As Far As I'm Concerned [Ziam Palik AU]

ix.The Jealousy of a Reaper

[Chapter Nine: The Jealousy of a Reaper]

            It was only a day or so when Zayn came across Liam again. After trying so damn hard to avoid him for what seemed like so long, something about this time told him that he just couldn’t keep trying anymore.

            Instead of being on or even close to the university campus this time, where Zayn seemed to be so consistently drawn, it was only a block or two from his own home. After what he had done to Danielle (even if it was his job) a sort of bitterness had been eating away at him, and he found himself unable to stay in one place for very long. Going out and taking a walk was his last vain attempt to clear his head.

            That’s when he spotted Liam, bundled in a winter coat with a scarf tied around his neck. He looked cold, to say the least, but also something more… something darker.

            Zayn knew he shouldn’t talk to him again. He had the problem of Harry still, the problem of Niall and the Council, and now apparently being the reaper who took his ex. When he really thought about it, the number of reasons to avoid Liam had piled up a lot, but for some reason, he couldn’t stay away.

            “Liam,” he called out, watching as the other man slowly looked up as froze.

            Zayn bit his lip as he said nothing, just stood and watched. It was uncertain exactly how he was feeling (as well as if he knew about Danielle) so Zayn forced himself to move closer.

            “Are you alright?” He asked, not entirely sure why he cared so damn much to even bother.

            Liam’s lips were pouted a little. He looked uncertain, like even he didn’t know the answer to the question. “It’s kind of a long story,” he finally sighed, voice cracking a little at the end.

            Zayn internally sighed. Yes, he had to know at this point. Danielle was not only famous but Zayn just didn’t see any other possibility of something else going on in his life. If she had a picture of them at her house (as she did) then it likely meant that they were still on relatively good terms. Thus, Liam just couldn’t not know.

            While Zayn knew better than most that life was unpredictable and sudden (for few people ever even attempted to predict their deaths) he could read Liam pretty well, or so he thought.

            “I’ve got time,” was all he said, staring down Liam firmly. He obviously wasn’t alright and as much as Zayn didn’t really care about Danielle and her moronic existence ending, he did sort of maybe care about Liam’s.

            Liam shuffled a little bit on the sidewalk, staring down at his feet for a moment. “A year or so back,” he finally sighed. “I dated this girl… Danielle Peazer. She was a dancer I managed to meet through Louis because she was working with his theatre programme. Things were really serious for a while, but then her career blew up and got really massive, and she told me that was more important to her than anything else… so we split up.”

            Zayn hadn’t known any previous background about their relationship besides the fact that it happened, and he was pretty sure it didn’t make a difference. Still, he felt a little bad for Liam getting dumped for such humanly artificial things as fame and fortune. She didn’t deserve him clearly, so he really shouldn’t have been so upset about her bloody death.

            “Yesterday,” Liam continued, looking even gloomier, if possible. “Apparently she died… a brain aneurysm that just ruptured and… now she’s gone. And I know that we’re exs, but… we were still friends. She still meant a lot to me, y’know?”