Zalien Invazion

48

As soon as the sun rises, Liam jumps out of bed and runs through his house. He  throws open the front door with a hopeful push. He looks outside and his spirits die when he sees the front steps were empty and Zayn had left some time in the night.
     Liam sits down on the steps and rests his elbows on his knees and blankly stares out in front of him, suddenly feeling empty and hopeless. Unable to hold it back any more, he bows his head and cries. He didn't care who saw him or what they thought of him. He felt comfortable with Watson sitting protectively next to him.
   'Zayn's done this before. He used to leave all the time when he first got here. He'll come back later,' Liam tells himself hopefully even though he really doubted it.
     Liam breathes a long shaky breath and leans against Watson, using his large strong frame for support as he cries. He knew Watson wouldn't judge him and might even help him through this hard time.
    "I'm not going in to work today," he tells Watson in a failed attempt to dry his eyes. No matter how hard he tries, the tears just kept falling.
     Liam hadn't taken a sick day in years. He never even missed a day of school when he was younger. He could afford to miss just one day of work. He didn't think he was in any emotional state to work a full 9 hour day anyway.
     After a while, Liam trudges  back inside to make himself a cup of coffee. As he sits back out on the front steps, he suddenly remembers Zayn's love for coffee in the morning and that only makes him cry more.
     With an angry yell, He throws the cup into the middle of the road, watching it shatter as coffee spills everywhere. He hides his head in his arms and buries it into his knees as he sobs, trying to get all of his feelings out.
     He just wanted his Zayn back.
     Suddenly, his phone rings. He ignores it at first but then it won't stop so finally he has to answer it.
     "Hello?" Liam says.
      "Hi Liam. It's me, Harry. Is everything okay?" Harry asks worriedly.
      "Yeah... I'm fine," Liam lies as best he can.
      "You're not at work and you never miss work," Harry shares in confusion.
     "Oh. I'm not coming in today. I'm sorry I was gonna call earlier but something came up," Liam apologizes.
    "What's wrong? Liam are you okay?" Harry asks again. He knew something had to be up.
     "It's Zayn," Liam finally sighs. "We got into another pointless argument last night and he left. I woke up this morning and he was.... He was gone," Liam finishes quietly, trying so hard not to cry again.
      "And I don't know where he is or what's happening to him or if he's even still alive because he just left and now he's all alone and probably scared and doesn't know what to do and I just let him walk away!!,"
     "Aw, Li, I'm sure he's okay. He just needs some time to think. That's all," Harry says encouragingly.
      "That's what scares me because what if he doesn't ever come back? What if he tries to but he gets lost and doesn't know how to get home!?" Liam asks, his voice finally breaking and he can't help but cry into his lap again.
     "Liam! Liam! It's okay Li! It's okay! Everything happens for a reason! Don't cry!" Harry tells him.
"I know I know. I know I'm just over-thinking it all," Liam admits.
"Exactly. Just go and apologize. It'll be alright. Well... I gotta go now," Harry says.
      "And Liam, don't worry it'll all be okay," Harry assures him.
     Liam nods as Harry hangs up.
     "I gotta go find him," Liam tells Watson as he stands up.
     "It my fault he's gone and it's my responsibility to apologize and bring him back," he adds as he herds Watson inside.
    "And don't worry. I won't come home without him. We don't want all your hard work to be for nothing," Liam says with a smile as he scratches Watsons head. Watson barks as Liam's grabs his keys and a coat and heads for the door.
     Liam gets in his car and just drives, searching every street and anywhere he can think of for Zayn. He drives around for most of the day and even Until it's well into the night and all the lights have come on in the city. But all of his searching led him nowhere.
     Finally, he sees a small figure slowly walking down the street all alone. It had its shoulders slumped forward and was probably cold because of the rain that had been falling for the past few hours.
      "Zayn!!" Liam yells excitedly out his window. Zayn glances over his shoulder back at Liam and looks away with a groan and keeps walking.
     "Zayn!! Wait!! Stop! Wait!" Liam cries as he Quickly parks his car on the curb and jumps out to follow Zayn. He wasn't going to let Zayn walk away so easily this time.
     "Zaynie please wait," He pleads when he finally catches up to him. To his surprise, Zayn actually stops and turns to face him.
      "Oh my god you're soaking wet," Liam comments sympathetically as he quickly looks Zayn over.
     "Yeah well that's because it's raining Liam," Zayn mutters irritability as he crosses his arms across his chest unhappily, eyeing Liam's raincoat bitterly.
     "Here," Liam offers as he unzips his raincoat and takes it off his shoulders. He carefully drapes the large coat over Zayn's shoulders and Zayn forgets his pride for a little bit and silently accepts it. He pulls it tight around his freezing, drenched body, huddling into its large size for warmth.
     "Thank you," he mutters under his breath.
      "You're welcome," Liam says with a smile.
"I remember how much you like wearing my clothes," he adds with a joking smirk. Zayn can't help but laugh a little at the comment.
     "Can I explain?" Liam asks with a hopeful smile. Zayn sighs and looks up at him with an expectant stare.
      "Ive been worried fucking sick about you and I spent literally all day looking for you and I need to apologize," Liam explains.
"Why is it all of a zudden now you care about me?" Zayn asks flatly.
"Now? Ive always cared about you! I cared about you before I even knew you. Remember when I saved you the first night you were here?? I did that because I cared about you!" Liam says.
"You didn't even know me," Zayn mutters.
"Exactly! But I know you now!! And that love and care has grown so much!! I mean.... I couldn't even sleep at all last night because I just wanted you back with me and I missed and I just needed you," Liam explains.
     "Just curious. How many times did you say 'I' in the past 20 seconds?" Zayn wonders.
     " Zayn that's not the point..." Liam replies quietly. "It hasn't even been a day and I miss everything that we had together and I'm half a heart without you," Liam says sadly.
    "All you care about is yourself!" Zayn says as he keeps walking.
    "Why are you so fucking stubborn??" Liam mutters frustratedly to himself then follows Zayn again.
     "Zayn!! Wait!! Zayn!!" Liam calls as he walks down the sidewalk until finally he catches up to him. To his surprise again, Zayn stops and turns to face Liam.
    "You know, if you're begging me to come back, it's not gonna work. I'm where I want to be," Zayn tells him.
     "Out on the streets all alone and soaked to the bone from the rain with no where to go?" Liam questions.
     "Yeah," Zayn says determinedly.
     "You're really bad at lying. No one wants that...." Liam shares with a sly smile. Zayn sighs and rolls his eyes frustratedly. Liam smiles and wraps his arms around Zayn's little body, pulling him in for a close, warm hug. Zayn sighs and rests his head and his hands carefully against Liam's chest.
"I love you Zayn and I just want you to come home again," Liam says and Zayn nods.
    "I didn't even want to leave," Zayn admits quietly.
    "What?" Liam gasps. "Then.... Why did you leave?" Liam asks. Zayn sighs again then crosses his arms with a shrug.
    "You told me to," He answers.
      "No I didn't!" Liam claims. "I just said I wasn't holding you down. I would let you leave or stay if you wanted. I wasn't forcing you to go. I would never do that because I need you," Liam explains.
    "But I hurt you," Zayn shares quietly. "I was ztubborn and disrespectful to you and your home and I said really nasty things to you And I was really embarrassed," he adds.
     "That doesn't mean you head to just.... Leave us. You could've just said you were sorry. I wouldn't have cared," Liam tells him. Zayn shakes his head then glances up at the sky without saying anything, letting the heavy raindrops splash on his face.
     Liam rests a hand on Zayn's arm and the other on the side of his face. Zayn's eyes finally  meet Liam's big, worried eyes.
     "I don't care about it any more Zee," he says.
"I just want you back. We both do. I'm not the same when you're not around," he admits as he leans in for a short kiss that Zayn doesn't refuse.
    "Would you believe I actually spent all day crying," Liam says with a slightly embarrassed smile.
      "I couldn't even go in to work either. I got no sleep and I just couldn't stop crying no matter what and I was just an absolute mess! ," Liam tells him with a nervous laugh. Zayn sighs and nods, staring shyly at the ground.
      "I'm zorry I caused you so much worry and zadness," he says sadly.
     "No! It's okay! I'm fine now!! You didn't! I'm way to emotional but I'm just glad you're alright. That's all I care about," Liam says earnestly.
      "And you're right. I do need to listen to you more and let you say what you need to say," Liam admits regretfully.
    "Why do we always keep hurting each other?" Zayn asks sadly.
     "I don't know. But all couples fight sometimes," Liam explains with a shrug.
       "But I guess we just need to talk about our problems more and not just get angry and give up," Liam suggests.
   "Yeah," Zayn agrees with a nod. "I guess we both have things we need to work on..." Zayn says with a small smile.
    "Yeah. Come on then. Let's just go home," Liam suggests as he rests his hand on Zayn's shoulder with a smile.
     Zayn smiles shyly up at him as they walk down the street in the rain, hand in hand- like how it should be.