I'll be Strong for You

Chapter 2

He's in a really irritated mood after lunch the next day. His cast is getting really itchy, and every time he looks at it he thinks about Harry's dick, which is just extremely uncomfortable. The small television in the room is out of colour a bit, so even though it was really nice of his mum to bring him his DVD player and a few movies, he's having trouble watching them because he can't stop focusing on the way the colour is wrong. Oh, and Liam didn't come by.

He waited in bed from ten until twelve after putting in the effort of trying to lean against the counter and not put any weight on his injury while styling his hair, and it was all for nothing, apparently. Whatever, Zayn really doesn't care. Liam was sort of annoying anyways.

When someone knocks on his door, he definitely does not perk up. He doesn't. "Who is it?" Zayn calls.

"It's, um, Liam? From yesterday? The-- the volunteer?" he calls uncertainly through the door, like he's afraid Zayn has somehow completely forgotten who he is in the last twenty-four hours.

"Come in," Zayn says after rolling his eyes to himself.

Liam comes in with a smile on his face and the same volunteer outfit from yesterday, except he's wearing a pair of khaki cut offs instead of jeans. "I come bearing gifts," Liam says while kicking closed the door. He holds up a grease stained paper bag. "The food here really sucks, so I figured you wouldn't say no to a good old, completely horrible for you McDonalds burger."

Zayn's mouth is watering (and not just because of the way Liam's shirt clings to his skin). "I definitely wouldn't say no," Zayn agrees. Maybe he should, though, because there's no way spending time with Liam will be good for his health. He might end up actually smiling or something, and he'd made a pact not to do that until the day his mother revokes her grounding and gives him his phone back.

Just like yesterday, Liam sinks into the chair next to the bed. He digs into the bag in his lap and produces two paper wrapped burgers, one of which he hands to Zayn, the other he places on the bedside table. Then he pulls out two containers of fries and does the same. "I didn't get drinks," Liam says apologetically. "Sorry about that."

Zayn unwraps his burger and then says, "You didn't have to do any of this, you know."

"Yeah, but I wanted to," Liam replies easily while balling up the bag. He crosses the room to throw it in the trash, and then pauses and widens his eyes before turning to Zayn's shitty little television. "You're watching Batman?"

Zayn flushes, embarrassed. Louis teases him for it all the time, claims that Zayn is secretly a huge dork. And it's sort of true, but that's none of Liam's business.

"It was the only thing my mum brought that was watchable," he lies. In all honest he's watched this movie nine times and counting, and it's one of his favourites.

" 'It's not who I am underneath, but what I do, that defines me .'" Liam quotes, and his Batman voice is impressively accurate.

"So you're a fan," Zayn guesses.

"A bit, yeah," Liam says while moving back to his chair. "Haven't gotten a chance to see The Dark Knight Rises yet, unfortunately."

Zayn takes a bite of his burger. It's a bit cold, and the cheese isn't really melted on top of the burger at all, but it's such an improvement from the hospital food that he almost moans. He eats half of it before says, nonchalantly, "I could get it for us." Liam blinks at him and he hurries to add, "A friend of mine owns it. He could bring it in for me. It's not a big deal. I was going to get him to bring it for me anyways, so, whatever."

Liam's face lights up and he swallows the bite of his burger quickly. "That'd be great!" he says enthusiastically. "Brilliant. Yeah, we should... yeah. I'd like that."