BACKWOODS » Zarry ✅

🏙 29: ...Who Needs Enemies?

Zayn hadn't planned on spending the day with anyone besides Harry when he woke up today. With the rain, he figured it was a great opportunity to stay in after work was over and enjoy each other's company for another day. It was safe to say he'd gotten pretty spoiled with Harry waking up in his bed for two straight days and he just wanted even more of that.

But now with the talk Harry had with his sister which Zayn was pretty much forced to be apart of, his afternoon and evening- and now night- had gradually consisted of so much more than just the two of them. Between both their family and friends, the entire day is shaping up to be one big giant bowl of their two worlds being joined and stired together. It's the first time it has ever really happened at such quick a rate.

Gemma had told them to forget about the conversation they had in her living room. And even before they left out, she'd reminded them that making hasty decisions wasn't wise one way or the other. So they'd decided to put everything aside and just take her advice to go drinking.

Well at least Zayn is eager to go. Harry on the other hand hasn't quite warmed up to the idea of just pulling up to a bar located just on the outskirts of a shady residential neighborhood and walking inside.

"Zayn. It's nine oclock. It's late." Harry says as he grips the door handle.

"It's not really that late when you're in the city."

"But what if... I don't know... Somethin' bad happens?"

"Like what?"

"Like... a bar fight. Or a brawl that ends in folks getting hurt."

Zayn chuckles but he keeps it minimal so Harry won't think he's laughing at him.

"Bar fights rarely ever happen. And if they do, they usually get broken up by security before they turn into a brawl. You have nothing to worry about."

"How do you know?"

"Because I went to these places all the time with... friends. It's fine. Trust me. Plus I'll be there in case someone randomly wants to fight you or something."

Now it's Harry's turn to chuckle.

"You know I don't really need you to save me though, right? I haul gallons and gallons of bins full of Emma's manure all the time and I lift bales of hay multiple times a week. On top of that, I used to corral chickens while they was pecking me at the same time and I sometimes had to catch and hold down our pig, Margie when she would run clear off crazy after a mornin' in the mud. A man's hands ain't an issue. I just don't want nobody pulling out a gun and I end up in an urn next to my Papa cause of a stray bullet. I got too many plans."

Zayn thinks about that. Everything he just said is true. So if anybody is protecting anyone physically, it would likely be Harry protecting him. But it is still his role to reassure him when he's feeling unsettled.

"That won't happen, babe. I got you no matter what. Just stick to me."

Harry smiles over at him. That's a really sweet thing for him to say. "Fine. I'll trust you since this is your city and you helped me before. I'm ready to go meet your friends."

They both get out of the car and as they walk towards the building in the drizzling rain, Harry looks up at the sign above the building. Its name is in bright pink lights along with a flashing martini glass. It's hard to miss.

In that moment he sees a couple come out of the bar kissing, both clearly so drunk they can barely even stand and do it right. It makes him think about his sister and how she said she would come here and drink with Anthony. Did they sometimes walk out of here like that couple did, kissing and stumbling all over the place? He hates to think his sister was ever doing that while he was at home sleeping and dreaming at night. But he has a feeling that was exactly what she was doing.