Zalien Invazion

37

"There you are!" Liam says with a smile as he pops his head over the ledge and sees Zayn sitting in the corner of the roof, staring up at the stars.
"You know, I had a feeling you'd be up here," Liam continues as he climbs onto the roof. Zayn glances up at him then back to the sky.
"Mind if I join you?" Liam asks. Zayn nods and Liam walks over to him.
"Hey. Everything alright?" Liam asks.
"I don't know," Zayn admits quietly.
"Well... I brought hot chocolate. Made it my self. Old family recipe. It's very good if I do say so ," Liam says as he sets one of the mugs on the wall next to Zayn.
"Thank you," Zayn says with a weak smile.
"You wanna talk about it?" Liam wonders with a sad, concerned expression as he sits down next to Zayn.
"I don't really know how to," Zayn admits.
"Just... Whatever you're thinking, you can tell me. It's okay. It doesn't even have to make sense. I'll just listen," Liam suggests with a reassuring smile.
"Well... I- I haven't been completely honest with you. Again," Zayn admits disappointedly.
"Oh no. What other crazy secrets do you have to tell me now?" Liam asks with a laugh, trying to lighten the atmosphere. Zayn just laughs weakly and looks back up at the sky.
"have you ever wondered why they would choose someone like me to come here?" Zayn asks as he lazily fiddles with the corner of one of the warm blankets.
"No," Liam replies.
"Well I'll tell you anyway," Zayn says. "I'm here as my punishment," Zayn says. Liam looks at him in confusion.
     "I- I'm not quite understanding," he admits.
Zayn sighs and shakes his head.
     "I don't know how you see me or what you think of me as, but I'm probably not how you think I am," Zayn says only to make Liam even more confused.
     "I'm what your kind would call a criminal or like an outlaw of something. I wasn't chosen for zome 'zpecial mission' to come here cos I was so great. I'm here so I can pay for what I did and eventually die and not cause any more problems," Zayn says sadly. Liam stares at him in shock.
    "Why didn't you tell me?" He asks quietly.
     "I was too zcared," Zayn admits.
      "You know you can tell me anything," Liam reminds him quietly as he rests his hand under Zayn's chin. Zayn glances up into Liam's eyes then quickly averts his sight somewhere else.
      "I know. And that's why I have to Tell you now," Zayn replies.
    "What did you do that was so bad?" Liam finally asks quietly.
     "I broke a lot of rules my whole life and kept a lot of things hidden that I shouldn't have even been involved with in the first place...." Zayn explains. "I was never like any of the others. I was always different. A lot of my kind made fun of me for it my whole life," Zayn remembers sadly. "but growing up and even now, I've always been fascinated by earth and its people for some reason," Zayn admits.
     "really?" Liam asks.
      "I know. Billions of planets and systems and I had to chose this one," Zayn scoffs, shaking his head. "I'm a lot like Harry actually. So I understand him and how people make fun of him for his interest cuz that's how I am," he continues.
"What is it like, illegal to have any interest in earthly things?" Liam wonders.
"In a way... But I was probably too involved with it. And I've had so many warnings from the leaders to stop and get rid of everything I found and forget humans even exist because the Zaliens believe they're  evil and terrible and dangerous and the worst things.... But their not that bad," Zayn says.
      "You didn't listen to them, did you?" Liam guesses.
       "No," Zayn agrees with a slight grin. "I kept collecting things and eventually I was found out again and so instead of throwing me into the wilderness, they sent me here," he finally shares.
"It makes sense though. I wanted to be like the humans so badly, so they finally gave me a chance to," Zayn says, more to himself then to Liam. "'If you love them so much, why don't you just go live with them!'" He mutters in an extremely mocking and disrespectful tone.
"I thought you liked being on earth though," Liam says in confusion. Zayn shakes his head and bites his lip.
"It's nothing like I thought it would be," Zayn shares. "I spent my whole existence studying and learning and I thought I really knew what humans were like even though every one told me I was wrong. But they were right," Zayn sighs disappointedly.
"Every day when I go out, I see humans. But no humanity. All that's here is hate, sadness, loneliness, anger, and death. No one cares for anyone else. It's just so... Cold and unforgiving and sad. And I thought humans were different..." Zayn says, voicing his thoughts.
"Not all humans are like that," Liam tells Zayn quietly.
"Most of them are," Zayn mutters unhappily. "And I hate it.
"So every day when you go out, what do you do if you're not looking for somebody?" Liam wonders.
"Nothing. I usually just walk. Sit. Think. Observe," Zayn answers and shakes his head. "I mean.... How can a place so beautiful and green and perfect be so corrupt and unforgiving and.... Just scary?" Zayn wonders.
"I wish I could tell ya Zaynie. I really do," Liam says. "So you can never go home?" Liam asks.
    "I could but.... They wouldn't be very happy about it," Zayn says, deep in thought.
"Zo I'm stuck here," he concludes with a sigh. "But it's okay I guess. My home is with you now anyway," Zayn adds as he looks up at Liam. Liam laughs nervously and feels butterflies in his chest and understands that 'bubbly' feeling Zayn mentioned earlier.
"And you're not like most humans though. I like you. And your friends," Zayn tells him.
"Even Louis?" Liam asks jokingly.
"Yeah. He's alright. But all of you are nice to me. And I like that," Zayn tells him. "No one at home was nice to me. I was just.... The weird kid that was always laughed at and made fun of cos I was different," he continues sadly, staring at some far off spot. Liam frowns sadly as his heart breaks a little.
He hated seeing Zayn like this. All Liam wanted was give Zayn all the happiness he could and see that big crooked smile that made the skin at the corner of his eyes crinkle. He just wanted Zayn to be happy.
"Is it weird for you? To be around me since... I'm not really like you at all?" Zayn wonders, glancing up to Liam.
"It's not weird at all," Liam answers.
"Really?" Zayn asks in slight surprise.
"To me, you're just another human," Liam tells him. "Well... You're not just another human. What I meant is, I don't look at you and see this crazy, alien, being that's some sort of..... Creature. I just... I see Zayn you know? I see this super cool, funny, sweet, adorable human guy that I love," Liam explains as he leans into Zayn's side, making him beam and laugh happily.
"Cuz I mean... You're just... You're my little Zaynie," Liam adds as he wraps his arms tightly around Zayn, holding him close.
"And honestly... This is extremely selfish... But I don't ever want you to go back home. I want to keep you here with me forever," Liam admits as he plants a loud kiss on Zayn's forehead.
"I do. I want to be here forever. Right next to you, Liam," Zayn says as he rests his head against Liam's shoulder, cuddling into Liam's broad chest with a smile on his face.
"It's crazy, when you think about it," Liam starts after a minute of silence.
"What's crazy Liam?" Zayn wonders.
"Just think. Out of all the places you could have gone, all the things that could have happened to you, it just worked out that somehow we met each other. I mean..... How does that happen?" Liam asks in amazement.
"Yeah that is crazy...." Zayn realizes with a small smile. "But I guess that just shows that were meant to be together," he suggests.
    Liam smiles happily and hugs Zayn a little tighter, keeping him warm and safe as they sit out under the stars.