Crazy Little Thing Called Love

Zayn Or How We Finally Have The Talk

Hi everyone, I am trying to avoid studying so here is a second chapter. I hope you like it. :) Please let me know what you think! All the love, Summer xxx

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   "Happy birthday, mate." said the person with a strong Bradford accent, before Louis said what everyone was thinking. "What the fuck are YOU doing here?"  

Zayn's eyes wandered over to where Louis and I were standing, his gaze fell on me for a moment, before they wandered over to Louis. He was even more beautiful in person and I looked back at him in awe, before I mentally slapped myself and looked up to my boyfriend.  "Louis, I-" he started, but Louis interrupted him. "You show up here, on Harry's birthday of all days, and think we'll happily invite you in to join the party? After what you did last year?" Zayn looked heartbroken and opened his mouth again to say something, but Louis didn't let him. "Who the fuck do you think you are, hm?" 

I had never seen Louis so angry. His grip on my hand was very tight and I could feel him shaking a bit. I lightly tugged at his hand and put a hand on his chest, trying to calm him down. "Louis, let him at least explain himself." I said quietly. Zayn shot me a thankful look, but Louis wasn't very happy about my comment. "Stay out of this, Claire." he said in a flat down, never taking his eyes off Zayn. I looked down to the floor, hurt by his harsh words, but I tried to remind me that he was upset with his former band mate, not me.

"Don't take this out on your girl, Louis." Zayn's voice came from the door. Harry, who seemed to have recovered from the initial shock, pulled Zayn inside and closed the door behind him. "You are inviting him into your house? On your birthday?" Louis asked Harry, shock and anger evident in his voice. "He is still a human being, Louis, and it's fucking freezing outside. Plus, the media would have a field day if anyone saw us." Harry explained to him, but didn't look at Zayn either.

Anne stepped forward and shot Louis a look that clearly told him to shut up. "Why don't you five take this upstairs and talk and we wait downstairs in the living room, hm? Zayn, would you like something to drink or to eat?" she asked him kindly and he shook his head. Liam and Niall stepped forward as well, while Zayn took his coat off and neatly placed his boots next to mine on the ground. "No, thank you, Anne." He gave her a weak smile and followed Harry upstairs. Louis let go off my hand and brushed past me without another look at me, his eyes fixed on Zayn's back who was hesitantly climbing up the stairs. Niall, who looked hurt and confused, followed them, Liam on his heels. 

After they had shut the door upstairs, the rest of us silently walked back into the living room and sat down on the sofas. No one was in the mood for a party anymore. "Well that was awkward." Ed said out loud and we nodded. "I hope they all come down in one piece." Anne said, a frown on her face and threw a concerned look at the ceiling. "They will be fine, mum, they are just hurt. Louis won't kill him." Gemma tried to calm her down. I coughed and she shot me an amused look. "Well, maybe he'll try, but I don't think the other three would let him seriously harm him." Julian Bunetta walked over to me and sat down on the sofa next to me. "Louis didn't mean what he said to you, you know?" He said quietly and I looked up. "I know he was upset with Zayn and not me, but it still hurt." I replied quietly and he nodded. "I am sure it does, but he'll come around. Just let him have some time to get over the initial shock of seeing Zayn again since March." I nodded, unsure of what else to say. He gave my shoulder a light squeeze and then got up and walked over to the improvised bar to get himself a drink. 

Harry's POV:

There was an awkward silence after I had closed the door behind us. "You didn't have to be so rude towards Claire." I said quietly to Louis, whose eyes flashed with anger. "I know that, alright? I'll apologise later to her, this is more important." I held up my hands in defense, silently wondering how Claire was doing downstairs. I hope she understood that Louis wasn't angry at her. "Um, can I say something first?" Zayn asked hesitantly and we all looked at him. He fiddled with the hem of his t-shirt and shifted his weight from one foot to the others. "Spit it out." Louis said and crossed his arms over his chest. Out of the four of us, Zayn's decision to quit the band had hurt Louis the most as they had been the closest before he left and even he didn't have a clue. 

"First of all I would like to apologise to you. I know that leaving you in the middle of a world tour was a dick move and I feel like shit about it." Louis coughed, but Liam shot him a stern look and he kept his mouth shut. "I tried to stay and keep going, at least until the end of the tour, but I couldn't. I couldn't do it and I abandoned you in the middle of a fucking world tour like the biggest prick on earth. I will never be able to make up for that and I know that. I just want to explain why I did it." He took a deep breath before he continued. 

"I, um, I have been suffering from panic and anxiety attacks for about three years now. And they just kept getting worse and worse and then everything around me started to fall apart and I just couldn't take it anymore. I knew it would break me if I kept going the way I did and I talked to my mum for hours and in the end I decided to quit. It was the hardest decision I ever had to make, but it was either that or suffer from a mental break down and sacrificing my life for the happiness of others. And just for once in my life I chose me." He gulped and run a shaking hand through his hair. "I don't expect you to forgive me, but I wanted to explain it to you and I hadn't had the chance until now because none of you tried to contact me or answered any of my texts or emails or calls." 

Guilt was burning inside of me like a fire and I looked down at my hands. I knew he was right. None of us had contacted him and we were all too hurt to respond o any of his tries of getting in touch with us. "Why did you never say anything, mate?" Liam asked and I looked up to see a shadow flicker across Zayn's face, before he answered the question. "I didn't want to be a burden. I knew you were all fighting your own battles and I didn't want to bother you with my own shit." Liam nodded and we all looked over to Louis, who was very pale and starred at Zayn, his face unreadable. 

"I was your best friend, man, why did you never say anything?" He asked quietly and Zayn looked over to him. "You were having your own problems with Eleanor and missing your family, mate. And I just couldn't say it, you know? Because then I would have had to admit that I actually had a problem and I wasn't ready for that." Suddenly, Niall seemed to snap out of his trance and with three big steps he was in front of Zayn and pulled him into a hug. After he got over the initial shock, Zayn hugged him back just as tightly. 

After they had let go, I stepped forward as well and pulled Zayn into a hug. "I'm sorry, mate." I whispered into his ear and he nodded and shot me a thankful look when we pulled away. He didn't have to say anything, I knew he understood what I had wanted to say. Liam gave Zayn a very long hug as well and then all of us looked over to Louis. "I really am sorry, Lou." Zayn said quietly and Louis' eyes flickered over to us and then back to Zayn. "I don't know if I'll ever forgive you for what you have done." he started and as Zayn opened his mouth he held up a finger. "Like I said, I don't think I will ever forgive you, but you are my brother and as much as you hurt me I want you back in my life." 

A small smile appeared on Zayn's face and then Louis' face split into a grin and he walked over and pulled Zayn into a hug. "Group hug!" Niall cheered and jumped on top of the other two, making them stumble and fall over. Liam and I jumped on top of them as well and we ended up in a hump on the floor, all laughing. "I missed you, you idiots." Zayn's muffled voice came from underneath Louis' chest. "But if you don't get off me right now I might not make it until midnight." We all scrambled to our feet and I held out a hand for Zayn, which he gladly took, and pulled him up. 

"Let's go back downstairs and show them that you're still alive." Niall said with a smirk in my direction and Zayn grinned widely. "So I'm allowed to stay?" he asked me, his eyes wandering over to Louis, who nodded and then looked over to me. "Yes, you can stay." I assured him and we walked downstairs, Louis arm resting around Zayn's shoulder.