he apologized and dropped Zayn's hand.

Zayn quickly intertwined their fingers again. "It's okay. I'm glad you like it. Your opinion is really the only one that matters to me."

Liam laughed. "Yeah, right."

Zayn stopped walking and subsequently pulled Liam to a stop, too. "I'm serious. I was really nervous you wouldn't like it. I know how much you liked my long hair."

"Yeah I did. I do," he tried. "But I really," he urged, "like this one."

Zayn's answering smile was blinding. "Good." He ran a hand through it again and Liam watched as the strands parted for his fingers before falling back into place. "It's all sweaty right now, but here." He reached down and brought their laced hands up, closing Liam's fingers around a handful of his hair.

Liam's first instinct was to pull, just a gentle tug, but it had Zayn's mouth falling open a little anyway. Liam did it again and his mouth opened wider, like there was a soundtrack of moans in Zayn's head that Liam couldn't hear. "Harder," Zayn breathed, eyes going closed.

Liam groaned and pulled Zayn back against the wall by his hair, making Zayn moan and bare his throat. Liam clenched on closer to the root, a firm grip to play with, as he ducked down and laid open kisses to Zayn's darker skin. Zayn's hand flew to the fabric on Liam's back, fingers bunching it up in a fist.

"Fuck, Li." Zayn's voice was husky and worn, but not just from the show and that had Liam yanking Zayn's head further back by his hair and biting on the thin skin over his collarbone. "Oh, God."

"I don't mean to interrupt..."

Liam's eyes went wide, and he pushed himself off the wall like Zayn had burned him, to find Paul looking at them with a mostly bored face. "We weren't-" Liam started, but Paul put a hand up.

"I don't care. But the bus is leaving and you two aren't on it."

Liam just nodded and Paul left them alone again. He looked back to find Zayn still with his head tilted back and his eyes closed. Liam raked his eyes over Zayn's lithe body, from his parted lips to his obvious semi. "Zee?"

Zayn just groaned, quiet and low, before pressing a hand to his bulge and shaking his head, hair swishing beautifully. "I'm fine. Let's go." Zayn walked off, leaving Liam speechless yet again.

***

Liam laid in his bunk, eyes glued to the ceiling of his bed even though there wasn't anything to look at in the dark. He couldn't sleep, his mind wandering to the person that often took up his late night thoughts. He'd really fucked up. He'd crossed the line with Zayn, and now, he'd screwed up their friendship.

"Hey," he heard the tiny whisper. "Li, you awake?"

Liam pulled back his curtain to see a newly-showered and nervous Zayn standing outside his bunk. "What's wrong? Why aren't you asleep?"

"Couldn't," was all he said before climbing up, forcing Liam to scoot over to make room. Zayn pulled the curtain shut and made himself comfortable. Liam took in Zayn's bare feet, his loose joggers (they might actually be his), his thin tee, and then his wet hair, fanned out on Liam' pillow. He didn't even care that Zayn was getting his pillow wet, because Zayn was smiling lazily at him.

"Hey," Liam breathed, their noses inches apart.

"Hey," the other boy answered, just as quiet. Zayn's smile spread.

"You're not mad?"

Zayn's hand felt around until he found Liam's and brought it to his own face, Liam's big palm cupping Zayn's sharp jaw. "Why would I be?"

"After the show..."

"Yeah." Zayn actually sounded fond, but Liam couldn't see his face well so he couldn't be sure. "Too bad Paul has the worst timing ever."

"I didn't mean to-"

"I wanted you to."

"What?"

Zayn laughed, small and trying to keep quiet since the other boys were sleeping. "You're surprised? I feel like you don't see a lot, Liam."

"Like what?"

Zayn threw a leg over Liam's hip and pulled so Liam was laying on top of him, between his legs. "Like how much I wish we were in your bed instead of on this fucking bus." Zayn said the words like a secret, maybe because it was and the people he most wanted to keep it from were a handful of feet away.

Liam held himself above Zayn on his forearms, trying to keep from grinding down on the temptation beneath him. "If we were in my bed this would go further than I think you want," Liam gritted out.

Zayn's hands traveled down Liam's smooth back and tucked under his joggers. "What makes you think I'd stop you?"

Liam groaned and let his hips roll down on Zayn, only to find him just as hard. "Don't do this," Liam begged, voice a trickle in the quiet air.

"Why not?" Zayn asked and squeezed Liam's cheeks in his hands.

"You don't know what you're asking. If we-"

"If we what? Fuck? Get off? Have sex? Then what?" Zayn hiked his leg up on Liam's waist and moved his hand up to grip Liam's back muscles. "What are you afraid of?"

Liam sighed and moved Zayn's hair from his face with a careful hand before he ducked down to give Zayn a gentle press of his lips. It wasn't the first time they'd kissed, but it might be the last if Liam did this wrong. "Losing you."

Zayn kissed him again, harder and with more to say. "You couldn't. You'll never lose me, Li."

Liam searched Zayn's eyes now that he'd adjusted to the dark. Zayn was looking up at Liam with this open urgency that had Liam's throat going dry. He flattened his hand on Zayn's cheek and then moved his fingers through Zayn's hair. "I really do like this."

Zayn actually purred as Liam played with the raven locks. "How much?"

Liam huffed out a frustrated breath and tilted Zayn's head back by his hair to kiss down his neck. "A lot. More than I should." He pulled harder and bit down on the delicious meat of Zayn's neck.

"What do you want to do to me, Liam?" Zayn whispered and pressed up into Liam's body.

Liam growled and, before he could think, ordered, "Turn over." Liam held himself up enough for Zayn to flip onto his stomach before kneeling over him. He rucked Zayn's shirt up until Zayn slipped it off his body and dropped it out of the bunk, onto the floor. Liam kissed each shoulder and then down his spine, leaving Zayn arching into the touch for more.

When Liam's hand reached the waistband of Zayn's bottoms he snapped the elastic and moved up to hum into Zayn's ear. "Take these off." Zayn pushed them down his hips with his pants and squirmed until the were stuffed into the bottom corner of the bunk.

Liam couldn't stop roaming Zayn's body with his hands and mouth. He'd never had so much of Zayn to look at, to handle, to touch. Here in the dark, it felt like permission, and he wanted to ravish him and pound into him and wreck him, but then Zayn looked back over his shoulder with those eyes and Liam knew he couldn't make their first time like that. Liam covered Zayn's back but pulled his thin hips off the bed before he wrapped his hand around Zayn's hard prick. Zayn pressed his face into Liam's pillow and moaned, the sound muffled but still definitely loud.

"Fuck, Zayn. You sound so good." Liam tugged on his length with sure strokes, easy and determined to get his boy off.

Zayn squirmed under him and reached down to still Liam's hand. "Wait," he gasped. "Want you to come, too."

Liam shook his head, lips brushing Zayn's bare shoulder. "I'm fine."

Zayn pushed back roughly against Liam's hard bulge, making the larger boy moan softly against his skin. "I want you to."

Liam pressed his forehead to Zayn's back for a moment, deciding, before huffing and nodding. "Spread your legs." Zayn was trapped between Liam's legs, but he spread them as far as he could. Liam let go of Zayn's dick and pushed his joggers down with one hand until his hard cock sprang up and hit Zayn's small ass cheek.

Liam licked his palm and smoothed it over his hot skin before sliding into the space between Zayn's thighs. "Cross your legs." Zayn lagged for a moment, confused, before he felt Liam's wet head slide along the soft skin of his inner thigh. He crossed his legs and kept them tight. His shaft pressed to the soft skin of Zayn's sac. "Jesus, Zee. That's good, babe."

Liam lowered again and brought his hand around to tug at Zayn's dick. He could feel his own cock head poke through the small space with each easy thrust, brushing against his knuckles roughly. He leaned on one forearm next to Zayn's head, his hand holding tight to Zayn's wet hair. Zayn was pressing the pillow into his mouth, but it wouldn't matter anyway because Liam was doing nothing to hide how good Zayn made him feel anymore.

The boy on top could feel the slide of his precome add to his glide as his stomach tightened and his fist in Zayn's hair held on harder. Zayn's hand pressed on the thin wall at his head, pushing against it and into Liam. He fucked Liam's fist and flexed his thighs to stay tight for him. He spit the pillow from his mouth and moaned. "Close, Li."

Liam pressed hot breaths to Zayn's shoulder blade. "Me, too. Come on, Zaynie." Liam pumped his hand faster and fucked his thighs harder until he groaned and his toes curled against the end of his bunk and he shot all over his sheets and his hand that was still moving over Zayn.

Liam squeezed around his tip and then Zayn was arching impossibly harder and coming across Liam's hand and mixing with Liam's spunk on the bed. Zayn went loose, but Liam caught his hip before he could fall onto the mattress. "Let's sleep in yours tonight," Liam suggested.

He pulled his bottoms up and wiped his hand on the sheets while Zayn steadied himself on his knees and elbows. Liam climbed down from the bunk, feet landing with a soft thud on the carpet. He pulled the curtain back all the way and saw Zayn curled up at the top of the bed, trying to maneuver his pants back on. Liam laughed quietly and Zayn just gave him a purse of his lips.

When Zayn was sitting on the edge of the bunk, head hitting the top, Liam took him by the hips and helped him down. Zayn picked his shirt up and threw it back into Liam's bunk before shutting the curtain again. "Come on," he whispered. Zayn climbed into his bunk easily, but Liam stubbed his toe, cursing and then covering his mouth. Zayn laughed but said, "Shh, we'll wake someone."

"Yeah, right, like you haven't already with all that noise."

Liam's eyes went wide at the sound of Niall's voice. "Sorry," he stage-whispered, a brow raised and lip tucked into his teeth. Zayn just laughed louder and practically pulled him into the bunk. Liam laughed with him and pulled the curtain closed behind them.

***

Man I am just delivering one shot after one shot like BAM BAM BAM! Haha. You're welcome.

Ps: In reference to the title, if you plan to get a major haircut at any point you should give the hair to Locks of Love!

COMMENTS AND VOTES! MWAH!! Xoxo