ᑕᕼᗩᑭTEᖇ 110
[Zayn]
Zayn pulled on his jacket, fumbling with the zipper. Harry kneeled down and helped him and Zayn stuffed his feet in his shoes. "We gonna have fun?"
"Sure," Harry said and patted his shoulders, putting on his beanie. Zayn turned to Liam who was fixing his hair in the bathroom mirror. "Leeyum! Come!"
"Coming, coming," Liam said and walked out of the bathroom, already dressed in his coat and shoes. He waved at Louis and Niall who had decided to stay behind. "Bye you guys."
"Bye you guysh," Zayn said to them, waving the long sleeve of his sweater in the air.
Louis stuck his tongue out at him. "Traitor, stay with us. We're going to watch a movie and eat popcorn."
"But we don't have popcorn," Harry said in confusion.
Niall groaned. "Harry!"
Zayn shrugged, taking Liam's hand in his. "We going, bye!"
They went down the elevator and Zayn clutched on tightly, stomach dropping as it descended. They left the hotel with Mike as their chauffeur.
Zayn gasped as he got up on his knees to look out the car window, the lights so bright everywhere. "Evewyone awake," he observed. The sun had set and it would have been dark if it hadn't been for the building lights.
"We'll go to a coffee shop, first," Liam told him from the front. "Zayn, do you want hot chocolate?"
"Yash," Zayn said and plopped down on his seat, smiling. "But Jayn want koffee too."
"You won't like it," Harry said with a chuckle. "Tea is milder than coffee is."
Zayn pouted. Why couldn't he have the same things they had? "Why you dwink ew things?" he questioned, genuinely curious if they had a knack for weird tasting beverages.
Harry looked insulted. "Tea tastes amazing and coffee is the most refreshing thing. Why do you like apple juice and coke?"
"Becaushe they nam," Zayn countered. "Koffee and tea not nam."
Liam laughed from the front and Mike shook his head. "Zayn's a quick kid."
Zayn brightened. "Thank you," he said even though he knew he was a pretty slow runner. Oh well, no one needed to know.
He pushed his fringe back from his eyes, used to it by now. He swung his legs as Liam put on the radio, some song coming on.
"Zayn, can I do something to your hair?" Harry asked gently. Zayn sent him a weird look. "Okay?"
Harry pulled off a bauble from his wrist and took off Zayn's beanie. "Wait a minute and I'll show you."
"A bun, I see," Liam said, nodding as he watched Harry pull Zayn's hair up. Zayn smiled a little as his vision was cleared of his fringe which always ended up falling in front of his eyes. When Harry was done, he showed him the result in his phone camera. Zayn looked at the bundle of hair on the top of his head, almost like a ponytail but it was sprouting like a fountain.
"Do you like it?" Harry asked, looking quite proud with he mini bun he'd conjured.
Zayn shrugged. "Jayn like it, but am not going with bunny to kindewgawden."
"What a diva," Liam jested from the front. "Why, because you feel it makes you look like a girl?"
"No becauche Jayn look shtupid," Zayn said with a huff. He touched the bun tentatively. "But Jayn can shee now so it okay."
Harry nudged his arm. "Sure? I can mess it up if you want."
"Am shuwe," Zayn said and frowned at the camera, his own face looking back up at him, the bun sticking up like a unicorn horn. Maybe he could wear this to kindergarten. He thought of his friends back home and whether they would tease him. No, no bunny in kindergarten, he told himself firmly.
They arrived at the coffee shop minutes later. Liam and Harry hurried inside, hat and beanie pulled down their faces. Zayn huffed to catch up with them, his hand in Harry's. The cold air hit his cheeks, the NY night a lot colder than the day. They sat down at a table in a corner, Zayn rubbing his cold cheeks as he did. "It'sh coold."
"Yes it is," Liam said and tightened the scarf around his neck. "Coffee for me, hot chocolate for Zee and you Harry, what do you want?"
Zayn smiled at the nickname and swung his feet absentmindedly, something he did when he was happy or hyper. Or both.
"Hot chocolate with cream," Harry replied and Liam went to go order. Zayn looked around. "Is thewe playgwound hewe too?"
Harry smiled and shook his head, taking off his hat. His hair fell down, just above his shoulders. "Nope, that's just McDonald's."
"Oh," Zayn said in disappointment. "Can we go to McDonald's?"
"Not at the moment, no," Harry said gently. "We just ate."
"Okay," Zayn said, not whining or complaining once he'd been told no.
Liam walked back with three mugs, one a little smaller than the other two. "It's hot Zayn, so be careful."
Zayn sat up straighter and touched the mug carefully. He recoiled with a hiss. "It'sh hot."
"That's what I said," Liam deadpanned, handing Harry his mug and sitting down.
Zayn had to wait a whole hour (Harry claimed it was only five minutes, but the boy is sure it was an hour) before he could get to drink.
The beverage was good and he sipped carefully, the liquid still a little warm to his throat.
"We should sleep early tonight," Liam said and stifled a yawn. He brought the mug to his lips. "Little idiotic to be drinking coffee."
Harry chuckled at that and Zayn refrained from poking the dimple in his cheek, because it was there.
"How will we all sleep though? There are only two beds, and now we're five persons," Liam mused.
"I bet Simon wouldn't order two rooms even if he could have," Harry mumbled. "He's going to continue with this pretending Zayn doesn't exist, isn't he?"
Liam nodded gravely. "Unfortunately."
"Shimon bad," Zayn blurted, just wanting them to know that Simon was bad.
"I know, but you're safe with us," Liam assured him. He leaned forward and wiped the brown milk mustache off his lips, and Zayn grinned.
They ended up taking stroll down the street instead of Mike pulling up from the parking lot. Colored lights illuminated the relatively small park beside them, and Zayn looked at them in awe. He grabbed Harry's hand and then Liam's, pulling them towards the park and one tree which had almost shed all it's leaves. "Wanna play? Let'sh play!"
"Not now, maybe another time," Liam told him and Zayn huffed. "But I want to play now."
He gasped as leaves hit his face and he turned to Harry who grinned at him. "I think I should be the leaf man," he challenged.
Zayn grinned and he pulled his hand back from Liam#s, ready to fight. They ended up throwing leaves at each other, some stuck to their clothes while others messed up the pathway. Liam tried to reason with them that he was tired and they should head home, but Zayn refused to leave and Harry only shrugged. He high-fived Zayn when they managed to push Liam into a leaf-pile.
Zayn giggled uncontrollably as Liam stood up with leaves stuck in his coat buttons and on his shoulders. Harry laughed with him as Liam puffed out a breath. "Fine then."
Zayn squealed as he was grabbed and lifted in the air by a pair of strong arms, Liam setting him up on his shoulders. "How's the leaf man doing up there, huh?"
Zayn grinned and patted Liam's hair. "Leaf man okay up hewe."
They headed back towards the car, Zayn clutching tightly to his hair. He grinned since the view was so different from up here and he could see all the adult faces clearly. He waved at an older woman who was pushing a stroller. "Hello!"
A kid passed him, wearing huge glasses and Zayn wondered if he could pluck them off his nose with one movement. He grinned at the plan, but it was too late to carry out since they had passed him. A few men were hurrying over and Zayn waved at them, but they didn't wave back.
By the time they were halfway towards the car, Liam sat him down. "Come on."
Zayn grabbed his hand in one and Harry's in the other other. Harry and Liam exchanged a look he barely noticed before he was suddenly pulled in the air. When his feet hit the ground again, he laughed. "You make me jump!"
"Ready for a bigger one?" Liam asked, he and Harry counting to three before lifting Zayn in the air again. Zayn smiled widely as the air brushed his cheek and he was glad he was wearing the beanie to cover his ears.
They reached the car minutes later, Zayn's nose a little runny and a bright smile one his face. He climbed inside the car, jumping up and down. "Whewe we go now?" he asked excitedly.
Harry shot him a funny look. "Now we go home. You seem hyper."
"Am not hypew," Zayn replied, grinning at him. He looked out the window as the car left the curb. He pressed on the button, making his window roll down. Cold air hit his face, bringing in the smell of trees and rubber as they passed the park.
"Zayn," Liam scolded with a laugh as Zayn poked his head out, the strands that had escaped the bun whipping against his eyes and mouth. Harry pulled him back inside as Mike rolled up the window and locked it.
"Hawwy," Zayn pouted, looking up at the boy. Harry shook his head at him, his green eyes narrowing. He poked Zayn's nose. "Try to sleep, you've been awake for a long time."
"Am not tiwed," Zayn stated as he leaned on Harry's chest, a warmth engulfing the car from the heater.
"We'll see about that," Liam said and he and Harry exchanged smirking looks.
When they reached the room, Harry had to knock since he had forgotten his card key. Niall was the one to open, wearing shorts, a tee and long socks. His blonde hair was ruffled and his eyes were droopy as if he had been sleeping. He let them inside and Zayn discarded his beanie and jacket to the floor. He sat down to take off his shoes as Liam hanged his jacket for him. "We back!" he yelled, expecting Louis and Niall to jump around them happily. Niall just crashed on the bed, his upper body not visible because of the wall. Louis peeked over at them, lifting his hand up in a wave. He was lying upside down on the other bed as he watched the telly, an empty crisp packet beside him. The room smelled oddly of toothpaste and pizza. Zayn stood up and ran over to him. "Hello, we back."
"Hello," Louis greeted, smiling at him. He sat up and stifled a yawn. "You forgot the key card so I've been waiting."
"How generous," Liam said and ruffled Louis' hair as he sat down on the other bed, pulling off his sweater.
"What we gonna do now?" Zayn asked, turning to Harry who had opened their suitcases. He pulled out Zayn's green pajamas. "Sleep. We can have fun tomorrow."
Zayn put his hands on his hips. "But Jayn wanna have fun now!"
"Shh," Niall said, his blonde hair only visible from under the duvet. "Go to sleep, you people."
Zayn stomped over to the door and leaned up to pull the handle down. "Let'sh go down."
"No Zayn," Harry said sharply. "Don't open the door on your own okay? You might wander and get lost. Promise?"
Zayn nodded and Harry waved him over. "It's getting late, come on."
Zayn begrudgingly took off his clothes, changing into his pajamas. "Ugh," he grumbled as Liam forced him to brush his teeth. The boy stood in the middle of the bathroom, too short to even reach the counter top, much less the mirror. Harry chuckled as he walked inside, dressed in a pair of sweatpants. He lifted Zayn onto the counter and brushed his hair out of his eyes. Zayn grinned mischievously around his toothbrush and pulled it out, spitting in the sink. He opened the sink, splashing the water at Harry and Liam as they brushed.
They turned to him with annoyed looks and Zayn smiled apologetically. "Gwumpy," he said and leaned forward to poke their noses, except his arm only reached to their lips. Liam chuckled and washed his mouth before giving a wet kiss to Zayn's face. Zayn grimaced and wiped his cheek, pushing Liam back with the little strength he owned.
In ten minutes the lights were off. The sofa had been pulled out to become a bed and Harry had volunteered to sleep there. The only light in the room was the faint moonlight from behind the curtains, accompanied by the occasional sounds of vehicles passing by.
Zayn was lying with a sleeping Niall, Liam and Louis on the other bed. He blinked slowly, unable to sleep in this new environment. There was too much noise from outside and it didn't help that Niall was breathing directly into his ear. Zayn pursed his lips and sat up, squinting his eyes as he tried to peek at the other boys. "Boysh," he whispered, his voice sounding incredibly small in the large room. He debated crossing the rooms to Mike and Preston, but the two were probably as asleep as they were.
"Zayn," Niall mumbled beside him. "Go to sleep." Zayn lay back down and stared up at the ceiling. "I can't shleep."
Niall didn't answer and Zayn turned to look at him, no sure if the boy was asleep again. His eyes were still closed, but his lips moved to speak. "Come here." He pulled him closer so that Zayn could feel his body warmth and the faint smell of apple. Zayn closed his eyes and willed himself to sleep. Annoyed when he heard a honk outside, he pulled out of Niall's grasp. The boy was long gone, mouth parted as he breathed evenly. Zayn patted his head and slipped down the bed. He opened his suitcase and pulled out Ziam. "Wanna have fun?"
The wolf seemed to smile in the dark and Zayn pulled him to his chest, grinning. If the boys wanted to be boring then fine, they could be. Zayn looked around the room, nothing to do here with the lights off. The boys were bound to notice if he turned on the telly.
He turned to look towards the door, hesitating a little. He'd promised...but sometimes it was okay to break promises. Zayn shook his head. He couldn't break the promise. "But am not bweaking becauche am not going to go losht," he said to himself quietly as he put on his shoes and walked towards the door. A little exploring might satisfy him enough to make him sleep.
↠↠↠A/N↠↠↠
Oh Zaynie...
As you have probably noticed, he's a very obedient child to some extent. Just keep on observing! I know I've been lacking with updates, but school has really wearied me off. I'll try to squeeze in a double update next week 😘