After few weeks Rodger finally gets the chance to meet Liam's apparent 'girlfriend', first he was quiet taken back but his eyes sparkles almost immediately.
"No way", Rodger gasps when she shakes his hand, "You're too pretty to be Liam's girlfriend", he comments making the girl giggle softly as he brings her hand to his lips and kisses her knuckles, "Rodger Malik"
"Hazel Heartfelia"
Rodger holds her hand for a beat long and hooks his eyes on Liam who eyes are busy searching someone else to even hear or be bothered by Rodger complimenting/ chatting up his girl friend.
"So Miss Felia, how's life serving you?"
"Good", she nods, wrapping her hand around Liam's bicep, "How about you?"
"Nice", Rodger rubs the back of his neck, "Great", they keep talking and soon Rod looks at Harry, hoping he would save him from his awkward hmm cause he is running out of things to talk and the silence that's starting to surface is pretty suffocating but apparently the lad is too invested in whatever Niall is saying him.
"You're just like Zayn"
Her comment makes him snort on instinct, " Except for the eyes, of course, You have prettier eyes"
Rodger is about to thank her when Liam speaks up, "I beg to differ"
She looks surprised and is about to say something when Rodger takes pity on the guy for once, "Oh please, you're just jealous of my pretty eyes"
Hazel laughs and shakes her head is approval, "So Rod, what do you do?"
Rodger is about to reply but is distracted when Zayn forces his place beside him, "Did I miss anything?" he asks Liam.
"Fashionably late, bro" Rodger snorts and leans in to whisper in Zayn's ear, "Can we leave? Like now?"
Zayn chuckles and shakes his head, "What you talking about? I just got here"
"Urghh" Rodger groans and falsely smiles at Hazel who looks at him expectedly.
"Let's dance" Harry suggests after watching the discomfort in Rodger's face as he struggles to show interest in whatever Hazel was saying to him. so, thanks to him Liam and Hazel went straight to the floor while Zayn goes straight to bar to help himself, Louis, Niall decides to finish their drinks first and Harry excuses himself to go to the washroom so Rodger stands on his own, closely making his way to his brother.
"So" Rodger arches his eyebrow and steals Zayn's drink that is just placed in front of him, "Looking all lonely there, bro"
Zayn snorts a laugh and gives him a side look, "You're here, aren't you? Beside,", he turns to the dance where the duo is dancing in each other's arms, "me best mate is busy"
Rodger follows his gaze, "She is a pretty bird, blonde hair, decent dressing sense, sexy smile-"
"Please don't hit on her just to piss Liam"
"Oh shit! that's an excellent idea, Z" Rodger goes to leave his spot but Zayn quickly forces him to sit back, "Chill", he smirks, "She ain't my type anyway"
Zayn grins, "Talkative?"
Rodger nods as he completes his drink in one chug, "Since he is getting laid, you should too"
Zayn furrows his eyebrows in confusion, "Where's the sense in that?"
His brother simply shrugs in response, "With a face like that", he points a finger at Zayn, "You can get anyone"
Zayn laughs and shakes his head, "complimenting me or yourself?"
"Oh please I am prettier, I can even get aliens"
Zayn laughs again, "I am glad you're here, Rod, I missed you"
"Sap" Rodger comments but hides his smile against the rim of an empty glass.
"Wanna dance?" A voice from back grabs the brothers attention, they turn simultaneously shocking the girl who wasn't expecting two set eyes with the same face looking back at her, "Whoever feel like..." she nervously adds.
The girl's pretty, that's the first thing Rodger noticed, red hair, blue eyes, sun kissed skin, he is about to leave his chair but for the sake of it, he turns to Zayn who seems to reject the request as his eyes are concentrated on Liam's faint shadow, Rodger rolls his eyes.
"By all means, brother", he kicks Zayn's calf under the stool grabbing his utmost attention , "It will be his honor", he butter talks the girl, "Can I get your pretty name?"
"Alice", she responds almost immediately and takes Zayn's hand when he offers it and follows him to the floor, on her way she turns back to Rodger who winks at her and spins at his stool to orders a drink.
Not soon after Harry and Louis joins him while Niall goes on the dance floor to find someone to dance with. Rodger slowly sips on his drink as he watches Zayn dance with Alice, her hands loosely wrapped around his neck, Zayn's hands on her waist as they swing at the beat of No Judgement song that's buzzing the entire room. (*Huge shout-out to that beautiful song*)
Zayn's having good time, Rodger can tell and his lips twitches in a small smile when he finds someone who is not having a good time anymore, “Kids", he rolls his eyes at Liam who is looking past his shoulder with every step and even from far Rod can sense Hazel's confused eyes, their uncoordinated moves, Liam even accidentally steps on her foot once or twice.
"So how's the diner thing coming along?" Niall asks Rodger taking his attention away from the couple dancing with someone else.
"Good" Rodger nods, "Saw the place yesterday, its almost set, Dad sent some of his employs even after we told him not to butt in"
"The staff is set" Harry fills in, "We have some open scape so that’s good"
"We still have to discuss my salary though" Louis says making Harry snort and Rod agree.
"When's the inauguration?"
"Next week"
"It's gonna be fun" Rodger says but when the day comes its anything but fun.
His family is here, of course, the tactic behind getting the place on a busy street for getting customers was precise. It was suppose to be a happy day but what ruined it was Liam absence and Zayn's attitude to acknowledge that. He was smiling and working as a waiter just for the first day and Rodger, Harry, Niall and Louis can tell how much that bothered Zayn and how much he is faking his smile.
With every bell sound announcing a new customer, Zayn dropped everything he doing as fixes his eyes on the entrance and the disappointment that settles in his eyes when its not Liam was so visible that it started frustrating Rodger.
It was not like Liam was one of his favorite people in the world but still it was a big day for Zayn, for everyone, so he hoped to see Liam, so support them.
"Where's Liam?" Rodger finally asks Zayn when he passes through him.
Zayn just shrugs, "With Hazel, apparently its her parent's anniversary so..."
"So that is more important that this? HE IS FUCKING SERIOUS?"
"WHAT IS THAT TO YOU? I DON'T CARE IF HE'S HERE OR NOT! I DON'T GIVE A FLYING FUCK!" he screams at his face but his instincts react without his intention when a bell sings and Zayn's eyes goes straight to the door.
"You sure don't" Rodger mocks and studies Zayn's distraught face for a minute before leaving.
Liam's absence sure brought Rodger and Zayn closer than they were before in someway he can't point but watching Zayn hurt or anxious is something he can't stand.
There's another bell sound and even when he doesn't want to, he finds himself looking at the entrance and his pulse picks up when he finds Liam walk in, hands in hand with Hazel who seemed like she rather be anywhere but here.
He waves at him but Rodger rolls his eyes and ignores them all in whole. Liam makes himself feel home as he finds Zayn's family and introduces his girlfriend to everyone, thankfully Zayn is ignoring him too, his half ass-ed thanks when Liam congratulated him was the best thing Rod experienced the entire night.
If it was possible Zayn was more pissed than before and Rodger knew exactly why, "He fucking likes him" he tells his friends who nods nonchalantly, "I knew it- it's so fucking obvious"
"We should confront him", Niall says
"Do you not know Zayn?" Louis snorts, "He is never accept it"
"Leave that to me" Rodger grins, "I will make him confess"
"What about Li?" Harry asks, eyes flickering on Liam who's chatting with Zayn's dad, "He seems pretty stoked about the girl"
"Is that so?" Rodger evilly smirks when Liam's eyes occasionally falls on Zayn who is attending customers, looking distracted from whatever the person infront of him was telling.
"Liam is an oblivious fool- We just need to make him see, to make him confess-" Rodger sentence is cut off when a girl out of no where comes and hug him.
"Oh my God, Zaynie, this place is perfect, congrats!" She says excitedly and hugs him even tighter and the only thing that's in Rodger's head is.
'Who the fuck is she?'
She pulls away and notes the confusion on the fella's face, "Are you wearing lens?"
Rodger arches his brow.
"Shaed" Zayn calls from behind and she spins on her heels, wide eyes looking between Zayn and Rodger.
"YOU HAVE A TWIN?" She asks as he walks towards Zayn.
Louis watches the whole incident and a smirk twitches his lips, "I have a plan" he says proudly, "to make Liam confess"