Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/ works/2123484. Rating: Explicit Archive Warning: Underage Category: M/M Fandom: One_Direction_(Band) Relationship: Zayn_Malik/Anthony_Riach/Danny_Riach Character: Zayn_Malik, Danny_Riach, Anthony_Riach Additional Tags: Recreational_Drug_Use, Incest, Pre-The_X_Factor_Era Stats: Published: 2014-08-12 Words: 4538 ****** Ghazal ****** by cyclogenesis_(addictedkitten) Summary Ghazal, Arabic: a love poem, sometimes expressing love of home. Notes Commissioned by and dedicated to s_hostages, with thanks to Nina and Gina for looking it over. See the end of the work for more notes Danny gets soft and philosophical when they smoke up and that’s probably what Zayn likes best about doing it. He likes the way it feels, of course: the heaviness in his bones, the way his brain slows, thoughts uncurling as they may, the warmth that suffuses his whole body. The deep relaxation quells any worries about his plans for the future, the rough boys always trying to start shit after school, whether his little sisters are safe in the neighborhood. But mostly he just loves listening to Danny talk. They’re quiet by nature, the two of them, and it’s more noticeable without the sharp scatter of Anthony chattering to break up the easy silence. (Danny doesn’t want Ant smoking, not yet. Too young still, Danny insists, even though he was Ant’s age when he started himself.) Danny’s going on about a book of poetry he’s reading, Rumi, his favorites of the ghazals. Zayn leans his head back against the side of the bed where he’s sat on the floor and Danny, lying on his back on the bed, passing Zayn the joint. Their fingers brush and fumble and Zayn sees smoke through his eyelashes and feels the slow beat of his own heart, exhales into the thick scented air as Danny quotes, “Everyone sleeps, except lovers, who stay awake, telling stories to God.” - Danny doesn’t smile in pictures so Zayn draws him doing it, notebook sketches of Danny grinning wide and silly that he pins up on the walls amidst Danny’s posters, practically hidden in the thick of them until Danny notices and laughs. He thinks about being an artist the same distant way he thinks of doing anything; he’d have to get out of town to do much, and Bradford may be a walled medieval city for as possible as that feels. He entertains ideas of getting a flat in London with Danny after school, bringing Ant around too once he’s completed his own schooling. Danny takes the drawings down but keeps them, a stack in his second desk drawer. He offers up decent critique on Zayn’s art class projects, their aesthetics differ but he’s always fair. Zayn tags along when Danny has auditions, both for school drama productions and at theatres in town, Ant by his side, both of them cheering when Danny’s monologues are good and even when they’re not. Afterward they go for takeaway, Danny still burning off the nervous energy, eating all his own chips and some of Zayn and Ant’s too. Later they shunt Ant off to bed, easier than usual since they’ve promised to take him along to the cinema tomorrow for his choice of film. Still Ant sulks a bit, “I know what you’re going to do in there, the incense doesn’t hide it,” he says, but Danny shrugs. Ant wouldn’t rat them out, he’s not like that, but Zayn thinks they might have to start letting him do it too soon. There’s real hurt buried in the sulking and Zayn doesn’t like the way it makes him feel, guilty like he’s stealing Ant’s brother away from him. Besides, it would be fun to see what Ant’s like when he’s high. Zayn doesn’t know how he got so lucky to find one great friend and then get a bonus friend for free out of the deal, but he’s glad of it, likes Ant as well as he likes Danny, if maybe a bit differently. They use a pipe this time, dark swirled glass that Danny bought off one of his cousins, and good Afghan weed, a familiar strain. Zayn’s not much of a connoisseur yet himself but he knows it’s one of Danny’s favorites, likes seeing how pleased he is whenever he can score some. It makes him looser, funnier, more prone to casual touches. Not that Zayn’s necessarily on the lookout for things like that. But he’s not a proud guy either - it’s been awhile since he’s had a girlfriend and it’s nice to feel a touch every now and then, bit of a cuddle to remind him he’s part of the human race. Danny pats the bed next to him and Zayn sits back against the headboard, pillow propped up against his back. They smoke in silence for a little while, just the snap-spark of the lighter and paper crumple burn up of weed in the bowl, soft exhales into the hazing air. Zayn’s vision blurs and sharpens, narrows to the grain of Danny’s black denim jeans, expands to the wide white ceiling as he slips down the bed, an easy slide down the pillow. “Feels like my bones are melting,” Zayn says, then feels a blush rise in his cheeks at the sound of his own voice, a smoked-out husky purr. He coughs, tries to find his way up through the rasp. Danny raises an eyebrow at him, a hint of a smile on his face. “Shut up,” Zayn says weakly, shrugs enough to knock his knuckles against Danny’s thigh. It’s a mistake; now he’s met the grain of denim with skin, and it feels too intriguing to stop himself rubbing lightly against the seam of Danny’s jeans. His knuckles bump and glance off black threads, the thick bend of fabric, warm denim over Danny’s strong thigh when the backs of his fingers brush there. There’s a hand over his, stilling his movements. Zayn focuses, takes a second for his intent brain to catch up, widen the frame. Danny has nice hands, big. Zayn sucks in a ragged breath, goes to pull away but Danny’s hand covers his fully, keeps it there. “Afghan weed,” Danny says lightly. “Always makes me horny. You?” His thumb brushes over the back of Zayn’s hand, a casual touch. Danny’s sat the pipe on the windowsill. When Zayn’s eyes stray upward, they linger on Danny’s legs, higher, a scientific curiosity making him check out how serious Danny is. Danny’s jeans aren’t very tight, but they cling enough for Zayn to see that he’s hard. Danny scritches over Zayn’s wrist, light drag of nails bringing him back. “Hmm?” “Yeah,” Zayn says without much breath or thought. He usually agrees with Danny about things. They don’t really fight much. Zayn’s fingers curl beneath the press of Danny’s hand, wanting more, seeking sensation. Touch. Danny inhales, lets him go, and Zayn lets his hand do its will, flattening to slip further up Danny’s thigh, feel more heat. “You wanna fool around?” Zayn asks. It’s dumb and inelegant, his voice still fired raw so it sounds harsh, dry with need. Danny nods. That’s all that matters. He watches Zayn undo his jeans and reach in, helps when Zayn struggles, lifts his hips so they can get his jeans and boxers down together, Danny’s cock springing out full and thick. It’s a nice- looking cock and Zayn could see a more daring and less lazy version of himself squirming up the bed, lying between Danny’s thighs and sucking it down, but he wants to learn it this way first. He has to squirm up a bit anyway, easier to get a grip on Danny’s dick that way, wrap his hand around and get a feel, squeezing at it to enjoy the hot thick presence of a cock in his hand that isn’t his own. It’s something he’s thought about before once or twice or maybe more times than that, late at night in bed with his hand on himself. Not much he can do to control his own thoughts when he’s alone and no real point to it; so what if he thinks about different stuff when he comes, different people? It’s nothing he has to share when he comes thinking about Katy Perry, nor when he thinks about Usher. Or his female friends or Danny or Ant, for that matter. He’d never quite pictured this with Danny, and he focuses now so he can remember it for later, props himself up on his elbow and carefully strokes Danny’s cock. He flicks his eyes up to Danny and Danny’s staring back at him, at his face instead of watching Zayn jerk him off. Zayn thinks about asking if it’s good, he isn’t sure if it is after all, but says, “Show me how you like it,” instead. Danny’s hand over his, guiding him to stroke, it’s just another pleasure, one that has Zayn shifting against the sheets almost absently, feeling the drag of fabric over his trapped cock, hot and close. It’s easier like that, nice to follow Danny’s lead, got a grip on him now so it’s just about doing what Danny likes, gripping harder on the upstroke, rubbing his thumb over the head the way Danny shows him. He’s so intent that it catches him by surprise when Danny comes; it feels like ages have passed, like he’d been jerking Danny off for an hour even though it couldn’t have been a tenth of that. Danny makes a rusty sort of gurgling noise when Zayn keeps touching his sensitive cock, carefully detaching Zayn’s hand. It’s funny, so Zayn laughs. Danny laughs too, always does when Zayn giggles, can’t ever help himself. “You gonna let me return the favor?” Danny asks once their little giggle fit has passed. He’s slouched down nearly onto his back, eyeing the way Zayn is gently, helplessly humping at the sheets. “Yeah, bro,” Zayn says, rolls onto his back and gets his pants down, cock out in his own fist like he’s offering it to Danny to do with what he will. “Bro,” Danny echoes, mocking him a little but Zayn’s not offended, just gives him a goofy grin, too elated about it all to hide it. It startles another laugh from Danny’s throat but doesn’t stop him from taking over where Zayn’s lightly stroking, Zayn leaving his hand close to help Danny the way Danny helped him, guiding him a bit. Danny catches on quicker, but he’s always been smart. He’s great, Danny is. Zayn certainly loves him a lot. It doesn’t take long, Zayn’s too close, too wound up from the wait to get his own, and frankly Danny’s just pretty fantastic at this, good enough that Zayn wonders if he’s not the first boy Danny’s done this with. Danny presses closer as Zayn starts to fuck his fist, near enough to kiss but his better judgment pushes bright through the weed fog, coaxes him to just cling a bit, curving his hips close and ducking his face against Danny’s collarbone. The closeness spurs him on, pulls little gasps from his throat, a moan when Danny does something particularly clever with his fingers. “Shh, my brother will hear,” Danny says, hot into Zayn’s ear. Zayn groans, tucks his head against Danny’s shoulder, and comes. - Once they’ve started it seems stupid to stop. It feels good, after all, easy and comfortable in a way that Zayn wouldn’t have expected first-time gay experimentation to feel. He’s not as nervous as he’s been with girls, but then he’s never hooked up with a female friend that he’s as close to as Danny. Danny has a way of relaxing him. Also there’s the weed, even though they don’t always smoke first. It’s too easy, maybe, because they get lazy about hiding it. Like, lazy enough that Ant walks in on them in Danny’s room, Zayn between his legs sucking Danny’s cock. “Close the door,” Danny hisses as Ant stares at them, wide-eyed. Zayn, lost for what to do, swallows down more of Danny’s cock as if to hide it so Ant won’t see, and accidentally gags himself on it. Ant steps in and shuts the door behind himself, still staring; Zayn sucks desperately like this’ll be better if Danny would just come already, encouraged by Danny’s confusing but welcome hand on the back on his head, fingers threading through his hair. “With you on the other side of it!” Danny says, voice as frantic as Zayn’s ever heard it. This, of anything, seems to make Ant feel the most insulted. “Whatever,” he snarls, and turns tail, slams the door shut as he leaves. “Oh my god,” Danny says, his head thumping back against the headboard, eyes slipping shut. He thrusts his hips to push his cock further into Zayn’s mouth, so Zayn keeps going, still thinking of Ant watching them as Danny comes down his throat. - Ant joins them in smoking up the next afternoon. When Zayn raises an eyebrow at him, Danny shrugs. “I felt guilty,” Danny says, but doesn’t elaborate further as he passes Ant the pipe. Ant looks confused but like he’s trying not to look confused, so Zayn takes his hand, shows him how to hold the pipe and then quietly guides him the rest of the way, sparking the lighter for him, inhaling pointedly so Ant knows to mimic him. Ant’s eyes water. “Keep it in your mouth as long as you can,” Zayn tells him. Danny snickers, and Zayn elbows him. Ant exhales suddenly, coughing out a stream of smoke, warm and basically in Zayn’s face. Zayn breathes it in as Ant says, voice scratched, “You should have told me.” Zayn looks to Danny; it’s his kid brother after all, was his call to make. “Sorry,” Danny says simply. “Are you guys,” Ant says, waving the hand holding pipe at them, the bowl threatening to spill over until Zayn gently grasps his hand, guides it lower, takes the pipe from him, “a couple, or something,” he continues, voice lower. “I don’t care if you are,” he adds quickly. “Just a friends thing,” Zayn says, after glancing at Danny. They haven’t really discussed it in that way; most of their exchanges on the subject have been about things they want to try with each other. But that feels true, as true as it can be. It’s just like saying they’re friends, full stop; it’s accurate but doesn’t really encompass everything. There isn’t really a word for friends who feel like home, but Zayn isn’t bothered about trying to find one. He knows they know. Ant, unexpectedly, pouts a bit and says, “I’m your friend too.” “Huh,” Danny says. He looks to his brother, and then to Zayn, appraising. Zayn’s mouth is still dropped open slightly in surprise when Ant darts in and catches him in a kiss. You kiss differently than your brother, Zayn thinks absurdly, but by then he’s in the middle of it, kissing back. Ant’s eager and it’s sweet, Zayn likes it, enjoys the kiss and enjoys Danny watching it. He has to be the one to pull away, a giggle bursting out as his best friends look at him, Ant blushing, Danny amused. “This’ll make it easier to all hang out,” Danny says after some consideration. Ant shuffles closer, his knee bumping up against Zayn’s. Zayn nods, sparks the lighter. - They’ve talked about fucking, Zayn and Danny have, in the abstract at least. (Danny’s casual, “Dunno if I’d wanna get fucked,” and Zayn’s even more casual, “I might, yeah.” They sat in brooding silence for some minutes after until Ant brought in some of their mum’s homemade samosas left over from the night before, and Zayn ate three and tried to pretend he’d forgot about it.) It stays on Zayn’s mind even as they start to navigate fooling around with each other, three now instead of two. It’s Ant that brings it up again, all of them piled on the bed, Zayn and Danny propped up against the headboard, lazy and shirtless with Ant snuggled between them with his head on Zayn’s thigh. “Have you two fucked?” he asks. He drums his fingers over the light outlines of his abs, smearing Zayn’s come there as they all try to get their breath back. “Not yet,” Danny tells him. Ant nods, looks up at Zayn. “Can I watch when you do?” - You can’t really go on a date with two people, but it kind of feels like a date when Zayn shows up at the Riach residence on a Friday night when their mum’s taken the late shift. At school Danny had bitten his lip, said Zayn should come over after dark and they’d have dinner and hang out or whatever, Ant next to him looking eager and nervous like he wasn’t sure if Zayn would agree. But of course Zayn did, and he’s not the only one who got a bit spruced up, all of them eyeing each other at the dinner table, a bottle of white wine split between them (god knows where Danny got it, Zayn’s not even sure any of them like wine) over good, garlic-less Italian. Danny’s gone for an awfully long time as Ant and Zayn clean up, but it makes sense afterward when Zayn pauses at the door of his room. There are so many candles lit that the whole room is flamed gold, Danny smiling uncertainly in the flickering light as Ant wraps his arms around Zayn’s waist from behind, arches up on tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. “This is nice,” Zayn tells him, and Danny’s smile brightens, so lovely that Zayn tries to memorize it, wanting to draw him later just like this. Danny steps forward and kisses him on the mouth, his hand on his brother’s shoulder in a fond squeeze as they hold onto Zayn together. It should feel strange but it doesn’t, somehow, the romance of it, candles where before there’d been harsh afternoon light, the vague buzz of wine instead of the slow warm headache of weed. It just feels nice, being taken care of in a way. It’s been awhile since it’s felt like Danny and Ant wanted to impress him and it’s a pleasant feeling to be wooed like this. Still, Danny and Ant look so serious, Zayn can’t help but exhale with their arms around him and say, “So, you guys wanna play FIFA?” There’s a pause, and then Zayn’s being squeezed around the middle by both of them, Danny laughing in his ear as he tells Zayn, “You’re a funny lad.” They manhandle Zayn to the bed easily enough, get him down on his back laughing and then Ant kisses him, sweet and sincere as always. Zayn starts to strip off and they follow, eager now, unselfconscious about getting naked with each other in a way that Zayn finds ridiculously hot, honestly. It’s like a sexy twins fantasy with them, not that Zayn would ever say so because they’d probably take the piss for the next week and justifiably so. “We can fuck, if you want,” Ant says, nuzzling Zayn’s chest and licking at a nipple as Danny settles beside them. Danny pokes Ant’s bare side. “I was gonna say something more romantic than that.” He shrugs at Zayn, and Zayn just grins back. “We can fuck romantically,” Ant mumbles into Zayn’s ribs, opening his mouth and scraping his teeth over one, making Zayn squirm. Ant’s good with his mouth, good at doing all sorts of things with it. Zayn slips his hand over the back of Ant’s neck, guides him lower so Ant licks at his cock. “Yeah, want that,” Zayn says, groans as Ant takes him into his mouth. He spreads his legs, Danny kissing him on the cheek and then grabbing the lube, slicking his fingers up. They’ve done that at least, a bit of fingering just to see how it is. Turns out it’s great. Zayn makes a huffy noise when Danny doesn’t get between his legs fast enough, and Danny flashes a knowing little grin at him, almost enough to make Zayn kick at him in retribution but he really wants to get fucked. He gives Danny a hot look instead, eyelids half- lowered, licking his lips. Danny goes where Zayn wants him. Ant doesn’t seem inclined to move so neither of them make him, Zayn just carefully lifting his hips so Danny can get between his cheeks, stroking over his hole as Ant keeps sucking him. Danny pushes a finger in and Zayn moans, shifts back into it, Ant licking at his cock and then leaning up to peer curiously at what Danny’s doing. “You wanna help?” Danny asks Ant, and Ant nods, holds out his fingers for his brother to slick them up with lube, Danny stroking it over Ant’s fingers with care. He guides them lower, Ant rubbing at Zayn’s hole where Danny’s finger is already sunk in, then pushing, pushing until his slides in too, both of them fingerfucking Zayn together. Zayn just tries not to pass out. It’s stupid hot, the two of them touching him like this. He hopes he can hold off coming until he’s fucked at least. He must look out of it, fuck drunk already because Danny raises an eyebrow at him, taps his hipbone like he needs to get Zayn’s attention. “Which one of us do you want to fuck you?” he asks. Oh. Right. That honestly hadn’t occurred to Zayn. He’d just assumed it would be Danny, since they’d sort of discussed it, but he thought Ant might want to eventually. They both could, though. “Both of you,” Zayn says. Ant’s fingers go still from their easy stroke inside Zayn. “Really?” he asks. He looks thrilled. “Yeah,” Zayn says, shrugging like it’s no big deal, letting his best friends have at him like that. He feels a little tickle of nervousness, but it’s not like they won’t be careful. “Ant first,” he says impulsively. The bright grin that crosses Ant’s face makes it worth it, and how he slips out, moves to kiss Zayn long and hard. He can feel Ant’s cock against his hip, knows it’s nice, thick and curved a bit. He thinks he’ll like it inside him. It only seems right that Ant should get to have something first for once. It’s clear Danny gets it, he’s smiling at them when Ant breaks the kiss, and he moves back, lets Ant take his place between Zayn’s spread legs. “Be careful with him,” Danny says gruffly, moving to lie down next to Zayn. Zayn’s not really sure which one of them he was talking to. He leans in for a kiss and Zayn gives him one, his eyes closed so he’s just feeling all of it, Danny’s mouth on his, Ant stroking his thighs, coaxing him open. Ant fists his cock, hesitates. “Condoms, right?” he asks. “I mean not that I - I haven’t ever. So. Nothing to worry about there.” His cheeks color faintly. “You don’t have to,” Zayn says, blushes a little himself. He’s kind of into it, the thought of both of them coming in him. Being all full up with them that way. “Okay,” Ant says. He breathes out, smiles at Zayn as he slicks his cock up, gets up close. He bites his lip, rubs the head of his cock over Zayn’s hole and Zayn meets the touch, exhaling. It’s an easy push and then Ant’s sliding into him, going slow like he’s the one that needs to adjust to it, not Zayn, and Zayn lets him, closes his eyes so he can focus on the fullness of it, how good it feels. “Go slow,” Danny tells Ant, and Ant looks at him, nods, starts thrusting carefully. He keeps his eyes on Zayn as he fucks him, and it’s nice, an anchor, gives Zayn something to focus on. He strokes lazily at his own cock until Danny taps his wrist, reaches and takes over. “Don’t come until I fuck you, okay?” Danny says, and kisses Zayn’s cheek. Zayn nods, tilts his head back. He arches up into Danny’s fist, pushes back onto Ant’s cock, lets himself ride it like a good high. It’s not very long before Ant’s speeding up a bit, leans down and brings Zayn’s legs higher up around his waist. “Gonna come soon,” Ant mumbles into Zayn’s throat, and Danny stops stroking him to touch Ant’s shoulder, squeezing a little and quirking his mouth in a little half smile. Ant groans and thrusts deep, hot wet filling Zayn up so he squirms, bites his lip and clenches down on Ant’s cock to feel it all. “Still want me?” Danny asks, low and hot in Zayn’s ear. “Yeah, quick,” Zayn says, shameless about it now that he’s had Danny’s brother. He needs to come, he’s been trying to be good but it’s overwhelming, feeling this much and trying to hold off. Ant kisses his shoulder, pets his hip as he pulls out, snuggling immediately against Zayn as Danny takes his place, and Zayn slips an arm around him, touches the back of his neck to coax him into a kiss. “Thank you,” Ant tells him, quiet against his mouth. Zayn smiles, kisses him again, still kissing Ant as Danny pushes inside him. Ant licks at his lower lip when Zayn moans, bites down lightly and then moves back, moves down his body. “I’ll suck you off,” Ant says. Zayn gasps, “Yes,” and puts his hand over Danny’s on his hip, starts to fuck himself back onto Danny’s cock as Ant leans down to suck him. Danny starts fucking him harder then, insistent thrusts that push Zayn’s cock into Ant’s mouth, so Zayn just lies back and takes it, fingers entwined with Danny’s, his other hand settled lightly on the back of Ant’s neck. They take care of each other so well, all of them. Zayn rides it out, Ant sucking harder as Danny thrusts faster, and Zayn can’t tell which one of them comes first; it all blurs together, the wet heat of Ant’s mouth, Danny coming inside him, his body rocked up the bed between them as he shakes and moans. Zayn’s wet inside, a little sore now but even that’s nice. Danny pulls out, settles down next to him as Ant moves up, cuddles back into Zayn’s side. “Could use a bowl,” Zayn says, playing idly with Ant’s hair. “Just thinking that,” Danny says, and kisses Zayn’s cheek before he grabs the pipe and lighter. - “You’re making me jealous over here,” Zayn groans, watching as Ant and Danny pass the joint back and forth. Ant gives him a teasing grin on the screen, slowly exhales smoke into Danny’s mouth. Skyping them just isn’t the same. Not that being in One Direction and doing their first tour is so bad, but it is missing certain things that Zayn’s gotten used to. They’re dreaming of great things and big success, all of them, but Zayn mostly just wants enough pull that he can bring his boys out on tour with him. Show Ant and Danny the world and all that, and get all the touch he’s been missing. Ant turns the shotgun into a teasing kiss, and Zayn whines a little at the sight. It’s not fair. “Come back then,” Danny says, ruffling Ant’s hair and pushing him back with a laugh as Ant pouts, wiggles closer to him. “We miss you and all.” “Yeah, we’re lonely without you,” Ant says, licks his lips and then breaks into a grin. “Come back to us.” “You know I will,” Zayn tells them, even though he doesn’t have to. They know he’ll always come back home. End Notes Thank you for reading! If you'd like to share this story on Tumblr, please use_this_link. ^__^ Please drop_by_the_archive_and_comment to let the author know if you enjoyed their work!