Zayn hadn't planned on spending the day with anyone besides Harry when he woke up today. With the rain, he figured it was a great opportunity to stay in after work was over and enjoy each other's company for another day. It was safe to say he'd gotten pretty spoiled with Harry waking up in his bed for two straight days and he just wanted even more of that.
But now with the talk Harry had with his sister which Zayn was pretty much forced to be apart of, his afternoon and evening- and now night- had gradually consisted of so much more than just the two of them. Between both their family and friends, the entire day is shaping up to be one big giant bowl of their two worlds being joined and stired together. It's the first time it has ever really happened at such quick a rate.
Gemma had told them to forget about the conversation they had in her living room. And even before they left out, she'd reminded them that making hasty decisions wasn't wise one way or the other. So they'd decided to put everything aside and just take her advice to go drinking.
Well at least Zayn is eager to go. Harry on the other hand hasn't quite warmed up to the idea of just pulling up to a bar located just on the outskirts of a shady residential neighborhood and walking inside.
"Zayn. It's nine oclock. It's late." Harry says as he grips the door handle.
"It's not really that late when you're in the city."
"But what if... I don't know... Somethin' bad happens?"
"Like what?"
"Like... a bar fight. Or a brawl that ends in folks getting hurt."
Zayn chuckles but he keeps it minimal so Harry won't think he's laughing at him.
"Bar fights rarely ever happen. And if they do, they usually get broken up by security before they turn into a brawl. You have nothing to worry about."
"How do you know?"
"Because I went to these places all the time with... friends. It's fine. Trust me. Plus I'll be there in case someone randomly wants to fight you or something."
Now it's Harry's turn to chuckle.
"You know I don't really need you to save me though, right? I haul gallons and gallons of bins full of Emma's manure all the time and I lift bales of hay multiple times a week. On top of that, I used to corral chickens while they was pecking me at the same time and I sometimes had to catch and hold down our pig, Margie when she would run clear off crazy after a mornin' in the mud. A man's hands ain't an issue. I just don't want nobody pulling out a gun and I end up in an urn next to my Papa cause of a stray bullet. I got too many plans."
Zayn thinks about that. Everything he just said is true. So if anybody is protecting anyone physically, it would likely be Harry protecting him. But it is still his role to reassure him when he's feeling unsettled.
"That won't happen, babe. I got you no matter what. Just stick to me."
Harry smiles over at him. That's a really sweet thing for him to say. "Fine. I'll trust you since this is your city and you helped me before. I'm ready to go meet your friends."
They both get out of the car and as they walk towards the building in the drizzling rain, Harry looks up at the sign above the building. Its name is in bright pink lights along with a flashing martini glass. It's hard to miss.
In that moment he sees a couple come out of the bar kissing, both clearly so drunk they can barely even stand and do it right. It makes him think about his sister and how she said she would come here and drink with Anthony. Did they sometimes walk out of here like that couple did, kissing and stumbling all over the place? He hates to think his sister was ever doing that while he was at home sleeping and dreaming at night. But he has a feeling that was exactly what she was doing.
"Come on, babe. Liam told me where they're sitting." He hears just before Zayn slips his hand into his. So he gladly walks inside with him.
Though not a very big building, the atmosphere inside is exactly what one would expect at a bar named The Martini. There's women in short dresses hanging on to the arms of desperate men, the smell of sweet fruits and syrups along with aromas of alcohol and liquor and even Cyndi Lauper playing on the speakers. Harry also sees more of the same pink lights, though mixed with blues, purples and reds this time. He's not sure he has ever seen a place so lit up before when it wasn't christmastime.
"They're over there." Zayn says. "Come on."
As they pass people sitting on bar stools, some of them stare at Harry weirdly. At first he doesn't understand why. But the more he looks at the attire people are wearing- jeans, leather jackets, sneakers, high heels, cocktail dresses, heavy makeup and wigs- and then compares it to his own- burgundy overalls, plaid T-shirt, dirty cowboy boots and long messy curls- then it makes sense. He's quite out of place here. Maybe he'll need Zayn more than he thought.
They reach a round booth table and see three people.
Zayn knew the moment Gemma suggested they drink with friends that he would invite Liam and Louis. Besides that one moment where Liam seemed to almost be confessing something to Zayn, that day when Louis came over and made him Frappés went so well. It was the first time he started to really get the feeling that hanging with both of them at the same time would no longer be so awkward as it had been before.
The third person he invited was Doniya. Since she'd texted him about hanging out earlier in the day, Zayn had found it was the best decision to invite her along tonight. Harry would rarely be in the city to do things like this anyway, and if she didn't get to see him tonight, he knew she'd just keep texting him about it until it happened. Better to do it now while they're supposed to be temporarily forgetting about what they talked about rather than waiting and having her bother them when they finally start to think about it again.
"Liam, Louis."
"Hey, Zayn."
"What's up Zayn."
"I'd like for you all to meet Harry Styles. My boyfriend."
"Ah." Liam says as he sits up from where he'd had his arm around Louis. "The elusive one. So glad to finally meet you. I'm Liam Payne."
"Howdy, Liam Payne."
"And this is my boyfriend, the one and only Louis."
"Hey." Louis says to Liam. "Why did you introduce your full name and not mine?"
Liam playfully rolls his eyes. "Fine. This is Louis Tomlinson, my boo."
"Howdy, Louis Tomlinson."
"Hi, Harry. I like your overalls."
He looks down with a smile. He likes that Louis complimented his clothes after feeling self conscious about it earlier. "Thanks. It's from the thrift store in town."
"It's good to see you again, Harry." Doniya says.
"Doniya, right?"
"Yep. That's right."
"Well I think it's real nice that you wanted to spend time with me again. Not many folks ask about doing that with me."
"It's a Malik thing probably." Zayn says. "Because you know how much I like spending time with you over and over again too."
"Aww." Doniya teases and she stands up. "That's all I need to hear to let me know I should let you two squeeze in the booth."
"Why?"
"Because you and Liam are already loved up. But by the time I get up a few shots, I might find me a man here who'll take me home so I don't have to get an uber. So let me sit on the outside."
"Don't fight her." Liam chimes in. "Louis is holding me hostage inside while he sits on the end so he can freely get up and go back and forth for drinks. Us designated drivers really have to suffer with our one drink for the night."
Zayn sighs. "Fine. But we haven't ordered ours yet. We're gonna go up to the bar and do it now."
"Kay."
They leave the table for a moment and go up to the bar. As Zayn is pulling out his credit card, the bartender looks them over before smiling. "What can I get the odd couple tonight?"
That catches Zayn off guard. "Uhm... I have to drive so I'll just take a Mojito and a glass of water."
"Ah making it hard on a bartender on a Friday night, I see."
"Sorry. Should I order something else?"
"Well... we're not that busy. So only if something else is what you wanted."
"Not really."
"Then Mojito it is. And your partner?"
"What do you want, Harry? Do you need a drink menu to look over?"
He faces the bartender. "Do you have one of them Dirty Shirley cocktails and an extra vodka shot?"
"We do."
He looks at Zayn again. "That, please."
Impressed with Harry's ability to remember his sister's drink order, he hands his credit card to the bartender and nods at him to confirm it. "You heard him. And can you bring it to that table right there where the other three are sitting?"
The bartender follows his pointing finger. "You got it, sir."
Once Zayn's card is swiped, the bartender hands it back along with a receipt.
"Zayn." Harry says as they walk back.
"Yeah?"
"Why didn't you use the one hundred dollar bill Gemma gave you?"
Zayn shushes Harry quickly and loudly.
"Why are you shushing me?"
He smiles but speaks without moving his lips hardly at all. "Harry. Please be quiet and I promise I'll explain it at the seat, okay?"
"Okay."
When they get back to the booth, Doniya let's them in. So Zayn allows Harry to get in and sit next to Liam, then he gets in and sits in between Harry and his sister.
"So why didn't you use it?" Harry asks right away.
"Because here isn't like the country where we live. Crime is much more prevalent here. Using a card here makes people think I don't carry cash. If I go up there pulling out a one hundred dollar bill, I can make myself a target for getting robbed. Which is why I shushed you when you started asking about it in front of others. I'm sorry about that, by the way."
"It's alright. I get why you did it. Wow, it seems like you have to really know a lot to survive here."
"You do if you want to keep what you have. Learning to navigate the city requires its own class, really."
"Well then if you knew you weren't going to use the money, why didn't you just put it in your wallet before we left Gemma's instead of keeping it in your front pocket?"
"Well, because if there is one thing I learned it's that you never put all your money in one place. Specifically when you're places like this or say, walking downtown or in another busy area. Keep your cards in your wallet, some cash in your other pocket and a few dollars in your sock. That way if they ask you to hand over your wallet or if someone pick pockets you, then you don't lose everything you have."
Harry nods, then puts his chin on Zayn's shoulder.
"That makes sense."
A few minutes later, a woman brings their drinks on a tray.
"I didn't know you drink Shirley Temples." Doniya says to Harry.
"I don't. I only ever drank beer and wine. And this isn't a Shirley Temple either. It's called a Dirty Shirley."
"The alcoholic version." Zayn says.
"Do you like it?"
"Hold on." He sips it, smacks his tongue to taste and then finally holds a thumb up. "It's kind of sweet. I like it. But I think I should pour the extra vodka in now."
Liam chuckles. "Oh, Zayn. I think you've just introduced Harry to something he'll keep coming back for."
"Not me. His sister."
"You have siblings?" Louis asks. "I wish I did. Me and Liam are both only children so we have such bland backgrounds, ugh."
"I'm sure it ain't that bad."
"Oh yeah? Wait till you hear this story..."
While Louis begins to tell a story from his childhood, Zayn gets lost in thought about what he'd just taught Harry. When he really thinks about it, it is sort of amazing how little Harry knows about how the city works. Sure he has taken him to his classes and out to eat sometimes, but he hasn't really had time to show him the rest of the city and its beauty like he planned. It's something he now feels he should make specific plans to do. Because the last thing he wants is a clueless Harry walking around this city making himself self target.
As the night progresses onward, Zayn drinks down his mojito, Harry only half of his Dirty Shirley and Liam drinks down his entire drink. Conversation with Harry had kept Louis from over drinking. So surprisingly he has only had three shots on the night, which is good considering his high tolerance for alcohol.
But Doniya... Nothing had stopped her from knocking back shots like they were tiny glasses of water. She'd downed five of them by the time everyone else was done drinking.
"Is it just me or do those pink lights make you wanna puke?" She asks.
"Just you." Zayn says.
"Are you sure? You look like you want to puke." She says playfully waving a finger in his face.
He politely moves her hand away.
"Doniya. You're drunk. And I hope you know that big sister or not, I'm not letting you go up to some guy so he can take you home and take advantage of you. Over my dead body."
"Zayn." Harry says. And Zayn feels a tug on his shirt like he's pulling him close for safety.
"I just mean it as an expression, babe. It's okay."
"You know what's crazy though?" She drawls out.
"What's crazy, Doni?"
"It doesn't even matter cause I didn't even see anyone I liked. Maybe I'm destined to be single. Kinda weird how I am the oldest of us four and will probably end up being the only single one when I'm fifty."
"That's not that weird. There's plenty of single fifty year olds."
"True. There are. But there is something else that's like... really reeeallyy weird." Her speech is slurred but her tone is cheery.
She points to Louis.
"You."
"Me?"
"And you."
She points to Harry.
"Huh?"
"Doni, what are you doing?"
But she ignores her brother.
"I'm just sitting here the whole time and it's like... Do you guys just not care that your boyfriends are exes?"
Zayn gasps. "Doni, stop."
"Yes, Doni, stop." Liam echoes pointedly.
"Why do you want her to stop?" Louis asks and he folds his arms.
"It's nothing, Louis."
"Oooh, so they didn't know?"
"Zayn, get your sister, please."
"Please be quiet, Doni."
"No, it's too late for him to get his sister." Louis says. His eyes are practically boring holes into the side of Liam's face with his stares. "Now it's time for you to start talking. Is it true? Are you and Zayn really exes?"
"Oh yeah, it's true. They totally saw each other naked and stuff."
"Doni, shut up!" Zayn says and he feels hot in the face from both anger and embarrassment. "See, this is why I can't stand drinking with you. You always talk too fucking much! Just move!"
He rudely climbs over her out of the booth and doesn't even bother to look back. Not even at Harry, even though he knows he's now stuck between a drunk woman and a couple that's begining to argue. He just has to get out of there.
He bursts out of the bar doors into the damp air to pace the sidewalk and angrily curse at himself. The rain had stalled.
"Way to fucking go, Zayn. Look what you did! Ugh what the fuck?!" He pulls at his hair angrily and plops down on a bench in front of some hedges.
This is it. His worse nightmare! He hadn't even given it much thought for Harry ever finding out but the last thing he wanted was for Louis to ever know. He could take his hands and choke Doniya right now. He could SO do that!
As he's having those unwholesome thoughts about hurting his sister, he can hear arguing coming from out of the bar. Then Liam and Louis pass him. Not wanting to be seen right now, he quickly hops off the bench and hides behind the hedges so he can watch and listen.
"Louis! Just stop! I gotta drive you home!"
Louis stops in the parking lot and faces Liam. He's crying.
"Why would you hide that from me, Liam?!"
"I..."
"Is it because you still have feelings for him?!"
"No. I never had any."
"Oh stop it. She said you slept with him!"
"Then that proves she doesn't know anything because we didn't sleep together."
"But did you want to?"
There's a pause.
"No."
"Ugh. When you pause like that, it means you're about to lie, Liam!"
"But I didn't lie!"
"Then why'd you pause?!"
"Because I can't believe you would think being exes with him would matter when you know I love you!"
"It matters because you hid it for a reason! And yet you won't tell me what that reason is. As many times as we've been around him and hung out, you never thought to tell me?! And you've... You've been alone with him! Ugh. I can't take this!"
"I didn't tell you because you weren't gonna believe we never had sex or feelings!"
"Damn right I won't. Who dates someone they won't sleep with or have feelings for? How much sense does that make? Tell the truth!"
Liam throws his hands up and let's them fall. "You won't believe me."
"When you hide from me and I have to find out from somebody's drunk sister, what else do you expect?! Anyway, whatever, I'm not in the mood to have my weekend ruined with this anymore. I'm going home."
"Sure. You can go home. But you're not walking there. Mad at me or not."
"Fine! Shut up and take me home then! Just don't talk to me."
Liam follows Louis to his car and Zayn waits until they pull out of the lot before he comes out of the hedges and goes back inside the bar. He can barely even meet eyes with Harry who's just sitting there, still. Like he's afraid to move after everything that just happened.
"Doniya. Why the hell would you do that?" He asks with gritted teeth.
"Chill, I didn't know everyone was gonna go crazy over it."
The way she sounds so passive makes Zayn so furious he makes choking hands at her neck. So furious that he has a good mind to leave her there and let her worry about getting an uber herself. But even though she has pissed him off greatly, she is still his sister and he would feel so guilty if he left her here alone and something happened to her.
"Just get up. Let's go. I'm taking you home."
"Zayn."
"Shut up, Doniya. Please, just shut up." He helps her up and then looks at Harry. He's still sitting there. Frozen. Like he's playing dead or something.
"Come on, Harry. It's alright. We're getting out of here and going home."
"Alright."
As he helps Doniya out of the bar, Harry walks closely behind them. Zayn keeps glancing back at him to make sure he's okay and he can't help but wonder what's going through his mind right now. Is he just as hurt and pissed as Louis is but not showing it? Or does he just not care? It's hard to see the latter as a possibility because right now Louis, Liam and Zayn all care and they care very much.
What Doniya just did might have ruined the relationship between the three of them forever. Zayn, Louis and Liam may not ever look at each other the same ever again. This is the reason he was always on edge around Liam whenever Louis was around. Because the potential for their past to finally round the corner and blow up in their face was always lurking. Little did he know that by inviting Doniya out to drink with her low tolerance for alcohol, he was foolishly welcoming it with open arms to come do just that.
*****
(N/A)
Thank you so much for reading and commenting on this story so far. But I like to let my readers know when we're at 5 chapters left. So this is it. The way I planned it out, I don't see having to squeeze any more in between. So chapter 34 is where the ending stands for this story. 😥