Talk To Me [Zarry]

FOUR

"Come on Zayn! Just do this favour for me, please!" Niall begged, latching on to his arm as they walked towards their favourite lunch spot. 

"Niall will you stop yelling!" Zayn hissed, eyes looking around nervously before settling back on the brunette who just wouldn't leave him alone. "No, I'm not going to write your cover letter for you and don't even try to use the fact that we're friends against me. It won't work." He warned and Niall groaned, throwing his head back as he let go of Zayn's arm and sat down on the picnic table, grumbling as he brought out his lunch. 

"Oh come Z, just help him out at least." Louis laughed as he and Liam sat down as well, Zayn rolled his eyes as he lit a cigarette. 

"We both know I'll end up doing all the work." Zayn mumbled and Niall smirked sheepishly while Louis laughed harder. Liam's unusual silence went unnoticed by everyone except Zayn, whose mind fell back to Harry's words. 

"You ok there Liam?" He asked and the brunette glanced at Zayn. 

"Are you asking as a friend or someone you know through mutual association?" Liam snarked back and Zayn blinked, taken aback. Louis and Niall who had been in their own conversation stopped talking and looked between the two nervously. Louis particularly worried, knowing Zayn's anxiety when it came to confrontation and uncomfortable social situations. 

"I-"

"I'm going to get some food." Liam said as he stood up suddenly, not giving Zayn the chance to speak as he walked away. The latter blinked cluelessly at his other two friends before taking off after Liam. 

"Liam wait!" He called, grabbing his arm and in doing so forcing him to turn and look at him. "I know I shouldn't have said that I just knew you through mutual friends, it was wrong of me and I'm sorry. I didn't mean it in that way at all, I-"

"I know you and I aren't, and will never be, as close as you are to Louis, and I respect that. It's just, I feel like you never make as much as an effort to be friends with me as you do with Niall, for example. Fuck, you seem to be better friends with that mute guy than with me." At that point of the conversation Zayn had become distracted by the sight of Harry a distance away, sitting by himself on the grass as he ate his lunch. He was looking around at all the students sitting with their friend groups and even from how far away Zayn was standing, he could see the solemn look of longing on Harry's face. 

"I almost feel like you don't like me and you're just tolerating me for the sake of the others." Zayn's attention snapped back to Liam and he shook his head adamantly. 

"No, no, Liam you've got it all wrong. I promise you that I consider you as one of my closest friends and I really am sorry if I've ever made you feel that way. I don't know why I said that last time in front of Harry, it was wrong of me. I'm sorry. " Zayn spoke with sincerity, never having been one to back down from an apology when something was his fault, a trait that he had picked from his father. 

"It's fine." Liam sighed with a smile, " I know it's not a big deal but our friendship means a lot to me and the thought of it not meaning the same to you hurt. Do you want to get some food?" Zayn shook his head, lighting up another cigarette before speaking. 

"I'm going to meet Harry for a second, tell the others I'll be right back." Liam nodded slowly, frown on his face going unnoticed by Zayn who gave him a quick reassuring hug before walking off towards Harry. 

"Hey." He spoke as he approached the quiet, younger man. Harry looked up at Zayn with a large, excited smile before he scrunched up his face at the sight of the cigarette. "You really can't stand my smoking can you?" Zayn chuckled, finishing up the death stick before throwing it to the ground, pressing his foot down on it. Harry nodded with a stern expression before bringing his finger across his throat.