fOoL fOr YoU (Zarry) *discontinued*

5.3

zayn hasn't properly spoken to his friends in months, except to niall and louis, who wouldn't leave him if he committed murder or treason. so it does come as a shock when his phone rings at 1:37am and the name on it is michael's. he accepts the call before it rings another time.

"hi," michael shyly says.

"hi, mickey mouse," zayn happily says, sitting up straight. atlas, who is a really, really deep sleeper doesn't even stir at zayn's voice. zayn smiles down at the boy. he's so pretty when he's asleep, so soft. he always looks pretty, though.

"were you asleep?" michael asks. he sounds all off, all wrong. like he does when he has been crying, or is about to cry.

"mickey, what's wrong?" zayn gently asks, treading his fingers through atlas' hair. even in his sleep, atlas leans into zayn's touch. "are you crying? did something happen?"

"can you pick me up? please?" michael asks, sniffing. and, oh. oh. there's definitely something wrong.

"send me your location. i'll be there in twenty at most, alright?" michael doesn't respond and hangs up, but within seconds zayn receives michael's location. so, he gets up and changes his clothes. "atlas? love? can i take your car? there's an emergency—"

"yeah. yeah, fine," atlas mumbles, still asleep. "bye. miss you." zayn, despite himself, smiles and leans down to press a kiss on the boy's cheek. he grabs the keys from the nightstand and makes his way downstairs.

he was fine in his bed, with atlas next to him. he felt light and happy. but now he's alone in the car, and that everlasting sadness, that he can't seem to shake off, is there again. he shakily inhales, trying to ignore the feeling. just, why won't it go? what does he do to make it go?

zayn sighs, pushing the feeling as faraway as he can. he drives to the location michael sent him in silence. once there he sees the boy sitting on the curb so he honks. michael startles and looks up, or well, zayn assumes he does. he can't really see much in the dark. michael gets in without a word, and when nothing is said for at least five minutes, zayn starts driving again.

"are you okay, mouse?" he asks after a long silence. michael scoffs, curling up on himself even more. zayn briefly looks over at him.

"no. fuck you for abandoning me, zayn," michael grumbles, sounding all stuffy.

"right back at ya," zayn easily retorts. because it goes both ways. friendship. michael could've put in some effort, too. but he didn't. so the blame isn't on zayn. it isn't.

"you don't get to say that. you left first. i went home and expected you to be here when i got back, but you weren't. and when i finally saw you again, you never even tried to speak to me," michael says, wiping his cheeks roughly. "i get that you were upset about harry, and i get that lou and niall are your best friends, but honestly the world does not end with them. and you really should try to see that."

"it goes both ways, mikey. you could've tried to talk to me, you could've put in some effort, but you didn't either. so you don't get to just blame me, okay? cause i was fucking messed up and none of you even bothered to check up on me. none of you bothered with me, except niall and louis. so maybe my world does end with them, but can you blame me, honestly?" zayn says.

"yes," michael stubbornly says.

"michael—"

"no. i did try, zayn. and you just fucking brushed me off or closed in on yourself whenever i talked to you. i know harry was a fucking dick, but that was never my fault and you treated me like it was," michael says, sitting up straight. he's putting up his guard, hiding behind his anger. zayn knows what michael's talking about. but that doesn't really count.