Zayn finds him at the Dublin and the shock of it makes Harry gasp and duck down in the booth he’s sitting in when he walks in. Tom does it, too.
‘Shit, is it our landlord?’ he whispers, chin to his chest.
‘It’s Zayn,’ Harry mouths.
Tom’s eyes widen and he twists around, peering over the booth at the doors to the pub where Zayn is standing, a hand pressing down his hair as he looks around.
‘That’s Zayn? Holy shit,’ he hisses, turning back to stare at Harry, open-mouthed. ‘I love you, mate, but you’re punching way above your weight with him.’
‘Thanks, mate.’
‘Those glasses are so fucking hot.’
‘Stop staring.’ Harry kicks him under the table.
‘Dude,’ Tom says, still looking at Zayn. ‘There’s a parallel universe somewhere where kittens send each other YouTube clips of him.’
‘Will you shut up,’ Harry says through his teeth. ‘If he sees us.’
Tom turns back to him with a frown. ‘Why don’t you want him to see us?’
‘Because,’ Harry whispers, kicking Tom when he peers across the bar again. ‘I haven’t seen him for two weeks then I just showed up at his exhibition and forced him to talk to his best friend. I’m pretty sure that he wants to punch me in the face.’
Tom turns back and nods. ‘You’re a really shitty friend, you know that, right?’
‘I love you, too, man.’
‘Just talk to him.’
‘I can’t.’
‘What’s the worst that could happen?’
‘He could hear me.’
‘Friends again? Really, Harry? Get a job.’
‘You watched that episode with me!’
‘Rachel, he like, totally changed time,’ they say in unison, then laugh.
Harry catches himself and ducks again, his cheeks pink. ‘Is he looking?’
Tom rolls his eyes. ‘Stop being so melodramatic and talk to him.’
‘I can’t.’
‘Why not?’
‘What am I going to say, Tom? Oh hi, Zayn. I think I’m in love with you.’
Tom arches an eyebrow. ‘Think?’
‘I don’t know, do I?’
‘Why don’t you know?’
‘Because I’m dead inside, clearly.’
‘You cried at a RSPCA ad last week, you’re not dead inside, Harry.’
Harry glares at him. ‘Thanks for bringing that up. As if I’m not emotional as it is.’
‘Look, all I’m saying,’ Tom sits up and reaches for his pint with a sigh, ignoring Harry as he gestures at him to get down. ‘I’ve never seen you like this. You’ve never felt like this about anyone. Which,’ Tom points his glass at him, ‘I’m totally not offended by, by the way, given you stick your tongue down my throat once a week. So just get on it.’
‘Get on it?’ Harry looks appalled. ‘Thank you for that pearl of wisdom, Tom.’
‘You know what I mean. Tell him how you feel.’
YOU ARE READING
Fifteen Minutes (Zarry AU)
FanfictionIt's the morning of the X Factor auditions in Manchester. It's raining and Zayn Malik is stuck in front of a guy dressed as Britney Spears. He's ready to peace out but Harry Styles can't wait to go in. He's not being smug, but he knows he can sing...
