Stay with Me || Ziall Horlik

Chapter Six [Don't you know you stop the room?]

They're waiting when he comes home.

Sitting on the couch, half awake, mostly not. Watching a random television show.

Louis got a bowl in his hand (spoon in his mouth), crunching away at some sugary cereal that Louis must of bought himself, because Liam is more of the corn flakes kind of guy or a protein bar. Louis almost looks like a child with his stripped socks on, and an oversized jumper, as he watches Tv. Liam turns his attention to Niall when he walks in, jumping up when he see's him.

Niall can imagine that he doesn't look like his usual self, hair knotted and sticking up every which way. His shoes in his hand because he didn't want to wear them, mix-matched socks on his feet, one of them bound to be Louis', but he doesn't care. Because a night that had once been awful, now feels better, like he's come home from a long trip.

He doesn't remember ever feeling like this, usually when he comes home from seeing Harry his chest feels heavy and he can hardly think straight, but right now, Niall feels like he could go play a game of football or even for a jog, which is something he use to always do.

Liam looks at Niall for a long time, simply raising an eyebrow at him in his direction.

"Someone got laid!" Louis smirks, pointing his spoon at Niall

Niall wants to deny it, and say that he spent the night in a graveyard but he doesn't want them to worry anymore than they have to. So he just simply shrugs his shoulders and goes to his room so that he can have a decent shower, and maybe something to eat after (he hopes that there is cold pizza left) When he gets out of the shower, he goes straight to the fridge and pulls out the box, a slice of pepperoni and pineapple that awaits him. He eats it, well more like scarfs it down, not even bothering to pick the pineapple off (Liam's favorite) and lays down in his bed, to take a long nap.

_

"Fuck." Niall curses, cutting his finger on a rose as he places it in a vase.

"I don't think it's proper for the employee's to curse on the job." Zayn's voice fills the shop, Niall can practically hear the smirk in his voice. Niall whips around so fast that he's sure that he's given himself whip lash. "Guess you better, consult the other customers." Niall gestures around the shop, that is completely empty. "I imagine they might have something about it."

Zayn chuckles and pulls a stool up next to Niall, admiring the vase that Niall has placed roses and hydrangeas into. "Heard this place sold flowers, thought I might check it out myself." Zayn says, picking up a pen that has been made into a flower, using ducktape -Niall hadn't had the heart to tell the girl no when she came in selling them- and sniffed it. As if it were to actually smell like a flower because it was located in a florist.

"Well, you've come to right place, we sell tons of merchandise here, anything to help you and your partner in the bedroom." Niall winked at Zayn who started to crackle, clutching his stomach.

They talked for a while, about how awesome it would be to include a tree inside of the shop, one that was growing at that, and a few other things when it got quiet for a moment.

"Niall. You're the first person that I have socialized with in a long time." Zayn admitted, the way he said it, Niall felt like he was talking to his therapist, rather than Zayn himself.

"I am?" Niall raised an eyebrow in the direction of Zayn (who had now taken up Niall's awful habit of picking the petals off of the flowers and stroking them with his thumb) "Yeah." Zayn cleared his throat "I uh, haven't talked to anyone else in months."

Niall felt a sudden pride at the thought, knowing that Zayn hadn't talked to anyone else made his heart swell, but also made him feel awful, because he knew why Zayn didn't want to talk to anyone. The same reason he hadn't wanted to talk to Louis or Liam, but if they hadn't been there then Niall may of gone completely crazy.

At this time, Niall would try to make Zayn feel better but he knew that right now was a bit tense and that he should just listen carefully. "It's nice to talk to someone who doesn't feel sorry for me, you know?"

Niall knew that feeling all too well, the feeling that he often got when Liam and Louis looked at him. He often just wanted to have a normal conversation without being judged or thinking that Louis and Liam were angry with him because of what Harry did. It was a constant struggle that Niall had dealt with for quite a bit and was struggling to fix in therapy.

"I know exactly how you feel." Niall admitted, pulling out his lunch and looking through the bag. He halved his peanut butter sammy and handed the other half to Zayn who happily took it, they munched on it, and some carrots that Liam had packed for Niall.

"If you go in the back, there is a soda machine, kick it twice at the bottom and a cola will come flying out." Niall pointed to the back, and Zayn nodded getting up and walking towards the back room. Niall could hear a kick and the sound of the machine, when he turned around he expected Zayn to be standing with a soda but he wasn't.

He was standing with a picture, clutched in his hands, as he turned towards Niall. "How do you know this girl?" Zayn pressed his eyes glossy. Niall swallowed thickly before walking closer to him.

He smiled at the picture, it was before Harry had passed away and the shop was thriving. "That's Waliyha, she use to always hang out in here with me all of the time, but I haven't seen her in ages." Niall gave a small smile, and suddenly felt a sadness wash over him because he hadn't seen her in so long.

Zayn wiped a tear away fiercely, and placed the picture down on the counter, leaving, the sound of the bell following behind him.

{Thoughts and comments make me happy, pls give them to me,

ilysm <333}