Seconds, Minutes, Hours

38y1pr

Zayn was fast asleep when his mother got home. He was curled up on the couch, his breathing mask pressed over his face. She coyld immediately tell that Liam had been at work. There was no way Zayn would have been able to calm down this fast on his own. It was only a few hours ago that she had yelled at him in her office and he had stormed out in a rage. Liam was the only one who could calm Zayn down, as well as the only one who could get the boy to put on the oxygen masks that had always put him to sleep. And true to her expectations, Zayn s brother walked out of the kitchen only moments after his mother got home.

"Is he okay?" She asked the brown haired boy. Liam shrugged.

"He's sleeping. No one can be too upset when they're sleeping." Liam grabbed some crisps from the bag in his hand, crunching on them quietly.

Zayn s mother sighed. Liam would always stand up for Zayn. They were just really close, especially for brothers. Liam was Zayn s only friend in the world, and Zayn was the only person Liam interacted with. Whether they were more best friends or brothers, no one could tell.

Liam sighed too, realizing he was being unhelpful. "He was crying when he walked in the door, and smiling when he fell asleep. Take that as you will."

His mother raised an eyebrow. "How'd you get him to smile?"

Liam shrugged, and muttered something under his breath. His mother put a hand to her ear, curious wjat Liam might have to say.

"Just sibling talk. Nothing big." Liam lied and escapes to his room. He peeked out the window at the house across the street. The car was till parked there, but the lights were off. In the house next door to it, the upstairs room still glowed. Which meant the boy was probably over there. He always seemed to be.

Liam starred out the window for a while longer. The light didn't turn off. But he vould worry about Niall later. Right now He needed to worry about Zayn.