Never Knew [Zarry AU]

6. Present - Zayn

He didn't know where his feet was taking him. He just walked out if the cafeteria just like like that. He wanted peace. He wanted to think. About everything. He wanted to see him again. To apologize to him. He wanted to get lost in those perfect shade of green eyes again. But he couldn't. 'Cause he walked away from him, again.

Sighing, as he looked ahead of him, he was shocked to find himself in front of a park. He walked inside and smiled at the kids playing around with their parents careful eyes on them. He sat on a bench which he found empty beside a tree and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He closed his eyes and took the first drag of the smoke.

Just as he blew out the first smoke and sighed in content, he heard a little voice speaking.

"Smoking is bad you know."

He opened his eyes to see a little boy standing in front of him with his arms crossed in front of him.

"I know.", Shrugging it off Zayn took another drag of the poisonous stick.

"My dad says, if we keep smoking, it will burn our lungs like fire.", The boy said, now taking a sit beside Zayn on the bench, without even asking him.

***
"Zayn, I swear, if you keep smoking that thing, I'll not talk to you.", Harry said, faking anger, glaring at him.

"But why? You know I can't stop Hazza.", Zayn said pouting. He didn't want Harry to stop talking to him, but he couldn't stop either.

"Because my mum used to say, it'll burn your lungs like fire and I don't want you to get hurt Zaynie.", Harry said pouting. He brought his hands back on his lap and looked down. Fiddling with his fingers as he sat quietly on their shared bed.

It had been only one week since their school had started and Zayn had been living with Harry and Des since then. They had decided that since they'll have tons of home works this year, Trisha would be coming there to stay every weekend. Des had suggested that Zayn and Harry should share a room so that they could bond better before the marriage to which both Zayn and Harry didn't argue. They loved spending tine with each other. Both Des and Trisha had decided to get married after both Harry and Zayn graduated, since it'll give Des and Trisha the time to understand each other better. And it had been two days since Harry got to know that Zayn smoked from when he was 16,  to which, he wasn't very pleased.

"Don't worry Hazz, I'll be okay.", Zayn said, sitting beside Harry and hugging him from the side.

"Okay, but promise me, you'll stop.", Harry said pouting, knowing damn well Zayn couldn't say no to that face. In these past few days, Harry had gotten to know that Zayn always got weak whenever Harry made that puppy dog face.

"Okay, okay. I'll stop. Happy?", Zayn said, huffing. He was still hugging him.

"Very.", Harry said giggling as Zayn placed a kiss on his soon to be step brother's forehead.

***

"Why are you smiling? You look like a fool.", Zayn snapped out of his dream as he heard giggling from his side. And he couldn't deny, his giggling sounded exactly like him.

"Uh, just remembered something.",  Zayn said awkwardly.

"I see. But you really should stop smoking.",  the boy beside him said in a serious voice now and Zayn was surprised to hear such a serious voice from a boy as small as him.

"I stopped. But then started again.", Zayn said now crushing the half smoked cigarette under his feet. Suddenly he didn't want to smoke.

"Why?", the boy asked curiously.

"Long story.", Zayn said as he ran a hand through his hair.

"I have the time.", the boy said like an adult making Zayn raise an eyebrow.

"Well, don't you sound older than your age?", Zayn chuckled.

"Hey, I'm a big guy. I'm 6 years old.", the boy said huffing, crossing his arm sin front of his chest.

"Aww. Has someone got angry?",  Zayn said in a baby voice making the boy smile, dimples poking out. And that reminded Zayn again of him.

"What's your name?",  Zayn asked finally. He suddenly remembered, he didn't even know this boy's name.

"Raphael. But you can call me Raph. What's yours?", Raphael asked.

"Zayn.", Zayn said making Raph smile a little.

"Hm, I like your name. It's unique.", Raph said making Zayn chuckle.

"Yeah. I have been told.", Zayn said.

Raphael was about to say something to Zayn when he heard his name being called.

"That's my grandpa calling me. I gotta go. It's nice meeting you Zayn. Hope to see you soon again.", Raphael said as he got down from the bench, ready to go.

"Wait. Will we be meeting again?", Zayn asked. He didn't know why, but he wanted to stay connected with the boy.

"Um,I don't know. I don't go out much. Plus, I'm starting my school from tomorrow as I'm new in here. So I don't know.", Raphael said, shrugging. From the corner of his eyes, he could see his grandpa coming towards him.

"Um, here, keep this. You can call me whenever you want.", Zayn said, as he quickly jotted down his number on the  small notebook he kept in his pocket and tore the page before giving it to the boy.

"Sure. See you later Zayn. Bye.", the boy said smiling and left. And for the first time, Zayn noticed the perfect shade of green he had been longing to get a glimpse of, all these years.

He saw from a far, as the boy held the hand what seemed to be, his grandpa's and left the park. Smiling, he was about to got up from his bench to head home when he felt his phone ringing in his back pocket. He took it out and saw it was Louis calling. They chatted up a bit and decided to hang out at Zayn's place which was yet to be unpacked. But they had agreed that they will help him unpack, so Zayn couldn't deny.

Sighing, Zayn put the phone into his back pocket again and started walking towards his house.

A smile still playing on his lips as he remembered the conversation he had with Raphael.

The kid with green eyes and dimpled smile.