"Come on Zayn! Just do this favour for me, please!" Niall begged, latching on to his arm as they walked towards their favourite lunch spot.
"Niall will you stop yelling!" Zayn hissed, eyes looking around nervously before settling back on the brunette who just wouldn't leave him alone. "No, I'm not going to write your cover letter for you and don't even try to use the fact that we're friends against me. It won't work." He warned and Niall groaned, throwing his head back as he let go of Zayn's arm and sat down on the picnic table, grumbling as he brought out his lunch.
"Oh come Z, just help him out at least." Louis laughed as he and Liam sat down as well, Zayn rolled his eyes as he lit a cigarette.
"We both know I'll end up doing all the work." Zayn mumbled and Niall smirked sheepishly while Louis laughed harder. Liam's unusual silence went unnoticed by everyone except Zayn, whose mind fell back to Harry's words.
"You ok there Liam?" He asked and the brunette glanced at Zayn.
"Are you asking as a friend or someone you know through mutual association?" Liam snarked back and Zayn blinked, taken aback. Louis and Niall who had been in their own conversation stopped talking and looked between the two nervously. Louis particularly worried, knowing Zayn's anxiety when it came to confrontation and uncomfortable social situations.
"I-"
"I'm going to get some food." Liam said as he stood up suddenly, not giving Zayn the chance to speak as he walked away. The latter blinked cluelessly at his other two friends before taking off after Liam.
"Liam wait!" He called, grabbing his arm and in doing so forcing him to turn and look at him. "I know I shouldn't have said that I just knew you through mutual friends, it was wrong of me and I'm sorry. I didn't mean it in that way at all, I-"
"I know you and I aren't, and will never be, as close as you are to Louis, and I respect that. It's just, I feel like you never make as much as an effort to be friends with me as you do with Niall, for example. Fuck, you seem to be better friends with that mute guy than with me." At that point of the conversation Zayn had become distracted by the sight of Harry a distance away, sitting by himself on the grass as he ate his lunch. He was looking around at all the students sitting with their friend groups and even from how far away Zayn was standing, he could see the solemn look of longing on Harry's face.
"I almost feel like you don't like me and you're just tolerating me for the sake of the others." Zayn's attention snapped back to Liam and he shook his head adamantly.
"No, no, Liam you've got it all wrong. I promise you that I consider you as one of my closest friends and I really am sorry if I've ever made you feel that way. I don't know why I said that last time in front of Harry, it was wrong of me. I'm sorry. " Zayn spoke with sincerity, never having been one to back down from an apology when something was his fault, a trait that he had picked from his father.
"It's fine." Liam sighed with a smile, " I know it's not a big deal but our friendship means a lot to me and the thought of it not meaning the same to you hurt. Do you want to get some food?" Zayn shook his head, lighting up another cigarette before speaking.
"I'm going to meet Harry for a second, tell the others I'll be right back." Liam nodded slowly, frown on his face going unnoticed by Zayn who gave him a quick reassuring hug before walking off towards Harry.
"Hey." He spoke as he approached the quiet, younger man. Harry looked up at Zayn with a large, excited smile before he scrunched up his face at the sight of the cigarette. "You really can't stand my smoking can you?" Zayn chuckled, finishing up the death stick before throwing it to the ground, pressing his foot down on it. Harry nodded with a stern expression before bringing his finger across his throat.
"I know it'll kill me." Zayn responded with an eye roll, "But there are shit ton of other things that get you killed, if anything, coming here everyday will kill me faster than these cigarettes." The last part was a quiet whisper but Harry caught it nonetheless and he cocked his head to side, confusion on his face. He pointed at Zayn, then shook his finger from left to right before pointing to the floor.
"It's not that I don't like it here, it's jus- never mind that. How are you doing?" Zayn asked and Harry shrugged looking down at the grass as he stabbed his food aggressively. Zayn observed him before looking around at the different friend groups that surrounded them, he even spotted his own friends, the foolishness of whatever Louis and Niall were doing causing him to chuckle. He then looked back at Harry, a sad smile on his face as he realized how lonely he must feel, of course this was just Zayn's assumption but something about the way Harry been looking around solemnly before made him sure his assumption was correct.
"What are you doing after school?" Zayn asked, plopping himself down next to Harry, stealing some food from his plate as he sent Harry a cheeky grin. This confidence was very unusual for Zayn, someone who once walked an extra hour home just to avoid speaking to some classmates that were having drinks in a pub that was on his usual route home. However, there was just something about Harry that made him feel at ease, comfortable and safe. Harry shrugged before pointing at his books.
"Homework? Well, you can come over to mine and we'll do it together." Harry looked at Zayn sceptically, reluctantly shaking his head.
"Come on," Zayn poked Harry's cheeks causing the latter to start laughing. "My Mum makes the best Samosas, how can you miss that?" Harry sighed before giving in and nodding, laughing again as Zayn poked his cheek once more. This was the first time a genuine sound had left Harry's lips since the two had met, and too Zayn's astonishment, it was one of the sweetest, heart-warming sounds he had ever heard. He couldn't help but observe Harry, wondering what his voice sounded like, was it rough and hoarse? Or slow and mellow? Zayn smiled again when Harry turned to look at him, green eyes gleaming with a light that warmed Zayn's usually somber heart, what could he do but wonder.
***
"You ready?" Zayn asked as he took one last drag of his cigarette, dropping it to the ground as he approached Harry. Harry gripped on to the straps of his backpack tightly as he nodded. "Ok, let's go, I don't live too far away." With that he grabbed the extra helmet he had borrowed from a friend and handed it to Harry. Harry looked between the motorbike, Zayn and the helmet before shaking his head adamently.
"Ok," Zayn said slowly, scratching the back of his head. "We can take the bus that's fine too." He gave Harry an assuring smile who nodded gratefully.They made a short walk to the bus stop followed by a thirty minute journey to the stop nearest to Zayn's home and then finally began the last five minute walk to the house.
They had only just started walking when suddenly, out of nowhere, a car swerved around the corner and stopped right infront of them. Zayn instinctively stepped in front of Harry, pushing him behind him as he glared at the driver. He took a step forward, ready to let out at an array of distasteful words but fell silent when an older, yet younger looking woman stepped out of the car, a worried look on her face until she saw Zayn. Or better yet the person standing behind hiù.
"Goodness Harry!" She exclaimed rushing past Zayn to hug Harry. "You scared me." She whispered as she held him tightly. Harry brought out his phone with a sigh and pointed at it.
"Yes, I know you texted me but still, I wasn't sure if that was truly you texting me or one of those bullies you had talked about." Harry blushed deeply at the mention of bullies, his eyes flickered to Zayn, hoping that he didn't think he was a pathetic mummy's boy, or incapable of handling his own problems.Zayn, however, had thoughts far from that, he stood there, awkwardly looking around and kicking the stones on the floor as he waited for the mother and son to finish their interaction.
Harry rolled his eyes slightly before putting his hand to his chest and lowering his head slightly.
"It's fine, don't apologize. It's stupid of me to even be this worried, I mean, you're a grown man." Harry's mother sighed, finally taking her eyes away from her son to the stranger that was in their midst.
"How rude of me, I'm sorry, my name is Anne, Anne Twist." Anne extended her hand out for Zayn to shake, and the latter stared at it anxiously before swallowing deeply and finally accepting it. He wondered how Harry's mother had even managed to find them so far away from the university.
"Zayn." He said as he retracted his hand as quickly as possible, a gesture that didn't go unnoticed by Harry. "I was just taking Harry back to my-" Zayn reddened as the words tumbled out of his mouth, realizing how wrong they sounded out loud and not in his head. "That doesn't sound right. I,uhm, I mean, Harry and I are going to my house to study." He stumbled over his words and Anne couldn't help but smile. Despite Zayn's outwardly looks; the tattoos, piercings and hair with blue ends as his hair grew out the old dye job, his smile and his nervous tics alone were enough to melt away any prejudice she might have for him.
"That's fine hunny, I was just worried because I knew Harry was having trouble difficulty so I found it strange that he suddenly didn't need a ride home. Anyway, Harry dear call me if you need me or when you're ready to go home and Zayn, it was nice meeting you." Zayn nodded and Harry waved as Anne walked by them and got into her car, dissappearing down the street a moment later. Harry turned to Zayn, face red with embarrasment while Zayn just sent him a smile, patting his back slightly as they continued walking.
"Come on, we're almost home."
A/N: I'm so sorry for the delay! It's been busy on my side. I hope you're liking the story so far! Please don't forget to vote and comment any thoughts!