Bitter ⇒ zayn malik [au]

xxii.

•twenty-two•

-----------------------

"Look how cute they are man; he's all snuggling up with her. Isn't that just the sweetest?" Louis said in a whispered tone, peeking through the door where Zayn and Ellie lay.

Closing the barren door Niall replied, "Yeah, they've been sleeping all morning though, it's nearly time for Zayn to get to work."

"He's probably up and just wants to stare at her," Louis rose and fell his shoulders, sighing as they both walked to the kitchen.

"Do you think he really loves her?" Niall asked.

"Uh, what kind of a question is that? Not to sound cliché, but I have no doubt in my mind he'd take a bullet for her. I mean, he's even brought up the idea of marriage," Louis silently spoke his final words.

"Marriage?" Niall said surprised. "Don't you think he's a little young to be thinking that?"

"But, he's never talked like that about anyone, and I'm sure Ellie would be up for it too," Louis mentioned.

It was always in the back of Louis' mind that maybe Ellie had not admired Zayn mutually. But, the way she confides and consolidates in him is different than the way she speaks to him or Niall. It's just different.

"So, what's up with her and the doctors? Why is it that every twenty minutes she's in the hospital for something?" Niall questioned-seriously.

Louis shook his head dismay, "Honestly, I wish I could answer that myself. I don't know if it's some family history or what. But, I feel like she's just getting sicker and sicker as the days progress onward. Externally, she looks okay, but you can tell. Just the other day she claims she saw Harry and-"

"What!?" Niall nearly choked as his voice ascended and descended so rapidly.

"Yeah, if I'm honest, I think she's more sick than we thought."

+

After much necessary protest from his girlfriend, Zayn made his way to work-late.

"Zayn! You are over two hours late!" his angry boss yells, emerging from the kitchen waving a wooden spoon covered in cake batter.

"I know, I know, I'm sorry. I was held back, I promise I can work over time, just please don't fire me," Zayn begged.

"It must've been a damn good reason why you were late then. You're a good kid Zayn. But, you have to get here on time! Customers aren't going serve themselves!"

Zayn placed his newly purchased laptop enclosed in its case prepared to place in the worker's locker. But before he had succeeded in his plan he returned to his post by the cash register as he notices someone arrive to be seated.

"Hi, I'm Zayn and I'll-" he pauses when he recognizes it's Ellie. "You can't be here you're gonna get me in trouble babe," he kisses her cheek longingly.

"But, I want to be a clingy girlfriend like all the ones you see in those terrible movies. Let me talk to your boss, okay?" Before Zayn could call her back she had already spoken to Mr. Noah in the kitchen inaudibly.

"What did he say?" he asks upon her arrival.

"He said you could have the next two days off," Ellie said with a prominent smile, "he was an old friend of my dad's."

"Seriously? Damn, I should bring you to work more often then?" he laughed tunefully.

+

"All right, I have run out of all ideas of what to do, I can see the stars coming out now," Zayn chuckled.