Eternity «Ziam AU»

1. Finally

Zayn clenches his eyes tight, tears rolling down his cheeks and cries of despair and pain coming from his mouth. In the back of his mind, he wonders, what type of parents could do this to their own son?

He can’t tell if the bigger pain is in his body, or his heart. The multiple hits form the thick leather belt in his dad’s powerful arms hurt almost as bad as the rude words coming from his mom as she encouraged her husband.

If he had to choose, he’d say his heart, because a mother is supposed to love and protect her son unconditionally, not add to the pain he was already feeling. He could never understand, why did they hate him so much now? They’d been knowing he was gay for at least two years, since he was 15.

~~ FLASHBACK (age 15) ~~

“Mom, dad. I have something to tell you guys.” Zayn murmured, unable to control the quivering in his voice and the shaking in his body. His parents looked up, smiling big, beckoning him into the living room.

Zayn took a deep breath, standing in front of his mother and father. He cherished their family, all was good in his life, but he had a feeling that was all about to end when he told them the news. And he was afraid. “I’m gay, I’ve known for a few months now, just thought I should tell you.” He rushed out, feeling free, like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

Zayn was so caught up in his own world that he failed to notice that his parents were quiet, too quiet. When he finally came back to reality, he looked up to see both of his parents looking at him with blank expressions.

“Zayn,” his mother began, “honey, are you sure?” Her voice was quiet, just over a whisper. When he nodded, she stood up and walked away.

It hurt, but at least she hadn’t said anything against it. Maybe she just needed some time to process the new knowledge.

His father stood up and looked down at him. “Son. This is only a phase. You’re a Malik man, it won’t last long.”

~~ END FLASHBACK ~~

But a year later and Zayn was still as gay as ever. And things had gotten a bit worse.

~~ FLASHBACK (age 16) ~~

“Zayn!” Yaser yelled from the kitchen. “Get your ass down here and wash the fucking dishes!”

Upstairs in his room, Zayn flinched. His parents had always been sweet and gentle with him. But it had been a year since he told them he was gay, and they’d changed. While they’d never hit him, their verbal abuse hurt more than any physical wounds ever could. He ran down the stairs, not wanting to anger his father any more.

As he was washing the dishes, insults were being thrown at him left and right, from both of his parents. “You’re no good.”   “How the hell did my only child turn out to be gay?”  “What did I do to deserve a fag as a son?”  “Where did we go wrong with you?”  “If you wanna be fucked like a girl, you may as well do everything else a girl would do.”

Zayn let the words sink in, silent tears brimming his eyes. Even after all of this, he couldn’t hate them, they were his parents.

He could deal with the mental, he knew it would never get to be anything worse.

~~ END FLASHBACK ~~

Had he not been getting beat this very moment, Zayn would laugh. How naïve had he been to think that things really wouldn’t get worse?

~~ FLASHBACK (three months ago, age 17) ~~

Zayn was laying in his bed, sobbing, his parents came home late from work, angrier than ever. Turns out they’d been out drinking away their troubles of having a gay son. It had worked, they were happy. That is, until they came home to find Zayn sitting on the floor, smiling don at his phone.