"Malik. Number 3." His coach, coach Anderson called and tossed him his brand new soccer jersey.
"Thanks coach." Zayn caught the shirt and inspected it.
A head snapped up upon the mention of Zayn's surname.
Malik. Ma - Lik. Where have I heard that name before? Hmm - oh dear little 'Zaynie'. Is that him? Wow, it has been too long. Never did I think I'd cross paths with him here, of all places.
***
"Wanna come out tonight? Boys and I are celebrating."
"Uhm," Harry scribbled away at something he needed to add to his CV. "What time?"
"Around eight. Nine...ten?"
"Nice. Really narrowing it down for me." Harry grinned.
"What?" Zayn asked at someone could be heard shouting at him in the background. "Nine? Okay. Nine is great."
"Hi Liam." Harry laughed.
"Bring Lou as well." Zayn laughed and Harry couldn't help but roll his eyes at Zayn's fears even though he understood it very well.
"Come out with us tonight?" He asked Louis with his phone pressed to his shoulder.
"Nah."
"Pleeeaaasse?" Harry begged and Louis frowned.
"Why? I'm lazy."
"For me, best friend?"
"Oh, fuck off." Louis tried to bite back a smile but failed.
"Please!"
"Fine! Fucking hell, you're so damn whiny." Louis groaned and tapped away at his phone before shoving it into his pocket and pushing himself off of the couch to go and get dressed.
"See you then."
"Alright, later babe."
"Babe, ey?" Liam wagged his eyebrows at Zayn.
"Shut it." Zayn warned.
*
"Louis?"
"What?"
"Can I come in?" Harry stood outside Louis' room, anxiously playing with his fingers.
"Yes? Why are you asking?" Louis opened the door for him went back to picking a shirt.
"Oh. Thought it was locked." Harry mumbled and went to sit on his bed. "Can actually see the floor in here for once."
"Can actually see the floor in here." Louis mimicked Harry. "Right. What do you need for lover boy now?"
"What? No, nothing - well, not right now anyway...but you know Valentines Day is coming up?"
"It is?" Louis glanced over his shoulder at Harry and shrugged.
"Yea... well, I was just wondering if it'll be weird to get Zayn something?"
"No? Unless you want get him like nipple clamps or anal be-"
"Louis!"
"If you guys are into those things then hey go a-"
"LOUIS."
Louis laughed to himself and pulled out his grey sweater before turning around to give Harry a wink. "You're so whipped for him Harry, my goodness." He said pulling the sweater over his torso and taking a look at himself in the mirror.
"Yea...well..."
"Get him a picture frame." Louis suggested. "It's not like, super serious but still nice, yea?"
".. That's actually not that bad of an idea."
*
"Karaoke night. Really, Liam?"
"Come on Zayn, you know I love singing. Plus I didn't make it on the team so I'm still a bit sad -"
"Oh please! You can't dangle that over everyone's head just to get your way everytime." Zayn laughed while Liam chuckled back at him and made his way up to the stage.
Escape (The Piña Colada song) started playing and the entire pub cheered Liam on as he sang.
"Come up."He called for Zayn in the middle of the song and Zayn waved the offer away.
"No ways." He mouthed, so instead, Louis jumped up (already having a few drinks in his system) and sang along with Liam.
"If you like making love at midnight, in the dunes of the Cape," Liam and Louis sang while pointing at a couple of girls who were well into the song and performance.
Zayn was just about to turn to Harry to mention how good the duo on stage actually were when he found a brunette happily make herself right at home on his lap. His eyes almost bulged right out of his head and Harry clenched his jaw.
"Sorry, was this seat taken?" She flirted, drunk as anything.
Zayn chuckled nervously and wrapped a stiff arm around her waist. Luckily for Zayn, the song had come to an end and Louis had noticed his little situation. "'Ello lovely!" He grabbed her hand and pulled her off of Zayn's lap. "Zayn's up next." He said looking him dead in the eye and pulled the girl into his arms to start dancing with her.
"Right. Yep." Zayn nearly shot up out of his chair and felt his palms grow sweaty.
Dreamy pop music started to fill the area and Harry had to clamp his hand over his mouth to keep from laughing out loud at how fast Zayn dodged his admirer.
"I'm Louis." Louis said as he waited for Zayn to start singing.
"I didn't ask." The girl bit back and turned to pout at Zayn who paid her no attention while on stage.
"Mm, charmed." Louis smiled and spun her into another man's arms as soon as Zayn started to sing. That man just happened to be Niall who proceeded to turn on the charm only to have the drunk and frustrated girl scoff in his face.
"Yea, yea. He's taken, love." He mumbled once he saw the longing look on her face pointed in Zayn's direction, and dropped his arms from hers, heading to the bar.
Louis made his way to where Harry was and took Zayn's place.
"Well, she was just lovely. Hey, isn't this Matt's band? What? 85 something?"
"The 1975." Harry corrected him.
"What are the odds of that? Your new guy singing a song by your ex?" Louis teased and Harry jokingly glared at him.
"Who even thought he would've become that famous."
"Alright, alright. Shush." Harry quietened him and listened to Zayn sing 'Somebody Else'.
He's actually got a really lovely voice.
Zayn started laughing halfway through the song because of the lyrics and let someone else take over from him.
"Sorry about that." He whispered to Harry once he sat down again.
Harry smiled and gently stroked the back of his hand with his thumb under the table.
"Another round?"
A/N: so, sort of AU, sort of real world with the 1975 ..also, wonder who's the blast from Zayn's past? 👀