Hero

Chapter 13

Zayn sits in the library, quietly watching as Harry wanders slowly through the stacks of books, his fingers trailing lightly over their spines. He pulls a few out and looks into them, flipping to a random page and skimming it before either holding onto the book or putting it back on the shelf.

Zayn's sketchbook is full of bodies, the front of the book mainly work he's done in life drawing, the back of the book devoted to one particular body - Harry's.

Zayn's fingers flit across his sketchbook pages, a pencil held between his fingers as he sketches minimalistic sketches of his boyfriend. This page is filled with his hands. Clutching books, holding apples, splayed out as he explains something completely enthusiastically, wrapped around his football, playing with pens and pencils, sticking out of sweater paws or completely bare up to the elbows in his plaid over-shirts.

The previous page is filled with his shoulders, his neck, and his collarbone. The first three pages of the sketchbook are dedicated to his facial features. His upturned nose, his dimples, his lips twisted into different smiles or wrapped around a pen he'd been chewing on while he studied, his green eyes, and his cute cheekbones and jawline.

It's Zayn's third sketchbook this month. His free period was next period and he couldn't help but wonder if he shows harry these will he freak out or not. God, he hopes not. He's been crushing on Harry since he was 8 years old, when a 7 year old Harry turned up at the Malik New Years barbecue dressed in a button up white shirt with khaki pants on and white Chuck Taylor's. Zayn wanted him then. He's wanted him for what feels like a lifetime.

Zayn looks up in time to see his boyfriend basically almost face planting, as he stretches up to get a book. His lips twitch up a little in amusement before he continued to ignore him and draw. He flips to a new page, and smooths it out before absentmindedly started drawing a bus. His knees pull closer to his chest on the comfy sofa he was sat in, and he could faintly smell the scent of Harry's cologne from the too big sweater that he had "borrowed" from his boyfriend. He was at complete ease, and Zayn's sure that nothing could ruin his zen.

He sees Liam enter the library, and then looks from Harry to the puppy eyed boy and gets up quickly. Zayn closes his sketchbook, and bites his lip as he drags his feet over the carpeted floor over to the younger lad.

Liam notices Zayn approaching, and smiles warmly at him. He takes on of the dusty old science books from the shelf, and his eyes glance to it before he's looking back to Zayn again. "Hey Ze, why aren't you being all cute with your boyfriend?"

"Because..." Zayn says, setting his sketchbooks down. "I think I have a problem."

Liam eyes slowly widen at those words, and Zayn looks back with anxiety pulling at his stomach.

"Fuck." Liam breathes, and panic starts to overtake him as well. "You're not doing drugs or anything, right? Zayn, man, that shit messes you up."

Without warning, Liam's warm hands are placed on his shoulders and they're basically breathing the same air, because Liam is inches from his nose.

"We can get you some help. Who started you on this, huh? Was is Jaraled? Dan? Nick?"

Zayn snorts and puts a hand over Liam's pouty face to push him back a few inches. "Liam, this is not Breaking Bad. And I'm not doing drugs- the first and last time I tried anything of the sort Doniya screamed at me until I was shaking and then she sat on me until I promised never to smoke again."

Liam doesn't doubt this, because while Doniya Malik is pretty and soft, she's terrifying if anyone or anything puts her younger brother in danger.

"Oh," Liam realizes he sounds like an idiot, sort of, and he relaxes against the bookshelf. "Then what's your issue?"

Zayn opens and closes his mouth a few times, starting each sentence with a different string of words, and Liam just sits back and waits patiently for Zayn's brain to wrap itself around his predicament.

"I don't know how to ask Harry to prom." is what he spits out eventually, looking absolutely frazzled, and Liam just grins because finally.

"Why ask me?" Liam wonders aloud.

Zayn thinks Liam's a little oblivious at the best of times but then he thinks of the lad and Lou, and smiles cause the two balance each other out because Louis is as sharp as a whip.

"You're his best friend, Liam. You out of anyone would know what he likes romantically."

Liam's face screws up at that and Zayn scowls at him.

"Shut up. You know you and Louis practically have sex in front of us all the time. Tuck the face away and help me, please."

"Aw, you asked nicely." Liam grins and Zayn begins to seriously regret even bringing the subject of romantic pursuit up. "We've never really talked about it before. But one time Harry was watching some video on YouTube where this guy rented out the entire top of the Empire State Building to propose to his girlfriend. Try doing something crazy."

Zayn nods. "Well, how did you ask Louis to prom?"

Liam rolls his eyes but smiles fondly, which kind of confused Zayn at first. "We basically, I had this whole fancy dinner set up for us, and it was going great. However, you know how impatient Louis can be. Therefore, he just blurted out "Are you gonna ask me or not" before the food could even get to the table."

Zayn sighs a bit cause yeah. That definitely was something no one other than his best friend would do. The raven haired lad sighs softly and then looks back over to his clumsy boyfriend, who looks only seconds away from tipping over the bookshelf. He quickly eaves bye to Liam, and goes over and pulls harry back from the bookcase. "Babe you're gonna make a mess, and the mean librarian is gonna yell at you, or even cut your tongue out." Zayn says pouting. "And i happen to really like your tongue, so please just get a normal chair and get the book like a normal person."

"Are you saying that I'm abnormal?" Harry asked pouting s he gives up on trying to grab the stupid book.

"Maybe....we should head home now. To your house maybe? I've never been there yet." Zayn says as he wraps his arms around Harry's shoulders.

Harry bites his lip and his hands go to Zayn's waist slowly. "My house is a mess right now....another time possibly?" Harry says as he leans down and kisses Zayn's lips softly.

Zayn pouts a bit, but smiles when Harry's lips press to his own. Zayn pulls back first, and gets on his tippy toes so he can kiss Harry's forehead. "C'mon, let's go to mine then. We can have some alone time." he says wiggling his eyebrows before they were both heading off.