"Love meant jumping off a cliff and trusting that a certain person would be there to catch you at the bottom.” ~Jodi Picoult, Second Glance
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2012 © All rights reserved
A ЂώζЅŧ of Fate ♪ Twenty-three
“What the hell is going on here?”
His tone was low and soft yet I could hear it straining with anger. This kind of tone was worse than the loud blasting of temper when a person yelled at you when he was mad. It was much more terrifying because you know that the person was really really very angry if he used such a tone.
I have never seen Zayn got mad. He was always calm and composed. If there was anything that angered him or pissed him off, he would just keep quiet, go to a corner or simply walk away. Most of the time, he would just go off for a smoke. Seems like a cigarette always helps when a smoker gets agitated.
Looking at him now actually frightened me.
Of course, Colin and I had done nothing wrong. In fact, I owed him one. It just seemed that Zayn always caught us at the wrong moments. Just like the other time in the elevator when Colin gave me a hug. I refused to read too much into it as to why he gave me that hug although Val had insisted that it must be more than just friendly. Colin was all but a brother to me.
Colin spoke out first. His voice was soft and low as well, as if calming Zayn.
“It is not what you think,” he started. “But before we get to it, can I go grab a shirt on? It sure is cold.”
He cupped his hands under his arms covering his exposed torso as he shivered.
Zayn eyed him from his side glance without turning his head. After a few seconds of silent staring, he stood aside to allow Colin to pass.
“Thanks,” Colin said.
As he made his way back to his door passing by Zayn, he said, “You should get her back into bed. She’s running a fever.”
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After Colin shut the door behind him with a click, Zayn’s glaze returned to me. He remained silent.
“Zayn…” I whispered. Then I offered him a smile, “Come in?”
He continued staring at me and I saw him hesitated before he let out a sigh.
“What happened?” The anger from his tone was milder than before as it softened.
Before I could reply him, Colin was back.
“Didn’t I tell you to get her back to bed?” Colin questioned him. “She shouldn’t be standing here out in the cold.”
He brushed past Zayn and gently pushed me back to bed. “You better come in too,” he told Zayn over his shoulder.
As he tucked me back into bed, I saw Zayn standing in the middle of the room, still fixing his glaze on the both of us. He still has yet to utter a single word.
Colin turned to face him.
“She’s running a fever,” he said. “I came to get her for dinner because I didn’t see her downstairs. She was looking dazed and dizzy then I realised she felt hot. I had given her some panadol. I think she’s better now. Not so hot.” He turned over his shoulder and took a look at me.
“When she woke up just now,” he continued. “She got up to charge her phone. Probably afraid that you would be trying to call her. But she started puking all over me before she reached the bathroom. I took off my shirt to wash it off. You probably can still find it in the sink.”
“I think we should get some medication for stopping the puking, just in case. I happened to run out on those. Do you have anything in your room for that?”
I saw Zayn blinked a couple of times, probably to digest the information.
“Puking?” he asked stupidly.
Colin sighed, “I doubt so. You stay here with her. I’ll go out and get some.”
“I can go and get some,” Zayn offered, still with that blank look on his face.
“You are her boyfriend,” Colin cut in. “You’ll be better off with her. She needs you now. Besides, it will be faster if I go. Who knows who you might attract along the way…” he smirked before walking his way out. “I’ll be back in a tick.”
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Zayn came over to the bed and sat by me as he kicked off his shoes. He placed a hand to my forehead.
“How are you feeling?” he asked softly.
“Not really good,” I admitted. “My head is pounding.”
“What time did you last took the medicine?”
“I have no idea… Colin gave them to me…”
He let out a sigh. “Why didn’t you call me when you weren’t feeling well?”
“I went to bed after you left,” I said. “Then Colin woke me up with the bell ringing. It was then he realised I was feverish.”
“I’m so sorry…” his words choked in his throat and he looked like he was on the verge of breaking down.
“Huh…?”
“I wasn’t here when you needed me…” he whispered. “I wasn’t here to take care of you.”
“Silly,” I smiled before reaching out to caress his face. I could feel the remnants of his stubbles from his last shave.
“You had to go for shows…” I said. “What time is it now anyway?”
“Eleven…”
I sighed, “Sorry, I missed your show.”
“Argh, that’s not important,” he interrupted. “You are more important. Besides, you can always catch it on YouTube later…”
I chuckled. That was true. No doubt about it.
“There is nothing between Colin and me…”
“I know,” he clasped my hand in his.
“You looked like you were ready to murder someone…” I pointed out.
“I was just too shocked to see him half naked and stepping out from your room…”
I looked up into his eyes. The beautiful brown which I remembered had returned to fill the angry eyes I saw earlier.
“I shouldn’t have doubted you…” he shook his head.
“Now you know,” I teased.
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I slept through the night restlessly with Zayn by my side. He would not allow me to move around on my side – even to the bathroom.
“But I need to use the bathroom,” I insisted.
“Then I’ll go in with you,” he said stubbornly.
“Zayn!”
“What if you faint inside there?”
“Then you would probably hear it…”
“Jo!”
“I’ll be fine!”
“Fine, I’ll wait outside right at the door. Don’t lock the door!”
“Whatever…”
***
“Are you okay?”
“Yes!”
“It’s been awhile…”
“Zayn! I just got in!”
“Okay…”
***
“All okay?” He stood outside the bathroom anxiously when I pulled opened the door.
“Zayn! I’m fine!”
“You were still feeling giddy just now.”
“That’s because I sat up too fast. My head couldn’t quite register it.”
“Better not risk it,” he had his hand on my hand to steady me.
“Zayn! You are making me feel like an invalid.”
He narrowed his eyes, “Better safe than sorry.”
I sighed. This was worse than being an invalid.
“I’ve got Colin to keep an eye on you later when I’m not around.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“Can you please let him keep his shirt on?” he teased.
I glared at him. “I try. Maybe his trousers will go off this time…”
“What??”
I chuckled. “You started it first.”
He rolled his eyes. “Please…”
“What show are you guys doing today?”
“It’s a radio show, so I’ll be back before dinner.”
“So, I get to hear you on radio?”
“I guess so,” he shrugged.
“Which channel?”
“I’ll have to check it out,” he tucked me back into bed.
I remained in a seating position. “I have enough of lying in bed. It’s giving me the headaches.”
He frowned, “Are you sure it’s not because of the fever?”
“Didn’t you take my temperature already?”
“Yeah…”
“So, you know there’s no fever,” I pointed out.
“Who knows…”
“You are worse than my mom,” I grumbled.
“Sorry,” he apologised. “But I’m really worried…”
“I know,” I broke into a smile. “But don’t worry k? I’m really fine. It’s just the jet lag yesterday and probably the food on the plane.”
“I’m still worried about your stomach…”
“I haven’t puke today,” I grinned.
He glared at me. “If it comes back, you are going straight to the doctor.”
I grimaced and pouted.
“So, you better be a good girl and stay in bed,” he threatened.
“Yes, mother.”
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“That is disgustingly gross!” I exclaimed.
We were having a light chill out session in the VIP lounge after the rehearsal.
“So,” Louis asked. “You are feeling better?”
I nodded.
After three days of nursing in bed, I was definitely better. At least, the fever had subsided. The puking was gone, thank goodness. My stomach was still feeling weird, but I kept it from Zayn and Colin. Both of them had been fussing over me ever since the first day I gotten sick. Zayn was always by my side. If he had to be away for shows, he made sure Colin was around to keep an eye on me. These two guys were seriously worst than my mom ten times.
“Are you sure you are not pregnant?” Harry joked.
Both Zayn and I glared at him.
“NO!” I rolled my eyes.
Harry chuckled and shrugged, “Well, who knows…”
The rest of the guys gave him the look.
“No,” he tried to defend himself. “I’m serious. Sometimes, accidents do happen, you know…”
“In this case, there were no accidents to happen in the first place,” I retorted.
He raised an eyebrow.
“Don’t go into it,” Liam warned him and shook his head.
“Whatever…”
“Harry’s been grouchy today,” Niall laughed.
“I think he misses his girlfriend,” Louis smirked.
“What girlfriend?” I asked curiously as I looked around at them. “Harry got himself a girlfriend?”
Since nobody answered, I looked to Zayn.
He shrugged, refusing to say anything more.
“Fine,” I sighed.
“Harry’s into this girl recently,” Liam finally spoke up. “Things are getting intense, I believe…” He looked to Harry in wonder.
“I don’t know,” Harry shook his head of curls, doing his favourite habit of messing them up. The messier the better – that was his principle. “We’ll see where it leads.”
“Well,” I said. “I’m happy for you.”
Harry looked up at me, puzzled.
I smiled, “It’ll be good you can find yourself a nice girl.”
He returned my smile, “Jo is always the best.”
“She’s taken,” Zayn reminded him.
“Yeah,” Harry smirked. “If I did not step out of the picture, you probably won’t get a chance.”
Zayn rolled his eyes, “The last I remembered was she rejected you.”
Ouch.
Harry merely frowned. “If I wanted, I would have worked hard at it.”
“Right,” Zayn snorted.
“Stop it, guys,” I cut in. I changed the subject. “So, what’s the game you are playing this time?”
“It’s called the brain freeze game!” Louis piped.
“Brain freeze game?” I raised an eyebrow.
“It’s to see who can finish up the ice shots in the shortest time without getting brain freeze,” Niall explained.
“Wherever did you get that idea?” I rolled my eyes.
“Zayn,” both of them chorused.
“Zayn?” I looked to Zayn bemused.
“I played it during X-factor. We were just fooling around with nothing to do so someone came up with this silly game,” Zayn replied. “I won anyway.” He added with a grin.
“Really…” I eyed him dubiously.
“Should I show you again?” He winked.
“I’m going to beat you,” Louis declared.
“Bring it on!” Zayn rolled up his sleeves.
Each of them got five shots of crushed ice before them except Liam who shook his head.
“Ready?” I shouted. “Get set… Go!”
Without using their hands, they bit the cups up as they tried desperately to shake the contents into their mouths.
I laughed till tears rolled down my cheeks. “This is epic!”
Harry was the most comical since his hair got in the way most of the time.
“Go Zayn!” I cheered beside him as he attacked his final cup.
“Done!” he laid down his cup and turned over to give me a kiss which caused me to shudder since his lips were freezing cold.
Louis and Niall were the next to finish. Harry was still struggling with his third cup in the midst of his messy hair.
“How should we punish the loser?” Niall asked evilly.
“Hmm…” Louis pretended to ponder seriously.
“Make him do a strip tease,” Zayn laughed.
“No!” I exclaimed.
“That would be way too easy for him!” Liam protested.
“Come on, decide what you want me to do,” Harry pretended to yawn to show that he was bored.
The four of them exchanged knowing glances. I wondered what they were up to…
“Dunk him!” Louis shouted.
As on cue, the four of them jumped on him and began to attack him with tickles. Harry screamed out loudly, pleading for help.
I sat there laughing till my sides ached.
***AUTHOR'S NOTE***
Hi all~ Okay, I'm NOT going to leave you hanging there for the weekend for I know how it feels. So this is a good breakpoint - at least it's cheerful.
Zayn's a nice guy - or so, as I portrayed him to be - so a simple matter like this won't upset him too much :-)