FRidAY? ↠ zarry AU

chapter 37

A/N: trigger warning for a small scene talking about bullying. BUT cute as heck zarry fanart! Credits to whoever did that 🌻

Harry clenched his jaw.

Shit
Shit
Shit
Shit

Zayn hadn't said it back. He hadn't said anything actually, he just stood frozen in place, as if he was glued to Harry, whose heart was beating like a drum. He pulled away just far enough so that he could cup Zayn's shocked face.

"I love you. I love you so much, Zayn." He poured his heart out and stroked Zayn's cheeks with his thumbs.

Zayn, who's mouth was slightly hanging open, shook his head slowly before his movements were cut off by Harry's kiss.

He's scared to hear Zayn say anything at the moment.

Their kiss moved from frantic, frazzled and clumsy to a slower pace that showed they were more sure of themselves, and, as if the switch had been turned on in Zayn, he grasped Harry's hips and held onto him as he finally kissed back.

"I love you." Harry whispered in between kisses. He nipped at Zayn's lips, rubbed their noses together and kissed his cheeks. He gripped onto the nape of Zayn's neck and let his other hand lay on Zayn's chest, above his heart. After a few more soft, wet kisses, Harry finally opened his worry filled eyes.

"I got into a fight with a teammate...I fucked up and got myself benched, Harry." Zayn told  him and looked at the ground, upset and ashamed.

"Zayn, baby. W-"

"I just... He said some stuff okay. And it's not just anybody! I went to school with him and he's just always been such a fucking prick!" Zayn rushed out his rambles haphazardly. He dropped his hands from Harry's hips and took two steps back. "This guy was one of the ringleaders of kids who would always make fun of me for everything. Shawn, that's his name. He just always made me feel like shit for everything. If I cried; I was a girl, if I told on him; I was weak and pathetic - he just completely got into my head about the lot and now he's back and it's happening again." Zayn could feel his pulse thumping in his ears. "I didn't know it was him until days ago, I was so fucking blind - I just," He squeezed his eyes shut, the words he was desperately grasping for, were unavailable.

"Zayn," Harry's heart ached at hearing about how Zayn was treated. He was only a child, he was innocent, still growing and learning about things and did not deserve what he was put through.

"You know, I was so ashamed to go to a fucking therapist in the first place and when I do," He coughed out a laugh through his tight throat and shook his head. "The fucking arrogant therapist was just like, 'oh so this this and this is what's wrong with you and did you actually know that girls are', what? What the fuck did he say? 'Girls are more susceptible to borderline personality disorder' like, so what the fucking hell should I do? He just fucking took me back to my shit time in school and I'm so fucking sick of it!" Zayn yelled the last part and in a fit of rage, punched a hope in his wall.

"ZAYN!" Harry yelled and ran towards him, totally take aback by Zayn's anger.

"Get off!" Zayn shrugged him off. His breathing now shaky. "You should go." He said to Harry and covered his eyes with his hand.

"Zayn, no. I'm worried.. I don't like seeing you like this."

He hadn't dealt with his past properly and Harry could see that, and now with everything piling up on his shoulders, it was just too much for his mind to handle.

"What do you want then, Harry? There's nothing you can do. This is all my shit that I have to deal with and sort out. You're just," Zayn struggled for the word. "There."

"You're just saying that." Harry whispered and slowly and, tentatively walked towards Zayn. He let his fingertips be the first thing to touch Zayn's hand and when Zayn didn't move away, he allowed himself to gently grab and hold onto his hand. "I'm with you, Zayn. I'm here. I promised you that." He cupped his face and tried to turn it to make him look at him bit Zayn would not budge his rigid jaw and neck.

"What about a bath?" Harry proposed the idea. He decided to drop everything and try to get Zayn to relax and calm down before he really hurt himself. Zayn frowned. Not expecting that, but rather twenty questions from Harry. "Sound good?" Harry grabbed his other hand so that he now held both of them. "We can just relax and talk about other things like, what's your favourite dog?"

"You think I like dogs?" Zayn asked glumly.

Harry's eyes went wide. "Yea, everyone loves dogs. Nice try though." He laughed.

"Those," Harry pulled Zayn towards his bathroom as he told Harry about his favourite breed of dog. "big fluffy ones from China or wherever. They have this curled up tail." The anger had fallen from Zayn's voice which made him now sound more.. empty.

"Chow Chows?" Harry smiled and peered over his shoulder.

"Yea. Those..." Zayn smiled then let it fall again. "We had one as a kid..."

Harry nodded and began to fill up the bathtub with bubble bath and water. "Boy or girl?"

"Girl. Sheeba." Zayn remembered his childhood pet.

"You know I had a hamster and it always bit me." He quickly recounted his own childhood pet. "One day it bit Gemma's cheek." He couldn't help the laughs that spilt from his lips. "It was scary but funny because I warned her about the damn thing but she called me a peanut brain and decided to cuddle it anyway."

The soft smile was back on Zayn's face. After Harry's laughter died down he saw that the tub was filled to the right level and closed the open taps. He turned around and bit his lip thoughtfully. "Come on, get your kit off." He said to Zayn and lifted his shirt over his head which led to both of them undressing each other before they both got into the warm soothing water.