Amsterdam

3. Zayn

Zayn was a quiet person. When he was on the X Factor, he was very shy and had low self-esteem. When he sang with Niall and the boys, sometimes he wouldn't sing as loud as them because of those reasons. Niall tried to encourage him to sing louder when they perform along with the other boys. But, Zayn was still pretty quiet in the end.

When they got off the X Factor though, Zayn's confidence grew. At the X Factor tour, Zayn was louder and he opened up more to Niall and the lads. When they did their first tour alone, Zayn had improved a lot and he already came out of his shell. But, he was still kind of shy.

When they're going out somewhere or when there's a party, he'd retreat from the crowd and just be by himself outside. Niall would watch him from afar when he does that and sometimes he'd join in himself. They wouldn't talk that much, they'd just stand there together in the silence. It was just one of those moments when Niall appreciated Zayn's presence and Zayn appreciated his.

But when Zayn gets too quiet, it usually meant that something's bothering him. Niall always checked the Bradford boy when he's like that, and today's no exception.

The stage was finally ready, so the boys were allowed to do their soundcheck. Paul, their choreographer, was standing on the front row. He told the boys to be ready backstage, and also for the band to start playing the music.

The soundcheck went really well, with everything going as planned. The boys were all on key, and they all remembered their places on stage. The band was also very good, not missing a beat. Overall, the whole performance was good and everyone seemed happy and excited for their actual performance later that night.

Everyone except Zayn, Niall thought. The Irish lad noticed that Zayn didn't seem excited at all. He was quieter than usual, and he didn't interact as much as he used to. Niall knew that something was wrong, and it was bothering the Bradford boy. So he decided to approach him later, when they're alone.

"Alright, boys! You did good, keep it up later tonight 'kay?" Paul, their choreographer, yelled from the front row.

"Yes, Paul!" Harry yelled back, walking back to the stage lift. The other boys followed him and slowly they were lifted off stage.

"How did the soundcheck go, boys?" Paul, their tour manager, asked.

"It went just fine, Paul." Louis smiled, giving him a thumbs up.

"Good. You all have a ten minute break, then it's straight to hair and makeup. Understand?"

"Yeah, yeah." Liam chuckled at the tour manager, earning an eye roll from said person.

"Thanks, Paul." Niall said with his Irish accent. Paul nodded at the blond boy, smiling. Then, he walked away to handle other things, leaving the five boys alone.

"So...now what?" Liam asked pretty awkwardly.

"I'm going to go smoke." Zayn stated and left without another word. Niall looked at the older boy's retreating figure with a worried frown.

"What's up with him?" Louis asked, confused at Zayn's attitude.

"Beats me." Harry shrugged. Liam shook his head, looking pretty lost himself.

"I'll check on him." Niall said before slowly walking to find the black-haired lad.

"Alright, Ni. We'll be at our dressing room if you need us." Louis told the Irish boy. Niall nodded at the brunet before leaving the three boys alone.

Liam looked at his remaining two bandmates uneasily before saying, "So....now what?"

-

Niall looked around backstage, searching for his quiet friend. Usually when Zayn went for a smoke, he'd either go outside or he'd find a place where no one would bother him. Right now Niall's betting on him being outside, possibly near the stage. So, that was where he was going.

After about ten minutes of searching, Niall finally spotted his friend standing at the back row. He was smoking, but he didn't seem happy. Sure, Zayn usually had a scowl or an emotionless expression on his face when he smoke. But this time, he looked like he was thinking about something else.

Maybe that's why he was quieter than usual today, Niall thought. Then without hesitation, he slowly approached the Bradford boy.

"Hey, Zayn." Niall said, trying to get his attention.

Zayn turned to look at his Irish friend, surprise clearly written on his face. "Hey."

Niall smiled before walking a few more steps closer to stand beside Zayn. Said boy didn't look bothered by it, so he turned and continued to smoke out of Niall's way.

Niall put his elbows on the railing and placed his hands under his chin, patiently waiting for Zayn to open up. Zayn doesn't like to tell anyone his problems, so his case was a bit tough for Niall. His type of comfort usually takes a long time.

Niall would have to wait for the Bradford boy to tell him what's on his mind from a minimum of ten minutes to two hours. But he was willing to wait for his friend to open up so that he could make him feel better.

Turns out, he was right. It took half an hour for Zayn to open up to Niall, because of his insecurities and all. But in the end, he did tell Niall what's bothering him.

"I miss home." Zayn said, putting his cigarette aside. Niall wasn't surprised, so he didn't make a noise or turn around. But Zayn knew he was listening, so he continued.

"I called my mom a few times, but sometimes it's just not enough, you know?" Zayn reasoned. "I want to see her and my sisters in person. Just once, then I can survive the rest of the tour. I-I just....need to see them again."

Niall nodded, completely understanding his friend's feelings. With his home being the furthest from any of the other lads, he got homesick more often than not.

He recalled having this urge inside him to see his family just once to make it through the whole tour. He also remembered that the boys had comforted him so that he didn't feel so homesick anymore, and it worked. So this time, it was his turn.

"And you will." Niall said matter-of-factly. Zayn looked at him with his eyebrows furrowed, clearly not getting it. "What do you mean?"

"You will see them, Zee. After this, we have a few days off schedule remember? You can go back home and spend time with them until San Siro." Niall pointed out, his smile turning to a grin.

"I guess..." Zayn trailed off, turning back to look at the stage before them.

"Come on, cheer up!" Niall exclaimed, leaning his head forward to see Zayn's face better. "Think of all the things you'll do with them! You have plenty of time, mate. Don't worry."

Zayn still looked unsure, but what Niall said managed to put a small smile on his face. "Yeah, you're right."

"Of course I'm right, I am called the cleverest boy in the band for a reason." Niall stated with a smug smile, recalling the interview where Liam called him that.

Zayn rolled his eyes and snorted at the blond's statement. "The cleverest, but not the smartest."

"Hey! I'm offended." Niall said with a fake hurt expression on his face. Zayn laughed, for the first time looking excited and happy. Niall's eyes softened and he smiled fondly at his now happy friend. 

Another job well done.