A Studious Affliction [Ziam] [Student/teacher]

Chapter Eighteen.

I can't stop listening to Paramore's 'Still Into You' recently and it's driving me insane. Well, that and the prospect of the iminent, soul-sucking journey into school. You know.

Enjoy the chapter! I'm sorry, it's pretty insignificant but next chapter, we find out what Louis' problem is (and in Chapter Twenty there is smuuttttt! Finally, right?!)

Dedicated to ArieruKye because of her absolutely lovely comment last chapter! Yes, you can most certainly marry my book. I'll make the arrangements. :P

========== + + + + + ==========

Mr. Payne leaves Harry and I that night to go and 'tend' to his dog, whose name he tells me is Loki. I laughed when he told me but couldn't help find it cute; Liam and Loki; human and dog. I never really pictured him with an animal but, now I know he has one, I can see it completely. Walking Loki is probably one of the reasons he's so fit, not that I stare at the very shape of his biceps or his abs or...

Distractions. Distractions.

So, Liam left last night, though not without Harry grinding his gears a little more.

"See you later, mate," Harry had said, slinging an arm around my shoulder as Liam stood in the front door, partially inside and partially outside. His eyes immediately zoned in on the way Harry's fingers tickled my shoulder, tracing lines on my arm, under the sleeve. "We'll have to go out again soon, okay?"

Liam, with a breezy smile, said, "Of course. Perhaps Zayn could come along?" He looked at me, his eyes like hot coals sizzling against my skin. "Would you like that?"

I only nodded because I was unsure of whether I could trust my voice, especially with the way I was blushing under Harry's succinct touch. It seems Harry was doing it was the intention of Liam noticing, and was holding me back so Liam wouldn't be able to snog the life out of me again. Not that I would have minded - in fact, it was greatly encouraged. It still is.

"Great," Liam said with another smile, although this was one was tighter than the other. "We'll... talk about it another time."

Harry, with a grin, pulled me even closer to himself and replied, "Yeah, sure. In the meantime, I'll take great care of your boyfriend." The grin turned sharp and almost sardonic, as Harry began revelling in the way Liam stiffened in a slight flush of envy. "Great care, I promise."

With pursed lips, Mr. Payne ground his eyes down into Harry's, which gleamed like tempting emeralds. Then, after clearing his throat, his face grew stern and he leaned forward, pecking me on the forehead. "I'll see you soon," he murmured against my skin, then he turned to Harry and said, "You should hope that you do look after him properly," and left, quite abruptly.

In the wake of his absence, I blinked and, after a moment, looked warily at Harry. "Did he just threaten you?"

Harry shrugged, laughed, and said, "Yeah." A pause. "Not that he means it."

I'm still not sure that's the truth though because now, as Harry drives me to school, he taps his thump against the steering wheel almost anxiously. I could hazard a guess that he's nervous about seeing Louis or something similar but, instead, I think it's because of Mr. Payne. "He wont hurt you or anything," I say. "You took good care of me."

That he did; Harry let me sleep around his house in his bed, taking the sofa for himself like the gentleman he is. He also made me a really nice lamb dinner, and we spent the night 'gossiping' about Liam and Louis - I mean, not gossiping, I guess. Exchanging facts is a more accurate term but... well... Okay, so we wanted to know more about the people we're interested in. It's not a freaking crime!