Partners In More Than Crime «Zouis AU»

18 Years

When Louis is 18, he’s about to start his freshman year in college. He was planning on attending a school in the States, but Tricia hasn’t been doing too well for the past year or so and he can’t just leave her. They were basically family and Louis wouldn’t leave until she was doing alright, so he just decided on a big name school on Doncaster.

It’s been about three years since he’s spoken to Zayn and he’s learned to accept it and conceal the hurt. Of course, he still gets sad sometimes when he thinks about it, when he looks at things that he and Zayn did together, or things from their childhood.

The only thing that helps Louis feel better (though he knows it shouldn’t) is to remember that Zayn stopped talking to all of them, including Tricia. Louis thinks he feels betrayed, unloved, abandoned. He was suddenly made to live with his father who he’d never spent more than a few hours with, and leave everything he’d known for his entire 14 years behind, so he sort of understands. But he doesn’t get why he had to lose his best friend when he’d done nothing wrong.

XXX

Zayn is sitting in a booth eating breakfast with his boyfriend Liam when his phone starts ringing. He pulls it out of his pocket and answers when he sees his dads name. “What,” he asks, monotone. Even after three years, he and his dad still aren’t close, and only talk when necessary.

“Your moms really sick, come home and pack your bags, you’re moving back to Doncaster with her,” he says quickly, hanging up before Zayn can respond.

Zayn feels his face drain of color and his blood go cold, and by the look on Liams face he can see it too. “Babe, what’s wrong?”

“My mom is sick and I’m moving back to Doncaster,” he says, his eyes filling with tears. He doesn’t know if it’s the fact that his mom is sick or the fact that he’s about to leave Liam, the one person who’s made the past three years in Bradford easier for him.

Liams brow furrows and he shakes his head. “Let me come with you,” he says, grabbing Zayn’s hand across the table. “To Doncaster, I mean. Like, I’ll move there with you. We can’t just not try after so long, Zee,” he tries to reason, knowing Zayn will try to argue him down because he doesn’t want Liam to leave his family behind like he had to.

Zayn nods, standing up from the booth and grabbing Liams hand, holding tightly as they walk to Liam's car. He still doesn’t let go as Liam drives them to his house, but only as they walk in. “What’s wrong with her,” Zayn asks Yaser immediately.

Yaser shakes his head, just jerking his head in the direction of Zayn's room. “She’ll tell you herself, just get your things packed so you can get going. She wants you as soon as possible.”

Zayn huffs, rolling his eyes and going to pack his things. When he’s done, he and Liam go to Liam’s and get his things, then head down to Bradford.

XXX

Zayn takes a deep breath, staring at his moms house with a face of mixed emotions. He’ torn between being sad, hurt, and afraid. It’s been three years and he hasn’t talked to his mom a single time between then and now, but he’s afraid of how sick she may be.

He looks to the house next door, frowning sadly. He wonders if Louis and Jay still live there, how they’re doing, if they’ll remember him, if Louis will still talk to him after all this time.

He musters up his courage and gets out of the car, going to the house and knocking on the door, because he hasn’t been here in so long and he doesn’t know if he’s allowed to just walk in. After in short wait, the door opens and Zayns eyes widen when he sees Jay.

She immediately gathers him in her arms and squeezes tight. “Zayn, baby. It’s been so long, you’ve grown up so nicely,” she says fondly, smiling up at him. her smile drops and she moves out of the way so that he can walk in. “She’s in her room, she’d love to see you.”

Zayn nods, smiling shyly and walking down the hall to his moms room, knocking gently on the door. “Come in,” answers a raspy voice, and Zayn opens the door. A tear falls down his face when he sees her, sitting in the bed, surrounded by pillows and blankets. She looks pale and fragile and Zayn runs to her, kneeling by her side.

“Mom, what’s wrong?” He’s crying, emotional from seeing his mom and from the state she’s in. “It’s alright, I’m here and I’m gonna take care of you, yeah?”

Tricia smiles, leaning to kiss Zayn’s cheek lovingly. “I’ve missed you so much, love. Cancer. It’s half the reason I sent you away, I was sick and I couldn’t handle the stress. I’m so sorry for sending you away like that, but I need you now. I want you here when it’s time.”

Zayn loses his breath at that. His mom was sick and sent him away without telling him why because he was making her cancer worse. He was aiding in killing his mom without knowing, and then he’d  stopped talking to her like she had no reason to send him off.

“Don’t cry, sweetie. It’s fine, I’m just so glad you’re back,” Tricia says, shaking her head. Zayn nods, and they talk for a little while before he goes to help Liam with the bags and putting things into his old room.

When he gets to the end of the hall, he can’t breathe again. Not from pain, but because he sees the most beautiful boy he’s ever seen in his life standing in the living room. As he walks closer, his eyes widen in shock. “Lou,” he whispers. Louis turns around and raises his eyebrows, running straight at Zayn with open arms. They collide, ignoring the pain in favor of laughing loudly.

“Oh my god, Zayn. It’s been so long, you look…” Louis says pulling back, stopping when he actually takes a good look at Zayn. “Wow, you look wow,” he whispers. He can feel his heart clenching and he knew this would happen if he ever got to see Zayn again. “I miss you so much, Zee.”

He and Louis talk for a while, catching up. Zayn totally forgets about Liam until he walks in, carrying a few bags. “I was gonna wait, but it’s been a while so I decided to just start bringing things in.”

Louis and Zayns heads snap up at the unexpected interruption. Louis’ heart hurts when he sees Liam walk up to Zayn and kiss him softly, when he hears Liam ask how Tricia is doing quietly, and when Zayn looks at him like he’s all he cares about.

“Lou, this is my boyfriend, Liam. Liam, this is my best friend, “Louis,” Zayn smiles as he introduces them. Louis smiles, bigger than he thought he would because Zayn still considers them best friends.

He shakes Liams hand, only trying to seem friendly because of Zayn. It’s irrational, but he already hates Liam. He could possibly have a chance with Zayn, but Liam had to scoop him up while he was away and now Louis is upset. Zayn was his first, and he feels that he deserves him more, but he’ll settle for whatever he can get if he gets to keep Zayn around and see him smile and looking so beautiful.

Louis can see the look that Liam is trying to hide, he’s not liking Louis already. He feels threatened and that’s a good sign, because it means that he could possibly have a chance to take Zayn back.

He’ll do all he can to get his Zayn back to himself.

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A/N: okay so i decided to just update this until it's done. after i finish this (only 2 more chapters) i'll start working on obscured and ecstacy until one of them is done and i'll move on. so, we're almost to the end, let me know what you think of this