"It Just Hurts"|| z.m

[117]

117- Liam

Liam felt Zayn tense up beside him, and he turned to the boy worriedly, his heart beating quickly. "Zayn..."

But Zayn seemed completely frozen, staying in the same spot. As the boy didn't rise, a lot of people started shooting looks to see what was wrong. Liam placed a hand on the raven haired boy's back. "Zee," he said softly. "It'll be okay. I'm here, we're all here, okay?"

"I don't want to," Zayn whispered quickly, eyes wide.

The judge looked at McIntyre who smiled apologetically. "Zayn Malik to the stand, please."

"You can do it," Liam told him confidently, heart aching for the boy. "Nobody's going to look at you differently," he said quietly. He knew Zayn well, and there was a trait the lad shared with Louis. They both hated pity, and would rather act okay than be vulnerable.

Zayn seemed to snap out of his stupor and he turned his head towards him. Liam looked him in the eyes, smiling half-heartedly. He grabbed the boy's hands and squeezed reassuringly. Zayn glanced at the others and his mother before swallowing.

Liam leaned forward to whisper in his ear. "Hey, I believe in you, okay?" he said softly, and then he moved back, quickly pecking the boy's cheek. Zayn blinked, surprised, and Liam's cheeks warmed. "Go."

Zayn stood up and started shuffling out. Harry squeezed his hand as he left the row. He trudged towards the stand and sat down, nervousness clear in his posture. Clear to those who knew him, that is. Zayn was good at hiding his true feelings, Liam was experienced about that.

"Mr. Malik, how was Butch when you first met him?" McIntyre questioned. Zayn's hands were in his lap, and Liam could see his thumbs fiddling. "Uh he was...normal, I guess. A little cocky, and he and Tom were at each other's necks all the time," he said, speaking slowly.

"Was he like that all the time?" McIntyre wondered, making Zayn frown. "No. Butch was in charge of transporting me to this meeting place with Tom, but instead he kidnapped me." He cleared his throat, shifting in his seat. "He seemed a little out of it then, as if...he didn't know what he was doing and the smallest thing would set him off," he said quietly so Liam had to lean in to listen. His heart was beating heavily in his chest, and he was dreading what would be next. The smallest thing would set him off.

"What was your impressions of these two incidents? Butch when you first met him versus Butch when he kidnapped you."

"He seemed clever at first, and a little...nice," Zayn said bitterly. "At the time, nicer than Tom, who was all rage and rudeness. But slowly, Butch seemed more aggressive as time went as well as...menacing."

"Both signs of ASPD," Simon said with a nod. McIntyre shot him a brief look. "What about when he captured Daniel?"

"He was worse then," Zayn said heavily, shifting his weight. "He was threatening and crueler. With Daniel. With me. He seemed a little lost at times, but then he would snap and yell. He was often gone at night those days, or he slept little," he added, a little thoughtfully, jaw clenched.

"So I conclude that Butch's personality change happened sometime when he captured Daniel?"

"I don't know," Zayn answered. "Before that, he seemed a little angry as well. When-when he pulled out the gun on the boys, at the ransom exchange."

"Ah. You see, your honour." McIntyre turned towards the judge. "Butch has inflicted pain to Daniel and Zayn, committed several crimes, including armed robberies. He was not in any kind of form of illness when he robbed the jewellery store, nor when he kidnapped Zayn or pulled a gun at innocent citizens, even firing it. Butch is beyond help when his intentions have been cruel from the start, even on medication."