strippers :: [malik]

xix. child's play

"Breaking news, my niggas
If your girlfriend has went to any
Season opener basketball game
Best believe, she's fucking some niggas on that team
She's fucking somebody on the basketball team
If she's at the game..."
___

"I want one."

"Haz—" Zayn jumps, quickly slamming his phone against the table just as he's hung up his call with Asmaa.

Harry's been standing behind him, just out of the view of the camera.

"How long've you been there?"

"Long enough to know I want one," he replies simply, coming to sit across from Zayn on the couch. "A girl, I mean."

He grins, "Thanks for reminding me how lonely I am, mate."

"At this rate, you should just go to Phoenix."

"Or not," Harry replies. He shakes his head, "Said I wanted a girl, not a stripper."

"They overlap, y'know."

Harry doesn't touch that. "M'pretty surprised you've been so corrupted honestly."

"I didn't know Asmaa worked at Phoenix," he lifts a brow, "remember?"

"But, what're the odds she does, eh?" He shrugs. "Meet a cute lawyer. She's actually a stripper. Sounds like a book," and Zayn laughs with him. "Lou would read it."

"I wonder why."

"So would Calum. Luke too, though."

"You know," Zayn sits up, twirling his phone between his fingers, "he's actually talking to that girl, the one from—"

"Ms. Sangria?" Harry nearly chokes. "Tia Sangria? The resident Leo?"

Zayn laughs again. "That's her."

"He does know that's crazy, right? Zayn, he's mental. That's crazy."

"Whoa," Zayn grins, "Weren't you the one trying to set them up in the first place?"

"Uh, yeah," Harry replies, "For his birthday. For a single lap dance. What happens in the strip club ought to stay in the strip club, mate. That's a cardinal rule."

"Well, he's gone and fallen in love with her."

"'Course," he snorts. "And so've you, so you don't see the issues."

"I haven't—" He shrugs, ignoring Harry's smug look. He wasn't in love, but whatever. "Luke's happy, Haz. S'kind of sweet..." He shakes his head. "I mean," he clears his throat, ignoring Harry's raised eyebrow, "m'happy for 'im."

"Seriously. Don't tell me you support this."

"I mean...like, why not?"

"Because," he blinks rapidly, "are we just gonna forget that this is Luke? Luke who is not Lou?"

"He's happy, Haz. Let him be."

"Somebody's got to be logical," he snorts. "Don't think I've forgotten how we fell out with Lou."

"That was entirely different."

"Was it? What if this girl's taking advantage of Luke the same way—?"

"We don't know if he's being taken advantage of," Zayn replies. "And it was Lou's fault that we aren't mates anymore; not his girl's."

"S'all the same."