bitter || zarry stylik

fifty-seven

some lil songs:
> blue by troye sivan and alex hope
> truth by zayn
> into the wild by lewis watson
> nothing left to lose by the pretty reckless
> ordinary love by u2
> scars to your beautiful by alessia cara
> gasoline by troye sivan
> io by helen stellar
> hold you by nina nesbitt and kodaline
> you don't know how it feels by tom petty

stay safe pls I luv you all so so so so so so so much and I'm endlessly thankful for the support you've given me x

-

"Zayn, my love, I'm not sure. Why? Why do you need a cassette player?" Trisha reaches out for Zayn, and winces a little when he dodges her embrace. "What are all these tapes- Why do you have Wali's box?"

"Waliyha left me some tapes. I need to listen to them. Would my old Walkman be in the attic?" Zayn seems oblivious to the surprise on his mother's face.

"She did what? Are you sure they're for you?" Doniya frowns, and puts a hand on Trisha's shoulder. "Zayn, what makes you think the tapes are for you?"

Zayn scowls. "Well, Don, they were in her suitcase with my name on it, and she wrote me a note about it. So, I think I can safely say they're for me. Besides, we all know I was her favourite."

Harry takes a step forward, and pulls Zayn back a little. Harry strokes his sharp shoulder blade gently, and whispers, "Hey. Zayn, let's take a walk."

Zayn shrugs him off, and shakes his head. "I'll take a walk when I have my Walkman. Sorry if I'm being unreasonable, but this is really important to me."

"Zayn, you can listen to the tapes later. Right now, you should be spending time with family. Okay?" Trisha is crying a little, and Harry starts to think it might not be about Waliyha.

"No, Mum, I want to listen to them now-"

"Zayn! Do it later. Your family is here, and they want to spend time with you. You can listen to Wali's tapes later on. Right now, we need to be here for each other. Alright? So, pull yourself together."

Zayn frowns, and looks like he's about to cry. "Fine," he says through gritted teeth. He holds the box of tapes close to his chest, and wraps an arm around Harry. "Harry, darling, let's go get a drink. Okay? Please?"

Harry sighs, but nods. "Okay, Zaynie. Let's go."

Harry smiles reassuringly at Zayn, and is about to follow him into the kitchen, when Safaa taps his shoulder. "Hi, Harry. Can I talk to you for a minute?" Harry nods for Zayn to go ahead, and motions for Safaa to go ahead.

Zayn pours two generous glasses of wine, and just as he turns around, Trisha clears her throat. "Hi, Mum. What's u-"

"How did you meet Harry?" Zayn looks up into her eyes, and frowns when he sees that her expression is blank.

"Why?"

"Because, Zayn. I've seen his arms. Did you meet him through work?" Trisha frowns, and upon seeing Zayn's surprised expression, elaborates. "When he was rubbing your back, his sleeve rode up. It would certainly be quite the coincidence if Harry was struggling with the things you're certified to handle. Was he your client?"

Zayn scowls, and sets the wine down. "Well, if you must know, mother. Yes, Harry was my client."

"Zayn! That's illegal! What are you doing? You could lose your license! Not to mention your reputation!" Trisha scolds, and plants her hands on her hips.

"It doesn't matter, Mum."

Trisha's eyes widen. "What do you mean, it doesn't matter?! This is your career, Zayn. You need-"

"I quit. I love Harry more than I loved my job. Nothing matters more to me than you and the girls, and Harry. You guys are my first priority. Okay? Towards the end, Harry was my only client anyway. So, stop freaking out. This is my life, and my career is my decision," Zayn says firmly, picking up the wine glasses and turning to go.

"You're right. This is your life. But you're throwing it away," Trisha murmurs, and rolls her eyes a little.

Zayn spins on his heel, and grits his teeth to keep from screaming. "What the fuck?! This isn't about me! This is about Waliyha! Get a fucking grip, mum."