There's More Than Meets the Eye

New Handler

Chapter 2! :)

“The people who planned my family’s death.”

Zayn is scared for his life. He has to meet his new handler and he’s scared. Louis said he was nice and all. But Louis isn’t really that good at judging personalities. Well I guess you aren’t either Malik, you didn’t even know Mash was a double agent. Zayn sighs. He really didn’t see that coming. He really shouldn’t get so attached to people so easily. Look where it has gotten him.

Zayn walks at a steady pace out of the second floor, careful with his left ankle. He presses the button farthest from the bottom and waits in the elevator. The elevator dings and the doors open. A family of 5 steps in with tired looking eyes and tear stained cheeks. The mother, or who he’s guessing is the mother, gives Zayn an once-over and then closes the doors. Zayn strides down to the end of the hall way and sees two suit cases blocking his way and a note taped to the door. Zayn rips the note off and reads it.

Agent Malik you’ve been evicted. Your new apartment is number 22c. Sorry for the inconvenience.

~HQ

Zayn sighs and takes the bags in his arms. He rolls back up to the top and turns to the left he goes past the b apartments and then he gets to the C’s. Zayn looks at the numbers on the doors and it’s in the back again. He opens the door and his eyes widen. The fact that it’s much nicer than his old place isn’t what amazes him; it’s the fact that there are two boys snogging on the couch. Zayn clears his throat and the boys sit up. It’s Louis and his handler. Henry? Harley? Harris? Zayn really needs to get better at remembering people’s names.

“Uhm, sorry. Lou?” Louis smiles and scoots out from under Harry!

“I told you I asked my mother and the agency if I could move in with you. Well two people equals a better apartment. And I might have mentioned that you were hurt and pulled a sick puppy face to get one in the C’s.” Louis smiles sheepishly. Zayn grins.

“Thanks a lot Louis. This place is so much better.” The kitchen is open to the living room, but it’s not in the same place. White linoleum covers a good three feet away from the appliances. The kitchen may be small in size, but it’s still bigger than the old one. The stove has four burners and the counter tops are an ugly yellow. But at least there is counter space. The refrigerator stands out past the counters a little, and there are few small cupboards. But Zayn can definitely cook in there. It’s not much, but he doesn’t need much. Especially if it’s just Louis and him. The living room has a small couch pushed up against the back wall near the door and a bookshelf lines the opposite wall, cut short by two doors. “What do the doors lead to?”

“The bedrooms. And in between the two there is a bathroom. It’s kind of weird, but it’ll work I guess.” Zayn shrugs. “And I haven’t picked yet, so you can choose first.” Zayn guesses they are probably the same sizes so he just goes into the right one. It’s eggshell walls are peeling in some places, but that’s fine. Beige carpet covers the expanse of the floor, and a full sized bed sits against the opposing wall of the door. A dresser stands to the right wall and a night stand beside the left side of the bed. Zayn pushes the suit cases beside the dresser and flops onto the made bed.

.

“Come on Zayn! Don’t be such a pussy; come meet your new handler.” Louis bounces on Zayn’s bed where he was taking a very nice nap. Zayn just groans. “Don’t groan at me! At least not for this reason. Just get your ass up you lazy bum.” Louis jumps off the bed. Zayn doesn’t want a new handler, he doesn’t want to get attached again, he doesn’t want to be hurt again. Zayn’s been saying this a lot to himself, but he knows it won’t happen the way he wants it to. With his luck he’ll get a body builder of a handler and he’ll have huge muscles and broad shoulders. Or a girl with big breasts and a tiny waist. Zayn isn’t really particular with who he dates. But now he isn’t really sure he could ever date anyone. How could he? He wouldn’t want to put anyone in danger because of him. Because he’s not dead.

“No I don’t want to get up.” Zayn moans. Louis throws the blankets off of him and grabs his feet.

“I’m going to pull you out of this bed Zayn.” Louis starts to tug on his feet. Zayn cracks a smile. “Come on Zayn! He’s really nice.” Oh great, so it is a he. He really did not need this. Let’s hope that he’s a dorky boy who you won’t like Zayn. Let’s hope Zayn won’t like him. Zayn sighs and starts to get up.

“Let’s go meet him Lou.” Zayn ruffles his own hair after he just slept and pulls on shoes. Louis smiles.

“You’ll love him Zayn!” please, no. Zayn follows Louis out of the apartment.

.

“Okay, he’s in a different room; he’s in the second room over- Zayn?” Zayn looks over to where Mash’s office used to be and the glass of the window was already fixed, the blood stains on the carpet is gone, and in his chair sits a blonde woman filing her nails with her feet on the desk. Zayn stops listening to Louis and knocks on the glass. She opens it with a roll of her eyes.

“What do you want Malik.” Her tone is annoyed and she rolls her eyes, smacking her gum loudly. That one of Zayn’s pet peeves. Chewing loudly.

“No feet on the desks.” That’s not her desk to put her feet on. Feet don’t belong on desks. Feet belong on the floor. She doesn’t belong in there. No one belongs in there besides Mash. Even though he was a double agent and was working with whoever killed Zayn’s family, he didn’t let them kill Zayn. He saved Zayn’s life. And he’ll never be able to pay him back for it. The woman scoffs.

“Just because you went rogue and killed your handler doesn’t mean you can go around bossing people around, Murder Malik.” She slams the door in his face. Is that what people are calling him now? Murder Malik? Seriously? That hits Zayn hard. He didn’t kill Mash. Someone else tried to kill him, and mash save his life. Maybe I did kill mash then. If Zayn was at his house, like they thought he was, then he wouldn’t be in this mess. He did kill Mash. Mash only saved his life because he wasn’t dead in the first place. Zayn falls to his knees and grips at his hair. You did kill Mash, Zayn. It’s all your fault. You are a murder. Tears prickle at the corners of his eyes and they drip onto his trousers.

“Zayn? Are you alright?” Louis squats down beside him and puts a hand on his back. “Was it because of Becky? Because I can-“

“I killed Mash Louis. Not on purpose, but I did.” Zayn’s voice cracks.

“What? No you didn’t. He saved you. You didn’t kill him Zayn.”

“But if I had been dead in the first place he wouldn’t be. So I killed him.”

“No you didn’t Zayn. He didn’t have to block the shot, but he did.” Louis lifts him up and pulls him into a hug. Zayn buries his head into Louis’ shoulder. Maybe he did maybe he didn’t kill mash. But the fact that Zayn was still alive is what made Mash basically commit suicide. So part of it is Zayn’s fault. “Let’s go meet your new handler Zayn. Then we can go back down stairs and cuddle or something alright? Or I can beg Simon for a mission that you and I can go on. Does that sound good Zayn?” Zayn nods and Louis leads him to the right room He may be just imagining it but he thinks he sees Louis glaring at Becky.

When they get into the right area Zayn sees a bunch of people he’s never seen before. Other agents’ handlers. Zayn was pretty sure that the rooms were sorted similarly to the apartments. Maybe not. Because there are old people in here and young ones as well. It’s obviously not sorted by age. Louis shows him to a box with a boy facing away from them stocking a shelf with different books. Like dictionaries, almanacs, encyclopedias, etc… Louis knocks on the door. From the back the boys seems to have brown short hair and broad shouldered. And he has long lean legs. Please don’t be hot! Please don’t have huge muscles! He turns around to open the door.

“Oh hi, I’m Liam Payne.” Fuck.