Drown [z.m.]

9.

When Charlotte sometimes (most of the time, nearly always) came to stay at Zayn's place, she brought along Matilda with her. It was an unspoken rule, really, because Louis couldn't be trusted with anything.

And Zayn didn't mind at all, because he was somewhat attached to the little girl, except for the fact that she had an annoying way of drawing out the words 'Uncle Zaaayn', but like, whatever.

They spent most of their time arguing over what to watch on the telly or what to order for dinner that night, and it's not a very nice reunion, but who even cares in the Malik household?

One night in particular, Matilda sits on Zayn's lap and she's using a marker (permanent, much to Zayn's annoyance) to 'tattoo' his cheeks, when he notices bruises on her arms.

"What's that?" he mutters, reaching forward to get a closer look. But Matilda is quick to push him back onto the couch.

"Stay still, Uncle Zayn, I'll mess up otherwise," she urges him, but she's biting her lip so he knows she's nervous. It's a habit she's inherited from Charlotte.

"Tillie," he says a little more sternly, and gently draws her hands away from his face. "Who did this?" he asks, and in his peripheral version, he spots his own sister nibbling on her lower lip.

Matilda frowns at him, and then she mumbles under her breath, "He said not to tell, Uncle Zayn."

Zayn frowns right back at her. "It's Louis, isn't it? That arsehole," he mutters under his breath, lifting Matilda off his lap and twisting around to face Charlotte.

"You could've told me!" he fumes. "He's started on Matilda now? Don't you care about your own daughter, Charlotte?"

And Charlotte cringes, because he usually always calls her 'Lottie' and little rivulets of his spit are flying everywhere as he speaks in the loudest voice he can muster up. "Zayn, listen to me..-" she starts.

She's forgetting that Zayn does not listen to anyone but himself. "Fucking hell, Charlotte!" he yells at her, shooting up to his feet and seething. "Stand up for yourself, you idiot!" He kicks the couch in his rage (and it hurts his toe, but he pretends not to notice). "Leave the fucking douchebag, Charlotte, I don't see why not!" he screams.

Charlotte is trying hard not to cry at the words he throws at her, and it's becoming harder and harder with every syllable he utters. "Zayn, I can't, you know that-"

"No, Charlotte. You won't," he raves at her, his teeth gritted and his jaw tense.

But Zayn only sees bruises, like those patterning Charlotte's skin and his own heart.

Matilda thinks he's so so terrifying when he's angry, and it reminds her of her dad, so she begins to cry quietly, burying her head in Charlotte's shoulder. "Tell him to stop, mum," she whispers, hiding her face.

And in that moment, something in Zayn just snaps.

"M'going to go find him," he says, dropping his voice an octave. "He better not fucking touch either of you again." Every muscle in his body is rigid, and his dark eyes are unfathomable.

Zayn has always been good at making quick decisions, like when he was six and decided to steer his bike onto the main road, or twelve years later when he decided to hunt down his sister's boyfriend and teach him a lesson, or when he sat on a beer-stained couch and decided he'd kill himself one morning in autumn.

Yes, Zayn Malik always been good at making fast, life-changing decisions he will regret one day, until they all come rushing back to him in the end, drowning him.

//

freaking late update, forgive me? x (: