Everybody Needs Somebody

Chapter Sixteen

As Zayn ran out of the building he immediately regretted it, however he knew it was too late to turn back now because that'll only result in him getting yelled at. He doesn't know why he suddenly snapped. Maybe it was being in that interrogating scenario, or maybe it was because he's just been dying to speak it out loud, Zayn just doesn't know. So he keeps running. He runs and runs and runs until finally the exhaustion in his feet catches up with his breathing and he needs to stop to take a breath.

As Zayn looks around he instantly knows where he is. From the creaky swing-set to the hanging by a thread rope swing, Zayn can navigate through this place with his eyes closed. The boy then begins to walk around the little park area until he finds a spot. His spot. His bench. Zayn looks at the bench with such mixed emotions that if someone were to walk by they would consider putting him in a mental institute. I mean it's only a bench! But not to Zayn.

To Zayn this is the bench that gave him a place to sleep. It gave him a sense of security. It was a item from one of the few childhood "memories" Zayn has. If it can even be considered a memory!. However this bench wouldn't need to provide any of that if it weren't for all the bad things that came along with it. Never would he feel attached to the bench if it weren't for constantly being beaten at home. Never would he consider a bench more secure than a human if he had grown up with kindhearted humans. Never would he consider this bench a childhood memory if he had had a proper childhood.

So there Zayn stood, staring at a bench, as Harry watched from his now parked car. Louis had called a minute after Zayn ran out of the room telling Harry to keep an eye out for the boy in case he ran by the house. And he did so not even ten minutes after the call, so Harry decided to simply follow the boy in order to allow him to release his emotions while also making sure he stays safe. Harry allows the boy to be on his own for a good hour, but finally he decides he might as well get Zayn to eat something so he quietly gets out of his car and makes his way over. When he's about ten feet away is when Harry decides to speak up.

"Zayn?" The man speaks gently but Zayn still shoots his head up in fear.

"I'm sorry!" The boy all but shouts as new tears begin to make their way down his face, and Harry rushes over to him immediately and envelops him in a hug.

"Shh, you're alright. You don't need to be sorry, yeah? You don't need to apologize for anything, babe," Harry says while pulling the boy down to sit on the bench only for him to start freaking out once again.

"No! No don't sit, don't sit! Can't sit, please, no!" Zayn cries while falling to the floor, and it's at that moment that Harry realizes this fourteen year old boy is struggling a lot more than he leads on.

"Alright, baby, we'll stand up. See we're standing," Harry says as he lifts Zayn up much like a toddler, he's practically as light as one. "Wanna go on a walk, buddy?" Harry asks after a moment or so, and Zayn tentatively nods his head.

So Harry gently puts the boy down and grabs ahold of his hand before making their way down the pathway. The two walk in silence, only the occasional whimper from Zayn, as they look at the blossoming plants and notice the small fish jumping in the pond. Finally, though, they get to the end of the path and are now standing at the end of a dock.

"I used to come out here a lot. It's my favorite place," Zayn speaks quietly while looking down into the water.

"Yeah? What would you do?" Harry asks while sitting down on the edge of the dock and removing his shoes and socks to put his feet in the water.

"I would draw, sometimes the scenery sometimes just random cartoon doodles. Or when I was really little, my Jadd, I mean, uh, grandpa, would take me out here when he would go fishing. That was when I was really little, though. Like when I was three," Zayn says while following suit with what Harry did, and the curly headed man just smiles at the young boy.