Give a man a mask and he'll show you himself || l.s

Chapter 12. (Bruised.)

[Zayn Malik's apartment. 3:46am.]

Louis : (shouts walking into room) "Zayn wake up!"

Zayn : (stirs in sleep) (muffled) "mmm"

Louis : (tugs feet) "get up I need to talk to you"

Zayn : (grunts sitting up rubbing eyes with the back of his hand) "Lou what's wrong?"

Louis : (softer) "you're so adorable when you wake up"

Zayn : "you're just lucky I didn't kick your ass. How'd you even get in?"

Louis : (mumbles) "I still have a key"

Zayn : "Lou-"

Louis : "for emergencies only I promise"

Zayn : "that makes me feel much better"

Louis : "are you getting sassy with me?"

Zayn : "someone has to"

Louis : (scratches back of neck and winces) "Ow"

Zayn : (panicked) "what's wrong?"

Louis : "it's nothing" (pulls hands to hide behind back)

Zayn : "Lou let me see you hand"

Louis : "I swear it's nothing"

Zayn : "give me your hand"

Louis : (slowly extends hand out to Zayn) "it's just a little bruise"

Zayn : (gasps) "Louis how the hell did you get this? Gosh it looks broken. Hold on I'll get my first aid kit"

Louis : "you don't have to do th-"

Zayn : "shh" (gets up from bed and pads across the room and into the bathroom coming back with a
            small box of medical supplies) "let me see"

Louis : (sighs) "why are you so good to me?"

Zayn : (starts wrapping white cloth around Louis' knuckles) "because you're you. Now how did this happen? And the truth please"

Louis : "beat the shit out of some guy at the club"

Zayn : (sad) "why?"

Louis : "just cause"

Zayn : "you just walked up to some random person at the club and punched him until he bled?"

Louis : "you're on spot tonight"

Zayn : "I'm not joking Louis why are you getting into fights again? I thought you left that behind afte-"

Louis : "I did"

Zayn :(finishes wrapping cloth but gestures to it) "clearly not if you're barging into my house at three in the morning with bloody knuckles"

Louis : "I didn't know where else to go"

Zayn : "what happened?"

Louis : (takes banded hand and places it on Zayn's cheek) "I didn't have a choice he was in trouble"

Zayn : (puts hand over Louis' on his cheek) "Who?"

Louis : (shifts to stand from bed) "Harry"