Animals [z.m. || a.u.]

xix.

xix.

Death is a menacing truth, the truth every person likes to procrastinate thinking about. But to avoid thinking about it might not necessarily mean avoiding the said fact itself. So, Zayn doesn't avoid it for the very horrendous truth will soon be knocking at the door - rather calling on his phone.

As minutes tick past, Zayn's anxiousness is purely conspicuous. He tugs on the tuft of hair below his bottom lip harder each time the thought passes his mind. His actions start missing their lucidity and sharpness rendering him a clumsy mess on account of the thoughts raiding his mind, gnawing his conscience. Louis can see this but decides against speaking or comforting Zayn for he knew all those efforts are just going to end up down the drain making Zayn explode and when that does happen it usually ends with something breaking or smashing. The fact that the Doncaster lad is equally nervous doesn't help much. The thing is that Zayn had never gone wrong before, never once; for, the man strives for perfection. He thinks that perfection in the given tasks is the key to gain the Boss' trust. And once he has the Boss' trust, Zayn's plans just might work out.

Zayn is positive he hasn't felt such an adrenaline rush before. The way his heart thumped and the way his blood ran under his skin and the way his breathing felt laboured, he's convinced he hasn't felt so on the edge before. He hates it, the fact that he's demeanor contrasted his fearless image- which was in fact a cover up, more or less. But the Boss' ways have always been drastic. So, as he watches his phone ring, shrill and disturbing, with a private number for the caller-id, Zayn's hands sweat. He doesn't want to think about death but he seems to be just a tad masochistic. With a last remorseful apologetic glace thrown at Louis, Zayn picked up the cold, demandingly ringing object off the wooden table polished to look like mahogany.

The feeling of his thumb creating unnecessary friction against the screen of the phone feels almost like his hands are almost involuntarily holding back from receiving the phone call which would supposedly act a verdict. Zayn sets the phone down back on the fake mahogany after putting the phone on speaker so that Louis could hear the boss as well. Both the men braced themselves mentally to finally hear their death sentence.

"Zayn, my boy!" came the Boss' greeting too gleeful that Zayn almost thought it to be sarcastic, taunting the failure in him. Although the news about the target's - Turner's - death; rather missing status was no where near to be blamed on the Association, Benjamin's phonecall partially worked as an evil omen for Zayn as well as Louis.

"You killed the rascal, aye? How fun was that?" The Boss laughed obnoxiously loud and Zayn still wasn't sure if it was all a trap or just the Boss was in a mood too merry to keep up his hostility. Whether it was just a way to coax Zayn into the trap or it was really the Boss' true mood at the moment was indefinite.

"Congratulations on completing it. I want you to come meet me the day after tomorrow, I'll send a car for you and Tomlinson." the boss said before the line went dead.

Zayn sighed not knowing whether to be relieved and a tad confused about the boss' dismissal about his failure or to consider that Benjamin did not recite the glorious - stupid - downfall of the mighty Zayn Malik. But that would be absurd taking into consideration the amount of times Benjamin Gray made his hatred for Zayn clear. It boggles Zayn's mind so, he looks at his partner for some advice. But Louis' gaze is fixated on the ground, a scowl etched on his forehead. Louis was always an overthinker.

Zayn sat beside him slightly nudging his guts to gain his attention. Louis looked at him, the same distant look that notified Zayn that Louis was far too lost in his thoughts to fathom them into words. So, he waited patiently.