Gravity Always Wins (Zouis Fan Fiction)

Chapter 3

It’s not something they’ve ever discussed – Zayn’s tattoos – which is strange given that Louis pounces on every opportunity to take the piss out of him, but when Zayn mentions that he’s going to get another one, Louis asks if he can go with him. Zayn is immediately suspicious, but Louis offers to drive, so he reluctantly agrees, but not before he makes Louis promise that he won’t pass comment on what he’s getting done.

Zayn doesn’t think for a minute that he’ll do as he’s told but, to his surprise, Louis just stands there, eyes wide, and doesn’t say a word. Not even when he’s done. Louis’ gaze flicks to the cling film around Zayn’s wrist every now and then as they drive home, but he doesn’t say a thing. (Unlike Harry who asks a barrage of breathless questions when he sees it. What does it mean? Why’d you get it there? Does it hurt? and Zayn’s personal favourite Can I touch it? as he prods it with his finger.)

So the next time Zayn gets a tattoo, he tells Louis and it kind of becomes their thing. They never do stuff just the two of them so Zayn’s surprised at how easy it is to spend time with him. When he’s on his own, Louis’ completely different. He’s quiet. Mellow, even. He’s still hilarious, but he says things with an easy smile, his eyes brighter when Zayn laughs, too. They go out for a drink afterwards, to the oldest, dodgiest pub they can find. An old man’s drinking pub, Zayn calls them, the sort of place that always has the football on and a St George’s flag hanging by the door.

Zayn would never go into a pub like that without Louis, but getting his head kicked in is worth the risk to have a drink in peace because no one would think to look for them there. They drink beer from proper pint glasses and eat bags of crisps and if it’s warm enough, they sit in the beer garden. Louis smokes sometimes and every time he does, Zayn thinks of his Uncle Al and his 9 o’clock cigarette and wonders if that’s Louis’, if he only does it when he’s with him. It surprises Zayn how much he wants it to be.