Oh, Won't You Let Me Burn (Won't You Let Us Conquer) [Zarry]

Chapter Nine | Apollo the Avenger

"Wow," Zayn licks his bottom lip, snaking his arms around himself as soon as he enters the frozen yoghurt shop, "I did not think about how cold it would be in here."

Harry slightly grimaces, hugging himself to aid with the piercing air conditioning as well. "Neither did I, if I'm being honest," he admits weakly. "In hindsight, maybe standing out there so long wasn't such a great idea after all."

Zayn scoffs at him, because understatement. They're both absolutely drenched.

"Oh, you think so?" He asks mockingly, looking over at him with faux surprise written all over his features. "If I come down with something, I'm blaming you, Styles," he lours at him, making certain that he knows.

Apollo, however, remains unperturbed. "Don't worry. I will take full responsibility if you do, Zaynie," he simply ensures him. "I'll even take care of you once that happens, I promise. Since we're proper mates now and all, I won't leave your side until you're all better. You don't have to worry your pretty little head about that."

Zayn makes a face at him. "Don't call me Zaynie." He shoves his newly flat hair out of his eyes to see Harry pouting.

"Why not? Since we're friends now, I need a nickname for you like you have one for me," he proclaims.

And, "No," he argues back. "No, you really don't."

"Don't worry, I'll work on it," Harry goes on though as if he didn't even say a word. "Now, we're both dripping from head to toe, so I think that it'd be best if one of us just waited here while the other went to order, so that way, we don't get the entire place wet. The workers are glaring at us enough as it is." He tucks to Zayn's ear to stage whisper the last sentence. "We can leave afterwards and find somewhere else to eat our yoghurt."

Zayn nods in agreement at that. "Sounds good, and since it was your clever loaf that got us into this mess in the first place," the antisocial part of himself grins brightly, "you can be the one who goes to order. I'll wait outside."

He really doesn't feel like being stared at anymore than he already is right now, and seeing as he's been in the exact same shoes as the (more likely than not) completely miffed employees behind the counter before, he honestly wouldn't blame them if they were damning the pair of them to hell in their minds at the very moment for giving them extra work, but he's pretty sure that Harry can handle it. The kid could talk himself out of anything, really.

"Fair enough," the golden boy with sopping wet curls purses his lips. "So what would you like then, buddy? My treat, seeing as I'm the one who dragged you here."

Zayn narrows his eyes at him. "I see what you're doing, you know," he informs him, "and I hope you know that I am seriously starting to regret saying anything at all to you."

He has the nerve to pretend to be puzzled. "What? What am I doing, Zayn?"

"Like you don't know." He rolls his eyes at his usual clueless act. "You keep saying variations of the word 'friend' all weird to take the piss out of me, you wanker."

Apollo only smiles at him in reply. "Maaayyybe," he gives in after a second. "But I'm simply basking in this moment, that's all. Who knows how long it'll last?"

"Not for much longer if you keep doing that." Zayn reaches over to pinch one of his nipples, and Harry yelps, batting his hand away.

"Come on, I just like getting on your tit, Zaynie, you know that," he says, simpering, "but I'm not making fun of you, I swear. Honestly, I'm really glad that you did, you know, say something. It really meant a lot to me... probably more than you even realize."