heartbeat // zayn malik AU

chapter five

"Well, you dawned on me and you bet I felt it

I tried to be chill but you're so hot that I melted."

- Jason Mraz [I'm Yours]

"So," I said awkwardly, unable to keep my big fat mouth shut. "Are there like... angel hotels here?"

Zayn blinked at me.

"At least a Burger King? Something? Anything? I need food," I complained.

Finally cracking a small smile, Zayn said, "After everything that's happened, you're concerned about fast food?"

Flushing, I muttered, "Well... yeah. I mean, what's the point of focusing on the scary stuff?" More seriously, I added, "I'm not saying I don't care, Zayn. That's the last thing I'm saying. I mean... that beserk psycho who almost killed us was my uncle. And my mom could be dead right now. And I just saw my first demon-"

I broke off, giving him a weak grin. "So yeah, I'd rather focus on hamburgers."

He gave me a sympathetic look. "Fair enough. We don't really have hamburgers here though."

I frowned. "Then what are we supposed to eat?"

Not seeming too worried, he said, "I was thinking we could visit a friend of mine instead. I'm sure they wouldn't mind having us over for dinner."

"Isn't it rude to just invite ourselves over without warning them?" I questioned.

Zayn chuckled. "You're worried about being rude?"

Putting both hands on my hips, I gave him a mock scowl. "What's that supposed to mean, Malik? Are you insinuating that I'm rude? Me? With my impeccable manners and snooty accent?" Pretending to push a pair of imaginary spectacles up the bridge of my nose, I puckered my mouth at him in the geekiest expression I could muster. "I spit at the notion!" I flipped my hair for emphasis, and accidentally whipped him in the face with it.

"Oops." I snickered at him unapologetically.

The angel didn't seem to know if he should laugh or be afraid of me. So he settled for a mumbled, "You're weird."

I widened my eyes dramatically. "And you call me rude? You just said I was 'weird'. I'm wounded. Absolutely devastated."

"Good," he returned, the corners of his mouth twitching upward.

Score one for Valarie. I'd gotten Zayn to laugh with me, not at me. Well, almost laugh. Which was practically the same thing.

By this time, we'd entered what appeared to be the more residential area of the town; the streets were narrower, and lined with small matchbox-shaped houses. "You know, I thought angels would have fancier houses," I said speculatively. "You know, with like, golden gates and marble fountains and cherubims and all that. Doesn't saving lives pay well?"

Shifting uncomfortably, Zayn said, "See... that's the thing. These angels are kinda different."

"How so?" I asked, arching one eyebrow.

He took a deep breath. "I shouldn't tell you."

"But you're going to," I finished for him.

"Well, when you put it like that," he remarked dryly, but continued anyway, "There are technically two types of angels. The first group is the one I belong to. We're called Silver Bloods, because we're basically... purebloods. Full angels, who are right with the Council-" Here he paused, wincing as if remembering something. "-and serve as guardians. But there's also a darker side of angel."