When you weren't Looking

Chapter 2: cracks in the quiet

By the time the studio session finally wrapped up, Niall was about ready to throw his headphones at the wall. It had been a long-ass day—three hours of recording, a shit-ton of retakes, and a gazillion times the producer told him to "just sing it like you mean it," which was, frankly, getting old. He was exhausted, hungry, and the only thing keeping him from flipping out was the thought of food. So naturally, he was already picturing a whole pizza to himself when he walked out of the booth.

But as he exited the recording room, Niall was surprised to see that the atmosphere had shifted. The rest of the lads were all milling about, but there was something different about Zayn. His usual quiet aura seemed to have lifted, just a little. It was as if the weight of being the brooding, silent one had been lifted—at least for the moment. His eyes were shining with something... more. And, holy hell, he was talking. Like, actually talking.

"Mate, have you seen that fucking painting they have in the waiting room? It's like some bad acid trip," Zayn said, his voice a little louder than usual, his tone more animated than the usual monosyllabic grunt they were all used to.

Liam and Harry both laughed, while Louis was busy rummaging through his bag looking for something he couldn't find. Typical.

"You're one to talk, Zayn," Liam teased, grinning. "You're the king of dark and moody. That painting was practically your spirit animal."

Zayn shot Liam a smirk, his eyes sparkling for a brief second, and for the first time, Niall noticed how the light hit them. His eyes weren't just dark; they were filled with some kind of fire. He was actually... engaged in the conversation. It wasn't the usual, "Yeah, whatever" or "I don't care" attitude. Zayn was laughing. Maybe even joking. Who was this imposter, and what had they done to the real Zayn Malik?

Niall blinked and rubbed his eyes, convinced he was hallucinating from lack of food. But no, it was real. Zayn was talking. And more than that, he was actually interacting with the others.

"Yeah, alright, I get it," Zayn said, his voice carrying a tone that Niall wasn't used to—slightly sarcastic but not in a mean way, more like a playful jab. "But even I know when enough is enough. I mean, how long is it going to take before we've all had enough of this goddamn studio and we can finally go get some food?"

Niall blinked. Zayn Malik, the king of silence, just made a joke about food. This was the same guy who wouldn't even eat the hotel breakfast with them half the time, let alone joke about it. Niall leaned back against the wall, arms crossed, staring at him. He couldn't help the smile that crept across his face.

"Fuck, is this real life?" Niall muttered, glancing around at the others.

"What's up, Horan? Cat got your tongue?" Harry grinned, but Niall was too distracted by Zayn to respond.

Zayn caught Niall's eye for a second, and that was all it took. He was still being his usual cool self, but there was something different in the way he spoke, the way his hands moved as he spoke, the way his eyes sparkled when he joked around. Niall had always thought Zayn was reserved, but now he was seeing a new side—a side that didn't mind laughing, a side that didn't mind being a little... normal. It was like someone had flipped a switch, and now Zayn was all too aware that they were more than just the quiet guy in the corner.

And Niall? Well, he was fascinated. The guy who barely said a word was now throwing around sarcastic one-liners and grinning like he was in on the joke.

"You're right, Zayn," Niall said, grinning. "We've been in this damn studio for way too long. The only thing I'm ready for is some greasy takeaway and a good nap. Preferably with a pint in hand."

Zayn raised an eyebrow, the faintest smirk tugging at his lips. "A pint, huh? You sure you're not just trying to get out of working on that last track?"

Niall opened his mouth to argue but then thought better of it. "Alright, alright, you got me. But let's be real, I've already done all the heavy lifting today."

"Heavy lifting? You mean singing into a mic for ten minutes?" Zayn shot back with a laugh.

"Oi, that was hard work, mate!" Niall laughed, nudging him with his elbow. But as he did, he couldn't help but notice how comfortable Zayn seemed now, like this wasn't just him tolerating the conversation, but him actually enjoying it.

It was a small thing, but it made Niall realize that there was so much more to Zayn than he'd ever given him credit for. Yeah, the quiet vibe had been there, but now... now he was seeing the cracks in that cool, mysterious exterior. Zayn was starting to open up, bit by bit. And damn, Niall liked this new version of him.

"You know, for a guy who's been sitting in the corner like a grumpy bastard all day, you're actually pretty funny," Niall said with a grin.

Zayn smirked again, but this time, the smile didn't fade quickly. "I'm full of surprises, Horan," he said, his voice lighter than usual.

"Yeah, well," Niall started, his tone teasing, "you're gonna have to surprise me a lot more if you want to make up for the silence you've been keeping me in for the last goddamn year."

"Deal," Zayn replied, the corner of his mouth quirking up. "But just so you know, I'm not the one who's always running around like a bloody hurricane, Niall. Not everyone's got that much energy to burn."

"Well, mate, someone has to keep this band from falling asleep," Niall retorted, glancing at the others, who were now half-heartedly listening in to the conversation. "You've got your quiet corner, but I've got the bloody party side covered. We can both do our thing."

Zayn nodded, a little more thoughtfully this time, as if the words actually meant something. "Yeah, alright, I can live with that."

Niall gave him a knowing grin, feeling a flicker of warmth in his chest. Maybe he'd been wrong about Zayn, after all. Maybe the quiet one wasn't just quiet. Maybe he was just waiting for the right person to crack him open.

"Well, whatever you say, mate," Niall said, slapping Zayn lightly on the back. "You can keep your mysterious act for now, but I'm gonna get you to talk more. You can't hide forever."

Zayn chuckled, shaking his head but looking just a little more alive than he had before. And for Niall, that was a win.