𝙲𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚛𝚒𝚟𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎 ✓

t-w-e-n-t-y--o-n-e

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"Hey," Niall greets politely, sitting down with his salad for lunch as Zayn sits beside him. The two are still feeling awkward around each other.

The other three all greet back with various forms of 'hey' while Zayn opens his pasta and starts to eat. Niall looks at him, before looking back at the others, who are all watching the two of them uncomfortably.

Well, he thinks, this can't get any more awkward.

They're not even sitting directly beside one another like usual. There's a distance between them, both metaphorical and physical.

It's sickening, Niall thinks.

"So," Harry clears his throat, Niall looking up at him eagerly before realizing he can't be doing that, so he looks back at his salad. Zayn's heart hurts for a moment.

But Niall is trustworthy. He can trust Niall. Niall would never do something to hurt him.

Zayn continues to eat in silence.

"The wedding, it's this weekend," Harry says as if that isn't something everyone already knew, "Are you going to be there, Zayn?"

"No," Zayn says, barely glancing at him as he does so.

"Oh," Harry sounds so dejected, like he's disappointed that Zayn won't be there.

"I'm not invited to Horan events."

"Oh," He repeats. The other two can't even pitch in, this is all so awkward and uncomfortable.

"Hey, there's a science test today right?" Louis asks, Niall looking up from his salad to answer.

"Yeah, chapters 23 and 24. Why?" Niall asks, pieces of his salad on his fork, hovering over the bowl.

"Just curious," Louis shrugs, mentally swearing at himself.

"Oh shut up, you didn't even study," Liam calls him out, Louis blushing a little but laughing through it.

"You're right, I definitely didn't," The fact that Louis doesn't even bother hiding it makes Niall laugh, Zayn glancing at him out of the corner of his eye. It's sad and longing and not something Zayn ever though he would have to feel with Niall again.

"Why wouldn't you study? You always do this," Harry comments, Zayn watching how Niall's eyes flit over to him. His blue eyes scan across Harry's face, watching him for a moment, before they trail down to see the rest of Harry in his school uniform, only stopping when the table gets in his way.

Zayn takes a deep breath, looking back down at his pasta.

Niall was just checking Harry out.

Does he even realize he's doing it?

Does he even know that he's falling more and more into the pit that is his fiancé?

Probably not.

Zayn doesn't know if he should be comforted or alarmed by that.