More Scales- Larry Stylinson

Chapter 23

"...Zayn..." A soft voice, laced with concern called out. Zayn couldnt quite place where it was coming from. His ears were ringing and at the same time, the voice speaking sounded so far away. His eyelids felt so heavy, he couldnt open them. What time was it? Where was he? The kitten hybrid tried to recollect the last few hours, but he couldnt focus enough to do so.

"....Zayn....wake-.....Come on...." He could feel someone patting his cheeks, the voice getting louder and more clear. Zayn whimpered a bit, turning his head away from the touching on his face.

"Zayn! Cmon now. Wake up. Open that pretty eye." The voice was clear now, and it wasnt Louis or Harry. Almost Harry, but not quite.

"I...." Zayn was still laying in darkness, his head swirling, He struggled to find words. "mmm."

"Thats right. Cmon. Wake up, my beautiful kitten." The voice cooed a bit, the patting on his cheeks resuming. Zayn let out a half hearted, strangled hiss, turning his head again. Finally he scrunched his eyes closed and opened them. What he saw was a blur at first and he wasnt sure where he was. He could see sand, and the ocean.

"Thank god." Zayn looked towards the sound of the voice. Finally he could see Edward. The hybrid was leaning over him, holding him to his chest and patting at his face outside of Louis' vacation house.

"...Edward?" Was all Zayn could muster, his head still throbbing and confusion clouding his already foggy mind.

"Are you fucking trying to kill yourself!? Why the hell did you leave the stove on! You could have fucking died if I hadnt shown up!..." Edward started to rant at him, but Zayn found it hard to focus on his words. He was slipping back into unconciousness, his chest and head aching.

"Zayn....Zayn- God damn it!" was the last thing he heard before Zayn fell back into the black.

~

Edward sat in the waiting room of the hospital, the second time that day. It was all he could do not to pace back and forth in the hall. He was sure that the people in the hospital would find that off putting, given how large his tail was.

He sat on the floor, resting himself on his coiled tail while he waited. He was still in disbeleif with how he had found Zayn. Edward didnt want to think about what would have happened if he hadnt decided to drop by when he did. He had only gone out there to flirt and maybe blow off some steam with Zayn. Consensually, of course.

But then when Edward knocked on the door, and he could smell the gas, he knew he had to take action. The door wasnt even locked but the snake hybrid would have been more than willing to break it down to get inside. Once he was in, he found the stove was on, all four burners leaking gas into the air. Zayn was passed out in a puddle of vomit on the floor in the kitchen. Edward almost didnt turn the stove off in his rush to get the hybrid out of the house.

Edward was mostly certain that Zayn was going to be alright. After all, he had woken up. Even if it was just briefly. He was still breathing and he probably just needed time to recuperate. To get some fresh air into his body and push out all that shit he was breathing in. Edward still wasnt sure exactly what had happened. Zayn didnt seem the suicidal type. Could it have been an accident maybe? Edward wasnt sure

He was just glad that Zayn wasnt dead.

"What the hell, Edward?" Marcus' voice broke Edwards train of thought, causing the hybrid to look up from where he was sitting. "What the hell are you still doing here? I thought you'd be back home by now, you have a show tomorrow and you're not going to be any good if youre sleep deprived." Marcus shook his head.

Edward frowned and shrugged. "I was heading back, but I wanted to check on a friend before I came back." He explained. "Im glad I did because he couldve died-"

"What was so important about checking on this 'friend'?" Marcus cut him off, standing there in an irritated stance. "Another booty call? Edward. Ive already told you that you aren't suppose to fuck anyone that I don't approve of. The off spring would be low quality. You know what had to happen last time-"

"I know." Edward snapped a bit, frowning, not wanting to listen to this again. This wasn't the first time he had brought this up. "Im sorry. I know. It wasnt a booty call." He lied evenly. "Zayns just my friend. I was upset after what happened with Harry, and I just wanted to go talk to someone who was impartial." He explained. Of course, that wasnt a total lie. He did want to talk to Zayn, and he was worried about Harry. But he wanted to more than talk to the kitten at the time.

"Well you wont have to worry about him ruining the show any longer." Marcus said, shaking his head and pacing a bit in the waiting room. "You need to get back home though. I wont lose any more money because of Harrys incompetence."

Edward gaped a bit, then closed his mouth. "I-Marcus, he just isnt trained like I am. He's spent most of his life as a pet. Not a performer."

"Exactly right." Marcus said, sighing softly and running a hand through his greasy black hair. "I dont need that kind of baggage. Im dropping the lawsuit against Tomlinson. He can keep his broken snake. Even if he is legally mine. I dont want damaged goods. Plus itll cost more to house him since Id have to have him trained up more." He shook his head disappointedly.

"Wait-" Edward paused. "Youre giving him back to Louis?" He could feel a flicker of disappointment go through him. He knew Harry wasnt happy with Marcus, but he really enjoyed having him around him. Edward had been looking forward to bonding with his twin.

"Yes. It was an oversight to even take him. I dont know why I was so niave." Marcus scoffed "I thought he was going to be like you, driven, successful. But hes just as lazy as half the snake hybrids Ive adopted in the past." He groaned. "Whatever. Maybe this accident was a blessing in disguise. Now were gonna be rid of a hybrid that wont draw in money, and would have cost a shit load in legal fees."

Edward frowned a bit, his eyebrows pinched together as he thought over Marcus' words.

"Marcus." He began gently. "Harry isn't lazy. He just wasn't trained-"

"It doesnt matter. I dont want him." Marcus cut him off, waving his hand dismissively.

"But...I do." Edward said. Marcus cocked an eyebrow and gave Edward a look that made the hybrid want to look away and take back his words.

"You really want to cost me money? After all Ive done for you, Edward? Thats how you want to repay my kindness?" Marcus spoke in a low voice.

Edward shook his head and looked down. "No."

"No?" Marcus hummed expectantly.

"No, sir." Edward said, looking at the floor.

"Good lad. Youll find it easier to work without him asking you a million questions a day anyway. Itll all go back to the way it was. Now go get in the car. Im going to drop the paperwork off with Louis, letting him know Im dropping the case and hes stuck with that crippled python and then we can head back home."

Edward let out a soft sigh, glancing down the hall where Zayn had been taken. He didnt really want to go back home yet. He wanted to know that Zayn was going to be okay. And he wanted to find out about Harrys tail. But Marcus clearly didnt care about that.

The snake hybrid got up and obediently left out of the hospital, slithering into the back of Marcus' car, waiting for him to drive him back to the tent.