Zayn Sickfic

That's What We're Here For!

Zayn groaned and stretched in the sheets, wincing as his tense muscles ached at the movement. He clenched his eyes shut tightly against the morning light that streamed through the window on the far side of the hotel room and spread his arms out, clenching his hands in the thick sheets.

His eyes cracked open when he heard padded socks brushing across the carpet floor of the room.

“Morning! Liam sent me to make sure that you were up for the interview we have in an hour.” Niall greeted the sleepy boy who stared at him with half open eyes.

Zayn just yawned in response and reached an arm out to snag Niall’s waist, pulling the smaller boy down onto the bed with him.

“Five more minutes,” he whined, burying his face in the pillow and squeezing the blonde’s wriggling body closer.

“Zee – “

Niall’s fond reprimand was cut short as a throaty cough burbled from Zayn’s throat and made his back shake sharply. Immediately Niall lifted a hand and rubbed it in soothing circles along the black-haired boy’s back. When Zayn looked back up, curling his body so that he lay on his side facing Niall, the younger boy softly ran a hand through Zayn’s hair and asked, “You feeling all right?”

Zayn sighed in response and stiffly rolled to his feet and out of bed. “M’fine Nialler. I’ll be out in a bit.”

Niall watched the older boy concernedly for a moment before nodding in response. “K, if you’re sure. I’ll let the other lads know. See you in a bit.”
As Niall walked out of the room Zayn rubbed his forehead roughly, trying to force back the ache that was settling behind his eyes.

Today was going to be a long day.

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T

wenty minutes later Zayn staggered into the hotel lobby dressed in a pair of baggy jeans and a soft grey t-shirt. He wandered over to where the rest of the boys and Paul were standing near the entrance, smothering a yawn behind a hand as he came to a stop beside Liam.

The brunette turned to him with a smile, nudging the older boy with his hip until he got a smile in response, and offering a low, “Good morning!”

Zayn only grunted in response. Liam laughed at Zayn’s typical early morning attitude and held up a brown pastry bag and a coffee cup, offering them to Zayn.

The still half asleep boy took them, peeking in the bag to find a cream cheese bagel and sniffing the cup suspiciously to determine what was in it.

“Black tea with honey,” Liam offered. “Niall mentioned that you had a cough and I thought it might help. Normally I’d use lemon ginger tea, but black was the only thing the hotel had.”

Zayn looked up with a fond expression, eyes melting like caramel as he silently thanked the younger boy.

Liam just smiled gently in return and turned back to listen to what Paul was saying, unconsciously shuffling a little closer to Zayn in the process so that his warmth cascaded over Zayn’s skin.

Zayn leaned into Liam and tuned Paul out, trusting the other boy’s to listen to their bodyguard’s words of wisdom and to keep him out of trouble.

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“And cut!” Zayn sighed in relief as the cameras turned off and the stage lights dimmed.