Tunnel Vision » Ziam AU «

Chapter Seven

It happened because he decided to get smashed. He knows it, too, and he knows that it's his fault.

They're not at Radioactive. Harry and the lads wanted just a normal night out. Not a night where every prospective girl or guy in the place was making eyes at Zayn and Zayn only. Somewhere Zayn could blend in (the others never have that problem, sadly, because they're popular, sure, but they're not household-names popular) and act, for just a little while, like a normal person. Maybe a University student, home from school because of Spring Break, partying with his old friends.

And Liam would just be some overly interested guy who's trying to work up the courage to ask Zayn if he can buy him a drink, not his bodyguard. His bodyguard who kept giving him concerned looks every time Zayn met his eyes (which is why Zayn stopped doing that a while ago).

The place they were at was kinda dingy. It's not as nice or as flashy as Radioactive, and the crowd was a lot less selective. And Zayn loved it the moment he'd stepped in side.

A few too many drinks, a bit too much dancing with both Harry and Niall later, and he got why Harry insisted he bring Liam, just in case.

Up until that point, Liam had just been some guy who unnecessarily follows him around. Up until that point, Zayn thought that Liam's presence was pointless and definitely not needed. Because, up until that point, that had been true. There hadn't been any real incidents, as long as you don't count what happened on Harry's birthday, which Zayn doesn't because he hadn't been in any danger from anything but his own mind.

Now - now he gets it. Gets why Liam's being paid to step in front of Zayn every time someone potentially threatening comes his way.

While it happens because he's drunk, it can also be totally, one hundred percent blamed on Louis. They were stuffed into a booth, Zayn downing another shot because he felt warm and loose and he didn't want that feeling to go away. And Louis had offered his hand with a suggestive waggle of his eyebrows and a mockingly flirtatious, "Dance with me, Zayn. Dance with me like this night will never end and our love will burn for a million years."

And, really, who could say no to that? So he'd giggled and slipped out of the booth, and Louis had taken his hand and tugged him forward, and he'd started to drag Zayn onto the dance floor. Only he wasn't looking behind him, and Zayn - his brain was so foggy he wasn't paying attention. Louis knocked into someone, the guy had turned around, and he'd been pissed. And Louis - fucking Louis, he can't let things go. If there's one person in the entire world who doesn't know when to walk away, it's Louis. Which is why it's a good thing that Harry's normally with him, because Harry's smart enough to pick his battles, and to stop these kinds of things from happening.

There was shouting, Zayn can't remember the exact details, and suddenly the guy Louis bumped into had back-up. One of them had cocked his head to the side and regarded Zayn with a confused look until realization had flashed into his eyes.

"Aren't you that popstar- what's it? Zayn, right?" he'd asked, a smirk making its way onto his face.

"No fucking shit," the guy Louis had pushed said.

At that point, Louis had started slowly backing away, Zayn's arm in his hand. But Zayn just laughed. He fucking laughed and said, "Why, you want an autograph, mate?"

That was, apparently, the wrong thing to say. The next thing he knew, he was stumbling backwards, shoulders prickling from someone's fingertips that had dug in too hard. And then Liam had stepped in front of him. For a stupid moment there, Zayn forgot about Liam's job, and for some reason he'd tried to put himself between Liam and the threat. As if the entire point of Liam being there wasn't to keep him safe.

After that - it's kind of a blur. He thinks he remembers Liam trying to be reasonable, telling the guys to back off while simultaneously waving for Louis to move Zayn back, which he had. And then there was a blur of movement, and in his memory it's like a scene from a superhero movie, because Liam had somehow managed to grab the guy's fist before it connected with anything. But when Liam threw his punch, it definitely connected.

And now... now he's stuffed into the backseat of a cab, which doesn't even fit them all, so Louis and Harry had stayed behind to catch the next one. And Liam's knuckles are red and he's looking very unimpressed. Zayn is still so drunk, and this is just a serious damper on his mood.

"I'm sorry," he says for what feels like the millionth time, but has to be at least the tenth time. "I'm sorry, Liam. I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?" Liam asks, looking genuinely baffled. He hears a grunt of agreement, but he can't tell if it comes from Niall or Josh. "It's literally my job to do what happened back there. You've got nothing to apologize for."

Zayn groans because, damn it, Liam, he's trying to apologize here! Can't he just let Zayn feel guilty? "It wouldn't have... have happened if I... if I didn't drink," Zayn insists, the words stumbling ineloquently out of his mouth. "If I hadn't laughed and offered them an autograph like a tool-"

"Seriously?" This time it's definitely Niall. "I hope someone got that on video. I'm searching Youtube when I get home."

Zayn ignores him, looking insistently into Liam's eyes. He wants Liam to be upset with him, is the thing. He deserves it, and he knows it, and they all know it, so why can't Liam just snap at him and get it over with? "We coulda walked away. But I didn't and I'm-"

"Say sorry one more time and I quit," Liam says, both teasing and stern. "Seriously, though. Not your fault. It happens. Hell, I'm actually a little pumped up from that. Most excitement I've had since you hired me."

Drunkenly, Zayn decides that Liam Payne is an idiot. And possibly a superhero in disguise. If he's still around on his birthday (which Zayn realizes he doesn't even know, and he's going to have to ask eventually because he wants to know) Zayn is totally having him a costume made. Something with a giant L on it. And tights. Definitely tights. It'll be great.

"Totally great," Zayn mumbles. "Spandex."

"What?" Liam asks.

Zayn pats his leg. "You've got the thighs for it." And then he lays his head on the window and closes his eyes, the fog that settled in his mind after the seventh or eighth drink finally pulling him under.