heartbeat // zayn malik AU

chapter seventeen

"But still my heart stops without you

Because there's something about you

That makes me feel alive."

- Owl City ft. Breanne [Honey And The Bee]

"Aw, well isn't this the most precious sight I've ever seen?" 

It took me a moment to register the voice that had spoken, and even once I realized it was Cyphus, I refused to open my eyes. Instead, I rolled over on my side with a quiet groan, feeling myself bump into a pair of strong arms slung loosely over my waist. Faintly, I was aware that it was Zayn I was laying beside, but I still didn't look around myself; I wanted to cling to these precious moments of painless warmth and slumber for as long as I could.

Next to me, Zayn shifted uncomfortably in the hospital cot. "Shove it, Cyphus. Where's Astral?"

"She's interrogating half the nurses in this hospital about the plague," came the response.

"The plague?"

"Long story," Cyphus said dismissively. "Let's talk about something else, Zayn."

Rumbling a sigh, I felt Zayn shrug, his chest pressing against my shoulder and creating a bolt of heat that jolted through my entire body. "What should we talk about, then?"

"Valarie."

I tensed, and Zayn tensed too. Discreetly as possible, I opened my eyes the thinnest crack, trying to catch a glimpse of his face without revealing that I was awake. His dark eyes were fixated on Cyphus, his jaw clenched, his hands drumming on the sheets of the cot. "What about her?"

"Zayn, don't even bother playing innocent with me."

His tone trying to be light, Zayn responded, "Innocent? I wasn't aware I was guilty of anything."

"I see the way you look at her."

"She pisses me off. A lot."

"You'd walk through fire for her, and you hardly know her."

Pulling slightly away from me, Zayn's tone took on a sullen quality; I could just imagine his brooding scowl. "She's just my Charge, Cyphus." Ouch. That one hurt.

"Yeah? You expect me to believe that pile of bullshit?"

Growling low in his throat, Zayn said, "What do you want?"

"Admit it. You're falling for her like a sack of bricks. You can't ever keep your eyes off her, Malik; your words don't fool me."

Without bothering to deny it again, as if sure his words would do no good to deter his friend's opinion, Zayn said, "And what's your point?"

"I have several points, all of them leading to the same conclusion. One, she's a human and you're an angel. That's a huge no-no; the Council would have your head. I mean, they want you arrested anyway, but you know what I mean. And two, what about Astral? You can't hurt her, Zayn. How do you think she'd feel, if she saw you and Valarie right now?"

Moving even further away from me, Zayn let out a groan. "I know. You think I don't know that, Cyphus? You think I haven't reminded myself of that every other hour?"

"And? Did it work?"

"Sometimes I think it does... and then..." Zayn's tone was oddly soft, and even though my eyelids were tightly shut and I was lying as still as possible, trying to fake sleep, I felt shivers course down my spine. "Then Val just does something really stupid or ridiculous, or we get into a fight and I look into her eyes and-"