Chapter 5 "Laughter is the Best Medicine"

Laughter, real, gut twisting, laughter, can be contagious. It can spread from one person to the other without consent until everyone affected is lying down with sore abdomens as they struggle to catch their breath.

That's where they were by midnight. Leo and Zayn lying on the bed next to each other, breathing heavily as the laughter had finally subsided after Zayn's umpteenth time failing at playing Halo, barely able to walk around much less shoot anything or anyone.

Leo was the first to speak after as their breathing settled. "You really suck."

"I will tickle you if you don't stop saying it." Zayn threatens and jerks towards Leo with his arms out, pretending to go in for a tickle and enjoying the way Leo flinched. "It's my first time. Be nice."

Leo rolls towards Zayn and Zayn does the same. Leo reaches for Zayn's cheek and brushes his thumb over his cheek bone. "I'm glad I could break your Halo cherry Zaynie."

Zayn just lets out a humored "pfft" before moving his face close to Leo. "Don't be gross."

Leo's smile fades the closer Zayn gets. "Zaynie— You look like you're about to kiss me."

"Mm" Zayn hums as he continues to slowly move closer.

Leo sighs. "I don't know how many times I can stop us from kissing…"

Zayn stops his approach with half lidded eyes fixed on full lips. "You're right. It's incredibly unfair of me to say no kissing until we're official and then continually get close to kissing you…"

Leo suddenly rolls on top of Zayn, straddling hips and placing his hands on either side of his head getting something between a squeal and a yell from Zayn before leaning in close. "I see a very simple solution to this situation Zaynie."

Zayn turns to one side as the blush rises to his cheek. "I know. I just…"

"Do it right. I know." Leo gets off of Zayn and sits cross legged on the bed facing Zayn as he sits up and faces him in a similar position. "I mean I don't know what you mean, but I know that you mean it. I don't get why we can't just start now though; you like me, I like you, it's been two days."

Zayn sighs and rubs his face. "I'm sorry. I've never done this before… I've never actually wanted someone the way I want you."

Leo tilts his head as his brows lower and pull together. "You've never--wanted... Zayn— What exactly are you trying to say?"

Zayn covers his face with his hands as the blush overtakes his face. "None of my previous relationships were something I felt this strong of a pull towards. They asked me out and we dated… and with Hailey… There was so much pressure to propose... but we were never this close-- physically…"

Leo's eyes go a little wide. "So, um, you've never been, um, intimate?"

Zayn is still covering his face as he shakes his head. "Hailey tried… and when I freaked out we called off the engagement…"

Leo softens his face as he leans forward and pulls Zayn's hands down from his face. "Hey." His tone is warm and understanding. "You don't need to hide from me."

Zayn looks like he doesn't believe Leo. "You don't think it's strange that I was in a relationship with someone for three years and hardly even touched each other? Or that I'm five years older than you and I'm still a…"

Leo shakes his head. "No. I think it makes a lot of sense now that I know you a little. You're too much of a gentlemen to have sex with someone you don't actually desire like that. You're too genuine and honest for that." Leo rests a hand on Zayn's knee and smiles.

Zayn's suddenly feels washed by relief as he realizes that he feels accepted, by Leo, really and truly accepted. "Thank you… for seeing me..."

Leo smiles. "My pleasure. Now can we please officially start our relationship."

Zayn smirks as a small chuckle leaves him. "It hasn't been two days."

Leo's mouth drops. "It is past midnight. It's technically tomorrow… or it's the day after tomorrow or…. whatever… It's been two days."

Zayn shakes his head. "But I didn't say I needed time until later in the evening, so really it's only been like a day and some hours."

Leo grunts as he leaves the bed to grab something to eat from the tray of room service they had ordered hours ago. "But I leave before you get back and that adds another twenty-four hours."

"We still have three— ok two and half hours left tonight." Zayn offers with raised shoulders and a forced smile.

Leo whips around with a french fry still hanging from the corner of his mouth like a cigarette and slowly walks towards a giggling Zayn. He speaks in a serious voice. "Two and a half hours of trying to stop both of us from kissing because you don't want to kiss until we are official, but you don't want to be official until you get back from your trip, BUT when you get back from your trip I will be away on my trip. Do I have all of that right?"

Zayn chuckles and nods his head as Leo approaches, eating the french fry before stepping between his legs and looks down into his stunned brown eyes. "Okay. I know you're worth the wait."

Zayn's chuckle disappeared when Leo spoke and were replaces with a shy smile. "And how do you know that?"

Leo leans down and brushes his nose to Zayn's before speaking. "Because I waited so long before to tell you how I feel." As he pulls away the hazy look in Zayn's eyes almost breaks his concentration, but he pulls through. "Besides, I've already gotten a taste of your lips. I'll just replay those kisses in my trailer over and over again in my head while we are apart."

"You…" Zayn shakes his head and swallows, trying to regain some self control. "Owe me."

Leo steps back with a lifted eyebrow. "Hmm?" He hums as he walks over to get another fry.

Zayn scoffs. "Tch. I may be a- a virgin but I'm still a human with needs and I know that you'll be replaying me in taking off my costume earlier while we are apart…"

Leo turns to face Zayn with slight lift of one side of his lips at first before the look of surprise takes over as he speaks. "Yeah, probably-- wait— you want me to— right now?"

"Strip." Zayn smirks a little mischievous.

Leo's mouth goes a little slack. He "Wow Zaynie, here I was thinking you were a prude." He pulls out his phone and starts searching for a song. "Are you sure your virgin brain will be able to handle it? I don't know if you remember how good I am at dancing."

Zayn lets out a single laugh before speaking. "I said strip. Not dance."

Leo pouts a little. "You suggested that I owe you something to remember me by while we are parted. I'm not just going to strip like some military medical exam."

Zayn's face starts to feel hot when Leo presses play and "I'm Too Sexy" by Right Said Fred starts and he started to giggle as Leo immediately starts mouthing the words and dancing. Yes he dances well, but the song is ridiculous and so are Leo's moves as he stretches and lifts his shirt, slowly revealing each level of abs. Zayn keeps laughing despite the fact that Leo is shirtless and starts pushing his pants down, still mouthing "I shake my little tush on the catwalk."

"Okay! Okay! Enough! This is burned in my brain forever!" Zayn yells through his laughter.

Leo chuckles, still dancing along with the music in his Calvin Klein underwear. "It's almost over!" When the song finished Leo struck a sexy pose and was breathing a little heavily while collecting his clothes and Zayn is still laughing on the bed. "Are you done ogling my body Zaynie?" He asks with his shirt and pants in one hand and his arms outstretched.

Zayn sits up and seeing all of Leo without the ridiculous song and dance his heart rate doesn't slow and he doesn't even realize he's sucking on his bottom lip until Leo chuckles and speaks. "Really? I chose the most embarassing song to strip to and you are still thinking naughty things?"

Zayn blinks. His voice is teasing. "Not my fault. Just look at yourself."

Leo looks down, realizing what exactly Zayn had been staring at and placed his hands in front of his crotch. "Naughty naughty Zaynie. Are you done? Or do you need more of my abs? Or how about these arms? Did you see my ass? It's pretty nice huh?" He had turned, dramatically, to show off his glutes and peered over his shoulder to Zayn biting his bottom lip again and slightly nodding his head. He speaks in a sing song tone as he starts to pull his shirt back on. "Too bad you're determined to wait until we aren't working together to have any of this." As he bends to put on on his pants he makes eyes contact with the drooler on the bed.

"Did I say that?" Zayn speaks as if he's been put under a spell.

Leo pulls his pants up and walks back to the side of the bed. Leaning back on one arm and running his hand through his golden hair, leaning back with his eyes closed as he speaks. "Yep. You said you prefer not to bunk with someone while you're working with them because you've seen it ruin other projects."

Zayn dips his head forward and lets out a huff. "In light of recent revelations, can you understand why I would think that is best?"

Leo turns his head with a cocky lift in his lips. "Are you admitting naivety to me?"

Zayn groans. "Maybe a little." He waits for an excited Leo to sit up and face him before continuing. "How about we take things one step at a time?"

Leo smiles and lets out a long breath. "Okay. We've kissed and seen each other in our underwear. What's the next step?"

Zayn smack Leo's chest and retracts his arm fast enough for Leo to not grab it. "None of that counts." While Leo chuckles Zayn glances at his watch, 1:27 AM. He sighs. "For the rest of tonight there will be no more strip teases, but we I would like to spend the rest the time before I leave with you. We have less than two hours…"

Leo is quick to respond. "How should be spend them? No more video games tonight…" He scoots closer to Zayn and takes his hand in his own. "Tell me about baby Zaynie. What did he like to do growing up?"

Zayn smiles and lets out a slightly embarrassed breath through his nose. "My parents kept me busy. Between acting classes, singing classes, modeling gigs, piano lessons, they nearly ruined everything I enjoyed doing by putting me in competitive classes to help me master it as a skill…"

Leo leans into Zayn. "You said almost everything?"

Zayn turns and smiles at Leo before standing and walking over to the little table in the corner of his hotel room. When he returns to the bed he has a pile of papers in his hands. "I like to draw and paint. It's the one thing they didn't throw me into a class for but instead, when I was fourteen, I asked if I could take some classes." He flips the papers over to reveal a pile of sketches.

Leo's eyes light up at the drawing of what looks like Zayn, although it's the back of his head, sitting on a couch in a nice apartment. At first he thinks Zayn is alone in the drawing, but he notices a tail beside his lap and on the kitchen table there are two almost empty glasses of wine and two plates that still have remnants of what looks like spaghetti and meatballs "Who is with you in this one?"

Zayn panics a little, realizing what picture he had just shown him. "That's... Persimmon's tail… He's my cat…"

Leo smirks. "Tell me more about this Persimmon. How old is he? Does use catnip recreationally?"

"Persi is a lovely cat. He was a gift…" For the briefest moment Leo saw some sadness enter Zayn's eyes before he continued. "He is fifteen and yes, he is addicted to catnip."

Leo tries to get some eye contact from Zayn by leaning over, but Zayn is locked on to the drawing. "Wow, fifteen. That's pretty old for a cat. You must take very good care of him. Who gave him to you?"

Zayn's eyes seem to darken as he turns to Leo with a small, tight smile. Before speaking Zayn takes a measured breath as he decides to reveal a secret he's never shared with anyone before. "My brother."

Leo can read Zayn well enough to be gentle as he pushes for more information. "I thought… What is his name?"

Zayn's smile brightens a little as he feel his throat tighten as he realized that the last time he had laughed so much was with his brother. "His name was Grant. Technically we were half brothers, but that never really mattered to us."

"Was?" Leo whispers his question more to himself than as a request for an answer from Zayn.

Zayn answers, because he wants to, because the people that knew Grant don't talk about him, or at least not with Zayn. "He was a few years older than me. My dad and his mom were together in college and divorced three years after Grant was born— because my dad met and fell in love with my mom and made me… Grant had CF. He fought really hard… Persi was his cat."

"Oh… I see… You two were really close?" Leo smiles as Zayn finally turns to him. Leo's smile fades to concern when tars start to rapidly form and fall. "I'm sorry. We don't have to talk about this." He quickly pulls Zayn into a hug.

Zayn rests his forehead on Leo's shoulder and speaks through his tears. "Sorry. I'm sorry I'm crying." Leo just squeezes him tighter and speaks in a gentle tone. "It's okay."

Zayn pulls away to start wiping his tears and laughing a little. "It's been a really long time since I talked about him with anyone other than Persi… He was my best friend. You kind of remind me of him, the way you take your time to warm up to most people, but once you do you are so dedicated to them. He was always making me laugh. His mom let him have video games— so you would have had that in common."

Leo smiles bashfully. "He sounds wonderful."