The dull aroma of Italian spices from the dinner Zayn has cooked lingers through his penthouse. He's barely made it through the dreadful meal with his female friend when his dog coincidentally gets sick. Zayn thanks the universe and waits for the blonde to leave his home. He holds the door open, with false disappointment, as the petite woman puts her shoes on and adjusts her purse over her shoulder.
"I really hope your dog feels better!" She says as she walks out the door, worry evident in her tone.
Ellie's a sweet girl, but she hasn't even made an effort to act like she isn't just here for sex: that was the one thing women wanted from him. Don't get Zayn wrong, he enjoys sex, but he wants more than that. He feels that he deserves better than to be treated like an object and so do these women. He likes to get to know girls first, have a real conversation with them, be comfortable with them, and only then he is willing to get intimate with them. He wines and dines them. He spoils them the way they deserve. He makes an effort and he expects the same back. Is that so wrong?
Zayn had been trying to come up with some kind of excuse to get out of having sex with Ellie until his dog fell sick: not to sound like an ass but that's what you call perfect timing. Obviously, Zayn was worried about his dog: his name is Stitch, by the way, because his ears reminded him of the Disney character.
"Thank you, El." Zayn replies earnestly. "I'm really sorry our time together got cut short."
"You'll just have to make it up to me somehow." Ellie winks at him and it takes everything in him to not roll his eyes. He'd rather eat grass than hang out with her bland personality again.
"Yeah yeah, of course." Zayn chuckles.
Now please leave.
She places a kiss on his cheek and Zayn barely waits for her to cross the threshold to close the door. He rests his back against it once it's closed and lets out a breath of relief. Then he hears Stitch whining again and he curses.
"Fuck, Stitch I'm coming buddy!" He runs up the stairs and finds Stitch laying right where he had left him, except he'd thrown up again.
"Aw come on bud! Not again!"
Stitch is a fairly small dog which makes it easy for Zayn to scoop him up into a blanket. Zayn rubs his back, his head, his ears, trying to comfort him. Stitch's whines grow quieter which eases Zayn's worry.
He has medicine for him around here somewhere since this isn't the first time something like this has happened. Stitch always manages to find ways to eat things he shouldn't be eating.
"What did you eat now?" Zayn scolds him and Stitch whines louder in response.
He isn't just Zayn's dog—he's also his ex-girlfriend's dog. Because they're still good friends, she leaves Stitch with him whenever she gets a chance. So Stitch getting sick on his watch isn't a good thing, but thankfully Zayn is prepared.
"Don't try to act all innocent. I know you better than that. Next time I cook, you're staying locked upstairs until everything's clean. You always manage to get something off the ground."
Stitch groans which makes Zayn laugh. "I'm getting you some medicine. Hang in there." He carries Stitch to the room with all of the pet supplies.
One thing about Zayn is that he loves animals, so of course, Stitch isn't his only pet. Zayn also has a sphynx named Dobby (yes, as in the house elf from Harry Potter) who was probably hiding somewhere and a lizard who he had yet to name. Back home in Bradford, he also shares many pets with his family.
Zayn grew up in the U.K., but he came to the U.S. at 17 when he got offered a modeling gig. An agency had been scouting: when Zayn caught their eye, they thought he had a lot of potential. At that time, his family wasn't doing too well on income. His mum and dad had to support Zayn and his three sisters. Which is why Zayn took it upon himself to help his family out. His parents were never too strict on him or his siblings: they were given a lot of freedom to make their own decisions which is why they fully supported their children
Zayn never had an interest in modeling prior to the gig, but he soon grew a liking to it. In the start, he struggled with anxiety and it was really hard for him to adjust. It wasn't that Zayn was self-conscious because, honestly, he doesn't give a fuck what people think. However, he didn't enjoy the spotlight. He didn't want to seem narcissistic. As a child, he was quite reserved, but he was able to grow out of that over time: what once brought him anxiety was now a source of exhilaration. It took a lot of training and grooming but it paid off since Zayn was now one of the top male models in the industry.
He's got his own place in New York City where it's just him and his pets. Zayn doesn't mind being alone. In fact, some call Zayn peculiar because he likes to stay in a lot, but Zayn's not antisocial. He's just picky about who he befriends and he'll be very outgoing when he's around those individuals but, afterward, he needs some time to himself.
Zayn catches himself daydreaming when Stitch begins to whine and squirm again. He remembers his task at hand and examines the shelves and shifts Stitch so that he's being held with one hand. Zayn grabs the box of tablets and manages to get one in his mouth after a long struggle. He then places him on the ground near his water bowl which he drinks out of immediately.
"Good boy."
Stitch still seems a little weak from all the vomiting, obviously dehydrated, so Zayn picks him up again and takes him to his bedroom. While he's rubbing his head to comfort him he whispers, "You know, you actually saved me tonight. So thank you." Stitch lets out a little bark in response and Zayn smiles. He loves how Stitch always seems to understand him.
He sets him down on the bed and heads towards his closet so that he can change into something a little more relaxing. He kicks off his boots and then slips out of his flannel. Keeping his t-shirt on, he just replaces his black jeans with some sweatpants. He tosses the flannel into a hamper and places his boots back on the shelf with the others. Another thing about Zayn, he's picked up on some organization skills over the years due to being around stylists 24/7.
Turning the closet light off, he steps back into his bedroom and reaches underneath his bed where he keeps his weed along with other supplies. He tucks the tin box under one arm and grabs Stitch again, carrying him out of the bedroom and downstairs to the living room. He places a now sleepy looking Stitch down on the sofa and takes the tin box with him out to the terrace.
He sits down on one of the chairs and opens the box in his lap. It's mid-September and it starts to get a little cold once the sun sets but Zayn's going to warming up pretty soon. He takes out the rolling paper first, placing it on the lid of the box. He then takes out some weed and once it's crushed and rolled into a joint, he places it between his lips and lights it.
He inhales the bitter smoke, keeping most of it in his mouth which is the best way to get the full effect of the weed. Most people can't keep it in and end up coughing but Zayn was a pro at this point. He started off smoking regular cigarettes in his teens. He's tried quitting many times but he just can't bring himself to. He then went from smoking cigarettes to smoking weed not too long ago. He still remembers the first time he got high and how he never wanted to stop feeling like that. It made him feel like he could do anything and be anyone. It takes away his anxiety, his stress, and the restlessness inside of him that doesn't seem to ever go away otherwise. It's his escape.
Zayn hears his phone ringing inside and he's glad it rang after he was done with his joint. He's feeling a little hazy as he heads inside to answer it and passes by Stitch who's snoring.
"What's up, Leah?"
Leah is Zayn's manager.
"Just booked a photoshoot for the designer Liana Ali. She's got a new line coming out for her boutique and her team wanted you to model the clothes."
Zayn's heard that name. A lot of his co-workers have worked with her and have said nice things about her. They've also said she's quite fit. Zayn hasn't ever met her in person though, he's only seen pictures, and based off of those he has to agree.
"Alright, cool." Zayn takes a seat on the couch next to Stitch. "When's the shoot?"
"Next Tuesday. Since you haven't got anything else scheduled for that day."
"Sounds good. Thanks, Leah."
"You sound high as fuck. Please go get some sleep, you've got a show tomorrow."
Zayn laughs, "Fuck off yeah? I'll be fine."
"Y-"
He pulls the phone away from his ear, "Goodnight, Leah." He sings before hanging up.
***
A/N:
Happy New Year everyone! What's a better way to start off the new year than with the first chapter? Am I right?
I'm on winter break right now which is why I finally got a chance to write mainly due to my personal motivator (you know who you are) constantly telling me to write and asking me when I'll update. So shoutout to her. I'll try to get another update in before the new semester starts.
This was the first chapter! We got Zayn's introduction. How was it? Are we excited for Liana to be introduced and for them to meet??
Also, if anyone wants to discuss Icarus Falls i'm down. Because WHEW... Zayn did THAT! What's your favorite song??
Don't forget to comment and vote! xx
-E