Mates [Zarry]

Nine

"D'you think you'll be at work tomorrow?" I asked, wincing at the sound of his cough.

"If Lou doesn't make me stay home again." He answered with a smile.

"If you need more rest it's alright." I said, figuring he knew that.

"If I stay home you better stay at the store, yeah? I can take care of myself, the store needs to stay open." Harry said.

"Alright." I smiled.

"I'm alright now as well, you can go." He said casually.

"D'you want me to?" I asked.

Harry looked at me, biting at his lower lip. "Well, I still don't understand why you came in the first place."

"I couldn't get you off my mind so I came to see how you were, s'nothing wrong with that, yeah?" I asked quickly.

"I mean, that's what mates are for." I added.

"Right, of course." Harry said, staring at me a moment before he turned back to the stove.

I had a sudden urge that I couldn't decipher, but I knew it was the reason for the burning and aching sensation in my chest as I looked at Harry.

The longer I experienced this situation, whatever it was, the sensation grew stronger.

Of course, I could've been overreacting, and experiencing nothing but sympathy for my mate and a bit of heartburn.

That still didn't explain my urge, though. I suddenly felt as if I needed to say something. A lot of something.

But I didn't know what.

"Zayn, d'you mind going to check on Luke? I know Louis dropped him off, he's in his room, I just haven't been to see how he is." Harry said.

"Alright." I said quietly, leaving my thoughts as I got up and walked down the hall.

I tapped my knuckles against Luke's door a few times, pausing before I opened the door.

He was laying on his bed with his legs in the air above him. His ankles were together, and he appeared to be simply looking up at his feet, for no apparent reason.

He didn't notice me standing in the doorway, so I stood there and watched him for a while.

"Are you having fun?" I asked, seeing him flinch as he quickly sat up.

"No, actually I'm really bored." He answered.

"Alright, Harry just sent me to check on you." I said, turning to go back down the hall.

"Wait, you used to stay here, didn't you?" Luke asked.

"Yeah." I said, looking at him.

"So you and Harry used to like, hook up?" He asked quietly.

"We did." I said, biting my lower lip as I began to feel uncomfortable.

"Are you guys like, together again or something?" He asked, glancing over me.

"No, I just came to help him out today." I explained briefly.

"Why not? I think you'd be good together. Why don't you fancy Harry?" Luke asked, stepping closer and narrowing his eyes a little.

"I-I never said I didn't fancy him but-"

"Then do you? Don't tell me you caused all of this stupid stuff but you fancied him all along." Luke interrupted.

"We're mates, that's not true," I said, now very uncomfortable.

"So you don't fancy him?" Luke asked.