Lost

Chapter 49: Untangle and Tangle

"My princess." Aliya smiled.

The two siblings left their parents' bedroom. Salma felt a huge weight lifting off of her shoulder. An involuntary grin made it's way on her face. She felt like shouting her gratitude to Allah for blessing her with such an awesome family.

"You sure look like the joker from batman now." Asim laughed.

Salma stuck her tongue out at him, wiping her cheeks dry. Dean and James appeared in the hallway.

"What happened in there?" Dean asked, looking concerned.

"Asim got called a toad." Salma laughed.

"Oi!" Asim shoved her lightly. "That's no way of saying thank you."

"Everything's alright then?" James raised a brow.

"Yeah," the two siblings said in unison.

"Good, 'cos I need to borrow the toad." He grinned, grabbing Asim's arm.

Salma's eyes widened at the pair when James dragged Asim out, laughing. When did those two make up? She looked over at Dean. He just smiled and shrugged.

***

Niall's P.O.V

"So that's the effect of one nod?" Claire asked, watching Zayn take his vitamins from the lounge.

"Yep!" Niall replied. "I'm telling you, it was just a nod."

"Wow." Claire let out a breath. "He stops trying to kill everyone just because she nods at him?"

"Don't tell him if you want me alive," Niall pleaded.

Zayn walked into the kitchen. He unpinned his sister's hair and threw the clip over his shoulder casually. 

"What the --" Claire cried out in annoyance as she shot out of her chair to retrieve her clip "What's wrong with you?!"

"Just needed the chair." Zayn smirked, sinking into her spot. "Thanks."

Before Claire could get back at him her phone rang, cutting her short. She groaned and left to attend to it. Zayn rubbed his face with his hands, looking exhausted.

"I was just thinking, if things down here drive you crazy and you ever wanted to move out, let me know," Zayn began, catching Niall off guard. "I can arrange an apartment for you –"

"Shut up unless you want that face disfigured."

Zayn's eyes snapped at Niall, surprised. Then he threw his hands up.

"Up to you then little shit," he said carelessly, "I was trying to be nice, for once."

"Now that's the jerk I know." Niall chuckled. "Nice doesn't suit you. It creeps me out, to be honest."

Rolling his eyes in amusement, Zayn stood up and opened the cabinet.

"Jokes aside, give my offer a serious thought," Zayn advised, putting the bottle of vitamins away.

"Sure, yeah." Niall waved dismissively.

Zayn nodded and walked towards the backyard. Niall wondered if he would actually reach a point dealing with Zayn's mess where he would walk out on him? Would he ever leave his side now that he got a glimpse of what he had been through.

"I asked you to live with me because I was already losing it. I lost my child! . . ."

His child?

Niall imagined a little, chubby kid with dark hair and brown eyes. He was bursting at the seams to know what happened to Zayn after he left Britain. What did he mean by losing his child? When did that happen? And why didn't Niall know?