Something Great (Ziam AU)

Chapter One

Chapter One - Zayn

Zayn sighed as he wipes down the counter of the bar in the small, and overpriced restaurant he worked in, again, looking up to glare at Harry (his best friend since kindergarten) where he is sloppily pouring another drink for an overly rich, but cheap as shit, business man sat at a table across the room. Harry just grins cheekily at Zayn and blows him a kiss before sauntering off to deliver the man’s fifth drink. When Harry returns he leans against the counter beside Zayn with a huff “cheap bastard” he mutters, causing Zayn to chuckle despite him being upset about the mess Harry left in his wake. Zayn glances across to where their only current customer was sat sipping his newest drink (a vodka cranberry) and scrolling through something on his tablet, “yea, but he comes back every day at least” Zayn sighs and Harry nods. Zayn was about to say something else but a loud curse from the kitchen caused him to stop and look towards Harry, before they both sped off towards the kitchen. When they slide through the door, neither one could keep himself from laughing as they take in the sight of their other best friend and co-worker, Niall; he was sprawled on the floor covered in the sauce for the night’s pasta special. Chuckling Zayn reaches down and pulls Niall to his feet, “care to explain what happened, Irish?” he asks through his laughter, earning a glare and slap on the arm from the bleach blond. “I was trying to move the pot so it didn’t burn and I slipped in a puddle that damn dishwasher kid left, and fell and the sauce spilled everywhere” he mutters shaking his head at the mess. Harry sighs “Tristan, Niall, his name is Tristan, and he’s only like six months younger than us, and it’s really not his fault all the equipment here sucks” he scolds lightly and Niall just rolls his eyes.

It took twenty five minutes for Zayn to help Niall clean up the mess, while Harry returned to the dining room to take care of their only customer. Zayn was finishing wiping up the floor as Niall worked on another pot of sauce, when a slightly younger boy ran in through the kitchen door, “hey Tris” Zayn calls standing up from the floor, Tristan waved “I’m not late am I?” he asks looking around, Niall chuckled “nah, you’re ok, boss isn’t back yet” he answers and Tristan lets out a relieved sigh as he ties an apron around his waist. “Zayn, I need you out here” Harry calls suddenly from the dining room, “coming Haz” he calls back before turning to Niall and Tristan, “show time boys” he chuckles before running back out to the dining room, where more guests were arriving as it got closer to dinner time. Zayn lightly smacked Harry’s ass as he passed to grab a couple menus to take to the couple who were sitting at table four. Zayn was walking back towards the bar with the couple’s drink order, when the door opens and a short brunette girl, covered in tattoos walks in, “hey Zee, hiya Harry” she chimes as she walks behind the bar, “hey Cher” both boys chime as Zayn types the drink order into the computer, Cher pulling the ticket from the printer behind the bar and getting started on the two drinks. When Zayn had taken them to the couple and returned to enter their order into the computer as well, a balding older man came in, “Malik, Styles, Lloyd” he greeted them all by their last name, “evening, Mr. Jackson” they chorused, but he was already heading up the stairs into his office.

An hour later had the dining room packed, Harry and Zayn were weaving around each other with practised ease, delivering drinks, taking orders, delivering food, and ringing customers through, so they could get on with their evenings. Harry leaned beside Zayn waiting for the computer to enter an order, “so that table of eight I just had, only tipped me one pound” he grumbles, and Zayn gives him a sympathetic smile, before spinning away and into the kitchen at the sound of Niall ringing the bell indicating an order was up. When Zayn returned from the kitchen carrying four plates to deliver to one of Harry’s tables, was when Mr. Jackson decided to come downstairs, Zayn narrowly missed knocking into him with the plates and curses under his breath as he recovers the plates and manages to deliver them to the table without incident. Mr. Jackson glared at him and disappeared into the kitchen, no doubt to give Niall and Tristan trouble over something stupid. “Could he be more obnoxious?” Cher asks when Zayn returns to the bar and he rolls his eyes and shakes his head at her “at least he pays us” he mumbles “barely” Cher snorts, making Zayn laugh.

Two more hours later Zayn locked the door behind the last customer with a sigh, he looks over to where Harry was wiping down tables before flipping the chairs up onto them, “that was a long night” he sighs, Harry laughs “yup, but now we have three days off Zee” he answers moving onto another table. Cher frowned, from where she was finishing washing some cups, “lucky, I’m back in tomorrow” she sighs, “Sorry Cher, you’ll survive I’m sure” Zayn says, walking over to grab the broom and start sweeping. They all worked in silence for a few minutes before Tristan emerges from the kitchen, “Mr. Jackson just left” he informs them with a wink, before heading back into the kitchen to help Niall clean up. Zayn grins and hops the counter to put on the stereo, Cher turned up the volume and music started blasting from the speakers. They heard Niall’s distinct laugh from the kitchen at the song, “nice choice Zee” he calls, “shut up, wanker” Zayn calls back laughing, before returning to cleaning up, this time to the sounds of his favourite singer Liam Payne. Cher pauses to look at Zayn, “one quick question, do you only like him for his music, or because he’s fit too?” she asks, Zayn rolls his eyes but doesn’t answer her. Zayn was in the middle of sweeping and using the broom handle as a microphone, while dancing,  when Niall and Tristan came out of the kitchen to join, Harry and Cher, where they were leaning and watching Zayn’s ‘performance’ Niall wolf whistles, and Zayn jumps and spins to face them, a blush spreading across his cheeks. Niall laughs loudly, “whenever you’re done Zee, the rest of us are ready to leave” he smirks, ducking to avoid the candle Zayn lobbed at him off the nearest table.

Zayn was locking the door as the five of them stood in the cold parking lot, Cher smiled widely as a car horn sounded behind them, “that’s Craig, see you all in a few days” she chirped as she skipped off climbing into the car. Once she was gone, Niall turned to the others, I’m off too I’ll see you in the morning guys” he chuckles hugging both Zayn and Harry, before sauntering over to his car, driving off a moment later. Harry turned to Tristan, “do you need a ride home?” he asks politely and Tristan smiles as he nodded lightly, “c’mon then” Harry chuckles gesturing for Tristan to follow him and Zayn to his car. They pulled up in front of Tristan’s apartment ten minutes later “thanks guys. Enjoy your days off” he mumbles before climbing out, and running in the front door out of the cold. Once he was gone Harry drove off towards the apartment he and Zayn shared, they weren’t talking but it wasn’t uncomfortable, one of the perks of having known each other so long. Harry knew that Zayn was a quiet person and didn’t need to fill every silence with mindless chatter. He also knew that Zayn could be the loudest, funniest person in the room, which was something you only got to see if you were close to him. Zayn in turn knew that Harry thrived off social interaction, and absolutely needed to go out and get lost in a crowd at least once a week. Zayn knew that Harry was kind and polite to everyone he met, and treated everyone like they were friends unless they did something to lose his trust, then you didn’t want to cross Harry. Zayn reaches forward and flips on the stereo, smiling when Liam’s voice fills Harry’s car, Zayn had given him the CD for Christmas, and Harry couldn’t help but listen to it in the car (especially because he almost always had Zayn in the car with him).

Harry pulls up outside their apartment building five minutes later, right in the middle of Zayn’s favourite one of Liam’s songs. As Harry cut the power to the engine and the song cut off, Zayn pouts at him, Harry chuckles “as if you don’t have it on your iPod, and the CD in the player already, in your room” he groans. Zayn broke into a grin then, “you forgot about the live concert DVD, in the DVD player” he chuckles. Harry shook his head, “no, I didn’t, but I was hoping you would, to be honest” he sighs, “not a chance” Zayn laughs as they get out of the car, walking into the building together. Zayn sighed as he passed the elevator, that hadn’t worked since he and Harry moved in three years ago, and made his way up the stairs to their apartment on the fourth floor. Zayn waited as Harry unlocked the door, before both fell through it, Harry tripping over a stray shoe in the entrance and falling on his face, “ow” he moans as Zayn laughs. Once Harry was back on his feet both headed through the living room and down a small hall to their respective bedrooms to change. Zayn pulled his tips out of his apron pocket, dropping them in a small jar labelled LP Ticket Money with a sigh, before changing into a pair of sweats and a tank top. He turns around to see Harry leaned against his doorframe and raises an eyebrow at him “are you watching me change Styles? I know it’s been a while bro, but we’ve been over this I don’t see you that way” he chuckles. Harry shook his head “cute, but you aren’t my type anyways” he retorts. Harry’s eyes land on the jar on top of Zayn’s dresser, “how much more do you need?” he asks. Zayn sighs “about one hundred fifty. You’d think our customers would tip better, given the cost of everything in the restaurant” he mumbles. Harry nods in understanding, “I know, but what can we do?” he asks, before adding “Sherlock marathon?” Zayn chuckles and nods his head, “sounds good Haz.”