Zalien Invazion

7

Liam wakes up to a large obnoxious dog, licking his face. Liam cries out in surprise and covers his face with his arms protectively. "Off!! Off!!" He demands frustratedly, pushing Watson off himself. He groans and wipes away at the slobber on his face with the edge of his blanket. "How many times do I have to tell you not to do that?" He tells Watson who lies down, taking up the whole foot of the bed with his giant body. With a tired groan, Liam reaches over and grabs his phone, checking the time.
    7:20.
    25 minutes later than he should have woke up. How did he miss the alarm?? If he didn't hurry now, he would be late for work. Again.
      Forcing himself to wake up quickly, Liam Rolls out of bed and quickly rushes through his normal morning routine: showering, combing his hair, dressing in his work clothes: jeans and a black shirt with Carlo's logo; and heading out to the kitchen for breakfast.
"Hey Zayn, you up?" Liam calls to the quiet apartment.
"Zayn?" He repeats curiously as he walks into the living room to find it vacant. "Hey, Zayn," he calls in confusion. "Where are you, mate?" He wonders, looking around the room but not seeing him. "Zayn!!" He calls again. A confused look comes across Liam's face as he walks through his apartment, searching for Zayn but not finding him anywhere. Slowly, Liam's confusion turns to anger and frustration when he realizes Zayn is no longer there.
How could he be so stupid??
"Damnit, why didn't I listen to Paul?!" He demands of Watson who tilts his head sideways cluelessly staring up at Liam.
"I should've seen this coming. Of course he would do this!" Liam continues, throwing his hands up in the air hopelessly. "I save his ass, invite him into my home, let him sleep on my couch, let him eat all my damn food!! And this is  how he repays me??" Liam complains angrily. "I wonder how much he stole before he just left in the middle of the night!" Liam continues, glancing briefly around the living room. "You know, this is what I get for being nice to people," he adds as Watson nudges Liam's side with his nose.
"What? And I suppose you know where he is and what he took?" Liam asks him expectantly. Watson whines and sits down on the floor. "No I guess not," Liam collects. "Let's just see if I'm ever nice to anybody ever again! Ha! No more 'Mr. Nice-Guy, oh, 'Sweet, kind-heartedLiam' for me," he continues sarcastically muttering to himself.
Watson watches Liam lazily as he frantically searches through his home, checking for everything he thought was valuable: his wallet and money, credit and bank cards, passport, his driver's license and car keys, tv, laptop, phone, watches, Watson, and a few other things he usually kept hidden away. Everything seemed to be in it's proper place, except for a plastic chip bag lying on the floor in the living room. Frustratedly, Liam picks it up and throws it away.
Liam rests his hands on his hips frustratedly, ruminating on the situation. This didn't make any sense at all....
'Zayn left in the middle of the night and didn't take anything? Why had he even come here in the first place? Where was he now?'
"What is with that guy?" He asks Watson with an utter loss for understanding. "Well. We're probably never going to see him again anyway. It's probably best that way," he warns his loyal dog.
He decides not to worry to much about it any more and tries to carry on with his normal day. He walks into the kitchen to make his breakfast for himself and Watson who trots after him at his heels.
Liam fills Watson's food and water bowls and watches with a pleased smile as the giant Great Dane excitedly devours his breakfast. With a sigh, Liam turns to the table where he finds another mess he has to clean up. Zayn might be gone, but he left behind a mess of orange peels, random food boxes and wrappers and hundreds of tiny crumbs all over the table. Liam rolls his eyes and cleans up after Zayn. Again.
"Is it really that hard to clean up after yourself?" He mutters frustratedly. Finally, Liam pours a bowl of cereal for himself and makes a pot of coffee, hoping it will lift his mood and spirits and wake him up a little.
  This day was already off to a terrible start and he would take any sense of joy he could get.
    He quickly sips his room-temperature coffee and eats his cereal then leaves the bowl in the sink, grabbing his jacket and keys on the way out.
     "I'm leaving for work now," he informs Watson as he slips his coat on. "Stay here, watch the house. Be good, alright," he instructs him as he plays with the droopy skin of the dog's cheeks. Watson jumps up excitedly, making Liam laugh as he runs in a circle, almost knocking over a chair.
"Careful," Liam warns him, getting him to calm down. "You're a Good boy," he compliments, stroking his head rewardingly. Watson happily lulls his tongue out of his mouth as Liam walks to the door but Watson follows him, squeezing his way between the door and his master, blocking his way.
"Um... No you're not coming with me," Liam tells him as he tries to push Watson away. Watson barks stubbornly and tries to follow Liam.
"Alright, no, I seriously need to leave now. I'm already so late and you are not helping, you little monster," he tells Watson, trying to push his head back out of the door. Watson whines and stares up Liam with giant sad brown eyes.
"I'm sorry boy. I want to stay here with you. honestly, I do.....but I can't. You know that," he tells Watson guiltily. "I'll be back though before you know it alright?" He promises as he strokes his soft short coat one last time then closes the door to his flat, heading outside. He pulls his jacket up over his head, trying to keep the light, morning  drizzle that fell off of him as he makes his way to his car to start the 15 minute drive to Carlo's Bakery before he was too terribly late for work.