Maybe I'm the Wrong You Like

xiv.

*&*

"You did what?!" Niall just finished hearing the plan and he would have laughed his face off if he wasn't experiencing the painful after effects of it.

"You were hanging out for, like, three months, Ni. And we haven't really seen the two of you lately. You've been in your own little world and everybody's been so busy we haven't had time to sit down and talk about it and...we planned on telling you about the plan tomorrow."

Niall is seeing red. He's been played, all right. But it wasn't Zayn who played him. Zayn was a victim too. "What kind of stupid plan is that, Harry?"

"It was the only way we can think of that would make Zayn meet you."

Niall's legs turned to jelly at this. Jesus. Zayn wouldn't even want to meet him if not for an absurdly insane plan that doesn't make an ounce of sense.

At Niall's stricken look, Harry gently grabbed his shoulders and explained, "It's not what you think, Ni. It's just, Zayn hasn't really been Zayn after James left him. He refused to go out. We tried setting him up a few times and it all ended up in a disaster. After a while, he wouldn't let us set him up with anyone."

The blonde just continued looking at him. "So, then Lou and Liam met you. And Louis thought you'd be perfect for Zayn but there was no way he'd come and meet you if he knew what we were up to. So Louis came up with the plan and somehow, it worked. And I told you, we were going to tell you guys tomorrow. But we didn't realize...that it could be a little too late. I'm sorry, Niall."

It wasn't enough. Apologies wouldn't make it any less messed up but it was all Harry could offer. That and the why and the how it all ended up in this twisted situation and somehow, it would have to make do.

Because now he knows Zayn didn't do what he did because he didn't feel anything for Niall. He did that because he thought it was for the best. Because he was doing it for his friend.

He was still sniffing when Harry came back with a cup of hot tea. He didn't even realize Harry had gone. He can't even remember how he made it to the small couch he and his roommate shared. But when the boy offered him the tea with the saddest, most adorable puppy dog eyes he's seen in his entire life, Niall couldn't help but soften a little. He accepted the cup and took a deep breath. "Give me some time to wrap my head around it, Haz. I," he took a sip of the tea, "I can see where you're coming from. It was an idiotic thing to do but I guess you guys felt compelled to do it the only way you knew how."

"Can you ever forgive me, us, Ni?"

Niall smiled at his friend, "Shit happens, Haz. I'm not really mad anymore but, as I said, you have to give me time. "

And before Harry even had time to open his mouth and argue his case, his cellphone rang. A quick glance to the screen indicated it was his boyfriend calling. He felt goose bumps rise as he continued listening to Louis and when he ended the call with "we'll be right over, Boo" he looked at Niall, who seemed to have caught on that something's wrong because he gulped as he asked what's wrong.

"Zayn. He...he's missing."