Zalien Invazion

23

      About an hour later, they boys are finally ready to leave the restaurant and go home. As soon as they walk outside, Zayn jumps up and joins them.
     "You ready to go?" Liam asks with a grin because he already knew the answer.
   "Yeah," he nods. "Liam, can I keep her?" Zayn asks. Liam looks at Zayn in confusion.
    "Keep who?" He asks curiously.
     "Hang on a zecond. I know zhe's around here zodewhere..." Zayn says as he walks into the flowerbed and searches around the bushes.
    "Zayn..." Liam says hesitantly.
    "Liam... What is he doing?" Niall asks.
     "I have no idea..." Liam admits.
      "Is he fully sane?" Louis wonders.
     "Come on out little friend. It's all right, it's just me," Zayn says quietly as he gets down On his hands and knees to peer under the plants.
    "Yeah I'm gonna say there is definitely something wrong with him..." Louis mutters as they all watch him.
    "Louis..." Liam says disappointedly.
    "He's searching for his 'little friend'! In a flower garden outside a restaurant!! With people watching!! What normal person does that!!?" Louis demands quietly.
     "There you are!" Zayn suddenly gasps happily. He stands up holding a small fluffy thing carefully in his hands.
    "What have you got there Zaynie?" Liam wonders as he walks up to Zayn.
    "Careful, zhe's very zhy," Zayn warns Liam as he holds his hands open to show a tiny, frail duckling in his palms.
     "Aaaw," Liam gasps with s smile.
    "Zhe came up to me when I was just zitting here. I think zhe lost her family," Zayn tells liam sadly as he gently pets the ducks scraggly pale feathers.
    "Can We keep her?" Zayn repeats, looking up at Liam hopefully with big hopeful eyes.
     "We?" Liam says questioningly.
     "It's your home zhe'd be ztaying in," Zayn tells him considerately.
    "Yeah you can keep her. If you can take of her," Liam accepts with a smile. Zayn gasps happily and stares down at the baby duck in his hands.
    "Did you hear that? You can come home with us! And we'll take care of you! We'll be like a little family!" Zayn tells the animal happily.
    "Congrats Liam," Louis says as he claps Liam on the shoulder.
    "What?" Liam asks cluelessly.
     "Why, don't you know?? you're a father now Liam!" Louis tells him with a huge smile.
     "Oh my god! Leave me alone!" Liam says with a slight laugh as he walks away from Louis to stand next to Harry.
     "Do you think the little duckling will get along with Watson?" Harry asks. Liam hadn't thought about that. An excitable dog Watson's
Size could really hurt such a tiny, defenseless thing, even though he wouldn't try to.
     "Good point..." Liam says, his spirits sinking. "I gotta tell Zayn," he adds as he slowly walks up to him. "Hey Zaynie," he greets.
    "Hi Liam!" Zayn says excitedly. "I already have the perfect idea!! Zhe really zeems to like me, zo I think zhe can ztay with me but zhe also really likes water zo zhe could play in the bathtub and there's a perfect little pillow zhe can zleep on," Zayn tells Liam with a huge smile.
     "Yeah Zayn those are really good ideas but..." He trails off. he sighs and scratches at the back of his neck, staring at the ground.
     "But she can't come home with us," he finally says guiltily.
     "What!!?? Why not??" Zayn demands, his heart broken.
      "I'd love to take her home and take care of her but we just can't. I don't know what ducks eat. And she needs a mother to take care of her and the city is no place for a baby duck. She wouldn't be happy there. And Watson. He'd want to play with her and he's so big that he'd probably hurt her really badly," Liam tells him. Zayn shakes his head and looks as if he's trying to hold back tears.
    "No I can do it. I can take care of her. I won't let anything hurt her," he says determinedly.
    "Zayn. It's for the best," Liam sighs.
     "But zhe's zo zmall!! Zhe'll die out here on her own!" Zayn tries to convince him.
    "Nature will take care of her. She'll be okay," Liam says. "Now C'mon. We gotta go," Liam tells him sadly as he starts walking toward the parking lot with his friends.
    Zayn stays behind, staring down at the tiny creature in his hands.
    "I gotta let you go now..." He says sadly. "Take care of yourself okay. Go find your family," He says as he kisses her head and sets her down on the ground.
    Quickly he turns and starts to follow Liam but stops when he hears strained quacking from behind him. He turns and sees the little duck running as fast as it can to catch up with him.
     "Liaaaaam!!" Zayn calls, picking the duck up again. Liam stops and looks back at him. "Zhe's following me!" Zayn tells him.
     "He's not leaving without that thing, mate," Niall tells Liam.
     "I know," he says then sighs. "Alright fine. Bring her with you," Liam finally says.
    "I knew he'd let you come with us," Zayn tells the duckling happily as he nuzzles his cheek against her soft feathers and catches up with Liam and his friends.