Love On The Battlefield (Ziall Horlik) AU

Chapter 20

Zayn's POV

The two Irish lads carried me back to my side of the battlefield, while trying to keep a conversation and my spirits up. They tried asking me questions about how I was feeling, but nothing was making much sense anymore. I only caught one of their questions, but that's just because Niall was involved.

"You fancy out little Irish boy?" One of them asked with a small chuckle. Thinking about Niall was the only time I didn't feel the pain as much. I just felt that soft, fluffy feeling that covered my body. Of course, I couldn't answer that because the only sounds I could make were ones my mother made when she was going into labor with my sisters. I literally sounded like I was giving fucking birth.

When they got me to my side, the medics rushed and took me from the Irish men, but I couldn't help but feel in the pit of my stomach they weren't going to help me.

It seemed like my mind wasn't processing things normally. One second I was outside, then next I ended up looking up at the wooden roof getting my wounds cleaned and wrapped in soft material that helped cover the raw skin from the harsh air. Tears were rolling down my face as they touched my body and moved me around, but I didn't let out the sob I was wanting to.

Everything that I have experienced in this past month made me start to feel this deep sadness creep over my heart, and wrap it's ugly little hands around it, squeezing the life out of it. My mind thought back to when I first got told I was going to war, then fast forward to seeing my best friend get shot. Now he's dead, the boy that was madly in love with him went insane, and Liam... Fuck, where's Liam?

"Liam James Payne." I asked the nurse in a strained voice. She looked down at me and gave me that smile that said she didn't want to tell me the truth. That she wanted to keep me from knowing something by coving it up with a fucking smile.

"Rest here for an hour and you'll be told after your taken care of." She told me then left. I just laid on the cot-like bed in my boxer briefs and enough bandages to make me look like a mummy. My sisters would be giggling at me become of how I look. Those girls always found a way to laugh at my expense, but I couldn't ever find it in me to get mad because I love them so much. Just like I loved Perrie. I still can't find it in me to get mad at her for all she's put me through. I still love her, maybe it's a bit wounded and there's no more trust, but it's still love. Probably just the love I have for a sister, not a fiancé. That other type of love, I never want to feel again.

The one that makes you risk your life, the one that makes you loose all control over your thoughts. When you can't even say the name without blushing and having your whole world revolve around them. I never want to put my heart through that again. If I do, I might break and I'm already so close to that point. I don't want to break. I want to make it past whatever life is giving me now and live again.

I closed my eyes trying to rest as best as I could, but my mind just kept playing the same thing in my head over and over again. Niall. Niall. Niall. His kisses, his blue eyes, his smile, his accent. Everything about him ran through my head, giving me feelings of confusion and comfort. I didn't mind though. A deep part of me craved his touch or just a glimpse of him. A deep part of me wanted him all to myself, even though I've never been attracted to another guy, I want Niall. I don't know how to explain the way I feel. It's just a huge ball of who knows what, but I enjoy every inch of it. Every part of it makes me want nothing more than to just hold him to me. To sleep with him wrapped in my arms they way we did that night. I guess I've finally just accepted to fact.

I remember Louis' words to me, before he went crazy, when I told him about Naill. He told me he was going to let me figure it out on my own, and it was fine to be feeling they way I was. I was so confused at the time, now I understand that he ment it was fine for me to like Niall in deeper ways than I ever thought possible. In ways I never really wanted to think of because of what I've been forced to think of about his people. That doesn't even matter though. We're both just people trying to survive in extreme circumstances. We're just two people wanting nothing more than for someone to show that love and gentleness still exists in a world of fighting and hate.

"Zayn Malik?" The voice of the general spoke. I opened my eyes and saw he was standing on front of me with two other officers. I knew I should sit up to show him my respect, but I wasn't sure if that would put me in pain again. The nurse have me something for it and now I feel allot better, but I don't want to be taking my chances.

"Yes, sir?" I asked with my voice still very rough from inhaling that smoke.

"We need to ask you where this fire was. We feel like the Irish side has made a plan on cutting down our battlefield by burning. Can you show us exactly what part of the woods you were caught in?" He asked me. I didn't believe his words for two seconds. I knew the conditions of the Irish side. Niall told me, and they didn't have the money to by planes to fire blast a whole forest. That wasn't possible. They can't even feed their men.

"Sir, I can't move. I'm too wounded to show you the place." I said, hoping that would be enough to make him let me stay here. I just want to stay here and sleep. I'm tired and now that the pain is gone, I want to enjoy that as well.

"We were planing in taking you on a stretcher." And with that, my hope was lost and I was lifted onto a stretcher. The movement hurt my body, but as soon as I was laying back down the throbbing pain stopped.

I was carried outside and I told them just short directions to the part of the forest that I thought I was burnt. I wasn't quite sure how this was supposed to help anything, nor did I believe them, but I knew I had to listen. It would be disrespect if I didn't. I told them to stop in a curtain area I remembered that was close to that hollowed bush Niall made, but they didn't listen and kept walking deeper into the damaged woods. I kept my mouth shut knowing if I showed any sort of sass, I would most likely loose everything I have. Medals and my backpack, really. My backpack... It has everything in it that I treasured most! Did I loose it? A part of me remembers Niall having it, I just hope he does. If not, I lost everything that I earned in such hard ways.

They continued to walk until we were so far away, the woods looked different than the rest of the place. I was about to ask where we were when the stretch I was on, was dropped to the ground. I screamed as my raw skin was touched and moved so harshly by the hard landing.

"You know too much, Malik." The general hissed at me. "You knew we were trying to capture that little boy toy of yours, so Payne tried to help you. We ended up killing him thinking it was Horan. Now, we have to get rid of anyone that knows about this. Liam was an honored soldier. We killed one of our own men that was looked up to by the war counsel. Do you know how much trouble we'll be in if anyone finds out? I will be sentenced to death!"

My mind was swirling was the news I was just told and forced to understand. Liam Payne is dead, they killed him. His plan failed and now he's dead. That boy that I loved to listen to talk about his future plans and the boy that wanted to be a hero so badly, is now dead. He just wanted to save people. He liked the idea of it, and now that he's done it, he's gone. I felt tears prick my eyes as I felt like I just lost the last person to my family. Really, I did.

"Was it fast?" I asked, bearly being able to keep my voice from shaking. If Liam was killed in a slow agonizing way, that's all it will take before I snap.

"Unfortunately, no. We wanted to have fun making Greg Horan suffer while watching his brother being killed. Greg told us it wasn't Niall, but we ignored him thinking he was lying to save his brother. In the end it was the truth, but now he wants to stop being our spy. He did it to protect his brother, now all we need is to kill that blonde kid. Or, your boyfriend I should say..." He pondered over his last words like he was trying to get something out of me. The tears were flowing down my face as images of Liam being torchered in so many ways passed through my mind. How could I have let this happen? How could I have been so selfish to agree with his plan to save a boy I bearly know?

"Now, you see, we can't just keep you. The war is coming to an end soon and if you told someone what was did, we would be killed. We don't want that. Plus, you're not worth keeping around now that you're wounded." He told me and him and the medics started to leave me. His words started clicking in my head. Even though I didn't want to believe it, or accept it, I knew what was happening to me.

As I was left alone in the woods with no food or water and day turned to night, I knew that this was really happening to me. I was just left here for dead...

A/N: oh snap! Next chapters are going to be good! I'm excited to write them! Hope you guys are enjoying this! Comment / Vote!
                                - Bri;)